Tag: Source

  • Saving Money and Heating the Home

    Saving Money and Heating the Home

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    Using Solar Heating costs can get expensive when the weather is cold, making it imperative to find ways to save money on heating your residence. Solar panels are used to collect energy from the sun and transform it into electricity that can be used throughout your home. This same solar energy technology can be used to heat your home.

    Heat collectors, or solar thermal systems, work similarly to solar power cells, except they absorb heat as well as light that is generated by the sun and uses it to heat the air or a liquid. This heated air or liquid is then used to transfer heat into your home. You have many options that allow you to enjoy a warm home and save money on gas and heating costs with solar energy.

    Passive Solar heating is highly effective on large windows that face south, allowing sunlight to stream into your home. Solar light and warmth are absorbed by the floors, walls, or any containers or dark-coloured items. When this warmth is absorbed, it raises the temperature in the home by several degrees. Since hot air rises, heat will spread through the entire home quite efficiently.

    Active Solar

    With active heating using solar energy, heat collectors that contain liquids or air will be used to collect heat from the sun. This warmth is stored much like solar panels store energy in their batteries. When you want to heat the home, the heated air is used to send warmth throughout the house or just individual rooms, depending on the system you have installed. Using liquids, the home is heated using a pump that allows the liquid to be moved though pipes in your home, bringing warmth.

    Liquid Active Solar using liquids requires pipes or tubing, a radiant slab system, to be installed underneath the floors or in the walls of your residence. To heat your home, the liquid is heated, and the warmth radiates from the pipes, causing temperature to increase. Other methods of heating the home, such as furnaces and hot water radiators, use stored hot water to provide heat in rooms. When using liquid active solar heat, water can be heated as well – saving you a ton of money.

    Combination Solar & Geothermal

    Solar collectors absorb warmth from the sun and store it to be used to heat the air, or even the water, in your home. Warmth can also be collected due to geothermal heating systems. These systems require water pipes to be installed near your home underneath the ground. They connect to heat pumps, transferring warm water from the ground so that it can be used in the home. Pairing geothermal systems and other solar heating methods can increase efficiency in areas with extreme cold or long periods with little sunlight.

    When it comes to solar power, there is no end to what can be accomplished. Not only can you save money heating your home with solar energy, you can heat water as well.

    For more information about solar energy and solar panels please check out these links.

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    Source by Edmund Brunetti

    Views: 0

  • Dealing With Relationship Stress

    Dealing With Relationship Stress

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    The start to a relationship is often high-spirited when couples tend to fall head over heels for each other. The urgency to talk and meet is so intense that time seems to fly initially. However, when the euphoria settles and one gets used to the partner, real time problems start surfacing. At times, things might get so stressful that the partners start contemplating separation. At others, the stress slowly pushes them to the brink of developing mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

    Breaking the bond is the easiest thing to do, but, the actual strength of a relationship lies in dealing with the relationship stress together, as a couple and bringing back harmony. Unfortunately, not many couples have the patience to walk through the stressful times together. Yet, one must remember that it is a choice. Either one can work as a team and emerge stronger or one may decide to deal with the stress individually and let the relationship weaken. Given below are some of the ways in which relationship stress can be handled and the development of mental disorders prevented:

    • Accepting each other as is – It is important to understand that reality is far from the rom-com movies that we watch and romantic novels that we read. Expecting your partner to be perfect all the time is not realistic. All of us are flawed. Expecting too much paves the way for intense pressure and disappointments in the long run. Thus, one must accept their partner as is and focus on their strengths.

    • Communicating constructively – When faced with problems, some couples tend to go on silent mode with long periods of no communication. This is a recipe for disaster. One must muster the courage to break the silence and address the issues that have hampered the equation. Moreover, one must express their feelings gently. Shouting and not listening to the other person’s perspective is damaging and would do nothing to rebuild the relationship.

    • De-stressing together – Couples must de-stress together. This can be achieved by going on a holiday, attending concerts, going for walks, learning some hobby together, watching movies, and indulging in any activities that both the partners enjoy. Getting intimate is also indispensable to relieve stress in a relationship. Some couples avoid intimacy when they have unresolved conflicts, however, it is important to make love as that might set you talking and help resolve the unsaid issues.

    • Avoiding blame game – It is important to understand that in a relationship, both the partners are in the same team. Pushing down the other person by constant blaming them can get tiring and destructive for the health of the relationship. In addition, it is also critical to apologize sincerely once they understand that they are at fault.

    • Keeping up social networking – Sometimes, a couple gets so obsessed with each other that they forget about their social obligations. While the option of spending all your time with each other might seem interesting at first, over time, it may bring boredom into the equation. It might also build a lot of stress and socializing might offer a vent to it. Thus, one must keep in touch with their friends and relatives and meet them as often as possible.

    • Investing on self – It is vital to be present for each other in a relationship, however, one must not forget themselves. One must, therefore, ensure that they invest some time and resources on taking care of the self also. Eating right, getting adequate sleep, indulging in some sort of physical activity, getting a massage, etc., can help build self-esteem and invigorate the spirits of an individual.

    Seeking professional help for stress

    Sometimes, despite best intentions and efforts, it gets very difficult to reach a stage of equilibrium in a relationship. In such cases, the continuous stress may lead to the development of mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

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    Source by Susan Navarez

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  • Health Insurance: The Race Against the Clock

    Health Insurance: The Race Against the Clock

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    There is still time for Congress to pick up the pieces of changing the healthcare system to help stabilize it. The fate of the Affordable Care Act is yet to be determined. In the meantime, people wait while paying extremely high premiums and have mountains of out-of-pocket bills on the kitchen table. Where is the affordability of the Affordable Care Act?

    Tick ​​Tock for the insurance companies as well. They are under a timeline for filing dates this summer. Insurance companies have time to decide if they will still offer ACA plans or not. By withdrawing ACA plans, things will start moving back to before the law was signed. This time capsule can be good for many.

    The insurance companies may begin screening for health conditions. Do not panic just yet! Years ago, the only problem with pre-existing conditions was not 'if' an insurance company would take you, but which one. Each insurance companies had personalities for health conditions. Just because a big name insurance company turned someone down, that did not mean you could not get health insurance from another company. Insurance brokers just had to match the personality with the insurance company. It is as simple as that.

    If nothing happens by late March, we could be moving into more increases on the health plans in 2019. This is terrible news for folks on the brink of losing their health insurance due to cost. Not everyone does well enough to pay for their health insurance with no problem, and much more do not qualify for any government subsidies for the premiums.

    Governors in Alaska, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Nevada came up with "A Bipartisan Blueprint for Improving Our Nation's Health System Performance." It brings together a high-level overview of what some changes should occur. It does not get specific enough to make a difference. Maybe it is too soon at this point. However, policyholders need some answers, and hard proof something will change that will benefit them.

    Collective action by 20 US States recently sued the federal government claiming the law was no longer constitutional after the repeal of individual mandate starting in 2019. Individuals and families not having ACA compliant coverage will no longer be fined a tax penalty in 2019. The Individual Mandate was the very rule that was determined by the Supreme Court in 2012 saying it was constitutional as a tax penalty.

    The future of the law and health plans are yet to be determined. Since 2014, it seems that most policies are changing every year. Every year the premiums go up, and the policies cover less. At what point is the breaking point? With this race against the clock, we will have to wait until the clock stops to know if we have real change coming.

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    Source by Butch Zemar

    Views: 0

  • Customer Satisfaction Management

    Customer Satisfaction Management

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    General understanding of consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is the result of differences between consumer expectations and performance perceived by consumers. From the various definitions of consumer satisfaction that have been researched and defined by marketing experts, it can be concluded that customer satisfaction is a behavior response consumer in the form of after-purchase evaluation of an item or service that they feel (product performance) compared to consumer expectations.Consumer satisfaction is very dependent on the perceptions and expectations of consumers themselves. Factors that influence consumers’ perceptions and expectations when making purchases of goods or services are needs and desires felt by consumers when making purchases of goods or services, past experiences when consuming these goods or services and experiences of friends who have consume these goods or services and advertising.In a competitive environment, an indicator that can show customer satisfaction is whether the consumer will buy back and use the product in the future.

    Customer needs are fulfilled is one of the factors forming Customer Satisfaction (Customer Satisfaction), in addition to other factors related to Customer Service. And this customer satisfaction is what we need to ensure the continuity of our business. Aspects that can affect customer satisfaction effectively [13], namely:

    1. Warranty costs. Several companies deal with the warranty costs of their products / services through a percentage of sales. The company’s failure to give satisfaction to customers is usually because the company does not provide guarantees for the products they sell to customers.

    2. Handling of complaints from customers. Statistically this is important to note, but it is often too late for companies to realize it. If complaints / claims from customers are not immediately resolved, customer defections cannot be prevented.

    3. Market Share. It is a matter that must be measured and related to company performance. If the market share is measured, then the quantity is measured, not the quality of the company’s service.

    4. Costs of poor quality. This can be of satisfactory value if costs for customer defect can be estimated.

    5. Industry reports. There are many types and industry reports, as stated by J.D Power in Bhote, which is the report that is the fairest, most accurate, and most eagerly made by the company.Guiltinan [14] argues that one of the benefits of customer satisfaction is that it can increase customer loyalty, as shown in the figure below

    Customer satisfaction is an emotional response to the evaluation of the consumption experience of a product or service. Kotler defines customer satisfaction as the level of one’s feelings after comparing the performance (or results) that he feels compared to his expectations (Kotler, Philip, and Garry Armstrong, 2005). Basically, customer satisfaction includes the difference between expectations and performance or the results obtained.

    According to Kotler [1], satisfaction is feeling happy or disappointed someone who appears after comparing between perceptions or impressions of the performance or results of a product and expectations. So, satisfaction is a function of perception or impression of performance and hope. If the performance is below expectations, the customer is not satisfied. If the performance meets expectations, the customer will be satisfied. If the performance exceeds expectations, the customer will be very satisfied or happy. The key to generating customer loyalty is to provide high customer value.The relationship between customer satisfaction and loyal customers is disproportionate [2], for example, customer satisfaction is ranked on a 1-5 scale, namely:

    1. Customer satisfaction at a very low level (level 1), most likely customers will move away from the company and speak ill of it.

    2. Customer satisfaction at level 2 to level 4, customers feel somewhat satisfied, but it is still possible to move when a better offer appears.

    3. Customer satisfaction at level 5, customers are very likely to buy back and even disseminate good news about the company.

    High satisfaction or satisfaction creates an emotional bond with the brand or company and is not only fixated on reasonable choices.While satisfaction according to Kotler and Armstrong (2001: 9): Consumer satisfaction is the extent to which the assumption of product performance meets the expectations of buyers. If the product’s performance is lower than the customer’s expectations, the buyer is satisfied or very happy. According to Zeithaml and Bitner (2000: 75) the definition of satisfaction is: Consumer response or response regarding fulfillment of needs. Satisfaction is an assessment of the features or features of a product or service, or the product itself, which provides the level of consumer pleasure related to meeting consumer consumption needs. Consumer satisfaction can be created through quality, service and value.

    Customer expectations are believed to have a large role in evaluating product quality (goods and services) and customer satisfaction. Customer expectations basically have a close relationship between determining quality and customer satisfaction. Customer expectation always exists because of four things (Kertajaya, 2004):

    1. Individual Need or individual needs

    If your customer already has high demands, then his expectations are definitely high too.

    1. Word of Mouth

    Customers can have certain expectations because of other people’s stories. Other people’s stories are often seen as references.

    1. Past experience or past experience

    People who already have good experience in the past will be able to receive services at least the same as they used to be. If not, he will be disappointed.

    1. External communication or external communication

    It is an attempt by the company to promise something to customers in order to attract customers.

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    Source by Yufi Priyo

    Views: 0

  • Emotionally Weak: Do Some Peoples Childhoods Set Them Up To Be Emotionally Weak?

    Emotionally Weak: Do Some Peoples Childhoods Set Them Up To Be Emotionally Weak?

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    It could be said that someone’s life would be a lot easier if they were unable to experience emotions. The primary reason for this is that they would no longer experience emotional pain.

    As a result of this, they would never feel sad, powerless, helpless, or hopeless, and fear and anxiety would no longer bother them either. This would allow them to lead a more centred life.

    The Downside

    Living in this way wouldn’t come without its problems, though, as one would most likely lead a life that lacks depth. They would live an empty existence, due to the part of themselves that provides meaning and a sense of wholeness being offline.

    Not only does this part of them provide meaning, it is also what allows them to feel connected to others and the planet. Therefore, while experiencing emotions will be hard for them at times, it would be far worse is they were not able to experience them.

    Hard To Accept

    However, although this is the case, it doesn’t mean that everyone will be able to accept this. If someone experiences a lot of emotional pain, for instance, they may believe that their life would be better if they could no longer feel.

    Yet, given what they often go through, it is not exactly going to be a surprise for them to have this outlook. Their life is not going to be very enjoyable; it could seem as if they are being punished.

    No Stability

    And even when they are not in a lot of emotional pain, they could wonder how long it will be until they are. Before long, something could take place that will completely change their inner world.

    This could take place after another person has said something negative about them or tried to walk over them. Something else that could cause them to come crashing down is a break up or an argument.

    All Over the Place

    It will be clear that it will be more or less impossible for one to handle how they feel. Instead of their emotional self being another part of their being, it will be a part of them that has the tendency to take over their whole being.

    If they were able to contain their feelings and they didn’t take over, their life would be very different. One wouldn’t be a small boat that is tossed around by every wave; they would be a big ship that has the ability handle most waves.

    One Approach

    If one was able to step back and came to the conclusion that they need to do something about their life, they might end up looking for a book to read. Conversely, they could look online for answers.

    What they may learn is that they to develop the ability to manage their thoughts, with this being the reason why their feelings are often out of control. Once they can do this, they will become emotionally strong.

    Support

    Being mindful of what thoughts they entertain, and what thoughts they think, will allow them to have different feelings. The positive feelings that they end up having can give them the strength that they need to feel strong and to achieve their goals.

    Said another way, ones emotional body will be working with their mind as opposed to against it. After putting these steps into practice for a little while, they may find that their life starts to change.

    An Unexpected Outcome

    Then again, one could find that focusing on what is taking place in their head doesn’t have much of an effect on them. Now, this could be a sign that they need to hang in there and to keep going until it works.

    At the same time, it could show that they need to try a completely different approach. There is the chance that one’s emotional body is carrying a lot of emotional pain and this is then why they find it hard to handle their emotions.

    A Missing Ability

    If they are carrying a lot of emotional pain, it could also show that they didn’t receive the type of care that they needed in order to develop the ability to regulate their own emotions. Perhaps their early years were a time when they were abused and/or neglected.

    What should have been a time when they were built up would have been a time when they were traumatised on a regular basis. This would have caused them to suffer as a child and it will still be causing them to suffer as an adult.

    A Totally Different Approach

    The emotional pain that has stayed trapped in their body will most likely need to be worked through. This can involve facing how they feel and feeling their feelings to their completion.

    To do this, one will most likely need to reach out for external support. The reason for this is that these feelings will be too much for them to handle and this will have stopped them from being able to consciously work through them.

    Awareness

    A therapist or a healer, for instance, can provide the presence that one needs so that they can go where they wouldn’t by themselves. This person will be like the scaffolding that is needed while a building is being strengthened.

    The main thing will be for them to reach out for assistance and to keep going no matter what. As for how long this process will take, how long is a piece of string?

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    Source by Oliver JR Cooper

    Views: 0

  • Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, by Peter A, Levine

    Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, by Peter A, Levine

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    Many people who have suffered tremendous emotional trauma (for example, the recently bereaved, people in war-torn countries, those who have been tortured or sexually molested) or physical hurt (e.g. severe neglect, debilitating injuries) recover entirely or near completely from their tragedy. However, others do not fare as well and continue to relive the same horrific experiences of morbid fear, anguish, and anxiety for a prolonged period of time. These latter groups of people have been traumatized by their bad experiences.

    In their book, “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma,” Levine and Frederick (1997), said that this is a result of bottled-up somatosensory symptoms emanating after trauma. There are three main ways people respond when faced with a traumatic experience, said Levine and Frederick (1997). They can fight (confront the situation), flee (get away from the situation), or freeze (be totally overwhelmed by the predicament to the point of immobility). Victims who apply a fight or flee solution to a traumatic experience fare better in dealing with trauma than people who freeze in response to shock (Levine & Frederick, 1997). This state of suspended animation and paralysis occurs unconsciously and involuntarily. During this state of freeze, the victim has no way of going through all the typical reactions associated with traumatic events (Levine & Frederick, 1997). Because they are not adequately discharged by the victim, the trapped emotions wreak havoc on the traumatized individual.

    The solution to trauma is, therefore, to guide the victim along a path (Experiential Sensation-FELT SENSE) that allows them to perceive and release those trapped emotions (Levine & Frederick, 1997). This approach to healing trauma was garnered by learning how animals recover from traumatic experience (Levine & Frederick 1997). Confronting trauma, said Levine and Frederick (1997), should be mostly on an emotional, limbic brain level, and not solely on the rational, executive brain level.

    Levine and Frederick’s trauma theory is also supported in some ways by the polyvagal theory, which suggests that trauma has a somatic experiential component. If, as indicated by the polyvagal theory and by the Levine and Frederick (1997) theory, that trauma has strong emotional roots, one can apply elements of relationship models such as the DIR model in addressing trauma. After determining the victim’s functional emotional development capacity level, a DIR practitioner can begin to appeal, build and strengthen discovered areas of weaknesses, thus allowing the victim to escape the shackling phenomena of a past traumatic event. Calming the traumatized individual is a tool in the DIR toolbox with which to regulate traumatized individuals. A calmed mind creates an opportunity for further regulation of emotions and understanding of deep-rooted feelings, all of which are needed for trauma victims to extricate themselves from the shackles of the past and begin to attain new heights of functional capacity.

    Other applicable trauma theories include the NARM model, which, focusing on the mind, suggests that trauma is associated with a maladaptation in the victim’s attachment history. The PTSD model suggests that trauma victims are applying to their current problems solutions which had worked and were appropriate in the past.

    In my opinion, while attachment and trauma appear as opposite ends of the same emotional realm, it is apparent that whereas attachment is mostly positive, except, for example, in cases of extreme attachment/dependency, trauma is almost always negative, at least until it resolves. Treatment of trauma requires a dedicated practitioner, who is ready to learn from their victims and understand their challenges in order to develop an appropriate management strategy.

    Recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma, making timely referrals to a trauma specialist, and integrating several of the modalities mentioned would likely give the best result in the management of traumatized children and adults.

    Reference

    Levine, P. A., & Frederick, A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma: The innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

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    Source by Anselm Anyoha

    Views: 0

  • How to Take Amazing Photos for Instagram As a Digital Marketer

    How to Take Amazing Photos for Instagram As a Digital Marketer

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    Instagram has recently grown to become even larger than Twitter. This clearly indicates what an amazing opportunity the site represents for marketers, especially those with something very physical to sell.

    But still you'll find that a lot of businesses are reluctant to invest much time or money into the site. Why is that? Often it comes down to confusion over what type of content they should be creating and what type of content does well on the site.

    How to Take Great Photos

    Apart from anything else, success on Instagram often comes down to knowing how to take great photos. Instagram is an arty app that's all about showing the beauty in everyday life.

    As a business, this means showing the beauty in your product or in your niche.

    To do that, you need to start thinking of composition in your photos and of how a photograph can potentially tell a story.

    How can a photo tell a story? An example might be to show an empty wine glass with a lipstick mark around the edge and a fire burning just out of focus in the background. Perhaps feet lingering in a doorway. This tells the story of a romantic night that has just come to an end and people are free to imagine the details of that night.

    Likewise, a photo of a gym kit discarded on the ground next to a protein shaker, suggests a workout. Maybe there are headphones here too and maybe there are muddy trainers, showing that it was a run in the rain. The caption might be something like 'No Excuses' , from which we can infer that even on rainy days, we should still be working out.

    If you're selling trainers, or a brand of wine, these pictures are far more effective than simply showing the products themselves – as they put your product in context and they 'show the lifestyle'.

    Show the Lifestyle

    When you sell a product, you are really always selling a 'value proposition'. In other words, you are selling the lifestyle or the improvement that your product promises. You don't sell fat-free yogurt … you sell abs!

    Understanding this distinction is very important for marketing because it should be the value proposition that really gets your audience excited – rather than the product itself.

    Likewise, people like seeing pictures that create some kind of emotional response.

    Think of this and start framing your shots in more interesting ways that infer rather than tell, and you will start to gain traction on Instagram.

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    Source by Olla Boluwatife Joseph

    Views: 0

  • Affirmations – Putting Emotion in Your Words

    Affirmations – Putting Emotion in Your Words

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    It is true; affirmations are just sentences with a positive slant, just words. On their own they can do little to change your life. Power, life transforming power, becomes embedded in affirmations when you add emotion while you are saying them.

    Words are words, but emotion is energy and our Universe operates on energy. It is the energy behind our words that gives life to affirmations and sets them in motion to manifest. One of the main pitfalls people run into when saying affirmations is that they are saying a sentence they do not believe in and thus do not put emotion into. The goal is to feel your affirmations as if they were already true. Here are the three reasons that emotion is absent from affirmations and the remedy for each:

    1. Existing beliefs conflict with the affirmation. When you affirm, “I am a millionaire!” while believing “There is not enough to go around.” it can be impossible to feel like a millionaire. You would actually be manifesting more lack because when you say your affirmation with a conflicting belief, the automatic reaction is to think that the affirmation is false which is usually accompanied by a feeling of hopelessness.

      The fix here is to work on the conflicting belief first. First, pay attention to how you feel when you say your desired affirmation. If you feel hopeless or sense a conflict, explore that feeling until you come up with the belief that is the root cause. When you have identified that belief, create an affirmation to address it. From our example above, if you believe that there is not enough to go around an effective affirmation would be “I choose to believe in abundance.” Once you have addressed your conflicting belief your mind will open up to believing all sorts of new and exciting things.

    2. Doubt. If you doubt that saying affirmations will change your beliefs, habits, actions and life, it can certainly be hard to feel emotion while you say them.

      To address this, read as much as you can about the power of your mind and affirmations. Say your affirmations right after you have finished reading something particularly inspirational or motivational. You will find that your excitement over reading the possibilities related to the potential of your mind will carryover while you say (and feel) your affirmations. I highly recommend, “You can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay.

    3. You are not quite there. You may be close to believing you affirmation, but it is a bit of a stretch. You may not have a conflicting belief, but it is hard for you to imagine and feel that truth in your life at this moment.

      In this case, adding the words “choose” or “accept” to your affirmations can soften them enough to make them 100% believable in this moment. The affirmation “I am abundant.” would become “I choose to be abundant.” or “I accept abundance into my life.”

    My last tip for adding emotion to your affirmations is to smile! Works every time.

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    Source by Danea Horn

    Views: 0

  • Animal Self-Medication: Do Wild Animals Heal Themselves?

    Animal Self-Medication: Do Wild Animals Heal Themselves?

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    What do wild animals do when they get sick? Unlike domestic pets, animals in the wild have no access to the range of treatments provided by owners or vets. Do wild animals know how to heal themselves?

    Growing scientific evidence indicates that animals do indeed have knowledge of natural medicines. In fact, they have access to the world's largest pharmacy: nature itself. Zoologists and botanists are only just beginning to understand how wild animals use plant medicines to prevent and cure illness.

    There's a name for it

    The emerging science of Zoopharmacognosy studies how animals use leaves, roots, seeds and minerals to treat a variety of ailments. Indigenous cultures have had knowledge of animal self-medication for centuries; many folk remedies have come from noticing which plants animals eat when they are sick. But it is only in the last 30 years that zoopharmacognosy has been scientifically studied. Biologists witnessing animals eating foods not part of their usual diet, realized the animals were self-medicating with natural remedies.

    When a pregnant African elephant was observed for over a year, a discovery was made. The elephant kept regular dietary habits throughout her long pregnancy but the routine changed abruptly towards the end of her term. Heavily pregnant, the elephant set off in search of a shrub that grew 17 miles from her usual food source. The elephant chewed and ate the leaves and bark of the bush, then gave birth a few days later. The elephant, it seemed, had sought out this plant specifically to induce her labor. The same plant (a member of the borage family) also happens to be brewed by Kenyan women to make a labor-inducing tea.

    Chimps take their medicine

    Not only do many animals know which plant they require, they also know exactly which part of the plant they should use, and how they should ingest it. Chimpanzees in Tanzania have been observed using plants in different ways. The Aspilia shrub produces bristly leaves, which the chimps carefully fold up then roll around their mouths before swallowing whole. The prickly leaves 'scour' parasitical worms from the chimps intestinal lining.

    The same chimps also peel the stems and eat the pith of the Vernonia plant (also known as Bitter leaf). In bio-chemical research, Vernonia was found to have anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. Both Vernonia and Aspilia have long been used in Tanzanian folk medicine for stomach upsets and fevers.

    It is only the sick chimpanzees that eat the plants. The chimps often grimace as they chew the Vernonia pith, indicating that they are not doing this for fun; healthy animals would find the bitter taste unpalatable.

    Nature's pharmacy for all

    Wild animals won't seek out a remedy unless they need it. Scientists studying baboons at the Awash Falls in Ethiopia noted that although the tree Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert date) grew all around the falls, only the baboons living below the falls ate the tree's fruit. These baboons were exposed to a parasitic worm found in water-snails. Balanites fruit is known to repel the snails. Baboons living above the falls were not in contact with the water-snails and therefore had no need of the medicinal fruit.

    Many animals eat minerals like clay or charcoal for their curative properties. Colobus monkeys on the island of Zanzibar have been observed stealing and eating charcoal from human bonfires. The charcoal counteracts toxic phenols produced by the mango and almond leaves which make up their diet.

    Some species of South American parrot and macaw are known to eat soil with a high kaolin content. The parrots' diet contains toxins because of the fruit seeds they eat. (Even the humble apple seed contains cyanide.) The kaolin clay absorbs the toxins and carries them out of the birds' digestive systems, leaving the parrots unharmed by the poisons. Kaolin has been used for centuries in many cultures as a remedy for human gastrointestinal upset.

    Survival of the medicated

    So, how do animals know how to heal themselves? Some scientists believe that evolution has given animals the innate ability to choose the correct herbal medicines. In terms of natural selection, animals who could find medicinal substances in the wild were more likely to survive. Other observations have shown that, especially among primates, medicinal skills appear to be taught and learned. Adult females are often seen batting their infant's hand from a particular leaf or stem as if to say "No, not that one."

    Wild animals don't rely on industrially produced synthetic drugs to cure their illnesses; the medicines they require are available in their natural environment. While animals in the wild instinctively know how to heal themselves, humans have all but forgotten this knowledge because of our lost connection with nature. Since wild animals have begun to be observed actively taking care of their own wellbeing, it raises questions of how we approach healthcare with natural remedies, not just for ourselves but for our companion and farm animals too.

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    Source by Gary Le Mon

    Views: 0

  • Entrepreneurship Ideas

    Entrepreneurship Ideas

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    The world is full of need. Need is the foundation of business. Ergo, the world is full business opportunities. This analogy is true being that products and services are generally created to respond to a given social requirement. Food, shelter, security, comfort, entertainment – these are needs commonly recognized and catered by experienced entrepreneurs. This is probably the reason why there is an abundance of restaurants, convenience stores, rental apartments and townhouses, security agencies, spas and clubs in communities around the world. If you are a first time entrepreneur who wants to penetrate the business world, you have got to tap innovative entrepreneurship ideas. Otherwise, you’ll just be drowned out by senior competitors.

    Many of those the established entrepreneurs we have today made their mark in the industry with unique businesses thoughts. They even sought to address needs which were not that recognized by people. Socialization and information are human desires that have given some ingenious individuals access to the big bucks. Facebook and YouTube are ground-breaking entrepreneurship ideas, made real, that dared to redefine the concept of modern entrepreneurship.

    Honestly, it’s hard to top what these young industrialists have achieved. But aspiring businessmen need not feel discouraged about losing out. Here are some creative business proposals that might just get you that free slot with the big shots.

    1. Search Engine Optimization and Web Design
    Given the popularity of the use of the internet and the emergence of online businesses that wish to hit it big in search engines, these services are bound to be profitable. It can be done on a project basis so you don’t have to be committed to something long term. You can even keep another job while running such a business. Moreover, resources for SEO and web design are 50% free and the tools you use for it can be paid by monthly basis. Downside is you have to learn. Search engine optimization and web design aren’t complicated. But they will require some time investment in the beginning. What some start up entrepreneurs do is act as middle men for SEO and web design requests and outsource the tasks to cheap but capable Filipino or Indian specialists.

    2. Deliver Anything Service
    People are very busy nowadays and have hardly enough time to run errands. Running a deliver anything service is gainful considering that you would be able to cater to a large market with basically the same need – fast, efficient delivery of goods. You can be contracted by a studio owner who wants to deliver an important footage to a television station in another side of town; or a mother who wants to get her son’s lunchbox to him while he’s in school in one hour or less; or a businessman who wants to get a gift sent to a client living in another city within the day. The downsides are: it will require a hefty sum of capital and that you have established competitors known as the internet and couriers. Information sharing is fast and cheaper via emails and collaborative folders. And couriers basically give the same service. You’re only advantage is you are not fickle with what deliveries you make.

    3. Events Organization
    This is a fun business and it will challenge all aspects of your being an entrepreneur, from marketing to planning to budgeting and execution. You can cater to weddings, corporate parties, birthdays, baptisms etc. You will be able to widen your network as you pursue this service. And unlike the previous entrepreneurship ideas, YOU WILL NOT BE INVESTING ANY CAPITAL. You just got to establish a reputation and exert effort. You can start small. Start with friend. Get his/her money, spend it wisely and secure a high level of satisfaction. Marketing is basic word-of-mouth. If you do well, you will have a hoard of fans in no time.

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    Source by Greg Peter Candelario

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