Healthy Life

Article by Walid Petiri

Procrastination is something that we all have in common; often it is as innocent as continually putting something off until a later date. However, in the case of life insurance putting it off until later could be a devastating decision for your loved ones. While we know that many people between the ages of 30 and 50 lack a will, information gathered over the past year tells us that many lack life insurance too.

This past March, a survey from Genworth Financial and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business found that almost 70% of single parents and 45% of married parents were living without any coverage.1 This follows the 2010 study of Trends in Life Insurance by the Life Insurance and Market Research Association (LIMRA), which indicated that 44 percent of American adults are opting to go without life insurance. Additionally, LIMRA’s study revealed in 2010 that 30 percent of U.S households have no coverage compared to 22 percent of households that were without coverage in 2004. Most concerning was the 11 million households with children under age 18 who did not have life insurance.2

Why don’t more young adults own life insurance? With the challenges that so many are facing due to the recent economic turmoil, often times life insurance is pushed down the priority list. Also, shopping for life insurance may seem confusing, boring, or unnecessary especially for those between 30 and 50. Still when you have children, get married, buy a house and/or live a lifestyle funded by significant salaries of one spouse, the need for life insurance is undeniable.

Choosing the right policy. There are two basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. Technically, cash value or “permanent” life insurance policies offer death benefits and some of the characteristics of an investment – a percentage of the money you spend to fund the policy goes into a savings program. In the 90′s there was an explosion of new products (Variable Life) where insurance companies offered customers the ability to invest the savings portion of these policies into the stock market by using options very similar to mutual funds. By the way almost all of these products promised stock market like returns and in nearly every case have failed miserably. Traditionally the cash value/savings portion of permanent policies are invested by the insurance company and pay a fixed interest rate (subject to change due to market conditions).

All of these types of permanent policies require higher premiums than term policies. Term policies provide you insurance coverage for periods ranging from 10 to 25 years in most cases and can be a great choice for many young adults or others that need coverage for a specific time period and because it is relatively inexpensive. Now the downside to term life coverage is considerable; if you outlive the term of the policy, your loved ones do not receive the death benefit. In fact, years ago the state of New York passed a law to prevent persons age 70 and above from purchasing term policies, as the purchasers frequently outlived the coverage period after paying significant premiums during the term. Term life policies can be renewed (though many are not) and some can be converted to permanent coverage. 3

The key questions are: How long do you need coverage? What is the amount of coverage you need for beneficiaries (both children & spouse)? And of course what can your cash flow support.

Often today life insurance is presented by insurance professionals like an investment and it is not. Life insurance is first to provide for burial & funeral expenses, second replace lost income from a working spouse that is necessary to maintain the family including paying off debts, third as part of an estate planning tool it can help leave a legacy for family or charities.

The way you answer the key questions will guide you towards your true need for permanent vs. term life insurance coverage.

Term can be cheap but remember your need. Premiums on 10-year level guaranteed term policies are startlingly affordable. Just to give you a example, a 40-year-old woman in excellent health could potentially line up 0,000 in coverage through one major insurer for a premium of a month in August 2011.4

Still, if you have insurance needs beyond the term period then strongly consider not neglecting them to save dollars in the short term.

Review, Reflect then Decide. The internet is one tool that you can use to search and compare insurance policies, yet with the myriad of companies and types of coverages offered professional assistance is also a good option. So use them both, talk with a financial or insurance professional you can trust and do some research on your own before you buy that next policy. That professional can perform a term-versus-permanent analysis for you and help you weigh per-policy variables or perhaps show you a cost effective way to combine the two types of coverage.

Citations

1 – mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/insurance/study-70-single-parents-forego-life-insurance [3/25/11]

2-http://www.limra.com/newscenter/newsarchive/archivedetails.aspx?prid=145 [8/30/10]

3 – money.msn.com/life-insurance/term-or-permanent-life-insurance.aspx [3/16/11]

4 – metlife.com/campaign/search/life-insurance-quote/index.html [8/4/11]

Poisonous frogs tend to advertise their toxicity with bright colors. Here are the world’s most brightly colored but dangerously fatal frogs. Most of these frogs are critically endangered. Researches are being conducted to determine their medicinal uses.

1. Phantasmal Poison Frog (Epipedobates tricolor)

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Phantasmal Poison Frogs, a species of poison dart frog, are native to Ecuador. They have radiant color, powerful poison, and yet are some of the smallest frogs around, ranging from 1 cm or 0.39 in to 4 cm or 1.6 in. They can live up to 10 years in captivity.

Phantasmal Poison Frogs have one of the strongest toxins of frogs. Their toxicity is known to be lethal. One of commonly related organisms, the blue triden frog, is frequently confused up with the Phantasmal poison frog.

A chemical extracted from the skin of this species has turned out to be of medicinal use. A painkiller 200-times as potent as morphine, called epibatidine, has no negative side effects. Secretions from dendrobatids are also showing promise as muscle relaxants and heart stimulants.

2. Strawberry Poison-dart Frog (Dendrobates pumilio)

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Second on the list is the Strawberry Poison-dart Frog or Strawberry Poison Frog, found in Costa Rica and other parts of Central America. The frog’s skin is toxic that most likely gives the frog a bad taste, limiting predation. It does not possess any chemical capable of seriously harming humans, though a field worker described intense burning and mild swelling after getting skin secretions into a cut on his arm.

3. Bastis (Bastimentos pumilio)

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Basti typically come in three morphs, being red, yellow, or white, with black spots on the back and legs. They are all found together on Isla Bastimentos, hence the name.

4. Man Creek pumilio

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The Man Creek pumilio, like basti, is another frog that has seen recent importation. They look very similar to the blue jeans and are often confused. Man Creeks typically have gray legs and arms, and it is not uncommon for them to lack gray entirely on the front limbs. Some Man Creeks do exhibit bluish arms and legs.

5. Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis )

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Golden Poison Frog or the Golden Dart Frog is the most poisonous vertebrate in the world. It is a poison dart frog endemic to Colombia. In captivity, poison dart frogs are not poisonous. It is in the wild where they are in fact poisonous because of what they eat. It contain the toxic Batrachotoxin and one Golden Poison Frog has one milligram of this poison, enough to kill about 10,000 mice or enough to kill between 10 and 20 humans.

6. Kokoe Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates aurotaenia)

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The Kokoe Poison Dart Frog is as toxic as the Black-legged Dart Frog. This is one of the more audible of the poison dart frogs and has a call often described as beautiful and bird-like.

7. Black-legged Dart Frog (Phyllobates bicolor)

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The Black-legged Dart Frog also known as the Bi-colored Dart Frog or Neari in Choco is the second most toxic of the wild poison dart frogs. This species obtained its name due to its normally yellow or orange body with black or dark blue hind legs and forelimbs below the elbow. It lives in forests in Colombia.

8. Diablito (Dendrobates sylvaticus)

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The Diablito is a poisonous frog commonly found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical forests. It is endangered by loss of habitat.

9. Harlequin Poison Frog ( Dendrobates histrionicus )

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The Harlequin Poison Frog is also commonly called Harlequin Poison Dart Frog, a species of poison dart frog endemic to Ecuador and Colombia. The frog is normally found on the ground of tropical rain forests, among fallen limbs or leaf litter.

10. Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog ( Dendrobates leucomelas )

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This type of poison dart frog which is mostly found in the northern part of South America in Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil is known with the various common names like Yellow-banded poison dart frog, yellow-headed poison dart frog and bumblebee poison frog. This amphibian is normally found in very humid conditions on trees or rocks. It is commonly seen in leaf litter thought too dry for other Dendrobatids to survive.

11. Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates azureus)

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Blue Poison Dart Frog is a type of poison dart frog also found in South America. Its Tirio Indian name is Okopipi. It takes its species name from the fact that it is colored azure.

12. D yeing Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

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This frog is commonly known as Dyeing Dart Frog, another species of poison dart frog. It is the largest species, reaching lengths of 50 millimeters (2.0 in). This species is found throughout the eastern portion of the Guiana Shield, including parts of Guyana, Suriname, Brazil and nearly all of French Guyana.

13. Southern Corroboree Frog

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Corroboree frogs are the first vertebrates discovered that are able to produce their own poisonous alkaloids, as opposed to obtaining it via diet as many other frogs do. The alkaloid is secreted from the skin as a defense against predation, and potentially against skin infections by microbes. These frogs are found in Australia.

14. Green and Black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratu)

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Green and black poison dart frog is a brightly-colored frog native to Central America and north-western parts of South America and was introduced to Hawaii. It is one of the most variable of all poison dart frogs next to Dendrobates tinctorius.

Hawaii Dendrobates auratus was introduced to Hawaii in the 1950s by biologist as a ways and means of controlling the mosquito population in Manoa Valley. Given the humid and ideal temperatures, the frog population proliferated. This is one of the scientific experiments in introducing alien species to counter alien pest that did not significantly negatively impact indigenous Hawaiian species, (unlike the mongoose).

15. Granular Poison Frog (Dendrobates granuliferus)

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The Granular Poison Frog is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened also like other species by loss of habitat.

16. Splash-backed Poison Frog ( Dendrobates galactonotus)

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Another species of poison dart frog is the splash-backed poison frog. It is native to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and intermittent freshwater marshes. It is endangered by loss of habitat.

17. Red-Backed Poison Frog (Dendrobates reticulatus)

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This poisonous frog is found in Peru. It is also commonly known as Reticulated Poison Frog.

18. Dendrobate À Ventre Tacheté (Dendrobates ventrimaculatus)

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The Dendrobate À Ventre Tacheté, a species of poison dart frog, is found in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname. This species of frog lives on trees and sometimes on the ground of tropical rainforest. It is an endangered species due to loss of habitat.

Frog’s toxins are diverse that’s why they have raised the interest of biochemists as a “natural pharmacy”. The alkaloid epibatidine, a painkiller 200 times more potent than morphine, is found in some species of poison dart frogs. Other chemicals isolated from the skin of frogs may offer resistance to HIV infection. Arrow and dart poisons are under active investigation for their potential as therapeutic drugs.

TRIVIA about Frogs:

The Australian Rocket Frog (Litoria nasuta), can leap over 50 times their body length (5.5 cm), resulting in jumps of over 2 meters.
The largest frog on Earth is the Goliath Frog (Conraua goliath). It can grow up to 13 in (33 cm) in length from snout to vent, and weighs up to 8 lb (3 kg). This animal has a relatively small habitat range, mainly in West Africa. Its numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction and collection for the pet trade.
The smallest frog in the world is Brazilian Gold Frog (Brachycephalus didactylus), also known as Izecksohn’s Toad. Adult Brazilian Gold Frogs measure to only 9.8 millimeters (24.7?64 inches) in body length. Many have a beautiful golden color, for which they are named.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!

For frog related articles see
Amazingly Unique and Beautiful Froggy Frog Frogs
Popular Amphibian Pets: World’s Most Beautiful Frogs

Freakiest & Weirdest Froggy Frog Frogs
Absolutely Freaky and Weird Frogs: Will You Have Them As Pets?
World’s Most Colorful, Beautiful and Poisonous Frogs
For related article about pets see
Pretty

In this day, dieting is not easy and many people choose an extreme method to lose weight – starvation. As we know, starvation only helps us lose weight in short time, and after that it will come to the plateau. This style will make us lose momentum easily and lead to the disruption of our metabolism and nutrition, which will lead to fatigue, stress and hunger.
Maybe it is very fresh for some people to hear losing weight by changing the nutrition. However, the author of The Diet Solution Program has succeeded in this way. Her dieting book, The Diet Solution Program, is full of her background in physiology and sport nutrition, aiming at increasing one’s metabolism and providing a workable weight-loss guide.

The basic thought in the program is to eat right food and eat in sizable quantities, which will lead to weight loss at the same time. Most of the dieters lose weight by eating less, however, eating less will have good result only in short period, after that, the weight loss plan comes to its plateau. Facing this period, the dieters have no idea but to eat even less than before, thus, this process is very difficult and painful, worse still, it is impracticable totally.

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This e-book is full of various information in 180 pages, it includes the following contents: background, inspiration, food and nutrition information. And the information appears in different ways, such as charts, menus and journal templates. From the attitude to the food, metabolism and simple preparation for the weight loss, it will provide useful guidance.
The book is divided into three major sections:

Part 1 – Focus on the personal preparation for weight loss success. It describes 3 steps to lose weight, find the metabolic type and plan your meals.
Part 2 – Give a detailed description on good and bad foods, what to eat and what to avoid, initial actions to remove or change your household habits. And more than 50 recipes are introduced in 61 pages.
Part 3 – Provide different kinds of ways to measure your metabolic type, such as dietary chart, data, meal journal templates and full day-by-day example of menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

In the current days, it is hard for people to keep so regular diets due to different reasons, especially for the lunches at work. However, it is up to you to take a healthy diet. The book only recommends you to have healthy diet to keep a balanced lifestyle.Grab A Copy Click here

 

There is a huge range of Medical Insurance providers and products to choose from. Understanding the differences and what suits you best is not always easy, as this is where the expertise of a Medical Insurance Broker is key. An alternative to deciding and arranging your own cover is to use a professional Insurance Intermediary, they have exclusive deals and will give you the best advice for you and not the Insurer.

If you’re searching for Medical Insurance or already have it in place, a Medical Insurance Broker will be able to get you a great deal and best of all their services are usually free of charge. Whether your an individual, family or small to large business, they will have the expertise and contacts to get you the best deal around. Best of all they won’t just do this once, they will ensure at your renewal you have the best product on price and benefits around. So your safe in the knowledge that your not paying to much for your Health Insurance. Don’t buy Medical Insurance without using a Medical Insurance Broker!

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Advantages of using a Medical Insurance Broker

• Use of specialist knowledge and understanding
• Have experience of Insurer service
• Help in dealing with claims
• Access to products which are not available direct
• Good at complex matters
• When you have several insurances can avoid gaps and double cover

Affordable Health Cover where you control the costs

Medical Insurance with a difference!

• Do you worry about rising medical insurance costs?
• Do you want money back if you don’t claim?

National Friendly’s Healthcare Deposit Account could be the answer!

With National Friendly you set your own premium depending on your age and the level cover you need. Premiums start from just £40 a month or £60 if you’re over 50 and they remain fixed for life – you’ll just pay more towards each of your claims as you get older.

What’s more, when you open a Healthcare Deposit Account, as well as receiving cash if you claim – you can get money back if you don’t! That’s because half of your premium will be placed in your personal deposit account where the money is yours.

Fixed Monthly Premiums – for Life!

With the Healthcare Deposit Account, you can choose the level of cover you want. And unless you want to upgrade your cover, premiums will never go up – you will just need to pay more towards any claims as time goes by. And there’s no need to renew your policy each year because it continues for as long as you want it to!

Article by James Perry

What is a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet is made up of several factors and they all must come together in order to have a successful program. The ability to shed the desired amount of weight, and maintain the beneficial effects is truly indicative of a healthy successful diet.

Factor one is that a Lifestyle change must accompany a long-term change of the body image and form. Following the food pyramid will rule out eating junk food like burger, hot dogs, french fires and the like. They will only cause side effects as abnormal blood pressure, heightened insulin in the body and mood swings. Abdominal muscles are no different than any other muscle group. The World Health Organization has reported that globally, there are more than 300 million obese people. Like all good things, one has to work for six-pack abs. In the food pyramid, fruits and vegetables are given a large proportion in nutrition. Generally speaking dieting is not the best way to accomplish the goal of losing weight. Simply speaking, the individual that wants to lose weight has to decide that he or she will move more and consume fewer calories. In doing this, that person will burn more calories and desire to eat less of the wrong, or fatty foods. There is no magic pill nor exercise that can make you lose weight speedily in a healthy manner.

A simple method of weight loss that you can try is drinking plenty of water as much as 8 glasses a day. Have you dreamed of wearing two piece bikini or swim trunks? Most men and women aspire for a flat belly or six-pack abs but this will remain an aspiration unless something is done to achieve it. Drinking water is the best way to lose weight. Dieting deceives the body systems and also fools the person into thinking that they are actually loosing weight in a healthful manner. Starving the body of food for a period of time is not helpful and will cause adverse affects which is the reason many people say that as soon as they return to regular foods, the weight is back to the starting point, or higher than the starting weight.

Factor two is that the meals must be smaller, more regular, and consist of the four primary food groups. During the diet, the body actually will consume its own muscle tissue for protein when there is insufficient protein in the meals. The muscle tissue is heavier than fat, but more muscle tissue is required to burn more calories to achieve the desired effect for weight loss and body image change.

Factor three for a Healthy Diet is that fatty foods, high calories junk foods, must be eliminated from the diet in order to lose weight.

Factor four is that eating between meals and snacking late at night is contrary to a lifestyle change and becoming a disciplined healthful eater.

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Factor five is that fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, grains and nuts in moderation must be part of the healthy diet program. Aiming for a perfect body figure, well shaped body or flat abs takes hardwork and lots of self discipline and self sacrifices. If you sincerely devote yourself to getting fit, you will be rewarded with flat abs. For best results, all things must be done in moderation.

http://www.healthyweightlossreveal.com

You don’t run against a bloody stop watch, do you hear?  A runner runs against himself, against the best that’s in him.  Not against a dead thing of wheels and pulleys.  That’s the way to be great, running against yourself.  Against all the rotten mess in the world.  Against God, if you’re good enough.  ~Bill Persons

To a runner, a side stich is like a car alarm.  It signifies something is wrong, but you ignore it until it goes away.  ~Author Unknown

I don’t jog.  If I die I want to be sick.  ~Abe Lemmons

It’s unnatural for people to run around the city streets unless they are thieves or victims.  It makes people nervous to see someone running.  I know that when I see someone running on my street, my instincts tell me to let the dog go after him.  ~Mike Royko

Only think of two things – the gun and the tape.  When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other.  ~Sam Mussabini

The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.  ~Martin Mull
 

Blink and you miss a sprint.  The 10,000 meters is lap after lap of waiting.  Theatrically, the mile is just the right length – beginning, middle, end: a story unfolding.  ~Sebastian Coe

There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life.  But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint.  So, too, are you.  Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.  ~George Sheehan

If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise.  ~P.Z. Pearce

Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.  ~Jimmy Carter

The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank.  ~George Sheehan

There is an itch in runners.  ~Arnold Hano

I don’t think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging.  If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups.  ~Rita Rudner