You may not realize it but you’re already building your personal brand. From your social media profiles to how you interact with the people around you, you’re already creating a reputation. Because of this, it’s only essential that you take a step back and see how good or bad your personal brand is.

Your Personal Brand 

Personal branding is about creating and maintaining a good reputation. It’s about paying close attention to how others perceive you, particularly if you are still searching for a job prospect.

People around you should know if you are kind-hearted and open-minded. Your employer and your customers should not find you lazy, unreliable or dishonest. Any of these traits can affect your success.

A reputation is made over time and you have to work hard for it. A lot of people find it challenging to balance the energy they put into getting a good reputation in public with the energy they put into simply enjoying their private lives.

If you are one of those people, remember this:

If you can never say anything good about yourself, it would be impossible to accept compliments that come from other people who do see how hard you’re working.

See Also: 10 Proven Ways To Build Your Personal Branding in 2018

External and Internal Personal Branding

If you see a disparity between how much you want others to appreciate you compared to how much you appreciate yourself, you need to make some changes.

Too Much External

• If you are always asking other people what they think about you, try listening to what they want to talk about instead.
• Try to be consistent with wearing clothes that best fit the situation/environment.
• If you think other people are insulting you or putting you down with their words, try to respond only if you have to.

Too Much Internal

• If you say you don’t care what other people think about you, try to make a short list of people who you do respect and who could be an exception to your rule.
• During those times you feel isolated, unwelcomed or left out, you can try joining mentorship or public speaking groups to receive (and implement!) honest feedback.
• If you are painfully white-knuckling through social situations, try accepting some personal boundaries that will allow you to make positive, life-affirming connections.

Personal Branding: Values in Context

Building a personal brand is easier said than done. The person you are today is the sum of all the thoughts, actions, and interactions that have come before in your life. The person you are becoming is based on your choices today.

Therefore, your personal brand is your true self. Building a personal brand is about having satisfaction with yourself with an eagerness to develop good character traits.

Personal Branding on the Job

The main person you need to bring to work with you or to an interview is your best self. Here are some common questions to help you establish your personal brand.

Question 1: Can you describe yourself professionally or do you prepare a long-form resume in case it’s needed?

Answer: Both are important but you don’t have to present them together at the same time.

Question 2: Do you include some hobbies, interests or passions with your business qualifications so you present as well-rounded and personable?

Answer: A great professional summary tells a robust story showing who you are and not just what you’ve done.

Question 3: If your employer requires you to present your picture, a video or even a live stream to colleagues or customers, do you use non-verbal cues to convey personality and mood?

Answer: It’s not enough to be highly skilled at what you do. You should also be able to relate what you know through other forms of communication.

See Also: Using The New LinkedIn For Personal Branding And Career Success

The fun thing is that nobody’s perfect but you can always do your best in building your reputation. Learn more about personal branding from this infographic!

 

The post How Building Your Personal Brand Can Affect Your Job Prospects appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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After sending out inspiring Christmas quotes, follow up with our new collection of motivational Happy New Year quotes. Post them on your social media and inspire all your friends and followers too!

And if one quote or saying resonates with you, own it! Start the year with the right mindset. Print out your favorite saying of the bunch or make it into your wallpaper. Put it up where you’re guaranteed to always be looking at it so you’ll never forget.

It’s a new year, friends! It’s another 364 days of exciting opportunities and chances! Happy New Year 2017!

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. – Melody Beattie

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been. – Rainer Maria Rilke

There are greater things to be achieved in every New Year, and each and everyone must prepare themselves to be great, not by words of the mouth, but by a lot of sacrifices. – Michael Bassey Johnson

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis

Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day. – Michael Josephson

This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change. – Taylor Swift

Like what you see? See more New Year Quotes.

New is the year, new are the hopes, new is the resolution, new are the spirits, and new are my warm wishes just for you. Have a promising and fulfilling New Year!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. – Bill Vaughan

Happy New Year to you! Wish this year brings to the warmth of love and illuminates your path of life towards a positive direction.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. – Chinese Proverb

A new year brings not only happiness, it makes us happy with a hope to fulfill our dreamz or a new beginning of our life. So, a new year is very special to everyone. – Santonu Kumar Dhar

Visit SayingImages.com for more Inspiring New Year greetings, messages and images.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

The post Most Powerful New Year Quotes to Motivate Anyone for a Fresh New Beginning in 2017 appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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In order to ensure the maximum effectiveness of your press release, you will want to make sure that they conform to certain generally accepted formatting practices. By following the press release format guide below, you’ll increase the reach and popularity of your company.

But first, what is a press release?

A press release is defined as “a public relations announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications for the purpose of informing the public about company developments”.

Simply put, a press release is simply your ticket to publicity.

Whether you are planning on having a startup or you already have a company, here’s a handy guide on how to write a press release.

Step One

As a first step, you’ll want to alert whoever is reading the press release when the news is “officially” available. Often, companies will send out press releases a day or two in advance of an event in order to give media outlets some time to prepare a story.

In the top left corner, you’ll want to use either “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” (in all capital letters) or “HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL [DATE]”.

Step Two

You’ll also want to pay a lot of attention to the headline and sub-headline. The headline needs to clearly communicate the story of your press release and it must include the name of your company. The sub-headline can be longer and should provide some additional facts and information that will attract the attention of journalists.

Step Three

Every press release will list the location (including city and state) and date of the story. The inclusion of those pieces of information is important because many media outlets consider news on whether it is a local, regional or national event. A local media outlet is only interested in covering stories that are of relevance to a small geographic area.

Step Four

Now that you’ve completed the first three steps, it’s important to come up with the text for the press releases. As a general rule of thumb, you will need to limit your press release to 300-500 words. Your goal is to tell the who, what, why, when and where of your story as succinctly as possible. It’s best to divide the body text into a series of short paragraphs of no more than 2-4 sentences each.

Step Five

When writing the press release, you will also need to observe certain norms within the industry. For example, it’s customary to include at least one quote from someone involved with the story. This helps to bring your press release to life. Also, you should always use the third person when writing about your company . Avoid the use of words like “we” or “I” or “you.”

Step Six

You will also need to include relevant contact information of your company at the very end of the press release. This is called the “boilerplate” and will often consist of one very brief paragraph. It includes details about your company and specific contact information, like web, phone or email.

Step Seven

It’s still customary to mark the end of a press release with the word “END” and the inclusion of “###” at the very end. This is a long-time practice. In fact, back then, press releases were sent out over the wire and people receiving them wanted to make sure that they had all the necessary information.

Final Words

What’s fascinating is that the modern press release looks almost identical to the first-ever press release which was sent in October 1906. That press release had a headline, a sub-headline, a date, content, geographic information, and entirely similar structure. It also used short block paragraphs to tell the story.

When it comes to sending out a press release, you want to make sure that it looks just right.

Above all, press releases that are formatted based on the traditional structure will definitely do well in increasing the popularity of your product or story. Remember, a press release can change the story and outreach of your company.

 

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Startups are known to have specific needs that bigger companies won’t understand. Those needs inevitably become challenges to business owners. Problems such as inexperience, business size, and the lack of resources can get in the way of an entrepreneur’s success.

If you are going through any of those problems, here’s a good news. Below are some of the biggest problems faced by small businesses and what you can do to overcome them.

Money matters

They say that cash is king and this rings true especially for small businesses. Every startup needs money in order to operate.

For one, you’ll keep on paying bills even if you don’t make a sale. Also, as a business owner, you may have to skip taking a salary in the first few years. You may even have to pour your entire life savings to your firm just to keep it up and running. Because of these cash flow issues, a lot of starting businesses are forced to close even before they get the chance to rise above the competition.

So, how do you address such matters?

Well, it starts with managing your finances.

Sure, you’re going to spend money on bills, manpower, and inventory whether you like it or not, but you need to resist the urge to spend on items that can be bought or paid for at a much later time. Keeping a part of your money for the “rainy days” can help you avoid having to borrow money from financial institutions for when this season comes. In other words, don’t drain yourself dry.

Another good way to extend your cash flow is to negotiate with suppliers or vendors. If you can form a good relationship with them, you’ll probably get discounts or better deals when it comes to subscriptions or items in your inventory. Even the smallest savings can help with your finances, so don’t take this opportunity for granted.

You can find additional revenue streams to complement low-income months. For example, if you own a small restaurant that caters to tourists in a ski resort, you might want to consider offering catering services during the off-season. Or, if you own a small shop and you’re focused on selling Christmas decorations, you might want to expand to home decors little by little.

Communication issues

While recent technology has improved business communications in many ways, some issues regarding communications remain unsolved. These problems often have a major impact on how a small business performs and they usually affect key stakeholders. This includes employees, clients, and third-party vendors.

Here are some of the most common communication hurdles small businesses face and the suggested actions to help alleviate or overcome each issue:

• The lack of communication with stakeholders. Whether it’s for setting company goals, implementing new policies or even order tracking, it’s important to keep whoever’s involved in a project or a transaction on the loop all the time. You’ll need to communicate the progress or delays in every undertaking because small issues can oftentimes get blown out of proportion.

• Missing important calls or messages. Customers these days often frown at missed calls or voice messages as those can lead to missed business. As a business owner, you must always have access to every communication channel available. Take advantage of tools like call forwarding, business SMS, voicemail to email, and the like so that you’ll never miss out on any opportunity. Those tools can also help you respond to pretty much anyone in a timely manner.

• Disconnected employees. Most modern small businesses thrive in a virtual environment. They have field workers, remote employees, and office-based personnel. Such arrangements can result in a communication nightmare that would often snowball into limited productivity. Thus, a decision maker needs to cultivate a collaborative virtual space that will keep everyone connected.

For geographical constraints, you can make video conferencing a standard practice. For team communication, there are tools that allow chats with task management and collaborative office productivity components. The possibilities are endless; you only have to know where to look.

Human capital

In the annual State of Small Business Report by Wasp Barcode, it states that 50% of small businesses say hiring new employees remains a top challenge in 2017. Considering this statistic, it’s quite apparent that hiring people can be taxing or overwhelming for business owners.

Below are specific issues surrounding hiring or manpower among startups:

• Unqualified applicants. Finding top talent can be challenging for small business owners who do not have the resources needed to hire personnel for specific positions. For such cases, recruiting people within your network can be your best bet. Find friends or contacts who can refer or vouch for potential employees; they probably know enough about your business that they’ve already done some sort of filtering regarding which person to recommend.

• Hiring for convenience. Because of the lack of time and money, some businesses fall into the trap of making hiring decisions propelled by cost-effectiveness and time pressure. Positions that are molded to fit a candidate’s skill (and not the other way around) can be detrimental to your business in the long run. Make sure to focus on value when hiring people more than anything else.

• Intense competition. You might find yourself vying against bigger organizations when it comes to applications. Bigger companies have the advantage of hiring recruiters to find the best people. They would likely offer higher salaries and unlimited benefits for the right candidates.

However, there are also a bunch of talented people out there who would rather work for a less bureaucratic organization. They prefer jobs with more flexible policies and bigger room for growth. You need to highlight these advantages in order to look more appealing to your prospects.

Quality and growth

Another challenge that small businesses need to face head-on revolves around growth. When the time to expand comes, you have to ensure that the quality of the goods or services you offer remain the same. Scaling doesn’t automatically mean that you have to compromise your standards. Remember, quality is probably what attracted customers to your business in the first place.

As soon as you enter this phase, you need to establish and implement clear quality control models. For example, if you have a 10-person sales team that uses the same script on the phone, you may eventually have to record calls and measure call data once you grow into a team of 50. This is to ensure that this script still fits and that clients are getting the service they expect from you.

You need to be able to delegate people who can take the responsibility of ensuring product quality. Their roles should be well-defined. Aside from these, you need to make your team understand that you are currently undergoing a season of growth so that your employees will feel more accountable for the tasks they perform.

Staying passionate

When you were starting, it all seemed fun. You’ve designed every process to go as smoothly as possible. But when the customers start complaining, when the deliveries start arriving late, and when the lawyers start calling, you may instantly notice how your stakeholders start to look like monsters clawing away at you.

And once you stop recognizing how your business serves a purpose, that’s where things start to go haywire. You’ll drain all your energy and fatigue will creep in.

Keeping yourself inspired to push through with your business can be ultimately challenging, particularly when you are facing a lot of hurdles. Some people choose to give up immediately while others succumb to running their firms like zombies.

You don’t have to.

As Leslie Barber writes in Entrepreneur, “before you do anything, remind yourself why you started your business”. You need to keep yourself inspired by ideas and you need to nurture your people. You need to figure out which aspect of your business needs your full attention and be ready to get down to work to make better products or services.

Understanding the major problems faced by small businesses can help you get a better grip on how to continue running your startup with minimal roadblocks and a greater chance of succeeding.

See Also: The 3 Secrets To Successful Small Businesses

Author’s Bio

Klaris Chua is a digital content marketer who has written many pieces on startups and small business communications. She used to be a reporter for a business newspaper but the conventional path of a writer didn’t appeal to her. You can connect with her on Twitter.

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There is so much to see and experience in Morocco! All the sights, smells, and sounds will intrigue and excite you from the moment you arrive.

It’s a land of diversity with mountains and deserts, blue-colored cities, souks and medinas, fabulous architecture, and thought-provoking ruins. It’s undoubtedly a land of beauty and many places throughout the country will stop you in your tracks.

With that in mind, here is a guide to the most beautiful places to visit in Morocco.

Ait Benhaddou

Located on a hill above a shallow river valley, Ait Benhaddou is a fortified village on the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh. It’s one of the most spectacular sights you’ll see in Morocco.

The dark red colored walls of this city are surrounded by swaying palms and terraced gardens while the extravagantly decorated buildings are some of the best preserved in this region. The scenery around Ait Benhaddou is no less breathtaking, and walking is a fabulous way to appreciate the beauty for yourself.

Asilah

One of Morocco’s most charming towns, Asilah has a long, golden sandy beach with the blue waters of the Atlantic crashing onto the shore. It is pleasant to wander in the medina, the towers, and ramparts with their beautiful pastel shades and colorful murals.

You will also see a delightful white mosque and a wide promenade lined with huge palm trees. All these parts of Asilah give the town an air of elegance, perfect for a few days on the coast.

Cascades d’Ouzoud

The Cascades d’Ouzoud has the most spectacular waterfalls in the whole of Morocco, surrounded by lush valleys of oak and pomegranate trees. You’ll be able to feel the cool spray on your face as the water plummets downward in a clamorous race to reach the green pools below.

Whether you go swimming in the pools or take a pleasant walk around the falls to see rainbows forming in the mist, the atmosphere is mellow and very relaxing.

Chefchaouen

If the gorgeous blue buildings and picturesque alleyways decorated with brightly colored and plant-filled pots of Chefchaouen aren’t enough, its impressive Spanish mosque, a stunning medina with balconies, tiled roofs, and courtyards, and stunning hilltop views might just swing it as being Morocco’s most beautiful city.

The Rif Mountains, an ancient kasbah located in lush green gardens, and a waterfall on the outskirts of town are more places that make a visit to Chefchaouen worthwhile.

Erg Chebbi

One of the most jaw-dropping sights in the whole of Morocco must surely be the seemingly endless expanse of the Sahara Desert. And what better place to explore them than from Merzouga, a stone’s throws from some of the largest dunes in the area.

It is here that you and your camel can wander across the Grande Dune de Merzouga, over 150 m high and 7 km across, into the isolation and silence of the desert. Expect a colorful landscape of sand and sky as the day progresses, clear night skies filled with sparkling stars, and a sunrise like you’ll never experience again.

Oualidia

A truly charming Moroccan destination on the Atlantic Coast, Oualidia is a sleepy little village that is big on natural beauty. Its highlights include a picturesque fishing port and a stunning coastal lagoon.

It is popular with surfers and windsurfers who come for the vast Atlantic waves, but for those who are in search of a slower pace, there are ruins and caves to explore. Oualidia is a haven for bird life and there are plenty of species to spot in the lagoon and along the shore.

The Chellah, Rabat

One of the most beautiful ruins in Morocco, The Chellah has a Gothic style gate and the remains of Roman arches, walls, and towers; the architecture of the whole site is stunning.

As you walk through the imposing entrance, passing abandoned pools, and wonderful mosaics, you enter into a place which is both surreal and breathtaking. The resident storks add to the spine-tingling atmosphere with the clicking of their beaks as they watch you from their nests.

Before you depart, take a peek over the walls for some of Rabat’s finest scenery, a magnificent river valley covered with beautiful flowers in the spring.

Toubkal National Park

One need look no further for beauty than Toubkal National Park, a spectacular landscape at every turn and one that changes throughout the year from the snow-covered peaks of Jebel Toubkal to the lush green valleys and terraces peppered with purple irises.

Hikers will rejoice in exploring the streams, rivers, and waterfalls plunging into the pools beneath. There are also mountain villages with houses constructed out of the rocks, craggy slopes, boulder fields, ridge walking, and river crossings that make this area a hiker’s wonderland. Without a shadow of a doubt, you’ll never tire of the stunning views that besiege your eyes.

 

About the Author: This article was written by Gill Morris, savvy travel blogger at asabbatical.com, a personal travel blog of Adrian Sameli. To connect with Gill, follow her on FaceBook.

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Do you need inspiring Christmas quotes and cards to send out to your loved ones this holiday season?

Friends, throughout the year, our minds are filled with thoughts of improving our businesses,  boosting our productivity and focus, and ultimately creating success. It does get wearying and holidays are the perfect time to pause awhile, take stock, and turn our attention outward to all our blessings and all the people surrounding us.

Send out these inspiring Christmas messages to the loved ones in your life. It’s not about expensive gifts, rather, it’s the simple thought of being remembered that often counts.

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas!

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. – Roy L. Smith

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. – Janice Maeditere

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things. – Thomas S. Monson

Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united. – Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving. – B. C. Forbes

The only blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart. – Helen Keller

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. – Edna Ferber

The BEST of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a HAPPY FAMILY all wrapped up in each other. 

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it. – Pope Francis

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas. – Dale Evans

Please visit SayingImages.com for more Christmas Quotes, Messages and Greetings.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

 

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I’ve got a secret to tell you.

Your body has one powerful tool it can use to start burning fat like crazy. That same tool can also make you gain weight and store all those excess fats in all areas of your body.

Can you guess what it is?

It’s your thyroid.

It’s that tiny gland located in your neck, right below the Adam’s apple. It has dozens of different functions and effects, but perhaps the most important one is metabolism regulation.

What is metabolism?

In layman’s terms, metabolism is the speed and intensity of all biochemical reactions and processes happening in your body. It is defined by a lot of different factors, among which endocrine regulation plays a crucial role.

Actually, that’s why some people are naturally thin while other folks are chubby.

Imagine it as an engine and the fuel is your body fat.

The faster it goes, the more fuel it burns.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

So, how do you kick-start your metabolism, especially if its natural rates are much lower than you’d prefer? Is there a way to safely tweak your endocrine system to boost the rate of your body’s chemical reactions?

That’s where your thyroid plays a crucial role.

Thyroxine: The Ultimate Metabolism Booster

Thyroxine, also known as T4, is one of the main hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Its primary role is to be transformed into triiodothyronine (T3), which is the active form of this hormone.

Yep, thyroxine isn’t that active. So, why do we call it the ultimate metabolism booster in this article?

The main trick here is that you can’t elevate T3 levels directly, but it is possible to improve T4 secretion. Thyroxine will then be converted into T3 and this will skyrocket your metabolism, resulting in a significant fat loss.

Now, let’s get specific and take a good look at what your thyroid needs and how to boost your metabolism through it.

The Essentials for Having Good Thyroxine

Iodine

This is the staple component of all thyroid hormones: none of them can be synthesized without iodine. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that iodine deficiency quickly results in hypothyroidism. It’s a health condition during which your thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

Studies indicate that almost 2 million people around the world have a certain degree of iodine deficiency and it often remains undiagnosed due to the mildness of the symptoms.

Weakness, fatigability, decreased mood, and excess weight are among the usual ones. Most people would think that they’re just bad effects of chronic stress and would do nothing about them.

Selenium

This essential micro-nutrient plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of your thyroid gland. It doesn’t only improve the production of thyroid hormones but it can also help alleviate the course of some health conditions, like Hashimoto’s disease. It’s an autoimmune condition that gradually destroys the thyroid, often without any prominent symptoms besides mild reduction in hormone levels.

Just imagine, taking 0.2 mg of selenium daily can improve the antibodies count by a whole 21% during Hashimoto’s!

Vitamin C and Zinc

A study published in 2008 analyzed whether there was any consistent vitamin C and/or zinc deficiency in patients with benign thyroid diseases. It turns out that all of the examined patients had low levels of these nutrients, suggesting that they may also play a crucial role in keeping your thyroid healthy.

Vitamin D

Multiple studies, including this one from 2013, showed that people with low thyroid hormone levels usually have low vitamin D levels as well. This emphasizes the importance of this vitamin in maintaining a healthy thyroid function.

On the other hand, studies affirm that over 40% of American adults have a certain level of vitamin D deficiency. Who knows, maybe this is one of the reasons why excess weight and obesity are all over US?

But, fear not.

We won’t let you go with just this vague piece of advice. Below you’ll find a fabulous list of 10 specific foods that increase thyroxine secretion. Eat them regularly and you’ll be able to boost your metabolism in no time.

8 Foods that Boost Thyroxine Naturally

Seafood

All kinds of seaweeds (algae), shellfish (oysters, shrimp, clams, scallops, octopuses, squids), and fish (preferably wild-caught) are fabulous sources of iodine.

The best thing about increasing your iodine intake naturally, instead of looking for some sort of shady supplement, is that you can’t overdose on dietary iodine. Your body will take as much as it needs, increasing your body’s thyroxine synthesis to its natural levels.

Brazil nuts

This is one of the richest sources of dietary selenium ever. A single ounce (6-8 nuts) of Brazil nuts contains over 500 mcg of selenium!

The RDA for this nutrient is 55 mcg/day, so snacking on 1 to 3 nuts will be more than enough to skyrocket your thyroxine production. Also, these nuts are just delicious, so that’s an all-win advice.

Pumpkin Seeds

A cup of these beauties provides almost half of your recommended daily value of zinc (6.6 mg out of 15 mg).

Bonus benefit: A study has revealed that pumpkin seed extracts could reduce the risk of breast cancer. These seeds are rich in dietary fibers, magnesium, and plant-based omega-3s, too.

Guava, Blackcurrant, Red Pepper, Kiwi

Can you guess what do these 4 delicious foods have in common? They are all incredibly rich in vitamin C.

Just imagine:

A single guava can give you more than 6 times your RDA for ascorbic acid. Surely, that’s more than enough to support your thyroid.

Cod liver oil

A single teaspoon of cod liver oil contains 440 IU of vitamin D. This is more than enough to cover your recommended daily dose of this valuable nutrient.

Sunlight

This is your most reliable and accessible way to get some vitamin D. 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected sunlight exposure 2 or 3 times per week should be enough—and don’t forget to put on your sunscreen right after that!

You see, vitamin D can be produced in your body from the cholesterol in the skin and that’s a great way to get enough of it at all times.

Quick Recap

If you want to boost your metabolism and lose weight for good, one of the most reliable ways to do that is to support the function of your thyroid gland and to help it to produce more thyroxine (T4).

This hormone is inactive itself but quickly transforms into triiodothyronine (T3), boosting your metabolism big time. We can’t elevate our T3 levels directly, but T4 is under our control.

To keep it soaring and healthy, keep track of the following things:

• Have enough iodine in your diet. Stack on seafood and don’t worry about having too much of it. You can’t get an iodine overdose from eating shrimps.
• Control your selenium intake. Most people don’t get enough of it but if you want to have healthy thyroxine levels, you should. Snack on 1 to 3 Brazil nuts each day and you’ll be great!
• Zinc, zinc, zinc. Another micro-nutrient that most Westerners don’t get enough of in their diet is zinc. Don’t follow their path and get your zinc straight for a healthy thyroid. To do so, just carry a pack of pumpkin seeds with you every day. These little fellas are not only a fabulous source of fibers but also a sheer zinc bomb! One cup per day gives you more than half of the recommended daily amount.
• Keep track of your vitamin C. No, no need to eat lemons. Instead, opt for guava, blackcurrant, red peppers, and kiwi.
• Go for a walk! 10 minutes of sunlight exposure is more than enough to make your body produce the vitamin D it needs. Just don’t forget to put on your sunscreen after those 10 minutes, not before them.

See Also: 5 Healthy and Delicious Juice Recipes for Easier Weight Loss

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No one wants to think about the possibility of having a stroke, but someone in the United States has a stroke an average of every 40 seconds. It could be life altering or even life ending.

The good news is that it is possible to survive a stroke and it’s also possible to prevent one from happening in the first place. You should take steps to understand your risk factors, make lifestyle changes, and finally plan for your best possible outcome should the worst happen.

Do You Have Risk Factors For Stroke?

There are certain risk factors that make you more prone to developing a stroke. According to the National Institutes for Health, here are some of those risk factors:

• Increased blood pressure
• Personal history of stroke
• Diabetes
• Existing heart Disease
• Smoking
• Malformations of brain blood vessels
• Age
• High Cholesterol
• Gender
• Race or Ethnicity
• Family history
• Poor diet
• Stress and Depression

See Also: 4 Ways To Overcome Depression Naturally

When you have any of those risk factors, it’s important to check your lifestyle and make the necessary changes to prevent stroke. Eat a healthier diet, be more physically active and quit smoking. Seeking medical treatment for other risk factors is also crucial.

See Also: 16 Essential Tips for Quitting Smoking

How To Know If You Are Having A Stroke

When you or someone you love is having a stroke, it isn’t always immediately obvious. Someone having a stroke may just seem tired or even a little drunk, so early warning signs are often brushed off.

According to the American Stroke Association, you should think FAST. It’s an acronym which stands for:

• Face drooping
• Arm weakness
• Speech difficulty
• Time to call

Another easier method is to have the person stick out their tongue and see whether it is lopsided.

No matter what, if you suspect you or someone else is having a stroke, you must get to the nearest emergency room immediately or call 911.

Stroke Prevention: Giving Yourself A Better Chance Of Survival

Obviously, getting yourself to the hospital as soon as you suspect a stroke is crucial to your survival. Preventing a stroke from happening in the first place is also a great idea. But if you know you are at risk and you have already done everything you can to prevent a stroke from happening, it’s time to plan for the worst-case scenario.

How do you give yourself the best chance of surviving a stroke once it already starts?

With a little planning, you can identify which hospitals in your area will give you the best chance of surviving a stroke. It starts with identifying the Comprehensive Stroke Centers.

A hospital with a Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is one where the doctors, nurses, and other staff have been trained to work together to ensure the best possible outcome for stroke patients. These healthcare professionals are constantly updating their training to be on the cutting edge of research that will allow patients to recover more quickly and more thoroughly.

This research is not only used to stop your stroke as quickly as possible, but it is also used to put you on the right path toward recovery. It can help you get your life back as quickly as possible.

It’s not always easy to identify which hospitals in your area are certified as comprehensive stroke centers. This is why it is important to do your research ahead of time and talk it over with your family. When you make a plan before anything bad happens, it will be that much easier to get where you need to go in an emergency. It could save your life.

Learn more about Comprehensive Stroke Centers from this infographic. A little bit of preparation could lead to a 7% reduction in death when the absolute worst happens.

The post How Can Stroke Prevention Save Your Life appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Online slot games are great.

You can play them anytime and anywhere. You can go for as long or as short as you like. There’s no noisy crowd to drive you insane and no added expenses to make you worry.

Of course, all these fun things won’t matter if you don’t end up with good wins.

So, before you actually start playing, make sure to start on the right foot. Below are the best winning tips for online slot games that are totally worth giving a try.

Let’s get started.

Visit a few sites before playing

To make the most out of your time and money, make sure to check a few available sites first. Just a quick search on the internet can give you hundreds of choices like Casumo or 888. The former, in particular, has a lot of fun featured games like Jack and the Beanstalk or Guns N Roses.

Free games make the online gaming experience fun, but don’t forget to pay close attention to your security.

Although not all sites will require you to hand over your personal information, there are still some that won’t let you try out games without providing your details. Before you enter any information, verify that it’s a legit site.

Go slow

It’s easy to feel tempted to bet the maximum amount, particularly if you’re feeling lucky and positive. Unfortunately, betting on pure luck isn’t a guarantee that you’ll walk away with a big win.

So, as much as possible, go slow. Keep betting on the minimum until you accumulate enough money to build up your bankroll. Once you have enough, you can start making risky bets.

Start with the basics

In case you are new to online slot gaming, it’s a good idea to start with the basic games first. Familiarize yourself with those games before you move on to the more advanced ones.

Give yourself enough time to learn the games and don’t feel pressured about moving forward. Go at your own pace.

Do proper bankroll management

If there’s one tip long-time slot players can share with you, it’s knowing how much money you can spend on your games.

It’s pretty obvious if you think about it.

Imagine you have $500 to spend for an evening of fun. Losing half of that amount in just a few minutes or just a few spins can make you feel frustrated the entire night.

So, before you make your first bet, check the full betting range of the machine you’ll be using. Make sure that it matches your budget so you can spend the rest of the night playing and having fun.

Pick the right game for you

If one slot game isn’t working for you, stop betting and move on to other games. There are tons of options to choose from if you just look around.

If there’s one particular game you’re really good at, stick with that game. However, if you have a lot of budget, you can take chances and develop your mastery in other games.

Just remember that if you’re not winning in that game or you’re having a hard time mastering it, move on.

Look for games that feature a bonus round

Once you’ve found the right game, figure out how you can activate its bonus round and take advantage of it. Compared with regular games, themed slot games and 3D games are more likely to get you more winnings because of their bonus rounds.

Choose games with the smallest jackpots

Generally speaking, games with the smallest jackpots are easier to win. This increases your chances of walking away as a big winner.

Games with big jackpots, on the other hand, are more likely to make you lose in the short term. They can also take lots of playing hours to build the huge jackpots which greatly lowers your chances of winning.

Use the free credits to practice

If it’s your first time to play, take advantage of the free credits and use them to familiarize yourself with the games. Once you’ve formed the right skills and knowledge, you can play and bet with real money. Although this might not sound like the most interesting tip, it can surely increase your chances of winning.

Know when to stop

Don’t wait for the jackpot before you stop and don’t wait for your bankroll to dry up before you quit. Otherwise, you can end up losing all the small wins you’ve accumulated.

Use the right strategy and get a good feel of your luck when betting. Keep in mind that not all bets can end with a positive result. So, know when to stop and when to continue betting. If you feel like you’re on the losing side, withdraw your bets while you still can.

Conclusion

Online slot games are a good way to unwind, de-stress and kill time. However, if you aren’t careful, you can end up not just losing money but wasting time, too. You can even end up ruining your entire day or night just because of your loss.

So, before you actually make your first bet, it’s a good idea to search for the right site, know the right games to play and figure out the best strategy to make the most out of your bets.

Don’t make decisions in a hurry and don’t rely on pure luck. Know when to take it slow, when to take risks and when to quit. These are the most effective and best tips for online slot games.

See Also: Top 5 Strategies To Maximize Your Online Casino Profits

 

The post 9 Winning Tips For Online Slot Games appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Bitcoin and Ethereum have a lot of similarities. Both are cryptocurrencies that come in “coin” form, giving them a specific denomination that can be represented as a dollar or euro value. Also, both rely on the blockchain for secure transactions.

These similarities can be so identical that those who are new to using digital currencies might feel that they are not actually making a choice but picking from two equals.

That’s not the case, though.

In fact, there are some big differences between the two. If you’re thinking of using one of these, it’s important that you know what those differences are so that you can make the right choice.

Here, let’s look at some of their big differences so you can make a smarter choice.

Utility

Let’s talk about usefulness and utility first.

Right now, Bitcoin is the clear leader here. It has been around the longest and more online vendors accept it as a form of payment than any other cryptocurrency. Ethereum, on the other hand, is gaining popularity, especially with American businesses.

However, Bitcoin still has the edge here by a wide margin. At the rate that Ethereum is expanding, it’s just a matter of time before this changes.

Looking at buying cryptocurrency, you can access yours in many different ways. Right now, the most popular method of accessing either Bitcoin or Ethereum is using a broker. Bitcoin is very difficult to mine without a specific type of computer because the blockchain is larger, but Ether will be at this point in the near future, too.

Reliability

Both Ethereum and Bitcoin have a high degree of reliability but much of this is dependent on the user. You can only safely use a cryptocurrency if you are well-educated when it comes to storing and using your money. You need to have the right type of digital wallet for your purposes.

For example, you can keep either on your computer, your smart device or on an external drive not connected to the web. Depending on your purposes, any of these are fine.

Ethereum has borrowed a lot from Bitcoin, but both have made huge improvements in how the blockchain is processed, how your digital cash can be kept secure, and how to keep transactions safer.

Be sure that you educate yourself on security and reliability and be sure that you are doing the right things to keep yourself and your money safe.

Security

Ethereum and Bitcoin both use the blockchain for ensuring that counterfeit currency does not exist. In this aspect, Ether has an advantage over Bitcoin.

Ethereum uses something called the Smart Contract in their blockchain technology. This allows you to program transactions. So, if you want to make an automatic payment to a vendor every month, you can do that with Ether.

Whether this is for you or not depends on your purposes. Sure, automatic payments create convenience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best move.

Smart Contracts also allow you to purchase other items, such as stocks and property. This gives Ether a lot of real-world applications that Bitcoin doesn’t currently have.

Bitcoin also made a lot of mistakes when it came to security several years ago. We’ve all heard the horror stories about exchanges losing people’s money or of hackers gaining access to millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin.

These mistakes have become great learning experiences both for Bitcoin and every other digital currency out there. Hopefully, these mistakes won’t happen again and that criminals will not find new and creative methods to illegally gain access to your money. Be sure to keep up with the latest trends in cybersecurity.

Room for Growth

Make no mistake here: both Bitcoin and Ethereum have experienced a lot of volatility. Both have seen huge increases and decreases.

Bitcoin has seen a lot more stability than it saw in the past. However, with the huge increases that the digital currency has seen in the last few years, many traders and investors are concerned that a Bitcoin bubble is in the works.

If that is the case, then Bitcoin could drop in value. This is hard to confirm one way or another, mostly because Bitcoin is only valuable if people use it. It seems to have a lot of long-term value but it’s hard to say where it will be in a few days or weeks.

Ethereum is a lot younger than Bitcoin. Also, it’s worth pointing out that Ethereum is far more stable than Bitcoin was at this point in its life.

Market experts have pointed out that the Ether has a lot of things going for it that Bitcoin does not. Some have even gone on to say that Ethereum will soon surpass Bitcoin in value.

It’s hard to say if this is true but there are some strong arguments moving in both directions. Both have a lot of room for growth. However, based on how quickly the Ether has adapted to this developing market, it seems like this currency has a lot of extra room for growth that Bitcoin does not.

See Also: Cryptocurrency Is On The Rise: Are You Prepared?

Conclusion

Ethereum and Bitcoin both have distinct advantages and disadvantages.

It’s hard to say which one is best for you as an individual, so be sure to look at their differences, take a look at your own purposes, and then make an educated decision. There are also a lot of other resources out there that will help you in forming this decision.

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