Donnette

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The antioxidant that is required for tissue growth and repair of the body is vitamin C. In fact, it has been proven to help protect against heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. Without it the body would not be able to heal itself and it is vital for the formation of collagen. Whenever a person has a cut or an injury, it is the collagen that helps repair the damage. Collagen has a multitude of functions in the body, including keeping the organs in place.

This water-soluble nutrient is essential for optimal health and aids folic acid and iron to maximize their effectiveness. The more the body has, the better its defense against colds and other common ailments. It may not prevent a virus but it does help speed up the recovery process.

Almost every fruit and vegetable has this powerful antioxidant; some have higher values in content than others such as cranberries and melons, in fact, tropical fruits have the highest of all fruits. Hot pepper has the richest vitamin content when it comes to vegetables and the hotter the better. Unfortunately, because of this water-soluble nutrient many vegetables lose their effectiveness if they are boiled for a long period of time. Steam or stir fry vegetables to ensure that more nutrient content is retained. The recommended daily amount is easily obtained from eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day if they are consumed raw or cooked quickly.

Supplements are useful to ensure that the proper amount of vitamin is obtained. However, with a balanced diet, the amount the body receives is likely to be sufficient. When feeling tired, run down or sluggish, this supplement will help to restore energy. There is no danger of having too much vitamin C as the body simply excretes the excess.

The body does not make vitamin C; therefore, it must enter the body through foods or supplements. Those suffering from Cancer and Aids should take esterified vitamin C, a remarkable and effective form. Ester-C is formed by reacting with minerals such as zinc, potassium, sodium calcium, and magnesium. This forms a non-acidic nutrient that enters the bloodstream and tissues four times faster than the standard form, the esterified stays in the body longer than the standard form, and the white blood cells absorption is four times higher than the standard form.

Even though this great antioxidant is required, be knowledgeable of it use, know what can be taken together, and know it effects when interacted with medications or consult your health care provider. Alcohol, prescription drugs and some over the counter drugs may deplete vitamin C in the body and smoking causes a grave reduction. For efficiency, and because the body does not retain this nutrient, take supplement twice a day. Some drugs are not effective when taken with this nutrient such as chlorpropamide and sulfa, diabetes medications.

Carolyn Bell Smith, committed to help others improve their health, lifestyle, fight sickness, disease, and building a strong immune system. Author and creator, Healthy LifeStyle and More, and Lifestyle Tips Newsletter yourhealthrenewed Subscribe to our newsletter ezine_newsletter

I have been a mortgage broker for over 10 years in South Florida. Over the years, many mortgage acceleration programs have crossed my path, but I have never felt truly passionate about one of these programs until I was introduced to the Money Merge Account from United First Financial. The purpose of this article is to outline the benefits and put to rest the misconceptions about these innovative programs and why I truly believe the Money Merge Account is the best of them.

To start with, we first must understand what exactly is meant by the term mortgage acceleration program and what every one of these program does and does not do.

Mortgage acceleration programs are designed to help or assist in paying down your mortgages principal balance and save on the total amount of interest you pay on your mortgage. If you borrowed $200,000, then you will be paying back the $200,000, just the amount of interest you pay will be reduced. I usually refer to these programs as the diet programs of the financial world. The reason for this analogy is, just like diet programs, every person is capable of losing weight although some of us need help in achieving this goal. The same can be said about our mortgage. We are all capable in paying off our mortgage faster, but some of us lack the financial obedience and discipline to do so. Mortgage acceleration programs keep us on the path toward our ultimate goal (living mortgage free) and making this task easier and less stressful for us; that is all.

With that being said, I would like to look at the two different types of mortgage acceleration programs available today and the pros and cons of each.

The first type of program is the first position Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC for short. In this program, a client is asked to refinance their existing first mortgage (which is usually a fixed rate, fully amortized loan), their second mortgage (if they have one) and their credit card debt (if they have any) into a first position HELOC. The reason for this is the payment on a HELOC is interest only, BUT the amount of interest we are charged is based on the daily average balance of the HELOC for the prior month. The client is then asked to transfer the full amount of their paychecks (and whatever other money they make that month) into the HELOC (they should always have a $0 balance in their checking/savings accounts). By doing this, it drives down the principal balance of the HELOC. When they need to pay a bill, they simply can write a check from their HELOC to pay it since all HELOCs act as a checking account as well. In essence, the HELOC becomes the clients checking and savings account.

To put this into prospective, lets look at an example:

A person starts the first of the month with a balance on the HELOC at $100,000. They are paid twice a month on the 1st and the 15th in the amount of $2,500 each pay period and they have monthly living expenses of $4,000 (to make this example simple, we will assume the client pays all their bills on the 30th of the month). Therefore, they started the month with a $100,000 HELOC balance, but their paychecks were applied throughout the month and then their expenses were written from the HELOC, therefore, their end of the month balance is $99,000 (($100,000 - $2,500 - $2,500) + $4,000). If the interest rate on the HELOC was 10%, people would assume that their payment would be $825 at the end of the month (($99,000 * 10%) / 12 = $825). But this is wrong. There true payment would be based on the average daily balance of the account, which is $93,083.33 ($97,500 for the first 14 days, $95,000 for the next 15 days and $99,000 for 1 day divided by 30 days). Therefore, their payment on the HELOC would be $755.69. This is a difference of $49.31.

Based on the information above, lets look at the pros and cons to this program.

The pros to this program should be easy to identify:

The first position HELOC is a very simple and effective way for people to use every dollar they earn and save to help pay down the principal balance and save on they amount of interest they pay on their mortgage. However, there are a number of cons with this program which has prevented me from offering this solution to clients. They are as follows:

The second type of mortgage acceleration program combines the use of a second position HELOC and computer software to payoff the first mortgage and other debts (this is how the Money Merge Account is setup). In this program, a client obtains a HELOC as a second mortgage on their property. The client is then asked to transfer the full amount of their paychecks (and whatever other money they make that month) into the HELOC (they should always have a $0 balance in their checking/savings accounts). By doing this, it drives down the principal balance of the HELOC. When they need to pay a bill, they simply can write a check from their HELOC to pay it since all HELOCs act as a checking account as well. In essence, the HELOC becomes the clients checking and savings account.

Computer software is then used to monitor how much money is coming in, the frequency in which the client is paid and how much is going out for expenses. Based on these factors, the computer software will tell the client exactly how much (an exact dollar amount down to the penny) and when (an exact date) to borrow from the HELOC and apply it as an additional principal payment to their first mortgage. The computer software will also keep track of how much principal is owed on the first mortgage and HELOC and how much time is left to payoff the mortgages.

Now that we have an overview of how the program works, lets look at the pros and cons to this program.

There are a number of pros to this system which make it very useful to a client. They are:

Although the pro list is long, there are some cons to this program:

In this article we examined the two different types of mortgage acceleration programs and listed the pros and cons of each of them. You can clearly see why I have chosen to offer the Money Merge Account to my clients over the first position HELOC. I truly believe this program will help those clients who need assistance in controlling their finances to become mortgage free. At the time of this article, I currently have several clients utilizing the Money Merge Account and all are happy and referring other potential clients to me. It should also be noted that there is not one unhappy client out of the many thousands across the United States who are currently using the Money Merge Account.

Charles Petruzzi has been a mortgage broker in South Florida since 1996 and is a agent for United First Financial and the Money Merge Account. For more information on the Money Merge Account, please visit his website at http://www.mortgageaccelerationllc.com

Laminate floorings are becoming more popular because of the many benefits and advantages they provide, whether for the household or commercial application. There are many patterns and designs to choose from, so all interior themes and tones of the room where the floorings are to be installed will have one type which will complement it. Included in the choices are designs patterned after bamboo, stone, hardwood, tile, and others.

The bamboo, having the natural and classic, elegant appearance, is one of the most popular choice. Having just the right kind of sophistication, laminate bamboo flooring will look perfect in a home. It would look best when installed in the bedroom, living room, and even in the kitchen. In the office, the laminate bamboo flooring could be best used to conjure up warm, natural, and fresh ambiance and feel. The same tone could be excellent choice for other establishments like the restaurants, hotels, and others. It gives out relaxed and fresh interior with look that would be most pleasing to the eyes of the customers.

Installing laminate bamboo flooring can be very basic, and sometimes can be finished with the same procedures by other manuals, but it is most recommended that you keep the instruction manual of the product you bought. As very basic as it is, not all instruction manuals may put the same terms and conditions for the warranty of the laminate flooring. If you don't want warranty of your newly-purchased laminate bamboo flooring to get void due to mistakes done with installation, follow its step-by-step procedures.

After installing, the laminate bamboo flooring is easy and low to maintain. Again, it is important that you follow what the manufacturer's recommendations are when it comes to cleaning and maintaining the floors. While there are hundreds of cleaners, soaps, and special cleaning agents available in the local stores, you must use only cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. The reason for this is that other cleaning products could contain chemicals and agents which could damage the laminate floors. You don't want to compromise this aspect, so better do what your manufacturer told you to. It will not only keep your floors as glossy and elegant looking, but you could avoid the hassles of having to replace damaged part or plank.

For tips on choosing laminate flooring, visit http://www.buylaminateflooring101.com

There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.

The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Let's start with the basics.

Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.

Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350F for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

This basic cookie mixture is also the base for the following cookie recipes (all baked in a preheated oven at 350F).

Orange Cookies
(Makes about 32)

Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to the recipe. Shape into a log that is about 1 1/2" in diameter and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Slice dough into 1/4" thick slices. Place on cookie sheet. Cookies can be decorated with candies, rolled in colored sugar, or cut into pretty holiday shapes before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Squares
(Makes about 54 squares)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely chopped

Line a 13"x9" baking pan with foil.

Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Coconut Pineapple Cookies
(Makes about 36)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup pineapple preserves (use raspberry or apricot if you prefer)

Add 1 cup of the flaked coconut to the basic dough mixture and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 1/2" balls and roll in the remaining coconut to coat them. Place the balls 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with your fingertip.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookie is firm and the coconut is lightly toasted. When cooled, fill each hole in the center of the cookies with the preserves.

You can vary this basic dough to make a wide variety of Christmas cookie recipes. Add other flavorings like maple, ginger or cinnamon. Add chopped dried fruits like apricots or dates. Or bake them plain in holiday shapes and decorate with colored icing.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Here's hoping these quick and easy Christmas cookie recipes help keep the pressure off the cook.

Karen Ciancio is a cook and lover of all things food and cooking related. Her website http://www.cookingnook.com contains easy dessert recipes, plus lots of other recipes, cooking tips, measurement conversions and kitchen ideas.

The notebook is a fantastic accessory in modern life, used both for work and for play. It has the ability to produce and store a wide variety of high quality documents, play top quality games, download and run films, utilize the internet and also run business quality software essential for presentations and productivity in the modern business world. The device is designed to be portable, functional and meet the requirements of a busy modern life. However, the type of notebook chosen affects the usability levels. Many features are an unnecessary addition, depending upon what the notebook is used for. Though the quality of the machine may be unbeatable, it may not necessarily fully meet your requirements.

For instance, if the notebook is used by a travelling businessman then it needs to be highly portable. The device needs to be used in a variety of scenarios and places, and must perform to the utmost standard each time. Many elements can affect the portability of a notebook such as screen and product size, inbuilt systems and processor size. A 12 to 14 inch screen should be big enough for the travelling businessman, and the DVD player can be bought as an attachment for when it is required rather than being inbuilt. This will keep the weight of the device at the lower end and make it more accessible for travel.

If the notebook is used for recreational purposes only then portability is less of an issue whilst graphics performance and memory space become much more important. In this instance the size of the device, the graphics card, and inbuilt DVD player and rewriter will affect the choice. Also the screen will need to be at the larger end of the scale to enable better quality gaming and cinema experiences.

The notebook is generally sold with either scenario in mind, and the standard range is fantastic. But what if these general features do not fit your requirements? Every user is unique, and in the modern age people are used to being able to receive bespoke products and services. For instance, a business man may need excellent DVD features for presentations, yet still have portability a key concern. In this scenario, the best option is to build your own notebook.

To build your own notebook, you simply choose a supplier that will combine the elements that you need to create a bespoke notebook. This is usually an online provider as they can react better to supply and demand. Physical shops do not have such a good market for this type of service, as consumers go by sight to a large degree when physically shopping. A notebook in pieces does not look very attractive.

Building your own notebook entails knowing exactly what you want from your machine, so make sure you do your research and fully understand what the different elements are and whether they fit your purpose. However, it is not an option only for the completely computer literate. All sites that provide this service will be easy to navigate, with in depth explanations. The customer support team is also trained to be able to assist you with this type of information. They will be able to explain different components and also advise whether your choices will be beneficial to your needs. The notebook builder will put together all the required elements, to create a machine that will provide the optimum performance for you.

The price of your tailor made notebook will depend upon the components that you require, rather than an overall predetermined cost. Therefore, it will completely reflect the device that you require and be cost effective. Another advantage is that because it is completed online, it can be built from anywhere in the world and delivered direct to your door.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

This article can also be accessed from page Build_Notebook
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for GetSmartArticles

Tutors nowadays are having a harder time tutoring. Some kids are rude and irritating and they do not pay attention to class. The worst thing is, their parents are shielding them. Their kids are their pride and joy, no matter how they make their tutor's lives difficult.

There have been horror stories, of course, about rude kids and even rude teenagers. While tutors genuinely want to help them, they have been making it difficult for the tutor to do so. However, sometimes its due to the pressure of not being able to do the simple questions that made them become easily irritable and display their irritation at their tutor.

Parents, themselves, have suffered when their kids stomp off in a huff in the middle of a conversation. However, it is not right to shield your child all the time. If the tutor gives you a honest feedback that your child is making it difficult for him to teach, then you would need to step in.

While I do not profess to be an expert at parenting, I have noticed that some parents have a "I do not care" attitude when tutors inform them of their child's constant irritation and tempers. Of course, parents have a right to adopt this attitude. After all, if no one wants to step in to help, then the tutor will have to, albeit unwillingly, continue to tutor the child to the best that he could.

This creates a very unhappy working relationship and environment. You may not be getting the best from your tutor, and your tutor may be more than willing to take another student who pays the same amount of money. No one would be happy working in a place where they get yelled at!

Yes, in fact, there have been many instances of children liking to display their tempers with their tutors. They believe that since the tutor is getting paid for doing the job, then the tutors are considered their employees. Tutors are not garbage or beggars that are taken in from the street. Even beggars have their pride and ego. Tutors would also hope to be respected and have a nice working environment.

Thus parents, do help your tutor and help your child. When you detect that something is wrong, perhaps its time to take certain actions. However, you have to determine who is right or wrong. Wrongfully pointing fingers at your child will not make things easier too. It is best to sit your child down and have some quiet moments talking about the lesson. Maybe you will find out the reason for his or her constant irritation.

Kenneth Tang
www.NextTutor.com
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Every manufacturer of laminate flooring provides very specific instructions on the proper method of installing their product.

There are however, some common dos and donts that apply to the installation of any laminate floor. Surprisingly many people ignore these instructions, believing that they know better than the manufacturers.

• Laminate flooring must acclimatize to your home. This is done by placing the boxes in the room where you are going to install the laminate for a minimum period of 48 to 72 hours. Failure to do this will cause floors to buckle. This is the number one mistake made by most people including contractors.
• There must be a gap between walls and any other obstacle, (columns, stair risers, heat vents, etc.) of between 5/16" and 1/2" depending on the manufacturer. This allows for the expansion of the floor. If a gap is not left, the floor will buckle.
• If the laminate flooring is going to be installed on a concrete slab floor where there is earth below the concrete, a vapor barrier must be placed between the concrete and the laminate. The seams should be taped with a moisture resistant tape. Laminate flooring should not be installed on any floor that has a drain.
• Some manufacturers will allow the installation of laminate flooring on carpet. The carpet should be a hard twist (Berber), or a very low pile (commercial carpet). If the underlayment is spongy, the flooring will separate when walked on.
• The smallest piece of flooring should never be less than 8 inches long and the width should never be less than 2 inches. Measure your room before you start the installation as it may be necessary to cut the first board in length and the first row of boards in width to avoid having small pieces.
• Joints should be staggered a minimum of 16 inches apart and a minimum of 3 rows for repeating of the joint.
• If installing base board or quarter round on top of the laminate, do not nail through the laminate. A laminate floor must be allowed to expand and contract.
• Repair any and all squeaks and soft spots in the sub-floor before installing the laminate. Laminate flooring will not correct squeak or soft spot problems.
• Do not continue the installation of laminate flooring through a doorway that is less than 48 inches in width, use a transition molding.
• Do not hammer on the groove end on the board ever!
• Always start the installation of the laminate flooring with the groove side and end towards the walls.
• Always use a tapping block to help tighten joints, but do not over hammer or you will damage the surface of the laminate at the joints.
• Floors must be level, no more than 3/16 slope over a ten foot span.
• Floors must be flat. Any dips in the floor should be filled in with self-leveling compound and left to dry at least 72 hours.

Read and follow the manufacturers instructions and you will end up with a quality floor that will last for years.

For additional information on flooring products for your home or other renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.