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4/16/2014
Not All Bottled Water Is Created Equal
(NewsUSA) - Think all bottled water is created equal? Think
again. Most brands of bottled water on the market are just
that: bottled water.
A new brand of water, however, is bucking that trend. Enter Alkame Water, which goes beyond
simply quenching your thirst. The mild alkalinity water is designed to promote effective hydration
by supporting the body's optimum pH levels, providing antioxidant benefits and helping to improve
energy levels and overall health.
The patented formula involves a micro-cluster molecular structure. This unique design
supports Alkame Water's distinctive alkalinity and also allows for high levels of stabilized,
dissolved oxygen. Oxygenated water has been associated with improved aerobic capacity. In addition,
it helps support the body's immune system and reduces the impact of stress on the body caused by
free radicals.
Data from scientific studies of the effects of electrolyzed alkaline water show an
association between consumption of the water and a range of health benefits. In one study,
participants in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program who were randomized to drink
electrolyzed alkaline water showed significant improvement in exercise tolerance after 12 weeks,
compared with those who drank plain water. In another study of HIV patients undergoing
antiretroviral therapy, those randomized to 30 days of daily consumption of electrolyzed alkaline
water showed significant improvements in their immune system parameters after 30 days, compared
with those randomized to plain tap water.
Results of additional tests of Alkame Water suggest that it sustains its alkaline,
antioxidant and oxygenation properties for a full year, which makes it a practical choice for home
or office use. Alkame Water comes in bottles that are BPA-free and 100 percent
recyclable.
Alkame Water, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinacle Enterprise Inc.
(OTCBB: PINS) (OTCQB: PINS). For more information about Alkame Water and its benefits, visit www.alkamewater.com.
3 Ways Small Businesses Can Save Money on Their Taxes
Running a small business can be tough, and keeping
the money you earn in your pocket can be a challenge, especially at tax time. Check out these tips
to help ensure you don't give more money to the government than you must:
1. Deduct everything you can. The IRS has a variety of ways it helps small businesses, but
many owners don't take full advantage of all of the deductions they can claim. For example, if
there's a place in your home that you use exclusively for business, you can deduct some of your
housing costs. For your 2013 return, you can claim $5 per sq. ft. of your office up to 300 sq.
ft.
Mileage is another overlooked expense. You can deduct the miles you drive for business,
such as driving to see a client or pick up supplies. Every trip counts, even the short ones, so it
pays to keep track of your business mileage. Small businesses can deduct 56 cents for each mile
travelled.
Other deductions small businesses are eligible for include travel expenses like tolls and
parking, 50 percent of meals with clients, as well as supplies and furniture for your office.
2. Use the right business structure. Small businesses can be structured in various ways, and
choosing the right structure for your particular business can affect how much or how little you pay
in taxes. Most small businesses choose to operate as a sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company
(LLC) or corporation. A tax specialist can advise you which structure is best for you, but as a
general rule of thumb, if your business generates more than $50,000 in profit, you can save taxes
by incorporating.
3. Don't get penalized. Many small business owners end up paying more to the government
because they file late, resulting in the IRS charging interest, late fees and penalty fees. Missing
deadlines is often the result of not being organized, which is all too common for owners focused on
generating sales and servicing clients, rather than maintaining their books.
To keep organized, many owners are taking advantage of technology and turning to cloud-based
systems like FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com), which makes it easy to stay on top of
accounting tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Such systems also allow the owner to send
their accountant all the reports and information they need with one click.
the money you earn in your pocket can be a challenge, especially at tax time. Check out these tips
to help ensure you don't give more money to the government than you must:
1. Deduct everything you can. The IRS has a variety of ways it helps small businesses, but
many owners don't take full advantage of all of the deductions they can claim. For example, if
there's a place in your home that you use exclusively for business, you can deduct some of your
housing costs. For your 2013 return, you can claim $5 per sq. ft. of your office up to 300 sq.
ft.
Mileage is another overlooked expense. You can deduct the miles you drive for business,
such as driving to see a client or pick up supplies. Every trip counts, even the short ones, so it
pays to keep track of your business mileage. Small businesses can deduct 56 cents for each mile
travelled.
Other deductions small businesses are eligible for include travel expenses like tolls and
parking, 50 percent of meals with clients, as well as supplies and furniture for your office.
2. Use the right business structure. Small businesses can be structured in various ways, and
choosing the right structure for your particular business can affect how much or how little you pay
in taxes. Most small businesses choose to operate as a sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company
(LLC) or corporation. A tax specialist can advise you which structure is best for you, but as a
general rule of thumb, if your business generates more than $50,000 in profit, you can save taxes
by incorporating.
3. Don't get penalized. Many small business owners end up paying more to the government
because they file late, resulting in the IRS charging interest, late fees and penalty fees. Missing
deadlines is often the result of not being organized, which is all too common for owners focused on
generating sales and servicing clients, rather than maintaining their books.
To keep organized, many owners are taking advantage of technology and turning to cloud-based
systems like FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com), which makes it easy to stay on top of
accounting tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Such systems also allow the owner to send
their accountant all the reports and information they need with one click.
Once Again, Buying Diamonds Is Cool
It's cool to buy diamonds again.
Well, at least those that have been "sustainably mined."
With holiday jewelry shopping now in
high gear, those two words alone are likely to provide a tremendous sense of relief -- the
pop-culture equivalent of "Mad Men" re-upping in perpetuity -- for anyone who's been concerned
about mining's impact on local habitats. Indeed, these days Rio Tinto, one of the world's major
diamond producers, for example, is as likely to be lauded for its enviro creds as it is the
incredibly gorgeous natural color diamonds produced by its Argyle Mine in Western Australia.
"We appreciate that people want to know that the jewelry they buy has been mined responsibly
and ethically," Rebecca Foerster, Rio Tinto Diamonds' U.S. vice president, said last year on
becoming the only miner to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council for initiatives that
include employing indigenous community members to cultivate seeds of native plants for
re-vegetation.
Here's what's also fueling the very hot Argyle diamonds trend:
* There's nothing ho-hum about them. Though this may be one of the prime times for
proposing, anyone who still thinks engagement rings are the only kind women want on their fingers
is stuck in a time warp. So know that for every one of those natural color diamonds produced
through just the right confluence of the elements and the environment -- we're talking soft,
neutral shades like champagne, cognac, silver and gray -- it's estimated that there are 10,000
white diamonds. What woman wouldn't want something unique?
* Brown is the new black. From a purely fashion point of view -- and this applies to
Argyle diamonds set in giftable rings, bracelets, earrings, etc. -- the champagne stones,
especially (which get their distinctive hue from nitrogen atoms present at their formation), work
well with all the bright-colored clothes the fashion mags have decreed women should be wearing
right now. And guess what? Those fashion plates, especially, don't think of themselves as ordinary.
Or, as jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor puts it: "It's not just that people want to
feel good about having made environmentally friendly choices. They also want things that are
unusual and different from what their friends have, and these are diamonds with a story."
* The price is right. Undoubtedly, cost wasn't a factor in model Heidi Klum's decision
to don brown Argyle diamond earrings and ring for an Oscars-related event. But for the rest of us,
it's nice to know that Argyle diamonds are actually affordable.
Learn more at www.diamondswithastory.com.
Well, at least those that have been "sustainably mined."
With holiday jewelry shopping now in
high gear, those two words alone are likely to provide a tremendous sense of relief -- the
pop-culture equivalent of "Mad Men" re-upping in perpetuity -- for anyone who's been concerned
about mining's impact on local habitats. Indeed, these days Rio Tinto, one of the world's major
diamond producers, for example, is as likely to be lauded for its enviro creds as it is the
incredibly gorgeous natural color diamonds produced by its Argyle Mine in Western Australia.
"We appreciate that people want to know that the jewelry they buy has been mined responsibly
and ethically," Rebecca Foerster, Rio Tinto Diamonds' U.S. vice president, said last year on
becoming the only miner to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council for initiatives that
include employing indigenous community members to cultivate seeds of native plants for
re-vegetation.
Here's what's also fueling the very hot Argyle diamonds trend:
* There's nothing ho-hum about them. Though this may be one of the prime times for
proposing, anyone who still thinks engagement rings are the only kind women want on their fingers
is stuck in a time warp. So know that for every one of those natural color diamonds produced
through just the right confluence of the elements and the environment -- we're talking soft,
neutral shades like champagne, cognac, silver and gray -- it's estimated that there are 10,000
white diamonds. What woman wouldn't want something unique?
* Brown is the new black. From a purely fashion point of view -- and this applies to
Argyle diamonds set in giftable rings, bracelets, earrings, etc. -- the champagne stones,
especially (which get their distinctive hue from nitrogen atoms present at their formation), work
well with all the bright-colored clothes the fashion mags have decreed women should be wearing
right now. And guess what? Those fashion plates, especially, don't think of themselves as ordinary.
Or, as jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor puts it: "It's not just that people want to
feel good about having made environmentally friendly choices. They also want things that are
unusual and different from what their friends have, and these are diamonds with a story."
* The price is right. Undoubtedly, cost wasn't a factor in model Heidi Klum's decision
to don brown Argyle diamond earrings and ring for an Oscars-related event. But for the rest of us,
it's nice to know that Argyle diamonds are actually affordable.
Learn more at www.diamondswithastory.com.
The Truth Behind 4 Food Myths
Don't you just hate food scolds? Especially when
they're as certain they're right as all those tech geniuses were about iPhones never replacing
Blackberries.
Well, in some cases, people are actually basing their assumptions on either pure myth or the
latest diet fad. You know, as in: Gluten is bad for you. And listening to them can actually be
risky.
"Food myths are dangerous because they can deprive you of the benefits of a healthy diet,"
says Tara Gidus, MS, R.D., who's the team dietician for basketball's Orlando Magic.
Here's a few myths that deserve to be debunked.
MYTH: All yogurt is good for you. C'mon, if you smother anything with enough sugary
fruits and toppings, it becomes dessert.
MYTH: Fresh veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned. Lived on a farm
lately? We didn't think so or you'd know, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's Melissa Joy
Dobbins explains, that veggies (and fruits) "are canned as soon as they're picked so they're at
peak nutrition."
There's also been research showing that canned tomatoes, in particular, contain more of the
heart disease-protective carotenoid pigment lycopene than fresh ones. And since statistics indicate
that, for some reason, adding tomatoes to your diet is related to increased consumption of healthy
vegetables of all kinds -- hey, ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture why -- maybe we should all
consider stocking up on cans of, say, Hunt's tomatoes (www.hunts.com).
MYTH: Gluten-free diets are healthier. Chalk this one up to the hottest new diet fad. Without
even really knowing what gluten is -- it's a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- people have
somehow gotten it into their heads that the 99 percent of Americans who don't have celiac disease
should also avoid it.
Problem is, such whole-grain foods happen to be rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc,
magnesium and fiber, and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some
forms of cancer. That explains why no less than Peter H.R. Green, the director of the Celiac
Disease Center at Columbia University, told WebMD that going gluten-free "isn't something that
anyone should do casually."
MYTH: Eggs are bad for your heart. According to the Harvard Medical School, the
only large study that addressed the issue found "no connection between the two." However, egg yolks
do contain a lot of cholesterol, calories and fat. So for a lean and healthier option, discard the
yolk or switch to pourable egg whites-only Egg Beaters (www.eggbeaters.com).
they're as certain they're right as all those tech geniuses were about iPhones never replacing
Blackberries.
Well, in some cases, people are actually basing their assumptions on either pure myth or the
latest diet fad. You know, as in: Gluten is bad for you. And listening to them can actually be
risky.
"Food myths are dangerous because they can deprive you of the benefits of a healthy diet,"
says Tara Gidus, MS, R.D., who's the team dietician for basketball's Orlando Magic.
Here's a few myths that deserve to be debunked.
MYTH: All yogurt is good for you. C'mon, if you smother anything with enough sugary
fruits and toppings, it becomes dessert.
MYTH: Fresh veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned. Lived on a farm
lately? We didn't think so or you'd know, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics's Melissa Joy
Dobbins explains, that veggies (and fruits) "are canned as soon as they're picked so they're at
peak nutrition."
There's also been research showing that canned tomatoes, in particular, contain more of the
heart disease-protective carotenoid pigment lycopene than fresh ones. And since statistics indicate
that, for some reason, adding tomatoes to your diet is related to increased consumption of healthy
vegetables of all kinds -- hey, ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture why -- maybe we should all
consider stocking up on cans of, say, Hunt's tomatoes (www.hunts.com).
MYTH: Gluten-free diets are healthier. Chalk this one up to the hottest new diet fad. Without
even really knowing what gluten is -- it's a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- people have
somehow gotten it into their heads that the 99 percent of Americans who don't have celiac disease
should also avoid it.
Problem is, such whole-grain foods happen to be rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc,
magnesium and fiber, and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some
forms of cancer. That explains why no less than Peter H.R. Green, the director of the Celiac
Disease Center at Columbia University, told WebMD that going gluten-free "isn't something that
anyone should do casually."
MYTH: Eggs are bad for your heart. According to the Harvard Medical School, the
only large study that addressed the issue found "no connection between the two." However, egg yolks
do contain a lot of cholesterol, calories and fat. So for a lean and healthier option, discard the
yolk or switch to pourable egg whites-only Egg Beaters (www.eggbeaters.com).
3/11/2014
Is Back Pain Due To A Lack Of Exercise?
Many people seem to want to know if you can just exercise lower back
pain away. Is it only about exercise? That is, did you end up with lower
back pain due to a lack of exercise? Or could it be something else?
Your back pain is not necessarily caused by a lack of exercise, but it’s probably a good place to start looking. When I ask patients if they exercise, most are still saying “no.” Those that do exercise tend to stick with the same machine or routine for their entire program. (And almost none of their “routine” exercises focus on improving their back muscles.)
So on one hand, we have those that don’t exercise and have lower back pain. It’s easy to take a guess and see that their spine is having problems due to a lack of muscular support. While their spine may need more work at this point (check with your healthcare professional), eventually they’ll exercise lower back pain away by creating a muscular back support around their spine with regular exercise.
Those that do exercise, but are not performing a variety of movements are causing a different problem; muscular imbalance. They are likely only developing certain muscle groups while largely ignoring others. Worse, they may be performing activities that are alarmingly similar to what they already do all day.
They are strengthening muscles that are already overworked (muscles in the front of the body) and not strengthening muscles that are typically ignored (back muscles). This is a standard recipe for developing lower back pain problems and should be avoided.
Overall, maintaining a variety of activities that includes exercises to enhance cardiovascular health, strengthening and stretching will help exercise lower back pain away for good. The same formula works for almost everyone. First, due some exercise regularly. Next, make sure you take some time to strengthen your back muscles (especially if you already know you need it!).
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
Your back pain is not necessarily caused by a lack of exercise, but it’s probably a good place to start looking. When I ask patients if they exercise, most are still saying “no.” Those that do exercise tend to stick with the same machine or routine for their entire program. (And almost none of their “routine” exercises focus on improving their back muscles.)
So on one hand, we have those that don’t exercise and have lower back pain. It’s easy to take a guess and see that their spine is having problems due to a lack of muscular support. While their spine may need more work at this point (check with your healthcare professional), eventually they’ll exercise lower back pain away by creating a muscular back support around their spine with regular exercise.
Those that do exercise, but are not performing a variety of movements are causing a different problem; muscular imbalance. They are likely only developing certain muscle groups while largely ignoring others. Worse, they may be performing activities that are alarmingly similar to what they already do all day.
They are strengthening muscles that are already overworked (muscles in the front of the body) and not strengthening muscles that are typically ignored (back muscles). This is a standard recipe for developing lower back pain problems and should be avoided.
Overall, maintaining a variety of activities that includes exercises to enhance cardiovascular health, strengthening and stretching will help exercise lower back pain away for good. The same formula works for almost everyone. First, due some exercise regularly. Next, make sure you take some time to strengthen your back muscles (especially if you already know you need it!).
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture exercise expert, chiropractor, and health educator. More information can be found at his website at http://www.postureconfidence.com
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