Don't Play Mr. Fixit without Doing Your Research

Many people tell me that we are in the middle of the "second great depression" and I involuntarily scoff.  It is not a shortage of people with money that is the problem, it is to some, the tightening of credit.   To be competitive on being granted a mortgage as most people don't have millions stashed away in their attic, it is crucial to have clean credit, or at least the best credit that you possibly can.

There are services out there these days that can help you fix credit issues.  Some people say that it is better to watch your own credit very carefully, to which I agree.   Credit repair services claim that it is better if you pay them to fix or monitor your credit. The jury is out, and you need to do your own research to make up your mind, however they do make several claims that go above and beyond what the average person can do.

For example, companies are often affiliated with law offices that write letters to credit bureaus pointing out mistakes on your report.  They know the lingo, but they can also challenge a credit bureau to "prove" the claim.  Often, there are so many credit inquiries on a report that it is difficult to keep track of on one's own.  Whether you decide to go it alone or try a service, do your research.

Go Way Whey Out

Back in the day, people got their protein from their daily diet of vegetables, meat, dairy products, and the like. Nowadays, people are packing in protein with protein shots in their morning orange juice, and similar methods. (A side note: I hope its flavorless protein powder, otherwise your juice would start to be a darn interesting.)

Why are they doing this? There are two reasons. The first reason they could be supplementing in such a manner is that they believe there their regular diet doesn't include enough nutrients. Does it mean that they should simply change what they eat everyday? Sometimes. However, there is a group of folks that believes that are food has been leached of nutrients and the same apple is not brimming with the same level of nutrition as in yesteryear, through genetic engineering and the quality of the soil. For the folks who fall in that camp, organic whey is available, as artificial ingredients may negate their whole reasoning for using it.

The second group of people who are into using protein powder just wants results. In other words, they just want to bulk up and that is that. At least whey protein is a safer way to do so than to randomly choose something off the shelf that contains hormones or chemicals.

Whichever description is closer to the way you are, be safe and be smart.

Stay Sharp with Phytonutrients

I always paid attention to what my Great-Grandmother ate, selected, and did with her life because she lived to the ripe old age of 94.  Perhaps that is not record breaking, but if I add the fact that she didn't retire from the bowling league until the age of 90, you may find her pluck and gumption a bit more impressive.   If it had not been for that darn hip replacement, she may have been on "Bowling for Dollars" right before she passed away.  

Many people point out that their ancestors ate lard and butter all day, therefore why are we getting so fat and sick on it.   I would argue that they actually didn't eat that for every meal. More so, their food was just a bit fresher if they farmed a bit.  Even though there were some things that were worse off because one didn't know it was bad for them, the vegetables weren't completely leached of nutrients.

I have recently read up a lot on phytonutrients.   They seemed to be why my great-grandmother enjoyed so many years of a sharp mind.   I recall that in college, I started eating what my brother would call "grass clippings."  These were packages of salad with endive, escarole and other lettuces that were deemed really exotic in my little midwestern suburb.  Now I know that my body was just craving the variety of nutrients, such as alpha-carotene, luteins and more.

Back then, I just satisfied my craving by "popping pills" (in other words, lots and lots of vitamins), and eating like a rabbit.   I was pleased to find many, many ideas and recipes on Phytolife.com, where I can find meals to make that fit the bill. I don't always like to look like I walked behind the lawnmower and raked up my lunch.