EVERYDAY + Live your best life
EVERYDAY! presents
BALANCE Self-help . Financial wellness . Stress-reduction . DIY . Healthy gourmet . Home spa .
WE LOVE BALANCE!
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRESSORS IN LIFE. GET UNSTUCK FROM YOUR HABITS AND BE ON THE WAY TO A SANER LIFE . IN HERE, YOU’LL FIND… Self-help . Financial wellness . Stress-reduction . DIY . Healthy gourmet . Home spa .
WE LOVE BALANCE! My friend exclaimed in her facebook wall that most of us are stuck working long hours, pleasing people we don’t like and buying things that we don’t need. Unfortunately, I have to agree. All this issue seems to spring from the fact that most of us get financially stuck, getting out of holes we dug for ourselves. But I also know that there is a very doable way we can get out of financial rut by aligning our values with our spending and being more mindful of the clutter that emotional spending brings into our lives. So in this second issue of EVERYDAY +, let’s empower ourselves with tools on how we can better navigate this post-modern life of flashy billboards and recurring ads. Let’s make these products work for us, and last but not the least, let us own our possessions and not let them own us!
More power to all of you! Let’s live our best life everyday! - Yazmin B
one shopping bag too many how we get side-tracked by the mall culture
BOMBARDED BY THE ADVERTISING CULTURE YOU don’t need it. You know that. You must have it. You must not act on it. But it’s just too easy. It’s just everywhere. There’s that ad again.
Excessive consumerism: A true story
Our day starts and we smell nice baked goods and brewing coffee so we give in to a danish in spite of having had breakfast at home.
Excessive consumerism: A true story
We open our office email and we get a newsletter from an awesome shopping website announcing a clearance sale for toiletries and fragrances.
Excessive consumerism: A true story
A lunch at the food court exposes us to that 70% sale at the department store. Just as we wrap our day, we get another craving to sip good coffee from a branded coffeehouse.
Excessive consumerism: A true story
As we get home, we notice how cluttered the house is with things we don’t need. We get annoyed.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED? another pair of SHOES at 50% off? a new CAR model? a new set OF BED LINENS for this season? twice-a-week drinks at the pub?
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?
organic food with no pesticides and fertilizers? a steady savings plan for your
retirement? a health insurance with comprehensive coverage?
vitamins &
health supplements? a steady stream of savings for an owned house?
financial problems are the biggest stressors! how much more can we be savvier at our spending? If our financial burdens are gone, we can focus on more important things in life
what typical mistakes do we make that bury us in credit card debt?
how much we should be saving every month and how we can invest our money wisely!
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align your values with your spending habit!
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strategies to take back control of your financial health
what is emotional spending?
The discount culture We live in a world of fast spending, in economies built on citizens spending. We are now reaching an overdrive where brands keep marketing us products that we don’t need. But when we are not earning enough to afford these things that we really don’t need and our bills are
mounting, something
just has to give!
when retail therapy isn’t therapeutic
emotional spending makes us splurge on treats when we are in a bad mood. But the mess we leave afterwards just hurl us back into a downward spiral of financial ail.
when retail therapy isn’t therapeutic A MORE
SUSTAINABLE WAY to treat our psyche during hard times is to focus on activities that won’t hurt our pockets
when retail therapy isn’t therapeutic focus on activities that won’t hurt our pockets –
exercise, talk therapy with a good friend . meditation to train our brains, a mind-clearing swim, painting with water colors, mindbody exercise .
+ TAI CHI
and YOGA all cost little or nothing and are all proven to promote the production of feel-good hormones like endorphins, norepinephrins, , and serotonin. All these activities all enhance the pleasure center of our brain and restore our moods.
when your brain does
fuzzy math
the arrrrgh! moment
Discounted clothes and accessories, couple of beers at the club with friends, some designer latte with your sister, and before you know it,
This month’s salary is down the drain again. What happened? Our mind miss on these little things that build up to thousands of pesos spent onunplanned purchases,
when your brain does fuzzy the arrrrgh! moment
math
that’s why it’s important to
TAKE NOTE OF EVERYTHING YOU SPEND BY WRITING THEM DOWN. record them in a SPREAD SHEET if you have too in order for your to track down where your money goes daily and why you feel like a pauper a week before payday
turn money into happiness Real people’s guide to being money savvy Invest in yourself Realize the psychic value of your purchases Know your numbers. Learn where your money goes every month. Prepare for your future Overcome bad money habits, make good habits stick
Oh, what fun it is to save
IF WE ALL THINK BEFORE WE BUY, THE WORLD WILL BE A CLEANER PLACE TOO
CLEAR SPACE. CLEAR MIND
CLUTTERED LIKE THESE GOLDFISHES IN A SMALL BOWL?
CLUTTER IS MADE BY INDECISION. MAKE SURE YOU GOT THE THINGS IN YOUR SPACE BECAUSE YOU WANT
THEM THERE
FOR 5 MINUTES
DECLUTTER FOR MENTAL SPACE
CHOOSE TO DO ANY OF THESE
TRANSFER YOUR PHOTOS FROM THE
CAMERA TO YOUR COMPUTER MOVE RANDOM DESKTOP FILES TO PROPER FOLDERS
yuyd
CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT THAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP OR MAY JUST STRESS YOU
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Tidy up your fridge
ADJUST BILLS IN YOUR WALLET
FOR 5 MINUTES
DECLUTTER FOR MENTAL SPACE
CHOOSE TO DO ANY OF THESE FRAME A PHOTO THAT SPEAKS TO YOU
THROW AWAY GUM WRAPPERS,WORN OUT PAPERS AND FACIAL TISSUES FROM YOUR PURSE Log on to A SELF-ENHANCEMENT WEBSITE YOU’VE BEEN MEANING TO CHECK OUT
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SWEEP OR VACUUM UNDER THE CARPET
THINK BEFORE YOU SPEND WHAT ARE YOU SHOPPING FOR? STRESS, BOREDOM, OR LONELINESS ARE THE WORST REASONS TO LET GO OF THAT CASH. SHOPPING IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT. DASH OUT OF THAT SHOP AND FIND ANOTHER OUTLET TO MEET YOUR NEED.
avoid the SALE aisle.
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Simple logic. Get yourself away from temptation. When you’re on diet, you don’t go the candy store. Same logic applies to shopping. That 200 dollar shoe might be on 50% off so you think you’re saving a hundred bucks from the sale, but that hundred dollars isn’t listed anywhere is your monthly budget.
PSYCHIC VALUE OF COMMODITIES. Do we really, really love it? Is it going to enhance our life? Why do we crave for another shirt and then end up not wearing them that much once we’ve done the purchase? A craving is different from need
Can you AFFORD it?
) How will you pay for it?
It’s always good to question Your wants before you start frowning at your credit cards
WAIT IT OUT. JUST LIKE CRAVING FOR PIZZA OR ICE CREAM, THIS URGE TO SHOP WILL SURELY PASS, AND YOU’LL BE MUCH HAPPIER
THINK ABOUT THIS:
) SAVING is like DIETING. MOST PEOPLE think about doing it, but never get themselves to do or stick to it.
WHEN YOU’RE PREPARED, THEN YOU WON’T BE WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE
Yup, annoying as it is…
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how much you EARN, its how much you SAVE.
Nuff said.
BE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE The answer? A snazzy savings plan. It forces you to save monthly as your money earns interest. Most savings plans will also give you a payback when you get injured, get critically ill
Don’t make your DOWNSIZE too painful. Otherwise, you won’t stick ) to it
Look for POCKETS in your daily spending that you can CUT BACK. e.g. expensive lattes, too many pedicure appointments, too many facials & spa treatments
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BEING CHEAP DOES NOT MEAN BEING TOO STINGY
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A GOOD DEAL DOES NOT MEAN POOR STANDARDS. IT MEAN BEING MORE MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WE LIVE.
SENSE in the MALL
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LEARN where your MONEY goes each day,
each WEEK, each MONTH
A DISCOUNT IS NOT A SAVING!
IN THE 50% DISCOUNT ON A 2,500-PESO PAIR OF SHOES, YOU DON’T SAVE PHP1,250, YOU SPEND PHP 1,250 …AND THAT MARKETING PEOPLE ARE AWESOME AT MAKING MERCHANDISE SO TEMPTING! ONE PRODUCT AT ALONE SUPPORTS A WHOLE S.W.A.T TEAM OF CREATIVES, MARKETING EXECUTIVES AND MERCHADISERS! THAT’S HOW THEY GET TO OUR HEADS.
Give it TIME.
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Experiencing some financial problem give yourself enough time, perhaps half a year to a year’s time to clear up. Drastic changes in savings may just damage your self-esteem, stress you up even more, or make you fall ill.
BUT KEEP IT STEADY. GOING extremely STINGY for 6 months and then going all out on spending again will not help you at all
THINK ABOUT THIS:
) TIME CAN BE CONVERTED TO CASH SNAZZY SAVERS and people who Are efficient at time management don’t just save a lot of money monthly but also a lot of time in order to invest in themselves, work on a new hobby, learn a new craft, get short-courses to improve their craft, and yes, get a part-time job!
THINK ABOUT THIS) TOO:
TIME LOST IS MONEY LOST THINGS WE DO THAT WASTE TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY:
+ Thriving in too much office gossip and ending up with long hours at work. + Postponing work tasks. + Delaying payments that end up in late charges. + SPENDING too much time chatting on-line.
THINGS WE COULD DO FOR A BETTER PAYBACK
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+ DO accomplish tasks at the earliest possible time without getting swamped. + Leave the office at a reasonable time. + Set aside some time for exercise. + BE CONSISTENT. KEEP YOUR TODO LIST short but on a daily basis. + See TIME MANAGEMENT as a way of life
INSTEAD OF TRY ) THIS‌ THIS! SPENDING too much time gossiping with office peers
TIME your social hour and leave the office at a reasonable time. You can spend this time for a hobby, upgrading your work expertise or MOONLIGHTING!
INSTEAD OF TRY ) THIS‌ THIS! KEEPING a mental list of our spending
WRITE DOWN your daily, weekly and monthly spending and see where else you can downsize if you are trying to save money
INSTEAD OF TRY THIS! ) THIS‌
PLAN YOUR MOVES days or RUSHING into everything on even weeks ahead. DOING a looming deadline EVERYTHING IN ONE GO is not just TIRING, it also makes you hate your life. Work back from the delivery date of a deadline, keep your daily tasks simple but effective, LIMIT INTERRUPTIONS so you can focus. Turn off Facebook or any other online chats,
INSTEAD OF TRY THIS! ) THIS‌ KEEPING in touch with everyone by being on-line all the time, even during a busy work hour
MAKE TECHNOLOGY YOUR FRIEND. Listen to soothing music that can help your concentrate on your work, anything that can help you be more efficient at what you do . Remember, there is always time after all these to be with your peers and loved ones.
INSTEAD OF TRY THIS! ) THIS‌ FIND OUT WORK CHATTING online too frequently and too often
OPPORTUNITIES ON-LINE, from freelance writing to selling stock photos, videos or developing your own blog that can open up advertising opportunities
THE BEST )THINGS IN LIFE ARE STILL FREE! WITH A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR MONTHLY INTERNET BILL, THAT IS! Online resources abound, from self-help & health articles, recipes, celebrity gossip to exercise and meditation videos! SO MAKE TECHNOLOGY WORK FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU
LOG ON
BEST THINGS IN LIFE Are almost free! THESE WEBSITES ARE PACKED Just need your computer WITH GOODNESS! AND THEY and internet connection! BARELY COST A THING!
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www.mint.com www.yogajournal.com www.himalayaninstitute.org www.oprah.com www.ted.com www.webefit.com www.shape.com www.fitnessmagazine.com www.prevention.com www.knowabouthealth.com
THE PATH to self-transformation takes so many small steps that last one lifetime
Live your best life
EVERYDAY!
EVERYDAY + Live your best life
EVERYDAY!
VISION is probably the most abused of the five senses.)
YE EXERCISE
EYES! EYES! BABY! TAKE YOUR VISION SERIOUSLY EYE HEALTH TIPS EYE MUSCLE EXERCISES SUPPLEMENTS FOR EYE HEALTH
VISION is probably the most abused of the five senses.)
EYES! EYES! BABY!
EYE STRAIN Prolonged stress on the eyes causes vision blurring, and mild burning sensation. The muscles we don’t used weaken and the shape of the eye begins to change causing poor vision.
EYES! EYES! BABY! EYE EXERCISE
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Look away from your computer screen every ten minutes to decrease pressure on your eyes. Also, consciously program your eyes to blink. It’s especially helpful if you’re working inside fully airconditioned office where the air is mostly dry. Blinking lubricates your eyes and keeps them from drying out.
EYES! EYES! BABY! Yoga for the eyes ) EYE ASANAS
Hold your vision to extreme top for one second, then lower the eyeballs to extreme bottom. Hold them there again. Continue moving the eyeballs up and down 10 times, without blinking if possible. Your gaze should be steady and relaxed. Once you finish these 10 movements, rub your palms together to generate heat and gently cup them over your eyes, without pressing hard. Allow the eyes to relax in complete darkness. Our eyes need darkness to recover from the constant stress of light. Breathe normally, concentrating more on your exhalation, and enjoy this quiet time.
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This will solve you eye muscles’ problems of just focusing on one thing when you’ve had a busy day with the computer.
EYES! EYES! BABY! )
Yoga for the eyes EYE ASANAS Follow this exercise with horizontal eye movements from extreme left to extreme right, ending again by cupping your hands over your eyes. Then do diagonal movements, two o'clock to seven o'clock, and 11 o'clock to four o'clock again, followed by palming. Finish up by rolling your eyes in 10 full circles in each direction.
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This will solve you eye muscles’ problems of just focusing on one thing when you’ve had a busy day with the computer.
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) THE NETTI POT: Freaky but effective!
It’s not some prop from the Arabian Nights. The netti pot, an Indian preventive cure for sinusitis got popular around the world when Dr. Mehmet Oz featured it in one episode of Oprah Winfrey Show. Now, you can buy commercial nasal wash brands in pharmacies‌.or make your OWN! Dr. Mehmet Oz mixes traditional medicine with lifestyle improvements. An evangelist for lifestyle changes and healthy habits, like diet, exercise, getting regular health checks, and cleansing
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) THE NETTI POT: FORGIVE US FOR THE VISUALS
warm, not hot water . Salt . Netti pot Lean to one side and insert the netti into one nostril, as your lean your head to one side, it will do its job and the saltwater will exit the opposite nostril, irrigating your sinuses, hydrating it, and flushing away crusty build up that give you sinus problems Gross to look at, but it does not even hurt when you do the process. Try it, and you’ll realize what we mean
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) OUR TICKER: TAKE THIS TO HEART
ask your doctor about healthy lifestyle changes. No really, ask them, and you’ll realize nothing beats a balanced lifestyle. Dr. Drew, a popular TV doctor recommend regular health checks mixed with exercise, a healthful eating habit plus focusing on our mental health in order to keep our hearts, and heads in check INFLAMMATION is the cause of a lot of diseases including heart attacks,diabetes and yes, cancer. Diet is a big factor that brings about inflammation. Eat healthy and you strip your chance of getting these chronic diseases
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DOCTOR, DOCTOR:
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DEAN ORNISH ON HEART HEALTH
a Harvard Medical School graduate, Dr. Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery. His current research showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes affect gene expression, “turning on” diseasepreventing genes and “turning off” genes that promote cancer and heart disease
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+FOOD AS MEDICINE
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YOUR COLOUR-CODED NUTRITION
ANTI-AGING HOW GREEN IS YOUR TEA? GREEN TEA [ SENCHA ] . LEMON SLICES . HONEY Combine all three in hot, but not boiling water
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anti-aging . Double dose of antioxidant - Bioflavonoids in lemon supplies high antioxidants as catechins in green tea is another efficient antioxidant . TIP: boiling water destroys some antioxidant properties of tea so make sure you use water that’s not boiling
HEALTHY CHINATOWN FIND RED DATE + GOJI BERRY TEA Red dates . Goji berry . Brown sugar or honey Wash red dates and berries in warm water then in running water. Then simmer in hot water for 10 minutes. Add honey or brown sugar
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HIGH-FIBER . AIDS VISION . HIGH IN IRON . LIVER TONIC . PRE-PMS DRINK . IMPROVES CIRCULATION
HEALTHY GOURMET
O MY TOMATO ANTIOXIDANT SOUP
Saute 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil . Add 1 can of stewed tomato, fresh basil & a dash of salt . Simmer for half an hour or till texture is to your liking. Puree half the portion and leave the other portion to be chunky. Add more pepper in the end.
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PARMESAN CHEESE OPTIONAL. TRY TO SKIP CHEESE FOR DAIRY-FREE OPTIMUM HEALTH BENEFIT
HEALTHY GOURMET
GRILLED FISH WITH GARLIC, LEMON AND THYME
crush 2 cloves of garlic and add a dash of thyme And a squeeze of lemon into a fish fillet. Grill in the oven for fifteen minutes.
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THE HEART-HEALTHY OMEGAS IN FISH WILL FURTHER GET MORE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM ANTIOXIDANTS IN LEMONS AND THYME
HEALTHY GOURMET BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS Instant oatmeal . Orange juice . Walnuts . bananas Flaxseed meal . Brown sugar. Ground cinnamon Stir oatmeal into boiling water . Add some orange juice, a dash of cinnamon, banana slices, walnuts and flaxseed meal
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HIGH-FIBER BREAKFAST . VITAMIN C . HEALTHY OMEGAS.
KITCHARI
HEALING FOOD
1/2 cup mung beans . 1 cup long grain rice 2 tablespoons oil . Salt . Pepper . coriander powder . cumin seeds . turmeric powder . black or red pepper, fennel seeds, mustard seeds . fresh ginger root . 4 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (such as: carrots, celery, zucchini, spinach, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, tomato)
HEALING FOOD
KITCHARI
In a 1 gal. pot with the lid removed bring to a boil beans in 6 cups of water. Add 2 tablespoons of peeled and shredded fresh ginger root. Now put the lid on in an ajar manner and boil on medium heat for 20 min.
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In a separate pan place 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Fry until mustard seeds crackle and the others begin to brown
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KITCHARI
HEALING FOOD
Add 1/2 teaspoon black or red pepper, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and fry momentarily. Add this immediately to the pot of beans. Now add 4 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring back to a moderate boil. Stir in 1 cup of rice. (Add water if necessary to make the total volume 1/2 gallon) Boil gently on low heat for 15 minutes with lid on. Stir briefly every 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes with lid on before serving.
HOME SPA SKIN-BRIGHTENING CITRUS SCRUB Honey . Brown sugar . Oil of choice . Calamansi Blend all ingredients until well mixed. Store in a jar. Make small batches that you can finish in 7 days so it keeps fresh
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HONEY IS A NATURAL HUMECTANT THAT SEALS MOISTURE, BROWN SUGAR IS A GENTLE EXFOLIANT, AND CALAMANSI HAS ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS THAT FURTHER EXFOLIATES AND KEEPS SKIN YOUNG
Live your best life
EVERYDAY!