Balance

EVERYDAY +Live your best life

EVERYDAY!

Self-help . Financial wellness . Stress-reduction . DIY . Healthy gourmet . Home spa .

BALANCEpresents

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 .

Self-help . Financial wellness . Stress-reduction . DIY . Healthy gourmet . Home spa .

IN HERE, YOU’LL FIND…

My friend exclaimed in her facebookwall that most of us are stuck workinglong hours, pleasing people we don’t likeand buying things that we don’t need.

WE LOVE BALANCE!

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 manyhow 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 startsand 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 savingsfor an owned house?

financial problems are the biggest stressors!

align your values withyour spending habit!

strategies to take back control of your financial health

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!

what is emotional spending?

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

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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

exercise, talk therapy with a good friend . meditation to train our brains, a mind-clearing swim,painting with water colors, mind-body exercise .

focus on activities that won’t hurt our pockets –

All these activities all enhance the pleasure center of our brain and restore our moods.

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.

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when your brain does

fuzzy math

Discounted clothes and accessories, couple ofbeers at the club with friends, some designerlatte 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,

the arrrrgh! moment

when your brain does fuzzy math

that’s why it’s important to

TAKE NOTE OF EVERYTHING YOU SPEND BY

WRITING THEM DOWN.

record them in a SPREAD SHEETif you have too in order for your to track

down where yourmoney goes daily and why you feel

like a pauper a week before payday

the arrrrgh! moment

turn money into happiness

Invest in yourselfRealize the psychic value of your purchasesKnow your numbers. Learn where your money goes every month.Prepare for your futureOvercome bad money habits,make good habits stick

Real people’s guide to being money savvy

Oh, what fun it is to save

IF WE ALL THINK BEFORE WE BUY, THE WORLD WILL BE A CLEANER PLACE TOO

CLUTTER IS MADE BY INDECISION.

CLUTTERED LIKE THESE GOLDFISHES IN A SMALL BOWL?

MAKE SURE YOU GOT THE THINGS IN

YOUR SPACE BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM THERE

CLEAR SPACE.CLEAR MIND

FOR 5 MINUTES

TRANSFER YOUR PHOTOS FROM THE

CHOOSE TO DO ANY OF THESE

CANCEL OR RESCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENTTHAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP OR MAY JUST STRESS YOU

MOVE RANDOM DESKTOP FILES TO PROPER FOLDERS

Tidy up your fridge

DECLUTTER FOR MENTAL SPACE

ADJUST BILLS IN YOUR WALLETR

CAMERA TO YOUR COMPUTER

yuyd

FOR 5 MINUTES

FRAME A PHOTO THAT SPEAKS TO YOU

CHOOSE TO DO ANY OF THESE

THROW AWAY GUM WRAPPERS,WORNOUT PAPERS AND FACIAL TISSUES FROM YOUR PURSE

Log on to A SELF-ENHANCEMENT WEBSITE YOU’VE BEEN MEANING TO CHECK OUT

SWEEP OR VACUUM UNDER THE CARPET

DECLUTTER FOR MENTAL SPACE

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THINK BEFORE YOU SPENDWHAT ARE YOU SHOPPING FOR?STRESS, BOREDOM, OR LONELINESS ARETHE WORST REASONS TO LET GO OF THAT CASH. SHOPPING IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT. DASH OUT OF THATSHOP AND FIND ANOTHER OUTLET TO MEET YOUR NEED.

)avoid the SALE aisle.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

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MOST PEOPLE think about doing it, but never get themselves to do or stick to it.

THINK ABOUT THIS:

SAVING is like DIETING.

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how much you EARN,

its how much you SAVE.

Nuff said.( )

BE PREPARED FOR THE FUTUREThe 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

WHEN YOU’RE PREPARED, THEN YOU WON’T BE WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE

Yup, annoying as it is…

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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

BEING CHEAP DOES NOTMEAN BEING TOO STINGYA GOOD DEAL DOES NOT MEANPOOR STANDARDS. IT MEAN BEING MORE MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WELIVE.

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Don’t make your DOWNSIZE too painful.

Otherwise, you won’t stick to it

)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.

SENSEin the MALL

)Give it TIME.Experiencing some financial problemgive 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

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SNAZZY SAVERS and people whoAre 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:

TIME CAN BE CONVERTED TO CASH

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+ 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.

THINK ABOUT THIS TOO:

TIME LOST IS MONEY LOST

THINGS WE DO THAT WASTE TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY:

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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 TO-DO LIST short but on a daily basis. + See TIME MANAGEMENT as a way of life

THINGS WE COULD DO FOR A BETTER

PAYBACK

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SPENDING too much time gossiping with office peers

INSTEAD OF THIS…

TRY THIS!

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!

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KEEPING a mental list of our spending

INSTEAD OF THIS…

TRY THIS!

WRITE DOWN your daily, weekly and monthly spending and see where else you can downsize if you are trying to save money

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RUSHING into everything on a looming deadline

INSTEAD OF THIS…

TRY THIS!

PLAN YOUR MOVES days or even weeks ahead. DOING 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 on-line chats,

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KEEPING in touch with everyone by being on-line all the time, even during a busy work hour

INSTEAD OF THIS…

TRY THIS!

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.

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CHATTING online too frequently and too often

INSTEAD OF THIS…

TRY THIS!FIND OUT WORK 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

)BEST THINGS IN LIFE Are almost free!Just need your computer and internet connection!

LOG ON

www.mint.comwww.yogajournal.comwww.himalayaninstitute.orgwww.oprah.comwww.ted.comwww.webefit.comwww.shape.comwww.fitnessmagazine.comwww.prevention.comwww.knowabouthealth.com

THESE WEBSITES ARE PACKED WITH GOODNESS! AND THEY BARELY COST A THING!

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!

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YE EXERCISE

VISION is probably the most abused of the five senses.

EYES!EYES!BABY!

TAKE YOUR VISION SERIOUSLY

EYE HEALTH TIPSEYE MUSCLE EXERCISESSUPPLEMENTS FOR EYE HEALTH

)VISION is probably the most abused of the five senses.

EYES!EYES!BABY!

EYE STRAINProlonged 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

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 air-conditioned office where the air is mostly dry. Blinking lubricates your eyes and keeps them from drying out.

)EYES! EYES! BABY!Yoga for the eyesEYE 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.

+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 eyesEYE 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.

+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 nettipot, 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!

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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 potLean 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

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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

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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: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.

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His current research showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes affect gene expression, “turning on” disease-preventing genes and “turning off” genes that promote cancer and heart disease

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FOOD AS MEDICINE+

YOUR COLOUR-CODEDNUTRITION

HOW GREEN IS YOUR TEA?GREEN TEA [ SENCHA ] . LEMON SLICES .HONEY

Combine all three in hot, but not boiling water

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

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ANTI-AGING

HIGH-FIBER . AIDS VISION . HIGH IN IRON . LIVER TONIC . PRE-PMS DRINK . IMPROVES CIRCULATION

HEALTHY CHINATOWN FIND

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

RED DATE + GOJI BERRY TEA

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PARMESAN CHEESE OPTIONAL. TRY TO SKIP CHEESE

FOR DAIRY-FREE OPTIMUM HEALTH BENEFIT

HEALTHY GOURMET

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.

O MY TOMATO ANTIOXIDANT SOUP

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THE HEART-HEALTHY OMEGAS IN FISH WILL

FURTHER GET MORE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM ANTIOXIDANTS IN LEMONS AND THYME

HEALTHY GOURMET

crush 2 cloves of garlic and add a dash of thymeAnd a squeeze of lemon into a fish fillet. Grill in the oven for fifteen minutes.

GRILLED FISH WITH GARLIC, LEMON ANDTHYME

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HIGH-FIBER BREAKFAST . VITAMIN C .

HEALTHY OMEGAS.

HEALTHY GOURMET

Instant oatmeal . Orange juice . Walnuts . bananasFlaxseed meal . Brown sugar. Ground cinnamonStir oatmeal into boiling water . Add some orange juice, a dash of cinnamon, banana slices, walnuts and flaxseed meal

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

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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 FOODKITCHARI

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.

HEALING FOODKITCHARI

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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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.

HEALING FOODKITCHARI+

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.

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

HOME SPA

Honey . Brown sugar . Oil of choice . CalamansiBlend all ingredients until well mixed. Store in a jar. Make small batches that you can finish in 7 days so it keeps fresh

SKIN-BRIGHTENING CITRUS SCRUB

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Live your best life

EVERYDAY!