Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Rewards Of Network Marketing

Network Marketing has helped people of all genders, professions, experience, financial status and education achieve financial independence and build a lucrative business.

As a means of product distribution, network marketing has been around for a very long time. The late 1800’s saw many new companies employing door-to-door salesmen to distribute anything from books to bibles to remedies. Familiar names like Watkins were selling liniment in the 1860’s and the California Perfume Company (or Avon as we know it today) was founded in the late 1800’s.

In the early 1900’s, the Fuller Brush Company made its debut along with the Electrolux vacuum cleaner and Britannica encyclopedias. By the 1940’s a company called California Vitamins found they could increase their sales by having more sales representative sell a small amount of product each rather than the traditional method of having a few sales representative sell a lot of product. They also discovered their increasing customer base was made up of family and friends of their existing sales representatives. Later changing their name to Nutrilite Food Supplement Corporation, they created new sales representatives from their customer base and a commission system was developed. By rewarding both teams and individuals for their sales efforts, network marketing was born. In the late 1950’s, and based on the same network marketing concept, two inspiring entrepreneurs founded Amway (short for “the American Way”). Fifty years later this well established network marketing company is still going strong.

Also known as MuIti-Level Marketing or MLM, it is estimated there are more than 50 million people worldwide involved in network marketing, generating almost 100 billion in annual wholesale revenue. Recognized as one of the fastest growing industries in the world today, more and more companies are choosing to capitalize on this growing trend and sell their products directly to the consumer.

Network marketing provides people the opportunity to build a network of distributors, providing everyone the equal opportunity to help others and make money in the process. It is a marketing system that allows anyone to start from the bottom and move to the top by building their own business. And one of the greatest advantages of MLM’s is that it gives you the opportunity to enjoy making new friends and helping others while receiving a residual income.

Network marketing can be a very productive business providing you with a very fulfilling lifestyle. Billionaire John Paul Getty is quoted as saying, “I would rather have 1% of the efforts of a hundred people rather than 100% of my own effort.”

A good MLM program is the best business to get involved with and your own efforts are what make it happen. With minimal investment and an exceptional compensation plan, network marketing offers anyone the opportunity to build a successful business while helping others to do the same.

People helping people. That’s what it’s all about, and truly the real rewards of network marketing!

For more information on the AIM Income Opportunity and the Compensation Plan please visit My AIM Store website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Life’s All About Balance

When we think of the word balance, images that come to mind may be of a gymnast on a balance beam, a set of weighing scales or someone falling because they “lost their balance”.

Balance, to me, is essential to our health and well-being. When we have balance in our lives, we hold the key to health, happiness and prosperity.

Throughout history people have strived to find balance. Buddhism uses meditation as an instrument to maintain a healthy balance of body and mind. The Chinese find balance through the ancient study of Feng Shui. It is even thought that primitive man may have been meditating while gazing at their fires, thus, finding balance.

In our hurried lifestyles of today, we may find it difficult to create balance, harmony and prosperity in our environments. We rush through our days hustling to get things done, catching ourselves making the “when I get around to it”, “once I” or “someday” statements, only to find that the day has ended and our “around to it” hasn’t happened. Maybe tomorrow, we dream.

When we’re rushed, hurried and stressed out, we know we’re way out of balance by the signs our bodies give us. We feel tired, we get headaches, our digestive system speaks loudly through diarrhoea or constipation, we crave starchy and sugary foods because we need that quick fix to keep going, or we become angry and impatient with others as we constantly feel on edge. And not only that, but when our bodies PH level is out of whack and too acidic, we invite disease.

Finding balance in our lives doesn’t have to be a difficult task. It can be as simple as de-cluttering our homes, organizing our finances and creating a stick–to-it budget, delegating chores to others, planning meals and especially… spending time for ourselves. It’s important to realize that we cannot do it all, and if we truly want balance in our lives, we need to ask others for help.

As an advocate of healthy eating and proper nutrition, I believe the key for having and maintaining good health and wellness is to make sure we have a balanced diet. Including lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, rich whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, unprocessed oils and fats, and reducing the amount of packaged and processed foods we consume, will help to keep our body balanced. It’s also important to include high quality whole food and nutritional supplements (ie. BarleyLife®) in our diet to help make up the shortfall of today’s foods that are lacking in essential nutrients.

We don’t need to wait for “someday” to find balance and harmony in our life. Why not start today finding ways to regenerate and lead a balanced lifestyle? Take a walk, swim, play golf, dance, read, meditate, take yoga classes, listen/ play music, learn a new skill or go back to school. Eat a balanced diet, get plenty of rest and start taking care of you. Remember, life’s all about balance!

For more information about BarleyLife™ and all of the other AIM products, please visit My AIM Store AIM website at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Beans, Beans The Musical Fruit

As February is heart month I thought it fitting to write about things that are good for your heart, and beans is one of them.

As a child, I remember all the teasing that went on with the cute little jingle “Beans, beans the musical fruit…. the more you eat, the more you…” (You can probably guess the rest). If you’re not familiar with that one, you may remember another such rhyme as “Beans, beans they’re good for your heart…the more you eat, the more you…” Well, you get it. They still make me chuckle!

Considering beans have been an important part of the human diet for thousands of years, these humble little legumes never seem to make it to the spotlight. One of the most nutritionally complete foods available, beans are a great source of protein, antioxidants, folate and dietary fiber. They’re high in complex carbohydrates, low in fat, rich in vitamins and minerals and cholesterol-free. They’re good for the heart, blood sugar levels and can even help keep arteries clean.

If you’re wondering what distinguishes beans from peas and lentils, it’s the physical shape of the seed that determines which is which. For example, beans are oval or kidney-shaped whereas peas are round and lentils are flat disks. Most dry beans grown in North America belong to the species Phaseolus vulgaris, or common bean, and are available uncooked in bags or pre-cooked in cans.

In North America, beans are usually planted in mid May and they’re harvested anywhere from late August to late October depending on the location. According to Northarvest Bean Growers Association, “America is the leader in quality bean production. Because the equipment used for harvesting is the most technically advanced in the world, U.S. farmers are able to plant from 1.8 to 2 million acres of dry beans each year.” According to their website, Americans are the chief consumers of these beans, consuming approximately 7.5 pounds per capita, and twenty percent of American-grown beans are shipped to international markets, helping to feed the world.

Beans contain approximately the same amount of calories as a one-cup serving of cooked pasta, cooked rice or a 6 to 8 ounce baked potato yet they are significantly higher in dietary fiber. Because they offer much of the same nutrients as meat, but without all the fat and cholesterol, beans provide an excellent nutritional alternative for vegetarians. And because the soluble fiber in beans slows down digestion, it helps blood sugar rise at a slow steady rate rather than a spike, making beans a good choice for diabetics as well. Beans are also loaded with protein, which doesn’t raise blood sugar and helps the body process the carbohydrates in a meal more effectively.

Dietary guidelines suggest eating at least three cups of beans a week, but most of us probably don’t average even one cup a week. Considering all we have to do to eat them is open a can, there’s really no excuse not to. Just remember that canned beans can contain high amounts of sodium so you may want to rinse them in cold water before using, and if you’re worried about the ‘toot” you can ‘degas’ dried beans by following the directions on the package and soaking them.

From pinto to navy, black to white, dried to canned, beans make an ideal addition in our diet. Add them to soups, salads, and casseroles, mash them and make a dip or do up an old-fashioned crock-pot of baked beans. Yummy! There are numerous recipes available on the Internet and in recipe books that suggest hundreds of different ways we can use beans.

So instead of wondering what to have as a healthy food choice, reach for the beans. After awhile you’ll be able to say, “bean there, done that.” Enjoy!

Visit My AIM Store at http://awealthofhealth.myaimstore.com to learn more about healthy eating and nutrition.