Our earth has more than 400,000 species of plants recorded so far.  All this green around us has hidden treasures within them. Not all but many of these herbs contain medicinal properties. Humans have exploited these nature’s gifts for a very long time. We have found evidence suggesting use of herbs form the very humble beginnings of human life.

Interestingly it’s not just us humans who seem to have found benefits from Mother Nature’s bounty. You could get some good examples of how humans have put to use this knowledge to build nootropic supplements at http://www.smartpillguide.org. Some animals also seem to have an innate capacity to use plants for their therapeutic properties. It is not known for sure how these animals tend to self medicate themselves but examples are plenty. Many carnivores, apes, bear and dear are known to self medicate themselves mostly to get rid of parasites, ease intestinal distress or aid digestion.

Being the most advanced cognitive race, humans have mastered the use of herbs and we continue to explore the wide possibilities in nature. But are there herbs that could really enhance cognition? The answer is ‘YES’. Some of the most well-known herbs with nootropic properties are Ginseng, Gotu Kola, Green tea etc.

Ashwagandha, Romsemary, Sage etc are other herbs which have nootropic properties like the herbs mentioned above. What if we can take all the good stuff from all these herbs and put it in a capsule form. This is exactly what nootropic supplements are about. They have natural potent chemicals which function to make you think better, live better and feel better. So if you find following the pure herbal path for better brain function a little time consuming and less appealing to your taste buds. You could always grab a nootropic supplement like Optimind.

Although Optimind reviews are pretty convincing with a strong back up of positive reviews from customers, we recommend consulting a health care provider before you decide upon the nootropic supplement.  This energy supplement also claims to have no side effects reported.

You will find all information related to similar health supplements including side effects, results and even the ingredients on web. We strongly suggest that you learn about your pill before you begin using it, for your own safety.

Enhancing Cognition Naturally is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Recently, Aaron wrote an article about how he was going to continue eating (mostly) organic produce, but that he found the delivery fee for his groceries to be much too high for his liking.

“All are organic and all tasted great, though the lettuce was a little wilted. Quantity and the delivery price, not quality, was where it failed for me.”

This got me thinking about if it’s even worth it to spend extra money on organic produce vs non-organic fruits and vegetables, especially if you are trying to get out of debt like I am. After all, the more I spend on living expenses, like food, the less I can put toward debt and the longer I’ll be paying astronomical interest rates for my past over-spending.

With these things in mind, I decided to do a little more research about organic produces and the benefits of it vs. non-organic fruits and vegetables. After all, the best way to decide something like this is to be educated on both sides of the debate before making a decision.

What’s the Difference Between Organic Produce and Non-Organic Produce?

Typically those who choose to consume organic produce decide to do so for health-related reasons. The idea is that organic produce is healthier for you and more nutritious because it’s grown without pesticides and other chemicals. But there has been conflicting research over the past few years about how true this really is.

Whenever one scientific journal comes out with a new study in favor of the health benefits of organic produce, another one is published with the opposite opinion. This is primarily because of the high percentage of organic produce that comes in to contact with non-organic produce, thus it becomes cross-contaminated.

Is Organic Produce Worth the Extra Cost?

A lot of people who choose to go the organic route for their produce actually buy a mix of some organic produce and some non-organic fruits and vegetables too. According to this WebMD article, organic produce can cost 50-100% more than non-organic produce.

The article goes on to say that there are 12 types of fruits and vegetables, known as the “dirty dozen”, that are more susceptible to carrying a pesticide residue. These include:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

Likewise, there are also 12 fruits and vegetables that are likely not worth the added cost of buying organic. These are typically the ones with skins and other non-edible protective coverings. These coverings give the produce a layer of protection from most pesticides and other chemicals. These include:

• Papayas
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Bananas
• Kiwifruit
• Sweet peas
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn
• Avocadoes
• Onions

You can also help avoid ingesting most pesticide and chemical residue by washing your produce before consumption. I always wash my produce if it’s one I’ll eat the skin of too, but the WebMD article also suggests washing fruits that you would peel. Additionally, you can avoid eating the outer layer of leaves of leafy green bunches. This will also cut down on the amount of chemical residue you are exposed to.

My Decision

I’ve actually never purchased organic produce before. I’ve never had a problem (that I know of anyway) due to eating only non-organic fruits and vegetables. They taste fine to me and I’ve never been un-happy with their quality.

I might try out a couple of organic fruits and vegetables in the near future so  I can see for myself if there’s a difference in taste and quality.

Do you buy organic produce? Why or why not.

Image courtesy of: Peter Halling Hilborg

Should You Pay a Premium for Organic Produce? is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

In addition to being an expensive habit, smoking cigarettes is unhealthy and has other high costs, such as for medical care and life insurance.

Here are some of the high costs of smoking cigarettes:

Buying cigarettes

A pack of cigarettes costs $5 to $15 per pack, depending on what state you live in. A pack a day at $10 per adds up to $3,650 per year.

Work productivity while smoking cigarettes

Ohio State University researchers found that smokers average five breaks per workday, resulting in less productivity at work than nonsmokers. Smokers also take 2.5 more sick days per year than nonsmokers.

That lost productivity and extra health care costs for smokers costs employers $5,816 more per year, the researchers found.

Health care

Health insurers can charge smokers 50 percent more than nonsmokers under the Affordable Care Act. Why the higher cost? Because people who smoke cigarettes spend more time in the hospital and will likely die sooner than nonsmokers.

Dental care also increases for people who smoke cigarettes, with an increased risk of gum disease, among other ailments.

Higher insurance costs

Because smoking causes people to die younger, they’re more of a risk for a life insurance company and their premiums will cost more. People who smoke cigarettes They die 10 years earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BestLifeQuote.com reports that a 45-year-old man who smokes cigarettes will around $300 per month for a 20-year term life insurance policy of $500,000. A nonsmoker would pay about $80 per month for the same policy.

Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance is 20 percent higher for smokers, mainly because they’re a bigger risk for starting a house fire. Auto insurance rates can be 5 percent higher for smokers.

The High Costs of Smoking Cigarettes is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Everything about yesterday went bad from the very beginning. I overslept my alarm and was rushed to get to work on time. I ended up being about 10 minutes late, and from there the day only got worse. I had several stressful phone calls and situations to deal with for everything from my part-time job to an organization I volunteer for, and more. In fact, I ended up having to use some of my paid vacation time from my full-time job to deal with these situations. Talk about wasting my precious vacation time!

By the end of my full-time job’s workday at 5 p.m., I was ready to burst from all the emotions of the day. I was craving comfort food, and for me that means a massive chocolate and sugar-filled snack. So on the way to my evening haircut appointment, I tried two of my local bakeries, which were both closed (it should have been a sign!), before finally I gave in to my emotional temptation and splurged on a chocolate doughnut and soda at the convenience store next to the salon.

The entire time I was eating, ok I was scarfing, my snack, I knew I had made not only a financial mistake, but also a health mistake too. This deliciously unhealthy snack did make me feel better for a minute or two, but then it made me feel worse because it doesn’t correlate with my financial goals or  my health related goals.

Of course this small splurge isn’t a budget busting purchase, it was only about $2, and it probably won’t be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for my health either, but it still wasn’t a smart decision.

After some thought, I decided that I need to be more aware of how I treat emotional decisions like this in the future so I don’t nickel and dime, or soda and doughnut, my way into a financial rut or a health rut. My goals are more important to me than my $2 snack that will only satisfy my craving for a few minutes before my brain is back to thinking about the crap-shoot of a day I just had.

Crappy days happen to everyone at some point, and it’s probably okay to splurge on a temptation like this once in a while when your emotions kick in. But if this is something I turn to each time I have a rough day, then I need to find a more constructive way to work off the emotions of my crappy day.

While brainstorming, I came up with these ideas for the future:

• Go Workout! Working out releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. (Bonus points if you just got the reference!)
• Spend Time Outside. If the weather is nice, spend a little time outside enjoying it to get some fresh air and take your mind off the events of your day.
• Play With Pets. I have plenty of furry companions around me, I should use them for what they do best, comforting their owner.

How do you deal with a crappy day? Do you let your emotions get the best of you?

Photo courtesy of: Live Life Happy

My Emotions Got The Best of Me is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Every year, consumer spending on unhealthy, fatty processed “food” increases.

It’s not that North Americans are starting to get weaker willed as the years pass – it’s that retail giants collect more and more data each year. They are getting more savvy when it comes to pricing, product placement, and general consumer manipulation.

Human behaviour is heavily influenced by environment. Have you noticed that when you walk into a health food store, you get excited about eating healthy food? You probably walk out of the store with fresh produce, nuts, and organic food.

When you are in a mall, chances are you’ll consume some sort of unhealthy mall food, such as hot dogs, cinnamon buns, or fries, because it’s there.

Our environment influences what we spend money on, what we eat, and even what we think about.

You are far less likely to want potato chips if they aren’t out on the counter. You are also far less likely to want to watch television if your television isn’t positioned in front of your couch.

Knowing that human behaviour is so heavily influenced by environment is how many retailers get us to buy things on impulse.

There are many studies that examine consumer behaviour and movement throughout a store. It has been found that consumers automatically turn right when they walk into a store.

This isn’t something that you think about, but it was observed again and again.

Grocers (or at least the smart ones) take this into account when considering product placement. Consider how most chains place fresh fruit and vegetables to the right of the store, to ensure that is the first thing that consumers see when they walk through the doors. As a result, customers end up getting their produce first, before going down the aisles and perusing other goods.

Studies have shown a huge increase in unhealthy, processed foods purchased if the customer shops for healthy food like produce first. So it makes sense that the grocer would set up their stores this way. More products purchased = more profit.

Thus, if you went through the packaged food aisle first, you would be less likely to cave to impulse purchases of these unhealthy foods.

Consider also that the pharmacy is usually at the back of the store. You have to walk through aisles of junk food before hitting the pharmacy. If you only went to the store and only picked up your prescription, the store wouldn’t benefit from your business as much as if you were to buy something.

Large retailers like Walmart spend a lot of time and money analyzing this type of data. They use it to manipulate what you buy under different conditions.

You Buy Things You Don’t Want Or Need Because They are Relatively Desirable

There have been dozens of studies to analyze consumer behaviours resulting from different pricing schemes.

It has been shown that humans need reference points to make decisions. We need to compare our decisions against something else. If we are given three options – for instance a plain donut, a plain donut with icing, and a chocolate donut – we will almost always choose the option that is slightly better compared to the option like it. So most people will choose the plain donut with icing, even if they really prefer chocolate.

That’s because, relative to the plain donut without icing, the plain one with is better.

Retailers know this about humans, so they will price their goods accordingly.

This is described in great detail in Predictably Irrational, a fabulous book by Dan Ariely. In the book, Ariely describes a pricing observation with a popular newspaper. There were options for only web access (cheapest), only print (more expensive), and both print and web (comparable in pricing to the print only access).

Regardless of whether you only wanted web access to the newspaper when you were looking to sign up, you’re far more likely to pay for the print and web package, because relative to the print only package, it’s a better deal.

Now you know the results of these two studies and can probably think of a dozen times you’ve fallen into these traps. I know I can.

After I read about that study, I was driving to the mall to get some sunglasses. I pulled into the parking lot, and saw a handful of parking spots available. There was one parking spot under a tree, which provided shade on a hot summer day. There were two parking spots, side by side. One was next to a small car, and one next to a large truck.

You can probably guess which parking spot I chose. Instead of the desirable parking spot on its own in the shade, I chose the parking spot next to the small car. Relative to the one next to the huge truck, it was the better spot.

Think about how you’ve previously been sucked into these traps. You’re not immune to them (neither am I!) but recognizing them for what they are and how you’ve been influenced by them in the past can be a powerful behaviour hack.

If you have a hard time controlling impulses when you are at the grocery store or find yourself buying things you don’t need because they are a good deal relative to another package or product, you can use this information to your benefit. Keep these studies in the back of your mind next time you go to buy something or go grocery shopping. Manipulate your environment to ensure success.

2 Little Known Ways That Retailers Are Making You Fat and Broke is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

In the comments, two people asked what it’s like living with universal healthcare (Holly from Club Thrifty and the blogger behind Life [Comma] Etc).

I love when my readers give me post ideas.

Please do NOT use this post as a debate ground as to which is better! This is meant to be a glimpse into universal healthcare from a day-to-day, realistic perspective. I don’t really care if you don’t like the idea of it & you are an American. Sorry. Haha.

Anyway, lets start out with housekeeping things about having universal healthcare:

It’s Not Free

I have to start out by saying that universal healthcare is not free. There’s a funny misconception that universal healthcare is completely free for those who are lucky enough to have it.

It’s not.

As Canadians, we don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars when we break a leg, but we do pay for our healthcare system, mostly when we file taxes every year.

While I can walk into a doctor, emergency room, or even maternity center to have a baby and not have to stop at a cash register or bankrupt my family because of it, we pay a heavy premium for having the amazing benefits of universal healthcare (and, just generally being lucky enough to live in Canada). Taxes in Canada are, in general, substantially higher than those in the States. It might not be as outright obvious; you may not pay less income tax than I do, however, it’s pushed onto businesses, who push it onto consumers, in the form of much, much higher prices.

Gas, cheese, dairy, and pretty much every consumer good out there will prove this when price comparing between the two countries.

We also have a little thing called MSP. Medical Services Plan is a monthly bill that each adult Canadian (just kidding, I’m told it’s just BC peeps) citizen must pay if they make over a certain amount of money each year.

MSP is like a tax; you pay either more or less depending on your income and abilities.

Most employers pay for MSP. I’ve never, ever had to pay it. The only time I would have had to, I didn’t make enough money for the government to bug me about it.

The boy pays MSP and it’s about $40/month.

What’s Covered Under Universal Health Care?

Contrary to popular belief, we do still have to pay for some healthcare. Just not most.

Some things that aren’t, for instance, covered under universal healthcare are ental work (unless it’s an emergency and threatens your health. Ex: broken jaw), most prescriptions, eye exams/eye care (glasses, contacts, etc), chiropractic services, and some other non-urgent services.

For example, my boyfriend a couple of years ago knocked his two front teeth out. He needed a bone graft and a bridge, with a crown. He was in a lot of pain, and had to go to an emergency dentist, but we had to pay the $4,000 bill out of pocket.

What It’s Like Having Universal Health Care

Here’s a realistic scenario for you, if you are a visual/story person.

And this is completely hypothetical, it’s not actually happening any time soon.

I find out I’m pregnant. I pee on a stick but that isn’t reliable enough so I hop into my car, drive to the walk-in clinic where I wait for half an hour for a doctor to call me in to see me. He does a test, confirms my pregnancy, congratulates me, and refers me to an OBGYN (if I don’t have one already). I thank him, and leave the clinic (without stopping at the front desk to pay). 

I get back in my car, drive home, and tell my spouse. He is thrilled and we phone the OBGYN right away to make an appointment. We go to the OBGYN, who tells us all about the vitamins I should be taking, tells us how far along I am and discusses any risks (family risks, etc). We book a date for the first ultrasound and we leave, without stopping at the front desk to pay. 

A few weeks rolls by, and we are ready for our first ultrasound appointment! We go to the appointment, and they do the ultrasound. Everything looks good; the baby is fine. The heartbeat is confirmed and the pregnancy is checked for viability. We are lucky enough to have a OBGYN that gives the ultrasound photos out for free, but some don’t. We take those home, without stopping at the front desk to pay for the visit. 

Repeat this process for our second ultrasound a couple of months later. We find out what gender we are having! We are congratulated again, and we leave without paying. 

I’m 7 months pregnant and I am having complications and I go to the doctor, who tells me I shouldn’t be at work and that I should go on a medical leave. The doctor writes me a note (for free) and I bring it into my workplace. I leave the doctors office without paying. The doctor gives me a prescription for medication. I stop at the pharmacy on my way back and pick up my prescription, which costs $40. 

While I’m at home, at 8 months pregnant, I begin to have what I think are Braxton Hicks. My spouse brings me to the hospital in case they might be contractions. They turn out to be a false alarm, but because of my earlier complications I am kept at the hospital for observation and bed rest for 4 nights (5 days). I go home after being cleared to go home, with orders to stay on bed rest. We leave the hospital (without stopping at the front desk to pay). 

Finally, 4 days before my due date, the baby decides to come. We go to the hospital, and in pain (of course), they give me an epidural. After hours of labor, we deliver the baby, (who is healthy!) and stay for two nights. We leave two days later, without stopping at the front desk to pay. 

We take our new baby home without ever receiving a bill in the mail. 

Are you with me? So, basically, it’s just covered. If the baby gets sick in a few weeks, we take it to the doctor – covered. Medication? No. Not usually. If I needed a C-Section, it would still be covered. Pitocin in the hospital? Covered.

Common Misconceptions

I’ll admit that I’m not a complete expert when it comes to universal healthcare, but I have heard some silly things that people from countries without it have to say about it.

• I’ve heard people say that countries with universal healthcare can’t afford the technology necessary to provide the services needed. Not true. We have some of the most cutting-edge technology in healthcare.
• The wait times in Canada can be way longer than the wait times for procedures in the States. True. Some services, like some surgeries, can take months – years, even – to get to the top of the wait list for. Urgent surgeries are always right away, but if it’s not urgent or an emergency you may be waiting for awhile.
• I’ve heard some people’s thoughts that quality is sacrificed with universal healthcare. Not true. In my research, I found that the quality of healthcare in the states vs. in Canada is comparable. I have even heard the quality is better in Canada because the health care workers aren’t worried about the clinic’s or hospital’s bottom line.
• I’ve heard an argument that with universal healthcare, the doctors don’t try to “up sell” or cash grab. This is not true. Canadian doctors may not up sell services, however, they can have the tendency to over-prescribe, as they are still paid a commission by pharmaceutical   companies to prescribe their products. It’s probably just not as bad in Canada.

So, Really..

At the end of the day, as younger Canadians, we do have to pay higher taxes to take care of the senior or unhealthy Canadians that cost our system more. However, one day when we are in that boat, it will be paid for with us, as well. And, really, I’ve never been to a hospital, seen a sickly child, and thought about how stupid it was that I had to pay for his or her medical care in my taxes.

However, like all countries around the world, doctors do make mistakes in various scenarios like performing surgeries. If this is the case you should file for a claim with your local surgical malpractice lawyers, or any lawyer that practices in the area of injury you or a loved one has experienced.

Questions? Arguments? Concerns? 

Universal Health Care – What It’s Like is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

I’m pretty intuitive when it comes to reading people, and I am working on my emotional intelligence.

My personality is typically fairly enthusiastic, but it would depend on who you ask. Boyfriend would probably disagree with that sentiment. At work, I’ve been called enthusiastic more than any other term. I’m a pretty energetic person, in that lethargy and a lack of motivation doesn’t really get to me that much.

But, oh how I change without a decent sleep. The thing is, if you are normally an insomniac, you might assume that your personality just the way it is when you’re running on no sleep. Sometimes, people can actually thrive on a lack of sleep – they get almost good at functioning that way.

I used to think I was one of those people until the last week or so. I’ve had trouble sleeping, despite being exhausted at the end of the day. My schedule is too crazy not to be wiped at the end of the day. I typically wake up around 5:30 AM, scramble to get ready for work, leave at 6:30 AM, get to work by 7:45 AM, work from 8:00 – 4:00, work out from 4:15 – 5:15, drive to school from 5:15 – 6:45, and sit in class from 7:00 – 10:00 PM. My night is capped off by driving home, and getting there at about 10:30, after which I try to get a shower in and write a post and email or two before going to bed.

You’d think I’d be asleep right away, but when I get to bed around 11:30, I’m laying awake with a billion different things going through my mind.

Last week I functioned from Monday to Thursday with less than 10 cumulative hours of sleep, and that made me really realize the importance of it. Here’s what I found out.

Your Memory Depends on It

Last week, I could have made forgetting things my profession. I forgot everything. I typed out an interview for Cait, and forgot to send it to her. I came to work on pizza day, and forgot my change. I forgot my supervisor’s name after three days of being trained by her.

The worst bout of forgetfulness happened when I was verifying my credit card number for an online purchase. I had the company on speakerphone because I was also driving. I was on hold for almost 20 minutes, and when they finally picked up the phone, they asked me for the order number. After giving them the number, they told me they were going to be a second while they looked it up.

The associate was quiet for less than 30 seconds, when somebody cut me off while trying to get through a yellow light. Forgetting that I was on the phone with a sales associate, I swore out loud at the person. I didn’t remember that I was on the phone with somebody until almost 40 seconds after I swore, at which point I was so, so embarrassed. I apologized and reassured them that I wasn’t talking to them, of course, but I almost died of embarrassment.

I normally have a great memory, but memory thrives on sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can’t expect your brain to be functioning as efficiently as normal.

Your Reaction Time Depends On It

I know I shouldn’t have been driving on such little sleep, but I see it as a necessary evil. I’m usually a very defensive driver. but there are always some pretty sketchy drivers, and the last thing I need is to get into an accident in my dad’s car. So I make sure to be extra defensive, to make up for the crazies.

With such little sleep, I almost got rear ended and sideswiped, all in one week.

I didn’t react as fast as I normally would have – luckily, I reacted just fast enough to avoid those two incidents, but what if I hadn’t? What if I were the one to cause an accident?

Your Professionalism Depends on It

It was a terrible week last week for me to be an insomniac. I started my internship, school, and met with my new mentor all in a matter of days. I don’t think I made the best impression that I could have at all.

I should have known that. I mean, really, how can somebody come across as professional when they’re forgetting everything, reacting to things slowly, and falling sleep at their computer screen?

Your Health Depends on It

There are studies that show that people who run on less sleep crave less healthy foods and eat almost 20% more in general. They are more likely to reach for the candy bar rather than the apple, they are less likely to exercise, and more likely to adopt an irregular sleep schedule.

The Importance of Sleep is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.