5 Mistakes To Avoid When Trading Financial Markets

It’s a well known fact that 95% of “retail” traders (i.e. the small speculators) will lose money trading the financial markets.  Little wonder then that small speculators are referred to as “dumb money” by investment professionals and monitored as a contrarian indicator for future price direction.

It is not simply that the little guys choose the wrong trade, there are a number of classic mistakes that are repeated over and over again that mean losing is all but a certainty, leaving the 5% of winners and the professionals to clean up.

This article highlights what we believe to be the top five mistakes that traders make that can be avoided and increase your odds of success dramatically. 

1. Not Planning Your Trades

2. Lettings Losses Run and Closing Winners Too Early

3. Chasing Losses

4. Overtrading

5. Staking Too Much

read more

Surprising Factors or Signs That Contribute to Stroke Risk

A stroke is a deadly and sudden condition; you can never be prepared for it. Yes, it is true that strokes are sudden but in many scenarios, there are signs to this impending danger. Some signs and factors to stroke are well-know like atrial fibrillation or high blood pressure or old age. There are also some uncommon signs and factors of stroke that many individuals are not aware of. Some of them are the following: 

Bad migraines
A prolonged study conducted in Iceland found that bad migraines accompanied with aura (visual disturbances) can increase the chance of stroke by 21 percent. Due to the result of this study, now experts are searching for implicit risk factors that contribute to migraine, stroke and heart attack. They are also trying to figure out the connection between a migraine and stroke. 

Hispanics have a higher chance of stroke
The statistics are not in favor of the Hispanic according to the American Stroke Association. Research found that 25% of Hispanic men and 33% of Hispanic women die due to stroke. What makes it scarier is that individuals from the Hispanic descent get strokes earlier in their life. For example, the average age of stroke for the Caucasian is 80 but for Hispanics it is 67. 

Eating processed meats not good for your heart
If you regularly eat processed meats like bacon, ham, sausage, hot dog and cold cut, then be prepared for this shocking fact. You have 23% higher chance of getting a stroke. The research might not be clear-cut but experts claim that high sodium intake increases blood pressure, which causes vascular stiffness. They also believe nitrate and nitrite preservatives to be the culprits but do not have any scientific explanation yet. 

Individuals who never exercise
According to research, moderate exercise will reduce the risk of deadly stroke by 30%. If you regularly perform cardiovascular fitness exercises, then you will not have to worry about your heart. Even 30 minutes of brisk walking, just five times a week can have a good impact on your body. 

Individuals with diabetes have a higher chance of getting a stroke
Research indicates that individuals with type-2 diabetes are probably three times most likely to experience a life-threatening stroke. The risk becomes bigger if you are a smoker, or if you develop aterial fibrillation or hyperglycemia. The worst part is no matter how much you try to control your diabetes; it will not decrease your risk to stroke. 

Compare to Caucasians, African-Americans are twice as likely to die from strokes
African-Americans are more likely to die from strokes than Caucasians according to research. Like Hispanics, African Americans get stroke at a relatively young age. 

People who consume too much alcohol daily are likely to get strokes
Drinking too much alcohol increases stroke risk because your blood pressure increases. Ironically, drinking two glasses of red wine daily is good for your heart. In any case, always drink alcohol in moderation 

read more

Bye, Bye, Belly

Lose that Pooch on Your Next Run



You've been eating right and exercising for a while, but that stubborn belly fat just won't budge! Along with including these foods that fight fat in your diet, here are some ways to burn that pooch away while you are out on a run. 

Switch up your pace: Intervals are proven to reduce belly fat and rev up metabolism; instead of running at the same pace for the entire workout, try alternating between periods of pushing your body to the max and periods of recovery.

Go a little longer: Unfortunately you can't spot treat when it comes to weight loss, which is one reason why solely doing crunches won't whittle your waistline. The key is to decrease overall body fat, and the one way to do that is to burn calories. Lengthening your workout will do just that. Every five minutes of running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace burns about 45 calories. Think about that on your next run, and it'll motivate you to keep going!

High knees: You're working hard to diminish your overall body weight, which will slim down your belly, so you can reveal toned abs underneath. Here's one way to strengthen your core. Do one-minute intervals in which you run with high knees. Concentrate on using your abs rather than your leg muscles to kick your knees up as high as you can.

Try this killer treadmill move: Here's another core killer if you're using a treadmill. Set the pace to 1.0 mph. Place your feet on a Plyo Box that's set up about two feet behind the back of the treadmill. Come into plank position with your hands straddling the treadmill belt. Step your hands on the belt and start walking, keeping your torso in one straight line. Do this for one minute, pulling your belly in toward your spine. Watch the above shredmill move in action here!

read more

How Sleep Can Keep You Going

A quarter of adults in the United States don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. If you’re one of them, you’ll know how terrible you feel after too few hours of shuteye – groggy, headachy and irritable. It turns out that the long-term consequences of too few z’s go way beyond that, making sleep one of the most important things you can do to keep your body in tip-top shape. In this article, learn how getting enough sleep can lead to long life – and how not getting enough can lead to dire health consequences.

Long-term, insufficient sleep starts to look like something you really want to avoid. Studies have shown that long-term sleep deprivation can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues like heart failure and heart attack, depression, and even obesity.

What’s more? A 2010 study found that older adults who didn’t get enough sleep were more likely to die from any cause over the course of the study than adults who did get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can have a huge effect on your longevity, which is unfortunately not something that an extra cup of coffee in the morning can fix.

The Benefits of Sleep

The Consequences of Too Little Sleep

How Much Sleep Is Enough

read more

Caffeine: Friend or Foe?

If you’re like many adults in the US, your morning starts off with a hot cup of coffee. You tell yourself you can’t live without it. More to the point, you can’t live without the welcomed jolt of caffeine to kick start your day.

Millions of Americans rely on caffeine every day. It helps them get out of bed, get ready to face the day, and stay awake and attentive while at work. There’s nothing inherently wrong with drinking caffeine, but the beloved substance has been catching a lot of heat lately because of energy drinks.

The Goods on Caffeine

To put it straightforwardly, caffeine is a stimulant. It’s found in certain plants and beans that humans have been consuming for hundreds if not thousands of years. For Americans of course, the coffee bean and soft drinks are the popular ways of getting caffeine

As a stimulant, caffeine simply puts your nervous system in overdrive. Your heart rate increases and so does your metabolism. Everything works in a slightly heightened state. But sometimes caffeine can cause anxiety, erratic and fast heart rates, and increased blood pressure; not exactly healthy side effects. Then again, for others, or people who have consumed caffeine for a long time, the effects are not nearly as immediate or bad at all. Their bodies simply get used to it.

Around 300 mg to 500 mg of caffeine is considered safe for most adults. This is equivalent to about 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, which many people fall under. It’s near impossible to overdose on caffeine – it would require a lot of pure caffeine tablets! Most people do not get close to even 300 mg of caffeine, but there are those that do and they experience some unpleasant side effects.

When is it too much?

Just because you can drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, or 300 to 500 mg of caffeine, doesn’t mean you should. There are still other side effects that can come from too much caffeine use. According to MayoClinic, some additional side effects from consuming too much caffeine include: “insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, stomach upset, fast heartbeat, and muscle tremors.”

If you’re experiencing any of those symptoms, caffeine is definitely not your friend, but a foe. It’s certainly easy to see if caffeine is the reason behind any of the symptoms or problems you’re having. Simply cut back; it might be hard at first, but you’ll be able to quickly determine just how much caffeine you actually need and consequently avoid taking too much.

read more