 By Heather I am a big fan of green tea not only because it tastes good, but also because of the supposed health benefits. Some research has also shown that green tea extracts can help weight loss. However, most of the research that has been done is limited at best, and inconclusive at worst. Weight loss effects are thought to be due to green tea increasing metabolic rate. If the basal metabolic rate increases, the amount of energy burned also increases. Therefore, all things being equal, taking caffeine should help you to achieve a negative energy balance, and hence lose weight. The evidence suggests that green tea can - in the short term - reduce body weight. One large review looked at 14 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which aimed to answer the question whether green tea preparations were effective and safe for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight and obese adults. Weight loss varied between half a pound and seven and a half pounds across the studies. Changes in waist circumference were even more modest - average change was minus 0.2cm! Waist to hip ratio did not alter significantly. The study did not look at other markers of improved health. It is possible that the green tea made some overall beneficial change to health independent of these changes. But further research would be needed to look into this. Two of the studies looked at how effective green tea was at maintaining weight loss. Over 180 participants were included. Weight loss ranges were between 1 and 3 pounds. A range of waist circumference changes were recorded as a gain of 0.3cm to a loss of 1.7 cm. What this research showed was that the weight loss was small, and I am sure you would not be impressed even if you lost the maximum observed in this research. What is in the green tea than helps weight loss? Caffeine and another naturally occuring substance in the green tea called catechins. What are catechins? Catechins are substances found in certain fruits, vegetables and wines as well as tea, some cocoa and chocolate. The chemical family which they belong to is called flavanols. Verdict: Green tea and weight loss - more myth than weight loss panacea. However, I will still be drinking it (WITHOUT sugar or milk, mind you!)  Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
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  5/5 Intense. That's the only way to describe it. Fantastic acting; I loved Macy Gray although her scene was very short; a lot of the poetry went right over my head so I'm going to look it up because it was all really deep. When Thandie Newton's sister in the film was about to have the abortion that's when I first felt my blood pressure rising, I was glad they didn't show any of the abortion but my relief was very short-lived. The rape scene had my blood boiling. It was so unexpected. The guy came on as such a gentleman, he planned the perfect rape: dinner first, then he gets the girl to invite him over to her house and then he does it! I was in shock but it's "the scene with the kids" that had my heart in my throat. Unspeakable. I didn't cry but I definitely felt very emotional throughout the film. And in the scene when Janet Jackson breaks up with her husband, I just knew, I knew what was coming because that whole scenario was my sister's undergrad dissertation topic. Then the plot line of molestation at the hands of a grandfather?! That was too much. How so much drama was packed into a single film...the film doesn't really focus on race, it's more about sisterhood, the burdens we all bear and sticking together. Race played a part in every story but it was very subtly played out. I don't know why it took me so long to watch this great film - I've always liked Tyler Perry and I want to watch more of his films - more, more, more. A definite must-watch! You can watch it for free on YouTube!  
Okay girls, I talk about this in Build a Booming Business but I thought I would write a brief blog about it too:
I've seen quite a few websites out there with footers clearly showing that the website is free. You may think that this doesn't matter, "at least you have a website", BUT it does matter, it matters a lot! If a potential customer comes to your website and it is blatantly free their initial thoughts are:
Especially if you are selling products you cannot have a site that is conspicuously free! It says too many negative things about the business. Your customers don't want to buy from a hobbyist, they want to buy from a passionate business owner that knows a lot about their business. They want to buy from someone that makes an effort and will respond to them quickly when they have an issue. Furthermore, with so much internet fraud going on nowadays people want to work with businesses that they can trust. Whether you like it or not, a free website doesn't not instill confidence in potential customers. A free service is not only limiting but it also kills potential business. I have been building my own websites since 2007. I used to build sites from scratch but now I make my life easier by using a drag and drop web builder called "weebly". You don't need any coding skill whatsoever and you can build beautiful websites with weebly in hours. I curently run over 1o websites using weebly's easy drag and drop tool. 
Was it expensive?
No. I paid $78 for two years and the ability to build 10 websites. For most people 10 websites is enough but I paid a one-off fee of just $50 to increase my access to 15 sites. If you're running a free website or plan on starting a business, do yourself a favour and use weebly! It's one of teh best business decisions you could ever make! Examples of websites I've built with weebly include this one, girlbanker.com, fatcreep.com,exampleresume4u.com, UncleCanCook.com and katsonga.com. 
 I'll admit it, old age poverty is one of my greatest fears. I will work against it at all cost. It turns out, I'm not the only one. According to a UK survey, almost a third of people, 31%, aged 45 to 54 cite a lack of cash in their 70s and 80s as their top worry. This is followed by a loss of independence (26%) and dementia (23%). I don't think about old age poverty very often but it's there at the back of my mind; I only think about it when I'm at the supermarket and I see someone who is well past it mopping the floors or swiping purchases. So what about being old and poor scares me?
We would combine our money and live in a big house together with a couple of qualified nurses helping us take care of ourselves. With this arrangement if someone's partner moved on to the next life we would still have each other for company. I've never thought about this co-op way of living before but thinking about it now feels good. I'll run it by my friends. What are you doing to stave poverty when you're old?   Most people enter into a mortgage and as soon as the docs are signed and sealed they forget about it. Some don’t even remember when it matures or what the rate is. At the point of renewal their broker or mortgage lender shows them a price and they think, that looks alright, and roll over for another two or three years. You could be throwing away a lot of cash if this is you! I used a mortgage broker the first time that I ever entered into a mortgage but I know the market so well now that I am my own broker. I prefer to shop for my own rates. Here are three simple things that could help you save a bucket load: 1. Set a reminder As soon as you secure a mortgage, if there is a chance of you forgetting when it matures set a reminder on your phone or computer. An alert two to three months before the mortgage matures is ideal. If it doesn't mature for 10 years or more, set a reminder to shop around for a new mortgage deal in 2 or 3 years' time. 2. Call your lender to quote you a new rate two or three months before maturity, then shop around for better! I was on a deal of 3.26% for two years at which point my mortgage reverted to the lender’s “standard variable rate” (SVR). Assuming an interest-only mortgage of £250,000, that’s about £15,990 over two years. When I called to ask for a new fixed rate, I was quoted a 2-year fixed rate of 3.39% plus a fee of £500. Assuming an interest-only mortgage of £250,000, that’s about £16,630 before the fee. I thought this sounded okay and frankly I felt too lazy to shop around. I called my husband to confirm that I was going to confirm the rate and as he trusts me he said fine and “have you looked anywhere else for a better deal?” I hadn’t and although I didn’t feel like it I decided to do a quick, half-hearted search just to say I had. Within 15 minutes I saw a 2-year fixed rate deal at 3.09% with a fee of £1,000. Some quick maths told me that this deal would amount to a saving of just under £1,000 over a two year period. 3. Call your mortgage lender and bargain The reason you call is because actually changing lenders is a bit of a hassle; a new lender will have to do a full due diligence on you whereas the existing lender already knows you, so if you can get the same deal where you are there will be far less work involved for you. I called up my lender and told them the deal I had found. I was happy to pay the £1,000 fee for the saving of 0.30%. Being a reliable payer, my lender matched the rate of 3.09% and kept their fee at £500. Result! Over the two year term that was a saving of about £1,500: enough to fund a brand spanking new iMac. I certainly wouldn’t sniff at that. Two months after I had secured this deal news broke that mortgage rates were going up across the UK economy…I was more than a little glad that I hadn’t waited until mortgage maturity to act!  |
By Heather
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Heather Katsonga-Woodward, a massive personal finance fanatic.
** All views expressed are my own and not those of any employer, past or present. ** Please get professional advice before re-arranging your personal finances.