How to work with a difficult boss

   There are various challenges people go through in today’s business environment, and dealing with a difficult boss in the office is top on the list. We know everyone are not the same, and people have different skill and approach at managing subordinates. Some bosses are friendly but firm, while others are wicked and difficult.

   In a situation where you don’t have the luxury of changing the job or department you are in, you would have to put in extra effort in trying not to have frequent clashes with your difficult boss.

These efforts would include:

1) Be Punctual: Always be punctual to work. If you leave very far from your place of work, try to leave home as early as possible, and get to work at least 20minutes before the start of business.  The extra 20minutes will give you time to catch your breath and organize your day before business commences for the day.

2) Always be ahead of the game: At all times try to be ahead, research more. If there is a new project coming up, try to be ahead, read books about the project even if you are not the one in charge of the project, remember no knowledge is a waste. Chip in a thing or two when next you are having a departmental review of the project. Don’t sit slent through the meeting. Saying something intelligent about the project would make your boss see you in a different way ( as a focused, intelligent, staff)

3) Always keep records: Document every request, meetings, and assignments given to you.It would help as a reference in case there is a future reference to task given to you.

4) Try to be friends with your boss: As much as possible try to be friendly to your boss. Get to know them, have a chat with your boss at every opportunity you get. Studies have shown that majority of bosses are difficult because of stress or situations from their homes.

5) Never argue with your boss when they are angry:  I know sometimes we like to prove our point, but arguing with an angry boss is not ideal. Allow your boss temper to be a bit calm then go back and explain the reason why you took that decision, or why the job was done in another way. In a calmer environment, you would also be able to see clearly the reason why your boss wanted the job done in a certain way.

Tomatoes and its surprising benefits

  Everyone knows tomatoes, the red juicy vegetable we use in our kitchen in preparing stew, soups, jollof rice, salads etc. Tomatoes have fleshy internal segments filled with slippery seeds surrounded by a watery mix; they are usually red, pinkish or orange in colour. China is the largest tomatoes producing country in the world. Tomatoes provide an excellent amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene. But, the juicy red vegetable is much more than just a vegetable.

Benefits of tomatoes

1)      Tomatoes soup taken before meals increases appetite

2)      Tomato is good for the health of the liver. Tomato has detoxification effect in the body.

3)      Tomatoes juice is used to cure sunburns.

4)      Tomatoes are packed with an excellent amount of vitamin C and vitamin E

5)      Reduces cancer risk. High consumption of tomatoes decreases the risk of various cancers such as breast, Prostate, pancreatic, oral and cervical cancers. People who ate tomatoes regularly have a reduced risk of contracting cancer diseases.

6)      Tomatoes lowers blood pressure tomato, it prevents hardening of the arteries thereby, reducing high blood pressure.

7)      Application of tomatoes juice on the face for few minutes removes acne, black spots and makes the skin glow.

8)      Raw ripe tomatoes eaten regularly, improves vision.

9)      A combination of cucumber and tomatoes applied on the skin removes excess oil from skin.

10)  Tomatoes reduce the risk of obesity. This is because a tomato helps in the regulation of fats in the blood.

Never give up on your dreams

    I remembered this story from a very popular daily devotional earlier this year 2014. It is a story about three men who had spent three months looking(prospecting) for diamonds, in the Venezuelan coast. One of the three men named Solano Rafael, woke up one morning feeling very discouraged and exhausted, told his friends he is through with searching for diamonds, he said "I have picked 999,999 stones so far, and there is no trace of a diamond, if I pick up another , it will be 1,000,000 so what's the use I am quitting'' but one of his two friends encouraged him to pick another to make it a total of 1,000,000 stones at least. Solano put his hand on a pile of stones pulled out one (the last one) but, the last one was a very odd looking stone, when he looked closely behold it was a diamond and Solano was paid $200,000 for that diamond and it was the purest diamond ever found.

    There is a saying that a man without a dream or goal in life is a dead man. We all have various dreams and aspirations in life, but what are we doing to achieve such dreams? Here are some tips

1) Be focused. Always be focused . Don't allow yourself to be swayed by people who don't understand your dream.
2) Surround yourself with friends that will encourage you. Like the story above , if Solano had not been encouraged to pick that last stone which turned out to be a diamond , you probably would never have heard about this story.
3) Always work towards achieving your dream. Rome wasn't built in a day, it was been built daily till it got to what we all see. Start small and daily build that dream.
4) Never be discouraged. Never ever give up. Always keep pressing on You might end up with more than a diamond.

Onion: A Gift to mankind

      What comes to mind when you think of an onion? The vegetable that makes us cry in the kitchen right?  The compound allyl sulphate which is produced when an onion's ruptured cells are exposed to air is responsible for producing tears, to reduce the production of this compound, chill the onions for half an hour or so before cutting to reduce the activity of the enzyme. Onion is one of the oldest cultivated herbs; it is believed to have originated from central Asia. Onions differ in size, colour and taste; some are white, red and yellow. It is more active when eaten raw, this is because it contains a variety of organic sulphur compounds, contained in a volatile oil, that provide health benefits              

1)      Onions are a good source of folic acid.

2)      Onion contains natural sugar, vitamins A, B6, C and E, as well as minerals such as sodium, potassium and  iron

3)      Raw onion encourages the production of good cholesterol

4)      Onions is an excellent stain removal. Rub onions on mud stains in clothes and wash with soap.

5)      Onions contains a powerful compound called quercetin which  play a significant role in preventing cancer

6)      Applying raw onions to the forehead or eating raw onions helps in controlling cold.

7)      Onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar

8)      Warts are superficial growths on the skin, rubbing raw onions on the area helps in reducing warts.

9)      Onions helps in the reduction of pain after been stung by a bee. Apply onion juice on the area for immediate relief from the pain and burning sensation.

10)  Onions cures insomnia. One teaspoon of onion juice mixed with honey and milk taken at bedtime induces sleep.

11)  A mixture of onions and honey helps in the cure of coughs.

12)  Onions helps to freshen our homes. Put a sliced onion in a room with bad odour and soon the bad odour will disappear.

13)  Onions reduces your risk of developing gastric ulcers. Onions juice helps to cure stomach disorders and clean digestive tracks.

14)  Onions is very valuable in the treatment of heart disease. Regular intake of onions maintains the normal blood circulation and helps to prevent heart disease.

Having lots of mosquitoes in the house? Just cut some onion into two pieces each and place around the bulbs in the house and soon all the mosquitoes would fly away.

 

 

 

What women should know about breast cancer prevention

    Cancer! Cancer!! Cancer!!! Cancers are the new killers .There are various forms of cancers but women are affected most by breast cancer. Breast cancer is associated with a state of excess estrogens, known as estrogen dominance. Uterine fibroids, breast cysts, PMS and infertility can be related to estrogen dominance in the body. Food most certainly is regarded as the best medicine, but it can also be the biggest poison in our body system, remember we are what we eat. But there are some things we can do to prevent breast cancer as women.

1)      Keep a healthy lifestyle. Don’t smoke, and try as much as possible to reduce alcohol intake. Overweight, inactivity and alcohol all increase risk for breast cancer, and smoking increases risk in some women. Alcohol changes the way estrogen is metabolized in our body, which can lead to estrogen dominance. Women who drink alcohol have higher body estrogen levels than those who don’t.

2)      Do regular breast self-exams and breast massage.

3)      Breast-feed your babies for as long as possible. Forget about your breast sagging, you are indirectly saving your own life by breast-feeding your baby. Women, who breast-feed their babies for over six months or more, have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

4)      Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise reduce the risk of breast cancer development, by changing the metabolism of estrogen in our body.

5)      Eat antioxidant-rich foods like organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats and oils like avocado and olive oil.

6)      If you are over 40, get a mammogram. Early detection of breast cancer offers the best chance for a cure. Don’t put off screening because of discomfort or fear of the results. A mammogram should never be painful. To reduce discomfort, try to schedule the exam after your monthly period, when breast tissue is less sensitive.

7)      Avoid overnight work shifts for long stretches. Keeping a regular daily schedule and limiting the number of years that you pull overnight shift works may reduce your breast cancer risk by 33 percent,  continued exposure to light at night is associated with 1.5 to 2.5% fold increased breast cancer risk.

8)      Avoid canned foods, which are lined with the hormone disruptor BPA. Choose organic foods, since many pesticides are hormone disruptors and can end up in food and ground water.

9)      Make sure you actually need that X-ray or CT scan. Both can give important information for medical diagnoses, but there's no such thing as a safe dose of radiation, which is the most documented environmental cause of breast cancer. So be careful to limit medical radiation, and ask your doctor if there are any alternative tests that don't use radiation (such as ultrasounds)

10)   Choose perfumes, shampoos, conditioners, etc., that are free of parabens and synthetic fragrance (which can contain phthalates and synthetic musk).

Sugar activates cancer genes and fuels growth of cancer cells. Try to eliminate sugar from your diet.

18 Things you didn’t know about lemon

     When I was little, i do remember i enjoyed licking lemons just because of its acidic taste. But little did i know how beneficial to our health and life the lemon fruit is. Now Lemons are a favorite all over the world and an essential food in kitchens everywhere. Lemons contain many substances notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene that promote immunity and fight infection. There’s so much more to this little yellow fruit some of which are:

1)      Reduces high blood pressure. Lemon contains potassium which controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness.

2)      Lemon assists in the production of urine which helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism.

3)      Lemons are acidic to the taste, but are alkaline-forming in the body, helping to restore balance to the body’s ph.

4)      Lemons are a rich source of vitamin c

5)      Lemon juice stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches. Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing mouth with lemon juice.

6)      Lemons reduces bad odor. This can be achieved by cutting a lemon into two and placing them in the room with bad odor and soon the room would smell fresh.

7)      Lemon juice destroys intestinal worms.

8)      Stops bleeding by pouring a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut

9)      Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, and eliminates toxins from the body.

10)  Lemon juice mixed with little water can prep up your mood and relieve you from depression and stress.

11)  Clears hair dandruff. Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. Repeat daily until your dandruff disappears.

12)   Fresh lemon juice added to a large glass of water in the morning is a great liver detoxifier. Lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons.

13)  Lemons increase peristalsis in the bowels, helping to create a bowel movement thus eliminating waste and helping with regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink first thing in the morning.

14)  Lemon juice reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage

15)  Citric acid in lemon juice helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones. Regular consumption of lemon juice mixed with water may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.

16)  Lemon peel contains the potent phytonutrient tangeretin, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

17)  Lemon juice is calorie free and an antioxidant.

18)  Lemon juice mixed with water can be used as a face cleanser. Wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation

Lemons are effective home remedies for a variety of health concerns but in the case of serious illness always consult your doctor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overcoming Money Spending addiction

   Everyone is  busy doing one thing or the other to make money. But it is always surprising that after going through all the stress for the month, people  spend their  paycheck or allowance as soon as they get it  then end up borrowing or taking advance on pay . It means you are addicted to spending and you have to curb that excessive spending habit. Shopping can be like a drug, it makes you feel good, and it's addictive. People, who have an uncontrollable spending problem, always have a feeling to spend excessive amounts of money on items and services that are unnecessary in their lives in an attempt to accomplish an inner emotional desire. Here are some tips to help you manage that addiction.

1)      You have to be able to take care of your needs first, and then save, before budgeting for your wants.  Spend stuff on what you actually need. Don't make spontaneous purchases when out on a casual day.  When thinking about buying something, ask yourself whether you actually need it, if you're going to use it, if you just want it, or if it's just going to sit in your closet. 

2)      Have control: When you go out shopping be able to control yourself. Buy what you need at the moment. People with spending addiction always have the notion that some items might not be available in the shops when they need them so, they tend to buy what they don’t need thereby tying down money that would have been used for other things. Whatever the underlying issue may be, come to terms with it and learn how to deal with it so it doesn’t control your emotions so strongly.

3)      Let go of peer pressure: Some people are influenced by the approval of their friends, and try to put up a face that they can afford what their friends purchase. You have to stop living in that dream. If your friend earns more than you there is no way you can compete with that. Be real to yourself and be who you are. If your friends can’t be humble enough to mingle with you the way you are then they are really not your friends.

4)      Put a little cash in your wallet to avoid spending unnecessarily .If you're out with all your money in your wallet, you'll be tempted to spend all of it at once.

5)      Make a budget whenever you receive your pay and try to work with it strictly. Make a goal of how much you actually want to save each month. And Keep track of all your purchases or transactions and how much you spend.

Obsessive spending can result in serious debt problems!!!