When it Comes to Pregnancy Nutrition – Get the Facts

Planning for the best pregnancy nutrition requires expectant mothers to gather as much information as possible. While your doctor is a great resource for the most important nutrition facts, the library, bookstore, and Internet offer other options for learning how to meet your pregnancy nutrition needs.Understand the Basic Nutrition Facts when Planning Your Pregnancy Whether expecting a baby or not, the most important nutrition facts include the need for a balanced diet, proper hydration, and a mix of vitamins and other concentrated nutrients. Each of these criteria can become especially important where pregnancy nutrition is involved. After all, you want to help your baby grow and develop to its full potential, and eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of whole foods is a wonderful way to give your little one the best start in life.Eating whole foods is a great way to get the pregnancy nutrition that is so vital, but many expectant mothers can also benefit from additional supplements. For example, your body may require extra calcium to help baby’s teeth and bones develop without completely robbing your own body of its resources. The nutrition facts show that by adding supplements with whole food ingredients, you can increase that calcium intake while benefitting from other nutrients at the same time.Eating More of the Right ThingsThe mother-to-be will need to balance her growing need for calories with her continuing need to choose the right kinds of foods. Just because your recommended caloric intake goes up does not mean that these should be empty calories. By following the basic rules of good pregnancy nutrition, you are giving your baby every opportunity possible. This means that instead of simply eating more food, you make a conscious effort to eat more of the right kinds of food.While supplements can certainly be an important part of your pregnancy diet, don’t overlook the basic nutrition facts. For example, fruits and vegetables are an incredible source of the nutrients that both you and your baby need. Fresh produce will have the most impact on your nutritional needs, with frozen fruits and vegetables coming in second. By making produce a part of your pregnancy nutrition routine, you are protecting the health of your child, not to mention taking care of your own dietary requirements.Just as an expectant mother may require a boost in her calcium intake, she should also be sure to get folic acid in her diet. Also referred to as “folate,” this nutrient helps the fetus to develop properly. Whether taking folic acid as a supplement (check the nutrition facts on the label for the amount) or through your regular consumption of whole foods, it is essential for healthy pregnancy nutrition plans.Have a Healthy OutlookIn a weight-obsessed culture, a woman may feel pressure regarding how much weight she should gain during her pregnancy. While you should always consult with your doctor to learn what is the right pregnancy nutrition plan and amount of weight gain for your situation, one way to avoid problems is to adjust your diet to make sure you are eating the healthiest foods available. Get all the nutrition facts you can and determine the best way to move forward.If your pregnancy nutrition plan is full of healthy whole foods and nutrient dense foods, then you are going to be more satisfied and in better shape. As you gain weight, adhering to some basic nutrition facts will help you to be sure that it is for your baby’s benefit, rather than simply from eating empty calories that aren’t good for either of you.

Skin Care Specific For Men Who Want to Look Well-Groomed With Little Fuss

Men’s interest in taking care of their skin is steadily increasing. They are also aware of the importance of using safe natural ingredient products. It is not new for men to want to look well groomed. Now they are seeking healthy products to feed their skin in order to maintain a fresh attractive appeal.Men want a no-fuss, straight forward approach to skin care. They don’t need the pretty bottles or sweet aroma of fragrant lotions and cleansers-men want the basics. Skin care can be tailored specifically to a man’s needs without added synthetic ingredients that are found in many products. Using the purity of nature to enhance the skin’s surface a can makes a healthier skin care routine simple.Men’s skin care needs are specific partly as a result of shaving, which not only irritates the skin, it can leave pores open to invite clogging or blackheads. Therefore methods of cleansing are especially important to a man’s skin care regime.Whether your skin tends to be oily or dry and sensitive it requires care that will encourage it toward balance. Working with natural ingredient products that are formulated to assist the skin to find its proper balance will bring the desired results of smooth, fresh attractive looking skin.Simple Steps to healthy looking attractive skin:Step 1: CleansingCleansing for men needs to be gentle, even soothing, yet cleanse deep. This can be accomplished with a clay or cream cleanser that caters to Men’s skin care needs – irritation, large pores, oily or dry-sensitive skin. Synthetic chemicals are harsh on the skin. They can strip and irritate your skin or cause clogged pores.Scrubs can be cleansers that gently exfoliate. A scrub removes dry dead skin cells encouraging the development of new healthy skin cells. This also minimizes fine lines. The result is a smooth healthy looking skin surface. Be careful of rough scrubs as they can irritate and damage the skin’s surface. (recommended use is 2 times per week)Mud Masks are effective for deep cleansing and toning of skin’s surface and pores. A quality Dead Sea Mud Mask will replenish valuable mineral nutrients to the skin while removing impurities. It can help prevent ingrown hairs and blackheads from forming. (recommended use is 1- 2 times per week, depending on your individual skin)
The harsh effect of shaving can leave the skin with a dull appearance. A facial scrub or mask used as a gentle exfoliating product will bring a smooth toned healthy appearance to your skin.Step 2: ShaveShaving Cream Shaving can irritate the skin, cause bumps and enlarged pores which can lead to clogged pores or black heads. Always cleanse your face well with steamy water before you shave, and go with the grain. Shaving creams that are made with nature’s ingredients can be formulated to sooth and condition the skin while you shave. They should be made without toxic foaming agents and other harsh synthetic chemicals that can cause irritation.
After Shave – Toner – After shaving it is good to apply an After Shave Toner to soothe irritations from shaving. This is a final aspect of cleansing as well as a primary aspect of hydrating and toning the pores. Note: avoid alcohol- based aftershaves, they will irritate your skin.Step 3: MoisturizeMoisturizers for Men – A quality moisturizer cream should be light on the skin yet rich with replenishing skin care ingredients that also hydrate and protect the skin. Properly selected botanical extracts and essential oils will provide excellent healthy skin care benefits. These ingredients do not have overpowering scents that linger. They are gentle to the skin and subtle to the nose. Moisturizer creams that are made with plant extracts only, will have no scent for those who prefer products that have no aroma.Eye Cream – The area around the eyes tends to show signs of aging, appearing dry, devitalized and wrinkled sooner than the rest of the face. Therefore caring for the area around the eyes can make the most significant improvement in appearance, keeping you looking fresh, healthy and attractive. The eye area has the most sensitive skin. It is essential to use a quality eye cream that is free of harmful synthetic ingredients.Specific concerns:dark circles – under the eyes can make you look tired, devitalized or older. Although this is more likely related to nutrition, digestion or stress, there are safe plant ingredients that can blended in eye creams to help dissipate the dark circles.aging skin – may appear dry with fine or deep wrinkles and lacking good tone and elasticity. The key to restoring your skin’s appearance is care with products that will replenish and revitalize your skin. The 3 simple steps that have been outlined above are designed for this purpose.dry- sensitive – often feels tight and can flake. Should not be treated with harsh cleansers, harsh exfoliates or astringent products, as frequent use of such products will interfere with the skin’s natural oils that are essential to healthy skin. Basic care with soothing, replenishing and balancing (1) cleanser, (2) after shave toner and (3) moisturizer will restore your skin to its proper health and balance.oily skin – typically shiny, greasy, may have visible pores and be acne-prone. It is important to use a mild yet effective facial cleanser. Many cleansers are harsh and strip your skin of its natural oils. This dries the skin which in turn causes increased oil production.combination skin – characterized by an oily T-zone, forehead, nose and chin while other areas are normal or dry. Balancing and conditioning the skin is the essential focus for this skin type. Basic care with soothing replenishing and balancing (1) cleanser, (2) after shave toner and (2) moisturizer will restore your skin to its proper health and balance.breakout prone – Besides keeping oil production in check it is important to keep your pores toned (tight) to prevent trapping oil and dirt. A quality Dead Sea Mud mask can be effective for toning enlarged pores. It will also cleanse deep, it is without drying, and condition the skin leaving it smooth and revitalized.blackheads – Ask Eve to send you her blackhead removal process. Follow this up with regular dead sea mud masks to keep your pores toned to help prevent new blackheads from forming.The beauty of working with nature’s plants is that when chosen properly specific plants have an extensive range of benefits. It is as likely for one plant to assist dry skin as it is to assist oily skin to find its proper balance while at the same time be beneficial for normal skin. Additionally, a plant that is known for its sebum balancing properties may also specialize in toning, softening or improving the circulation of the skin. As unusual as this may seem, this is just one of the many advantages of working with plant ingredients.

SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.