#i mean this is great because it promotes more interesting fruits elsewhere

[bunnytalksf1]

Oliver Bearman has a seat in Formula One for 2025

Officially! I had in my notebook that the Silverstone weekend would be good to announce it at, and I was right (even though this is very low hanging fruit at this point, lol).

So let's talk driver market!

I'm now of the opinion that several drivers will lose their seat at the end of 2024. So, who's safe?

Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri - McLaren (Multi / exp. 2026)

Charles Leclerc / Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari (Multi / Heavily rumoured to be exp. 2026, but officially multi)

Fernando Alonso / Lance Stroll - Aston Martin (Multi / Nepotism)

Pierre Gasly - Alpine (Multi)

Yuki Tsunoda - RB (exp. 2025)

Max Verstappen / Sergio Perez - Red Bull (exp. 2028 / 2026)

Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber (Multi)

George Russell - Mercedes (exp. 2026)

Oliver Bearman - Haas (Multi, probably exp. 2026)

Alex Albon - Williams (Multi, probably exp. 2026 or 27)

Most teams will not want rookies or new drivers in 2026 for the new regs, where feedback is key, so they're trying to finalise contracts now for then, hence why so many drivers are locked down in multi-year contracts / until post 26.

This new signing means that every team has at least one of their spots filled. All three of the top teams has both of its seats filled, leaving very little mobility for the midfield drivers. Most of these contracts are multi year, and undisclosed.

The reason I have Perez in bold is because I think that there is a huge possibility of them breaking contract in 2025 if his performance continues to be lacklustre, or if RBR loses the constructors. Tsunoda could go to the main team, or Ricciardo if CH is insane.

Who's most at risk?

Ricciardo

Marko keeps making comments about how RB is a junior team, and the team certainly doesn't want to lose Lawson, who has shown considerable promise and provided insight on the sim. His contract expires in September unless Red Bull offer him a full-time seat in F1, and Audi have shown interest. I wouldn't put it past Williams to put a punt on him, either. It's within Red Bull's best interest to promote Lawson, and Tsunoda is alrady re-signed. There's very little interest in Ricciardo outside the RBR family, and he's still under a long term contract at RBR, preventing him from shopping elsewhere.

Sargeant

His performances just haven't been good enough, and Alex Albon as a benchmark is good, but he's no Max Verstappen. He's had a rough time of it with the chassis drama etc etc but the bottom line is that he's just not been good enough for F1. He has a hand to play at Haas, but with the team in talks with both Zhou and Ocon, I think it's unlikely he finds his feet in the sport. Williams definitely do not want to re-sign him unless he performs miracles the rest of the season.

Bottas

He's aging, and has been hindered by the car for the last little while. He's just not been on the radar. He could land at Audi, or Mercedes, but he's not the first choice for either of those teams - Mercedes want Antonelli, and Audi are reportedly talking to Ocon and Lawson, who both have age on their side.

Magnussen

Not been performing when compared to Hulkenberg, and with the stunts he's been pulling i.e penalties, I wouldn't expect him to land elsewhere. He's another driver that's pretty old now, and not the most marketable either.

So, what about the rookies?

Next year, we are going to have three (or more, depending on what red bull does) rookies on the grid.

Bearman - confirmed - Haas

A well deserved seat, especially after his performance in the Ferrari at Jeddah.

Antonelli - Mercedes or Williams - unconfirmed, but extremely likely

Not sure if the right choice would be to bring him up, considering his performance in F2 hasn't been great and there's a lot of talk about how he's being rushed that isn't unwarranted. Toto doesn't want to lose him, and Williams would get a discount on engine parts.

Lawson - RB, Williams or Audi - unconfirmed, but likely

Another seat that has been long since deserved. He should have been in the RB seat this season. Audi have shown an interest. Will be a late mover, since his contract doesn't release him to other teams until September, but I expect him to be big in the market if he is released, and if Mercedes sign Antonelli.

Aron - ?? - Unlikely

Paul Aron was a Mercedes junior until midway through last year. He's currently affiliated with no F1 team, and is leading the F2 championship right now as a rookie. There's been noise about him getting a seat, but even if he wins F2, its unlikely he'll go anywhere for 2025. He's still one to watch, though, and will likely be snapped up if he wins as a rookie.

Hadjar - RB - unlikely

The ideal scenario for Hadjar would be both Perez and Ricciardo losing their seats, and for Tsunoda to go to the main team, freeing a space for him to drive alongside Lawson. Or, if RB loses Lawson, he's the next redbull driver in line. He's driving car 11 in FP1 this weekend, and sits second in the F2 standings with two race wins.

Other drivers at risk, but less so, include:

Zhou

I think he'll likely end up in Haas, and he is a driver with a huge hand to play in age and sponsorship, where he is comparable to Perez. His performances aren't horrific either. That being said, depending on where Sainz, Lawson and Bottas go, he might end up out of a seat.

Sainz

Never thought I'd be writing his name, but here we are. We've gone from Red Bull and Mercedes taking an interest in the early season to this. His management team should be fird. IN all seriousness, this is a weird one. He could definitely end up seatless if he doesnt kerb his ego, as from rumours, the reason he lost out on RBR and Merc seats was that he wanted longer contracts, i.e. in line with George Russell, and a 2+1 for RBR (both teams offered a 1 year deal). Then there's been a long line of teams interested and NONE of them seem to satisfy him. Most likely destination now is probably Alpine, but even Alpine seem to be losing interest. He needs to sign a contract now.

Ocon

I think he'll land on his feet, and end up in Audi, Haas, Williams, or even Mercedes if Toto doesn't sign Antonelli, as a stopgap driver. He's a solid driver and has a lot to offer. Could end up seatless if a very specific set of things happens, but he has options.

Anyways. Enjoy the race weekend! :3

[harrietspatial400]

1500 word write up:

Globally there are more honey bees than any other types of bee and pollinating insects, making honeybees the world’s most critical pollinator of food crops. It is predicted that one third of the food that we as humans consume each day relies on pollination mainly by bees. It is proven that if honey bees were to go extinct there would only be four years left of human existence. This fact is unknown to a lot of people, and it is a problem of our society right now as we do not understand the risks at hand. Bees are responsible for the majority of the fruits, vegetables and other things like almonds, coffee and chocolate. Oilseeds like sunflower, coconut and oil palm, will run out eliminating more than half of the world’s diet of fat and oil. It’s not only cottonseed that’s important, without cotton we would be stripped of countless clothing and household items, including blue jeans, shoe laces, towels, mattresses and high-quality paper products. Honey bees are also known to pollinate clover and alfalfa, without honey bees alfalfa fields will perish which are fed to cattle. Because of this there is the dairy and meat industry will die out, also a massive range of food products that are manufactured are made from these ingredients. Another significant role that honey bees play in is the pollination of other crops such like cotton and flax, along side these there are a number of important non-food products created by the honey bee, such as beeswax used in beauty and cleaning products products. By keeping the cycle of life turning, bees boost the colour and beauty of our countryside. As the years go on bees become in trouble even more and it is not becoming a public and political concern all over the world. It is important that people become aware of the importance bees have on our lives and on nature. Years ago it was known for miners to carry a canary in a cage through the mines to act as a basic air quality test. Canaries are much more delicate to the air quality than humans are, so when miners saw a bird in trouble, they knew something bad was about to happen and knew to get out quickly. Bees are todays society’s “canary in the mine” by simply doing the same thing, warning us of the environmental and health issues of the path we are currently on. The various factors of this are things like, a poor diet, stress, pollution, infection, pesticides, climate change, and many more. It has created conditions that have dramatically decreased the number of hives. Some threats to bees consist off specific diseases. Bees can become too weak to fly or be unable to reproduce, or lead to death. Various mites and pests, a specific mite known as Parasitic tracheal mites causes a threat, these mites can take over bees respiratory system as they are so small, and as they grow they make it nearly impossible for bees to breather as they completely cut off their air supply. Along side these, climate change is a threat to bees. With all of these different weather events it can effect the timing of when flowers bloom, were flowers mean less food for bees and they will starve. Its important to help protect bees and their declining number, growing your own garden that produces food for bees will attract them to collect nectar from your plants. Some of the best flowers for bees to collect decor from are blue and yellow flowering plants. Mass plants are highly effective so bees can spend most of their time in one area foraging instead of looking elsewhere. The life cycle of the bee consists of each bee to have a specific job best suited to each bee, these jobs have been divided into three castes which is dependent on their age. The first caste is the workers, this is the most popular caste. The workers make up 85% of the colony, the worker bees are known to be the most hard working as it includes forage to collect pollen and nectar. Usually when the bee turns 20 days old they are able to leave the colony and forge. The second caste is the queen, the queen gives birth to every single bee in the colony. With her pheromones it influences the mood within the colony. The final caste of the colony are the drones, this is made up of the male bees, typically there are only a fee hundred male bees in a colony. The male bees don’t have forging tools or stings, they have larger eyes which are used to locate the queen on mating flights. In order for the colony to communicate it lies on the queen bee. The queen gives a signal which encourages workers, without the queen to give directions the colony would fall apart. The main movement bees make while foraging is often called the waggle dance, the waggle dance is how bees communicate if they’ve found a amazing nectar supply. As bees forage resources up to 8km away from their hive bees use the round dance. When the nectar is more more than 40 meters away from the hive the bees perform the waggle dance. This dance allows bees to share information on direction and distance. It is important to inspire environmental education by offering new ways of thinking about existing problems and working to protect the environment. Ecological art is something created by artists that are concerned with the state of our environment. “Artists interpret nature and create artworks to inform us about nature and its processes or about environmental problems we face”. (Green Museum 2003, 4). “Others define ecological art as a movement that uses art that is restorative too promote awareness, engagement and activism around major environmental issues”. (Blandy etal, 1998; Cembalest 1991). When a designer has a extensive understanding idea of a design problem, they get a valuable insight that informs the importance of the experience. An experience is a type of event to personally engage individuals to implant a impression or leave a memory. A experience is a different way of practice that creates opportunity for change, it gives the narrative a chance to engage and create their own experience that they will remember. Experiences give individuals the chance to visualise new solutions and understand the problem and issues at hand, this is a way to create a new comprehensive and dynamic path to innovation. Experiences are responsible for services, products and the environment. A great experience is a imaginative combination of al these things, it creates a single narrative for everyone. Joseph Pine & James Gilmore states that “Passion to serve our users, make meaningful work in this world, and of course, to provide a personal experience to them. This curiosity and openness to what design could do have led us into the fields of research”(The Experience Economy, 1999, pg. 9-15). To truely experience the essence of a design is to strip it back so its raw and you can see it for what it really is. The hive is made up of three major materials, wax, honey and propolis. Wax is the main material, it basically makes the hive. The structure of a hive which is majority comb is completely bee made. A series of hexagonal cells are made of wax which interlock the hive, bees store honey and pollen within these cells. The goal for a bee is to make honey. Propolis is the glue for a bee hive, propolis is 50% tree resin which makes it very sticky which is why bees use it to insulate and patch holes in their hive. The Hive, designed by Woolfgang Buttress, is a exclusive structure themed around the lifecycle of a bee inspired by valid research into the health of bees. The Hive shows an detailed metal honeycomb with an illuminated dome at its centre. This is made from thousands of pieces of aluminium which create a lattice effect which is fitted with hundreds of LED lights that fade and glow as a particular soundtrack hums and buzzes around you. These multi-sensory elements of the Hive are acknowledging to the real-time activity and movement of bees in a beehive. As the energy levels in the real life beehive surge, the light and sound within the instillation changes, allowing visitors to experience an insight to life inside a bee colony. 1000 LED luminaries line the interior of a beehive, vibration sensors are used to read the activity from the bee colony. A rotational twist in the structure proposes movement, symbolic of a swarm. “I’m not an architect, I’m an artist, so I was more interested in the experience and in how you could convey an idea and a feeling through an experience rather than an object or a building,” Buttress. The Hive is an abstracted analogue of a honeycomb, which speaks for the underlying and important relationship between bee and human, sound, science and landscape through an immersive and multi-sensory experience. “The Hive creates a powerful, immersive space for us to explore the urgent issues we face in relation to pollinators, their intimate relationships with plants and their vital role in helping us feed a rapidly growing population,” added Richard Deverell, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

[faithfulnews]

Enroute Romania-bound

For Manda Pidgeon, the journey to bring the hope of Jesus to Rroma people in Romania began quite unexpectedly in 2006 on a mission trip to Papua New Guinea, when she audibly heard God speak the word Romania.

‘I’d been praying God would use me for his purposes, but until this time, I didn’t know the direction he would lead me. When this happened, I didn’t even know Romania was a country! I kept the experience to myself and continued to pray.’

The following day, God placed another piece in the puzzle.

‘My half of our team departed Milne Bay Province to reconnect with the rest of our group in Port Moresby. Upon arriving, I hadn’t yet jumped out of the back of the ute when a girl from the other half of our group ran up to meet us.’

“Manda!” she said. “I’ve been praying about this, and I think you’d be good in the orphanages in Romania.”

“So, it’s a place then?” Manda asked.

She is the first to laugh about just how far she’s come by trusting God to bring about his purposes in her life. Thirteen years later, Manda, her husband, Josh, and their daughter, Isla, are in the exact sweet spot God always intended for them in this time of their lives. They are now moving to Romania to follow the desire God’s placed in their hearts.

God began preparing Josh’s heart to care about Romanian people and culture before he’d met Manda. But when the couple discovered God had given them both this common interest, they felt God had not only blessed each of them in being united with the other, but also for a future of working together for his purposes.

Manda and Josh Pidgeon, with daughter, Isla

God has prepared Manda in his time, slowly helping her place each puzzle piece as he revealed it, so that Manda and Josh are now ready to be vessels, pouring out God’s love onto Rroma communities; Romania’s most isolated and misunderstood people.

With a background in childcare, Manda’s heart was initially captured by the need to bring God’s love to children in Romania’s orphanages. She learned about orphan numbers so high that children were being denied the simple gesture of regular human touch – with tragically detrimental consequences on their development. However, while Manda knew she could step into this role and felt God was patiently continuing to bring Romania into sharper focus, she lacked certainty about making such a big decision to go.

“OK, God,” Manda said. “I think I really need you to convince me that you want me to go. If you want me to go, I’ll go, even if I don’t yet know what you want me to do there.”

Soon after, a church friend recommended a book to Manda for her encouragement. But when Manda popped into Koorong after work to buy it, was disappointed to hear it was out of print. Thinking she ought to also start investigating the Romanian language, Manda asked if they stocked Romanian Bibles. Again, the cashier broke the sad news that she would have to source one elsewhere.

A little dejected, Manda thanked the cashier anyway and turned to leave.

“Excuse me,” said a lady over Manda’s left shoulder. “This might be a coincidence, but my husband and I work with a Romanian church in Spain. We’re returning from home assignment on Monday. Would you like us to send you a Romanian/English bible when we get back?”

“Um, sure, that would be great, thank you!”

Manda gratefully exchanged details with the lady and explained why she was enquiring about Romanian bibles.

Then Manda noticed a man hovering nearby her right side. He said something out loud in another language, but Manda wasn’t sure if he’d been talking to her. There was no one else around so she bravely decided to check.

“Sorry, excuse me?” she said.

“It means ‘God Bless You’ in Romanian,” he said.

“Oh, so you’re Romanian?”

“No, I’m Brazilian. But my wife’s parents are missionaries in Romania. Just a minute, I’ll get her.”

The man returned with his wife and son. How strange it felt, that there were now five people standing at the counter, none of them Romanian, but all with a shared connection of God’s heart to bring the hope of the gospel message to Romanian people.

“OK God!” Manda said. “I asked for confirmation. I think you’ve made it clear. I’ll go.”

Manda discovered online that International Teams were already present in Romania. She applied and was accepted as an International Teams Australia worker to serve as a member of the team in Timisoara. On 20th May 2008, she landed in Timisoara, Romania, ready to do God’s work.

Former communist leader, Ceausescu’s ideology had left a devastating legacy on the country. During his dictatorship, he’d instructed the population to have as many children as possible to create an army for himself. Sadly, whilst over 100,000 babies were born, there now remains almost an entire generation of people with varying disabilities and trauma because of the severe lack of care, love and value placed on them since birth.

For the next two and a half years, Manda obediently brought love to abandoned babies, including those who had developed physical and mental disabilities due to a lack of stimulation and interaction. She helped bring wellbeing and therapy for teenagers and young adults living with disabilities in one of Romania’s many institutions.

Manda participated in running English camps for Romania and Serbia’s youth. Her first real exposure to Rroma people was during such a camp in southern Serbia. She was intrigued by how different their community structure was. In Australia, children are brought to a central location for an experience run by a specialist group. Here, the lack of trust meant that opportunities had to be brought to the Rroma, so the whole community had awareness and a level of control over what outsiders introduced.

The Rroma community felt foreign to Manda and was overwhelming at first. Compounded by warnings from others that she was entering Gypsy communities and not to take anything of value lest it be stolen, Manda was initially uncomfortable. But God soon opened her eyes to the love he had for the youth who attended the workshops.

“It very quickly became apparent these youth presented no threat. They wanted love like any child does. They didn’t want what was in my pockets, they wanted to know that they were of value, that they had worth and that they could belong in some form or other. When we presented the gospel to them, several of them came to Christ because they realised you can be part of God’s family without changing your nationality or personality; that a Rroma person can become a Christian without becoming a western Christian.”

So it was that Manda’s passion for bringing the hope of Jesus to the Rroma people was sparked. God continued to grow Manda’s heart for the Rroma. She returned to Australia, attended Sydney Missionary Bible College (SMBC) and prepared herself for further time on the mission field.

There are an estimated 12 million Rroma living across Europe, with up to 3 million of those in Romania. Exact numbers remain a mystery for these almost-invisible people, many of whom are born at home and have no official identifying paperwork, and therefore no access to education, employment, health care and other things we take for granted.

But Manda also learned there were already many Christian workers around Romania seeking to reach the Rroma across a broad range of ministries. Some had been there for thirty or more years, had seen the country go through communism and the struggles that ensued thereafter. Their long-term experience, by God’s grace, led to some wonderfully effective ministries.

However, there was nothing in place for wisdom gained through service to be shared, or for cooperation to be promoted. Although every Christian worker Manda learned about served with a humble heart and earnest desire to reap fruit for God’s Kingdom, the isolated nature in which many worked often hampered their effectiveness and increased the difficulty of their ministry.

In one village, a young couple started an after-school program for the local Rroma children, but lacked the resources and support needed to effectively bring God’s love to the children and their families. Manda also became aware of a project begun by Christian workers to translate the Gospel of John into one of the Rromani dialects. They didn’t know their hard work was a duplicate of work already in progress by another missionary group in another part of the country. Manda recognised that Christian workers faced unique challenges in working with Rroma communities, created by hundreds of years of stigmatisation and marginalisation from mainstream society.

Thus, in 2014, God inspired Manda’s vision to create the Rroma-Workers Network (RWN) to Encourage, Equip and Empower Rroma workers to reach Rroma communities with the gospel. With support, guidance and facilitation from International Teams Australia, the RWN purpose crystallised to become a platform through which Rroma workers could access tools, knowledge and resources already available, seek support and offer it to others. It would build bridges between needs and the means to fulfil them.

Fellow Christian Rroma Workers gather in support of one another at the 2018 RWN conference.

The last four years have seen Manda and Josh steadily build a life together and strengthen the outworking of the RWN vision. With Josh’s support, Manda continued to build the RWN website. In 2016, she ran the first biennial RWN conference; so workers connected through the RWN could meet and encourage one another, enjoy respite from the daily demands of their ministries, learn and be equipped to return to their ministries with enthusiasm and renewed purpose.

In 2018, with the help of a team working in Romania, the RWN website was launched. Existing and future Christian workers across Romania could now also connect online to network, share ideas and resources, ask questions, inspire others and be inspired.

With their combined skills in administration, organisation and technical development, Manda and Josh continue to listen to God’s leading and work hard on developing the RWN, the fruits of which are already abundant. Workers discouraged in their ministries have been inspired to try something new by learning other pathways to success. They are encouraged to persevere when they realise problems they face are common to working with many different Rroma communities, not just their own. Manda and Josh are pleased to already see challenging burdens lessen and workers gain a better work/family life balance. Ultimately, the greatest encouragement is to see that Rroma people are receiving the hope of Jesus through Christian ministry.

Now, from their base in Ramnicu Valcea, Romania, Manda and Josh, with their daughter, Isla, will continue to facilitate the RWN and provide more effective on-the-ground support for workers. Over the last year they’ve raised awareness of their ministry and feel the blessing of God on their intentions as God has provided many to partner with them in prayer and financial support.

If you would like to help Manda and Josh, they’d love you to visit iteams.org.au/pidgeonjm to join their prayer community and/or to pledge a regular monthly donation to enable this much-needed ministry. Email connect@iteams.org.au if you’d like more information on other ways to donate.

Return to Winter Journey …

The post Enroute Romania-bound appeared first on International Teams.

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[sportparade]

WoSo’s Best Frenemy: U.S. Soccer

by Grant Wiedenfeld, August 4, 2019

Every four years the U.S. Women’s National Team heads to the Fifa World Cup as favorites. Broadcasters and fans swell for this summer ritual much like they do for the Olympics. The quadrennial world’s fair drums Up chantS from A nation that half ignores these athletes otherwise. Once people have tasted the ripe fruit of victory or the sour grapes of defeat their attention rotates back to traditional men’s sports or elsewhere, and the New York Times runs a headline like, “Women’s Soccer League Tries to Connect and Survive,” or “After World Cup, Will Fans Now Care About Women’s Pro Soccer?”

I call it the WoSo bubble: a world of women’s soccer inflated every four years. Media and fans cannot seem to escape it, like a boy in a bubble. It does not burst like a soap bubble, but blows out like a gum, slowly deflating. Chewed into the mouth of American culture it will bubble up again in four years. The air slowly filling and escaping sounds like Wo-So, Wo-So. Women’s Soccer is living in a bubble.

If only there were a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the sport year-round, or a professional league who could capture the bubble. Of course there is: the United States Soccer Federation.

Imagine a BFFederation:

The USSF helps start professional league to draw the best players from around the world. Because universities have cultivated the best player pool in the world, the U.S. has the assets to host a great league. Taking action before a women’s premier league or women’s bundesliga crops up, the USSF will ensure that the best WoSo happens here, in the National Women’s Soccer League.

To sustain and expand the NWSL, the top brass at USSF leverages its relationships with sponsors and broadcasters on the men’s side to stimulate the women’s game. They recognize that the field of men’s sports is saturated, so male talent and viewers have to be clawed away from football, basketball, and baseball. That’s slow growth, they know. But women’s sports is an untapped field, for the most part; it could be the best growth opportunity in sports commerce.

The women’s game is at the top of the agenda when USSF elects a new president. With the men perennially struggling against the vast wealth and player pools abroad, there’s one asset the USSF can’t overlook. What’s more, if it lobbies FIFA to funnel more funding to growing the women’s game worldwide, this will help the men catch up. If Chile’s federation starts putting more toward women, the commercially-funded American men’s game will catch up. And being in a leadership role, the women’s game will remain on top of a bigger and bigger field.

When the USWNT players ask to renegotiate their contracts, the USSF knows the importance of the publicity around the issue of equal pay. The last thing they need is a public turning against their golden calf, and getting a bad impression of soccer in general. With support from the men’s squad, they structure national team pay the same for both sides. Per diems and bonuses ensure equal pay for equal performance, and better pay for better performance. Fifa doesn’t fund them equally, but the USSF uses the legal condition of equal pay to pressure Fifa to equalize. Now USSF is the tail wagging the billion dollar Swiss dog.

After the women win their second straight world cup, USSF strategizes how to use this moment to expand and strengthen the NWSL. Long-term, the league will be key to our national excellence. So they schedule a ‘victory tour’ of double headers. They schedule one NWSL game followed by a USWNT game. For cities without a team, potential owners can see the possibilities on display. In cities with a team, the event boosts club revenue and extends the fanbase.

The victory tour improves long term infrastructure for the league. The USSF strategically schedules these events in existing NWSL sites that need investment, or in potential expansion venues. In Chicago they pressure the city to run express service to the Bridgeview stadium, a longstanding impediment to both men and women’s games there. In New York they spy a new venue for Sky Blue, who had been relegated to the Rutgers college stadium. In Los Angeles they sell out a small venue so quickly they decide to extend the victory tour with a series of NWSL exhibitions, and there are signs that an expansion franchise will follow. Interventions like these solidify the league and increase interest in soccer on all levels, so that young girls are dreaming of going pro, and their parents are supporting them.

Back to Reality

Of course, the USSF only took the first action of supporting the NWSL at its inception. It paid the salaries of national team players in the league, but then held that over their heads when they pressed for equal pay. They released a statement full of numbers meant to prove that the women received more gross pay. Every dude on twitter now quotes these numbers like scripture, because he is certain that men create more revenue. This economics dude has been encouraged to see the women players as ungrateful whiners. I doubt he’s going to become a fan, if that were ever a possibility; and now he’s actively denigrating women’s soccer.

Moreover, the USSF held a victory tour in spite of the NWSL season, in what looks like a cash grab. It comes at the league’s expense because their star players were gone. Chicago, for instance, sold a record 17,700 tickets upon the return of world cup stars Julie Ertz and Alyssa Naeher. One week later, with Ertz and Naeher in Los Angeles for the victory tour, Chicago sold 4,700. It’s hard to see how the tour will have any positive effect on the league. A potential expansion investor can see that USSF will undercut their investment at the most ripe moment.

(Scheduled in conflict with a full slate of NWSL games, every starter here had to skip her regular league game)

It should come as no surprise that the current USSF president Carlos Cordeiro is a former banking executive with Goldman Sachs. His organization seems to play a short-term market game with the team. It could pull support from NWSL at any time in search of better profits. When the last round of presidents came up, the crisis they all confronted was the men’s game. Only former player Hope Solo brought the women into view, but her candidacy was not taken seriously. In making the men a priority, and overlooking the women, the USSF fails to take advantage of the dynamic between these sides that I speculate upon above.

Nonprofit Mission

The USSF is a nonprofit. That fact is overlooked in most discussions, but it should be front and center. Cordeiro’s candidacy might have been taken less seriously for this reason alone. The USSF’s mission statement reads: “to make soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.” Does this mission prioritize men over women?

On the one hand, if preeminence means above the NFL, NBA, and MLB, then men come first (and fat chance winning that battle, at least for a coupe generations). And if the first clause implies a first mission, preeminence, with the second clause of development a secondary mission, then we can expect women to be second fiddle for the federation forever.

On the other hand, developing both men’s and women’s games equally should have moral priority over revenue and profits. The women are already preeminent in their sport, and should take priority on that account too. If the USSF adopted the latter point of view, it might take the WoSo bubble with all its hot air, lash onto it the NWSL and youth programs, and watch the balloon raise them up a little higher every four years.

[pope-francis-quotes]

8th July >> (@ZenitEnglish By Virginia Forrester) #Pope Francis #PopeFrancis Pope Francis Addresses Members of Permanent Synod of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. Full Text of 5th July Talk to Group Gathered in Rome.

The Holy Father Francis received in audience this morning, in the Bologna Hall of the Apostolic Vatican Palace, the Members of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, and he gave the address, which we translate below.

* * *

The Holy Father’s Address

Beatitude, Dear Brother Major Archbishop,

Eminences, Excellencies,

Dear Brothers!

It was my wish to invite you here, to Rome, for a fraternal sharing, also with the Superiors of the competent Dicasteries of the Roman Curia. I thank you for accepting the invitation; it’s lovely to see you. Ukraine has been living for some time a difficult and delicate situation, for over five years wounded by a conflict that many call “hybrid,” made up as it is by war actions where those responsible blend with one another; a conflict where the weakest and littlest pay the highest price; a conflict aggravated by propagandist falsifications and manipulations of various sorts, including the attempt to involve the religious aspect.

I carry you in my heart and I pray for you, dear Ukrainian Brothers. And I confide to you that sometimes I do so with the prayer that I remember and that I learned from Bishop Stefano Chmil, then a Salesian priest. He taught it to me in 1949, when I was twelve, and I learned from him to serve the Divine Liturgy three times a week. I thank you for your fidelity to the Lord and to the Successor of Peter, often costing dearly in the course of history, and I entreat the Lord, so that He may accompany the actions of all political leaders to seek not the so-called one-sided good, which in the end is always an interest to the detriment of another, but the common good, peace. And I ask the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3) to comfort the spirit of those that have lost their dear ones because of the war, and those that bear wounds in the body and in the spirit, those that have had to leave their home and work and face the risk of seeking a more human future elsewhere and far away. Know that my gaze turns every morning and every evening to Our Lady, of which His Beatitude made me a gift when he left Buenos Aires to assume the office of Major Archbishop that the Church had entrusted to him. I begin and end the days before that icon, entrusting all of you and your Church to the tenderness of Our Lady, who is Mother. It can be said that I begin the days and end them “in Ukranian,” looking at Our Lady.

In the face of the complex situations caused by the conflicts, the principal role of the Church is to offer the witness of Christian hope. Not a hope of the world, which is based on things that pass, come and go, and often divide, but the hope that never disappoints, that does not yield to discouragement., which is able to overcome every tribulation in the gentle strength of the Spirit (Cf. Romans 5:2-5). Christian hope, nourished by the light of Christ, makes the resurrection and life shine even in the darkest nights of the world. Therefore, dear Brothers, I believe that, in difficult periods, even more so than in those of peace, the priority for believers is to be united to Jesus, our hope. It’s about renewing that union founded on Baptism and rooted in the Faith, rooted in the history of our communities, rooted in the great witnesses: I think of the array of daily heroes, of those numerous next-door saints that, with simplicity, have responded among your people to evil with good (Cf. Romans 12:21). They are the example to look at: those that in the meekness of the Beatitudes had the Christian courage of not opposing themselves to the wicked, of loving enemies and praying for persecutors (Cf. Mathew 5:39.44). In the violent field of history, they planted the Cross of Christ, and they have borne fruit. These brothers and sisters of yours, who have suffered persecutions and martyrdom and that, close to the Lord Jesus, rejected the logic of the world, according to which violence is answered with violence, have written with <their> life the most limpid pages of the faith: they are fecund seeds of Christian hope. I read with emotion the book “Persecuted for the Truth.” Behind those priests, Bishops, Sisters, is the People of God, which carries forward with faith and prayer the whole people.

Some years ago the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greed-Catholic Church adopted the pastoral program entitled “The Living Parish, Place of Encounter with the Living Christ. In some translations, the expression “Parrochia viva” was rendered with the adjective “vibrant.” In fact, the encounter with Jesus, the spiritual life, the prayer that vibrates in the beauty of your Liturgy transmit that beautiful strength of peace, which soothes wounds, infuses courage but not aggression. When, as from a well of spring water, we draw this spiritual vitality and transmit it, the Church becomes fecund. She becomes the Herald of the Gospel of hope, Teacher of that interior life that no other institution is able to offer.

Therefore, I wish to encourage you all, in as much as Pastors of the People of God, to have a primary concern in all your activities: prayer <and> the spiritual life. It’s the first occupation; no other goes before it. We know and all see that in your tradition you are a Church that is able to speak in spiritual, not worldly, terms (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:13), because every person that approaches the Church needs Heaven on earth, nothing else. May the Lord grant you this grace and make us all dedicated to our sanctification and that of the faithful entrusted to us. In the night of conflict you are going through, as in Gethsemane, the Lord asks His own to “watch and pray”; not to defend themselves, and much less to attack. However, the disciples slept instead of praying and, when Judas arrived, they pulled out the sword. They hadn’t prayed and fell into temptation, in the temptation of worldliness: the violent weakness of the flesh prevailed over the meekness of the spirit. Not sleep, not the sword, not flight (Cf. Matthew 26:40.52.56), but prayer and the gift of self to the end are the answers that the Lord awaits from His own. Only these answers are Christian; they alone save one from the worldly spiral of violence.

The Church is called to carry out her pastoral mission with various means. After prayer comes closeness. What the Lord had asked His apostles that evening, to stay close to Him and to watch (Cf. Mark 14:34), He asks today of His Pastors: to be with the people, watching beside one going through the night of pain. The closeness of Pastors to the faithful is a channel, which is built day by day and which brings the living water of hope. It’s built thus, encounter after encounter, with the priests that know and take to heart the people’s concerns, and the faithful that, through the care they receive, assimilate the proclamation of the Gospel, which the Pastors transmit. They don’t understand it if the Pastors are only intent on saying God: they understand it if they spend themselves in giving God: giving themselves, being close, witnesses of the God of hope that made Himself flesh to walk on the roads of man. May the Church be the place where hope is drawn, where the door is always open, where consolation and encouragement is offered. Never closure towards anyone, but an open heart; never looking at the clock to send home one who needs to be listened to. We are servants in time. We live in time. Please, don’t fall into the temptation to live as slaves of the clock! –Time, not the clock.

Pastoral care includes in the first place the liturgy that, as the Major Archbishop has often stressed, together with spirituality and catechesis, constitutes an element that characterizes the identity of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. She, to the world “still disfigured by egoism and greed, reveals the way towards the balance of the new man” (Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen, 11): the way of charity, of unconditional love, within which every other activity must be directed, to nourish the fraternal bond between persons, inside and outside of the community.

With this spirit of closeness, in 2016 I promoted a humanitarian initiative, to which I invited the Churches of Europe to take part, to offer help to those most affected by the conflict. I thank again from my heart all those that contributed to the carrying out of this collection, be it on the economic, be it on the organizational and technical plane. And to that first initiative, now essentially concluded, I would like other special projects to follow. Already in this meeting, some information could be provided. It’s so important to be close to all and to be concrete, also to avoid the danger of a grave situation of suffering falling into general oblivion. A suffering brother can’t be forgotten, regardless of where he comes from. A suffering brother can’ be forgotten.

I would like to add a third word to prayer and closeness, which is so familiar to you: synodality. To be Church is to be a community that walks together. It’s not enough to hold a Synod, it’s necessary to be Synod. The Church has need of intense internal sharing: a lively dialogue between Pastors and between Pastors and faithful. In as much as Oriental Catholic Church, you have already in your canonical order a marked Synodal expression, which foresees frequent and periodical recourse to assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. However, every day the Synod must be done, making an effort to walk together, not only with one who thinks the same way — this would be easy — but with all believers in Jesus. Three aspects revive synodality. First of all, listening: to listen to the experiences and the suggestions of Brother Bishops and Presbyters. It’s important that each one, inside the Synod, feels he is heard. To listen is all the more important the more one goes up in the hierarchy. Listening is sensitivity and openness to the opinion of brothers, also of those that are the youngest and also those considered less expert. A second aspect: co-responsibility. We can’t be indifferent in face of the errors and carelessness of others, without intervening in a fraternal but convinced way: our brothers have need of our thought, of our encouragement, as well as of our corrections, because, in fact, we are called to walk together. One can’t conceal what is not right and go on as if there were nothing to defend at all cost of one’s own good name: charity is always lived in truth, in transparency, in that Parrhesia that purifies the Church and makes her go forward. Synodality — <the> third aspect — also means involvement of the laity: in as much as full members of the Church, they are also called to express themselves, to give suggestions. Participants in ecclesial life, they are not only heard but listened to. And I underscore this verb: to listen. One who listens can then speak well; he who isn’t used to listening, doesn’t speak, he barks. Synodality also leads to widening the horizons, to living the richness of one’s tradition within the universality of the Church: to benefit from good relations with the other rites; to consider the beauty of sharing significant parts of one’s theological and liturgical treasure with other communities, also non-Catholic ones; to weave fruitful relationships with other particular Churches, as well as with the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia. The unity in the Church will be that much more fecund, the more agreement and cohesion there is between the Holy See and the particular Churches is real. More precisely: the more <there is> agreement and cohesion between all the Bishops with the Bishop of Rome. This must certainly not “entail a diminution in the awareness of one’s authenticity and originality” (Orientale Lumen, 21), but molded within our Catholic identity, that is, universal. In as much as universal, it is put in danger and can be worn down by attachment to the particularism of various sorts: ecclesial particularisms, nationalistic particularisms, political particularisms.

Dear Brothers, may these two days of the meeting, which I desired intensely, be intense moments of sharing, of mutual listening, of free dialogue, always animated by the search for the good, in the spirit of the Gospel. May they help us walk together better. In a certain sense, it’s a sort of Synod dedicated to the themes that are most at heart of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in this period, marked by the still on-going military conflict and characterized by a series of political and ecclesial processes much more ample than those regarding our Catholic Church. However, I recommend this spirit to you, this discernment on which to verify yourselves: prayer and spiritual life in the first place; then closeness, especially with one that suffers; then synodality, walking together, walking openly, step after step, with meekness and docility. I thank you. I accompany you on this path and I ask you, please, to remember me in your prayers. Thank you!

[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

8th JULY 2019 18:43EASTERN CHURCHES

[brianobrienny]

What Is A Blog Writing Service? (And Why Your Business Needs One)

Whether you own a small business or manage marketing for a large corporation, you probably spend a great portion of your budget on pricey marketing activities, including your website and related IT.

But if you’re leaving your website as a static entity, like a television set always tuned to the same channel, you’re making a grave mistake.

By adding a blog and, better yet, hiring a blog writing service, you’ll get better ROI than any other marketing activity. Read on to learn why.

Quick Takeaways:

The more frequently you blog, the more visitors, leads and conversions you get. Study after study has proved this.

High quality content helps you build up brand authority and gain visibility in search rankings.

When you outsource blog content creation, you don’t have to worry about frequency, meeting timelines, niche expertise, or ROI.

Having a blog is essential to wooing today’s information-hungry customers. But most businesses don’t have the time, expertise, or budget to hire an in-house writing team.

A blog writing service can turn your subject matter expertise into expertly written content.

The Case for Having a Blog

First, let’s just get one important matter out of the way: You have a blog, right? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Some new businesses get too caught up in their day-to-day basic functions to start one. Others think blogging isn’t for them – it’s the purview of foodies, mommies, and health gurus. But nothing could be further from the truth.

If you’re shelling out big bucks for advertising, consulting, data analytics, and email nurture campaigns, plus the aforementioned website, the cost of running a blog is negligible by comparison. It’s the lowest hanging fruit on the tree, and you should be grabbing it as often as possible.

Think about these apples, ripe for plucking:

Content marketing gives you three times the number of leads compared to paid search ads for every dollar you spend.

You can boost your website traffic by up to 2,000 percent with high-quality blog content.

When you blog, you’ll get 97% more links to your website than sites that don’t.

Blogging is 13 times more likely to yield a positive ROI than numerous other marketing activities, according to data from HubSpot.

Companies who publish consistent blogs show 6x the revenue from traffic and leads attributed to their website.

B2B companies will generate 88 percent more leads, while their B2C cousins will generate 67 percent more leads through publishing blog posts consistently. That’s a lot of leads to leave on the table if you’re not blogging. Further, the leads you generate will cost 62% less than ones you generate through advertising, cold calls, brochures, or other outbound marketing methods.

Isn’t that enough reason for any company to jump on to the blogging train? Imagine what could happen if you missed out and your competitors get –

67 percent cost reduction!

88 percent increase in leads!

97 percent more links to their website!

You’d have a heart attack, wouldn’t you?

I thought so. Bottom line, you need a blog to stay ahead of your competitors.

Converting More Customers

With a blog, you can engage directly with consumers better and more cheaply than with advertising. And, a blog gives you more control and focus over that dialogue than social media, for example. You get multiple opportunities and stages to convert readers to customers and to make existing customers repeat ones.

Think about your current marketing activities. They probably entail chasing customers in some way, such as by trying to get them to open emails or hoping they see your carefully placed (and expensive!) online ads. But, with a blog, consumers come to you. If they like what you post, they’ll come back, so you’ve just created a source of repeat traffic to your website and turned it into a dynamic and personalized face for your company.

Much of your blog content can easily be evergreen, at least for several years, which means once you’ve done the work, it keeps working for you. You can update popular posts with new data as needed with a minimum of extra time.

Why is your content so compelling? Because it’s not poorly disguised advertising or pushy sales material. Instead, the bulk of your posts should be value-added content for readers, such as:

Tips, how-tos, and tutorials for things that stymie most people but at which your business excels

Aggregated industry information and studies that save readers time by not having to hunt it down

Interviews with thought leaders or guest posters, including round tables

Questions and exercises to generate positive change

White papers and case studies

Videos and infographics

Samples from upcoming long-form content, such as books

Another good use for your blog is to solicit feedback on your products or services. You may uncover and then be able to answer common objections during the selling process in ways you cannot elsewhere. Additionally, you can offer solutions to common customer service issues.

You can also utilize your blog to introduce new products and services or to announce events, although you want to sprinkle these posts in with the value-added material to avoid sounding too salesy.

Industry Authority and Search Rankings

Having a popular blog can quickly promote you to a position of industry authority, a desirable spot to be in. You’ll find it easier to network with others in your field, and you’ll develop a reputation as the one to turn to for expert advice.

With influence often comes that sweet number-one search ranking that companies covet. When potential customers search for terms related to your business, your name will appear at the top, increasing traffic to your website, where you can get people interested in your product or service and eventually sell them on it.

What are the best ways to reach that plum top spot?

Always post high-quality, original content. Don’t “stuff” (overuse) keywords and use a post length that favors your topic and your audience, rather than what you’ve heard you must use.

Include keywords in your blog post URLs.

Do your SEO homework and make sure your keywords are what people are using in common online searches. Include a meta description for each post.

Make your website easy to navigate and designed for the user. It must be fast loading and responsive to all types of computers and devices.

Use available tools, such as Buzzsumo or Google Trends, to help with your search engine optimization research.

Promote your content well with connections and industry influencers.

Consider paid promotion to boost your ranking. Sometimes organic promotion doesn’t cut it at first.

Why You Should Hire a Blog Writing Service

“But,” you say, “I’m busy just running my business. I don’t have any time to write a blog. Besides, I practically got through English Composition 101 by the skin of my teeth. I’m an engineer/doctor/web developer/financial services professional, not a writer.”

So, if you’re convinced now that you should have a blog, or if you already have one but it’s been getting lackluster attention, how do you make it work?

For most businesses, especially those on the smaller side, the answer is to outsource blog writing. There are many benefits to hiring a blogging service and almost no disadvantages, and we’ll discuss how to overcome those later in this article.

Leveraging ROI

First, from a strictly financial point of view, outsourcing your blog nearly always lets you leverage that ROI in your marketing plan. Many companies are not sufficiently staffed to add blog writing to their list of duties. If you think about your own employees, they’re likely already up to their limit with their current job descriptions. Do you really want to add more to that? Significantly more?

Blog writing, when it’s done well, isn’t simply an hour tossed off here or there; it involves careful planning and integrating your blog posts into a comprehensive 12-month campaign within your overall marketing scheme. You need to develop a marketing calendar around goals and timelines and then spend manpower on content ideation before a single word is penned.

You need to schedule posts often enough to see a return on your blogging investment, which means posting at least several times per week to accumulate a regular following. New studies point to frequency as a key way to get desired ROI:

The more often you blog, the more traffic you get.

With 11 or more posts per month, you’ll see a considerable increase in website traffic, whether you are a B2B or B2C business.

The more posts you accumulate on your blog, the more traffic you’ll get, which in turn means more leads.

To accomplish this in-house usually requires hiring a full-time writer, which means not only paying a competitive salary but perks as well. And, there is a time investment in the interviewing and onboarding process, too.

You can get around all of this by outsourcing your blog writing and save tens of thousands in your marketing budget in the process. Blog writing businesses typically charge anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand per post, depending on the time and complexity involved. You can settle on a per-word fee, flat fee, or article cap much of the time (versus paying hourly), which means even if the writer takes several days to compose a post, you can stay on budget for the project.

It’s worth noting that cheaper blog writing fees aren’t always better. While you don’t have to break the bank outsourcing your blog, which would defeat its entire purpose, you often get what you pay for. Better services hire more in-demand, experienced writers and vet their people carefully. In turn, they charge more to their clients, but it’s often worth it in the end.

Professional Writing Skills and Scalability

One of the best advantages of working with outsourced blog writers is the professional writing skills they bring to the table. While many business owners and CMOs fancy themselves good writers, writing a blog isn’t the same as writing ad copy, venture capital proposals, or even sales nurture emails.

Blog writing today follows certain standard formats that make content easily consumed by readers, such as headings for scannability and bullet lists for easy summaries. There are stylistic conventions and other elements that most executives don’t employ on a regular basis. Professional blog writers know how to use all these tactics to make your posts attract and keep readers, as well as how to generate discussion in the comments section.

Blog services also come with proofreading and editing, so your copy is free of errors and is presented in a well-organized fashion. If you’ve ever read a blog that looked horribly unprofessional, you’ll understand how valuable this polishing is. It will also be run through a plagiarism algorithm. Reputable blog services don’t have writers that copy other work, but it is possible to accidentally include phrases that mimic others’ posts, which can mess with your SEO.

With a professional service, you also get assistance with SEO research and developing content topics. This can be a boon when it comes to getting more eyes on your website. Need matching social media posts, images, or infographics along with your blog content? Many agencies can provide that as well.

Do you have multiple businesses under one corporate umbrella, which entails maintaining many websites? This is no problem for a professional blog service because they’ll have multiple writers available to handle large volumes of content. You can scale larger as your business grows, too, and your blogging service will grow with you. Likewise, you can handle multiple tiers of the buying process and dedicate posts to different sales stages, just as you would with email nurturing.

The Best Writers for Your Business

Professional writers are all good, but how do you know they’d be able to passionately create content that’s just right for your business? Here are some things to look for when selecting the right blog writers for your needs:

A reputable agency or service that can provide examples of work and/or names of clients they have worked with, preferably similar to your business

Experienced, well-vetted writers who can commit to at least a year or two of work with you, so you don’t have to retrain new bloggers every few months

Bloggers with experience in your niche – the more specialized your area, the more expertise the writers should have

Ability to turn around content on a reasonable schedule that works for you

In-house editing and project management, if your needs are complex or your volume is high

A price that nets you solid talent while still allowing you to maintain high ROI

Excellent communication so you can work as a team

In turn, your business should be able to reciprocate in places where it makes sense to do so. Your people should be equally accessible for questions and clarification. While you want timely responses to your messages, you need to understand most writing services are juggling multiple clients like you. The more you can schedule in advance, the easier it will be for your bloggers to accommodate your needs. Create reasonable turnaround schedules and leave time for edits, especially early on in the process.

Most CEOs and CMOs spend enormous segments of time trying to get the best return on investment from their marketing activities, when the highest ROI solution is literally at their fingertips. Outsourcing your blog and blogging frequently have virtually no downsides and are proven to increase profitability considerably. It can take a bit of time and energy to get the ball rolling, but once you set up a system with a blogging service, you’ll never want to go back to writing your own content again.

What Can A Blogging Service Do for Your Business?

Content marketing – of which blogs are a huge component – is one of the most effective lead generation strategies in the marketing world. An agency that writes your blogs for you will combine their industry knowledge with keen research abilities to create regular blog posts that leverage the blog writers’ abilities to communicate with your audience, and propose solutions that can help your customers solve the problems that keep them up at night.

Build Industry Authority and Customer Visibility

And you are good at what you do. Only problem – not enough of the right people know just how good you are. Blogging helps you showcase that expertise without spending a moment of your time.

Having a blog writing service builds your authority in your industry in the minds of people who might not even have heard of your company before you launch your blog. When you couple that exposure with your social media reach by posting links to each post on your social media pages, it’s sheer marketing magic.

Furthermore, with every blog post you publish, your visibility on your target customers’ searches rises. A blog writing service will know how to leverage the right keywords and metadata to get both search engines’ and your target audience’s attention.

Create Newsletter and Other Gated Content

Your blog writing team can also create extra content that you can send to your email newsletter subscriber list. These articles can take a deeper dive into material that you covered in your blog posts or provide insight into topics you haven’t yet covered in your blog posts.

As a vital component of your content marketing strategy, your email newsletter can serve as the next step along the customer journey for those people interested enough in your blog content to subscribe. Providing expertly written, highly informative information in every newsletter will spark even more interest in your company, positioning you as a thought leader in your industry.

An email newsletter works equally well for B2C companies as well as B2B businesses. Statistics show that email marketing yields a whopping 4,400 percent ROI, yielding $44 for every dollar spent.

In addition, you can expand these newsletter articles into new content, such as white papers and e-books, that delve even deeper into the subject matter for those considering a purchase. Here’s an example from Zillow:

Craft Account-Based Marketing Messages

For B2B companies, you can even repurpose your blog post into personalized content in one of today’s hottest marketing strategies – account-based marketing. With a blog writing service, you’ll have a team of writers who know your company and its work – and can craft content tailored to each decision-maker’s interest.

For example, you could send a manufacturing company’s head engineer an article about how your new widget can shave hours off the manufacturing process, while the chief financial officer would appreciate an infographic about how much money the company would save by putting your widget to work in the process. Their developer, though, would love an article about the way you put Agile methodology to use as your team created the device.

When B2B companies align their blog writing service with their sales team to leverage the power of account-based marketing, they’re likely to boost their ROI. Forty-two percent of all companies that do so experienced significantly higher ROI, while 42 percent of the companies experienced somewhat higher ROI.

Turn Your Expertise into Compelling Content

You and your teams have a ton of expertise in your field. A blog writing service can work closely with your teams to turn raw facts into compelling copy.

Let’s say that you’re a pharmaceutical company, and you’ve come up with a new cure for an emerging disease. Your blog writing team can work with your researchers to turn their latest study into easily understandable content that busy physicians and nurses can scan quickly.

Your blog writing service can take testimonials from physicians that have tried your new drug successfully and craft blog posts that patients can understand. With more information, patients can be more informed when they have conversations with their own physicians.

For startups, whose lean budget doesn’t leave much room for marketing, let alone a dedicated content writing team, having a blog writing service at their disposal can be a game-changer.

Repurpose Existing Content

Just like your other assets, your blog content can do double duty when you repurpose it in other formats. Use your blogging team to transform blog posts to how-to video scripts, to create catchy product and service descriptions for Instagram and Pinterest, and to rephrase the content as compelling personal stories on Medium. Take a video and turn it into a LinkedIn article that showcases your thought leadership.

A blog writing service has experienced content writers that can adapt your existing content into practically any written form you want. They can even rewrite past content to make it more search-engine friendly. That way, you can reach even more people who need your expertise.

Finally, when you hire a blog writing service, you won’t have the added expense of an in-house writing team, nor will you need to spend your time recruiting and onboarding each team member. With an outsourced blog writing subscription service, you’ll have a team of writers that someone whose expertise is content creation has recruited, tested, onboarded, and proven through project after project.

Overcoming Obstacles When Outsourcing Blog Writing

Naturally, there are a few downsides to using a blog writing service, but they’re fairly easy to overcome. These may be your own concerns, or they may come from colleagues or leadership from whom you need buy-in to continue.

Giving Up Control

For some CEOs or CMOS, hiring a professional blogger feels like ceding control over their blog. Yes, it’s true you don’t get to decide on every word of every post. But, the benefits you get, as outlined above, certainly outweigh any negatives.

Further, using a blog service frees up executives and managers to do jobs where they are probably already overloaded with work. They can travel, take meetings, and tend to other business while still knowing they’ll hit their blogging goals and calendar milestones. Leaders who feel the need to have greater control over their company blog may struggle with delegating in general and can use the blog as a way to play with that.

Using a pro blogger comes with built-in safeguards. As well as in-house editing, you, as the client, can ask for revisions, too. Ideally, you want to meet with your blogger first, so they are on board with your overall vision for the blog and changes after the first draft will be minimal. If you have ideas, an outline, or even a rough first draft in your own words, a professional blogging service can accommodate them and flesh out the material for you.

Diversity… or Continuity

Another common hesitation about using a blogging service comes from wondering if the blog will sound diverse enough. This is easily remedied by asking for several different writers to work on your team and rotating the work among them.

Similarly, if you have multiple blogs on various topics, you can request writers who bring their own personal expertise to those respective subjects. Many seasoned bloggers started out in other careers before turning to writing, and you’ll find writers with impressive CVs in finance, law, healthcare, technology, real estate, and many other areas.

Some businesses find a hybrid model works for them. They have their own employees write a few posts here and there, while paid outside bloggers do the rest.

But what if, conversely, you want your blog to have continuity of voice and vibe? Simple – either ask to have one writer work on your blog consistently or put together a detailed style guide with a few examples, so multiple writers adhere to the same framework, rules, and tone. Professional bloggers, just like authors who write fiction dialogue, know how to make a blog post sound like it’s emanating from a particular voice for brand recognition.

The hybrid system just mentioned also works for creating a unifying voice for your blog. You can always outsource your content and have your in-house staff edit it or smooth it out to give it your unique brand feel.

  If you are ready to get more traffic to your site with quality content that’s consistently published, check out our Content Builder Service. Set up a quick consultation, and I’ll send you a free PDF version of my books. Get started today and generate more traffic and leads for your business.

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[themanuelruello]

The Best Resources for Safe Canning Information

I seem to have a knack for making online people upset with me in the most innocent ways.

Call it a special gift, I guess.  

Whether it’s talking about meat chicken breeds, discussing diatomaceous earth, or jokingly saying that I have banned salt shakers from my kitchen table (some folks got REALLY UPSET over that one…), it’s fascinating to me how the most benign topics can turn into spirited Internet debates.

And the topic of canning safety seems to be right up there with religion and politics.

Who woulda thought?

But Grandma Did it That Way!

As I explained in my ultimate guide on canning safety,  just because you or your Great Aunt Martha got away with a less-than-safe canning technique for a period of time doesn’t mean you should continue to use that particular method.

The reason that canning recommendations change over the years is because new discoveries about bacteria, processing times, and acid levels come to light as more research is done. 

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, using approved and tested canning techniques matter, because botulism ain’t no joke friends. 

If you’re a beginner to the world of canning, it can be extremely confusing to attempt to sort through the all canning debates.

So, I wanted to compile all of my favorite (and SAFE) canning resources so you don’t have to second-guess yourself in the middle of a canning project ever again.

The Resource I Wish I Had When I Started

If you are a canning newbie, I just revamped my Canning Made Easy course and it’s ready for YOU! I’ll walk you through each step of the process (safety is my #1 priority!), so you can finally learn to can confidently, without the stress. CLICK HERE to have a look at the course and ALL the bonuses that come with it.

This is the information I wish I had when I first started canning– all of the recipes and safety information are double and triple-checked against tested and proved canning recipes and recommendations.

It’s the next best thing to you coming over to my house and canning right along with me.

  Canning Resources You Can Trust

Don’t get me wrong, the Internet is an amazing place for information, but it’s also a bottomless pit of unsafe canning recipes. And if you’re a canning newbie, it can be incredibly tough to sort through the noise.

Fortunately, there are plenty of trustworthy canning resources you can rely on– you just need to know where to look.  Once you’ve been canning for a while, you’ll start to gain confidence to find safe canning recipes elsewhere, but I suggest starting with these books and websites at first.

1. USDA – National Center for Home Food Preservation

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is probably the best canning resource out there, simply because it is part of the official United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and canning safety is their number one concern.

Their website is loaded with information on all types of preservation (fermenting, pickling, canning, dehydrating, etc.). They offer lab-tested (and approved) canning recipes, lists of safe canning publications, canning fact sheets, and all the best science-driven information you will ever need for safe canning. They also have a Complete Guide to Home Canning resource, available in both print and as an online source that you might find especially helpful as you starting your canning adventures.

2. Local Extension Offices

Local extension offices (find your local extension office here) are excellent canning resources. Most local extension offices are connected to established universities. Those universities work carefully within USDA and science-driven guidelines to provide the community with safe canning information, including canning classes, canning articles, and safe canning recipes. Extension offices will often also test your pressure canner gauge for free. 

3. Newell (formerly Jarden) Company (aka Ball Corporation’s Canning Business)

The names and companies have switched hands multiple times, but their high-quality and safe canning methods and resources remain trustworthy. Newell/Jarden company owns some of the most popular canning brands: Ball, Bernardin, and Kerr.

They use both in-home and offsite labs to test all sorts of canning topics including: pH levels in food (learn more about the why changing pH levels are important in my safe tomato canning article), canning equipment safety, canning jar quality, safe canning recipes, and more.

Two of the most popular (and safe!) canning books of all time are both produced by the company.

1. Ball Blue Book

The Ball Blue Book is probably the most popular book on safe home-canning. This is my favorite canning book and it has been in publication since 1909. It’s loaded with delicious tried-and-true canning recipes, and my personal copy of the Ball Blue Book is tattered and splattered after years of hard use.

2. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

This is another great Ball company book full of canning recipes that are safe to use. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving book contains over 400 recipes and lots of good tips for low sugar jams and swapping fruits and other canning tips that can help you figure out how to safely change a canning recipe.

4. Published Authors

If you are interested in expanding your bookshelf past the Ball canning books, be sure the books you choose are from reputable publishing companies and, if possible, contain some sort of guarantee that their canning recipes are approved by a good canning source (like the USDA or the Ball company labs).

Here are a few awesome published canning sources (there are a lot of other good ones, too!):

1. Canadian Living Magazine

Canadian Living is a magazine and book publishing company in Canada. They have an in-home test kitchen/lab where they have fun testing new canning recipes. They follow the USDA (and also Canadian Bernardin) standards for safe canning. They not only have their magazine, but they also publish high-quality canning books, including Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving.

2. Putting Food By, by Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan and Janet Green

There are several new editions of this Putting Food By canning book and it’s one of the most popular to-date.

3. The Joy of Pickling and The Joy of Jams and Jellies, both by Linda Ziedrich

Another popular author for canning books, Linda Ziedrich has tons of variety of recipes in her books and also covers other ways to preserve food like fermenting, pickling, and more.

4. The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest, by Ann Accetta-Scott

Ann is a homestead blogger who knows her stuff and also is very picky about only recommending safe canning practices in her book The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest. I met her last year at the Homesteader’s of America Conference and I adore her.

5. Good-Quality Internet Sources

Remember: always use caution when using Internet sources for canning recipes. Many internet sources contain unsafe canning recipes that were conceptualized without proper guidelines in mind. There’s also plenty of internet sources who share “grandma’s canning recipe” which is a wonderful family heirloom, but not always safe for consumption.

In order to figure out if a canning recipe on the Internet is actually safe, always check to see if they quote or source a reputable canning book in their article and recipe.

Besides my own canning recipes on this website, here are a few reputable internet sources for canning recipes:

Food in Jars (they clearly show where they got their canning recipe inspiration from, which is usually Ball books or their website)

Canning Across America is a website put together by cooks, gardeners, and food lovers. Their goal is to promote safe canning recipes and they mention the USDA guidelines for canning often and are worth checking out.

Freshpreserving.com is Ball and Kerr’s website and is loaded with great canning recipes and resources.

More Canning Tips:

My Canning Made Easy course will help you feel confident in your canning adventures

The Ultimate Guide to Canning Safety

How to Can Without Special Equipment

How to Can Tomatoes Safely at Home

The post The Best Resources for Safe Canning Information appeared first on The Prairie Homestead.

from Gardening https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/07/the-best-canning-resources.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

[sherristockman]

Fennel Seeds Are a Potent Booster of Nitric Oxide Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola If, like me, you’re a fan of fennel, you may already know about some of its health benefits. I love fennel because it’s easy to grow — I affectionately refer to the section of my property where it is established as the “fennel forest.” Beginning with a single plant, I have watched fennel steadily multiply across my yard as volunteers. Because I have access to an abundant supply, I eat fennel seeds daily. I soak them overnight for use in my breakfast the next morning. There are particular health benefits attributed to the seeds, which are actually a fruit, not a seed. That said, I’ll continue to refer to them as seeds in this article since that is how they are commonly known. If you have not yet tried fennel seeds, you may be interested to know they are an excellent, cheap and convenient source of healthy nitrates. Fennel seeds are able to increase nitric oxide in your body, which has several distinct health benefits. What Is Nitric Oxide and Why Is It Important to Your Health? Nitric oxide is vital to your health because it is produced by nearly every type of cell in your body. It is one of the most important molecules needed for healthy blood vessels. While you often hear about the negative effects of free radicals, your body actually needs some to be healthy. Nitric oxide is a free radical that acts as a vasodilator, which means it causes your blood vessels to expand and dilate, promoting blood flow and lowering your blood pressure. It also improves your immune function, stimulates the thinning of your blood and decreases blood viscosity, which in turn decreases platelet aggregation. As such, nitric oxide helps reduce your risk of developing a life-threatening blood clot. Another benefit of nitric oxide is that it's a powerful anabolic stimulus known to help increase your lean body mass. When you increase your muscle mass, your body is more easily able to burn fat for fuel. Burning fat for fuel remains a concept that escapes many people. It is a state of health so radically life-changing that you really must try it to fully appreciate its benefits. Anyway, the increased presence of free radicals such as nitric oxide signals your body to create more mitochondria — a process called mitochondrial biogenesis, which is necessary to keep up with the heightened energy requirement. Your mitochondria are the energy storehouses of your cells and are also the energy source for your skeletal muscles. Mitochondrial changes can have a positive impact on your skeletal muscle, fat tissue and even your liver, brain and kidneys. A 2013 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology1 underscores the positive vascular effects of dietary nitrates via the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. The study authors stated:2 “Dietary nitrate has been demonstrated to have a range of beneficial vascular effects, including reducing blood pressure, inhibiting platelet aggregation, preserving or improving endothelial dysfunction [and] enhancing exercise performance in healthy individuals and patients with peripheral arterial disease. Preclinical studies with nitrates or nitrites also show the potential to protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury and reduce arterial stiffness, inflammation and intimal thickness.” Are You Familiar With Fennel? Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial belonging to the carrot family — home to several aromatic plants with hollow stems, including celery, cilantro, dill and parsley. About fennel, National Geographic says, “Unlike its graceful relatives, however, fennel is clunky and funny-looking. It has a bulbous, crunchy, white stem topped with green stems and feathery leaves. Like anything with a fat bottom and a scrawny top, it inevitably invites jokes.”3 Fennel has a mild but distinctive licorice flavor that is sometimes confused with anise. While anise has a pungent taste reminiscent of black licorice, fennel, which some refer to as "sweet anise," has a sweeter, more delicate flavor.4 Unlike other vegetables and herbs, almost every part of the fennel plant including the base, stalks, leaves and seeds is edible. Fennel is well-regarded as an essential oil. The characteristic anise-like odor of fennel, which results from its essential oil, gives it wide appeal as a flavoring agent in alcoholic beverages, baked goods, fish and meat dishes and even ice cream.5 Even though it is classified as an herb, many chefs use the lower part of the fennel plant, or the bulb, as a vegetable, adding it to salads, soups and stews. The fronds that grow on the top of the plant may be used in salads or as a garnish, much like dill. You’ll get the most benefit if you grow your own fennel plants. Personally, I have not had much success in growing fennel as a bulb. My fennel bulbs are typically small and thin. For that reason, I mainly appreciate fennel for its seeds. As mentioned, I have a veritable forest of fennel in my yard. I planted it once and since it is self-propagating, it continues to multiply. Because it is so productive, you may see fennel growing wild along roadsides, in nature preserves and open pastures. Fennel seeds are often used as post-meal mouth fresheners across the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere. For maximum freshness, fennel seeds are harvested just as the flowers are beginning to dry out and turn brown. I simply clip the tops of the stalks containing flower heads and store them in a dark place for a week or two until they are fully dried. At this point, the seeds easily fall out of the flower heads and can be separated from the dried plant debris. The Many Health Benefits of Fennel The use of fennel dates back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a contraceptive. In addition, Pliny the Elder was said to have recommended fennel for epilepsy, gout, mange, scorpion stings and snakebite.6 According to the California College of Ayurveda, fennel is one of the best digestive herbs.7 They suggest adding it to your cooking, ingesting it in capsule form or drinking fennel tea. Furthermore, they note, “Some of the other marvelous features of fennel include: It dispels gas, it’s a diuretic, great for children’s colic, calming to the nerves, clears phlegm, increases the flow of milk in lactating mothers and aids in menstruation.”8 Authors of a 2014 study9 published in the journal BioMed Research International assert fennel has been used in traditional medicine to treat digestive, endocrine, reproductive and respiratory ailments, as well as a galactagogue agent for breastfeeding mothers. The researchers stated:10 “Findings based on its traditional uses and scientific evaluation indicate [fennel] remains the most widely used herbal plant. It has been used for more than 40 types of disorders. Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of numerous valuable compounds, such as volatile compounds, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids and amino acids. Compiled data indicate [fennel’s] efficacy … as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antinociceptive, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, apoptotic, cardiovascular, chemomodulatory, antitumor, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and memory-enhancing.” The polyphenols found in fennel include coumarins, flavonoids, furanocoumarins, phenolic acids and tannins, as well as common constituents like caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin and rutin.11 Upon analyzing 23 fennel samples, the study authors concluded:12 Apigenin and quercetin were the most abundant flavonoids Phenolic compounds promote increased antibacterial activity Samples with higher antioxidant activity revealed higher antiglycative activity (glycation relates to damage from high blood sugar) Seed extracts showed moderate to good inhibitory activities against three foodborne pathogens Prevent Free Radical Damage With Fennel Seeds In addition, fennel has been shown to have significant free radical scavenging potential and oxidative DNA damage preventive activity.13,14 One study, published in the journal BioMed Research International,15 screened the free radical scavenging activity of fennel seeds and carom seeds (another aromatic seed used in India, most especially in the state of Gujarat16). Notably, both seed extracts were shown to mitigate oxidative damage in calf thymus DNA. The study authors said, “These plant extracts can be considered as significant source of natural antioxidants that can withstand the deleterious effects of many diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammation and aging.”17 Fennel Seeds Promote Vascular Health A 2012 study from India18 suggests fennel seeds promote healthy vascular function mainly due to their high level of nitrites and nitrates. The researchers noted: “Results from our study show that fennel seeds contain significantly higher amount of nitrites when compared to other commonly used post-meal seeds. Furthermore, our study confirmed the functional effects of fennel derived-nitrites … that describe the promotion of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from pre‐existing ones), cell migration and vasorelaxation (dilation of blood vessels). We also showed that chewing fennel seeds enhanced nitrite content of saliva. Thus, our study indicates the potential role of fennel derived-nitrites on the vascular system.” Boost Your Athletic Performance With Fennel Seeds If you are an athlete looking to boost your performance and would like a convenient alternative to consuming nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot, celery, spinach and Swiss chard, consider fennel. By eating fennel seeds, you can get a significant bump in nitric oxide production, which will, in turn, open up your blood vessels and positively impact your workout. Given their availability, affordability (especially if you grow your own fennel) and portability, fennel seeds are a lightweight, nonperishable source of nitrates that is ideal for gym rats, outdoorsmen and high-performance athletes. As mentioned in the featured video, it’s possible chewing fennel seeds may help mountain climbers maintain oxygen levels at high altitudes and aid in preventing high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) — the most common cause of death resulting from exposure to high altitude.19 Fennel Shown Effective as a Treatment for Sun Damage In a 2016 study,20 Korean researchers sought to determine if fennel could be useful to alleviate ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoaging. The study authors suggested fennel offers photoprotective benefits for preventing and treating sun damage to your skin, further stating:21 “Fennel significantly increased the production of collagen, elastin and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) levels, while blocking matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) production in UVB irradiation-induced hairless mice, which were consistent with the result in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). Furthermore, fennel dose-dependently decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by promoting the nuclear amount of Nrf2 and enhancing the expression of cytoprotective antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH). Fennel also significantly quenched UVB-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 in NHDFs. Based on our present results, we suggest the potential of [fennel] for the prevention of skin damage caused by solar radiation.” Fennel Shown to Counteract Lead Toxicity; Minimizes Neuronal Toxicity Associated With Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Fennel also appears to be useful for ameliorating the effects of lead toxicity. While lead exposure has been greatly reduced in recent decades, it continues to be an issue in certain areas, especially impoverished urban areas. A 2018 study published in the journal Drug and Chemical Toxicology22 evaluated the neuroprotective effects of fennel seed extract on lead-induced neurotoxicity in the brains of lab mice. Nine groups of mice were administered with 0.1 percent lead and 75 percent and 100 percent ethanol extracts of fennel seeds at doses of 200 milligrams (mg) per kilogram(kg) per day and 20 mg/kg/day. The researchers noted the maximum antioxidant effect was found in the 75 percent ethanol extract. Based on their measurement of the gene expression levels of oxidative stress markers, including superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6), as well as the three isoforms of amyloid precursor protein (APP), including APP common, 770 and 695, in the cortex and hippocampus of the various mice groups, they commented:23 “[A] significant increase in APP 770 expression level [was observed] while a substantial decrease was observed for SOD1, Prdx6 and APP 695 expression in the lead-treated groups. Interestingly, the deranged expression levels were significantly normalized by the treatment with ethanol extracts of fennel seeds (specifically at dose of 200 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, the lead-induced morphological deterioration of cortical neurons was significantly improved by the ethanol extracts of fennel seeds. In conclusion, the present findings highlight the promising therapeutic potential of fennel seeds to minimize neuronal toxicity by normalizing the expression levels of APP isoforms and oxidative stress markers.” By way of explanation, lead exposure normally reduces brain cortical and hippocampal expression levels of SOD, whereas in this study scientists demonstrated fennel seeds restored protective levels of SOD in the lab mice exposed to lead. Research has linked mutations in the SOD gene to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)24 and also asserts it as a major target of oxidative damage in brains affected by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.25 Due to their potential to restore SOD levels, it’s possible fennel seeds could be helpful in preventing these diseases. When to Avoid Fennel In most cases, you should be able to tolerate fennel seeds when eating them in moderation. If you have a sensitivity to other members of the carrot family, you should avoid fennel seeds and other fennel preparations. At least one study associated the drinking of fennel tea with early onset puberty in girls.26 For this and other reasons, fennel is not recommended for children under age 18 unless approved by a doctor. On a positive note, fennel has been shown to possess antihirsutism activity, helping to combat excessive facial hair growth in a study involving 38 women who successfully applied a 1 percent fennel cream.27 In closing, if you are able to tolerate them, I highly recommend fennel seeds as an easy way to increase your nitric oxide levels and boost your vascular health.

[tommietheturtle1-blog]

The Diet Plans Of Medifast And Nutrisystem Explained

In 1972, it was maxi-dresses, Simple Bake Ovens, Watergate, half a dollar for a gallon of fuel, and Nutrisystem was born. I learn this review and all of the feedback, then I read it once more before I made a decision on Nutrisystem for men. A fast-fix weight loss program is not sometimes profitable in the lengthy-run for both men or women. You get hold of Nutrisystem meals on the web as well as your order is likely to be totally customized to your preferred meals. Nutrisystem encourages clients to include at least half-hour of train day by day. The aim of Danish High quality eating regimen is to assist a affected person lose at least 10 kilos in thirteen days. All of the Nutrisystem meals are low on the glycemic index and comprise a balanced proportion of quality carbohydrates (50%), good fats (25%) and protein (25%). And second, you will be paying for transport on many smaller orders as opposed to one larger one, which after all may even cost you more. The plan is supposed to increase your metabolism through portion management, but give you the energy you'll want to get by way of the day. Nutrisystem normally costs around $300-$330 for 28 days of meals, relying on the program you're on. This might be too dear for many people on a tight spending funds. These days where, this perform makes Nutrisystem actually interesting as an alternative of a program where it's a must to call on on a weekly basis. Contemplating that this food plan supplies an excellent portion of your meals for you, I find this to be both convenient and fairly priced. Dieters lost eight.three kilos in a month (compared with solely 2.eight kilos on a self-directed weight reduction weight loss program). Price of losing 20 kilos: $1,070 to $2,one hundred twenty, together with food, relying on rate of loss. Price: $20 for 10-week membership, plus $eighty four to $126 a week for Jenny Craig meals. Yow will discover out extra about both diets at Be sure to try my NutriSystem weight loss program review and the Jenny Craig at Home choice. This savory and tasty weight loss program meals helps you get slim and trim with out sacrificing the style. Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise with us. We're sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction in discontinuing your plan. My first thought is water retention, which (if that's the case) may very well be brought on by a sudden change in weight loss plan and often dissipates after several days. I am not picky and rarely complain about meals but Nutrisystem is literally the worst tasting meals I have had in my life. When you're not enjoying any a part of your meals, there's little likelihood that you're going to persist with the food regimen lengthy-time period. With an expected weight lack of one to two pounds per week, Nutrisystem is an affordable and very healthy option to get the sort of physique that you've at all times needed. NutriSystem for Men: For the lads who have to lose a couple of kilos but need to get pleasure from their favorites, this program satisfies their wants whereas following the balanced NutriSystem program. To that end, I am often requested which Nutrisystem package deal or program is the cheapest or the most expensive. That permits you to eating regimen with out the stress that comes with figuring out what decisions to make. There are already a lot of members who, after three months, have decided to stop on the food plan or cheat, by going to for home-cooked meals. I started the NS plan on February 15. I have never stuck with it a hundred% (a number of dinners out here and there) however I am dissatisfied that I solely misplaced 6.5 lbs. I did Nutrisystem about 25 years in the past, when there have been centers that you simply'd buy the food, have group meetings, and many others. As of August 2011, the two-week bundle costs $162.50. The average value of this plan is $eleven.61 over 14 days. The plan value is a flat fee and only varies in accordance with the particular plan that you're on. The essential plan is about $seventy five per week; this price contains all of the snacks and meals in addition to this system charge. It is essential to understand the part of the program is the addition of your personal vegetables and fruit. Women who're pregnant or nursing, those with health nutrisystem codes situations, anyone taking prescription drugs or underneath 18 years of age should contact a healthcare professional earlier than utilizing any weight-loss program, together with Nutrisystem. At the finish of the examine, the scientists discovered that mice on a excessive fat weight-reduction plan that additionally drank weight loss plan soda gained weight. If you're planing to bear this terrific weight loss program program, you will need to make room in your freezer for seven units of three meals a day. After being on the program for seven weeks I've started to appreciate that you have to not simply complement the Nutrisystem meals with greens, however the order each month leaves you quick a snack a day. I finished my pudding, comforted by the thought that there was simply sooner or later left on this plan. Medifast gave them the skills and motivation needed to develop to be more healthy individuals and their transition program taught them correct consuming habits. Nonetheless, that does not mean that Nutrisystem will absolutely help you within the weight loss course of. Hi everyone, I'm Beatrice and I began the Womens Core Fast5+ food regimen 14 days in the past. You must see a gradual increase in fats loss as your physique will get slimmer and corporations up. Diet plus exercise is completely the best way to do this! I feel it helps to know this ahead of time so your ready for it, and naturally the straightforward method to handle it is to only keep on this system till you will have misplaced 8 extra pounds than your purpose.

I think that particular person is a troll because they sound like they're utilizing your comments as a sounding board cause they failed to drop some weight on a food plan that is so darn simple and they really feel dangerous. Sure, Nutrisystem affords vegetarian plans, however vegan choices aren't out there right now. I have to lose about 24 pounds and I hear loads of individuals who appear to have the ability to lose that amount on this food regimen. I also lost 7lbs to date which has gotten me fired up and motivated to achieve my 30lb aim in 3 months on this weight loss program. I used to be having hassle in my first month on Nutrisystem when I began last October. She's a senior (82) and will not cook dinner much so eats what ever she will grab from the fridge and it is a very unbalanced weight loss plan. I combined the two kits and did the meal plan for 10 days (weekends by myself). The implication is obvious: if it is not for you, you have 2 weeks to make up your thoughts - in any other case commit to 2 months to see if this system works. As you will most likely read in different Nutrisystem weight reduction evaluations, the style will not be the one thing great about Nutrisystem meals. The meals on Nutrisystem is pretty good so I used to be a bit shocked on the fuel but now its gone, I am actual proud of the weight loss plan thus far. Soon after I saw that magazine ad, I starting seeing tv commercials like this one claiming that the Yoplait weight-reduction plan is a good way to get your physique prepared for anything. The perfect factor to do is educate your self on which weight loss plan is right for you and speak to your doctor earlier than beginning it. Slimming capsules are harmful, even when they're herbal, and they merely don't tackle the problems that cause you to overeat. This weight loss program program features many various kinds of meal plans which can be designed specifically for different shoppers. It is usually very close to a vegetarian weight loss program so it may enable you to lose a few kilos while decreasing hypertension. Should you can learn and when you can add, then it' easy to do and it is a helleva lot cheaper than Nutrisystem or any other food regimen program. Okay effectively, sorry for making this into a protracted story but I can clearly see that this is precisely what's occurring with the meals from nutrisystem. The most recent promotion has Marie Osmond staying within the driving seat as the feminine celebrity face of Nutrisystem. NutriSystem weight-loss program playing cards can be sold within the eating regimen part of about 7,000 Walgreen shops and likewise on , the corporate, which sells prepackaged, portion- and calorie-controlled meals, mentioned. Weight Watchers - Weight watchers have a substantial program for people who need to lose just a few kilos. I've achieved a 1,200 calorie weight loss plan before by myself and was successful, but was always hungry and ended up gaining the weight again as a result of I literally counted each calorie, including my vegetables. The large advantage with Nutrisystem is its designed for individuals who do not have the time or inclination to spend too much time in the kitchen! Once I received residence, I emailed NutriSystem and asked for a refund for the moldy pizza. Nevertheless, many plans obtainable, one can't know which program to work best for you might. Sure, I changed the adverts since Nutrisystem have began their new promotion for 2016 already, so I needed to include their new provides in my assessment so new guests will get the most recent information. Whatever the objective-weight loss, coronary heart health or finding a eating regimen that's straightforward to follow - most consultants concluded that it could be higher for dieters to look elsewhere. Very commonly, I get emails from individuals who have searched their local grocery stores, pharmacies, super centers, and health food or diet stores for Nutrisystem meals. They look within the diet aisle, within the well being meals aisle, after which in the athletics aisle in an attempt to search out the meals. This isn't a weight-reduction plan that is so low in energy that it needs physician supervision like optifast and others, which have 800 energy or less per day. I ordered Nutrisystem as a result of I thought it could be a great to have pre-ready meals and save me the time that I used to be spending doing meal prep. Nutrisystem, well-known for its diabetic program, is expanding its health segment choices to include a SPRINT weight loss program compliant plan. Total, the health consultants were lukewarm on veganism regardless of giving it fairly high marks as a diabetes or coronary heart-disease food regimen. It helps to get coupons for this meals, however both means, it's usually less expensive than what you'd pay if you happen to tried to purchase groceries after which cook weight loss plan food for your self. Yes, it does and it is one of the recommended methods of getting on monitor along with your weight loss program. That is the primary food plan I've been on the place i shouldn't have to make a ton of decisions and I feel completely glad all day long! It is principally 30 cans of Chef Boyardee and Campbell's soup in NutriSystem packaging. What's more, is that once you purchase elements for one individual, lots tends to go to waste because of the sheer amount you should purchase in one go. For all these causes, NutriSystem is right for someone who lives alone. And sure, yes, yes when you've the help of the individual you live with, it truly is easier to succeed on this weight loss plan (and certainly anything you put each your minds to)! Two weeks is never sufficient to know when a weight loss program is working or not but should you felt it wasn't for you, then its higher to stop earlier than the second month gets shipped. And undecided why I have to name since Nutrisystem has something in writing with my identify, etc. My solely fear was what occurs after the food plan ends, however I have been reading among the different comments right here and I am reassured I can proceed consuming better food in smaller portions and never revert to my outdated snacking habits. Jenny Craig food plan program gives the food you'll want to lose the weight, together with different gadgets it's important to buy your self from the grocery store. Additional Costs For Nutrisystem: Counseling, Membership Fees, And so on.: That is all free. Nonetheless when you've got consumed over 2 weeks of the food, after which ask for a cancellation EARLIER THAN the second months is billed - Nutrisystem will charge a $99 cancellation charge. You'll eat 3 meals and 2 snacks of prepackaged, portion controlled Nutrisystem food day by day. I headed to my local Walmart and bought a Nutrisystem 5 day weight reduction package which included fifteen entrees and five desserts. Pregnant ladies, who typically have to consult with their physician instead for his or her diet.