Writing Articles Fast and Effectively in 3 Easy Steps

Most people think too much when it comes to writing an interesting article. When you think too much it usually means you are thinking about yourself rather than your reader. It is a lot like public speaking. If you have ever tried speaking to a large group you know that all you can think about is yourself and how your audience is accepting your message. 

In reality, every member of your audience is much more focused on themselves. Only a minor part of their awareness is devoted to you.

Same thing goes for article writing. You don't need to devote huge chunks of your time in hopes of writing the world's best article. Simply organize your thoughts and 'hold the hand' of your reader. 

Guide them through the process following a 3-step protocol:

1: Tell them what you plan to tell them:

This is where you give them a quick outline of what you plan to present.

2: Tell them:

It's time for your well-written and to the point message.

3: Tell them what you told them:

Just a quick wrap-up and review of your focus points will do.

Strive for a clear, concise, simple and memorable message. Nobody really wants to spend more than 20 minutes on writing any single article. Likewise, most readers appreciate writing that makes its point(s) then quickly lets them move on to something else. Staying with the 3-step protocol helps you do this. With it, you are able to impact the reader very quickly without sacrificing quality or putting them to sleep.

One secret to avoid thinking too much is to have several different topics in the back of your mind at all times. I know that sounds like just the opposite of my over-think message. However, keeping several topics on the 'burner' actually helps you avoid 'analysis paralysis' and getting bogged down in content that nobody wants to read.. Picking a topic after you sit down to write your article is a guaranteed way to over-think what you are doing. 

The strategy of having a few articles 'brewing' continually gives you a quick short-cut in terms of topic and content.

Practicing this technique helps out in another big way. When your topics 'incubate' in your sub-conscious mind, additional article ideas will magically appear in your head. You will also find that during the 'incubation' period you will form new thought patterns as your mind prepares itself. The result is a better and more informative article. When it's time to actually sit (for twenty minutes) and write, the words will flow easily and you will have solved the previous problem of thinking too much.

Practicing this will also enable you to keep your articles short, concise and to the point. For your reader, a shorter article will be much more useful and interesting, as well.

Three or four hundred words is just fine in terms of the length a useful and interesting article should be.

To your health and wealth

K.C.Moore, RPh

Memory Expansion Techniques and Tricks

When it comes to improving and strengthening your memory just a few lifestyle modifications can be a big help! Let's start with an often overlooked component by asking, how is your sleep?

Poor sleep is a widespread problem in our society and costs the nation billions of dollars every year in the form of accidents, reduced productivity in the workplace, time away, etc.

On the other hand, healthy sleep can also serve as a foundation to promote a good memory in addition to many other benefits. In fact, good sleep habits have been determined to be the single most important factor in longevity. More than diet, exercise, genetics, cholesterol levels, etc.

There are four different stages of sleep. In one of these stages the sleeper's eyes dart about very quickly for a period of time. One can watch this phenomenon occur as the sleeper's eyes roll around behind the closed eyelids. This sleep stage is called REM for 'rapid eye movement. It is during this stage that we undergo a mental 'battery re-charge.' This 're-charge' phase clears the mind and helps it work more efficiently.

An improved memory can be one of the benefits. Poor sleep reduces the time we spend in the REM phase.

Some basics:

To develop a better memory we must also think about nutrition. Omega-3 (fish oil) supplements have been recently credited with playing a role in a wide variety of brain functions. Improved memory is just one of them. Improved student classroom performance over all has also been reported.

Your brain needs its favorite fuel (sugar) to function at its best. Your memory will be marginal if your brain is low on fuel.

Try these techniques: to enhance your memory:

Mental connections and hooks work well if you are trying to remember a person's name. When introduced to someone new you can associate a memorable physical observation about that person. This will be your mental 'hook.' Mental hooks work best when they 'attach' to a notable attribute of the person whose name you wish to remember.

Mnemonic devices.

This technique is where you make up a word where the first letter of the word helps remind you of a task you need to do. Good examples are found in abbreviations we all know: NBA, NFL.

When closing my pharmacy at the end of the day my staff uses the mnemonic device: LOCK. The reminder is so they always do the following: L is for lights turned off. O is for ordering new medications for the following day. C is for computers turned off and K is for the security key which must be kept in a certain place.

Try inventing a new mnemonic device for remembering something important.

How your memory works:

Consider the word WIRES which is a mnemonic device to remember the five different memory types. If you can remember the five types then you have a better chance of applying the right type to each situation.

The five memory types are:

Working: This is the memory type that a cook or food server needs to do their job. Many details to keep track of over a short time span.

Intrinsic: Is the type of memory that stays with you once you learn it. An example would be riding a bike.

Remote: Is the ability to remember things not in your current environment such as a vacation several years back.

Episodic: Is the ability to remember which past event occurred first. A new car you had years ago or the opening of President Clinton's library.

Semantic: Is the type of memory connected with the meaning of words.

Try to be aware of each of these 5 types of memory when you catch yourself using them. As you increase your awareness of when you are using these 5 memory types you will become better at using them.

To your good health

K.C. Moore, RPh

Physical and Financial Fitness - The Connection

Health struggles can affect your financial life; so can your financial problems affect your health. When you've got less money, you're more likely to dwell upon your personal finances than your health and fitness. Stress and depression occur in tough financial times more frequently than when the checkbook is well supplied.

The Simple:

Don't smoke, exercise 1/2 hour daily, wear your seat belt, floss your teeth (to avoid heart disease) and have regular medical check-ups (before you get sick).

The Obvious:

Poor finances are associated with more disease. While the economy is consistently rated as issue number one in most people's minds, the impact that poor health has on one's finances is profound! Accordingly, obesity, for example, is a very real threat to the finances of individual families as well as to our nation as a whole. 

We live in a country where one of every three people weighs more than the other two. Obesity is associated with nearly $350 billion in medical expenses and will reach more than one-fifth health-care spending before the year 2020. The financial and emotional burdens upon the individual families with diabetic members is correspondingly high!

Today's children are members of the first generation that will not live longer than their parents. Obesity is a major culprit behind that statistic. Moreover, the United States holds another distinctive position. It is unique among countries of the world in that the number one health threat to children in lower socio-economic groups is NOT starvation! It is, in fact, obesity. Heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other maladies come along for the ride.

The very real fact is that if people will incorporate some very simple preventive measures into their lives, their finances could see a dramatic boost! The preventive measures are frequently touted in the media and are likely well-known to all of us: Avoid tobacco, get exercise, lose weight, healthy diet etc.

With finances occupying such a huge segment of people's 'worry lists,' it's very helpful to know that control of health AND wealth can go hand-in-hand. It is just a matter of implementation.

Action Items:

One difficult part about starting any sort of exercise program is holding onto the belief that there is such a long way to go before any measurable results become apparent. It is crucial to let yourself understand that even the smallest amount of exercise is immensely better than remaining sedentary. Understanding that important point will remove the obstacles that arise when you feel that any new effort today would be futile.

You will have a much greater chance of success if you recruit a friend to go with you and to prod you to stick with the program. Find someone with your same situation and bolster each other toward the goal.

Just do it!

To your financial and physical health.

K.C. Moore, RPh

Wealth Building Strategies That Work

Wealth-building is NOT rocket science. It can readily be thought of as being a very logical step-by-step process. Continuity and persistence are the keys!

Starting Early:

Giving yourself plenty of time is the surest way to end up in the top rankings of folks who are actually ready for the 'de-cumulation' years. That is the time when people transition from the years of ACCUMULATING to the retirement/spending years.

Mathematics:

If people in their mid-twenties would begin a savings and investing program BEFORE spending habits become entrenched look at what can happen:

Let's say that a couple just starting out decides to set aside 1/4 of their earnings and put those dollars to work at even a modest (safe) rate of return. By the time they reach their retirement age, they will have in the bank EVERY penny that ever passed through their hands!

The key to starting early is to begin the savings habit immediately (BEFORE taking on all those obligations and mortgages that are so easy and attractive). Saving money truly is simply a matter of habit. It can be a little painful at the start but after a few months of your new mind-set you will realize that the new reality is that you are doing just fine living on fewer dollars.

It's very important to also put in place insurance and other 'fail-safe' measures to deal with the unpredictable. The comfort and peace of mind that accompany your new reality are immense!

Starting later:

If you cave in to the promise of short-term rewards, starting the savings habit is both more difficult to do AND more painful. Still... really worth it although the rewards will be worth LESS! (unless you win the lottery along the way)

NOT Starting at all:

I really hope this will not be your scenario. However, the sad fact is that this is where most people find themselves. Currently, the mean value for savings portfolios in our country for folks age 65 and older is $54,326. If they don't continue to work for the indefinite future, these folks will soon outlive their money! A fate I would love to see you avoid!

If you are at or near the age where this sounds like you, your only alternative is to keep working (I hope you love your job). That, or develop some new marketable skills. Of course, people end up in this boat I'm describing through misfortune and such rather than not planning. However, lack of planning is the biggest culprit!

Make it a strong point to put yourself in control and start preparing for the older version of yourself that you will be meeting down the road sooner than you may think.

To your health and wealth,

K.C. Moore, RPh

Nutritional Supplements--Affiliates Targeting You

What happens:

When most people hear the word 'supplements' they most frequently equate the word with some sort of weight loss pill, potion or some such concoction.

As a pharmacist, my definition of 'supplement' is focused more on health support and on providing the body with nutrients that many of us are missing (much to our peril).

Unfortunately, many supplement promoters try to associate with some sort of miracle weight-loss 'fad' that is over-hyped and under-studied. Buzz-word laden Information on these 'fad' compounds are brought to you by either its maker or a paid affiliate.

In this instance, the definition of affiliate is someone who finds a hot product and makes money by selling it to a targeted and hungry market.

For the affiliate who latches onto such a product there are very lucrative commissions involved. A focus on big bucks motivates the affiliate to go to great lengths to find you. Once they do they wish tell you what they have been told to say about the product.

Often, the affiliate will fully believe the message the product creators have loaded into their heads. The affiliate's complete belief in what they have heard makes them come across to you as being very sincere. So you believe it and buy it. The affiliate stuffs your money in their pocket and moves on to the next target.

The products come and go in terms of convincing-sounding names and claims. You can literally take a product that sold very well several years ago with promises of easy weight-loss and insert the name of today's hot replacement. The names change, the claims (and cash-flow incentives) remain the same. And when they tell you that their experts pore over scientific journals to find the truth about the most effective fat burners on the planet, you take them at their word. 

True supplements (by my definition) provide you with a valuable health-promoting nutrient that you likely need and are NOT getting for a wide variety of reasons. Weight loss may or may NOT be a factor.

I am NOT at all interested in weight-loss 'magic bullets' that defy science. The truth of the matter is that you cannot lose 30 pounds in 30 days! The only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more.

What should happen:

What I am interested in is digging out the truth on health-promoting and health-sustaining nutrients. Take Selenium, for example. A few years ago, the Cleveland Clinic conducted a study wherein they took a look at levels of the element Selenium in the soil of various locations throughout the United States.

What they found was a much higher level of auto-immune and heart disease as well as psoriasis associated with areas of the country where Selenium levels are on the low side.

Today, Selenium is a nutritive supplement available in a wide variety of retails settings. Importantly, the price of Selenium supplements is very low. It is not a high-priced 'fad' pill being promoted by cash-hungry affiliates Don't listen to the 'hype'. Instead, do your own research to find what your body needs to sustain itself.

You can learn the truth about various claims by contacting the FTC at 1-877-ftc-help. Or on line at http://ftc.gov/redflag

To your good health

K.C. Moore, RPh

Slowing The Aging Process---Doable Or Wishful Thinking?

The keys to a more youthful you.

Ask most people what they believe is the first sign of aging and they will most-often describe something they have observed about their skin. Wrinkles, sagging, and general appearance occupy much of their focus. A close second place goes to answers including memory loss and one's thought processes in general.

In my experience, the results people seek when they wish to slow the aging process depends on their relative age. In the younger crowd the focus is more on appearance. Older groups tend to focus on retaining function. Loss of independence is the driving fear with most people as they age.

We are all constantly bombarded with information and products promising help with various aging topics. As a pharmacist I am often asked whether various 'anti-aging' products really work. Even the 'experts' I consult seem to agree that the "answer" is "yes and no."

On the YES side of the ledger there are successes in physical appearance. For example, moisture enhancers can (temporarily) produce a more hydrated and youthful-appearing skin surface. My experts agree that even the really cheap moisture adding products work every bit as well as do the very costly brands.

Unrealistic product claims have long gained many followers. Promoters target the huge percentage of us that have a strong desire to believe sometimes outrageous claims. To avoid disappointment as well as wasting your time and money remember: If the claims for a product's results seem to be unbelievable DO NOT believe the claims!

Improved skin appearance is nice and comes with some psychological rewards in addition. Logic says, however, that It should be much more important to people that they control aging issues that affect health and function, activity level, mental acuity, wellness, and general well-being.

On this front, there are many exciting changes. For example, studies have shown repeatedly that people who maintain a favorable body weight reduce the risk of heart disease by a very significant percentage. Diabetes risks are modulated, as well. Prevention of many other diseases is seen in groups that eat well and exercise.

Preventive medicine:

Amazingly, clinical trials have actually shown that people with NORMAL cholesterol levels can benefit from taking cholesterol-lowering treatment. Studies have shown a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke) by 37% when patients started taking a statin (cholesterol reducing) medication! This group of medications are available in generic (cheap) formulations. They are also very well tolerated and safe for most groups of people. 

Mental acuity also goes hand-in-hand with exercise and challenging one's brain with games and learning new skills. Remember, even a tiny bit of exercise has a huge effect compared with doing nothing!

Every day in my pharmacy practice, people relate to me how aging is affecting the quality of their lives. They believe this is how it's supposed to be. Low energy, loss of muscle tone, loss of memory, loss of concentration, difficulty with excess weight and mood changes.

The good news is that though it is normal to have some function decline, your quality of life does not have to diminish. In fact you CAN remain healthy, with vitality, stamina and energy for a longer time by aging successfully.

Good practices:

Pay ongoing attention to nutrition including key supplements such as vitamin-D, Omega-3 oils and others. It has also been shown that health benefits exist for those who eat 5-6 small meals daily rather than 1-3 meals that mom always stressed as being important.

Also maintain adequate hydration. In many ways the aging process is one of 'drying out'.

Quality sleep:

Sleep specialist physicians with whom I have discussed the importance of sleep have shared surprising information. More than once they have told me that healthy sleep has been credited with being the single most important determinant of longevity. That is very surprising and powerful medicine as well as being enjoyable.

To your good health,

K.C. Moore, RPh

Creating Creativity---A Skill, Not A Gift

Creativity is often thought of as a gift or as an aspect of someone's being. Creative people are often thought of as having "been born that way." Many people will interact with a person reputed to be a 'creative genius' and assume that such creativity will never exist for them.

I believe that someone who is labeled as being 'creative' is really someone who is good at keeping secrets. People who don't disclose information as to where (or from whom) they may have learned something can appear to be quite brilliant at times. Even mysterious and awe-inspiring.

To 'boost' your own creativity, begin by encouraging your mind to see things differently. Simple things like driving a different and unfamiliar route to a very familiar destination can open new thought pathways. Scientists report that simply brushing your teeth with a different hand can spark new and subtle insights. New thought patterns.

Other changes you can employ include adding 1 or 2 new words to your vocabulary every week. To really incorporate and 'own' a new word it is important to use it 5 times in conversations with other people over the span of a few days. Make those new words really yours and your mind will begin seeing things differently (and creatively). You will see (and think) things you did not see/think before.

An additional approach to creativity is to notice things from a different perspective. You have felt the steering wheel of your car with your hands countless times. However, have you ever really noticed it? Is it smooth or irregular when you brush it with your thumb? How about your 'baby' finger? What does it sound like when you thump it with your finger? How about when you tap it with your ring? Your fingernail? etc. etc.

These actions may seem trivial and even silly. However, it is a mistake to under estimate the amazing power of the human mind to extrapolate ideas from one environment to another. To see things from a vantage point that others have never considered is at the core of what it means to be creative.

Consider how a child may play with and explore something new in their environment. Then consider the fact that no matter how old (experienced) you may be, the world can be a continual source of brand new perspectives for you.

The subconscious (creative) mind gives back to you more and more of what you expect it to do. Raising your expectation level can be the stumbling block because our thinking habits can form some very deep and repetitive behavior 'ruts'. Still whether you are pursuing more creativity (or any other attribute) remember the adage, "by the inch it's a cinch. By the yard it's hard."

Start low and go slow. Then remember to reward yourself with congratulatory praise when you learn that new word, drive that new route or see the old and familiar with a new view. Your mind loves such praise and will respond by giving you more creative insights and ideas.

To being all you can be-

K.C. Moore, RPh

Omega-3 Fish Oil - A Dietary Supplement Like No Other

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. This means that they are necessary for human health but the body can't make them. The three basic types of fatty acids are EPA (eicosapentanoic acid), DHA (docosohexanoic acid) and LNA (alpha linolenic acid).

You will probably not face a quiz asking you to recite those tongue twisters any time soon. Just remember omega-3. The only way to get this marvelous food substance is through the food you eat. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in both plant sources (flax seed oil) and animal sources (fish oil). Researchers agree that the best kinds of omega-3 fatty acids come from animal sources. 

Foods such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and halibut are good examples.

These compounds play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Now much evidence exists that they also reduce the risk of heart disease. Especially sudden cardiac death.

The American Heart Association now recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least twice (two servings) a week. Each serving is a little under four ounces cooked, or about ¾ cup of flaked fish.

Increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption through foods is preferable. However, those with a higher risk for coronary artery disease may not get enough omega-3 by diet alone. These people may also be candidates for supplements. Patients with high triglycerides may be helped even more with larger doses.

Also on the list of benefits is that of helping to lower cancer and arthritis. Patients have told me that they have also seen a profound effect with omega-3 supplementation and improved grades in school on the part of their children. Increased ability to focus and concentrate in the classroom have been reported again and again.

Another reported benefit is that of reducing inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to being the source of many underlying disease processes. So reducing inflammation has long been a goal of research medicine. Improvement in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis has appeared in the literature, as well.

Omega-3 products have long been widely available over the counter. There is now also a prescription-only omega-3 product known as Lovaza. Other health benefits have been reported in ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, depression, ADHD, Bi-polar disorder and more.

A caution note:

Because omega-3 oils can increase bleeding risk, be sure to let your physician know before you start supplementing and be sure to mention how much you are taking. This is especially important if you also take aspirin, Coumadin or Plavix. It is also important to add in a mix of omega-6 oils when you start taking omega-3 products. Your health care provider can advise you on this topic.

Omega-3 products can also raise blood sugar levels so diabetic patients need to be aware of this fact. The list of reported benefits is much longer that I've mentioned in this article. 

Be sure to learn all you can about this amazing group of supplements.

To your good health

K.C. Moore, RPh

KC's Blog

Hello, I'm pharmacist KC Moore.  In addition to my part-time pharmacy
practice I also have a strong interest in writing articles about topics of
interest to me (and, hopefully of interest to you).

I like subjects about preventive medicine, health, nutrition, exercise, travel
and self-improvement.  Also, I like writing product reviews about cool stuff.