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Throughout the middle class there is a personal finance disaster looming as personal debt rises to record levels. If you’re struggling with personal debt levels or even getting close, here’s a simple first step to turning it all around…Credit card debt is often the biggest personal debt load after a mortgage. When you got your first credit card, you most likely promised yourself you’d treat it with respect – you’d keep it for emergencies and pay it off in full whenever you did need to use it, right? Not quite the way it turned out though, is it?Your personal finance plan worked OK at first, but then that started to slip and through habit you started using your credit cards more and more and today you couldn’t possibly pay them all off this month – or even in the next 2 or 3 months, most likely. And how many times have you sworn you’d stop using them for a while and get things back under control? Unless you’re foolishly overspending for your current income and debt load, the problem is convenience.The earliest credit cards were for those already fairly well off, to help them keep their accounting simple. They weren’t thought of as credit cards but as ‘travel & entertainment’ cards, and they HAD to be paid off in full every month. Diners Club, American Express and a few others led the pack, and most people would be better off today if all cards still worked that way.But then there was a demand for ‘convenience’ cards among the growing middle class and Chargex was created to fill that need. Over time Chargex became Visa, MasterCard emerged on the scene and department stores began creating their own credit card programs, usually at a much higher interest rate. In the 1960′s and 1970′s the western economies were moving ahead full-tilt and credit became easier and easier to obtain – and people slowly started using credit cards instead of cash for many, if not most, of their purchases.In theory, that should create more jobs, build the economy and lead to greater income for all, making it easier to pay higher and higher credit card bills each month. Cardholders would make a major purchase and just pay part of it the next month, then make another major purchase before paying off the existing balance. People still made their payments each month, but each payment was more than the minimum but less than the full balance. And over time most people’s personal finance plan went out the window, replaced by higher credit limits, more cards and more total debt.You know you’ve hit the point where you need to pay your cards off, or at least pay them down, if for no better reason than to save all of the interest you’re paying across all your cards. Fortunately, Visa and MasterCard recognize the issue too, and have a solution that can be your first step in correcting your current personal finance imbalance – the pre-paid credit card.Don’t mistake these for the gift cards you see by the cash registers of the big chain stores. These are actual reloadable cards that are accepted just like any other credit card worldwide. And while they’re still referred to as credit cards, they really aren’t – there’s no credit involved since you can only use them up to the dollar amount you’ve already deposited on your account. You do pay a small monthly fee for these reloadable pre-paid credit cards, but in most cases it’s far less than the interest you’re paying currently.So if you’re serious about taking control of your finances and starting to dig you way out of debt, get yourself one of these cards today – or at least this week. They’re available at many banks, some big organizations like the auto club, and a variety of other outlets. Be sure to find out the fees for the card, the maximum and minimum loads you can put on the card, and double-check to be sure it’s a reloadable prepaid card. Most can be loaded online through your bank, but check to be sure so you don’t run into any problems.Load the card with enough to get you through each month, with a little extra just in case – there’s nothing wrong with building up a bit of a cash balance. Then take the other credit cards out of your wallet or purse and put them away in a safe place for now – if you keep them on you you’ll end up using them from habit, not from need. Keep paying as much as you can on them each month, just don’t use them. That will keep them in good standing in case of emergency, but your balance will be dropping each month. If you’re deep in debt most of your payment will be eaten up by interest, but the total will drop a bit – and each month it will drop by a little more since the interest drops as the outstanding balance does.This is by no means a cure-all for your personal debt, but it IS a step in the right direction and a fairly painless one at that. You’re starting to wrest back control over your personal finances and moving toward a viable personal finance plan. As you see your overall credit card debt receding, use the confidence and motivation it brings to tackle other aspects of your personal finances and bring them under control as well. Your current situation stems from too little income, overspending or both – your goal over time is to balance that back out in your favor. You CAN do it – just be sure to focus on solutions instead of worrying about your current debt load or worse yet, ignoring the problem.

There is a universal wisdom to live a healthy life, but this is not possible unless we all follow a healthy eating lifestyle. If we particularly look at the current scenario, the majority of Americans are constantly battling with food and looking for alternatives in the world to loss their weight. Though many cities in the United States are crowded with numerous health and fitness clubs and local grocery stores are bombarded with low-fat, sugar-free or salt-free products, still the majority of people are overweight. In fact, in other words, we can say that the major population of the United States is unhealthy.The American diet that generally consists largely of fried food, candy or soda ranks high in fat and processed ingredients and small in nutrients. In addition to this, many youths are taking processed foods that primarily contain upper levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat than unprocessed foods. However, if we look at the certain cultures around the world and have insights on their traditional diets or eating lifestyles, we can easily see that they are not just healthy, but also protect bodies against scourges like depression, cancer and heart disease. Many researchers consider that pursuing such diets can help you live with excellent health. So, before you make that transition in your eating lifestyle, here is some of the healthiest eating lifestyle around the world that you must know-Japanese Eating LifestyleIt is really hard to find an overweight person in Japan. Contrasting to most Western cultures that mostly use the term “food” with pleasure, Japanese too relates eating with healing, but in relation to eating habits, they eat what can keep their bodies healthy, both from outside and inside as well. Basically, the Japanese diet consists of soy products, fresh fish, vegetables, green tea. Their daily meal mostly includes cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, cabbage, watercress, kale, parsnips, and turnips. Adding to this, seaweed is the primary component of the Japanese diet for centuries. It is often seen wrapped around bites of sushi. Though at times, it can be seen in salads or soups.Chinese Eating LifestyleVery similar to the Japanese, Chinese people also consider seafood as an important part of their meal that affects overall health. It is not consumed just for the sake of the taste, but for the benefits that it generally provides to the body, mind and spirit. Usually the Chinese diet is abundant with vegetables, soybeans, with very little amounts of sugar and dairy products. Their diet is mostly based on clean and fresh ingredients. The most interesting point to note in Chinese eating lifestyle is they always try to maintain a balance in life through food and diet. They follow a yin/yang approach that basically involves eating foods to heal the body. They give great consideration to what they eat and frequently pursue specific diets to make sure that they preserve this important balance. Their diet is relatively simple, yet it provides many health benefits.French Eating LifestyleIn terms of overall disease rates and obesity statistics, one cannot deny the reality that the French population is considered as one of the healthiest populations in the world. If you talk about the eating style of French then it mostly includes butter, bread, wine, read meat, full-fat cheese, and of course, dessert. The French population is major food lovers and regularly indulges on pommes frites. Apart from all this, the French diet also includes a range of heart-healthy ingredients and vegetables or fruits are used liberally in meals. Unlike the Americans who generally prefer the quick way of eating, French on another hand hardly ever eats anything dehydrated or hydrogenated.Mediterranean Eating LifestyleThe Mediterranean region is basically comprised of several countries situated in the Northern Africa, Southern Europe and the Middle East that surrounds the Mediterranean Sea. If we talk about the eating lifestyle of the Mediterranean region, it consists of seasonally fresh fruits, nuts, fish and bean. Moreover, their diet also includes loads of green leafy vegetables, which are rich in beta-carotene and healthy antioxidants. The Mediterranean diet is generally motivated by fishermen and is mostly based on seasonal ingredients. People living in this region mostly prefer to eat fresh food items at different times throughout the year.Today it is no hidden secret that people who pursue traditional eating styles are healthier. Cultures that have always enjoyed eating styles or diets, which are based on whole grains, fish, and natural foods, still maintain to reap the health rewards. As a result, it will better to take the best of what each traditional diet eating lifestyle has to offer. It’s time to make a transition in your eating lifestyle with a meal that features the best traditional and healthiest cuisines from around the world.