Top 3 Natural Ways to Fight the Signs of Aging

Sell your dvd’s and recycle your cd’s – make money online with Musicmagpie

As the cost of living increases, any way to generate more disposable income is likely to be of interest. Auction sites such as eBay may have provided the means by which people are able to sell unwanted goods online. However, the time, effort and hassle of listing relatively low-value items can prove too much for some. This has led to the creation of a number of new services such as MusicMagpie.

Auction sites require a fair amount of effort in creating listings, responding to queries, packing and despatching goods and handling feedback. Very few people can spare the time to manage these disparate activities. In contrast, the latest services offer an instant solution for thousands of would-be sellers, allowing them to rapidly generate a little extra cash from their old CDs and DVDs.

The way in which these sites work is fairly straightforward. Taking Music Magpie as an example, the user scans the barcode of a CD or DVD (including movies and games) to receive an instant valuation online. Assuming the user wants to proceed with the transaction, he or she simply prints off some freepost labels and uses these to send the goods in question. For anyone wishing to send a larger number of CDs or DVDs in one transaction, a fully insured courier service is available.

After the items have been received and checked, the user is sent a cheque. Selling unwanted CDs and DVDs really is that straightforward. There are no listings. No bidding wars. No disputes. Just a simple send and receive service.

MusicMagpie members can thus make a little extra cash through selling their unwanted titles. Clearly the service will not make millionaires out of its users, but it is likely to help out on rainy days. CDs tend to sell for around 50-70p on MusicMagpie. However, some items (e.g., compilations and double albums) may exceed £2.00. DVDs can attract higher margins.

Clearly the more CDs and DVDs a user has to sell, the more money they can make from MusicMagpie. Someone with a CD collection comprising 100 or more titles could make anything from £50 to £200, while a user with plenty of movies and games could earn substantially more.

The market continues to evolve. For example, earlier this year, MusicMagpie further simplified the task of selling unwanted CDs and DVDs with the introduction of a free consumer app (available on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch). This enables users to scan barcodes and to sell items with minimal fuss and has proven popular with users.

What to Eat Before and After Gastric Band Surgery

Undertaking a gastric band surgery is undoubtedly a big step in someone’s life. It won’t just represent a solution to a serious weight problem, but the start of a new life-style. This weight loss procedure is specifically designed to treat cases of severe obesity and it is usually recommended to people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or higher than 30. The purpose of the operation is to physically limit the amount of food intake, by applying an adjustable band around the top segment of the stomach.

In order to enjoy the full benefits of this important surgery procedure, the patient will have to change his/her eating patterns radically, and religiously stick to them, starting few weeks prior to the operation. Below are some rough guidelines on what is better to eat before and after the operation, provided by The Hospital Group.

Pre-Operative Diet
Sticking to a liquid-only diet for at least two weeks prior to the operation is essential to prepare your body for the surgery. Though very tough, this is going to be the first step towards a healthier life-style.

0-2 weeks Post Surgery
The liquid-only diet should be carried on over the first two weeks after the operation. This will be crucial to the healing process and will ensure maximum benefits from the surgery. The ideal amount of liquid food to be consumed daily ranges between 2.5 and 3.5 litres. This may consist of semi-skimmed milk, soup, teas and, of course, a good amount of water. Remember to keep portion sizes to a maximum of 200 ml (a bit less than a cup).

2-4 weeks Post Surgery
A soft food diet can be started from the 2nd to 4th week from the operation. This may include a range of foods such as eggs, purees, mashed bananas, low fat cottage cheese and much more. Fluids are very important as well, but make sure you only drink few hours after your meals.

4 weeks Onwards
Diet can go back to “normal” from the 4th week onwards. You could now start eating solid food and add new flavours to your meals, but always remember that your stomach is now set on a different capacity. Portions will have to be small. Using a child’s or a tea plate is a handy trick to fool your eyes and make you feel like you’re eating more. Also, try and eat as slow as possible and chew your food well. Not only this will facilitate the digestion process, but it will allow you to really enjoy your food.
Sticking to these basic nutrition guidelines (and to those specifically provided by your doctor) is crucial for both accelerating the healing process and ensuring successful weight loss in the short to long term. Though quantities will necessary be getting smaller, nothing forbids you to improve the quality of your food, enjoying the good cuisine with a renewed appetite for life.