How much you should spend on an Engagement Ring?

This might be the question that a lot of the grooms to be are having difficulty with. The most popular answer to this question might be two months of your salary. If you wish to stay with it that’s fine, but the question is do you feel comfortable with it? For me, you should certainly not spending whatever amount you do not feel comfortable with, regardless if you can afford it or not. In the end, the cost of an engagement ring does not measure the love you have for her.


To dig a little deeper to the whole reason for an engagement ring, in ancient time, it really meant that this woman is taken- no more no less! But of course these days it is simply a gift to signify your commitment to take the relationship to the next level. There’s definitely no monetizing value to it when you think about it.

When determining on the spending of an engagement ring, we should not merely concentrating on one’s salary, but we must consider one’s financial situation all together.

A person can have a high pay job but at the same time deep indebted. In this case, I think it’s completely wrong to consider spending 2 months of the person’s salary for an engagement ring.

The age of the couple is also another consideration when looking for engagement ring. If it is a young couple just starting out, they would possibly have student loans to be repaid or other bills to be paid. If spending on an engagement ring means delaying the plan of buying a house, then it is obviously not the way to go.

At the end, if your spending on an engagement ring is affect your living standard, then you should really consider if the amount you wish to spend is appropriate. Don’t get too hung up on the cost; I have seen a case when a guy spent a considerable amount of cash on a Tiffany engagement ring without knowing his fiancé completely hates Tiffany. That really put her in a tough situation where she either ask him to return the ring or accept the ring she doesn’t like; either way nobody is happy.

Therefore, it is clever to take notice on your fiancé’s preferences on jewelry such as color of metal, shape of the stone, type of ring settings, etc. After all, it is better to buy her something she likes rather than concentrating too much on the price. After all, the love you have for each other is invaluable!

If you wish to learn more about different styles of engagement rings or things to look for when choosing a diamond for your engagement ring, please check out my blog, My Simple Engagement Ring to find out.

Limiting the Consumption of Bad Cholesterol Foods to Enjoy a Healthy Life

To stay as healthy life, it is vital to avoid bad cholesterol foods that are rich in harmful trans-fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol. All red meats and pork are excessive in cholesterol such as:

• Margarine

• Cream Cheese

• Sour Cream

• Butter

• Fried Foods

• Fat-Laden Dairy Products

• Fat-Laden Cheese Products

Hydrogenated oils contain trans-fats and can be found in many processed foods including breads, donuts, package cookies, and French fries. It is essential to study the ingredients label of all packaged food before consuming it. Any product that lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils will likely contain trans-fats.

Skip Fast Foods

Remember though that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lets food manufacturers to list any of their products that carry up to .5 g of hydrogenated oil in trans-fats as having 0 grams. Anytime you eat any foods without reading the label, it is crucial to believe the worst about how good the item is for you. It most likely is much more beneficial to pass up fast foods altogether, as you are aiming to improve living.

Good Cholesterol Foods

To ensure you are eating good cholesterol foods, stick to a diet that is rich in vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and good fats. Quality protein can be obtained by consuming nonfat dairy, soy products, fish, and a variety of lean meats including skinless turkey and chicken.

Give some thought to shifting to consuming oils that are only high in monounsaturated fats, including canola or olive oil. Additionally, make sure that you eat loads of foods that are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, such as most fish. You can also take it like a supplement. Nutritionists and doctors think it is advisable to eat a minimum of 1 gram of omega-3 oils everyday of both EPA and DHA variety that are both heart healthy. As a way to increase your health while increasing your cholesterol levels, consider doing cardiovascular exercises at the least three times every week.

Restricting Bad Cholesterol Foods

Limiting your intake of bad cholesterol foods might help improve your health dramatically. To be successful, consider limiting your:

Meat and Eggs - It is recommended to control your consumption of whole eggs. As advised by the American Heart Association, men and women should eat a maximum of just one whole egg every day. Instead, think about using egg substitute or egg-whites in recipes. You should also minimize your consumption of organ meats including sweetbreads and liver, in addition to high-fat cuts of beef that include:

• Porterhouse Steak

• Tenderloin

• T-bone

• Brisket of Beef

• Rib-Eye

• Flank Steak

Dairy Products - Reduce your intake of bad cholesterol foods, including whole fat dairy products (whole milk, butter, etc.). Instead switch to 1% milk, low-fat milk, and low-fat dairy products.

Oils, Sides, and Desserts - Limiting the consumption of foods which contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils tend to make a remarkable improvement on your health. Limiting or eliminating Chips, cakes, crackers, pastries, muffins, pies, donuts, and cookies will help you live a healthier life.

Remember that eating a cholesterol-friendly meal is not about limiting how you eat but making better choices of what you eat. There are many healthy substitutions to make eating equally satisfying as ever.

High Cholesterol Are You at Risk?

What Is Considered High Cholesterol?

Did you know that it’s possible that you can have high cholesterol and not even be aware of it? Studies from the World Health Organization indicate that almost 16% of all Americans haven't been diagnosed or treated for their high levels of cholesterol. These astonishing numbers should make it all the more important to be screened regularly for the situation.

However, realizing your cholesterol number isn't the only important part of information to determine if you are healthy or not. There are two various types of cholesterol including LDL and HDL that provide a completely different function in the body. Having high levels of LDL cholesterol can be quite dangerous to the body, whereas high levels of HDL are, on the other hand, beneficial.

What exactly is cholesterol?

To define cholesterol, it is a waxy, sticky buttery product that is essential to body function. Every individuals body creates all the cholesterol it will ever need. Furthermore, cholesterol comes from foods , such as shellfish, meats, dairy products and shellfish. For being healthy, your body needs some cholesterol to help with the digestion process in order to make vitamin D and hormones.

However, eating excessive LDL is not a positive thing. If the body is filled with cholesterol it can easily stick to the inside of artery walls. As the artery walls begin to develop with the sticky substance, it starts to harden and turn into plaque which can easily narrow and prevent the flow of blood. Eventually, the buildup will lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

High levels of LDL cholesterol have been directly linked to the elevated risk of heart disease. As there are no signals to individuals experiencing high cholesterol, it could easily get out of the control before being found. Individuals that are overweight, consume a lot of fatty foods, or have a family track record of high-cholesterol are at greater risk for coronary artery disease.

The cholesterol in your body is delivered through the bloodstream as lipoproteins. The 2 types of lipoproteins include:

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) - Typically termed as the good cholesterol, it naturally transports fats through the body to the liver for removal.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) - This cholesterol is commonly referred to as the bad cholesterol, because in large quantities, it will eventually result in a hardening of the arteries. Every individual with high cholesterol levels is at great risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses.

 High-Level Cholesterol Numbers

Your physician will probably order a blood test to determine your cholesterol numbers for diagnosis of your health, utilizing the following guidelines:

HDL Cholesterol Level:

• Less than 50 mg/dL for women and less than 40 mg/dL for men usually indicates high risk of heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol Level:

• Optimal is less than 100 mg/dL.

• Near Optimal is 100 to 129 mg/dL.

• Borderline is 130 to 159 mg/dL.

• High cholesterol is 160 to 189 mg/dL.

• Very high cholesterol is 190 mg/dL and up.

Should you find that you have high-cholesterol, it is essential to avoid smoking, get routine workouts, and stick to a heart-healthy diet.