Increased secretion of uric acid in the bloodstream is associated with a host of health issues. Levels of uric rise when the production of uric acid in the body is unusually high or if the kidneys fail to excrete most of the uric acid produced. Uncontrolled levels of uric acid in the blood can result in the deposition of uric acid crystals in the toes in a condition called gouty arthritis. Other health issues associated with high levels of uric acid are kidney stones, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and kidney failure. Researches have revealed that a diet rich in purines, excess alcohol consumption, obesity, underactive thyroid, genetics, endocrine, or metabolic conditions contribute to the higher production of uric acid in the body. Healthcare professional recommend keeping your body's uric acid levels under check. Here we bring some tips to lower uric acid levels naturally by following some simple home remedies: Lemon Juice Contrary to popular belief, the citric acid present in lemons produces an alkaline effect and helps a great deal in minimizing the harmful effects of uric acid. If you remember some high school chemistry, it will not surprise you to know that the alkaline substance neutralizes the excess uric acid in the blood. For best results, we recommend mixing one-half of lemon juice in warm water and having it as the first thing in the morning everyday for few weeks. Olive Oil Unlike other vegetable oils which destroy Vitamin E in the body, Olive oil is a rich source of monosaturated fats that stabilize when heated. The surplus of Vitamin E and antioxidants further work to lower uric acid levels in your body. Water Water helps in controlling uric acid levels in two ways. An adequate level of water in the body stimulates the kidneys to excrete the unwanted uric acid from the body. Further water also works by diluting the excess uric acid in the body. Cherries A balanced intake of cherries is connected to fewer gout attacks every year. This is largely due to the compounds called bioflavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins which prevent the crystallization of uric acid. Parsley The major flavonol constituents, quercetin, and kaempferol, present in parsley can also reduce uric acid levels. By acting as a natural diuretic, these substances aid your body to excrete excess uric acid. A bioflavonoid flavone in parsley called apigenin also inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which acts as a catalyst in the conversion of purines to uric acid. Celery Seeds Being a rich source of Omega-6 fatty acids, celery seeds act as a powerful diuretic by stimulating the kidneys to flush out the excess uric acid. It is recommended that you take half teaspoon of dried celery seeds once a day. Do not forget to drink plenty of water along with it. Follow these simple steps and see how magically your uric acid levels drop to normal. The normal range of uric acid in your body is 3.4 to 7 mg/dL for men and 2.4 to 6 mg/dL for women. Following a healthy diet coupled with adequate exercise can contribute to your overall wellness and help you fight several lifestyle diseases that are increasingly becoming prevalent these days.

Apple iPad is not just a cool-looking device. It is so much more than that. It is truly a complete business tool. This gadget can boost your productivity and make you work flexibly. Find out how exactly iPad can help you in your business dealings: Presentation Tool: With its high-quality display, power, and portability, iPad is great to be used for presentations in front of the customers. You can easily carry it around and take it out during a quick customer meeting. Apps like Keynote help to run presentations from the tablet itself. You can also use HDMI and VGA adapters to connect the iPad to a bigger screen for presentations in large places. Improves Communication: With Apple iPad, you would never miss out on options to stay in touch with your near and dear ones as well as work associates. You can get connected with your business’s Exchange servers as well as traditional email providers with the iPhone’s email client. Apps like Skype and FaceTime let you make conference and video call on a smaller scale while GoToMeeting or WebEx allows you to join bigger meetings over the Internet. Basecamp app offers a complete suite of project management and collaboration tools. Customer Experience: The Apple iPad helps in servicing your client in a better way. There are service desk apps which you can use to manage service tickets and to have easy access to customer records. Then there are payment processing apps as well like Square Register that lets you take payments from customers from your tablet. Creative Tool: No matter what you do, iPad has access to all kinds of apps from the Apple’s App Store that you can download and use as per your requirements and do your work on the go. Apple’s office programs like Numbers and Pages can also be used in iPad thereby giving you the freedom to manage spreadsheets and word documents. There are apps like OmniGraffle and Sketchbook Pro that call out to all the graphic designers and marketing personnel to make charts and artwork on the iPad.

Health insurance is one kind of insurance policy that specifically covers the insured’s surgery, hospitalization, and specific medical expenses as per the terms of the policy. Depending on the terms agreed upon, the insurance agency may directly pay the hospital the predetermined percentage of totals costs, with the policyholder being required to pay the rest. Alternatively, some health insurance plans require the insured to first pay the entire expense out of pocket to be reimbursed after filing a claim with the insurance company. Importance of health insurance In the present times when surgery, hospitalization and a medical acre is increasingly expensive, putting aside a sum of money every year towards the health insurance premium will go a long way towards covering a significant portion of hospitalization expenses if the need arises. Getting health insurance quote Health insurance quotes are widely available online. These avenues of getting health insurance quotes online can give you a clear idea of what to expect regarding annual premiums and what degree of coverage you could expect. Later, based on these initial quotes, you could discuss the details of the policy with a representative of an authorized insurance company so that the terms of the policy are unambiguous. Can I be denied insurance coverage by the insurance company in case I have a pre-existing health issue? Until recently insurance agencies could deny coverage for individuals who had stated that they were suffering from a pre-existing chronic health condition. However, under recent amendments to insurance norms, insurance companies have to provide coverage for pre-existing conditions in case hospitalization or surgery is required. In such situations, the premium might be a little higher, and the insurance company may require you to undergo a thorough health exam at intervals. For such individuals with pre-existing health conditions, they could opt for a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Policy, details of which are widely available both online and with insurance companies.

Prosper is an online peer-to-peer (p2p) lending platform that offers loans to individuals at a fairly low-interest rate. Established in 2006, Prosper became the first firm to enter the p2p lending market. It provides loans to individuals with average to excellent credit score. Any individual with a minimum of 640 credit score is considered eligible for a Prosper loan.

How Does Prosper Work?

It must be usual for people to wonder, how Prosper manages to lend money at an interest rate far lower than the industry. The answer is simple. Unlike banks & other financial institution, Prosper doesn't have branches, operating online helps Prosper saves on the expenses other financial institutes have to bear. These savings help provide relief to their customers as low interest rates.

When an individual applies for a loan on Prosper’s website, they request necessary information of the applicant after which Prosper makes a soft credit check of the borrower’s credit history. This soft credit inquiry doesn’t affect the credit score as it doesn’t reflect on the public credit report. This soft credit check helps Prosper determines whether the individual is eligible for a Prosper loan. Once the applicant has succeeded in the soft credit check, Prosper makes a hard credit check to confirm his eligibility for the loan. This hard credit check reflects on the credit report for the next two years. Get detailed information on hard and soft credit check here. When the applicant’s credit history seems satisfactory, he/she is provided an eligibility confirmation for a Prosper Loan.

On completion of credit check, the applicant receives a confirmation noting the loan has been processed and that the amount will be transferred in 1-4 business days (to eligible applicants). The applicant gets the amount in their provided bank account within the said duration.

What are the charges of Prosper?

Please note that the amount received will not be equivalent to the loan amount applied for, as an origination fee ranging from 2.4% to 5% will be deducted from the amount borrowed. An origination fee is a fee charged by Prosper to process the loan. The origination fee rate depends on the applicant’s credit score, individuals with the excellent score being charged 2.4% while an average scorer would be charged 5%. The better the credit score one has, the lesser the origination fee he has to pay. If you are in need of a particular amount, be sure to calculate the origination fee in advance and add it to the borrowing amount to get the desired amount. For example, if you are in need of $2,000 be sure to request a loan of $2105, as 5% of $2105 is $105, which will give an amount of $2000 after the deduction of origination fee.

How to Apply for a Prosper Loan?

Prosper loan applications are quick and easy. The entire process is done online on Prosper’s official website. Follow the below mentioned steps to apply for a Prosper Loan:

• Log in to Prosper’s official website.
• Prosper requests some of your personal information - name, address, date of birth, monthly housing expenses and loan requirements as a part of the loan application.
• Once you have filled these details, you will be asked to create a password for your account with Prosper.
• Prosper will run a soft inquiry of your credit report & provide you with a confirmation of whether or not you are considered eligible for a loan on the next screen. Here, it will display the rate of interest you will be charged for the loan. Along with the rate of interest, it will show the ARP. ARP or Annual Percentage Rate is more important than the interest rate as it is a sum of origination fee and interest rate.
• Prosper offers you a fixed payback term of 3 or 5 years, which will be shown along with their respective interest rate. It will also display the maximum amount you can borrow from Prosper, i.e., if you want to borrow a bigger amount than what you initially applied for, you can make the changes here.
• Once you have selected the amount and the payback term, you will be taken to the next screen, where, additional details about the applicant is requested.

Details requested would be:

• Personal Phone Number
• Employment Details
• Social Security Number

Since sensitive information like Social Security Number is requested on their site, Prosper has secured their website with encryption to process information securely.

• Once you have filled in the additional personal details, the next screen would display all the loan terms, i.e., ARP, Origination Fees, Loan Amount, Total Payments, etc. Make sure you read everything carefully to be well informed of the loan terms before borrowing from Prosper.

• Once you have accepted terms of the loan, you can complete your application with Prosper by doing the following:
  • Add Bank Account Details: There are two ways to provide your bank account details to prosper, the first and the quickest way to do this, is to provide your bank account login and password to prosper so that they can verify your bank details the fastest. If you are not comfortable sharing your bank login, you could opt for the second way, i.e., provide your bank account number and routing number, which Prosper will use to verify with your bank by depositing a small amount, usually less than 10¢. This second method is a long process and might take some time for the verification to be completed.
  • Upload / Fax Additional Documents: Prosper might want you to upload few supporting documents like a bank statement or tax document in PDF format or fax it to them. These documents are used to verify your information before processing the loan.

Once you have completed the above mentioned steps, Prosper will display a confirmation stating -

[caption id="attachment_16661" align="aligncenter" width="623"] In Image: Prosper confirms application receipt. It also mentions that they are reviewing your application and will send you an email regarding your application in an hour.[/caption]

• After this, Prosper runs a hard inquiry that will remain on your public credit report for at least two years.

Benefits of Prosper Loans

Prosper is not only the quickest and easiest way to apply for a loan, but also have additional benefits:

• Individuals with a credit score as low as 640 are considered eligible for a Prosper Loan. This low score consideration is a great relief to people with a poor credit history.
• Prosper loan is processed in as low as one day in some cases. Their quick process helps in easy access to money during emergencies.
• Due to Prosper’s soft credit checks, there will be no effect on the credit report if you are only looking to check your interest rates.
• Prosper loans are lent on a fixed interest rate, irrespective of market changes or payment delays, Prosper loans’ interest rate stays unchanged throughout the repayment term.
• Prosper offers one of the lowest interest rates in the market. This low rate helps save on the extra interest you might have to pay with other personal loans.
• No extra fees or penalty is charged in case of early closure or payment of the extra amount.

Drawbacks of Prosper Loans

Although there don’t seem to be many drawbacks of Prosper loans, we have mentioned below a few things that might be inconvenient for some:

• Prosper’s hard credit inquiry might have a slight impact on your credit report for about six months, lowering your score faintly.
• If you are looking to borrow an amount that is anything lesser than $2000 or greater than $40000, Prosper might not be of great help as they have a borrowing scale of $2000-$40000.
• If you are looking for a long payback term to lower your monthly EMIs, Prosper might not be the right choice for you, as Prosper offers a maximum payback term of 5 years.
• If your loan goes unfunded for 14 days, you might have to reapply, which means a longer wait time.
• Prosper’s origination fee might be of major concern for some people as it could go up to 5% of the loan amount.
• Although a loan term of 60 months / 5 years is available with Prosper, the interest rates for five years repayment term is higher than that of 3 years. This might discourage most of the applicants from opting a 60 months term.
• Prosper is unavailable in a few states, namely, Maine, Iowa, and North Dakota. Making it impossible for the residents of these states to borrow via Prosper.
• If your credit score is anything below 640, you might not be able to borrow via Prosper Loans. In such cases, you might have to consider loans for poor credit score.
• If you do not have a job or a stable income, your loan might not be approved.
• Only individuals can apply for Prosper Loans. If you are looking to co-borrow a loan, you might have to look elsewhere as Prosper doesn't support co-borrowing.

The best situation will be not to have to borrow money or take any loan, in case you must, Prosper Loans are a good choice with low-interest rates and easy repayment options.

   

Most Americans have heard of Kroger, one of the largest retail companies in the United States. The company has been accoladed for contributing to and serving a large population with its retail stores spread over several states in the country. So are you planning on working with Kroger? Jobs at Kroger are widely sought by many, as the company offers great places to work. Apart from being one of the largest employers in the country, Kroger is known to shower its employees to with several rewards and perks. For the uninitiated, here are some benefits that you can expect: Discounted gym memberships - If you are one of those fitness freaks, then Kroger gives you a reason to love them too. Kroger jobs offer an employee the advantage of gym memberships that they can avail a discounted price. With Kroger, nothing, not even your job, can stop you from staying fit and healthy. Paid vacations - Yes, you read that right. Kroger does understand that a job can become very stressful and it is important for employees to rejuvenate themselves every occasionally. You can enjoy vacations and holidays in different parts of the country or world. Life and medical insurance - Kroger believes that every employee is a part of the Kroger family. Safeguarding every employee's well-being is a part of the company’s duty. As a part of this association, you will be entitled a coverage by various plans such as life insurance plans, medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, and more. Discount on Kroger brands - Kroger jobs also offer employees with a discount on all Kroger brands around the state they're employed in. This means that you save a whole lot bucks when shopping for yourself and home. This unique benefit lets you enjoy more than just your paycheck. Kroger jobs not only give you the opportunity of working for a great company but also render perks that make for happy and satisfied employees. The total rewards provided make getting a job at Kroger a great way to build one’s career.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus are chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. These are conditions where the body attacks and damages its own immune system. Inflammation causes pain, redness, swelling, loss of function, and heat; it can affect internal or external organs or sometimes both. The differences between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the joints. It may affect other areas of the body too. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling affecting the function of joints. Lupus is also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is an inflammatory disorder that takes on different forms and affects any part of the body. It affects the skin, heart, lungs, joints, blood, kidneys, and brain. It may cause severe pain and tissue damage. Rheumatoid Arthritis and lupus can both affect people of all ages, although the cause is unknown. You may experience difficulty sleeping, dry, itchy eyes, or chest pain while breathing. Look for symptoms of weight loss, weakness, depression, or numbing of skin tissues. Make sure to go for a medical diagnosis at the earliest if you feel any of the following symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus. Early symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis include: - Fever - Anemia - Joint pain - Joint Stiffness - Joint swelling - Deformity of the joints - Joint pain in many places - Joint tenderness - Loss of joint functions - Same joints affected on both sides of the body Few early symptoms of lupus include: - Unexplained fever - Kidney inflammation - Fatigue - Hair loss - Skin rashes (butterfly shaped affecting nose and cheeks) - Pulmonary issues - Gastrointestinal problems - Painful swollen joints - Dry mouth or eyes - Thyroid problems Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus While there is no definitive cure, you can expect to live a normal lifestyle. If you encounter serious complications, you may need strong medication. If you experience mild symptoms, you may not need treatment. Make sure to follow your doctor's instructions and treatment plans on time. You must also concentrate on improving your lifestyle and well-being. Talk to your doctor and find an effective treatment plan best suited for you and make sure to attend all follow-up appointments. Be patient. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Start low impact exercises like biking, walking, or swimming. Exercise is a great way to improve mental health and stay in a positive mood. Make sure to get plenty of rest and also take breaks between activities. Balancing activities with rest helps reduce fatigue and inflammation. Eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Avoid alcohol and smoking as it can worsen symptoms and impair circulation. Protect your skin from sunburns or rashes; make sure to always wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help or join a support group; talking to people with similar experiences can boost confidence and productivity.