How do bones break?

How do bones break?

Bones usually have no problem supporting your body weight as you participate in daily
activities. Bones are made to be strong, yet flexible enough to absorb the light impact your
body experiences during activities of daily living. Sometimes, a bone is put under more stress than it can handle, and it breaks. Doctors call broken bones, a fracture.

The most commonly broken bones in the body are the clavicle, arm, wrist, hip, and ankle.
Bones in the shoulder area are more likely to be broken because we use our arms and hands the most when trying to break a fall. The clavicle, also known as the collarbone, located between your shoulder and the front of the neck, is the bone that is most likely to get broken.
The clavicles absorb the shock when you outstretch your arm to break a fall.
There are three main types of fractures: impact fractures, stress fractures, and pathological fractures.

Impact Fractures
Impact fractures happen when a bone takes an unforeseen, hard hit that puts more stress on it than it can handle. These usually occur due to a sudden impact, which causes the bone to snap. I sustained this type of fracture when I was pushed off a flight of concrete stairs. As I landed the weight of my 205-pound body was too much for my left lower leg to support, so it shattered into 30 pieces. Most impact fractures are caused by falls, being hit by something or someone, during sports, or an accident.

Stress Fractures
Stress fractures are some of the most common sports injuries. They’re a type of repetitive
stress injury that occurs when too much pressure is placed on the same spot of a bone over long periods. The pressure from the small impacts weakens the bone until it begins to crack. These cracks start very small and get bigger and bigger if they are not given a chance to heal. To get stronger and faster, an athlete may overwork their body by repeating the same exercise over and over to become better at it and build larger muscles. When the body is tired, your muscles will no longer absorb the shock from the activity as they usually would. Instead, the shock goes straight to the bone causing stress fractures.
Activities such as running or basketball that require running and jumping increase the
chances of causing a stress fracture in the legs or feet. The long thin bones on the top of the foot and the heel bone are the ones most likely to fracture. Stress fractures can be painful but will heal on their own if rested for a few months. The tibia bone of our lower leg is the most common bone to fracture at 24%. Any sport that requires repetitive movements, like pitching or rowing, can also cause stress fractures in the humerus located in the upper arm.

Pathological Fractures
Some diseases like cancer or osteoporosis can make bones thinner and more fragile. These
diseases make it more difficult for bones to absorb the nutrients they need to stay strong and flexible. They cause the bones to start breaking during regular everyday activities that would not usually cause a fracture in a healthy person.

Types of Fractures
Fractures are further sub-classified by their complexity, location, and the shape of the break. The table below shows the common types of fractures. Some fractures can be described using more than one name, because it may have the features of more than one kind of broken bone.
For example; open comminuted fracture.

 



Dr. Ernesto Martinez will very soon publish his new book on bone healing. If you want to be notified when the book is out, you can join our +10.000 people waiting list in this link.

Bone Healing Supplements - Supplements for bone healing after surgery

Vitamins

Folate (Folic Acid) (B9)

Folic acid is a B vitamin, also known as folate (its related anion form), or as vitamin B9. Folate detoxifies a protein called homocysteine, an amino acid linked with bone inflammation and increased fracture risk. Homocysteine is released as you breakdown protein, therefore the more protein you include in your diet the more folate you’ll need. As you age, your body will produce more homocysteine which leads to osteoporosis. Folate will help prevent this, as well as prevent the formation of plaque in the arteries. Folate is not stored in the body, therefore, you must ingest some every day in your diet. Alcohol and birth control pills can prevent the absorption of folate.
Folate is also essential in preventing heart disease, strokes, chronic fatigue syndrome,
infertility, depression, and birth defects such as neural tube defects and spina bifida. It is also essential in forming red blood cells, and genetic material such as RNA, and DNA.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
B6 is used to produce the bone-building hormone progesterone and supports the protein
structure of bones. Older people, people on high protein diets, and smokers are more likely to be deficient in this vitamin which causes bone fractures to heal slowly. B6 works with folate to metabolize homocysteine which protects the bones and heart.
B6 helps with red blood cell formation, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, infertility, and osteoarthritis.
Foods Rich in B6: nuts (hazelnuts), eggs, pork, liver, brewers yeast, whole grains (wheat,
barley, buckwheat, rice), seafood (tuna, salmon, shrimp), chicken, beef, legumes (soybeans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, pinto beans), sunflower seeds, lentils, tomato, avocado, vegetables (cauliflower, watercress, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, onions, okra, broccoli, squash, spinach, garden cress, carrots, radishes).

Vitamin B12
B12 works with folate and B6 to protect against the effects of homocysteine. B6 is essential
for red blood cell formation, protecting nerve fibers, cell division, and DNA formation. B12 levels decrease with age, so supplementation needs to increase to compensate.
Foods Rich in B12: Yeast, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, milk, eggs, dairy, fish (herring, flounder, sardines, mackerel), liver, and beef.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of cartilage, collagen, boosts the immune system,
heals wounds, cuts, bruises, and assists with calcium absorption. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps with the absorption of iron, metabolizing proteins, and protects cells from damage.
Foods Rich in Vitamin C: Vegetables (brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, snow peas,
potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, kale), fruits (guava, cantaloupe, papaya, citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes)

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the second most important nutrient for bone healing after calcium. Vitamin D3 is used for the synthesis of calcium. Without Vitamin D you would not absorb and properly
balance calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D also lowers excessive levels of parathyroid
hormone, which protects against bone loss. Most of the vitamin D your body makes is produced by exposure to sunlight. Your body uses the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays to convert cholesterol in your skin to vitamin D. If you live somewhere where the days are shorter, spend most of your time indoors, or have a darker skin color, you will have to monitor how much vitamin D you're getting to make sure you're getting enough. Dark skin color is nature's sunblock, the darker your skin color the more melanin in your skin. This additional pigmentation will give you extra protection from the sun, but it also limits the amount of vitamin D your body can produce because it limits UV light absorption.
A person with a darker complexion will need more time in the sun, depending on how dark their skin is. This would be difficult to quantify without taking blood tests to measure how much vitamin D your body makes after sun exposure. Therefore it is recommended that you take vitamin D supplements and get sunlight to help speed the healing process. If you’re bed-bound go out into the sunlight in a wheelchair and expose your limbs to the sunlight. You can keep your face covered if you're concerned about wrinkles, however, your limbs must be exposed to direct sunlight to get the benefits. Do not wear sunblock on your limbs to maximize the production of vitamin D. Insufficient amounts of vitamin D can lead to soft bones, osteomalacia, rickets, or osteoporosis. Vitamin D also needs fats to be absorbed, therefore low-fat diets can also cause bone problems.
Vitamin D is also good for the prevention of colon and breast cancer and lowering blood
pressure. Anticonvulsant medications can deplete vitamin D levels.
Foods Rich in Vitamin D: Fortified dairy, bread, and cereals. Fish (sardines, tuna,
mackerel, salmon, and herring), fish liver oils, eel, avocado, organ meats, and egg yolks.

Vitamin K
Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, which is a protein crucial in the bone matrix. Osteocalcin is
second to collagen in importance, without it your bones would be like chalk. Vitamin K attracts calcium and holds it in place.
Vitamin K is normally made in the intestines and is also important in clotting blood,
maintaining the cell membrane, and fat synthesis. Antibiotic treatments can destroy the bacteria which leads to damage to the bones.
Foods Rich in Vitamin K: Green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley, romaine, and green leaf lettuce), vegetables (brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), fish, liver, meat, and eggs.

CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Your body’s
cells use CoQ10 for growth and maintenance. It protects cells from damage and plays an
important part in metabolism and therefore aids in the body’s healing after surgery and in
healing broken bones.

Foods Rich in CoQ10: CoQ10 is found naturally in food but in quantities lower than
what can be obtained through supplements. Good food sources of CoQ10 include tuna,
salmon, mackerel, sardines, vegetable oils, and meats.

Minerals

Calcium
Calcium helps your muscles, nerves, and cells work normally. Calcium is the main ingredient in bones, and bones are the main storage area for calcium. Your body’s calcium requirements must be met through your diet as your body is unable to make calcium. Without sufficient amounts of calcium in your diet, your bones can become weak and will not grow properly. Only 15% to 20% of the calcium you eat will be absorbed in your gut. Vitamin D helps the gut absorb more calcium, therefore, low vitamin D levels cause an increased risk for fractures.
Hormonal signals take some calcium out of the bones every day to keep blood calcium levels normal, release hormones, maintain blood Ph, move blood through the body, move muscles, allow nerves to carry messages between the brain and all parts of the body, and enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.
People that consume large amounts of sodium in their diets through processed, canned, or
any other type of high sodium food, are at risk for losing calcium which is extracted from the body as the kidneys excrete sodium.
Foods Rich in Calcium: Seeds, fish (sardines, salmon), beans and lentils, almonds,
rhubarb, oranges, seaweed, parsley, leafy greens, and dairy products. If you’re going to eat
dairy products use organic, raw, full-fat whole milk without synthetic vitamin D, unpasteurized cheese, and yogurt made from whole milk from organic grass-fed cows. Fermented milk products that have lost their lactose are the easiest to assimilate. While milk is fortified with vitamin D, most other dairy products are not. Yogurt is very high in calcium, while cottage cheese is very low.

Boron
Boron is essential to endocrine function which helps activate vitamin D and maintain the
balance of calcium and magnesium. Without enough boron, your bones can become brittle, and essential chemical reactions throughout your body will not take place.
Foods Rich in Boron: seeds (almonds, poppy, cumin seeds, hazelnuts, and peanuts),
nuts (pistachios), fruit (apples, oranges, prunes, pears, strawberries, cherries, apricots, grapes, figs, currants, raisins, peaches), honey, legumes (beans, soybeans, and peas), vegetables (onions, parsley, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, beets, leafy vegetables), and herbs including dill, stinging nettle, and dandelion.

Copper

Copper is responsible for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin in the organic bone matrix which gives bone strength. Therefore it slows bone breakdown and assists in repairs.
Deficiency inhibits bone growth, causes skeletal abnormalities, fragility, and promotes
pathological changes characteristic of osteoporosis. Copper is also essential in the creation of red blood cells and heart muscle function.
Food Rich in Copper: green leafy vegetables, legumes (especially peas), poultry, eggs,
shellfish, whole grains, nuts, and organ meats especially the liver. Copper bracelets will supplement copper transdermally through your skin. As your body reaches adequate copper levels it will stop absorbing the copper and your skin will start to turn green. Although the green color is unsightly it is harmless.

Magnesium
The third most crucial nutrient for bone mineral density(BMD). Over 75% of people are
deficient in magnesium. As you age your body has difficulty absorbing magnesium.
Magnesium gives bones their structural strength. Magnesium also plays a role in controlling
parathyroid hormone, estrogen, calcitonin levels in the body, normal body weight, lowering high blood pressure, and lowering high cholesterol. Magnesium controls respiratory disorders such as bronchitis, asthma, wheezing. counters PMS symptoms, mental illness, depression, hallucinations, agitation, headaches, bursitis, angina, irregular heartbeat, irritable bowel syndrome, arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, gum disease, tendonitis, and reduces the likelihood of recurrent kidney stones. Taking calcium and magnesium supplements before bedtime can help prevent nighttime leg cramps. Lack of magnesium can cause nausea and muscle weakness. Alcohol consumption causes decreased absorption of magnesium, which causes depletion of bone calcium.
The best type of magnesium supplement to take is magnesium citrate which has a high
bioavailability and is easily absorbed. Taking high levels of calcium, but low levels of
magnesium can cause bone loss. Keep calcium to magnesium supplements at a 2 to 1 ratio.
Taking too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. Don’t take magnesium supplements if you’re on a renal diet.
Foods Rich in Magnesium: Green leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, chard), green
vegetables (celery, green beans), milk, whole grains (oats, wheat germ), fish and seafood,
brown rice, seeds (poppy, pumpkin, and sunflower), nuts (brazil, almonds, and cashews), fruits (bananas, avocados), legumes (soybeans, peas, red beans, black beans, and black eye peas), dark chocolate, quinoa, molasses, and herbs such as; dandelion, licorice root, coriander, stinging nettle, and purslane.

Manganese
Manganese is essential in the formation of parts of the bone, cartilage, and the matrix
structure to which calcium attaches to. It is also essential for activating the enzymes that enable chemical reactions throughout the body. Deficiency in manganese will affect sex hormone production which affects bone formation and exacerbates bone loss.
Foods Rich in Manganese: nuts (almonds and pecans), legumes (lima and pinto
beans), whole grains (oatmeal, bran cereals, whole wheat, brown rice), leafy green vegetables (spinach), fruits (pineapple and acai), tea, dark chocolate.

Selenium
Selenium is critical to various enzymatic reactions throughout the body and is one of the
building blocks of the bone matrix. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to
prevent breast cancer. It is also an antiviral agent, slows the progression of cataracts, and
prevents damage to organs and cells. A deficiency in selenium has been linked to heart failure and heart abnormalities.
Foods Rich in Selenium: Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, fish (tuna, salmon, sardines,
oysters, mussels), pork, beef, turkey, chicken, garlic, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, whole grains (wheat and oat bran).

Silicon
Silicon supports calcification and is important for the formation of connective tissue, cartilage, and tendons. With age and decreased hormone production, silicon levels decrease and arthritis becomes more prevalent.
Silicon supplementation is good for balding, kidney stones, urinary tract health, tendonitis,
fractures, arthritis, and bursitis. Homeopathic silica supplements improve bone nutrition and growth.
Foods Rich in Silicon: Nuts (cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, pistachios), brown rice,
cucumbers, barley, turnips, string beans, and the herbs horsetail, stinging nettle, and
chickweed.

Strontium
Necessary for bone remodeling and helps attract calcium to bones. Strontium helps in the
treatment of arthritis and bone pain.
Foods Rich in Strontium: Plants are better sources of strontium than meats, but it
depends on the quality of the soil where the food was grown. Strontium is found in whole
grains, spices, legumes, root and leafy vegetables, and seafood.

Zinc
Zinc is vital in the formation of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, bone proteins, assists in repairs, and vitamin D function. Zinc is vital to healthy hair, shortening PMS cycles, shortening colds, prostate health, stress, and wound healing.
Foods Rich in Zinc: egg yolks, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), legumes, beef,
pork, lamb, poultry, crab, fish, dairy, oysters.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus works with calcium to help build bones, nucleic acids, and cell membranes. It’s
also involved in the body’s energy production. If calcium levels are too high your body absorbs less phosphorus. You also need vitamin D to absorb phosphorus properly. Phosphorus is found in almost all foods so it’s difficult to not get enough of it in your diet. Excess phosphorus, however, can prevent calcium absorption. Drinking soft drinks, eating large amounts of meat, and grains can cause an oversupply of phosphorus.
Foods Rich in Phosphorus: tuna, pork chops, tofu, dairy, chicken, scallops, lentils, squash, pumpkin seeds, beef, beer, quinoa.

Molybdenum
Molybdenum prevents the build-up of deadly sulfites and toxins and is critical to various
enzymatic reactions throughout the body.
Foods Rich in Molybdenum: Navy beans, almonds, soy, dairy.

Fluoride
Fluoride combines with calcium in the bone and prevents bone loss. Being deficient in naturally occurring fluoride will cause osteoporosis. Most people will get enough fluoride from municipal water and food. However most people overdose with fluoride, so do not supplement it. In fact, for your overall health, it is better to avoid any products (toothpaste, mouthwash, and teeth whiteners) with fluoride. Over supplementing fluoride can cause fluorosis, neurological, skeletal, and thyroid problems.
Foods Rich in Fluoride: tea, tap water, wine, raisins, shrimp, and blue crab.

 

Dr. Ernesto Martinez will very soon publish his new book on bone healing. If you want to be notified when the book is out, you can join our +10.000 people waiting list in this link.

Healthy Bones - Foods for bone health

Over the years I have studied dozens of eating plans. I believe the Zone Diet is the most
practical and although the name is misleading because the word “Diet” seems restrictive. It’s about helping you eat foods during mealtime in the right proportions: 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat. This helps keep your insulin and other inflammation-promoting hormones “in the zone,” not too high or low - keeping your body in ideal conditions for healing.

Before my accident and after I was healed, I practice intermittent fasting eating within a four-hour window each day. Usually between 12-4 pm. However, during the healing process, I found it to be impractical to help facilitate faster healing. Aside from forming a baby, building healthy bones is the second most energy-intensive activity the body has to engage in. During your bone rebuilding, your body is going to be doing extra work 24 hours a day. Your body will take what nutrients it needs from the foods you eat, some of the nutrients will be stored, and what the body doesn’t need will be discharged. For instance, when you eat a salad, your body will absorb the vitamin C that it needs, but because the body doesn’t store extra vitamin C any additional vitamin C eaten during the meal will be discharged. However, vitamin C is vital to rebuilding body tissue and your body will need more than usual. If your next meal is lacking vitamin C, your body’s healing process will be slowed due to the lack of nutrients. This scenario can repeat itself for other vital nutrients as well.

To ensure a steady supply of needed nutrients to build healthy bones, it is recommended to eat a small meal around every two hours.

Dr. Ernesto Martinez will very soon publish his new book on bone healing. If you want to be notified when the book is out, you can join our +10.000 people waiting list in this link.

Bone Healing - Foods to avoid

PROPER BONE HEALING TIPS

Guidelines when eating out:

1. Eat at least 1-2 salads a day. Use olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing. No fat-free
dressings as they contain too many chemicals.
2. Proteins such as ocean fish, organic free-range chicken or beef. If you are a vegetarian eat lots of bean dishes.
3. Soups. Avoid tomato and creamy soups that have a flour base. Eat chicken, beef,
barley, bean, and vegetable minestrone soups.
4. Eat 2-3 cooked vegetables with every meal. Cooked greens, squash, zucchini, broccoli,
green beans, bok choy, turnips.
5. Don’t eat vegetables in the nightshade family such as tomatoes, eggplant, bell pepper,
and white potatoes. Limit eating tomato-based sauces to only once a week for proper bone healing.
6. Avoid caffeine, diet drinks, and soft drinks.
7. Avoid commercial desserts made with refined sugar and flour.

Best options at different types of restaurants:

1. Coffee shops; drink naturally caffeine-free drinks like peppermint, and mint tea, water, or sparkling water. Avoid sweets. Eat salads, soups, and protein dishes.
2. Chinese restaurants; request that sugar and msg not be added to your food. Request
brown rice instead of white rice. Get stir-fried vegetables with different meats or tofu.
3. Italian restaurants avoid pasta. Eat meat dishes and salads.
4. Upscale restaurants; veggies and proteins avoid deserts.
5. Mexican food; avoid chiles, tomato salsas, avoid corn tortillas GMO corn and flour, chips,
and cheese.
6. Japanese avoid tuna due to mercury and teriyaki due to sugar.
7. Greek food; lamb, salads, olive oil.
8. Indian food; most food veggies and protein dishes are fine.
9. Fast food; avoid fast food due to msg, and trans fats if you want proper bone healing.

Factors That Deplete Calcium From Your Bones:
● Too much or too little protein, or eating low-quality protein.
● An acid-alkaline imbalance will drain your bones of calcium. The body needs to have a
slightly alkaline pH of 7.45 for ideal health.
● Eating acid-forming foods such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup can deplete
calcium from bones.
● Eating sugary foods can cause interference in calcium and magnesium absorption
causing osteoporosis. Eating foods high in sugar can also lead to increased insulin
levels, diabetes mellitus, elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels,
cardiovascular disease, gallstones, obesity, mood swings, depression, increased
stomach acid, weakened immune system, migraines, and depletion of copper, vitamin
B, C. These will lead to slower bone healing.
● Low fat and fat-free products are high in sugar and contain artificial ingredients.
● Overconsumption of soy products has negative effects on estrogen levels which affects
calcium absorption.
● Caffeine causes damage to bone mineral density and increases the risk of fractures.
Caffeine consumption increases the excretion of calcium and magnesium through the
urine resulting in bone loss. The following foods contain caffeine: coffee, tea, soda,
energy drinks, and chocolate.
● Smoking causes decreased bone density due to decreased blood oxygen levels.
● Losing too much weight and being too thin will cause decreased bone mineral density.
● Eating refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta daily.
● Eating uncooked nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes, goji berries, peppers, white
potatoes, tobacco, chili peppers, bell peppers, tomatillos, and eggplant. These foods
slow the healing process and can cause bone inflammation, which can lead to
osteoporosis if eaten over a prolonged period of time.
● Taking lots of medication.

● Not going out in the sun.
● Not exercising or doing little if any exercise.
● Eating fresher foods will ensure higher levels of calcium.
● Try to cook food yourself from their raw forms, instead of using cans, boxes, frozen or
packaged food which tend to have lower levels of calcium.
● Oxalates prevent calcium from being absorbed in the digestive tract; cooking foods high
in oxalic acid destroys it and allows for calcium absorption. Cook vegetables such as
swiss chard, beet greens, and spinach. They won't have much of an effect on you
unless you eat them in large quantities, but they can also cause kidney stones.
● Phytates also combine with calcium to produce a substance that can not be absorbed by
the intestines. Foods that are high in phytates; beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. Phytates
only affect the absorption of calcium if you eat these foods in large quantities.
● If you have difficulty absorbing fats then vitamin D will not be absorbed either. Which
leads to diminished calcium absorption.
● People drink an average of 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. If you exceed 1000
milligrams a day you're going to have difficulty retaining calcium.
● Alcohol affects your body's ability to absorb vitamin D.
Warning signs of not eating enough calcium;
● White covering on your tongue, sticky sour taste in your mouth, and bad breath. It
means your eating too many acid-forming foods that leach calcium from your bones to
neutralize the acid. Leaving the white coating.
● The trouble with teeth and gums can mean problems with the mineral density of bones.
● Joint and back pain can also be a sign of decreased calcium absorption.
● Too much stress causes damage to the adrenal glands which increases cortical steroid
levels which increases your risk of osteoporosis.
● Other symptoms of inadequate calcium; loss of height, nocturnal leg cramps, transparent
skin, rheumatoid arthritis, restless behavior (foot jiggling, and hair twisting), insomnia.

Dr. Ernesto Martinez will very soon publish his new book on bone healing. If you want to be notified when the book is out, you can join our +10.000 people waiting list in this link.

Learn a skill that is in demand

When you start school, and even while you are in school, you are going to ask yourself, "Is this the right field for me?"  This is an existential question people ask themselves and probably one of the main reasons why they don't finish school. This may even cause you to bounce around for years trying to finish school as I did.  This can cause a fear of erroneously investing large sums of money and years of your time into something that may not suit you. This is a hard question to answer because early on in your life, people will be asking you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  It's unlikely that a young person will know what they want with little frame of reference, experience, and knowledge about what is out there.

    When I was in college studying to be a chiropractor, I was not confident this was the best career path for me.  So I reached out to my friend Mike, who is a psychiatrist, and he recommended studying occupational therapy. I had never heard of the field, so I went to discuss it with a career counselor at school, and he suggested that I take the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs tests.  The tests were not exams that you had to prepare for or be scared of. There were a lot of questions about your likes and dislikes. They asked me questions like: "Do you prefer working indoors or outdoors?” or “If you found $20 on the floor, would you A. keep it, B. look for the owner, C. turn it in to lost and found?”  The results coincidentally listed occupational therapy as the job best suited for me. The program allowed me to research the top one hundred jobs that match my personality, interests, and ambitions, as well as read the descriptions of each job, and to learn about the course of study, compensation ranges, demand, and future outlook for employment.  It's loaded with information from the U.S. Department of Labor. These few hours of testing changed the course of my college education and my life.

    If you're not sure which route to go, take some career assessment tests such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs personality test.  These tests will provide you with a career assessment that gives you insight and direction into jobs that would suit you and you would enjoy most. Careers such as solar panel installer, wind turbine technician, engineer, plumber, therapist, physician, scientist, or any other fields that you'd like and that are in demand, will allow you to generate income at a faster rate.    

    The information I received from these tests gave me confidence that I was studying something I would enjoy.  It increased my drive because I now had a clearer idea of what I needed to study to achieve what I wanted.  

    As an investment strategy, don't study fields or train for careers that have limited demand, even if you have a passion for them, otherwise you will go into debt and won't have a way to pay back the money.  Not doing their market research is the top reason why people end up with excessive amounts of student debt that they cannot pay back. Ending up in a saturated field will put you in competition with multiple candidates for the same job, which will drive down the wages for those positions.  We would not be having a student debt crisis if people took the time to research which fields were in demand and studied in those fields. This is evident in the high numbers of skilled science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers that companies have to import every year to fill all the job openings.  Currently, the number of foreign STEM workers in the US is around 23 million workers. Look at some employment websites, and see what jobs are actually paying. This will also help you do a cost-benefit analysis of whether or not it's worth taking on a certain amount of debt or not.

    Around 2010, the field of respiratory therapy became popular because of the excellent pay, $25 to $35 an hour, and the short amount of time needed in school, just over a year.  I was working at a respiratory hospital, and I can remember the sudden influx of respiratory therapy students volunteering there to get experience so they could get employed. There was one particularly friendly volunteer who explained to me that he had a job delivering pizzas to pay the bills and that he had been a full-time volunteer for over a year at our hospital waiting for a position to open up so he could get a paying job in the field.  Luckily he eventually got a post, but many of the candidates simply gave up as they needed to start paying back their $50,000 school loan debt and start earning a living. Don't choose fields of study because they are easy to get into, look at the demand first.

    As a compromise, study something marketable; start earning income and make your passion your hobby with the potential to grow into a primary business in the future, as you develop the skills and the markets change.

    Automation is another consideration to keep in mind when picking a subject to study.  In 2017, ninety percent of the jobs done by humans could be done by robots, including jobs like doctors, nurses, and chefs.  As the majority of the world population is getting older, robots will be a fact of life for everyone. Robots will not be able to complete all jobs, so think about future needs in that labor market as well when considering an occupation.    

    Something else to keep in mind is that not everyone is meant to work in a trade or even to pursue higher education.  These are good ways to get started if you are not sure about what you want and in which direction you would like to go.  Sometimes you start studying a certain field, and then you figure it's something you don't have a passion for or would like to work in. So it's a catalyst to pursue something else that you do have a passion for.  Some of the most successful and innovative people on the planet don’t fit into categories, because they are thinking outside the box.  This can be a very valuable asset, which should not go unrecognized, but instead supported. The biggest clustering of innovative people on the planet live in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  That is where the highest concentration of discoveries and game-changing enterprises get started. If you have creative talents; feed, practice, and hone those talents the same way any professional would.  For example, if you are a musician, practice. If you paint; create as many as you can. If you design computer applications; keep on designing.  

    Whatever you do, use deliberate practice.  Psychologists describe deliberate practice as a way to push your skillset as much as possible.  Basketball legend Larry Bird used to practice shooting thousands of times every morning and would show up hours before team workouts and games so he could practice on his own.  Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Magic Johnson were all notoriously obsessed with exercising and training more than twelve hours a day to be the greatest of all time.  

    My neighbors are musicians, and they practice about once or twice a week and perform shows about once a month.  They reminded me of The Beatles whose performances were not considered to be very good. That’s why they went to Hamburg, Germany, to find somewhere new to perform, because they were not having much success in England.  Instead of playing the usual few nights a week, they sometimes played eight hours a day, anywhere and for anyone who would listen to them. They had to try harder, find new ways of playing, got better, gained self-confidence having to work the long hours.

    Whatever you decide you would like to do, utilize deliberate practice to build up and master your knowledge and skill to be the best.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

Doing Things Others Won't

“Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't”

Doing jobs that no one wants to do helps you develop valuable problem-solving skills.  Never be easy on yourself, be easy on all the others around you. If you are someone who picks and chooses posts, you are probably going to pick the jobs that are easier for you and that you feel comfortable doing.  If you are less selective, yes, you may get more difficult jobs; however, this will allow you to master your craft and grow your skills in less common areas making you more valuable and versatile. You may end up developing expertise in areas that have very little competition.  Of course, if the work doesn't make economic sense, it may be something you'd want to avoid; however, taking a loss now may allow you to acquire new skills that can help you earn more over the long term.

    Completing undesirable work will help you build a reputation for being reliable, and you will be the first person people think of when they need help, like working weekends, night shift, or crawling under a neighbor's house to pull out a dead cat carcass that was smelling up their home.  This gives you first shot at new jobs, promotions, essential duties, extra pay, and the best opportunities. 

    Throughout my working life, I've always taken whatever duties that others didn't want, and it has always resulted in positive benefits for me that were worth a lot more than the inconvenience I endured.  I’d say that this trait has been one of my keys to success. Being humble and being willing to do what others don't want to do, takes self-confidence and humility. One particular assignment was working with aggressive and violent patients.  None of my colleagues wanted these patients, so I volunteered to take them all. Occasionally the patients would hit me, or I'd come home with a few scratches, but after a while, I learned how to be more productive with them and became a specialist in this area.  My income almost doubled over my colleagues. I was booked twelve hours a day, seven days a week, and I had patients on a waiting list to see me. This allowed me to raise my rates, expand, and be able to take more vacations. I also became so effective in the role that the kids rarely did anything I couldn't handle or help them resolve.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

Build Up Your Knowledge - Education VS Schooling

Education VS Schooling

Education can lead to success, but it definitely doesn't always mean you have to go to school to be educated.  Nor do you necessarily have to go to school to be wildly successful. You can be self-taught. In fact, when I visit big cities, I notice that many of the buildings are named after famous and successful people; university campuses, museums, parks, libraries, and other famous structures are mostly named after people who don’t always have extensive education.  That's because most highly educated people are not wealthy, they are middle class. The wealthiest people in the world are usually people who saw problems and found solutions to those problems, people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, Ted Turner, Kim Kardashian, David Geffen, Paul Allen, Henry Ford, Russell Simmons, and thousands more.

    Successful people know there is a lot to learn, and learning is infinite, so they invest in self-learning.  Regular people think they know it all or don’t think they have to learn anything new. Successful people average around $10,000 a year in books, seminars, and other forms of self-teaching, while regular people average around $10 a year.  Learning is not just memorizing facts for a test the next day, it’s about learning things that will make you more successful. Formal education will earn you a living, while self-education will make you wealthy. I recommend investing in both, so you have more choices.

    I was talking to my friend Justin, and he was lamenting that he had invested two years of studying and paying for a degree, and then only practiced as a therapist for one year before going into real estate.  Actually, 40% of new graduates don’t work in the field that they studied. What Justin was not considering was the benefits of the scaffolding effect. When a large building is being built it must be built level by level starting with the foundation.  You can’t skip to the next level until the one below it is built or the building can become unstable and collapse.         

    Although Justin was no longer working as a therapist, he had built his intellectual foundation with the school.  Having the degree under his name allowed him to get a loan from the bank to buy his property. When you’re a new graduate and don’t have a work history, banks will accept a college degree instead of showing a steady work history.  They do this because statistically, your expected income will be higher when you have a college degree. Therefore you are lower risk, and it’ll be easier for you to qualify for loans. Once he got his building, he started remodeling and started a successful short term rental business that replaced the income from his job and allowed him to not have to work as a therapist anymore.  This gave him the opportunity to start his own multimedia marketing business. As you can see everything scaffolded on top of the next step: 1. Degree, 2. The property, 3. Short term rental business, 4. Multimedia marketing company. So even though Justin may never work as a therapist again, it was worth the investment, because it allowed him to build his foundation and scaffold other businesses on top of that one.  His foundation will always be the degree that he obtained to get him started.

    He may have been able to come to the same end through a different route.  But the degree definitely helped him bypass the years of work experience banks want you to have in order to qualify for a loan.  When you have a college degree, banks will lend you money based on projected income, rather than the traditional looking back and seeing what you’ve already accomplished.

    The same can be said for anyone who goes to college.  Even if you don’t practice what you studied, it doesn’t mean it was a mistake.  The study gave you an intellectual base to build upon and allowed you to scaffold upwards to other fields.  Learning new ideas and concepts will never be a drag on your career, but rather a boost.

    Make learning a habit; most successful people in the world read about one book a week on average.  Set a personal goal for yourself to read a set number of books each month. Besides being a wise person, being financially literate will give you more options, and allow you to see things uniquely.  It takes wisdom to recognize wisdom. This is what sparks innovation, creates big ideas, builds new companies, helps you resolve complex issues, and creates shifts in culture. Keep reading books and watching YouTube videos to help you learn and explore new ideas.  

    The more you learn, the easier it will be for you to recognize opportunities and act on them with confidence.  Successful people work smarter, not harder, copy good ideas when they see them. You'll also be able to help others around you who may need your wisdom.  You'll be better prepared to conduct business, you'll be much more knowledgeable, and people will trust you. If you decide to make investments in formal education, you will be increasing your earning potential, and you can deduct student debt.  If you live in a city, take advantage of all of the museums, cultural events, and lectures. Picking up knowledge wherever you can, will help you build your knowledge base faster and more profoundly, giving you some unique opportunities to be successful.

    People are a one-of-a-kind combination of culture, race, sex, family values, religious beliefs, environment, traditions, and the imprint of every person and experience they've ever encountered.  You are a one-of-a-kind irreplaceable being, that will never again exist. Your perspective on anything can never be replicated, never because it's not possible. If you can enhance your abilities with wisdom, you can be a game-changer like the world has never seen.  That's just a fact of life. 

    Education will help you manage your money better, and you'll be less likely to lose it.  Most people are never taught how to manage money. In school, you don't learn how to do it; and after school, most people don't take the time to learn how to keep the money they earn.

    Recently, a famous person applied to rent a house from me; I was shocked because I assumed he lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills.  I wasn't sure why he needed my place. Once I ran his credit, I was reminded of all the famous athletes and performers you hear about, who lose their fortunes and end up bankrupt.  Many of these folks had extraordinary talents that helped them come into wealth very quickly. Unfortunately, they didn't take the time to learn how to manage those fortunes. So, instead of investing the money and protecting it from others, they squandered it till it was all gone, and all they had left was pleasant memories.      

    In the nursing homes I visit, I've met many people who were once wealthy but never developed the know-how to make that money work for them.  So, once they stopped working, they stopped producing, and they steadily spent all of their money till they had nothing left, and the only place where they could afford to live was a government-funded nursing home.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

Reframing Problems

Reframe your problems

Everyone has problems, and every day you’re probably going to have more problems.  In fact your whole life you’ll have problems. When you start your career or business, it multiplies the number of issues you’ll have, or as some people call them headaches.  But obstacles don’t have to be seen as problems; they can be seen as opportunities.

    First, reframe or rethink the same problem, so it’s something beneficial rather than something causing you harm.  Instead of focusing on the question or problem, think around it and brainstorm for solutions from different angles, making other solutions visible.  The better you get at this strategy, the better you’ll be able to uncover opportunities.  

    The second step is considering all options, even the ones you think are bad ideas.  Considering all options will help open you up to alternatives and sometimes you can find the best ideas buried in the bad ones.

    In the third step, consider all of your assumptions and trial solutions based on your premises.  Sometimes it’s your assumptions that are limiting your thinking and preventing you from solving the problems at hand.  

    The fourth step, try to come up with solutions that are a win-win and where everyone will be happy.  Instead of just thinking about yourself, think about how you can resolve the problems so both parties can be satisfied.  Sometimes a few simple tweaks to a reasonable solution can render a win for all parties involved. In some cases, it may even multiply the benefits for you.

    For example, I had a tenant moving out of a house, and she was upset about having to clean the house and repaint the walls that she had soiled.  She was a good tenant and I didn't want her to leave upset and possibly causing more problems down the line. I was thinking about solutions and noticed that the girl had very few items left in the house and was sleeping on an inflatable mattress.  It appeared as if she might have already moved somewhere and was paying for overlapping tenancies.  

    So I made her an offer to return the house before the end of the month, and I would assume the responsibility to clean and repaint.  Because she works very long hours, she was very grateful, agreed to return the house ten days earlier, and thanked me for helping her out.  She was going to save a lot of time and money. I was able to rent the house ten days earlier, which worked out to another $1,200 in rent, and the cleaning and painting would cost me $200.  Everyone came out winning, I made an extra $1,000, the tenant didn't have to clean or paint, and the new tenants who desperately needed a place to stay now had a home.   

     Stay calm, think about solutions, and reframe problems till you find solutions that are enormously beneficial to everyone involved.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

Being Nice to Others - Kindness over everything

Kindness over everything

Some of the most successful people I’ve met are some of the nicest people I have ever met. You can be a tough negotiator and businessman but still be humane, kind, loving, generous, and considerate of others.  Be a good human being, a good neighbor, a good family member, and a good member of your community. The better person you are, the better you're going to feel about yourself, and the more people are going to want to interact, trust, and do business with you.  Be a kind person and try to do at least three random acts of kindness a day. If you have a religious philosophy you follow, dedicate some time to it regularly. It will help to generate positivity in your life and attracting abundance to you. Don't be so consumed with money that you lose your purpose in life which is to learn and to serve others.  When you understand these basic principles, abundance will flow into your life from all directions, and life will become easier. 

    Being able to get along well with others will determine 85% of your success in life.  Your ability to interact with others effectively, positively, and to get them to help you achieve your goals will make or break your success.  Developing your ability to make friends and maintain human relationships will be the single most important factor in determining your success. 

    Use the Law of Indirect Effort.  It states that you can get almost everything easier from your relationships with others by approaching them indirectly instead of directly.  For example, if you want to impress someone directly, you would tell him or her about yourself. But the indirect way is to simply become interested in him or her, doing the opposite of what you would normally think of doing.  The more impressed you become by another person, the more likely the other person will become impressed by you.  

    Successful people evolve from competing with others to creating and working with others.

    Make it a point to be the kindest and most generous with those who are the least empowered and able to reciprocate.  Doing so will have a positive impact on you, because it teaches you to be generous, and will create positive changes in your life.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

External Motivators VS True Passion

If you are using external motivators like money or material things to lead you to success, your success will be very limited and unfulfilling.  Remember how happy you were when you got your new iPhone? As you read this, you’ll probably realize that you forgot all about it. That is because the joy you felt when you obtained it, was temporary and it wore off after a few days as it’s the same for most material items.   

    When you have internal motivators such as passion or dreams, this motivation will never run out and you’ll be willing to fight and sacrifice to achieve what you want.  Very few people are going to fight for an iPhone.  

    Think of the money you earn as your freedom; cash is something you exchange for time off to do things you want to do.  So, if you buy a five hundred dollar phone and it took you a week of working forty hours to buy that phone, then ask yourself, was it worth for you to wash dishes for a week or to spend a week of your life in an office so you can buy that phone?  For a telephone maybe, since it's a necessity, but could you not have purchased a less expensive version? What about the five hundred dollar jacket or those new name brand sunglasses? Were they worth you sitting behind a computer working for a week?  When those items can be left behind at a party, wear out, they can get damaged and become unusable at any time. If you choose to invest some of that money, instead of spending it on things that will soon not be worth anything or that you don't need, then that money can grow through compound interest and buy you more free time.  Remind yourself about your purpose in life; you are not meant to be here to purchase and consume products so others can get wealthy off you. You are here to live the life you were expected to live, and if you don't have time, then you'll never learn what that life was supposed to be.

    Buy what is necessary and invest the rest.  Remember your happiness should not be coming from material things; it's supposed to come from your experiences.  When possible, buy used clothes, salvage cars, and aftermarket necessities. This will have a positive impact on the environment and your quality of life.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics

Benefits of being patient - How to cultivate patience

Employers have listed patience as the number one job skill they like to see in a new employee.  Being patient allows you to be a better person, have better mental and physical health, which makes it easier to achieve goals.  When you are patient, you'll have the advantage of being in a better position to respond to situations once things calm down. Think about generals; if they weren't patient, the people of the world wouldn't exist.  They have to sit down and really think things through without being reactive. Some of the most successful people in the world, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, Madonna, and Oprah Winfrey, are some of the most patient people you'll ever learn about.  Being patient is a crucial ingredient to becoming wildly successful.  

    The best way to become a patient person is to calm your mind with meditation, relaxing, exercise, yoga, and breathing exercises.  Study your own behavior, slow down, and stop doing things that are making you impatient. As long as you’re alive, continue to learn and learn how to live better.

For more entrepreneurship tips, check out my latest Amazon book.

How to Become Rich and Successful. The Secret of Success and the Habits of Successful People.: Entrepreneurship and Developing Entrepreneur Characteristics