Cremations vs. Burials: Navigating the Costs

In the journey of farewells, making arrangements with a funeral home that honour the memory of your loved one involves not only emotional considerations but also financial ones. This guide aims to explore the financial aspects of cremations and burials, offering insights to help families make informed choices that align with their wishes, values, and circumstances surrounding organising a service.

Understanding the Basics

The decision between cremation and burial is deeply personal, influenced by cultural, religious, and personal preferences. Each option has processes, rituals, and associated costs. Here, we delve into the financial considerations of both, aiming to provide clarity in a time that requires both compassion and practicality.

The Financial Landscape of Cremations

Cremation is often perceived as a more cost-effective alternative to traditional burial. The process eliminates the need for certain expenses associated with burials, such as a burial plot, casket, and headstone. However, the total cost can vary based on additional services chosen, such as memorial services, urn selection, and the final disposition of the ashes.

Read More

Speech And Language Milestones That Signal Whether Or Not Your Child Requires A Speech Pathologist

Whilst there are many development milestones a parent will look for in their newborn child, speech is perhaps one they focus on more than others. If they have concerns about their child’s speech development, it is a speech therapists who they may turn to for advice or help if necessary.

One point we must make at the outset is that whilst there are general guidelines as to a child’s development, it is essential to know that no two children will develop at the same rate and in the same way. In other words, if a friend or relative’s child of the same age can recognize their name or has said their first word before yours does, that does not mean your child has a problem, but rather that the other child could be developing faster.

That being said, it does help for you to be aware of the recognized speech development milestones you should be looking for in your child. These speech developmental behaviors will indicate if your child’s speech and language development are on track or whether they may need some help from a speech pathologist if they are not achieving specific speech behaviors by a certain age.

Read More

Why Your Jawbone Influences Your Suitability For Dental Implants

Why Your Jawbone Influences Your Suitability For Dental Implants

For many people, dental implants seem like the ideal solution for replacing their missing teeth. They may have the finances to pay for them and are accepting of the fact that the entire process can take several months from start to finish. What might then come as a crushing blow to their plans to have dental implants, is when they are told they are not suitable for them.

An individual’s suitability for dental implants relies on several factors, mostly all related to their health. One which is of huge significance is the health of their jawbone. This is due to the fact that the titanium base for the dental implant needs to be fitted directly into the jawbone. If there is any condition the patient has relating to their jawbone that comprises the base’s stability or strength, then it could be that dental implants are not an option for that individual.

The loss of strength and integrity of not just our jawbone, but all our bones in general can be as a result of several different factors. For anyone aged 31 who rightly thinks of themselves as still young, they might be shocked to learn that beyond the age of 30 we have passed our peak bone strength. Our bones weaken naturally as we grow older and that can affect our jawbone and its ability to support a dental implant.

Read More

Alternatives to Bread

Alternatives to Bread

Bread has been a staple food of our diet for centuries. Some recipes date back to ancient times, and artwork portrays goblets of wine positioned next to large bread loaves. So, it goes without saying that it’s a much-loved component in many dishes. But does it have to be?

Whether you want to reduce your carbohydrate intake or you want to get creative at mealtimes, then read on. Here are some standout alternatives to bread.

Corn Tortillas

More often than not, bread is used as housing for other ingredients. But did you know other food can take its place? For example, if you have a gluten intolerance, corn tortillas can be an ideal alternative.

It’s versatile enough for use as a pizza base, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches. You can also make corn tortillas yourself, as many recipes only contain two ingredients – water and Mexican flour – Masa Harina.

Leafy Greens

If you’ve got delicious salad ingredients that would go perfectly in a sandwich, then why not think a little outside the square? If you’ve got large lettuce leaves, then you can make use of these as wraps. Spoon your ingredients into the centre and use them as a form of a wrap, instead of reaching for a flour wrap or bread roll.

Read More

Solutions for Depression

Solutions for Depression

Depression is a common but debilitating condition which is more than just feeling down. We all can feel sad and low during stressful periods in our life but some people feel this way for extended periods of time, without any apparent reason. If you think you, or loved one, might have depression, we would recommend seeing a psychologist at www.southsidepsychology.com to help you or your loved one through the tough time and help manage the situation.

Depression is a very serious condition which can impact not only a person’s mental health but also their physical health. This can have detrimental effects on how they interact with their family and friends around them, and how they fit into the workforce. It can become difficult for these interactions to continue as normal and this can lead to isolation.

In 2003, mental disorders were identified as the leading cause of healthy years lost due to disabilities as reported by the ABS. In 2007, 45% of Aussies aged 16-85 (7.3 million people) had, at some point in their life, experienced a mental health disorder. With one in five Australian’s diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

There are many different types of depression and a wide range in severity. Major depressive disorder or clinical depression is characterised by low mood and a disinterest in life, which is experienced most days, for over 2 weeks. This can be mild, moderate or severe and can involve melancholic or psychosis in some cases.

Read More

7 Unusual Sports You Didn’t Know Existed But Should Try

7 Unusual Sports You Didn’t Know Existed But Should Try

Most people are bound have played or watched some of the main sports that exist including football, rugby, and cricket. Whilst these are undoubtedly fun activities, did you know that there are many sports which are every bit as much fun, if not more, and that many people do not even realise exist?

To shine some light on them, and to possibly open your eyes to some fun activities that you may not be aware of, we have listed below no fewer than 7 unusual sports that we are sure you will enjoy if you try them. Better still, encourage your family and friends to try them with you.

Before we start, we admit that we are using the term ‘sport’ in its loosest sense and that as some people might consider these fun games rather than a sport, we accept that the chances of some of them becoming an Olympic event are slim to none. However, they all involve physical activity and exercise, which can never be a bad thing.

#1 Axe Throwing

Fast becoming a hugely popular sport, and in many cases a highly competitive one too. The object is to score the highest number of points throwing an axe at a wooden target with scoring circles marked on it. The safest way to start is to go to a local axe throwing centre where they will supply the axes, the targets, and lessons for those who want to improve their aim.

Read More

Have You Got Scents?

Have You Got Scents?

Perfumes and fragrances have been around for centuries. There is evidence that the use of perfumes dates back to 3300BC. These fragrances were made from distilled flowers, oils and herbs. Modern production of perfumes began in the late 19th century where extracts from plants such as vanilla (known as vanillin) were produced. These days the demand for vanillin is so high that over 10, 000 tons of vanillin is sourced via chemical synthesis – generally a bi-product of wood pulp using sulphites to extract the compound.

Although its lovely to smell pretty do you actually know what’s in your celebrity created perfume? And what about your friends? Got that BFF who bathes in perfume every day? These scents could be causing toxicity in you! According to a 1991 study by the US Food and Drug Administration, 95% of the 4000 chemicals used in fragrances are derived from petroleum and other toxic chemicals. Read More

7 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Designing Your Physiotherapy Website

7 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Designing Your Physiotherapy Website

Just as our homes or offices need to be updated from time to time, the same applies to websites, and if your physiotherapy website appears outdated and is failing to generate any new clients, it might be time for it to be redesigned. However, as the experienced website designers at www.slinkywebdesign.com.au advise, it is important that you avoid some of the most common website design mistakes.

It might be that you are not personally designing your new website and have instead decided to employ someone else or a web design agency, but even so, being aware of these website design mistakes will help you to ensure that when your website is completed, it looks and functions exactly as it should.

Mistake #1 – It Loads Slowly

Nothing can cause someone to click away immediately from your website more than slow-loading pages. People want instant gratification online and so when they visit your website, whether on a desktop PC or their smartphone, it needs to load quickly. That is achieved by ensuring all the programming and coding that is used to build the website is functioning correctly, and that large files are not used for design elements such as graphics.

Read More

How SEO Can Help Your Local Health Food Store Compete For Better Rankings On Google

How SEO Can Help Your Local Health Food Store Compete For Better Rankings On Google

If you own or manage a local health food store and want to increase the number of customers who discover you whilst searching on Google, then at the top of your priorities you should have SEO as a means to achieve this goal. As the SEO specialists at www.seoperthexperts.com.au point out, the opportunities for smaller and local businesses to get to the top of the search results have never been greater. You just need to understand SEO ranking factors (or engage an SEO company that does).

The first point we must make here is with regards to many small and local business owners believing that they cannot compete with larger businesses for the top positions on Google. This is not the case, and in fact, for certain keywords local businesses often have a huge advantage when it comes to competing for the top positions on Google.

Obviously, larger health food companies have larger marketing budgets, but when it comes to assessing rankings, Google’s algorithm has barely any idea whether a website is owned by a multi-national company or a single local store. This means that your local health store’s website has as much chance of hitting the top positions as a large company, if your SEO strategy is set up and carried out correctly.

One of the reasons your health food store’s website can compete is that Google has a huge emphasis on local searches, and it has set up its algorithm to take account of geographical searches. What that means is, if someone is simply searching for ‘health food’ it is a general search and therefore Google is likely to have larger, generic websites in the results for this.

Read More

Benzo Addiction

Surprising Facts About Benzodiazepines and Benzo Addiction

When a doctor prescribes you medication, you possibly never think it can do more harm than the injury or condition itself. The truth is, using benzodiazepines can lead to a benzo addiction and the need for drug rehab.

Of course, millions of people use benzos safely, but being aware of the risks of their use can put you in the best position to use this medication safely. Read on to learn some surprising facts about benzodiazepines and benzo addiction.

What are Benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are pharmaceutical drugs that many medical professionals prescribe. They go under names like Xanax and Valium and can help reduce anxiety, sleep, convulsions, mental illness, and neuromuscular conditions.

Some of the most commonly prescribed benzos are Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. However, many doctors are leaning towards alternatives that are less addictive to reduce the risk of overuse.

Read More