Affiliate Marketing Q/A

First of all, congratulations! Now onto my questions:

1. What did you do for living before getting into the internet business?
I did programming & web design and i learned that these mesh extremely well with online marketing.

2. How did you do your first year?
My first year it only supplemented my income as I had a full time job. I made around $40k

3. Can you please give a brief real world example of how you do what you do?
I search for products to promote using tools like OfferVault (www.offervault.com) depending on current trends. I find the best payout, research the product, build a landing page to “pre-sell” it before they actually see the product website and advertise it using Facebook and/or Google. I generally use Facebook for promotional offers, dating, insurance, lead gen and then Google for everything else

4. How does this work? What kind of sites/blogs do you create? How does programming fit into this?
I’m basically an online salesman. I earn commission for selling products or sending targeted leads to clients. The best part is I never have to deal with or talk to a customer and I can flash my products in front of literally thousands of potential customers a day. Most of the time I create “landers,” a fancy name for a sales page. Server side programming like PHP isn’t as important as client side stuff like HTML/javascript and a nice design. On the page I talk about or review the product(s) and link the user to the actual sales page with the client. All clicks and sales/leads are tracked by a middle man called an “affiliate network” who has a direct relationship with the client. Think of affiliate networks as a store who gets their inventory from wholesalers and then sells it to the public. An affiliate network gets advertising campaigns from merchants at a certain amount per sale/lead and distributes them to the affiliates (people like me) to market at a lower payout so they can create a margin.

5. How can I make a landing page if my web development skills are very limited?
You need to learn more about making a website. You can always start by creating a blogger account or installing wordpress and create landing pages through blogs.

6. How does design help sell a product? Does color/font/whatever have much of an impact on what people buy?
Yeah, all that goes into affecting the decision of the end-user. I try to be as clean and simple as possible. I’ve found that landers that are more personalized or information based do well than commercialized. People who are looking to buy something online almost always look around for reviews. My strategy is to feed them the review, information, etc BEFORE they see the product site.

7. Would you recommend this path to others that have similar skills to your own? What advice and warnings would you give?
Anybody can do this. You don’t need any special skills. Programming and web design just allowed me to be able to earn faster than probably the average affiliate marketer. The best advice I could give is to:

a) Don’t be afraid to take risks.

b) It takes money to make money (at least if you want to earn real money)

c) Attend any of the major affiliate conferences like Ad:Tech or Affiliate Summit and you can learn a lot from keynotes in just a few days.

d) Test, discover, repeat.

8. What were your 3 most successful products last year?
Weight-loss, stretchmarks, and biz-opp (specifically Google biz-opp) products.

9. Can you name 3 things a beginner in the business should avoid doing – sort of classic mistakes?
1) Avoid new networks, only go with the known/proven networks.
2) Don’t get advice from affiliate marketing forums.
3) Don’t give up when you lose money. You will lose money, it’s part of the process.

10. If you were to start today, what would you do, how much time would you spend and how much would you make?
I got my start by building websites revolved around certain niches. I didn’t sell products… instead I wrote articles and manually created back links to the sites by trading links with other sites in the same niche and by submitting my links to social media sites. I monetized the sites with Google Adsense and banner ads. This is tedious because it can take a long time to make money as you’re solely depending on organic search engine rankings and back links. It’s a lot easier to do now though with programs like http://onlywire.com. When I started I had a full time job and I still dedicated 10-20 hours a week writing articles, creating back links, and optimizing my pages for the search engines.

However, if you were to start in this business today I would highly recommend skipping all that and getting right into marketing products through PPC with Google Adwords. It’s probably the easiest way to make money online and you can make a lot if you only knew the basics.

11. Has it gotten more difficult over the years?
It actually gets easier. Probably like mostly anything in life, the more you do something, the better you are at it and the easier it is to do. I still work a lot though… 50-60 hours a week. I could work a lot less if I wanted but it’s too fun.

12. 50-60 hours per week sounds OK. What do you do on a typical day?
As far as work goes I spend a lot of time reading affiliate news and following trends. I spend most of my time optimizing ads.

13. Speaking of optimizing ads… How many times have you been banned from Google AdWords?
They crack down the shady stuff which I no longer participate in. Google cracks down on account holders who are involved with all the shady rebill offers. Lots of marketers would simply create new accounts that they would use to make money for a few weeks at a time until those got shut down.

14. How much do you pay per click on adwords? Highest? Lowest?
I aim for the lowest I can get, but I’m currently bidding up to $3.00/click on one of my campaigns up right now.

15. How do you leverage Facebook?
On Facebook, I generally start by creating several ads targeting various demographics, different ad texts, different pictures and then letting them accumulate clicks. The ones that don’t convert or have a shitty click through rate, I delete. I keep filtering based on conversion rates and profits. Once I find the ads that work, I make more to target other demographics, etc. I keep doing this until I feel I have exhausted the targeting. You can use this method with Adwords too.. except with Adwords you’re targeting based on keywords.

16. How many domains do you own?
70-80

17. When you create a new campaign, how many variations of your ad copy and sales page will you split test at once? Do you split test both at once or one at a time?
The most I’ve ever split tested on Facebook would be 80. I spend days filtering though. Sometimes I will create tons of ads and find that none of them worked causing me to lose money. I don’t give up on it though, I’m at it again the next day.

18. Any websites/forums/blogs to get started? Can you mention any of the affiliate programs you’re using, or any you’d recommend for someone starting out?
Check out www.affbuzz.com and read/follow the bloggers in this industry. I don’t recommend getting advice from forums but some of the ones to check out would be www.digitalpoint.com, www.warriorforum.com, www.wickedfire.com but be careful there.

19. Do you have an offline network of colleagues you meet up with and talk about the business, trends..?
I know a lot of people in this business but the only times I see them face-to-face is at affiliate conferences. I usually attend 2 or 3 of them a year.

20. Isn’t it possible for someone who is working for the same affiliation site as you and selling the same product, to just google the product, find your website, and rip it?
That’s a big problem in this business, affiliates ripping other affiliates hard work… However, it’s part of the game. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In fact, I live by multiple eggs, multiple baskets. I’ve contacted the web hosts on some of the people who have ripped my pages and successfully shut one down.

21. Ever had a network reneg on payment due to a client going defunct/bankrupt?
I’ve had problems with getting paid in the past. After that happened I made sure to stay with the proven networks. I will, however, from time to time join new networks if I find it to be the most direct connection with a client.

22. Do you do all your deals through networks or do you have some deals directly with companies?
I have recently started going over and above the networks directly to the client. You’d be surprised at how much money some of these networks are taking.

23. Why do you make so much when most people lose money trying to make money on the internet?
I’ve lost thousands and thousands of dollars online doing this. Most of the money that I lose is by testing and filtering my methods against different products. I may spend a couple thousand testing a product’s marketability until I can find that sweet spot in targeting. Once I’ve found the perfect target and I start seeing profits, it’s not uncommon to profit $2-$4k a day just from one campaign.

24. Do you pay taxes?
Yes.

Well there you go. I hope you learned something today. Thank you for your time and good luck.

10 Great Ways to Save and Invest

Meet Someone Famous – My personal example is that I met Gary Vaynerchuk at a book signing back when he was promoting his book, “Crush It”. It was incredibly inspiring to meet him, listen to him talk, and get to ask him a few questions. I was on cloud nine for weeks and weeks, full of aspirations and inspired like never before.

Read Books – A recent study found that a majority of millionaires read at least one non-fiction book ever month. If you are a salesman who depends on commissions to make a living, how many books on selling or closing a deal have you read? Finding a great book may be a great way to inspire you. If you are looking for great personal finance books, check out my list of the top ten personal finance books that should be on everyone’s nightstand.

Pay Off A Debt – There are very few things that can inspire someone who is struggling with his finances more than paying off a debt. You can build on your success and turn it into a debt snowball.

Find Someone To Talk To – Do you have a coworker who loves to talk about finances? If you are looking for inspiration to figure out how to finally start investing, maybe you should consider asking that coworker to share some of his or her knowledge with you. Do they have a recommendation for a mutual fund or a discount brokerage.

Read Blogs – One of the biggest reasons bloggers write is to inspire people. How many blogs are you reading? There are some great blogs out there that inspire you to do more, strive for greater things, etc. What are some of your favorites?

Set Goals – Everyone needs goals in their lives, both short-term and long-term ones. You also need goals for your savings and investing. Do you have them? You should set them now that it is a new year.

Plaster Your Goals – Once you have your goals, you should post them all over the place, at your home and at work. I am a big fan of putting my number one goal up on the mirror in my bathroom because I look there first thing every morning. It serves as a great reminder and motivator.

Reward Yourself – Hopefully your goals have smaller sub-steps involved to help you reach your big, ultimate goal in the end. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you reach those smaller goals on your way to the main goal. This will inspire you to keep going and achieve the tough ones.

Teach Friends – Teachers are always one of the first people to point out that if you want to truly know and understand a topic, then you need to teach it to someone. Having to pass on knowledge to someone who is depending on you to be a subject matter expert will quickly make you realize that you need to become that subject matter expert.

Write About It – Are you struggling with your finances? Maybe others around you are struggling to? Have you ever considered starting a blog? Have you ever thought about writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper? Getting your thoughts down on paper is quite inspiring.

How do you get inspired? Do the same things that inspire you to succeed financially also inspire you to reach your non-financial goals?

Source: www.moneyqanda.com | Hank Coleman

        4G vs LTE

4G
ITU considers IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunication) technologies as true 4G standards. As per the official definition, IMT-Advanced should be able to deliver peak download speeds of 1Gbps in stationary environments, while 100Mbps in high mobile environments. Initially, ITU completed the assessment of 6 candidate’s wireless mobile broadband standards for official 4G standard. Finally, 2 technologies, LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced are accorded the official designation of IMT-Advanced. Even though, LTE Advanced is considered as true 4G standard, ITU also allowed to use HSPA+,WiMax and LTE as 4th generation technologies. As per the IMT-Advanced specification peak spectral efficiency should be 15bps/Hz for downlink and 6.75bps/Hz for uplink. This spectral efficiency and other IMT-Advanced requirements are achieved by 3GPP Release 10 (LTE-Advanced).

LTE
LTE was initiated with the 3GPP Release 8 (Freeze in March 2008), and further evolved in 9 and 10 releases. High spectral efficiency is one of the key features of LTE which was achieved using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) with 64-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) technique. Use of MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna techniques is another key point which improved the spectral efficiency of LTE to 15bps/Hz. LTE should be able to support up to 300Mbps downlink and 75Mbps in uplink as per the 3GPP specification. Architecture of LTE is much simpler and flat when compared with the previous 3GPP releases. eNode-B directly connects with System Architecture Evolution Gateway (SAE-GW) for data transfer, while it connects with Mobile Management Entity (MME) for signaling as per the LTE architecture. This simple eUTRAN architecture allows better utilization of resources, which ultimately ends up with OPEX and CAPEX savings to the service provider.

What is the difference between 4G and LTE?

1. LTE Advanced, which is also known as true 4G standard, is evolution of LTE standard. Therefore, LTE and LTE Advanced have compatibility, where LTE terminal can work in LTE Advanced network, and LTE Advanced Terminal can work in LTE network.

2. Capacities of true 4G standards are much higher when compared with LTE. LTE supports up to a maximum of 2.7 bps/Hz/cell, while LTE Advanced (True 4G) has a capacity of 3.7 bps/Hz/cell. Even though, both LTE and LTE-Advanced (true 4G) support the same spectral efficiency in downlink, uplink spectral efficiency is much higher with true 4G.

3. Both LTE and 4G are focused on data rate improvement. Peak downlink data rate of LTE is 300Mbps, while official 4G definition requires 1Gbps downlink data rate. Therefore, true 4G has much higher data rate when compared with LTE, in both uplink as well as in downlink.

4. LTE is known as 3GPP release 8, while true 4G is considered as 3GPP release 10, which is evolution of initial LTE technology.

5. LTE networks are being deployed around the world now, while true 4G networks are still pending for trials. This is simply due to the stability of LTE when compared with LTE-Advanced. Initial LTE standards are published in March 2008, whereas initial stages of LTE-Advanced (True 4G) were standardized in March 2010.

6. 4G is the next generation of mobile broadband communication, whereas LTE is the basis for true 4G technologies such as LTE-Advanced.

Source: differencebetween.com | By Andrew

Difference between Cialis and Viagra

Difference between Viagra and Cialis

1. The chemicals used in both the pills are different
2. Viagra starts to work in one hour’s time of taking the pill; Cialis becomes effective after 30min of taking the pill
3. Cialis is effective up to 36 hours (17.5-hour half life); effectiveness of Viagra is up to 4 hours 3. Viagra causes colour vision change, especially between green and blue and increased sensitivity to light
4. Cialis causes in some people muscle aches and back pain
5. Cost and the way they work are same.

Summary: Considering the difference between Cialis and Viagra, it is now up to the individual to make decision on which pill to take when having an erectile dysfunction. Despite their differences in certain aspects such as the length of time the pill is useful, both Viagra, the little blue pill, and Cialis, the weekender, have been proven to be effective when it comes to the dysfunction men are having problems with especially as they age. At the present, Viagra still remains on top of the list as many continue to patronize it and claim that it works better and is stronger. However, Cialis is putting up a serious fight and is starting to win in some countries such as France. Source: differencebetween.com | By Andrew

Tips for the flu this season

In addition to receiving your flu shot, there are simple ways you can incorporate flu prevention efforts into your daily regime. Read on to learn how!

Sleep. Aim to sleep for at least eight hours per night so that your body is well rested and can fight off unwanted viruses or bacteria.

Replenish with water regularly. It is recommended that we drink eight, eight ounce glasses of water per day for optimal health. Hydrating mucous membranes will help keep them fit to fight disease.

Eat immune-boosting foods and avoid sugar. Colourful fruits and vegetables contain a lot of nutrients that help boost the immune system. On the other hand, sugar can significantly hinder immunity, putting you at risk of catching the flu.

Get active. Regular exercise boosts immunity.

Reduce stress levels. It is widely known that stress can run your body down, putting you at risk for flu and other diseases. Reducing stress through sufficient sleep, regular exercise and other methods can help bring greater enjoyment to life while reducing your risk of catching the flu.

Wash your hands! Your health is in your hands so this flu season be sure to sanitize or wash your hands regularly, especially before eating or touching your face.

Three Fast Ways to Save Money

Of course, financial experts rarely advocate against saving. But market swoons to tend to bring out consumers’ thrifty sides. For some help with boosting your monthly savings, here are three options that won’t take more than an hour or two:

Switch Cellphone Plans
Save: $400 a year

Cellphone users are paying more — $92 per month on average for a two-year contract, up from $78 last year, according to J.D. Power & Associates. And picking the right plan has also become more complex as carriers add new data plans and require different packages for different phones. In early July, Verizon joined AT&T in eliminating unlimited data plans for new subscribers. Moving into a plan that better fits your calling texting and data patterns could save up to $400, Satyavolu says. Sites like BillShrink and Validas will analyze your current bill and make savings suggestions, or you can call your provider and competing services. (Some apps can also help you save on texting or talk time.) But if the best bet seems to be switching carriers, be warned: early termination fees can go as high as $350, which could eat up any savings in a hurry. Switching can also change call quality, so ask friends who use that carrier if they’ve had problems — or better yet, borrow their phone and test for yourself.

Shop Insurance Policies
Save: $200 a year

More severe natural disasters and higher rebuilding costs have led insurers to raise homeowners insurance premiums by more than 7% in many areas over the past year. (Some are hurricane-prone areas, but not all. Some Pennsylvania homeowners saw premiums jump 33% last year.) That’s reason enough to shop around on sites like Netquote.com and Insurance.com, checking rates and available discounts. Be sure to call your current insurer, too, and see if they have any new programs you might be eligible for, Garrett says. It wouldn’t be hard to save at least $200 per year or more. Last month, Garrett bought new homeowners and auto insurance policies, cutting her yearly bill by $800.

Change (or Ditch) Cable
Save: $800 a year

Consumers can save substantially by finding a new cable provider, or depending on their viewing habits, cutting the cord altogether. Switching is easier to compare with sites like BillShrink or WhiteFence.com. And most viewers have more options than they think, especially for those who are interested in satellite — and the annual savings for switching averages $800 a year, Satyavolu says. Providers often make their best deals available via cable-phone-Internet bundles, though, and switching to a lower price can entail an unbearably slow Internet or a crackly phone connection, says Dan Rayburn, an analyst for investment bank Frost & Sullivan who covers digital media companies. Also, the growing options for free or cheap TV online mean some people may be able to get by with fewer channels, says Rayburn. A viewer might, for example, switch to a basic cable package with 13 or so channels and use an $8 monthly streaming subscription from Netflix or Hulu to catch more missed movies and TV shows.

Source: finance.yahoo.com

Why to choose a variable-rate Mortgage

With a variable-rate mortgage, the payment can fluctuate as interest rates rise or fall. For this reason, you usually get a better rate — to reflect the uncertainty and increased risk.

Although the central bank rate has not changed much over the past year — and is not expected to soon — lenders have been narrowing the gap between the two rates. That means it’s a good time to consider a variable mortgage before the gap gets even smaller.

Here’s an example of the potential savings. The best available five-year fixed rate stands at around 3.2 per cent and the five-year variable at 2.6 per cent, representing a 0.60 percentage point spread. You could save $2,700 annually on a $450,000 mortgage — the average price of a Toronto home — by going variable.

So, if you can sleep at night with the risk that your mortgage payment might change, a variable rate wins out. Here are some other factors in its favour:

1. Variable mortgages are historically cheaper. In the last 50 years, variable rates have been an average of 1 per cent cheaper than fixed rates, says James Laird of True North Mortgage. According to Bank of Montreal research, the last time fixed rates held advantage over variable rates was in the late 1980s.

2. Variable rates are near historical lows. The Bank of Canada has indicated it plans to keep rates low in the face of uncertainty over North American and European economies. The U.S. Federal Reserve has promised to keep interest rates low through 2013 and Canadian rates cannot diverge far from American ones. Some people in the mortgage industry are saying interest rates could fall further.

3. Variable rate penalties are typically lower. With a fixed mortgage, the penalty to break your mortgage is the greater of three months’ interest or the Interest Rate Differential (IRD). A variable rate, on the other hand, is only subject to the three months’ interest penalty. The much feared and little understood IRD penalty too often comes close to the cash savings you would earn with the new, lower interest rate, taking away much of the incentive to refinance. Most of the 8 per cent of Canadians who refinanced in 2010 in fixed mortgages would have paid the higher IRD.

4. You can lock in at any time. If for whatever reason during your variable mortgage term you wish to lock in all or part of your mortgage at a fixed rate, you have the freedom to do so without any penalties or costs.

5. You start saving right away. Because of the current spread between fixed and variable rates, the savings are immediate. Even if interest rates rise, the increase would have to be big enough to wipe out the savings reaped at the beginning of the mortgage.

Variable rates are riskier, but it’s a gamble that pays off. If you’re still unsure, you could go half fixed and half variable, in which case you’ll never be more than half wrong.

Source: Kerri-Lynn McAllister | moneyville.ca

10 Reasons to Drink Aloe Vera

10. Dental Health and Hygiene
Aloe Vera is extremely healthful for your mouth and gums, actually helps prevent the formation of plaque. It has got the property to cure the problems in mouth as well as to protect it from the further attack of germs.

9. Provides Rapid Soothing
Aloe Vera enhances fibroblast function. Fibroblast are those remarkable little cells responsible for collagen formation. They also assist in the soothing of minor burns, cuts, scrapes and skin irritations.

8. Aids in Healthy Digestion
A healthy digestive tract ensures that nutrients from the foods we eat are absorbed into the blood stream. Aloe Vera has natural, detoxifying abilities. Drinking Aloe Vera Gel regularly may improve bowel regularity and increase protein absorption, while at the same time decrease unfriendly bacteria and yeast ?all done naturally! Aloe Vera has also demonstrated its ability to assist in soothing heartburn and other types of digestive upset.

7. Immune Support and Function
Aloe Vera provides natural support for the immune system. Since the immune system works around the clock protecting the body, aloe vera, with its natural immune enhancers, gives the body a continual arsenal from which to draw. Drinking 2 to 4 ounces of Aloe Vera Gel regularly may give your immune system the helping hand it needs

6. Regulates Weight and Energy Levels
Aloe Vera Gel naturally, and with regular use, allows the body to cleanse the digestive system. Our diets include many unwanted substances which can cause lethargy and exhaustion. Taken regularly, Aloe Vera Gel ensures a greater feeling of well-being, allowing energy levels to increase and helping to maintain a healthy body weight.

5. Collagen and Elastin Repair
Aloe Vera can add a rich supply of building materials to produce and maintain healthy skin. The skin replenishes itself every 21 to 28 days. Using the nutritional building blocks of aloe vera, the skin can utilize these nutrients daily to help combat the effects of aging! A daily dose of Aloe Vera Gel can be just what your skin is thirsting for.

4. Daily Dose of Minerals
Some of the minerals found in aloe vera include calcium, sodium, iron, potassium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. What a powerful storehouse! We all know that adding foods to our diets with naturally occurring vitamins and minerals is recommended for overall health. Drinking Aloe Vera Gel is a natural and healthful way to replenish the body supply.

3. Daily Dose of Vitamins
Aloe Vera Gel includes Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E, Folic Acid and Niacin. The human body simply cannot store some of these vitamins; therefore we need to supplement them regularly through our diets. What better way than by drinking a daily dose of Aloe Vera Gel, while at the same time building the body defense system naturally against oxidative stress!

2. Anti-inflammatory Properties
Aloe Vera Gel has 12 natural substances that have been shown to inhibit inflammation without side effects. Aloe may also support proper joint and muscle mobility.

1. Body-Building Blocks
Amino acids are our body building blocks. Eight which are essential and cannot be made by the body are found within the aloe plant! Drinking Aloe Vera on a regular basis allows you to help maintain your health by replenishing your body naturally with these essential amino acids. An analysis of the aloe vera plant shows that it comes closer than any other known plant to the duplication of essential amino acids. Just think ? all this, and in just 2 to 4 ounces a day.

Interview Cheat Sheet

In the Days Before the Interview
Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, make a bulleted list of what the employer is looking for based on the job posting. On the right side, make a bulleted list of the qualities you possess that fit those requirements.
Research the company, industry and the competition.
Prepare your 60-second personal statement.
Write at least five success stories to answer behavioral interview questions (“Tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of a time…”).
List five questions to ask the interviewer about the job, the company and the industry.
Research salaries to determine your worth.
Determine your salary needs based on your living expenses.
Get permission from your references to use their names.

Be ready to answer common interview questions such as these:
Tell me about yourself.
Why did you leave your last position, or why are you leaving your current position?
What do you know about this company?
What are your goals?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why do you want to work here?
What has been your most significant achievement?
How would your last boss and colleagues describe you?
Why should we hire you?
What are your salary expectations?

Before You Go to the Interview

Do you look professional? Check yourself in the mirror; part of your confidence will come from looking good.

Carry these items to the interview:
Several copies of your resume on quality paper.
A copy of your references.
A pad of paper on which to take notes, though notes are optional.
Directions to the interview site.

Upon Arrival
Arrive early — enter the building 10 minutes before your appointment.
Review your prepared stories and answers.
Go to the restroom and check your appearance one last time.
Announce yourself to the receptionist in a professional manner.
Stand and greet your interviewer with a hearty — not bone-crushing — handshake.
Smile and maintain eye contact.

During the Interview
Try to focus on the points you have prepared without sounding rehearsed or stiff.
Relax and enjoy the conversation.
Learn what you can about the company.
Ask questions and listen; read between the lines.
At the conclusion, thank the interviewer, and determine the next steps.
Ask for the interviewer’s business card so you can send a follow-up letter.

After the Interview
As soon as possible, write down what you are thinking and feeling.
Later in the day, review what you wrote and assess how you did.
Write an interview thank-you letter, reminding the interviewer of your qualities

Source: Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

Heart disease is the #1 killer of men

“There were two things from that article I recalled,” he recounted to our reporter a few years ago. “One was that every heart attack is unique. My symptoms will be different from your symptoms. The other was, if you suspect you’re having a heart attack, take an aspirin.” Hale took two and drove himself to the hospital. He almost didn’t make it. Doctors found blockages in three arteries and performed a triple bypass the next day. “They told me I’d saved my life,” says Hale. “The aspirin thinned my blood, and the inhaler dilated my arteries.”

Heart disease is the number one killer of men, claiming the lives of nearly 400,000 fathers, friends, brothers, and sons every year. Often, the difference between life and death is razor thin—remembering to pop an aspirin, not delaying your trip to the E.R.

This week is National Men’s Health Week, which was created by Congress in 1994 to raise the awareness of the health threats uniquely facing men. To commemorate, we’ve put together a list of the most popular ways to die as a man in America. Collectively, these diseases kill nearly one million of us annually. And, chances are, your lifestyle or genetic profile puts you at risk for at least one of them.

But, as Jeff Hale learned, our fates are not sealed. If you understand your risks, and learn how to negate them, you can outrun the reaper. Here’s how:

STROKE: Why you’re at risk: Each year, nearly 50,000 American men die of a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. I know what you’re thinking: But those are really old men. But you’re wrong. In fact, 1 in 14 stroke victims is younger than 45. As a neurologist I interviewed a few years ago told me: “If you did MRI scans on a hundred 40-year-olds, you’d see that a large number have already had a silent stroke.” And that’s scary because small, silent strokes often precede large, debilitating strokes.

What you can do about it: Keep your blood pressure at 120/80 or lower. Every 20-point increase in systolic BP (the top number) or every 10-point rise in diastolic BP doubles your risk of dying of a stroke, says Walter Kernan, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Yale University. The good news: Simple lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce your risk. Assess your stroke risk right here, and learn how to turn the odds in your favor.

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: Why you’re at risk: Nearly 60,000 men died from COPD—which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema—in 2006, according to the CDC. The chief cause: the Marlboro Man. In fact, smoking causes 80 percent of COPD deaths. Considering that tobacco use has also been directly linked to the other man killers on our Top 5 list—notably, heart disease (#1) and cancer (#2)—you have to ask: Why are people still smoking?

What you can do about it: It’s pretty simple, really. You need to figure out how to kick butts for good. Improve your odds by joining a gym—smokers who are trying to quit often fall off the wagon during stressful moments. Regular exercise lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the brain. Warning: Going cold turkey is one of the least successful ways of quitting. Find out how to tilt the odds of success in your favor by checking out Will You Be Able to Quit Smoking?

ACCIDENTS: Why you’re at risk: According to the CDC, 80,000 men die each year in unexpected tragedies, from sports injuries to fires to falls. But the most preventable accidental deaths are the 30,000 that occur on America’s roads every year.

What’s that? You’re a great driver? Not surprising that you think so. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 72 percent of drivers regard themselves as more skilled than everyone else. Researchers trace the bias to a fundamental information imbalance, namely that the poorest performers are also the least able to recognize skill (or lack of skill) in themselves or others.

But fine, let’s say it’s true. Then consider the guys you’re sharing the road with: Surveys indicate there’s a nearly 80 percent chance they speed regularly, and a 53 percent likelihood they talk on the phone while driving. There’s a 4 percent chance they run red lights—on purpose—and a 2 percent chance they have driven after drinking too much. These guys make Evel Knievel look like a defensive driver.

What you can do about it: If you do one thing today, make it this: Stop texting while driving. You’ve probably heard that texting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Not true. Texting is way more dangerous. In fact, texting increases your risk of a crash by 23 times (versus 11 times for driving under the influence), according to a Virginia Tech study. Step into the MH Driving Simulator and test how well you multitask behind the wheel.

CANCER: Why you’re at risk: The Big C killed nearly 300,000 men in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society. Lung cancer tops the list, accounting for 29 percent of all cancer deaths, followed by prostate cancer (11 percent) and colon/rectum cancer (9 percent). We all know that smoking causes lung cancer, but the risk factors for prostate cancer are less well known. Yet, it’s one of the most common—1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes—and least understood killers of men.

HEART DISEASE: Why you’re at risk: This is the deadliest disease known to man. More than 1 in 3 adult men have some sort of heart disease and more than 390,000 men died of the killer in 2007, according to the American Heart Association.

But you’re a fit, healthy guy, right? Why would you die of heart disease? Believe it or not, not every victim of the disease is overweight or inactive. Men’s Health Editor Peter Moore discovered this eight years ago. He was doing everything right: He was thin, exercised regularly, and ate a healthy diet. But none of that prevented one of the arteries in his heart from becoming 99 percent blocked. Still think you’re risk-free? You can find out your heart disease risk by clicking right here.

What you can do about it: Small lifestyle changes can yield big results when it comes to improving heart health. Here are four simple changes you can make today:

What you can do about it: Take our quiz to determine your risk. If you’re at high risk, put certain staples of the Mediterranean diet on your plate. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that men who eat more than 10 grams of garlic or scallions (about three cloves of garlic or 2 tablespoons of scallions) daily have a 50 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than those who eat less than 2 grams. Sound like too much of a good thing? Other studies have linked the lycopene in cooked tomato products to lower prostate cancer risk; aim for at least two servings a week. And if you really like coffee . . . Harvard researchers found that drinking 6 cups a day reduces your risk of developing advanced prostate cancer by 59 percent.

>>>> Exercise for 30 minutes. Middle-aged men who exercise vigorously for two hours a week (aim for 30 minutes, four times a week) have a 60 percent lower risk of a heart attack than inactive men.

>>>> Lose weight. If you’re overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack. In fact, a 10-year study found that overweight people had heart attacks 8.2 years earlier than normal-weight victims.

>>>> Drink five glasses of water a day. Men who drink that many 8-ounce glasses are 54 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drink two glasses or fewer. Researchers say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.

>>>> Count to 10. Keeping your cool under stress may keep you alive. Men who respond with anger are three times more likely to have heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55.

Source: Yahoo.com