Tag Archives: lifestyle

Jul30

The Skinny On Sugar

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The Skinny On Sugar

While we all agree that sugar is not the best thing in the world, it’s important to remember that sugar is not the evil that we’ve been told about. Most of us talk to our children and say that sugar is an absolute no-no, but there are many misconceptions about sugar. Let’s make sure you have a healthy attitude towards sugar and why, in the right dose, it isn’t anything to fear:

Should You Cut Out Sugar from Your Life Completely?

Many health organizations will recommend a certain limit of sugar per day. Any dental care specialist tells you to avoid sugar for the sake of your teeth but, of course, it’s hard to completely remove sugar from your life, especially when you consider there is a tiny amount in drinks like milk, that you cannot remove. Your body does not need sugar, so having less is going to be better, but the benefit lies in moderation. There is room for some sugar in a healthy diet that won’t negatively impact your overall health, but it’s about knowing the limits. The US dietary guidelines state that, out of 2,000 calories a day, 50g of added sugar is okay.

Will Sugar Contribute to Long-Term Health Problems?

Naturally, we are aware of the impact of diabetes, and the fact that 75% of Americans eat more sugar than they really should. But if you have heard that eating sugar will contribute to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease, added sugar consumption according to an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that it was not linked to increased risk for death. A moderate amount of sugar doesn’t appear to be harmful but having too much will put you at risk for putting on weight.

Are Natural Sugars Better for You?

There are minimally processed sweeteners, such as agave nectar and honey that people use in beverages, thinking it’s a healthier version of sugar, but your body views all sugar sources as the same. This means that whatever the sugar source is, it will have the same impact on your body. While there are nutrients in honey and maple syrup, the nutrients are so small that they won’t have an impact on your health. You may think that you are doing yourself a favor by having a healthier version, but it is not the case.

Sugar is not a healthy food by any stretch, as we have seen, but for those people who are determined to remove sugar from every aspect of their life, it can be impossible. We find sugar in fruit, but this is why fruit contains fiber to balance it out. However, if you want a healthy life you can indulge in a sweet treat, but the solution is simple: everything in moderation.

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Jul29

How To Help & Support Your Parents As They Age

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How To Help & Support Your Parents As They Age

Watching your parents age can be a challenging situation and transition. The roles are reversing and you may now find yourself taking care of them instead of the other way around. It’s best to accept the inevitable and to figure out ways to ensure it’s a smooth and positive experience for everyone involved. Learn more about how you can best help and support your parents as they age and sleep well at night knowing you’re doing all that’s in your power to make sure they’re happy and well.

Figure Out the Right Living Situation:

You can help and support your parents as they age by stepping in and figuring out the right living situation for them. For instance, it may be that you want to have caregivers come into their home each day or you believe they’d be better off and more comfortable in a retirement and senior living community such as the Catholic Care Center. Think about how much constant care they need and where they may be the happiest and then help get them settled.

Of course, life is totally unpredictable and sometimes necessity takes over and can mean that plans have to be altered. For example, should a parent develop dementia and need more frequent care and supervision that you are able to give, it may be time to look into places like this Senior living community in Draper, UT that have memory care facilities so that they can be supported around the clock.

Be Available:

Another way to help your parents as they age is to be available. Check-in often with phone calls, emails, or texts and see how they’re doing. If you live close by, then you may want to pick a few days out of the week to stop in and visit with them in person. It’ll help you identify any potential problems and their needs. You should also think about being available to go to their doctor and medical appointments with them to advocate on their behalf and ensure they’re getting the best treatment possible.

It’s also important to be there for conversations on the continued well being of your loved ones. This could be helping them learn about assisted living benefits, discussions on medication management, and safety advice for around the home. Being in their corner is always one of the best things you can do.

Encourage Them to Stay Active & Engaged:

As your parents age, encourage them to be active so they can live their best life. It’s important for their mental health and well-being that they get out of the house to socialize, follow a daily schedule, and challenge themselves physically. Maybe you could go for a walk when you visit or let them know what activities and events are happening within the community so they can attend.

A senior living community like Starhaven Villas offers resort style amenities to help keep your loved ones active too. Golfing, pickle ball, bocce ball, and a clubhouse are just naming a few that Starhaven Villas has on their property. If you are going the community living route, one with a plentiful schedule of activities will help to keep your parents or grandparents happy and engaged.

Empathize & Be Compassionate:

What’s most important is that you remain level-headed through all of these changes and don’t let your stress or emotions get the best of you. Instead, empathize with your parents and show compassion toward their situation and life. Sit down and have conversations with them to let them know you love and care for them and want to help them with what they need as they age. Consider how you’d feel under their circumstances and be patient as you all adjust to this new way of living and being.

You now have a better idea of some of the ways you can be of help to your parents as they get older. Also, be sure to maintain a daily self-care routine for yourself so you don’t let your health slide as you offer assistance and support to your aging parents.

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Jul29

What’s Cookin?

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What’s Cookin?

Hello! I have always enjoyed cooking and have fond memories of making anything and everything together with my mom. Cooking in the kitchen in my apartment is an entirely different story, though, because it’s so small and I don’t know about you guys, but I like having lots of room to spread out when I’m making food. I also don’t know about you guys, but I fell into a bit of a depression during the most extreme parts of the pandemic and that left me never feeling like even attempting to make home cooked meals.

The stress of working throughout the pandemic as well as a job that I wasn’t entirely thrilled with really contributed to my slump and it made it hard to do just about anything when I would return home from work. However, this past month has been a complete one eighty as I accepted a new position that I am in love with. Every day, I have come home so happy and both Johnny and I can’t remember the last time I would get off work in such an amazing mood.

Because of this, my love of cooking has definitely been reignited and I have been making meals several times a week for me and my husband to enjoy. Below are some of the favorite recipes that I have whipped up so far and it has felt great to have delicious meals to serve every night. Check it out:

This past month, I have made mac n’ cheese, veggie enchiladas, quesadillas, and pizza. I also used a super easy recipe for pepperoni bread for my non vegetarian husband that he is crazy about. When I began cooking again, I wanted to find simple recipes with limited ingredients as I only have one small counter space to work on in my kitchen. It has been a huge success and I feel proud of myself the entire time. In fact, I feel so happy that I normally will be singing or humming to myself as I chop veggies. This is a far cry from sitting on the couch in misery waiting for yet another air fried meal to cook!

Cooking dinner is a love language that I have learned from a young age from both my mom and grandma and I love being able to express that again. I really enjoy getting creative with the dinners I make now and while I’ll follow the basic recipes, I always try to doctor them up to make it even better. Our favorite recipe is, easily, the jalapeno popper quesadillas and it makes me feel wonderful when Johnny will request them every other night lol. 🙂

I am looking forward to all of the yummy meals that I plan on making and Johnny is looking forward to eating them. One of the last times I made dinner this past week, I told him that it feels good to feel like me again and I wake up every day now eager to go to work and come home to engage in one of my favorite hobbies again. Here’s to delicious meals for all! ❤

What are some of your favorite recipes? Who is the best cook in your family? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul24

Whirlwind Weeks

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Whirlwind Weeks

Hello! I don’t know about you guys, but this summer has been flying by for me because it has been so busy. I got married, my husband and I celebrated our birthdays, and I started a new job. Not to mention that over the weekends, Johnny’s band, The Outside Voices, is usually performing. While these are all incredibly exciting things, it can also be incredibly exhausting!

Busy? Yes – but I am LOVING my new schedule thanks to the job I accepted and never get home any later than four o’clock Monday through Friday… It is beautiful and I feel much more well rested. And, although my weekends haven’t been the most relaxing this summer, it is so nice to see all of our friends again as Johnny and I have been fully vaccinated since May.

My favorite hang out to date this summer was when our dear friend, Shannon, stayed with us for a weekend. He is a wonderful photographer and he took pictures of The Outside Voices playing at a gig. Shannon also was kind enough to take some pictures of yours truly too – some of which are taken on a Polaroid camera which was really cool. Tune in tomorrow for an OOTD with some of the sneak peek photos he has sent me!

^^^ This was the first picture Shannon took with his new Polaroid camera and it is one of my favorites of me and Johnny. ❤

What has your summer been like so far? How do you relax after whirlwind days? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul21

4 Reasons To Smile More Today

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4 Reasons To Smile More Today

Let’s be honest. We don’t always feel like smiling. There can be days when we don’t have a lot to smile about, especially when we are feeling stressed with life’s many dilemmas. And some of us don’t smile often because of dental reasons that we may need to go to the orthodontist office to get fixed. Discolored or missing teeth can give us reasons not to smile, as there is always that fear of embarrassment.

But here’s the thing. We should never underestimate the importance of smiling.

If you’re struggling to smile because of life’s pressures, find moments in the day for light relief. Watch something funny, do something fun with a friend, and do anything else that will help you crack a smile. And even if you still don’t feel like smiling, smile anyway, as you and others will still experience the benefits.

But if you don’t like your smile? Well, it might be time to visit your dentist or you could buy snap on veneers if you are missing any teeth. You will then have more incentive to smile and your life will improve because of it. Read on to find out more:

There are health benefits:

Smiling is good for you, both physically and mentally. When you smile, endorphins are released and this can help to ease your stress levels. Studies have also shown that smiling is an effective way to boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, and reduce physical pain. Of course, smiling is not a cure in and of itself. You should still see your doctor if you have any ailments. However, knowing that there are health benefits to smiling could give you an actual reason to smile more today!

It helps in social situations:

If you walk around with a permanent scowl on your face, you won’t do much to win people over to you. In fact, they might start avoiding you altogether. But if you smile more, you will appear more friendly, become more approachable, and dare we say it, even more attractive. Whether you’re trying to impress a work colleague, a first date, or your partner’s family, make the effort to smile more to win them over with your good vibes.

Smiling is contagious:

Smile and the world smiles with you! That’s a famous song title but there is actually truth in there. Research has shown that people will naturally feel the urge to smile when they see that expression in others. So, not only will you feel good if you smile more today, but you could quite possibly make others feel good too. Heck, you might even be responsible for a smiling epidemic, which is the only epidemic the world needs right now!

There is much to smile about:

Life might be tough for you right now, so you might debate this point. However, you will improve your mood if you can find the positives in life, so look for reasons to smile. Be thankful for nature and all that exists within it. Be grateful for the joyful moments you experience with friends and family. Eat something that tastes good to you. And check out these other life moments that could cause you to smile.

So, smile more today, for all of these reasons. You will experience the benefits if you do, and so will the people around you.

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Jul12

Time To Make Your Life Healthier!

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Time To Make Your Life Healthier!

Why is healthy eating so important in the workplace? It’s important because, oftentimes, we reach for the nearest and quickest item of food to eat before getting back to the grind. Then while you are sitting at your desk, hunger suddenly starts to take hold. Healthy nutrition falls by the wayside and you eat what is there – a biscuit, a piece of cake from the staff room. You eat too fast, too greasy, too much sugar and then you feel the effects creeping in. Discomfort, tiredness, sluggishness, stomach ache, and cravings come quickly – that is why it is important to switch things up and be healthy with the following advice:

Increase your physical performance:

Your brain needs energy and minerals to function well. If you eat right, your body can metabolize nutrients and vitamins better. Not only do you feel more productive, but you can also significantly increase your concentration and performance. Choose green ingredients and it will greatly assist.

Get healthier and fitter in everyday life:

Did you know that poor nutrition can also make you sick? If you eat a healthy and balanced diet, you can avoid the risk of getting sick and improve your general health. This way you can easily save yourself annoying doctor visits and expensive medication.

Reach your natural feel-good weight:

There is no need to start a new fad diet or try something such as the Atkins diet. With a healthy diet, you don’t have to struggle with constant dieting or the yo-yo effect. Eating well-balanced foods can help you feel full longer and trick your cravings. Eat nuts and healthy fruit snacks, instead. Dried banana, coconut, and fat free yogurt can be delicious treat! Feel like something sweet? Honey has amazing health benefits which you can learn more about at Gold Bee and potentially get yourself some of their high-quality raw, organic honey for your cupboard. It’s the perfect way to top off a yogurt parfait – yum!

Increase your resilience and stress resistance:

With healthy food you can improve your stress resistance. This is especially important when things get tough at work. Health insurance companies confirm that healthy eating helps you to better meet the high demands of everyday working life. It also helps you to concentrate better. This allows you to work more efficiently and, all in all, you are less prone to stress.

Improve your complexion for visible beauty:

Healthy nutrition affects your appearance and your beauty from within. This helps ensure beautiful skin, healthy hair, and fewer wrinkles. You feel more comfortable and you radiate it in everyday life. That makes you more self-confident and more successful – which can also benefit your career. Vitamin C is great for your skin as are natural fatty acids that will make you glow. Protein and antioxidant rich foods are also excellent for your skin and can be found in the options when you Shop Bird Nest Online for an even more enhanced radiance.

Feel better and radiate it:

Researchers at the University of California have found that mood and digestion are closely related because they are closely connected by nerve tracts. So if the stomach feels good, happiness hormones are released that make you really happy. You feel more balanced and your colleagues will be amazed at how you are walking down the aisle with such a smile.  Eating your greens and plenty of fruit will allow you to blossom further.

Eating right has a huge impact on your health and mood – improve yours today with these ideas!

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Jul6

Daily Actions That Improve Your General Well-Being

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Daily Actions That Improve Your General Well-Being

When you are constantly searching for money, happiness, and freedom, you barely remember to stop and take care of your most valued asset – your body. Only after a battle with an illness or a near-death experience do most people begin to appreciate the actual value of general body wellness, such as peace of mind and contentment.

If you want to live a successful life, including being on top of your health, it is down to the simple actions you take daily. Here are some steps you can take to improve your physical and mental well-being:

Improve on Body Hygiene:

Baths are essential to your general well-being because they help relax overstretched muscles in your body, which can cause fatigue and tension and hampers your concentration and ability to do things effectively. If you want to invest in your well-being long term, you should start by taking simple healthy steps such as cleaning your body and washing your hands and clothes. You should also be more aware of your oral hygiene and schedule checkups at http://springmilldental.com/ regularly to avoid issues such as bleeding gums.

Watch out for poor personal grooming habits, which will only deter you from living a healthy and happy life.

Get Adequate Sleep:

Sleep is great for physical and mental recharge as the body uses the opportunity for a pause to perform critical functions that re-energize your strength, such as tissue and cell repair. When you lack a regular sleeping pattern, preferably within the seven hour threshold, it can affect your thought pattern and sense of judgment, leading you to make costly choices in life.

If you want to meet your health goals consistently, you should make sleeping your number one objective provided it is at the right time. You should also do the following to reduce the struggle of getting sleep at night:

Reduce Screen Time:

The blue light coming from your devices is harmful to your health and well-being as it impairs the body’s ability to generate sleep by blocking the relaxing hormone serotonin. Keep off your machines at least an hour before bed to minimize the effects of blue light exposure.

Avoid Naps:

Short power naps can be effective when you want to recharge your energy for the events that follow. However, naps are also disastrous, especially when you take them a few hours before bedtime, as you may struggle to get sleep. Avoid daytime naps as they deprive you of much needed rest at night.

Spend Time with Loved Ones:

Life’s challenges can cause stress and anxiety, especially when you lack enough time to unwind or de-stress. Your body thrives in positive environments, such as when you’re in the company of friends and family, as these are people that make you smile more. You are also free to be your vulnerable self around this group instead of the act you portray at work around colleagues, for example. Embrace personal time with people close to you and make sure you forget about any work responsibilities during this time.

General well-being is not about the significant steps you make to improve your health. Instead, it relies on the small actions that you take daily, such as the ones above.

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Jul5

Are You Doing These 3 Things To Stay Healthy?

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Are You Doing These 3 Things To Stay Healthy?

A healthy way of life can help you to put your best foot forward, mentally and physically. Making healthy decisions, however, is not always simple. It might be difficult to find the time and energy to exercise or cook healthy meals on a daily basis. A healthy lifestyle takes work but your efforts will not go unrewarded!

Here, we will look at some of the things that you can do to stay as healthy as you can possibly can. Ready to find out more? Read on!

Look after your body:

You have heard it time and time again, but that is because it is critical to maintaining good health. From what you are eating to making sure that you get plenty of exercises, looking after your body is so important. First and foremost, a healthy diet is key. That does not mean that you need to cut out everything that you love – the occasional slice of cake or candy bar is not going to hurt at all. However, the majority of your diet should be healthy. Aim for a minimum of five pieces of fruit and vegetables per day, plenty of whole grain and protein, and keep refined sugar, fats, and salt to a minimum.

Getting enough exercise is also important. Again, no one is expecting you to hit the gym every single day for hours on end. Rather, aim to get around thirty minutes of physical exercise every day. That might be a brisk stroll around the park on your lunch break, a game of soccer with the kids in the backyard, or a spot of yoga and a home workout using YouTube.

Keep up to date with appointments:

When was the last time you paid a visit to your optician and got your eyes tested? What about your dentist for a full oral hygiene check-up? Or had your hearing checked out? For many people, it was a long time ago, especially given the recent COVID pandemic. Lots of people only go and get these things looked at when a problem is becoming apparent, but early intervention and regular appointments can stop a problem from developing in the first place. Make an appointment with your audiologist, your optician, and https://www.newmandental.com to make sure everything is A-okay.

Your mental health matters:

All too frequently, we take steps to look after our physical health but neglect our mental health. It is something that can creep up on us – we are so busy caring for family, working, trying to maintain a social life, and looking after our house that we forget to make sure our own glass is full. Taking time to recognize when your mental health might not be quite as it should, and dealing with it before it gets to a point where you can’t see a way out, is essential. This will not only protect your mental wellness, but will also have a bearing on your physical health, too. If you feel like you need to talk to a mental health professional, it can be helpful to be in a location where you are most comfortable. Facilities like Upward Counseling (or a similar agency in your local area) recognize that and offer virtual appointments so you can be in a setting most conducive to your healing.

The past year and change has been so difficult! Keep your physical and mental health in check with the tips above so you can enjoy smooth sailing in a time of uncertainty.

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Jun24

Completely Natural Ways To Relieve Pain

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Completely Natural Ways To Relieve Pain

If you are someone who suffers from chronic pain or acute pain occasionally, such as headaches or migraines, then using medication or even booking a specialty Massage can definitely help with pain relief. However, long-term use of medication can cause some harmful side effects, and if they are made to be something to rely on, then that could have long-term addiction consequences. That is why looking for some more natural ways to relieve pain can be a good idea.

For generations, herbs, essential oils, and other natural therapies have been used as pain relievers. There is evidence that these can work and it could be beneficial to try some to see what works best for you if you’re looking for a natural alternative. Here are some ideas to consider:

Lavender essential oil:

If you are looking for natural pain relief, then lavender essential oil is something that can help. It can be used in a number of ways, from helping people to sleep better to easing anxiety or relieving pain. There is some research that suggests that lavender oil can help animals with pain relief too, as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory, so it really can be used in a number of ways.

Rosemary essential oil:

Rosemary is an amazing herb to add to your food, but did you know about its pain-relieving properties? Rosemary is a plant that you can grow yourself very easily and it can be used to help muscles and pain in bones, as well as treat headaches and help with seizures. One of the best ways to apply rosemary essential oil is to combine droplets with a carrier oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil. Then it can be easily rubbed on the site that needs relief.

CBD oil:

CBD is something that you have probably heard a lot about lately, as it is taking the world by storm for the amazing health benefits that it has. Derived from the hemp plant, it is completely natural and one of the most popular forms is CBD pain relief cream. They can be used for a variety of different things from pain to anxiety, as well as helping with stress. If you are not keen on a pain cream, CBD can come in several other different forms too. For instance, CBD edibles, oils, and capsules are widely available and provide an easy and discreet way to incorporate CBD into your daily routine. Additionally, more concentrated options are also gaining popularity for their effectiveness. Products like CBD Moon Rocks offer a more potent alternative for those looking to explore the versatility of CBD.

Ginger:

Ginger is a root that has been proven through research to be a completely natural way to relieve pain. A review of it found that having even just a small amount, such as 2g per day, can help to relieve pain, especially muscular pain, when taken for at least five days or more. The same evidence also showed that consuming ginger can help to aid recovery and reduce any muscular inflammation that is associated with exercise.

One way to include it in your diet can be through drinking ginger tea, but you could put it raw into smoothies or chop pieces up to have with other drinks like tea. You can find ginger supplements too, which could be a simpler way to get more ginger into your diet.

If you experience pain frequently, try incorporating any of these suggestions into your life for a natural relief.

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Jun20

Married Life

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Married Life

Hello! Ever since tying the knot on June 4th, Johnny and I have been asked time and time again if we feel any different and we always answer with no. Being married to Johnny is the best thing in the whole world but we both agree that it feels exactly the same as it did before when we were dating and recently engaged. We have had a wild bag of replies back of people concurring or feeling the polar opposite but we can all agree that married life rocks!

Since our nuptials, Johnny and I have enjoyed double birthday celebrations, a road trip to Marietta, trivia night, and the endless support of our loved ones and it has been awesome. In fact, all of these outings after being in the apartment for over a year due to the pandemic feels more like when we first started dating! It has been so exciting to finally be fully vaccinated and have the opportunity to go out and about with our friends and the novelty has yet to wear off.

While our now weekly date days and hang outs with friends have been great, our favorite thing to do is veg out together after work. Whether we are playing video games, watching documentaries, or endless hours of Family Matters we both love our time to relax and enjoy each other’s company after a long day. As soon as I exit my car and walk to the apartment when I return home, I always feel butterflies knowing that my Johnny will be there to greet me and it never gets old.

We have both come to realize that married life doesn’t feel much different because we have never left the honeymoon stages of our first dates and there is no better feeling than that. Here’s to our never ending honeymoon! ❤

Did married life feel different to you? How so? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah