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6 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Winter

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The winter is one of those seasons when everyone is cautious of getting sick. Whether it’s a regular cold or the flu traveling around, it’s been found that our immune systems are weakened during the colder months of the year. In order to avoid getting sick and missing out on school or work, it’s time to start thinking about prevention right now. Here are 6 tips to help you stay healthier this winter.

Drink water

Think about how plants need water in order to grow and stay healthy. The same idea exists for us. In order to be nourished and hydrated, the recommended amount of water to drink throughout the day is between six to eight glasses. To help you achieve this amount, try drinking a glass of water before every meal and during every meal. You should also drink a full glass of water before taking any medication or vitamins. Just remember, if you’re an avid coffee drinker, this means your body needs more than the average amount of water since coffee dehydrates you!

Keep stress levels low

Stress is hard to avoid, especially during the holiday season. The truth is, when you’re stressed out, your immune system is weakened, leaving you more suseptible to coming down with something. In order to lower your stress level, trying to work more reasonable hours and spending more time with family and friends is a great start. Spending less time doing what causes you stress will help you get through the winter with less of a chance of catching a cold.

Eat healthy

You are what you eat, right? It is true that the healthier you eat, the healthier your body is. The same goes for your immune system. If you’re constantly eating fatty foods that have very little nutritional value, chances are you aren’t getting the nutrients to sustain a strong and healthy body. Try eating foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients, including fruits and vegetables to get the most out of what you’re eating.

Exercise regularly

Exercise goes right along side of eating healthy. If you live a healthy lifestyle, chances are you’re going to be healthy. Whether you’re an athlete or you just spend 30 minutes a day walking, get out and get your body moving.

Sleep tight

Sleeping eight hours a night is key to being healthy and flu-free. If you’re getting less than seven hours of sleep per night, your body will become much more vulnerable to illness, especially during flu season. Give your body the ability to recharge by getting the adequate amount of sleep every night.

Wash your hands

It doesn’t matter if you’re in the bathroom, cooking in the kitchen or just took the dog for a walk, be sure to wash your hands regularly. Keeping the bacteria and viruses off of your hands and away from your mouth and eyes is a great way to protect yourself from getting sick.

By following the tips above, you should notice there’s one common trend. If you live a healthy lifestyle, chances are you’re going to be less likely to come down with a cold or the flu. Follow the general health advice you grow up with and stick to it, especially during the winter and you should get through the winter without missing a beat!

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Emily Carmichael is a freelance writer who is always looking for new ways to live a healthy and happy lifestyle. She especially understands the importance of immune support, specifically during the winter months to keep her healthy and flu-free!





4 Tips To Pick The Perfect Present

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Shopping for Christmas presents can be a delight or a dilemma and much depends on whether you know exactly what to buy that special person, or whether you are racking your brains for inspiration.

The Sunday supplements and magazines in the lead up to Christmas are a great source of unusual and unique gift ideas which are worth noting.  Similar and less expensive items are likely to be available at your local supermarket which is the ideal place to start the search for that perfect present.  Most of the larger stores also stock a huge range of non-food items such as clothes, perfumes, books, electronics and toys, often at reduced prices to independent outlets.

For those difficult-to-buy-for relatives and friends, browse your supermarket and jot down a few potential ideas.  What are their interests or hobbies?

For example, if they enjoy making cakes they would probably appreciate one of the latest baking books.

DVDs, which are sold in most supermarkets, are a clear present choice for all ages.  From boxed sets of their favourite television series to the latest movies – or classic movies – there will be something for everyone. Non-fiction DVDs are also available on all manner of subjects from football to fitness.

While giving a little consideration to the age and possible health needs of your recipient; food and drink are always welcome and do not have to be expensive.  A few carefully chosen items, such as a special packet of tea, chocolate biscuits, and perhaps a pretty cup and saucer, make a lovely gift.

Shopping for the wine buff is very easy. Your supermarket will stock a wide selection of excellent wines from all around the world and most adults appreciate a decent bottle of wine for Christmas.  If your knowledge of wine is somewhat sketchy there will be staff on hand to advise you.

The chocolate lover is also catered for, with supermarkets at Christmas selling a range of gorgeous chocolates, including named and own- brands. large boxes of assorted centres, truffles, liquor chocolates and the chocolate Santas and snowmen which every child loves to find in their Christmas stocking.

Children are relatively simple to shop for.  They generally know exactly what toys they want and the supermarket can provide them, along with plenty of small stocking fillers, games and stationery.

The beauty of all these Christmas presents is that every single one is available all under one roof from your local supermarket and at very competitive prices.  No struggling to find somewhere to park in town, no trailing from shop to shop, no panicking that your on-line choices might arrive broken, or not arrive at all.   Precious time, stress and money can be saved by starting early and it helps you to spread the cost.

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  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Vanessa is a blogger and work-from-home mum who writing about cooking and parenting, when not tied up by her two toddlers. She’s also into arts and crafts, likes things that glitter and any excuse for a childrens’ party.

How Not to Damage Your Driveway When Removing Snow

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Come winter time, snow easily piles up in front your house and your driveway. And with ice blanketing this peaceful path, it can instantly turn into a treacherous ground. If you don’t have a heated driveway, then you have to do the back-breaking work of shoveling the snow. However, when you start digging, make sure you don’t inflict injury on your driveway’s surface to avoid premature wear and tear. Here are some handy tips to do just that.

Watch out for cracks, soft spots and protrusions

If you have an asphalt or concrete driveway, aggressively shoveling or plowing over an uneven, brittle or damaged surface can cause some of its parts to chip. This in turn can lead to a much serious damage that can be difficult and expensive to fix. To avoid that from happening, make sure that you keep your shovel and snow blower or plow blades half an inch off the driveway’s surface when removing snow.If you have a paved or brick driveway, however, it will be preferable to use plastic or non-metal shovels to get rid of the snow to avoid damaging their protruding portions.

Use the right type of deicer

An ice buildup on the surface of the driveway can pose significant risk to you and your family. If left unattended, walking on the buildup can cause nasty falls which can result to serious injuries. To remedy the problem, the ice should be melted properly.

While you might be tempted to use salt to remove the buildup to save some cash, its use is not advisable, especially if you have a concrete driveway. Salt can penetrate through cracks, corroding steel reinforcements underneath the concrete. Over time, the ability of the entire driveway to carry loads can be affected, and early replacement might be necessary.

Use deicer products that contain calcium chloride, which is less corrosive than salt. However, before you spread it over the ice, read the instructions carefully as some chemical-based deicers can damage newly laid driveways, especially if applied more than the recommended level by the manufacturer. Mixing sand with the deicer can also help break down the ice faster. As the sand becomes wet and freezes into chunks, they will easily break apart when the deicer is added. The sand can also add traction to slippery surfaces, preventing slips and falls.

Consider integrating a radiant heating system

You can’t control snow from falling on the surface of your driveway, but you can prevent it from accumulating and forming into solid ice. One of the best ways to achieve that is to install a radiant heating system in your driveway. This works with electricity or hot water to keep your driveway free of ice and snow. The expense may be a bit high upfront, but at the end of day, you won’t have to shovel snow again and risk damaging your driveway doing the process.

This article was contributed by one of the writers of Ace Driveways, a company that provides top-notch general groundwork services, such as block paving, patio and wall construction and turfing. They are also one of the best companies when it comes to construction of driveways Scotland folks can rely on.

After the World Ends: 2013 New Year’s Resolutions

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One good thing about the impending apocalypse: never again will you have to deal with the internal humiliation of breaking your New Year’s resolution by 5th January (or anything else, for that matter). Sadly, all signs point to Earth surviving the absolutely non-existent cataclysm; so while the schadenfreude of watching Steve from accounts be reduced to his component atoms won’t be yours, you’ll at least get to celebrate Christmas. With this totally unexpected survival in mind, we present the following guide to keeping your resolutions in a post(non)-apocalyptic world:

Think Small

The trick is to take things incrementally. You want to lose weight? Fine, but don’t expect a personality change to happen simultaneously. If you usually find it a chore bending over to recover an errant chip from beneath the sofa, you won’t become a gym-monkey with the power of resolution. The world doesn’t work like that: if you’re one of the lucky few to have such iron willpower, chances are you don’t need to lose weight in the first place.

It’s all about minor modifications that will add up over time. You might know you’ll crash and burn your gym membership, but how about promising yourself you’ll walk to work? Twice a week: that’s a start. Wednesday and Friday morning; every other day you’ll park your cushty ass on the bus like everyone else. Find a handful of positive tweaks you can make to your life and go from there. Jump in the deep end and you’ll find yourself lying undressed in bed, shoving twixes into your gaping maw before January is out.

Identify Bad Habits

What is it about ‘you’ that you dislike? Seriously, sit down and have a think. The temptation here is to just answer with ‘I’m a fat pig and nobody likes me’, or ‘I work for pennies writing self-help guides for the internet’, but such porcine wallowing isn’t going to get you anywhere. Find the tiny things, those little habits you have that make you sad. ‘Overeating’ doesn’t help; it’s too big for the brain to comprehend rationally. ‘Snacking’ is getting closer, but when do you snack? ‘While bored at work’, ‘when watching TV’; now you’re onto something. Focus in on these details, identify when you have a snacking problem and what causes it, and try to eliminate just one. Apply the above step: Make a super-simple resolution like ‘I won’t eat while the TV is on’ and stick to just that. In this way, identify your five worst habits (again, nothing general), then try and cross two off the list. Just two, nothing more; we’ll worry about the others later.

Give it Time

Wow, look at you: it’s already March and you’re still walking to work twice a week. You haven’t eaten in front of the TV for two months and you’re probably feeling pretty pleased with yourself. Until you glance in the mirror and see you look exactly the same. Then the old, familiar disappointment sets in.

Now, you have two choices. You can give up and go back to eating whole trifles during the advert breaks on X-Factor; or you can chill out and realise these things take time. You’ve stuck to your resolution so far: good for you. Seriously, you’ve done well. Now it’s time to step it up a bit.

First, increase your current goals. Not much. A manageable amount. You’ll walk to work three times a week and eliminate one other snacking time from your routine. Then, go back to that list of habits again and isolate an aspect of the third you’re ready to cut down. Set your alarm ten minutes earlier, or start going for a quick walk two evenings a week instead of watching Top Gear repeats. Apply the above steps. Think small, make it incremental and take it slowly. Keep this up till the end of April and you can think about adding something else.

Keep at it

Make manageable differences, and persevere. As a year goes by the changes will stack up and, roll round January, you’ll be the only person you’ll know who stuck to their resolution long-term. What a great feeling, eh?

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This entirely less-than-serious guide was written for us by Thorpe Breaks in the UK; official hotel and accommodation provider for Thorpe Park. What strategies will you be using to stick to your resolutions?

Four Home Repairs That Require Your Immediate Attention

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If you are like most homeowners, you probably ignore some of the necessary repairs around your home to save some cash. However, you have to understand that while there are some issues around the house that may not require your immediate attention, there are also those that should never be delayed. In fact, neglecting them may result to costly repairs later on, injury or even death. To avoid such disasters, below are four home repairs that should be on top of your to-do list.

Flickering lights

Have you ever noticed your lights flickering whenever you open the refrigerator or heat your meals in the microwave? If you do, then it is likely that your house has a bad wiring. This can also be an indication that a lot of appliances are hooked up in a single circuit. Either of these can lead to a house fire.

You can reduce the possibility of a fire ravaging your home by being mindful of how you plug your appliances. Avoid hooking several power-hungry appliances into one circuit. But, the best fix is to have a certified electrician upgrade your home’s old wiring and install more circuits around the house.

Water leaks

Stains on your ceiling and walls, a faint musty smell in the house and the chalky stuff on the brick exterior wall of your home are signs of leaks or water damage. Keep in mind that if left unchecked, leaks can cause rotting, mold growth and termite infestation–things that can affect the integrity of your house’s roof and foundation.

Of course, you do not want any of the aforesaid things to happen to your home, so before it’s too late stop the leaks by any means and take the necessary steps to avoid them from reappearing. Address roof leaks by patching them with roof cement; repair leaks in your plumbing system; and seal cracks and gaps on the walls, especially in the basement.

Rodent infestation

Cold winter months can mean mice in your house or even rats. And with easy access to food, their number can significantly increase. These rodents can do a lot damage to your home if left unaddressed. They love to chew through wiring and insulation, which can cause a house fire, and their droppings can carry the hantavirus, which can put your life at risk.

The wisest course you can take is to call in an exterminator to properly eliminate the rodents. Once the extermination is done, prevent them from coming back to your house by maintaining the cleanliness in areas where you store food. It is also important to block off possible entry points in your house, including the gaps and cracks on walls.

Smoky chimney

Is the smoke coming from your fireplace blowing inside your house instead of heading out the chimney? It’s likely that there is creosote buildup in your fireplace’s flue. Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood and it can ignite and cause a house fire.

Do not neglect the maintenance needs of your fireplace and chimney. Have them inspected annually and hire a certified chimney sweep to clean the whole fireplace to remove creosote buildup. Also, only use seasoned wood in your fireplace and avoid burning paper, cardboard and trash while using it.

This home improvement advice was penned by one of the writers of Heritage Cleaning, a company in Scotland that provides stone cleaning services. They carry out work on a wide range of stone buildings from private properties to commercial structures. Their DOFF cleaning system is approved by Historic Scotland and is regularly used in the restoration and conservation of listed buildings.

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