7 Ways You Can Improve Your Health And Fitness Without Really Trying

Wouldn’t it be great if we could start improving our health and fitness today without breaking the bank or making too much of an effort? If this sounds good to you, then read on to find out more.

1.  Go meat-free (not just on Monday) – Consuming meat, in particular red meat, is associated with a greater risk of developing coronary heart disease and a higher risk of stroke. With so many meat-free alternatives out there, you could experiment with a veggie burger or perhaps try a tofu steak to help cut out some cholesterol today.
 

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2. Fill up with some H2O – There are so many ways to jazz up some boring water, and work your way to drinking your eight glasses per day. Cucumber water is not just for the spa; keep some in the fridge for some refreshing hydration at any time. Why not try making your own ice cubes with a twist? Put berries or herbs in the tray and freeze them – simple. Pop them in your water for a delicious and cooling treat all at zero calories! 

3. Drink less alcohol (sorry about this one) - as much as we love an indulgent glass of wine, regular consumption can trigger an inflammatory response making our skin look red and irritated. Try to limit it to the occasional treat to keep our skin and our waistlines in tip-top shape. 

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4. Get some more Zzzzz’s – Getting your daily dose of beauty sleep can be easier said than done. Carving out some time for some quality rest can decrease your blood pressure and your risk of obesity, giving you the perfect excuse to linger in bed a little bit longer. 

5. The power of positive thought – Committing to improving our behavior and developing better habits can be optimized by including mindfulness in our daily routine. There are a number of apps out there such as Headspace, that can guide us through some gentle meditation and help us develop a positive attitude in as little as 10 minutes per day. 

6.  Power Purchase - Invest in a Bowflex Max Trainer for a total body workout from the comfort of your own home, so no need for any expensive gym memberships. This clever piece of equipment gives you a total body workout, engaging all muscles groups and with the handy 14 minute interval workout, you can easily fit this in between your morning coffee and checking your emails. There are a few different trainers available and you can read about all of these at: http://www.allworkoutroutines.com/home-fitness/bowflex-max-trainer-reviews

7. Cull some calories - Knowing your daily calorie requirements can help you monitor your overall intake, and encourage you to eat for your body’s needs. Apps such as MyFitnessPal allow you to track your daily intake, and it even sends you uplifting notifications when you are meeting your dietary and fitness goals, making this the perfect pocket companion! Some of the best calorie counter apps can be found here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-best-calorie-counters

So there you have it, seven handy hints to make some life-changing improvements requiring little to no effort, wouldn’t it be great if all of life was this easy? 

One Small Fee With Jenny Life Can Help Ease Your Stress

This is a sponsored post with Jenny Life Insurance and BraVoMark. All opinions are my own.

Do you ever sit around and think about special family memories, or even future grandchildren? Our home is filled with beautiful photos or mementos that remind us of some of the most fun times, and big celebrations together. It also gets me to thinking about what will happen if I were to suddenly die. I know this isn't a fun conversation to have, but it's very necessary. I mean, my youngest child is only 10 and still has a way to go before he becomes a self-sufficient adult. He still has to graduate high school, and go to college.

I try not to be overly obsessed with leaving my family behind, but it's so important to know that they won't have to worry about money. You may have read some of my previous posts about Jenny Life Insurance. It is a convenient way to get life insurance with ease from the Jenny Life app, on either Apple or Android devices. Visit this post to see how you can get started.

The cost benefit of a small monthly fee to save your family from years of potential finance stress.

Do you have any idea of what it costs to take care of everything when a loved one passes away? Look at some of these findings from Jenny Life...

• Americans die with an average debt of $62,000. source 
• A funeral runs between $7,000 to $10,000. 
• Parents paid an average of $15,895 for full-time infant care.
• According to salary.com, a stay-at-home mom's medium average salary would be $143,102 if you calculated costs. source

All of this is overwhelming when you think about it. What will surprise you is that life insurance isn't as expensive as you might think. One small fee every month will give you the peace of mind you should have in regards to your family. Knowing that your family isn't stuck with a financial burden after your death is priceless! 

If you don't have life insurance, we suggest you check out Jenny Life for yourself. Visit Jenny Life online for more information. You can also find them on Facebook & Twitter.

4 Ways To Achieve A Healthier Lifestyle As A Family

This post is sponsored by Natrol but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Summertime is in full swing for many of us with school being out. Most parents have registered the kids for summer camps/activities, made vacation plans, or are simply doing the local staycation. Whatever your plans are, the kids will be ready for some fun!

Something we all have in common as parents is we want our families to be happy and healthy. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to get the kids on board for the healthy part. Today we will share some tips on how you can achieve a healthier lifestyle together as a family.

1. Play together! 

Whether you are at the beach, or the backyard, there are many opportunities to get active. Try challenging the kids to a race. It's a great way to get your heart pumping, and your entire body moving. Make a game out of collecting rocks or shells. Before you know it, you all would have walked more than you realized.

2. Hold a family meeting

Make it a priority each month to hold a family meeting with everyone present. It doesn't have to be super long or in a formal setting. Discuss your financial and personal goals, as well your health goals. Have each family member document those goals. Charts are a great idea for younger children. Make those health goals a top priority!

3. Meal plan together

Instead of listening to the kids whine about dinner, include them! Have each person choose a theme for a particular day of the week, and go from there. Whether it's Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday, everyone can state their likes or dislikes and agree on the menu collectively. Kids tend to be more interested in food when they were involved in picking out or planning the meal.

4. Hold each other accountable for making healthier choices

Make plans to hold each other accountable for drinking a certain amount of water each day, exercising, and taking daily multi-vitamins like Natrol Gummies. As a matter of fact, Natrol Multi Gummies are made with 26 fruits and veggies! Plus, they’re made with organic ingredients, are non-GMO, gelatin-free and vegetarian.

*As parents, we are pleased that Natrol Gummies are not only good for you, but they also taste great! They aren't super chewy so they don't tend to stick to your teeth. There is a formula for everyone in the family with the Women's Multi, Men's Multi, and Kid's Multi.

Natrol gummies are a great way to get those extra daily vitamins and minerals you might be lacking from you diet. If you're shopping and stop by the supplement aisle, just look for the purple top. We hope you and your family have a safe, happy, and healthy summer!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.

How to Avoid Postpartum Depression

Having a baby can be one of the best experiences that you will have in life. The problem with pregnancy, however, is that it eventually ends when you have your baby. This shouldn’t be a problem when you are then presented with a baby to look after, but sadly all over the world, mothers experience postpartum depression. This type of depression is a very serious illness, and understanding the signs is very important. In this article, we are going to go through some of the ways that you can help yourself to avoid postpartum depression so keep reading if you’d like to find out more.

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Get Some Exercise

One of the best things that you can do when you are going through your postpartum period is to get some exercise. Although you will be busy with a newborn, you’ll benefit from taking a short walk each day or doing something which requires you to lift your energy levels a little. You’ll find that your mood will slightly improve as you achieve these goals.

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Stay Healthy

We all know that sleeping properly can be very difficult when you have a newborn baby but if you are able to get a reasonable amount of sleep then you’ll likely feel a lot better about yourself. You should also make sure to keep up a healthy diet to avoid spiraling into a depressive state. If you can, take a break and cook yourself or your partner a nice meal while they look after the baby.

Talk to Someone

If you think that you are beginning to show signs of postpartum depression, you need to make sure that you talk to someone. Ignoring the problem can only make it worse so try your best to talk to a friend, a parent or a partner. If none of these things are working, try talking to an online therapist. Websites like AskaCoach offer great therapists that specialize in depression that can help you through this hard time.

Focus on Yourself

You need to focus on your baby and looking after it, but you should also make sure to spend some time focusing on yourself. If you can avoid it, don’t do anything that will take your attention away from recovering from childbirth. This involves making big life decisions such as moving house or getting yourself a new job. Focus on your family and what you need to do, and don’t let yourself get stressed out by other aspects of your life that can wait.

Research

Our final tip for preventing postpartum depression is to do your research. You should make sure that you know everything about this illness so that you can identify when you are starting to feel a bit down or depressed. There are plenty of resources that will help you to identify the signs and might even help you to understand when a friend is going through this illness.

Although these tips might not stop postpartum depression completely, they might be able to help along the way.

Easy Ways to Add Value to Your Home

Are you looking to sell your home in the near future? Then we are sure you will want to try and make as much money as you possibly can on it! There are lots of easy ways in which you can increase the price of your property without having to spend a fortune.  We will take you through our top tips on how you can do this, but without having to get pricey contractors involved.

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Start with the Exterior 

The first thing that people will see when they arrive at your home for a viewing is the exterior and so you will want to make sure that this is pristine, and looks like a home where people will want to instantly move into. As soon as they see your home, they will be thinking about how much you are asking for and whether they think this price is justified. Start with little tasks such as weeding the garden, fixing the fence, and adding a fresh coat of paint to any outside windows. These little things can make a big difference!

Structural problems can also significantly decrease the value of your home, and the big one here to think about is the roof. The roof also makes up the outside exterior of your home, so it will clearly be visible to anyone viewing it, and will also most likely impact how much they want to offer. Before you start to allow viewings of your home, have any roof work repaired, and clear the drains and gutters to improve its appearance.

Finally, to complete your outdoor space, you will want to think about having some type of storage available as this will be a big selling point in your home. We would suggest getting a steel building as these are extremely cost-effective, easy to build and you don’t have to worry about labor costs. Plus, they can even be used as a garage. Armstrong Steel wrote a very useful article about how a steel building can increase a property’s value here: http://armstrongsteel.com/network/steel-building-insider/steel-building-increase-property-value/#.WxfqOEgvyUk

Brighten Up Your Home

One of the biggest things that can add value to your home is the amount of light coming in. A room that has a lot of light coming in instantly feels bigger, and so this is a cheap and easy way to increase your home’s value. A few easy things that can ensure more light is coming into your home is cleaning your windows, installing bright energy efficient lights, and installing a skylight or sliding patio doors.

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Decorating and Flooring

You would be surprised by how much value can be added to your home simply for painting a wall that is slightly drab! If you are going to be painting your home to up its value, make sure to go for neutral colors and avoid using any bright colors and this will probably be unappealing to the majority of buyers out there. The same can also be said if you are going to be replacing carpets.

Adding value to your home doesn't have to be anything over-the-top or costly. Thanks for stopping by!