Marketing

SEO Best Practices for Supplement Store Product Pages

October 28, 2024
SEO Best Practices for Supplement Store Product Pages

As someone who’s spent years helping supplement stores boost their online presence, I’ve learned a thing or two about optimizing product pages. Today, I want to share my proven strategies that have helped my clients at our SEO agency see amazing results.

Just last month, I worked with a supplement store in Brisbane that was struggling to get their products noticed online. After implementing these SEO best practices, their organic traffic increased by 65% in just eight weeks. Let me tell you exactly how we did it.

The Foundation: Understanding User Intent

I always start by considering what my customers are actually looking for. From my experience, supplement shoppers typically fall into three categories:

  • Research phase: Looking for information about ingredients and benefits
  • Comparison phase: Comparing different products and brands
  • Ready to buy: Know what they want and ready to purchase

I’ve found that successful product pages need to cater to all three types of visitors. Here’s how I make that happen.

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Health

The Health Hazards of DIY Moving: Why Medical Professionals Recommend Removalists

September 22, 2024
The Health Hazards of DIY Moving: Why Medical Professionals Recommend Removalists

Moving house. It’s a phrase that can send shivers down the spine of even the most organised person. The boxes, the packing tape, the endless lists – it’s enough to make anyone want to curl up in a ball and pretend it’s not happening. But beyond the stress and chaos, there’s a hidden danger lurking in the world of DIY moving that many of us overlook: the risk to our health. It’s no wonder that medical professionals often recommend hiring professional removalists to handle the heavy lifting.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Come off it, mate! How dangerous can it be to chuck a few boxes in the back of a ute? Why bother with professional removalists?” Well, let me tell you a story that might change your mind and have you reaching for the phone to call a removalist company faster than you can say “slipped disc”.

A Cautionary Tale

Picture this: It’s a scorching hot Saturday in Sydney. My mate Dave, bless him, decided he was going to save a few dollarydoos by moving his entire three-bedroom house by himself. “No worries,” he said. “I’ve got muscles to spare!”

Fast forward 12 hours, and there’s poor Dave, flat on his back in the emergency room, with a slipped disc and more bruises than a bag of dropped peaches. The doctors shook their heads, muttering about “amateur movers” and “preventable injuries”.

Dave’s story isn’t unique. In fact, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, DIY moving is responsible for a significant number of preventable injuries each year. The research showed that back injuries, in particular, spike during peak moving seasons [1].

But it’s not just about throwing your back out. Oh no, the health risks of DIY moving go far beyond a bit of back pain. Let’s break it down, shall we?

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Fitness, Marketing

Creating Compelling Social Media Ads for Your Yoga Studio

May 19, 2024
Creating Compelling Social Media Ads for Your Yoga Studio

Namaste, yoga studio owners and marketing enthusiasts! Ready to stretch your social media advertising muscles? Fantastic, because we’re about to flow through the art of creating compelling social media ads that’ll have potential students rolling out their mats at your studio faster than you can say “downward dog.”

I remember working with Maya, who ran a cozy yoga studio in Portland. She was amazing at teaching yoga but felt like she was stuck in child’s pose when it came to social media advertising. We worked on her social media ad strategy, and within three months, her class attendance had increased by 40%. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Why Social Media Ads for Yoga Studios?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why social media ads are such a great fit for yoga studios. Picture this: Sarah, a stressed-out office worker, is scrolling through her Instagram feed during her lunch break. She sees your ad showcasing a peaceful yoga class, promising stress relief and flexibility. Bam! You’ve just planted a seed that could turn into a new student.

Social media ads allow you to:

  • Reach people in your local area who might be interested in yoga
  • Showcase the unique atmosphere of your studio
  • Target specific demographics likely to be interested in your classes
  • Control your budget and adjust in real-time
  • Measure your results accurately

Now, let’s flow through how to create social media ads that will have potential students saying “yes, please!” to your yoga classes.

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Home & Garden

Tips And Tricks For Moving House

February 20, 2024

Moving is exciting, but let’s be real—it can also be a total nightmare if you’re not prepared.

Between packing endless boxes, dealing with movers (or doing it all yourself), and realizing you own way too much random stuff, the chaos is real. Whether you’re hiring house removals or going full DIY, a little planning can save you stress, time, and money.

Ready to ditch the stress and move like a pro? Let’s get into more detail.

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Health

Fighting Dental Fear in Children

February 4, 2024
Fighting Dental Fear in Children

Fear of the dentist affects around five percent of the Australian population. To someone who doesn’t fear their dental check-up, they may not see what all the fuss is about. However, to those who have a phobia, believe some dental myths or are genuinely scared of the experience, it can be overwhelming. Fear of a dental technician can start from a young age, with a childhood experience often tainting future appointments too.

Your local dentist will advise that if you are worried about your children being scared or overwhelmed with their scheduled dentist visits, then it might be time to get proactive. There are several things you can to do to ensure their check-ups are as straightforward as possible.

Meet First

When you take your dog to a vet clinic for the first time, the vet will shower them in love, give them treats and toys, and lay a foundation for positive veterinary visits going forward. The same concept applies to a child’s first trip to the dentist.

The first one should be merely a meet and greet, offering you a chance to ask questions as a parent, and for the child to learn all about the clinic and meet the dentist and their team who will be taking care of them. Then, the next time you return, your child will be in familiar surroundings.

Be Mindful of What You Say

If you have had a damaging dental experience in the past, then it’s a good idea to be aware of what you say around your children. A dentist’s office should be a positive place, not one of horror. Avoid using negative language about a dentist and focus on the good in the visit – such as keeping your teeth sparkling clean and healthy.

Prepare Them

In the days before to your child’s first dental check-up, prepare them by dropping information into everyday conversation. Get them used to talking about their teeth, and even help them to count them so they can be full of fun information to tell their dentist when they meet them for the first time.

Encourage Beneficial Oral Care Habits

If you want your child’s first in-chair check-up to be a rewarding one, then lay the groundwork from a baby. Wipe their gums with soft gauze, see a dentist as soon as they are one year old or their first tooth erupts, and make it a fun exercise to brush their teeth twice daily. When you instill oral health habits from a young age, their teeth are more likely to be in tip-top shape when it comes time to attend their first check-up.

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Health

Why Getting Into Drug Rehab Quickly is Essential

January 3, 2024
Why Getting Into Drug Rehab Quickly is Essential

When someone you know and love needs drug rehab, it’s essential to get them into it as quickly as possible. The longer it is left, the more damage it causes – and if they are gone for too long without treatment, it sometimes becomes impossible to help them. As sad as it is, it’s better to face the likelihood of a worst-case scenario than to procrastinate because the simple fact is that untreated drug addiction can kill. And before that happens, the addict’s life will be wrecked as they seek the only thing that seems to work for them: more drugs.

Overseas rehab centres in Bali and Thailand have become popular due to the much lower cost than Australia’s. Still, when considering quick help, Bali – known for its beautiful scenery and picturesque villas from Easy Bali Villas – is the fastest and easiest to get to.  With only one plane trip to take, the addict can usually manage to get to their destination without becoming distracted by the need for another fix.

Besides this, many people don’t have the finances to provide for a month or more at a drug rehabilitation centre that does not offer affordable sts.  While it is essential to get a treatment that works, affordability is a fact of life that must be considered.  If you need to take out a loan, an affordable amount is much easier to pay back and more likely to be given in the first place, enabling you to get the best treatment for your loved one.

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Beauty

Finding the Perfect Foundation for Your Skin Type in Perth

November 14, 2023

Choosing the proper foundation for your skin type is crucial in the sunny city of Perth, where the climate ranges from hot, dry summers to mild, wet winters. For those passionate about skincare and beauty, navigating the vast world of foundations can be overwhelming. This guide from the beauty experts at thebeautygallery.com.au simplifies the process, ensuring you find a foundation that matches your skin tone and caters to your skin’s unique needs.

Understanding Your Skin Type

The first step in selecting the proper foundation is understanding your skin type. Perth’s diverse climate means your skin might need different things at different times of the year:

  • Dry Skin: Look for hydrating or creamy foundations that add moisture.
  • Oily Skin: Opt for oil-free, mattifying foundations that help control shine.
  • Combination Skin: Consider a foundation that offers a balance, perhaps more mattifying in the T-zone and hydrating around the drier areas.
  • Normal Skin: You’re lucky to have the most options, but a lightweight, buildable foundation often works best.

Importance of Shade Matching

Matching the foundation to your skin tone is vital. Test the foundation on your jawline instead of your hand to get the most accurate match. The right shade will seamlessly blend into your skin without leaving any harsh lines.

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Health, Lifestyle

10 Unique Ideas For What To Do With A Loved One’s Ashes

October 25, 2023

When funeral directors arrange multicultural funerals that are to be a cremation rather than a burial, once the proceedings have been concluded, having been asked by the deceased’s loved ones, they will arrange for the ashes of that individual to be delivered to or collected by that family.

At this point, funeral directors might be asked by the deceased’s family how they can scatter the ashes of their loved one. Thankfully, due to their many years of experience, funeral directors will have no shortage of ideas they can offer, some traditional and others less so, often bordering on the bizarre.

If you require suggestions for what to do with a loved one’s ashes or are pre-planning for your own funeral and looking for something different from the norm, below are ten options we hope you will consider. One point we must make is that some might seem inappropriate or insensitive; however, for many individuals, these will be done as part of their wishes when they pre-planned their funeral arrangements.

Turn Ashes Into Jewellery

You have a couple of options here. The simplest is to purchase lockets specially designed for carrying ashes and then give one to each of the deceased’s closest family and friends so that they are with them always. The other is companies specialising in turning ashes into diamonds and creating jewellery items such as pendants or earrings.

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Health, Sustainability

Which are the Most Sustainable Air Conditioners?

June 21, 2023
Which are the Most Sustainable Air Conditioners

The inverter air conditioner is one of the most sustainable air conditioning units available because inverter technology is eco-friendly technology and reduces running costs by around 30%. It is the ability to vary the unit’s speed that lowers the electricity consumption.  According to air conditioning experts airandwater.com.au, the inverter models always stay on and vary the running speed once the selected temperature is maintained. This means they not only use less power but are much quieter too.

By comparison, a non-inverter air con runs at the same start-up speed constantly, switching on and off constantly to maintain the temperature. It is the constant starting up that gobbles up power and creates noise. If you use an older model air con, it may not be an inverter type.

Another way the inverter air cons are eco-friendly is the type of refrigerant used. This is R410a refrigerant, containing HFC, as against the R22 refrigerant, which contains HCFC, a chlorine component known to destroy the ozone layer.  However, some installers will still use R22 due to its lower cost, so it’s a good idea to check before your air conditioner is installed and ask for the R410a refrigerant.

The disadvantage of choosing an air-con with inverter technology is in the initial cost. Still, since they do save so much when running and are so quiet during their operation, it is certainly worthwhile paying the extra price. Remember, the lesser cost is due to decreased consumption, which increases sustainability.

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Health

7 Health Benefits Of Using Adjustable Standing Office Desks

April 6, 2023
7 Health Benefits Of Using Adjustable Standing Office Desks

In years gone by, when you were buying commercial furniture that included office desks, invariably they would be office desks designed for sitting at. Look at most video footage of office workers going back through the decades, and almost all will feature employees sitting down and working at their desks. However, in recent years standing office desks have become increasingly popular, but it might surprise you to learn they are not a new concept.

Believe it or not, the use of standing desks can be traced back as far as 600 years ago, and it is the case that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, their use was widespread. However, the sedentary nature of the way we lived moving through the 20th century meant that standing desks were more of a novelty, rather than commercial furniture that was used widely in offices.

That has changed significantly since the start of the 21st century, and were you to look at Google Trends to see how many searches there are for “standing desks“, it will show you that since 2008 they have increased by a mind-blowing 1,200 per cent. Why would this be?

The simple fact is that the increase in the desire for and the popularity of standing desks is primarily down to a consideration of the health and well-being of those who work at office desks. This is true of individuals buying standing desks for themselves, but it is also being led by thousands of employers who regard standing office desks from Atama Furniture as a means of supporting the health of their employees. As for how, here are seven health benefits that studies and the feedback from users indicate.

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Family, Health

5 Health Benefits Of Having A Financial Plan

January 12, 2023
5 Health Benefits Of Having A Financial Plan

There are several experts that your doctor may tell you can enhance your health such as a fitness coach, a dietician, or a physiotherapist, but one group of experts that might not be at forefront of every doctor’s or every patient’s thoughts are financial planners. Admittedly, if you have a health problem we still strongly advise you to visit your doctor first, but you would also be doing your health a favour if you speak to a financial advisor too.

If those last statements have led to a puzzled expression on your face, we are not surprised. After all, financial advisors are not the people who would immediately turn to for health advice, nor should you. We are not suggesting that your financial advisor should replace your doctor, but instead should provide you with financial planning advice that can mean you are better protected from the health issues that can arise from money worries.

In many cases, an illness or disease can often be traced, not to some physical event, but to a person’s mental health. This is most likely where the phrase “Healthy Mind, Healthy Body” originates from. It can be eye-opening when you discover that many of the physical issues you may suffer from are in part often caused by mental health issues with stress and anxiety being two of the prime culprits.

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Family, Health

5 Everyday Activities Parents Can Use To Enhance Their Children’s Language Skills

January 10, 2023
5 Everyday Activities Parents Can Use To Enhance Their Children's Language Skills

Parents of children with speech and language difficulties may well have taken them to see a speech therapy specialist such as speech pathologists for help, advice, and a view to finding a treatment option for their child. Doubtless, the treatment recommended will be based upon the specifics of the child’s speech development problems, their age, and other factors such as their home environment.

A child’s home environment can be a huge factor in how effective any speech therapy program is. One example of how is whether or not either of the child’s parents is at home during the day which will determine if the child spends time each day with a childminder. Whilst a childminder may be able to look after the child whilst their parents are at work, their experience may not include speech therapy.

Another influence at home would be older siblings who are willing to spend time with their younger brother or sister to help with their speech. The reason why we highlight childminders and older siblings is because, despite neither having any speech therapy qualifications, and that can also extend to a child’s parents, the fact is there are several ways that all of these people with whom the child has regular contact can assist in their speech therapy.

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Family

7 Ways To Build Trust And A Bond With Your New Puppy

June 15, 2022
7 Ways To Build Trust And A Bond With Your New Puppy

Dog owners will tell you that their entire existence with their dog was a pleasure beyond words, from the moment they first picked them up, taking them to doggie daycare, all the long walks, the play times, the fun, and the endless love and loyalty, these are all part of the joy of owning a dog.

A term that is often used about owning a dog is “dog training”, but for those who are dog training experts, the term should be “human training” as it is most often what humans do that has the biggest influence on how a dog behaves.

For example, a dog owner who pulls the leash tight and crosses the street whenever another dog approaches, is sending signals to their dog that something is wrong. In turn, the dog picks up on those signals and perceives other dogs to be a threat. This can lead to them barking at, growling at, or even attacking other dogs without provocation.

In that scenario, it is not the dog that is at fault despite what it might seem. It is the actions and behaviour of their owner that has taught the dog that other dogs are to be avoided and if that means barking or growling at them, that is instinctively what a dog will do. This emphasises how much influence owners have on their dog’s behaviour and its general emotional and psychological state.

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Family

7 Ways Both You And Your Dog Can Benefit From Dog Day Care

May 11, 2022
7 Ways Both You And Your Dog Can Benefit From Dog Day Care

Just as child day care benefits children, it also allows parents to continue their careers knowing that their child is being well looked after, and thus both the parent and the child benefit. Similarly, dog daycare can benefit both the dog and its owners and should not be seen as something which in any way is punishing or harmful for your dog, nor makes you any less of a caring dog owner. To emphasise that point, here are seven examples of dog daycare benefits

Benefits Of Dog Care For Your Dog

They Can Socialise With Other Dogs In A Safe Environment: One of the most significant benefits for your dog is that it can socialise with other dogs. Dogs are pack animals; that instinct is best served when they can socialise and play with other dogs. It also helps those dogs who are somewhat fearful of other dogs overcome that fear as they soon learn that the other dogs are more likely to want to play with them than harm them.

They Will Get Lots Of Exercise: Do not be surprised when you get your dog home; they want to sleep. That will be because, during the day, they have spent lots of time and energy running around and playing with other dogs, which is ideal for keeping them fit and healthy.

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Home & Garden

How To Adapt Your Landscaping Design To help Someone With Dementia Or Alzheimer’s

February 22, 2022
How To Adapt Your Landscaping Design To help Someone With Dementia Or Alzheimer's

One of the most heartbreaking experiences any of us may have to go through is someone we love suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s in later life. Thankfully, there are many ways in which sufferers of dementia and Alzheimer’s can continue to enjoy life, and gardening is especially popular. If you or your family cannot maintain your garden, many available people would love to help you. Gardening is a means to promote both their physical and mental health, and so a pertinent question is ‘What landscaping design is suitable for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s?’. Based on the knowledge of gardening from the professionals at Garden Spec, this blog post explores ways to adapt your landscape to help someone with Dementia Or Alzheimer’s

You must make two considerations when designing either a new landscape garden or reconfiguring a landscaped garden so that it is adapted to suit the person in question. The first of these is their safety, and the second is how to make the garden therapeutic so that it provides a means of promoting their physical and mental well-being despite the challenges they face from dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Safety

Many of the ways you can make a landscaping design safe for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s could equally apply to those without it. Since sufferers tend to be in their senior years, you need to ensure there are no trip hazards or unnecessary obstacles, that walkways are flat and easy to traverse, and that there are no low tree branches across those walkways.

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Family, Fitness, Health

5 Ways You Can Benefit From Axe Throwing

December 20, 2021
5 Ways You Can Benefit From Axe Throwing

If you have never heard of axe throwing, then you may be surprised to learn it is a hugely popular pastime, and a highly competitive sport. Axe throwing centres are fast becoming the place to go for an enjoyable get-together and chance to show your friends and family just how accurate your axe throwing skills are.

The concept is extremely simple in that there is a wooden target with concentric circles, and you score more points the closer your axe is to the centre when you throw.  Think of it a bit like darts, but with more street cred. There are many benefits to axe throwing, and to give you some incentive to give it a go, here are 5 of them.

#1 Physical Exercise.

It might not be on the same level as marathon running, but axe throwing does take a reasonable degree of physical exertion. The axes have weight to them with the smaller ones weighing around 800 grammes, and the larger ones used in some competitions weighing up to 1.5 kilograms.

Add to that the fact that you have to pull your arm back in order to then throw your axe, you will soon appreciate that there is a reasonable degree of physical effort required. What’s certain is that after you have thrown that axe several times, you will have burnt off plenty of calories.

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Family, Lifestyle

7 Tips For Choosing The Right Wedding Car Hire Service

December 7, 2021
7 Tips For Choosing The Right Wedding Car Hire Service

One of the most important matters that need to be arranged when a wedding is being planned is the wedding cars. Whether it is just one for the bride, or a whole fleet for the entire family, hiring wedding cars is not just a case of picking up the phone and calling for one as you would with a taxi.

You want to plan well ahead because if you find the ideal wedding cars, you do not want to delay booking them otherwise you could end up disappointed if another engaged couple gets in there before you. Beyond this, you want to take care when hiring your wedding cars to ensure that they contribute to making your special day perfect, and to help you achieve that here are seven top tips for choosing the right wedding car service.

Tip #1 – Start Searching And Planning As Early As Possible

The sooner you decide upon a wedding date and the locations where the service and reception take place, the better. Not only will this help the overall planning, but it means you can start searching for your wedding cars without further delay.

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Food, Health

Iron Deficient? Try this amazing natural food source

November 18, 2021
Iron Deficient Try this amazing natural food source

Are you iron deficient? Or choose not to eat iron-rich animal products? Already eating heaps of leafy greens but don’t want to take a supplement? Say hello to blackstrap molasses!

Blackstrap molasses was at one time the most popular sweetener in the world (circ, 18th Century) as it was more affordable than refined cane sugar. Molasses is a by-product of the sugar making process – sugar cane is crushed & the juice is boiled to create sugar cane syrup. A second boiling makes molasses & the third boiling creates the dark viscous liquid that is blackstrap molasses. The term ‘Blackstrap’ comes from the US.

Blackstrap molasses has the lowest sugar content of any sugar cane product as most of the sucrose has been removed in the sugar making production, giving it a low glycaemic (GI) index of 55 so it is a great sweetener substitute for diabetics. It also has high levels of chromium which helps to stabilise blood sugar levels.

The most amazing thing about blackstrap molasses is its nutritional content. Per 100g it contains 95% of your recommended daily intake of iron (approx. 13mg) which is about 5 times more iron than a steak! It also contains 400mg of calcium & 300mg of magnesium. It is also high in vitamin B6, potassium, manganese & selenium.

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Home & Garden

Things You Didn’t Know About Landscaping

September 18, 2021
Things You Didn’t Know About Landscaping

Most of us like to think we know all there is to know about our properties and how to make them look at their best. However, since landscaping is a multi-faceted beast, there is likely plenty you don’t know about it.

Before you get stuck in, Perth Landscapers Principal Landscapes provide here some background information that may influence how you tackle your perth landscape services going forward.

Landscaping Around Businesses May Reduce Crime

Many business owners find themselves in a very unfortunate situation. Sometimes, upon arriving to work, they realise someone has entered their property without permission and caused a great deal of damage or stole thousands of dollars of goods.

You may never prevent that from happening to your business, but landscaping might be how you reduce the risk. Some studies have shown that professionally landscaped companies are less inviting to criminals.

Some people believe this is because they tend to incorporate lighting to make would-be thieves more at risk of exposure and capture.

Good Soil Provides the Foundation for Exceptional Landscaping

When you see landscapers bringing trailers full of soil to a property for landscaping, you might think that it’s odd. If soil is already present, why add more? After performing soil tests, it’s not uncommon to find that some soil is simply not good enough to help plants thrive.

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Home & Garden

10 Tips For Applying Epoxy Floors

August 18, 2021
10 Tips For Applying Epoxy Floors

Whilst we normally recommend that professional floor companies are the best people to apply epoxy floor coatings, we accept there are those who might have some experience of flooring, or who are confident that they are capable of going through the whole process themselves. If so, we have 10 excellent tips to help you apply your epoxy floor.

#1 Plan Everything: Before You Start: sit down for a minute or two and ensure you have planned the entire job from start to finish. Also, make sure you have read the instructions for mixing the epoxy resin you are going to be using thoroughly.

#2: Try Some Sample Mixes: As part of your preparation you should try a few sample mixes of the epoxy resin to see what consistencies you create. It will also give you greater awareness of the coating’s physical qualities and how it alters based on the proportions that you mix the two chemicals.

#3: Prepare The Surface: The concrete surface that you are going to be applying the epoxy floor coating to, needs to be prepared properly beforehand. This is especially true of surfaces that may be polished. They need to prepped using grit pads to create a surface that the epoxy solution will adhere to when it is being applied.

#4: Thoroughly Clean The Surface: One of the most common mistakes made by DIYers with regards to epoxy floor coatings is that they fail to get the surface of the floor absolutely spotless. Even tiny pieces of dust or fluff can cause unsightly marks or raised areas, so make sure yours is 100% clean.

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Family, Legal, Lifestyle

7 Ways You Can Self-Sabotage Your Partner Visa Application

July 30, 2021
7 Ways You Can Self-Sabotage Your Partner Visa Application

It is certain that a vast number of visa applications, such as those for a partner visa, are refused, not for relating to the facts about or the suitability of the applicant at face value for permanent residency. In other words, under normal circumstances they would be granted their partner visas.

The reason they are refused is instead because their behaviour in relation to their application gave the impression that they were not taken the application process seriously, nor did they treat it with the respect that it deserves. When we say behaviour we do not mean in the same sense as a naughty child, although immaturity often plays a part. Rather, we are talking about the mindset of the applicant, or more specifically their flawed mindset.

Below we have outlined some of the behaviours we are referring in more detail. We do so to enlighten those reading, but more importantly to emphasise to those about to enter the application process that they must avoid all of them. Otherwise you risk self-sabotaging your partner visa application.

Not Taking The Whole Process Seriously

This problem almost certainly stems from a flawed mindset, but why it occurs will differ from person to person. It could be that they genuinely do not care whether they are allowed to become a resident or not, and submit a poor application. In this case do not be surprised if the immigration authorities regard the application as not serious nor genuine and refuse it.

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Family, Health

How To Cope With Backache From Sitting In An Office Chair All Day

June 30, 2021
How To Cope With Backache From Sitting In An Office Chair All Day

If you have to sit in an office chair for long hours at a time you may be a web designer.  If you are not to get a backache, it’s important to ensure your chair is a good fit for you. Even ergonomic chairs will not prevent a backache if they are not of the right dimensions for you. Tall people need a chair that is larger than one a short person would find comfortable.

Often, even though the chair fits and the desk is the right height, people who sit for many hours a day can still end up with a backache. This can be due to any number of factors. In fact, if the computer monitor is not directly in front of you, a neck and backache can develop from the angle of your neck and head. Even though you may only need to turn slightly, when you have to hold that position for a long time, it can put a strain on your neck and spine.

If you have a backache at the end of the day – or before – try these few healthy living tips to alleviate it.

  • Place a cushion at your lower back for more support
  • Get up more frequently, stretch and walk about
  • Sit on a cushion with a coccyx cut-out at the back to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve
  • Try and keep your back straight rather than slumping
  • Use a chair with padded armrests to ease shoulder and upper back pain
  • Stretch your arms above your head at random times throughout the day
  • Move your head gently from side to side every so often
  • Inscribe circles with your shoulders to ease stiffness in the upper back
  • Make sure your feet are firmly on the floor and the top half of your legs are horizontal, not sloping either up or down.
  • If nothing else works, try a different kind of chair

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Lifestyle, Marketing

How Professional Website Design Can Boost The Rankings And Revenue Of Your Life Coaching Business

June 20, 2021
How Professional Website Design Can Boost The Rankings And Revenue Of Your Life Coaching Business

If your life coaching business has a website that seems to contribute nothing, you are missing out on an opportunity to expand your business with the help of Google. A website can play a huge role in how well a business ranks on Google, and as the professionals at www.slinkywebdesign.com.au will advise you, a poor design can have the opposite effect.

The mistake which many business owners make is that they believe that the appearance of their website is all-important, to the detriment of everything else. Whilst you obviously want your website to look as good as it can, focussing on that and ploughing all your resources into the visual elements of your website, could bring no rewards whatsoever.

One thing to know is that Google cannot assess how good or bad a website looks. In other words, Google’s bot do not see your high-definition images, your colourful graphics and what is being spoken about on any videos. However, within the coding of your website there will be indicators as to what each page, and the website as a whole, is about.

You could actually have a website that is not particularly appealing visually, but it could still outrank one which does, simply because the structure and the programming used to create it is better optimised for SEO.

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Home & Garden

How To Improve Your Landscaping Design By Drawing It First

June 11, 2021
How To Improve Your Landscaping Design By Drawing It First

There are many stages necessary to go from the decision to have a newly landscaped garden through the design, planning, and actual landscaping to be completed before you and others are at the stage where you can sit in and enjoy your new garden.

Unless the design is done correctly, taking into account the dimensions of the garden, the budget, the required features, and sound gardening principles with regards to what specific plants will be used, and where they will be located, any landscaping project is not going to be as successful as it otherwise could be.

Designing a landscaped garden can be done in many ways, with advanced software being the one that many landscape design companies might utilize, although not all. For others, it is the good old, tried, and trusted pencil and paper that are used, with a little help from some drawing implements such as a ruler.

The first stage with regards to drawing your landscape design does not need straight lines and 100% accuracy. Instead what you want to do is determine what you already have in your garden and record it by making rough sketches of where everything is located, and by making notes about what is there. This can include both natural features, such as a large tree, and non-natural such as existing garden furniture, fences, and walkways.

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Health

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

June 1, 2021
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

No one wants to have a heart attack, but many people do; sadly, funeral directors find it is the number one killer in many countries. One reason for this is obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. But even stress can cause a heart attack. Whether you are a business person running a busy business or a hard-working carpet cleaner, when you have a heart attack, it is essential to have treatment as soon as possible to lessen the damage done to the heart. The trouble is that not everyone recognises they are having a heart attack because of the symptoms they get. It is not always a pain in the heart or chest area that heralds such an attack.

Here are some of the signs of a heart attack. If they last for 10 minutes, you should dial 000.

  • Pain in the lower jaw on either side extends into the chest.
  • Pain or discomfort in the neck, with a burning or choking feeling in the throat. It may originate in the chest and move to the neck.
  • Pain, heaviness or pressure in the shoulders that moves to the chest. One or both shoulders can be affected.
  • Pain, heaviness or tightness in the centre of the chest. Generally, a stabbing, sharp pain in the chest is not indicative of a heart attack. It is more like a crushing weight.
  • A dull ache between the shoulder blades that spread from the chest
  • Pain, heaviness, discomfort, tingling or uselessness in one or both arms, often originating from the chest.

Secondary warning signs accompanying the above can be nausea, cold sweats, dizziness and shortness of breath.

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Beauty, Health

7 Facts About Teeth Whitening You Should Know

May 24, 2021
7 Facts About Teeth Whitening You Should Know

Whilst every dentist will tell you they’d rather people look after their teeth properly to avoid staining, nevertheless, staining does occur, and one of the most popular remedies is whitening. There are several ways in which teeth whitening can occur, but in all cases, the effect is to give teeth a makeover and return them to their gleaming white state, and in doing so, give the individual the confidence to smile once more.

If you have been considering whitening or are concerned about stains on your teeth and would like to know more about teeth whitening, with the help of dental experts, here are 7 facts about teeth whitening that you should know before making any decision.

Preventing Staining Is The Best Way To Achieve White Teeth

At the risk of sounding like killjoys, we are going to say upfront that the best way to keep your teeth white is to avoid staining in the first place. As well as avoiding activities that are well known to stain teeth like smoking and drinking excess tea or coffee, regular brushing, will be a lot more effective, and less expensive than teeth whitening.

Teeth Whitening Will Not Harm Your Teeth

The process which occurs when teeth are being whitened is harmless to them. During the process, ingredients within the whitener open the tiny pores which exist within your teeth. This not only helps to remove stains, but it also rehydrates the teeth and allows the mineralization process to enhance the natural whiteness of your teeth.

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Health

Food and Exercises To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

May 1, 2021
Food and Exercises To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

There are many jobs that can cause eyestrain, especially those in the area of computers. If you work as an SEO expert you’ll be focussed on that computer screen for 8 hours a day or more, which can be a big strain on your eyes. Since we all depend on our eyes a great deal, it is essential to keep them healthy and there are several ways to do this.

Food to keep your eyes healthy

One way is to have a healthy diet, but there are certain foods on restaurant menus that are better for eye health than others, so make sure you include them in your diet every day.

  • Foods that are orange in color contain beta-carotene, a nutrient that is especially good for eyesight. Carrots, sweet potato, and pumpkin are easy additions to your evening meals.

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Family, Legal

Can A Stepparent Legally Adopt A Child?

April 20, 2021
Can A Stepparent Legally Adopt A Child

It is a common scenario that one of the parents who care for a child is not their birth parent but a stepparent. There may come a time, that having discussed the matter with their other parent, and the child, that they wish to legally adopt their step-child, and this is when their family lawyers are most likely going to be required to advise, and represent them, given that it can be a complex process.

The first thing that needs to be established is whether or not the stepparent who wishes to adopt their stepchild is actually eligible to do so. The legal requirement and eligibility rules relating to stepparent adoption are laid out in the Family Law Act of 1975.

Before a family court will even consider an application for stepparent adoption, there are three basic questions that must be answered.  The first and overriding requirement is that if the adoption takes place, it must be in the best interests of the child.

For anyone who has studied or encountered family law, they will have undoubtedly known that whenever a child is involved in any way in family court matters, all decisions will normally have this as the primary part of the consideration.

The second consideration is whether the child’s biological parent is no longer has any active role in their life. For example, they could have abandoned their family some years ago, or have chosen to live in another country without any contact with the child.

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Food

How Can My Choice Of Pool Fence Impact My Overall Garden Design?

April 6, 2021
How Can My Choice Of Pool Fence Impact My Overall Garden Design

Designing the right garden and yard space to suit your lifestyle can be difficult, but it’s certainly possible – especially if you work with a professional landscape designer. The first thing you need to consider is any large elements such as swimming pools or pool fencing that will influence your whole landscape design.

Different pool fencing styles are suited to different landscape designs. For example, glass pool fencing from places like Clear Az Glass are probably most suited to open areas and well manicured gardens. On the other hand, something like tubular metal pool fencing usually works best with gardens that benefit from being separated into sections.

With this in mind, let’s have a look at a few of the ways that the pool fence that you choose can influence the landscape design an expert landscape designers can produce.

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Health, Legal

Compensation Payouts If You Win A Medical Negligence Case Against Your Dentist

March 29, 2021
Compensation Payouts If You Win A Medical Negligence Case Against Your Dentist

It is the right of every patient to expect a duty of care from any medical professional, and that includes their favourite dentist. Should that dentist fail to show a duty of care to the patient, and it results in that patient suffering a loss, injury, or damage, then the patient has the right to sue that dentist or dental practice, for medical negligence.

Now that all sounds fine, but you should be aware that medical negligence is an extremely complex area of the law and being able to prove medical negligence can be a considerable challenge. Should you ever need to sue, then it is certainly advisable that you seek legal guidance and representation.

Whilst you may have an existing commercial lawyer from www.rowebristol.com.au who represents you, for medical negligence cases it is recommended that you acquire a lawyer who is versed in that sort of case. For a start, they will consult with you to ascertain whether not you have grounds to bring a medical negligence case at all, and if you do, what the chances are of it succeeding.

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Family, Legal

What Does Annulment Of A Marriage Mean

March 3, 2021
What Does Annulment Of A Marriage Mean

When some people hear that a marriage has been annulled, some of them simply assume that it is a fancy word for divorce and means exactly the same. However, experienced family law firm Davies Family Lawyers advise that to get your marriage annulled, the process, legalities, and criteria surrounding it would be completely different from those that apply to a divorce.

For a start whilst the legal framework that applies to both divorce and annulment is laid out within the Family Law Act of 1975, if you were to look them up in the Act, you would find several significant differences.

For a start, the legal document that certifies that a marriage has been annulled is called a Decree of Nullity. What that decree will state is that the marriage in question did not exist legally and regardless of whether a bride walked down the aisle in a white dress, a wedding service took place, and confetti was thrown, the marriage is void, and in the eyes of the law, never existed.

To some, this might sound confusing given that there may even have been officials present conducting the marriage, but the point here is that even though they may have genuinely believed that they were conducting a legitimate marriage ceremony, there were one or more reasons why it was not actually a legal marriage.

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Home & Garden

Top 3 Reasons You Will Love Having A Concrete Pool

February 23, 2021
Top 3 Reasons You Will Love Having A Concrete Pool

Suppose the idea of having a concrete pool on your property is one that you are currently debating either within your own mind or with your family. In that case, you may have been trying to think of the positive reasons why you should justify going ahead with it.

We hope you have thought of several of those reasons, but just to make sure, and possibly to highlight some you may not yet have considered, then here are 3 of the top ones which are the benefits of having a concrete pool on your property.

You Have an Almost Unlimited Choice of Designs

Many people have this concept that a concrete pool at home is going to be the same boring rectangular shape as the pool you see at the Olympics. Whilst it can be if you so wish, we hope you want to be more creative than that. In fact, the only limits on the shape, size, and design of your concrete pool are your budget and the area which is available for it to be installed in.

Otherwise, you have a free choice as to how you want your concrete pool to look both in terms of the shape and with regard to the tiling and other aesthetics such as the decking and the landscaping around it.

This means that not only do have a functional swimming pool that you and your family can enjoy swimming in, but you can also have an eye-catching feature on your property depending on how artistic you decide to go with the tiles and other features of the pool.

This can include water features, a slide, and a spa for example, and do not forget there is still the possibility of continuing with your creativity when it comes to the landscape design of the other areas on the outside of your property such as your garden.

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Home & Garden, Legal

Legally Using Self Defence Against Home Intruders

January 10, 2021
Legally Using Self Defence Against Home Intruders

One area of the law which criminal lawyers are often asked their advice on is self-defence, and in particular, whether or not it is legal to use self defence against someone who has broken into your home. As is often the case when it comes to criminal law, the answer a criminal lawyer might give you is, ‘It depends’.

That might not seem particularly helpful to a lot of people, but the simple fact is that as the law currently stands in Australia at the moment, when it comes to self-defence in your own home, or anywhere else for that matter, there is no precise answer.

For example, whether or not someone has stolen something, or have driven at excessive speeds tends to be a matter of fact. In other words, they took something from a store and did not pay for it is a fact, or that they drove 20 miles per hour over the speed limit is also a fact.

Therefore, when those individuals are taken through the criminal justice system, the decision with regards to their guilt is fundamentally not open to interpretation because the evidence against them is explicit.

With regards to self-defence and whether someone was either justified in using it, or if they did so to a degree which is lawful, is far more open to a subjective opinion, should they ever be tried for doing so unlawfully.

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Health

Why The Cleaning Of Health Care Facilities Should Only Be Done By Professionals

December 1, 2020
Why The Cleaning Of Health Care Facilities Should Only Be Done By Professionals

Healthcare facilities, clinics, hospitals, and dentist offices regularly need professional commercial cleaning services. Given how critical cleanliness and hygiene are to an individual’s health, if you think that cleaning healthcare facilities is similar to cleaning offices and other types of commercial premises, then you are mistaken.

Cleaning health care facilities should not be left to amateurs because you need these premises, not just to be clean. Still, they also need to be thoroughly sanitised and left in as hygienic a condition as possible, so only professional commercial cleaners should be trusted to do it. Here are some more reasons why.

Knowledge And Experience

Anyone could pick up a mop. a brush, and a duster and say they are a cleaner. We must admit that in some basic business premises like a small office, they could probably do an ok job with just those ‘tools’. However, when it comes to cleaning and sanitising healthcare facilities, doing an ‘ok’ job is not good enough.

We are talking about people’s health, so doing that work effectively requires experience and specialised knowledge. Knowing what chemicals you can use to clean and sanitise or what areas require even greater levels of hygiene are just two benefits a professional commercial cleaning company can offer.

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Health

7 Types of Psychological Disorders

December 1, 2020
7 Types of Psychological Disorders

Just as doctors at a local surgery have to treat a wide range of physical conditions, the exact same principle applies to psychology. Many people are under the misconception that a psychologist treats something called ‘mental illness’, but that is the same as calling muscle strains, broken bones, heart conditions, respiratory and digestive problems as simply a ‘physical illness’.

The most likely reason for it is that most people are simply not aware of the many individual types of psychological disorders that an individual can suffer from, and so we are going to outline, in no particular order, no fewer than 7 of them right now.

#1 Eating Disorders: These get a lot of publicity due to the number of celebrities who have suffered from them.  They include conditions such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa which each have the sufferer consuming too much, or too little food, respectively. Other behaviours can include inducing themselves to vomit, taking laxatives, and a self-loathing of their appearance.

#2 Stress-Related Disorders: Specific conditions include adjustment, acute stress, and post-traumatic stress disorders. These are usually triggered by specific events or a series of events which have induced high levels of stress. Unlike other people, sufferers are unable to reduce their stress levels and experience the likes of flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and feelings of isolation.

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Health, Legal

Understanding the Health Effects of Workplace Discrimination

June 26, 2020
Understanding the Health Effects of Workplace Discrimination

 

Despite the governments best efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination from Australian culture and society, it still remains. In the workplace, things like racial, gender and religious discrimination are common, especially against minority groups.

Because of this, thousands of people across the country suffer some form of mental illness every year. Even low-level workplace discrimination can have a cumulative effect which can impact absolutely anyone.

As you can imagine, it’s important that we’re able to identify and deal with these impacts before they become too severe. Below, we’ve outlined a few strategies to help you with office sickness, regardless of your exact situation.

Pay Careful Attention to Your Mental State

For starters, it’s extremely important to make sure you’re aware of your mental state and any lasting irregularities. This is true regardless of whether or not you’re being discriminated against.

The key to maintaining mental health is to be mindful of the following:

  • Any loss of motivation or lack of energy that could signal the onset of depression, anxiety or any other illness.
  • Lower self-confidence, including in social settings where you would have been comfortable in the past.
  • A desire to stay home from work. Everyone loves a day off from time to time, but if you find yourself having trouble getting out of bed for work every day, you could have a problem.
  • Any increase in alcohol and/or cigarette consumption.

If you identify these or any other mental health warning signs, be sure to speak with a psychologist or other medical professional as soon as possible.

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Family, Health

How You Know Your Child Might Have a Language Disorder

February 6, 2020
How You Know Your Child Might Have a Language Disorder

If someone has ever recommended that your child see an expert in speech pathology, then you might be quite confused by what they mean. If your child doesn’t have problems with stuttering or pronunciation, then how can they need to see a speech pathologist?

You may be surprised to know that communication goes beyond just speaking, and speech pathology can be a way in which to help children with many disabilities. Read on to learn what indicators may be present to identify a language disorder, and why a speech expert could be of assistance.

How to Define a Language Disorder

You can define a language disorder as having trouble expressing your thoughts vocally, or finding it problematic to understand what other people are saying. Speech, reading, and writing all form part of a language disorder, with treatment options depending on what that disorder is. Language disorders can go hand in hand with other conditions, such as developmental disabilities, autism, and ADHD.

What Does a Language Disorder Look Like?

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), a language disorder can be broken down into:

  • Phonology
  • Syntax and Morphology
  • Semantics
  • Pragmatics
  • Social, emotional, and behavioural considerations

Phonology relates to problems with early speech, limited phonological awareness (rhyming, blending), limited vocalisation compared to same-age peers, and difficulties with speech sound. Morphology and syntax, on the other hand, refers to errors with verbs and pronouns, trouble with grammar, and challenges relating to complex sentences, among other things.

Children with language disorders may also find it challenging to play and relate to peers, comprehend social situations, and contribute in classroom environments.

What Can a Speech Pathologist Do?

A language disorder should always be diagnosed by an experienced professional, so the first step for any worried parent should be their child’s GP. If they have concerns, they may refer the parent to a speech pathologist to intervene and provide a diagnosis and treatment options.

How someone in speech pathology can help depends on the age of the child and the severity of the language disorder, not to mention whether any other disabilities and conditions may play a part.

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Health

Simple Ways to Avoid Sickness in the Office

January 16, 2020
Simple Ways to Avoid Sickness in the Office

Self-care most certainly comes into play when you are trying to stop yourself from succumbing to the “office ‘flu”. You use hand sanitiser, are wary of communal areas, and stay on high alert for the sneezer in your workplace who never seems to cover their mouth.

However, there’s something extra that can help reduce the risk of office sickness, and that’s using a “infection control-style” commercial cleaner is better than DIY methods. Read on to learn what those might be, and why they are worthwhile for your workplace.

Daily Surface Disinfecting & Cleaning

You might think it’s going a little overboard to clean and disinfect surfaces in your workplace every day, but think how many people are in your business? How many people touch the bathroom door, the kitchen benches, and the office phones?

Any surfaces in communal areas, and even your own cubicle, should be considered for daily cleaning and disinfecting. A commercial cleaning company can be of assistance by cleaning them with an all-purpose cleaner, followed up with disinfectant spray.

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Health

5 Things to Know Before Your Cataract Surgery

December 20, 2019
5 Things to Know Before Your Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is a routine procedure during which a foggy and blurred lens is removed from the affected eye and replaced with an artificial lens. Although cataract surgery is very common, it can still be scary for some.

The best thing to do in the face of an unknown and frightening procedure is to get some helpful information. We’re here to give you our top five tips to know before you go in for your cataract surgery.

1. Cataracts Form Naturally With Aging

The first thing to realize about cataracts is that they are quite normal. They occur naturally as we age, and most often they are quite harmless. As they start to cause blurring, early treatments can help greatly, such as stronger prescription glasses.

It’s only when cataracts start to really interfere with your vision that they become necessary to remove. They aren’t going to become deadly overnight, and most often you’ll know when your cataracts are starting to get worse. You will have plenty of time to plan ahead with your doctor.

2. You May Still Need Glasses After Your Surgery

There are a couple of different types of surgeries and two varieties of lenses you can choose for your procedure. Depending on your choice, your long distance vision will improve but not necessarily your short range vision.

A monofocal lens will generally restore only your long distance vision, whereas a multifocal lens will restore your reading vision as well. Your choice will depend on several factors, like price point, necessity and what your doctor recommends. Regardless of your decision, it’s important to know that cataract surgery is not a magical fix-all, and its primary function is to restore normal eyesight rather than create perfect vision.

3. Cataract Surgery Is Often Covered by Insurance

The type of lens you choose will also determine how much of your surgery is covered by insurance. Monofocal lenses are usually covered by insurance, whereas multifocal lenses typically are not because of the higher expenses associated with them. Similarly, basic cataract surgery is covered by insurance, whereas newer methods of advanced laser eye surgery usually aren’t.

Out of pocket expenses for cataract surgery typically range from $1000 to $3000 per eye depending on the exact procedure. Obviously, it can be costly without insurance. Therefore, if pricing is an issue for you, make sure to factor the qualifications for insurance coverage into your planning process.

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Health

Why Fish Oil is Something Worth Adding to Your Diet

September 26, 2019
Why Fish Oil is Something Worth Adding to Your Diet

Many Australians are on the hunt for ways to improve their health and fitness. Eating well, along with regular exercise, is at the top of the list. However, there are also supplements, vitamins, and minerals you can consume to provide unparalleled health benefits too.

Fish oil is something that you might not think would factor into your diet, but could have more benefits than you think. Omega 3 fatty acids, which are in fish oil extracted from the tissue of fish, can support your health and can be more rewarding than you might think. Read on to learn why adding this oil to your shopping cart could be a good idea.

Heart Health

Illnesses relating to heart health are all too prevalent, which is why many people are on the hunt for ways to improve their heart health, or at least maintain it. Fish oil may be the answer. Some studies show that fish oil in a supplement form can reduce your risk of heart disease. It can also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Talk to your GP to see if fish oil supplements might be right for you.

Weight Maintenance

Eating well is an excellent way in which to lose weight or maintain healthy body weight, but fish oil can’t hurt the process. If you take a fish oil supplement while consuming a balanced diet and exercising, you may be able to reduce some of those obesity risks.

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Beauty, Health

Why You Need to Use a Body Exfoliator

September 30, 2018
Why You Need to Use a Body Exfoliator

Body exfoliation is something that can be beneficial for anyone with any skin type. While traditionally, such body care products as a body exfoliator were for removing dry and dead skin, it can do so much more. What’s more, you don’t even need to have dry skin to reap the rewards. If you’re not yet convinced of the benefits of a body exfoliator product, then read on. You will be more than surprised.

Removes Dry Skin

Of course, the first and most well-known benefit from a body exfoliator – be it a natural body care product or a synthetic one, is that it can remove dry skin. Every day, your toned body needs to shed a lot of skin, and exfoliation products can help to speed up the process.

Unclogs Your Pores

Do you find yourself with whiteheads and blackheads more often than not? Then try an exfoliating body product. When you exfoliate your skin, you’re getting rid of dead skin as well as surface debris that builds up during the day. By doing so, you’re unclogging your pores and stopping the formation of whiteheads and blackheads. If you don’t unclog your pores, they build up with all manner of dirt and skin, causing oil production under the skin and the resultant pimples.

Reduces Acne

By using a natural body care product such as a skin exfoliator, you can reap the rewards of reduced acne or a reduced risk of getting it in the first place. While exfoliators help to unclog your pores and reduce blackheads and whiteheads, it can also help to prevent acne. You can use a skin exfoliator once or twice a week to clean out your pores and reduce your acne risk.

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Health

5 Ways Improving Your Dental Health Can Improve Your Overall Wellbeing

August 11, 2018
5 Ways Improving Your Dental Health Can Improve Your Overall Wellbeing

It is a well known fact that your oral and dental health is linked to your general well-being. It is very important to make sure that you visit your dentist regularly to make sure that your teeth and gums remain in great condition.

However, with this in mind, you may be wondering exactly what sort of benefits a healthy mouth can have with respect to your general health and wellbeing. Luckily for you, we have put together a list of our top five ways that improving your dental health, creating your perfect set of teeth, can improve your overall wellbeing. These include:

  1. Healthy Saliva Will Keep Your Gut Healthy

Your saliva is your bodies first defence against harmful bacteria and viruses within your body. Disease causing organisms can easily enter your mouth, and from there they are able to move down into the heart or lungs – if they aren’t stopped first. Saliva contains antibodies which can destroy pathogenic organisms, including those that cause things like the common cold or HIV infections.

  1. An Unhealthy Mouth Can Cause Digestive Infections

Everything which goes through your mouth eventually ends up in your stomach and digestive system. If you have infections in your teeth, gums or elsewhere in your mouth, they can spread to your stomach and the rest of your digestive system, causing all sorts of problems.

  1. An Unhealthy Mouth Smells!


There is nothing worse than someone with terrible breath. One of the best ways to make sure that you have bad breath, is to make sure that your mouth is unhealthy. While bad breath won’t directly impact your health, it will make it hard for you to have meaningful social interactions and relationships, and it may even make it hard for you to find a job. This can affect your mental health.

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Beauty

How to Measure and Select Engagement Rings

July 23, 2018
How to Measure and Select Engagement Rings

When you are beginning to go down the exciting path of choosing engagement rings, you will find it’s not smooth sailing like choosing cake. While the journey to selecting the best engagement ring is rewarding, it can be fraught with challenges.

According to Diamonds and Pearls, you need to work out what size ring finger you both have, figure out how to measure your fingers and rings, and ensure that at any time of the day, your ring is going to fit perfectly. It’s not as straightforward as you may think, but it’s a worthwhile process to ensure the perfect fit. Here is how to go about it.

What You Will Need:

  • Dental floss, fine string, or a long strand of cotton
  • A pen
  • An accurate and clear millimetre ruler
  • Access to a ring chart

How to Measure Your Engagement Rings:

  1. Grabbing the string, wrap it around the base of your finger.
  2. Mark the ending point on the string with the pen – the place where each piece of the string joins each other.
  3. Lay the string out flat with the pen mark visible.
  4. Measure the end of the string up to the pen mark to the nearest millimetre.
  5. Compare your results to a ring chart.

NOTE: Make sure you choose the ring size that compares to your ring’s country of origin. Each country has different size options, such as Japan, Great Britain, Germany, the United States, Canada, and France.

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Beauty

The Dos and Don’ts of a Waist Trainer

May 12, 2018

Waist Trainer

If you’re new to waist trainers, getting a firm grasp on what you should and shouldn’t do can take some time. Whether you’ve already purchased a waist trainer or you’re looking to do so, we’ve included some helpful ‘dos and don’ts’ to help make your experience that much more beneficial.

Do:

Buy Quality

Several different waist trainers are on the market, but not all are high-quality or provide the best results. Always shop from a well-known stockist with plenty of customer reviews and pay close attention to the material quality. Latex waist trainers are preferred for those looking to flatten their stomach and accentuate curves. Even if you have to pay a little more, getting the desired results is worth it.

Choose the Right Size

If you buy from a reputable seller, they will have a size guide so you can choose the size that best suits your body shape and size. Always select the size that matches your measurements, as remember they are designed to be tight. If you choose a size smaller, you risk it being too tight and if you go a size larger, it will not have the same benefits.

Break It In

Your body will go through an adjustment period, so breaking your waist trainer in is crucial. Try it for half an hour at first, then gradually build up that time until you can wear it for several hours.

Don’t:

Buy Without Doing Research

Buying a waist trainer does take a lot of research. You need to know your goals and how that particular waist trainer can help you achieve them. As there are several different ones, you need to be sure that the one you’re looking to purchase will suit you properly.

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Health

Peer Pressure and Drug Abuse: How to Deal with It?

February 18, 2018
Peer Pressure and Drug Abuse How to Deal with It

We are social beings, and it is in our nature to fit in with the rest of society. This innate nature of being sociable might be advantageous because it gives us more opportunities to acquire knowledge and increase our network.

That is, however, if you use it properly.

What if you lost your way and you mixed with a group of people who didn’t seem to care about what’s right or wrong? Would you let yourself be influenced by them? Most probably yes. In fact, statistics state that 55% of teenagers use drugs because of peer pressure and this is another reason for the growth and importance of drug rehab centres.

However, that’s not the only reason why the number of drug incidents are increasing. There are also other factors that cause this serious issue — lack of guidance from family and personal problems being the two biggest reasons.

Spend time with the right people.

Surround yourself with the right people. Before making close friends with someone, make sure that you know who they are, where they’re from, and what kind of friends they have. Stay away from them if you think they’re into drugs or other vices.

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Family

8 Wedding Tips for the Groom

December 25, 2017

wedding-tips-for-the-groom

Wedding tips for the bride are available by the thousands, but for the groom? Not so much. This is a major problem, because many grooms-to-be, do next to nothing to support and help their fiancée with things like bridesmaid gifts and wedding arrangements etc. So grooms, don’t be a wimp, but get in there and have a say about the wedding hire arrangements and other things to do with the wedding. Your fiancée will be relieved to know you can shoulder your share of the responsibilities of ensure your wedding reception is terrific.

Here are some tips to help the groom before the wedding.

  • Choose a few things that interest you and take responsibility for arranging them – in consultation with your wife to be, of course. The wedding DJ, sound system, music, limos, food are all good for guys to handle.
  • Expect to have a say in your future home as well as the wedding. Your wife may love an all-pink bedroom, but it’s time for each of you to meet halfway on that if you hate it.
  • The bride seems to do most of the wedding planning and this can lead to stress, overload and even a grudge against you for letting her. So make sure you do nice things such as cooking her a meal and cleaning up afterwards, letting her choose her favourite movie – or renting one you know she’ll love to watch and watching it with her. You could even give her a foot massage. Let her know that all the planning and work is really worthwhile.

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Travel

Pros and Cons of Renting a Car on Holidays

November 30, 2017
Pros and Cons of Renting a Car on Holidays

Whether you are holidaying at home or abroad, you may be considering renting a car if you are flying to your destination. It is true that having a car will give you a good amount in independence to travel where you like, some accommodation from Luxury Villas Bali will offer a transport service, however there are both pros and cons to car rental that you should consider before making any arrangements.

Pros

  • As mentioned, you will have more independence from public transport and the time limitations it offers when you can travel in your rental car.
  • Some areas you might want to visit may not be serviced by public transport, or the times could be inconvenient.
  • It would probably work out cheaper than taxis but more expensive than public transport.
  • It is convenient to stow your luggage and you can take extra if you don’t have to carry it by hand.
  • You can stop at any place that looks interesting, or stop for a rest or a snack whenever you want.
  • You can change your mind at the last minute about going somewhere.
  • You don’t have to book seats or tickets.
  • If you travel with a group of friends there will be plenty of drivers

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Food

How to Easily Get Five Serves of Fruit and Vegetables a Day

August 15, 2017
How to Easily Get Five Serves of Fruit and Vegetables a Day

The latest food recommendation is to have 5 serves of fruit and vegetables a day. This may seem difficult for some people, especially those who don’t like vegetables, or just prefer to eat other things. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not only healthy, they actively fight off certain diseases such as cancer, so it’s a good idea to make sure you include them in your diet.

Here are a few easy ways to get the vegetable and fruit you need each and every day.

  • Juice them – there are many great recipes for smoothies on the internet. You can combine fruit and vegetables to give you a refreshing drink packed full of vitamins and other essential, health giving nutrients. Try combinations of apples, carrots, oranges, celery and spinach. Add berries, beetroot or broccoli. Use the type of juicer that doesn’t waste the fibre, but includes it in the juice.
  • Add them to breakfast. Fruit, especially is great with cereal. Try slicing a banana over oatmeal or cold cereal or add berries, peach slices or any other fruit you like.
  • Have fruit and/or vegetables for snacks. Keep prepared carrot and celery sticks in the refrigerator so they are handy to grab. Add an apple, banana or other fruit you like.
  • Banana sandwiches are a delightful end to a light meal. But they have to be prepared and eaten quickly, or the banana goes brown.
  • Having tinned fruit salad? Add some fresh fruit to it, to make it taste especially good. Diced apple, sliced bananas, fresh mandarin segments, berries, and sliced peaches are all great choices. Better still, make your own fresh fruit salad.

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Home & Garden

How to Add Value to Your Property

August 14, 2017
How to Add Value to Your Property

Homeowners and landlords would agree that one good way to add value to a property is with landscaping.  If that landscaping also includes the use of beautiful limestone blocks for pavers and stone cladding on feature walls then the value is assured. It can also be used for ornamental and functional garden walls, retaining walls along with outdoor seating and tables.

Using it for garden furniture means you never have to worry about bringing it inside due to bad weather conditions, be that rain, wind, hail or snow. Stone can stand up to those kinds of conditions just as it does when in its natural environment. You might think that seating would be too uncomfortable on a stone bench, but so is any kind of seating without cushions.

The only thing you can do is add some outdoor cushions to the bench. This will also add a pop of colour, enhancing your outdoor setting all the more. While these may have to be brought in due to wind, most outdoor cushions will stand up to a bit of weather.

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Family

Grandparents Rights after Divorce

August 1, 2017
Grandparents Rights after Divorce

One major casualty after divorce is the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren.  Most grandparents are passionate about their grandchildren and being deprived of any rights to see them is very hurtful and painful to both them and their grandchildren.

Divorce is never an easy time and it is difficult not to take sides when you are close to the situation. Sometimes, parents of each spouse are very opinionated about the relationship and don’t hesitate to make their views known. It is this as much as anything that can make the custodial parent want to eliminate any visiting rights for the grandparents. But in doing so they harm their children, who often need that extra love and understanding once they have to live without a parent they love.

If the grandparents are from a different culture, depriving the children of enjoying interaction with them can deprive them of important aspects of their heritage.  Even if they are from the same culture, grandparents do now have certain rights with regards to seeing their beloved grandchildren.

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Food

4 Tips to Get the Best Out of Your Food

July 15, 2017
4 Tips to Get the Best Out of Your Food

While we all know the importance of a healthy diet, it is sometimes easy to forget that even the healthiest of foods can be spoiled by poor cooking, the addition of other less healthy accompaniments and even by the way we eat. Here are some tips to ensure you get all the nutrients possible from your healthy diet.

  • Cooking – never overcook vegetables. They should be lightly steamed or sautéed to ensure all the nutrients remain in them. Boiling them reduces the nutrients most of which are tipped down the sink along with the water. Juicing vegetables is a good way to ensure a healthy addition to your diet, especially if there are some goodies you don’t actually like. Mixed in with other vegetables you’ll never notice the taste. Eating them raw is also a good way to keep all the nutrients from being spoiled by heat. However, not everyone can eat veggies raw and light cooking does make the nutrients more easily available in some cases.
  • Less healthy additions – these can be added by the way you cook, e.g. frying vegetables or meat means they absorb some of the fat. Even frying in olive oil is not as good as steaming. Even though olive oil is a ‘good’ fat, heating changes it to some extent, although not as much as heating other kinds of vegetable oils.

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Health

Remove Health Worries with Help from a Financial Planner

March 25, 2017
Remove Health Worries with Help from a Financial Planner

Few people know what their future holds with regard to their health. As we age especially, health problems seem to pop up more frequently and this can be a worry. But with help from a financial planner like Andep, you can take a lot of the worry out of the health concerns in your future. The right financial planning will ensure that your family can be taken care of should you not be around to do it.

A good financial advisor will lead you through the steps needed to ensure you not only have a Will, but you’ve given Power of Attorney to someone you trust to handle your affairs and administer your estate properly.  They will help you plan for the possibility of health problems that can prevent you from making business or any other decisions. Of course, a lawyer can do this too, but they don’t give financial advice; just legal advice.

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Food, Health

Pros and Cons of Dieting

January 22, 2017
Pros and Cons of Dieting

There have never been so many different diets around and yet we know that many people suffer from being overweight. If the media is to be believed the western world is suffering from the worst plague of all eating disorders – obesity. Most people – women at least – have tried dieting at some time in their lives. Sometimes they achieve their goal to lose weight; sometimes they don’t.  The main trouble is the weight usually goes back on once the diet is no longer followed.

This must tell us that what people have for their ‘normal’ food is not good for them, causing excessive weight gain that is bad for their health. And yet, even this is not the whole story. In some cases we have the kind of jobs that don’t allow us to have enough exercise to burn off those calories, but still make us too tired to do any kind of exercise after work is done for the day. Or in some cases we are too busy doing other essentials like housework and supervising children to hit the gym or go jogging.

This is where dieting comes in. Once that weight starts to become more noticeable we look around for ways to reduce it. But is dieting really the answer?  Here are some pros and cons of dieting.

Pros

  • It does in some cases help to get the unhealthy weight off.
  • It gives us a feeling of control because we are doing something to make us healthier.
  • We learn more about healthy nutrition as we research which diet to go on.
  • We become more aware of what we eat.

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Health

21 Tips to Stay Healthy in the Heat

November 20, 2016
21 Tips to Stay Healthy in the Heat

Not every country suffers from intense heat and so tourists visiting Australia may not realise that the kind of heat they are likely to encounter in outback areas or during heatwaves during summer can actually kill. This summer has been one of the hottest experienced for several years so it is likely to catch people unawares. Some of the things we do to cool off in summer are no longer safe when the temperature climbs to 36 or 40C.

Here are 21 tips to keep you healthy in the hot weather.

  • Stay out of the sun. Even wearing sunscreen and a hat won’t protect you from the heat that is reflected from pavement.
  • If you have to work outside, don’t wear shorts as your legs will burn. Wear cotton pants and long sleeves.
  • Don’t wear synthetic fabrics in the heat, they will make you sweat and lose more fluid.
  • Keep in air conditioning if possible. Spend the day in the mall or library if you don’t have it at home.
  • Stay away from the beach. The water may cool you but you’ll get sunburned on all those portions that are not under the water – including your head.
  • Never sit on the sand, even if you are covered up and under an umbrella. The sand reflects heat and you can get burned or suffer from dehydration.

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Family

How to Treat Your Home Business Professionally

October 12, 2016
How to Treat Your Home Business Professionally

Many people set up a business at home both for convenience and cost-savings. You can easily convert a spare room into an office or workroom for your business, but just because you are running it from home doesn’t mean it should not be professional and that can include having a website. If you want your business website to stand out and be successful, use a digital agency to design, create and advertise it, just like any other professional business would.

The mistake many people make with their home business is to put too much emphasis on the ‘home’ part. Just because you run your business from home doesn’t mean you should sit there in your PJs, not open for business on time, or go surfing whenever you feel like it. Nor does it mean you should allow your website to be anything but professional. No other business or prospective customers will take you or your business seriously unless you do.

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Home & Garden

The Qualities You Need in Your Handyman

July 22, 2016
The Qualities You Need in Your Handyman

When you need repairs done to your property it is time to look for a home services helper or property Maintenance Company who offers the kind of services you need. Unfortunately, not all handymen are equal and some don’t do as good a job as others. This may be because they accept a job that is actually beyond their skill set to complete.

Instead of not taking the job, they try to do it and end up making things worse than ever. When you finally work out the problem and find another handyman to help you the job is likely to cost twice as much for them to fix. So what qualities do you need in your handyman?

  • First of all you need honesty about what they can do and what they can’t do. Honesty with the quote is also a bonus. That said, a cheap price may well get you a cheap job.
  • You need someone with a high work ethic so that the job they do will be done well.
  • It is also good if they are clean and tidy and clean all the mess up before they go. Many jobs are quite messy and you don’t really want to have to vacuum up sawdust or clean grout or paint off the floor after they have gone.
  • You need a handyman that is highly motivated and communicative so that they will get to your job as soon as they can and let you know if there is an unavoidable delay.

(more…)

Health

15 Tips on How to Stay Safe with Heating

May 9, 2016
15 Tips on How to Stay Safe with Heating

Every winter, we hear of homes burning and people getting burned or worse due to a fire in their homes – often caused by leaving a heater on. Experienced electricians can provide sound advice over the media each time the weather turns colder. Yet, people don’t notice it enough or fall asleep before they have time to turn their heater off.

The trouble is that nighttime and early morning are the coldest parts of the winter, so that is when heaters are set to high and left on. Here are some tips on staying healthy and warm without being at risk of having the house burn down.

  • Choosing a safe type of heater with a thermostat is good, as is the kind that won’t roll over.
  • Teach children safety procedures with heaters, such as not covering the top, leaving paper close, and not sitting too close to them.
  • Never leave a plug-in heater going overnight. Snuggle into a rug and turn the heater off if you feel sleepy.
  • Always keep heaters away from drapes, clothes and sofas that could catch fire.
  • If you have carpet, get your carpet cleaned professionally regularly and keep the heater off long piles that may get too close to the elements.
  • Toddlers can do anything without realising the harm, so if you have a floor heater in the bathroom, ensure the cord from it is not long enough to allow it to reach the bathtub if picked up and thrown.

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Beauty

12 Top Tips for Applying Make-up

April 19, 2016
12 Top Tips for Applying Make-up

Nearly every woman who wants to improve her looks uses make-up of some kind. Some might just add a touch of lipstick while others go the whole hog and apply layers of make-up to ensure they have that wow factor. No matter how you use make-up there are many beauty tips available to help you get the most out of it. Here are 12 top tips for applying make-up.

  • Don’t use concealer or foundation on your eyelids as it is too thick and will become creased.
  • Sometimes a sheer foundation coverage is better than a thick one. Achieve this by applying it with the fingertips and leave the brush until you want a medium or thick coverage.
  • Apply powder to shiny areas of the face first. This is usually the T-zone – the forehead and fridge of the nose or the nose and chin area. Once that is done, a very light dusting can be added to the rest of your face.
  • If using bronzer, don’t just use it on your face, as this will give a two-tone effect. It should also go on the neck and chest, if that part is showing.

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Health

10 Reasons to go to the Dentist

March 17, 2016
10 Reasons to go to the Dentist

Most people don’t like the idea of going to the dentist because they equate it with pain, or at the very least, discomfort. Another reason could be that they can’t afford it, or prefer to spend their time and money on something more pleasant. However, if you neglect this important area of your health you will certainly pay for it in terms of discomfort later on. Here are 10 reasons you should make regular dental check-ups a regular part of your routine.

  • You’ll suffer less if you have a tiny decay seen to quickly, than if you wait until it is a really big one that aches badly. The treatment will be easier to undergo and the cost will be less when the decay is only small.
  • The dentist can correct problems that are not decays, making your teeth a lot stronger so they’ll last longer. For instance, getting teeth straightened will prevent them breaking off as you get older due to pressure they weren’t meant to withstand.
  • Your health will be better if your teeth are not decayed.
  • You won’t have to get false teeth with their discomfort.
  • The dentist will not have to perform extractions if your teeth are healthy. He can often do small corrections that prevent you getting decay, such as filling a deep crevice in a molar that is not yet decayed, but is likely to be soon.

(more…)

Family, Health

The Downsides of Working From Home – and How to Address Them

February 12, 2016
The Downsides of Working From Home – and How to Address Them

 

If you work from home you are very likely to be using your computer a great deal. You could be an business consultant, or perhaps you’re a writer. Working from home has a great many benefits, not least being that you can save on renting an office and travelling and also be there for your family. In fact, having some kind of home business is ideal for many people.

However, if you work from home you may have realised there are downsides too. These must be addressed in order to make your business as well as your life, successful. Here are some of them.

  • It is very easy to put in longer hours at a home business because you don’t need to leave the office at the end of the day. Working can become addictive to the point you neglect your relationships even though you live and work in the same home as your family.  You may just want to finish that website or do a little more research into keywords and the next thing you know the children are all in bed and so is your spouse. You need to make a cut-off point for work and stick to it.

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Health

Don’t Let Drugs Ruin Your Life

January 22, 2016
Don’t Let Drugs Ruin Your Life

When you first begin to take drugs it is usually as a way to cope with something in your life that is causing emotional pain; something that you don’t know how to handle. The drugs take away the pain and make you feel good for a little while. It might be some time before you realise there is a serious problem and what your friends or parents have been telling you for some time is really true; you are suffering from drug addiction.

This is the time to make some major decisions, before it is really too late. It is time to book into a drug rehab to get off those drugs and get your life back. That doesn’t have to mean you have to suffer from the emotional pain that caused you to take drugs in the first place. If you can get to the right facility for drug rehabilitation your treatment will include counselling to find out what it was you were trying to get relief from and you’ll be taught how to deal with it in a different way; one that doesn’t give you an addiction.

To that end, your parents or other loved ones may have to undergo counselling with you. That’s good, because it will teach them how to change their ways and stop doing or saying those things that hurt you. Your parents love you, but sometimes they don’t know how to cope with certain behaviours. And sometimes they too, were hurt by their parents in the same way.

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Health

What to do After You Kick Drugs

December 10, 2015
What to do After You Kick Drugs

So you’ve been to drug rehab and successfully kicked the habit. Now you are home again and you may be feeling a bit let down. After all, home is nothing like that wonderful place you just came back from where everyone treated you so nicely. At home, you have to deal with people who may be cranky, drunk or just uncaring. Or even if they love you, maybe they just have too many issues to deal with to show you some of that TLC you crave.

If your life looks like it’s going to be a hard drag again, it’s important to do certain things to deal with it, or you risk falling once again into the habit you just got free from. Here are some tips to help you.

  • If a home is difficult to deal with move out, as scary as it may seem.
  • If you can’t move out, concentrate on making new friends who are caring, but not part of the drug scene. You can do this by joining a club – painting, photography, cooking, dancing – whatever your interests are.
  • Go out regularly. Nurture your new friends by suggesting you meet for a coffee, a walk in the park or a movie night, whatever seems good to you.
  • Eat good food. Many people live on fast food and miss out on the basic nutrition their body needs to remain healthy. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables give you energy without piling on the weight.
  • If you love fast food, you don’t have to miss it altogether, just limit it to once a week or fortnight.

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Home & Garden

How To Choose A Swimming Pool

November 23, 2015
How To Choose A Swimming Pool

If you are looking for pool builders to install a concrete swimming pool it pays to do a little research to find the best one. Having a pool installed in not something you want to cut costs with because repairs can be really expensive – and wasting all that water will probably make you shudder. But first, why choose a concrete pool?

  • Concrete is a very durable and strong substance that will last for many years without leaking.
  • You can choose many more sizes and shapes for your pool that may fit on your block better than a stock shape from fibreglass.
  • It is possible to have many more features added to the pool when it’s made of concrete.

To find the best company to install the pool you have to look at what you need and what the company will do for you. Having a pool means a big change in the landscaping. If you had minimal work done in this regard it may be time to have it done properly. You’ll be amazed at the difference a bit of professional landscaping makes to the look – and value – of your property.

Need maintenance?

Some pool companies offer landscaping plus maintenance, which is a good thing. You will hardly have time to enjoy the pool if you are busy every weekend maintaining the garden and lawn, not to mention the pool itself. Get more time to relax by outsourcing these chores to the pool company. They have the expertise to do a great job.

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Health

How to Reduce Your Pain Pills

October 9, 2015
How to Reduce Your Pain Pills

It is a well-known fact that laughing triggers release of endorphins – feel good chemicals that help to relieve pain, hence reduces need for pain pills. Some people go without laughter in their life, especially if they have a serious personality. But you can help your friends all have fun and laugh by adding a photo booth to your party or wedding reception.

With the addition of this great piece of technology you and your friends will find many ways to dress up and take funny photos and you are sure to end up in fits of laughter while doing it. Not only will you all have a great deal of fun, you will learn that laughing makes you feel really good inside. Those chemicals called endorphins that have been released through laughing will also take away a great deal of pain and so alleviate the need for taking so many pain pills.

If anyone is in pain on a daily basis due to things like injury or arthritis, then making sure they get plenty of laughter will help them to reduce the amount of pills they have to take for the pain. The trouble is, when you are in pain you don’t feel like laughing.  It is important then to do things that help you forget that pain and make you feel happy enough to laugh.  You could –

  • Watch funny movies or sitcoms on television
  • Read funny stories
  • Learn and tell funny jokes
  • Remember funny things that have happened in your life
  • Get your friends to tell about the funny things that have happened to them

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Health

6 Ways to Find a Good Dentist

May 17, 2015
6 Ways to Find a Good Dentist

According to the dentists, most people really need a dentist at some point in their life, especially if they have never gone to one, or not gone regularly. There will come a time when that aching tooth simply won’t respond to pain-killers and you are losing sleep over it, so you finally take the plunge to see a dentist.  So how do you choose?  Here are 5 ways to make your search a bit easier.

  • Ask family or friends – those who have a nice smile – who they recommend and why.
  • Go online and ask Google. Pay close attention to the websites to see what testimonials are there, what the pricing is and whether they allow you to pay it off. Find out how many people work there. A clinic usually employs several dentists while a practice may only have one or two.
  • See if there are any customer reviews on places such as Facebook.
  • Ring them to find out what their customer service is like. If the receptionist is cranky give them a miss. It’s bad enough having a tooth out without having to put up with people who can’t treat you with respect.
  • Go for a consultation to see for yourself in person. Most dentists are caring people who want to help you and create a good impression. The success of their practice depends on it.
  • That said, don’t be pressured into having work done that you don’t want or can’t afford. If you have any doubts about what is said, get a second opinion.

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Family

The Importance of Childcare after Divorce

March 1, 2015
The Importance of Childcare after Divorce

According well know family law firm Robertson Hayles, if your relationship has broken down irretrievably and you’ve applied for divorce, family lawyers will no doubt have told you what the law is concerning your children. While it is easy to get a divorce these days with no one having to prove fault, if there are minor children of the marriage, a divorce won’t be given unless you can prove that proper arrangements have been made for their care.

While you may think this seems silly, in these days of much drug-taking it cannot be certain that either parent is fit to take care of children, especially while they are toddlers. At least older children can get a meal for themselves, but of course, childcare is much more than looking after a child’s physical needs. So the judge has to make sure that one of the parents is a suitable carer, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made for the children.

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Home & Garden

8 Tips to Make Your Pot Plants Look Stunning

January 16, 2015
8 Tips to Make Your Pot Plants Look Stunning

Almost everyone likes the look of a garden, even if they don’t like working in one. Many people with no garden fulfil their need for green and living things by having pot plants. The trouble is, not all of these look really stunning. Some look downright shabby while others seem to be struggling for life. So how can you make that show of garden pots and plants look better? Here are some tips.

  • When you look at a pot plant, what do you see? The pot and the plant, right? That means the pot is at least half of what you see so if it is shabby the whole together will be spoiled, no matter how nice the plant is. So before you plant out your pretty azalea or whatever it is, make sure the pot is worthy of it. Spending money on a designer pot is an investment in beauty that will last for many years.
  • Choose a plant to suit the pot. Not all plants are suited for life in a pot. Their root systems are too big and need to expand. It’s hot in a pot, so plants that prefer cool roots won’t be happy. Some pretty pots are also pretty small. Choosing a big plant – or one that will grow big – for a small pot will almost guarantee failure.

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Travel

8 Family Friendly Holiday Destinations

January 15, 2015
8 Family Friendly Holiday Destinations

While many families choose the holiday destination with the beaches and safe, shallow water that all kids seem to adore, it can be an even more interesting experience to travel with them to other countries where they can see some amazing sights that will surely interest them just as much. After all, they can usually swim a lot at home too, but they won’t see some of the other amazing things that are on offer overseas.

Here are 8 holiday destinations that are certainly family friendly, though not all offer beaches.

  • Although this small country is not the cheapest, it offers things not found anywhere else, at least, not to the same extent. For instance, Legoland with its 20 million pieces of building blocks that have been used to portray some of the Star Wars action as well as major iconic sights of other countries. It also has rides suited more to the pre-teen. Then there is Tivoli, an amusement park with free music, fireworks and more almost every night.
  • Thailand loves children, making their stay there very special. You can easily find beaches, temples, boat trips and elephant camps, all of which your kids are sure to love.

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Health

How to Choose Wine as a Gift

October 15, 2014
How to Choose Wine as a Gift

If you’ve been invited out for dinner at someone’s place, it is good manners to take a gift and people often choose wine. But what if you don’t know the wine preferences of your host or hostess? It is easy enough to buy wine, but it is a little more difficult to choose one you can be relatively sure that your hosts will like.

Don’t be tempted by a pretty label

One thing you should not do is buy it just because the label is attractive. This is a hit or miss way to choose a wine and in fact, some of the prettiest labels hide wines that are very ordinary at best and quite horrible at worst. This is because the label is made by a marketing specialist in order to attract buyers.

Wines with an established reputation tend to have quite plain labels that simply tell the buyer what they need to know; they don’t need to rely on marketing with an attractive label to sell to people who don’t know their wines.

Don’t pay more than you need to

You may think that the best way to ensure your wine is acceptable is to pay a great deal for it. This is not necessary; many very nice, quality wines are quite inexpensive.

One way to find a wine that is popular when you don’t know a lot about them is to ask the sales attendant which wines they sell the most of. These will be the most popular wine and are sure to be acceptable to most people.

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Beauty

10 Tips for Growing Out a Fringe – Without Going Nuts

February 22, 2014
10 Tips for Growing Out a Fringe – Without Going Nuts

The only thing wrong with having a hairstyle that includes bangs or a fringe is growing that fringe out when you decide on a change. At first it’s not too bad, but once it gets down to eye level it tends to drive you nuts. Hair dangling in your eyes not only irritates them – and you – it makes you look messy. So how can you grow out that fringe without it driving you insane? Here are 10 tips to help.

  • Part your hair to one side, comb it forward, then flick it to the opposite side of your parting, merging the longer and shorter hair.
  • If your hair is naturally fine, try getting a perm on large rollers to give it more body, then that fine fringe will be more likely to stay where you put it.
  • Use dry shampoo to give your hair body so the fringe stays out of your eyes.
  • Using accessories to keep an overlong fringe off your forehead can work well. A scarf folded into a wide headband and tied under the hair at the back suits many people. Wide or narrow elastic headbands come in many colours.
  • Attractive clips or pins can keep the shorter hair to one side.

(more…)

Food

How to Stay Safe from Food Poisoning

June 8, 2013
How to Stay Safe from Food Poisoning

In the rush to get a meal on the table or prepare food for a family party, it is easy to become careless or just not think about food safety issues. Food poisoning is not only unpleasant; it can also be life-threatening, especially in hot weather when dehydration can occur very quickly. Here are some tips to avoiding food poisoning.

  • Always make sure you purchase fresh food. If you purchase food on a sale, look at the use by date and make sure you will use it before then, especially meat.
  • If it is going to take you longer than a few minutes to get food home, store it in an esky bag with ice bricks under and on top of it.
  • If meat doesn’t still feel cool when you get home, cook it immediately and use it up quickly.
  • When preparing meat and vegetables, keep them separate. This means using different chopping boards and utensils. Or you could prepare the vegetables first, then use the same things to prepare the meat.
  • Never use utensils or plates that were used in the preparation of meat for handling it after it is cooked. This can transfer particles of raw meat or the juices from it onto the cooked meat.

(more…)

Food

Simple Ways to Use Up Fruit and Vegetables

April 15, 2013
Simple Ways to Use Up Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit is a very healthy food that everyone should eat more of. However, children are known for their finicky tastes and what they ate all last week they may refuse the next week. This can leave you with fruit that is in danger of becoming overripe. Rather than waste it, here are some easy ways to use it up.

  • Some fruit such as apples and stone fruit can be stewed and frozen. It will then be ready to make pies with, whenever you have time or feel like it.
  • Oranges and other citrus fruit can be juiced and frozen into drinks or popsicles for the children to enjoy on a hot day.
  • If you intend to keep frozen fruit juice or mash, you need to add sugar as a preservative.
  • Tomatoes sometimes get ripe quickly. They can be grilled on toast, added to soups or stews – or many other dishes. You can make them into tomato relish or even tomato jam.
  • Bananas can be used up by cooking them into banana bread or muffins. They can also be baked and used as dessert.
  • Juicing fruit and vegetables is a good way to use them up quickly, so long as you like the taste of the drink.
  • If your vegetables are starting to go limp, make up a soup or stew with them. You can usually put more in than the recipe says.
  • Fruit can be diced and made into a fruit salad for dessert. If you only have one or two pieces, they can be added to tinned fruit salad for extra taste.
  • Apples can be baked whole.

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Beauty

How to Get Toned Body without Exercise

August 22, 2012
How to Get Toned Body without Exercise

As many people ingest more and more sugar in their daily foods, there are always new ways of looking after your body being invented, just as new diets are coming onto the market on a regular basis. Diets simply don’t work for everyone and neither does exercise. Even though it may help you to stay fit and healthy, it often does nothing for your actual body shape. That is why CoolSculpting is becoming so popular.

It fills a need in the market that up till now could only be filled by one other procedure and that is liposuction. The trouble with that is you will have needles stuck into your fatty deposits so the fat can be sucked out through them. This can be quite painful and the area takes a while to heal, as you can imagine. Still, it does the trick of removing those fatty deposits that nothing else seems to shift.

Now there is another option for those who don’t like needles. It is called CoolSculpting because it uses a similar process to cryolipolysis – that is, cooling – to freeze and destroy fat under the skin. This doesn’t harm the skin at all, just numbs it and there might be some bruising, but that will soon fade. Once the fat is frozen it is destroyed and the body goes to work to remove it through the usual channels, just like it removes bruised blood or other things that aren’t part of the body anymore.

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Food, Health

Child Nutrition Programs: Legislative History Highlights

February 21, 2012
Child Nutrition Programs Legislative History Highlights

The legislative history of child nutrition can be traced back to the creation of the National School Lunch Program in 1946.  These highlights are a good primer for anyone interested in child nutrition programs.

1946

  • The National School Lunch Act (NSLA) was signed by President Harry Truman.
  • Program began as a grant aid to states.
  • Per meal reimbursement was approximately 9 cents.
  • Three meal options were included:
    • Type A – A complete lunch.
    • Type B -“Incomplete” lunch with smaller portions and fewer items.
    • Type C – 1/2 pint of milk.
  • The American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) was founded.

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Beauty

Important Points about Breast Implants

November 19, 2011
Important Points about Breast Implants

Many women turn to breast implants when they become dissatisfied with the size, shape or symmetry of their breasts. It is a good idea to be fully informed about everything to do with this surgical procedure before going ahead with the operation. To that end, here are some important points you should be aware of.

  • There are 3 possibilities when considering entry points for the implant. Under the armpit, under the breast or via the nipple. Much depends on the particular problem you are looking to overcome with the implant. Nipple insertion is only suitable for small implants. The once popular method of underarm insertion has now waned in favour of under the breast. The scar of the latter is hardly seen, while with the former it is easier to tear the sternum muscle and that can lead to other problems.
  • The polyurethane implant has now become very popular in the UK and Australia due to its many benefits including preventing hardening of the implant. However, much depends on the size and floppiness of the breast, as well as what problem is being treated.
  • It is essential for professionals to fully evaluate each patient before a breast implant is agreed to. This will be both physical and psychological.
  • Emotional stress is also a factor. If the patient is undergoing emotional stress, it is wise to postpone treatment for 6 months.

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Beauty

Beauty Tips For Hands and Nails

October 15, 2011
Beauty Tips For Hands and Nails

Many people pay attention to their faces, but neglect their hands and nails. This is a shame because hands show your age just as much as your face – in fact, even more so because they work harder, doing all that you have to do from day to day, while your face basically sits there and oversees the chores. If you don’t lavish some care and attention on your hands and nails they will tell on you – and spoil the beauty of your face for anyone observant enough to notice.

If you have a job where your hands are in the public eye all the time, it is essential to take care of them and make sure they are as attractive as your face. Here’s how:

  • Wash hands with warm water, paying attention to between the fingers and under the nails. Dry by blotting rather than rubbing as this can abrade the skin.
  • Use gloves when washing up and moisturise your hands daily or more often if they feel dry.
  • Use organic products on your hands and avoid those with toxic ingredients. A good way to make your hands feel smooth and soft is to mix wheat powder with milk, water and lemon juice. Leave on for 10 or more minutes and wash off with warm water. Glycerine and rose water is a good moisturiser.
  • Exfoliate your hands occasionally using 2 tablespoons of butter mixed with 1 of sugar. Rub over the skin until the sugar granules dissolve. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.
  • If the back of your hands has uneven pigmentation, rub them with a cut lemon to even out the colour.

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Beauty

5 Shampoo Ingredients That Are Bad For Your Hair – and You

February 15, 2011
5 Shampoo Ingredients That Are Bad For Your Hair – and You

When you pick up a shampoo from the supermarket shelf, it is usually because you expect it to do good things for your hair, whether that is to moisturise it, make it shiny, more manageable and of course, clean it. Shampoo is made up of many different ingredients – the trouble is that most people don’t fully understand what those ingredients do, whether they are safe and why they are put into the shampoo to start with.

If you are having trouble with your hair, or if your scalp feels itchy or irritable, it could be some of the ingredients in your shampoo that are at fault. Here are 5 shampoo ingredients to avoid.

  • Silicone – this is put into some shampoo to make the hair shinier. The only trouble is it is not water soluble so it builds up over time, especially around the shaft of the hair. This causes the hair to feel greasy and weighed down, especially if it is fine hair. The sulphate in shampoo is put in to help dissolve the silicone, but that ingredient is best avoided.
  • Sulphate – you’ll see this as sodium lauryl sulphate or laureth sulphates. They are used to create that nice, frothy lather that everyone likes. However, they do more than that. These are one of the most irritating compounds anyone could put on their skin and they are very drying as well. Worse still, they are a proven carcinogen that is absorbed easily into the skin and the bloodstream. And people wonder why cancer is such an epidemic these days.

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Beauty

Golden Rules for Healthy and Beautiful Hair

December 5, 2010
Golden Rules for Healthy and Beautiful Hair

Everyone woman wants beautiful hair, but often the promises in those TV ads for shampoo and conditioner just don’t make good.  If you tend to have lots of bad hair days, here are some beauty tips for healthy hair that may improve the look and feel of it and reduce those bad hair days when you feel like tearing it out and wearing a wig instead.

  • One good rule is to stop washing your hair every day. This only encourages your scalp to produce ever more oils to prevent damage to the hair and so you feel like washing it even more.  Stop this cycle by reducing your shampoos to no more than twice a week.
  • Use only top quality shampoo and conditioners without any toxic ingredients, or make your own at home.
  • If your hair is coloured or permed, don’t wash it too often as this will dry it out.
  • If your hair seems to be getting more and more dry, changing the shampoo and conditioner often helps. This is because shampoos especially are not all created equal. Some work on a specific type of oil and others work in some other way, so change products occasionally.
  • Use leave in conditioners and other products to nourish your hair.
  • Have your hair professionally styled and cut often.

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Food

7 Tips for Budget Friendly Meals

October 21, 2010
7 Tips for Budget Friendly Meals

Just think how much you would be able to save if you didn’t have to eat. Sometimes it seems as if you are spending money on food every time you turn around. Unfortunately, there is no real alternative; if you want to live you must eat. That said, there are several ways to save money when buying food, so if you want to give your budget and lift, try some of the following tips.

  • Get organised – planning your weekly meals ahead of time will enable you to know exactly what you need, rather than buying food on impulse that could well go bad before you can use it up. Even if you don’t want to be quite that organised, just in case you planned a roast dinner for midweek and the temperatures soar to the mid forties so no one feels like eating it, let alone cooking it, you can have some alternatives in the pantry. Or you could check the temperatures ahead of time so you don’t plan a hot meal for a hot day.
  • Shop around to get the best bargains. That said, if your supermarket options are along way apart, what you spend on fuel could well negate the savings on specials. However, farmers’ markets are often a great place to shop for fresh fruit and vegetables. Go early for the freshest, especially in hot weather if it is held outside. Shopping late in the day or close to shut up shop time at supermarkets can get you some great bargains.

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Food

Old Fashioned Food Favourites Still a Hit

August 8, 2010
Old Fashioned Food Favourites Still a Hit

While not many young people make cakes or slices from a basic recipe any more, often they are so quick and simple that it’s no more trouble to cook them than it is to make up a packet cake, especially when there are only five ingredients. If you decide to throw together a homemade slice your family are sure to come back for seconds, but that’s okay; home cooking in newly renovated kitchens is much healthier than anything processed and packet cakes come under that heading.

Besides, making your own cakes is fun and satisfying, knowing you’ve created food from scratch that is much healthier than any processed food and tastes better as well. Many recipes found in magazines these days seem to be complicated and have ingredients that have to be searched for and bought especially. But when the ingredients can almost always be found in the pantry it all becomes a lot simpler. All you really need is a set of measuring scales so the quantities will be right.

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Health

2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization

May 28, 2010
2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization

Every five years the window of opportunity opens on Capitol Hill as lawmakers and their staff work together to improve, tweak and reauthorize the federal Child Nutrition Programs. During this time a bevy of questions are asked: what works well? What isn’t working? How can we address new needs? For school nutrition professionals and SNA as the voice of school nutrition, Child Nutrition Reauthorization brings with it a special responsibility to answer these questions in order to ensure quality, healthy, safe meals are provided to children every school day.

The School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program are permanently authorized. However the other child nutrition programs that affect school nutrition operators must be reauthorized every five years. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), State Administrative Expenses (SAE), the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and other smaller pieces of the complete package of child nutrition programs must be renewed because they have actual expiration dates. The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 expired on September 30, 2009 was extended until September 30, 2010.

SNA co-chairs the Child Nutrition Forum along with the Food Research and Action Center. The Forum is a diverse group of organizations that comes together every five years during child nutrition reauthorization to help create legislation that promotes access to healthy food for all children.

You will find resources, links and other information on Reauthorization below, continually updated.

Health

How a Photo Booth Can Help You Relax

May 9, 2010
How a Photo Booth Can Help You Relax

It is important when organising a wedding to not get too caught up in everything that must be done to the extent of having no time to relax. If every spare minute of the day is spent on wedding preparations, you’ll soon start to feel too tired to do anything and this is not a good or healthy state to be in. Because Photo Booths can be connected to wedding  packages it can reduce time spent on organising the details of the wedding, so giving you more time to relax, which is good for your health.

Not everyone is good at organisation, and working out all the important details of a wedding and reception can be hard work, especially if you are working at a full-time job as well. It’s important to have help so you don’t feel like you are responsible for every single thing. In fact, it’s a good idea to get your fiancée’s help in a lot of the organisation.

At the very least, he should be able to organise –

  • The wedding cars
  • The suit rentals/purchases
  • The venue
  • The DJ
  • He should also have a say in the catering

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Health

The Best Place to Meditate

June 26, 2009
The Best Place to Meditate

Meditation is a good way to relax, reduce stress levels, stay healthy restore your sanity, especially if life is treating you poorly or you have a very demanding job. In fact, it’s good to do even if you stay home all day coping with toddlers; every parent who does knows exactly how demanding that job can be. Just because it comes with copious amounts of love doesn’t mean it’s not often difficult, especially during teething when you are up half the night.

Where to do it

Everyone should give meditation a try; most will find it helps them to relax at least a little bit. Done properly it can have wider benefits. However, you do need a place to do it that is free from distractions and is comfortable. If you are uncomfortable it will intrude into your inner consciousness and prevent you from meditating properly.

If you can’t find the right place to meditate, create one! This can be as easy as placing a comfortable chair out on the deck where the fresh air and sunshine will help you feel at peace with the world. You can sit there whenever you’ve a spare moment or three and simply relax, or get into other meditation techniques.

Benefits of an outdoor haven

Another place to meditate in is an outdoor haven you create for yourself with plenty of alfresco furniture such as a chaise, chairs, tables and whatever else you feel is needed. Maybe some shade cloth or a decorative garden wall to protect you from the prevailing breeze. Having dedicated outdoor furniture will ensure the place is ready when you are and you won’t have to cart heavy chairs outside and back in.

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Health

Natural Remedies for Arthritis

June 10, 2009
Natural Remedies for Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that affects many people. It may have eventuated from your choice of career. For instance people that have worked all their lives in jobs like furniture removalists such as Brilliance Removalists Melbourne or a tough job such as carpet steam cleaners done by Brilliance Cleaning where their bodies have been subjected to heavy physical loads are particularly susceptible. One big problem with treatment is that there are many different forms of arthritis and not all respond to the same treatment. Another problem is that the drugs – whether they are prescription or over the counter – have side effects that can be sometimes worse than the disease.

Most drugs are anti-inflammatories or painkillers – or sometimes both in one. Long-term use can cause problems such as digestive problems, ulcers, stroke and more. Even if they just make you drowsy, going around in a daze is not living life to the fullest. You may not be able to drive or go out because you tend to lose your balance and are afraid of falling.  So what can you do?

There are many natural remedies for arthritis. Trying out these different remedies gives you a feeling of control over your life and your body that can even make you feel better. This is known as the placebo effect. That said, sometimes the remedies work well and it is far better to take them than the drugs that can have those awful side effects.  The remedies may be herbs, spices, essential oils or even fruit and/or vegetables. Some people change their diet and get a great deal of relief.

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Food

5 Ways to Cut Cooking Time in Half

May 15, 2009
5 Ways to Cut Cooking Time in Half

If you are a working mum and your other half doesn’t do any cooking, you might find yourself getting into the habit of buying convenience foods to cut down on your workload, especially in the hot weather when no one wants to be slaving over a hot stove. However, even though kids love junk food, it is really bad for their health and yours too, so how can you get healthy meals without spending every night cooking?

It is easy to cut your cooking time in half with a little organisation.

  • For a start, having salads means you don’t have to cook at all, unless you love to make your own potato salad from scratch. That’s okay; it’s easy to cube the potatoes and shove them in the microwave, then throw some mayonnaise over them. It hardly counts as cooking. Besides, you don’t actually have to have potato salad.
  • You can alternate a cooked meal with a salad; that’s one option. There is another one though. Cook twice as much and have the leftovers the next night. These can be either the same meal or made up into another kind of meal. For instance, if you have three cupfuls of cooked, diced vegetables left over, you can beat some eggs, add the veggies and make vegetable fritters to go with some salad. Even though you still have to cook the fritters, it is not as much effort as cooking meat and vegetables for a full meal.

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Home & Garden

More Relaxation = Robotic Pool Cleaners

April 28, 2009
More Relaxation = Robotic Pool Cleaners

Nearly everyone who has a pool knows that an automatic pool cleaner is essential if they don’t want to spend half their leisure time in cleaning the pool. Pool cleaning is a big job and takes a lot of muscle if you do it manually. Not everyone can manage it physically, and most people prefer to enjoy their leisure time rather than using it to clean the pool, especially if they don’t use it all that much.

While automated pool cleaners will do a lot of the work, you still have to do some of it. Even lifting the cleaner into the pool is sometimes very difficult. You have to hook it all up and make sure it is working properly.  A robotic cleaner takes a great deal less work. Here are the pros of having a robot to clean your pool.

  • They do an even better job of cleaning the pool than automatic cleaners do
  • They require less input and attention from you
  • They work independently of the pool’s filtration system
  • They offer value for money, saving on the cost of chemicals, water and power
  • They clean the sides, bottom and steps of the pool with no dramas
  • They clean corners

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Fitness, Food

Local School Wellness Policies and Related News

April 5, 2009
Local School Wellness Policies and Related News

One section of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that all school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program have local wellness policies by July 1, 2006. The School Nutrition Association (formerly ASFSA) has put together tools to help assist the school community in dealing with this new requirement.

Well Done! School Nutrition Professionals Put Wellness Policies to Work
This spring 2008 publication from the School Nutrition Association provides inspiration and practical ideas for all in the school community who are committed to fostering healthy eating habits in children. School nutrition professionals from districts of all sizes and all across the country share experiences relating to gaining support from principals, teachers, parents and students; establishing cafeteria-based nutrition education programs; finding products to meet new nutrition standards; developing staff wellness programs and making operational changes.

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Fitness

5 Elements of Fitness You Can Do at Home

February 2, 2009
5 Elements of Fitness You Can Do at Home

Most people have some idea that they should workout to keep fit both physically and mentally. The trouble is, life is hectic for most people, especially mothers who work outside the home and don’t get much support from their husbands. Now we are not talking about hard working people such as furniture removalists like Brilliance Removalists Perth or tradesmen, who mostly get plenty of exercise in their day to day jobs – but another reason people don’t exercise is they think it’s necessary to attend a gym and they either can’t afford it, or there is none available close where they live. However, you don’t have to go to the gym to get fit. You can easily do these 5 elements of fitness at home and be much healthier for it.

  • Always start with a warm up so there is no injury to your muscles or ligaments. An easy way to warm up is to go for a walk. If you simply can’t go outside, getting a treadmill or a stationary bike will really help. The Best Online Fitness Advice sites recommend Walking up and down the stairs is good too. 10 minutes is a good time for warming up.
  • Once you have warmed up, it’s time to do a cardiovascular workout. How? It’s easy; just walk or pedal faster, go jogging, do some aerobics with a video to guide you or skip rope, whichever sounds like the most fun. Make sure it gets your heart rate up. Try and to it for 30 minutes each time.

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Food

How to Get the Best Cake

January 17, 2009
How to Get the Best Cake

Do you spend your days wondering what cake you’ll buy next, or dreaming of the delicious morsels of cake you had last time you were at Gran’s place? It is not easy to get good cake with just the right amount of moisture – and the flavour that you could die for.

Making a cake is a skill that not many people have, but it’s not impossible, so don’t despair. It is all the fault of the education system that took basic cooking out of high schools and replaced it with the science of cooking, a much more complicated subject in which students rarely did any cooking. When they did it was some amazingly exotic food that looked wonderful and tasted disgusting.

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Beauty

Who can Have Botox Injections?

November 21, 2008
Who can Have Botox Injections

While cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections has been traditionally something that only women are interested in, the trend is certainly swinging to include people of both genders. Men are now looking to have their wrinkles removed with Botox, especially if they have a job that puts them into the public eye to any extent.

Just as you see certain males sporting hair styles that include additional colour, the younger men – and sometimes older ones – now realise that looking their best must sometimes include injections of Botox to remove the lines and wrinkles that occur with age – or sometimes with their lifestyle choices or simply their genes. Men who are on television or high up in the sporting world, singers and actors and other high profile people want to show their best face to the camera.

They don’t have to suffer looking older before their time if they get Botox treatment. But it is not only their looks that can be treated with this procedure. Men are known to sweat a lot more than women. Anyone who sweats excessively, such as drenching their shirt with sweat several times a day, can get relief from this unpleasant condition with Botox treatment.  If you have a job where you have to deal with the public such as salesman or even serving coffee, being drenched in sweat is a real turn off for other people. Having it treated means you will always look fresh and have much less BO. (more…)

Fitness, Health

Nutrition Advisory Council

May 1, 2005
Nutrition Advisory Council

18th Annual NAC Art Contest 

Are you looking for ways to encourage your NAC members’ creativity and talent? Participate in the 18th Annual NAC Art Contest. This year’s theme is “School Meals are a SMART Start to Good Health.”  

State associations are asked to promote, conduct and sponsor a state contest. Each state is to select three winners to be submitted for the national competition: one from grades K-4, one from grades 5-8 and one from grades 9-12.

Twelve national winners will be selected from the state entries, four from each category. Each of the twelve finalists will receive $75 from ASFSA.  The Grand Prize winner will receive an additional $100 from ASFSA, and the entry will be reproduced on a T-shirt.

Encourage your students to illustrate the theme in the most colorful and creative ways possible. Entries are due to states for judging by January 12, 2004. National winners will be announced in March 2004.

Fitness, Food

Right-Sized: School Meals are the Nutritious Choice on Campus

May 17, 2004
Right-Sized School Meals are the Nutritious Choice on Campus

What’s on the menu today? Caesar salad, chicken teriyaki on a bun or cheese lasagna with marinara sauce & breadstick. And sides include fresh apple slices, jicama and baby carrots with dip or apricot applesauce. These are just a few of the options customers can choose from at over 99,000 locations nationwide. Welcome to the school lunch of 2004.

Every day over 36 million school breakfasts and lunches are served to America’s school children. Provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, these are nutritious, appealing, balanced meals, provided in age-appropriate serving sizes. A network of child nutrition professionals that oversee school nutrition programs on the local level – each of them members of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) – are available as expert sources to discuss the realities of school meals and the school nutrition business.

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Food, Health

President Releases FY 2004 Budget, Agriculture Appropriations

February 4, 2003
President Releases FY 2004 Budget, Agriculture Appropriations

President Bush sent his fiscal year 2004 budget to Congress this week, asking for $2.23 trillion dollars in all. Funds for the Department of Agriculture remained close to FY2002 levels, when adjusted for inflation. Half of the Department’s budget supports federal nutrition programs including food stamps and the National School Lunch Program.

The President’s budget narrative includes analysis of the National School Lunch Program, with specific attention to the alleged over-certification of children in the Program. The narrative states,

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Health

School Foodservice Directors’ Attitudes and Perceived Challenges to Implementing Food Safety and HACCP Programs

June 2, 2002
School Foodservice Directors' Attitudes and Perceived Challenges to Implementing Food Safety and HACCP Programs

Food safety is an important part of providing school children with acceptable, safe, and nutritious meals. There is evidence that improvements are needed in the area of food safety in schools, and that few schools have implemented Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs. The purposes of this study were to determine the attitudes of school foodservice directors toward food safety and the use of HACCP programs in school foodservice and to identify the challenges to implementing food safety and HACCP programs.

A focus group was conducted to generate a list of challenges to implementing food safety and HACCP programs. As a result, a three-part written questionnaire was developed. For Part 1, school foodservice directors’ attitudes toward food safety and HACCP programs were determined. For Part 2, the challenges to implementing food safety and HACCP were investigated. For Part 3, demographic information about directors and their districts was collected. Questionnaires were mailed to a randomly selected national sample of 800 district school foodservice directors. A total of 461 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 58%.

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Food

Smith Becomes ASFSA President on Last Day of Conference

July 22, 2001

Are you looking for best practices to model your foodservice program after? Look to Polk County Schools and Marcia Smith for ideas. Do you need expert advice or comments on school foodservice and nutrition? Marcia Smith has plenty to say on the subject. Tell Marcia Smith you’ve popped a button and don’t be surprised that she has a sewing kit in her purse.

Is she Wonder Woman? Not as far as we know, but Marcia L. Smith, Ph.D., SFNS, isthe newly inaugurated President of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA).

On July 18, during the Closing General Session of ASFSA’s 55th Annual National Conference, ASFSA Past President Marilyn Hurt, SFNS, handed over the Association’s leadership to Marcia Smith, SFNS. Over the next year, Smith will lead the Association under the theme, “Caring for Communities We Serve.”

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Food

Cinco de Mayo

July 2, 2000
Cinco de Mayo

Introduction to Cinco De Mayo
Are you looking for creative ways to teach students about countries around the world? As teachers and school foodservice professionals, you can work together to make learning fun by combining food and history in the classroom. This is a sample lesson plan on how to bring Cinco De Mayo to life for your students.

Lesson Overview:
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo. Students will have the opportunity to learn about typical foods of Mexico and explore the history and origins of some authentic Mexican foods.At the end of the lesson, students can make their own healthy tortilla wraps.

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Food

Children’s Books about Nutrition

June 18, 2000
Children's Books about Nutrition

Below are some recommended children’s books on food and good nutrition. Check one out at your local library today!

The Amazing Milk Book
by Paulette Bourgeois, Catherine Ross and Susan Wallace
This book describe milk’s chemistry, nutritional value, production and use as a component of cheese and other foods. It’s enriched with anecdotes and humor.

The Beastly Feast
by Bruce Goldstone
At the great animal feast, bears bring pears and mosquitoes bring burritos.

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Fitness, Food

Musical Chairs

August 3, 1999
Musical Chairs

Once upon a time, a high school principal in the Glendale (Calif.) Unified School District approached Rick DeBurgh, director of school foodservice. He said, “I want you to buy more study hall tables.” DeBurgh explained, “I don’t buy study hall tables.”

“Well, we need more places for students to eat,” argued the principal. Then, let the students eat on fastfood-type tables that feature school colors, countered DeBurgh. “But they also have to study there,” said the principal. And in a tale that ends happily ever after, DeBurgh showed the principal how students can study happily and productively on festive fastfood tables. “There was some initial concern, but after I met with the student group, the principal said, ‘OK, go for it,’ and the results have been wildly successful,” he says.

Not every school across the country boasts a separate space for its cafeteria, study hall, auditorium, gymnasium, school dance and meeting place. In fact, in many schools, one room must serve many functions. The result is the ubiquitous multi-purpose cafeteria, and its logistics can challenge even the most creative foodservice director. But with some innovative design or redesign, school foodservice professionals can find a wealth of solutions to maintain the cafeteria’s identity. The key is to get involved in the process early-before it’s too late and the music has stopped playing.

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