5 Healthy Treats to Give Out This Halloween

Many parents would prefer opting for healthier alternatives for their children this Halloween season. Below is a list of healthy and fun treats to give to those trick-or-treaters on Halloween night that are bound to satisfy their sweet tooth.

  1. Try swapping out gummy worm packets with applesauce packs. Give those trick-or-treaters a quick and on-the-go treat to gulp down while they are on their way to the next house.
  2. Next, swap those Pixy Stix out for cheese sticks. Loaded with 20 percent of your daily recommended calcium intake and loads of cheese to string, this is a healthy go-to option for every trick-or-treater.
  3. Avoid giving out Swedish Fish and instead opt for organic fruit snacks. Swedish Fish are loaded with 23 grams of sugar, which is bound to give your little one cavities.
  4. Say no to candy bars this season and say yes to granola bars. Candy bars can be loaded with lots of sugars and fats that can lead to weight gain. Try choosing granola bars as an alternative.
  5. Skip the candy corn this Halloween season and instead give out pumpkin seeds. Candy corn contains artificial ingredients and sugars. Instead, try giving out pumpkin seeds this year and putting them into little decorative candy bags with other treats.

Keeping Your Dog Healthy

From nutrition to exercise, you’d be surprised to know that dogs require very similar maintenance to humans in order to stay healthy. Looking to get a dog, or just want to make sure your buddy is being taken care? Here are some good tips for ensuring Fido’s health:

  1. Find the proper food. Your pet’s diet is so important. Even if you cannot afford the most expensive dog food on the market, try to check out the ingredients on the bag or do some research online before you buy. Processed foods are not good for anyone, even animals!
  2. Regular check-ups. It’s good to get your dog adjusted to their vet early in life, because they should be spending a good amount of time there! From keeping up-to-date on shots to flea medicine, make sure you’re seeing the pet doctor as often as you should be.
  3. Keep them active. Doing this, in turn, will also keep you active. Soit’s a win-win! Take your pup on walks around the neighborhood, or even throw the ball to them in the backyard if they like to play. This is especially important for high-energy breeds.
  4. Did you know dogs need vitamins and minerals too? Salmon oil does wonders for their fur and skin quality. You can also give them probiotics and antioxidants to help fight off sickness and stomach issues!

Being a responsible pet owner is important, and I hope you can use some of these tips to keep your dog happy and healthy for life!

Health Benefits of Sunglasses

For some people, eye health is not at the top of their priority list. Many possible ways you could damage your eyes are not always apparent! However, wearing sunglasses can provide many benefits you may not realize.

  1. Preventing eye conditions: UV rays are not only dangerous for your skin. UVA/UVB light can cause major issues, or even diseases, with your eyes. From cataracts to macular degeneration, throw on some shades to reduce the risk of any problems.
  2. Physical protection: Sunglasses are actually a great way to protect the outside of your eyes. From the sand at the beach to even dust in the air at home, outside elements can cause severe damage to the surface of your eyes.
  3. Decreasing risk of skin cancer: You read that right. Over 10% of all skin cancer diagnoses occur on the eyelid.

To fully enjoy the benefits of sunglasses, it’s important to purchase the right ones. For one, make sure the frames properly cover your face and eye area. You should also look for lenses that that block out 99-100% UV radiation. Keep your eyes safe this summer!

Tips for Staying Energized and Focused at Work

Let’s be honest, some days at work are just worse than others. Maybe you didn’t sleep well, or that caffeine headache just won’t go away no matter how many cups of coffee you’ve had. Here are some great tips for staying focused at work:

  1. Eat strategically—Eating a balance of carbohydrates and proteins; leafy greens for vitamin B and vitamin K, which improve focus and brain function
  2. Walk around—Walk to the furthest bathroom in the office, or just take a lap down the hall. Moving around is never bad for you!
  3. Balance your projects—Once you start to feel the burnout on one assignment, save your progress and switch to a new one.
  4. Take a call outside—Even if it’s cloudy, being outside gives you a vitamin D boost and stimulates your brain. It’s always nice to have a change of scenery!
  5. Control your coffee intake—Surprisingly, there are better/worse times to consume caffeine. Drinking smaller doses throughout the day is much more effective than chugging a venti first thing in the morning.

Essential Oils for Your Daily Needs

Essential oils are the trendy way to do aromatherapy. From applying externally on pressure points to steaming them throughout a room, these tiny bottles of oil can provide so many benefits. With so many options available, it can be hard to determine which oil is for you.

Looking for a scent to tackle a specific problem? Here are some of my favorite remedies:

Chamomile—Just like the tea, this essential oil is great for relieving anxiety and stress.

Lavender—Another soothing sent, lavender is commonly used to rid of headaches!

Rosemary—Feeling distracted at work? Rosemary is known for increasing memory and improving focus.

Peppermint—Perfect for the mid-afternoon slump, use this scent boosts energy and mood.

Tea tree—One of the most versatile oils, pick up some tea tree if you need to soothe skin inflammation and irritation.

I hope these suggestions can help you incorporate essential oils into your daily life!

Avoid the Flu: Tips for Staying Healthy

 

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It seems like every time I turn on the news lately, someone is reporting on the particularly aggressive flu season in our midst. If you’re like me, you probably can’t afford to get sick as a dog and miss days of work. Here are some tips for staying flu-free:

Sanitize your environment. Whether you are on a plane or at your desk, be sure to clean off anything you will be touching with antibacterial wipes. Remember: your technological devices are breeding grounds for bacteria.

Sanitize your hands. Because it is difficult to avoid physical contact and touching germy surfaces at all times, be sure that you always have hand sanitizer at the ready.

Keep your distance. When working in an office environment, spending time with friends, or walking down the street, you are at risk of getting sick from someone around you. For this reason, keep hand shaking and drink sharing to a minimum.

Treat your body well. When you are sleep deprived, worn out, or generally unhealthy, you are at greater risk of catching something. Be sure that during this flu season you get exercise, eat well, and plenty of sleep to ward off illness.

Hope you all stay well in this sickly season!

How to Tell if You’re Dehydrated

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Staying hydrated is a basic but essential part of a healthy, functioning body. When we’re hungry, the body is usually not shy about reminding us to eat (sometimes with loud, grumbling noises that flare up during the quietest moment of a meeting). But the body is much more subtle when it comes to letting us know we’re short on fluids.

Dehydration can cause fatigue and affect cognitive abilities, which can lead to serious problems. In order to prevent this, look out for these signs that you should reach for a water bottle:

You feel dizzy when you stand up too fast. Blood pressure drops when you’re dehydrated, which can leave you feeling dizzy and give you a rush of lightheadedness when you get up too quickly.

Your lips and hands are cracking. Dehydration often makes its way to your skin, which can result in cracks forming on your lips and knuckles. This can be itchy and painful.

You have headaches. While a headache can signify a hundred different things, one of the most common causes of headaches is dehydration. When the brain is dehydrated it can actually shrink, just like a sponge due to lost fluid.

Your limbs are cramping. Dehydration is responsible for cramps, because it alters your body’s balance of electrolytes, which are responsible for keeping your muscles functional.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the right amount of water per day is 11.5 cups for women and 15.5 cups for men. Of course, this fluctuates with body type and health levels, but in general it’s a good baseline to shoot for.

 

Three Dairy-Free Ice Creams

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Lactose intolerance means your body has a hard time digesting and breaking down lactose, a natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products. It can sure seem like a social injustice for a number of reasons, not the least of which includes hindering one’s ability to eat ice cream! As a child, I remember being flabbergasted and barely able to believe that some of my friends had to stay away from the sweet, unrivaled treat that is ice cream.

Then I discovered an entire grocery freezer shelf stocked with alternate options, some that are even tastier than their counterparts! Not all is lost, after all, for those who cannot tolerate lactose. Here are three delicious ice cream brands for those looking to avoid dairy:

NadaMoo: NadaMoo’s ice cream is made with a coconut cream base, which gives it a delectable airy, whipped texture. Unlike other coconut-based ice creams, NadaMoo’s pints don’t contain an overly-present coconut flavor. I suggest the Rocky Road.

Ben and Jerry’s: The classic ice cream duo recently came out with a line of non-dairy pints, and it makes me love those two even more. These creations are made with almond milk and come in seven different flavors. You can’t go wrong with their big seller: Cherry Garcia!

Talenti: Talenti’s Peanut Butter Fudge pint is a knockout. Unlike the other dairy-free options on the market, this one is made not with soy, cashew, coconut or almond–but with real peanut butter! It’s like digging your spoon into a big tub of frozen peanut butter and dairy-free fudge swirl. You can’t go wrong.

 

Pros and Cons of a Standing Desk

 

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It seems like every week there is another doctor proclaiming the deadly dangers of too much sitting. “Too much time spent sitting can lead to an early death!” they say. Here’s how it affects your health: when slumped in a chair, your body’s calorie-burning slows to a third of the rate it is while walking. Metabolism drops. Your risk of developing diabetes and becoming obese grows.

Are you considering a standing workplace station yet? To help with that decision, here are some pros and cons to standing desks:

THE PROS:

Calories. You burn more calories. Standing burns anywhere from 20-100% (depending on the study) more calories than sitting.

Less lower back pain. If your standing desk is set up ergonomically correct, it’s likely that it will improve lower back pain.

More energy. While this might sound counterintuitive, it’s actually a rebound effect of standing. If you spend an extra bit of energy standing, your body rebounds, giving you a bit more energy.

THE CONS:

Foot pain. If you go from sitting eight hours a day to standing eight hours a day, you will definitely feel it in your feet. To pull off a standing desk, you’ll need very comfortable shoes.

Decreased concentration. While this varies on the person, studies show that workers requiring lots of analytical concentration have better luck sitting down.

Coworkers. If you are at the only standing desk in the office, your coworkers may not be excited about a person looming over them. In a workplace, it’s always important to be considerate of those around you.

 

Tips for Healthy Tailgating

If you are like many Americans and revel in the time-honored customs of football season, you’re familiar with the food that often accompanies tailgating. You also know that game day snacks are typically heavy, cheesy, fill-up-your-belly-until-it-might-burst foods. While it’s true that bottomless plates of nachos provide the important energy required for shouting at blind referees, the truth is that there are plenty of healthy (and tasty!) alternatives to greasy tailgating foods. Here are my tips for healthier tailgating:

B.Y.O.S.: Bring Your Own Snacks! The best way to steer clear of the beckoning buffalo chicken wings is to bring your own lighter alternative. Some tasty ideas include veggies with hummus, lightly salted popcorn, or buffalo cauliflower bites with ranch dressing.

HYDRATE: Keep drinking water throughout the day. Oftentimes people confuse thirst with hunger and needlessly fill up their plates for another round. Additionally, it’s all too easy to reach for another alcoholic beverage–but just make sure you’re getting enough plain old H20 as well.

GET MOVING: Toss the football, play some cornhole, run around with the little ones, play fetch with the dog or take a walk with your friends. Tailgating is about watching the game, but it’s also about socializing with friends and enjoying the fall weather!

With just a little planning, you can be a healthy person and still an awesome tailgater.