Category Archives: Health

Going Green, Health, Lifestyle

How to Reduce Eco Footprint at Home

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If you’ve decided you want to live more sustainably and reduce your eco-footprint, there are lots of ways to start, and most will actually end up saving you money. Reducing your eco-footprint means using energy and water more efficiently and only when you really need it.

We’ve become accustomed to having food, energy, and water at our disposal and so we often think of these things as being disposable. But, in reality, these things are not available to everyone and the impact of overconsumption is being felt around the world.

So we’ve laid out some simple steps you can take to reduce your eco-footprint in your home and create a green environment for the long term.

Use Energy More Efficiently

There are lots of easy ways to use energy more efficiently in your home. Some of them you’ve likely heard about. For instance, be aware of when your lights are on and, if you can, set them on a timer to match the sunrise and sunset. Not only will this help you live greener, but it will also help your circadian rhythm match your environment.

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One of the lesser-known ways to improve your energy usage in your home is to clean your dryer filter. A dirty dryer filter will mean you’re not making the most of your energy. If you happen to have an air filter, the same issue can happen, so take the time every once in a while to clean your air filters.

Depending on your state, there are also some lucrative financing options for energy efficient and renewable energy add-ons. For example, the PACE program California helps residents in the state fund sustainability improvements for their homes. Alternatively, you can hire a general contractor in Texas to help you make professional sustainability upgrades to your home.

You can also invest in energy-saving light bulbs to streamline your energy usage at nighttime. Most people say that light-emitting diodes are the most efficient type of lighting because they use less energy and actually last longer than traditional light bulbs. Take it one step further by using solar when possible. For instance, solar powered flagpole lighting is a great option to illuminate outside of your home and it costs nothing to operate.

Use Water More Effectively

Water usage is one of the main problems we face in terms of creating a more sustainable planet. Big industries like the meat industry require massive amounts of water to maintain their production rates. If you’re willing to make a change in your diet, you might consider cutting down on meat consumption since it means saving on water and not supporting the emission of gas from cows that contributes to global warming.

If you’re not ready to make a change in your eating habits, another way to ensure you use water in an efficient way is to install some type of water filter. There are a number of different kinds of filters, but the key is that you get drinking water without having to buy plastics. Plastics are a plague on our planet and the market is driven by the processing of fossil fuels, which is one more reason to think about some type of filter.

If you live in a location that gets a lot of rain, you might think about implementing some type of rain catcher for the tub so that you always have another green way of trapping water for your watering needs. If you don’t get rain where you live but want a similar tip, just drop a bucket in the shower and collect some water for yourself that way.

Don’t Waste Food

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We waste a ton of food in the modern world, which creates problems for the environment. It takes a lot of energy and water to produce our food at a mass scale and, once we’ve wasted it, it usually ends up in a landfill where the waste creates a gas that some say is more harmful to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide.

Make sure you only shop for what you need, use eco-friendly containers, or try an Oregon food delivery service that delivers ready-made meals to local residents. That way, you don’t have to worry about wasting food someone else could have enjoyed or the environmental impact of your diet.

You don’t have to break the bank or completely change your lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. Following these simple tips can help you transition to a greener lifestyle.

Going Healthy, Health, Life

4 Benefits of Hearing Aids

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If you are experiencing hearing loss, it can be a confusing and worrying time. The reality is that as we get older, life events and situations can impact your hearing and cause some levels of hearing loss. This is entirely normal and to be expected. However, there are many other factors aside from age that can contribute to hearing loss. But you do not have to live with reduced levels of hearing as this can drastically impact your quality of life.

Instead, if you are experiencing hearing loss, you should consider the benefits of hearing aids. There is a long history of the hearing aid, and it has gone through many reincarnations to make it to the modern style devices in use today. 

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The benefits of hearing aids

Improved Independence

People who have progressive hearing loss find it challenging to maintain their independence. When you can’t hear very well, things like driving can be pretty risky. This means that you will be dependent on others to get you where you need to go. Aside from this, some people report feeling anxious when they are in a busy environment because they cannot hear clearly. As a result, even routine things such as grocery shopping can be pretty unpleasant for them. With hearing aids, you will be able to do things on your own once more, and your confidence will increase as a result.

Improved Career Options

Hearing loss is frequently associated with decreased performance at work. If you are unable to hear instructions clearly, you are more likely to make mistakes. If your performance is significantly affected, you may be considered unfit to work for a while. It is highly challenging for persons with hearing loss to perform any profession requiring them to speak on the phone consistently. According to research, those who are hard of hearing are considerably more likely than the general population to have a loss in their income due to their condition. However, if you wear hearing aids, you can cut your income loss by as much as 90 percent.

Improved Relationships

Maintaining positive relationships might be challenging when you have hearing loss. Inability to communicate effectively between you and your partner may result in unnecessary disputes, and it is more difficult to communicate well when you have a hearing impairment. Listening to and following talks in social circumstances can be challenging if you have hearing loss, especially in a noisy environment. As a result, people may avoid social events, and their relationships with friends may suffer due to this. Individuals who isolate themselves may be at greater risk of developing mental health concerns such as depression.

Improved Health

Worrying about your hearing and living with hearing loss, you cannot recover without aids can affect your health. The added stress and strains this can cause lead to poor health and exacerbate existing health conditions. Getting your hearing checked and using hearing aids can help you to improve your health both physically and mentally.

Going Healthy, Health, Parenting

Are You Making These Common Mistakes With Your Children’s Diets?

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Over the past few years, healthy eating has become a buzzword for all of the right reasons. We now understand far better how what we eat impacts everything from cognitive function through to our hearing health. It’s hardly surprising, then, that as a parent, you’re keen to inject these benefits into the food you serve to your children.

Unfortunately, with kids requiring very different nutritional intake, it’s all too easy to get healthy eating wrong here. This can be a problem considering that not getting the right nutrients in childhood has been proven to significantly impact later life, affecting cognitive development and increasing the risks of escalating issues like obesity, diabetes, and even heart disease. Furthermore, studies have revealed that children who don’t eat right are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with hearing loss during pediatric hearing tests. Of course, each of these is a worst-case scenario, most likely caused by ongoing poor diets throughout childhood. However, to keep these issues truly at bay, it’s also essential to avoid the following mistakes.

# 1 – The limitation mindset

As adults, changing our diets often means limiting certain foods, keeping portions smaller, and generally making an effort not to indulge. For kids, however, the limitation of any foods can prove detrimental, increasing their desire for the sugary, fatty foods they aren’t allowed, and also generally preventing the sometimes extensive nutrition that they need to grow. Of course, no one’s saying that you should pile their plates high with endless chips, but healthy meals where they can eat as much as they want, finished with an occasional treat to satisfy their curiosity in that area, are far more likely to result in the growth, and balanced eating outlook, on which healthy diets rest.

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# 2 – Cutting out the carbs

Adult diets like Atkins and Keto encourage us to cut out carbs, but studies reveal that healthy childhood functioning relies on at least one carbohydrate per meal. What’s more, the fact that children under two can struggle to digest whole grain fibers means that those carbs should be things like the white bread and pasta we’ve been taught to avoid. This is because the higher glucose content in these foods plays a key role in healthy brain development, helping children to stay alert, curious, and receptive to learning all day long.

# 3 – Opting for low-fat dairy

As adults we’re often taught to fear fats in place of low-fat yogurts, semi-skimmed milk, and even reduced-fat cheeses, but these same foods can leave childhood diets severely lacking. That’s because full-fat dairy, particularly blue milk, is vital for childhood development, especially between the ages of one and two, as it ensures the fat stores and full vitamins that children need for the healthy development of bones, and growth in general.

Childhood diets can be confusing to get right when they’re often the opposite of what we consider ‘healthy’ eating for ourselves, but make sure that you research to give your kids the best possible shot at a healthier life moving forward.