Tag Archives: health

Winter Wisdom – Keeping Your Family Healthy Through The Colder Season

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The colder months are upon us once more. And that means your family will be under greater threat of various minor health issues that could potentially ruin your winter fun. With the right plan of action, though, you can successfully keep those problems at bay.

Here are 10 simple ways to ensure that you stay on top of those seasonal problems.

#1. Insulate The Home

Cold temperatures are the most likely source of minor winter illnesses, which is why staying warm should be a priority. However, spending hours in a stuffy room with the heater on can leave you feeling less than 100% too. As such, improved insulation should be the goal.

Doors and windows will be the main source of lost heat, which is why visiting Windowsusa is a great place to start. You must not forget to install draft excluders and focus on the roof tiles and attic insulation, though. Failure to tick every box can leave the family at risk of picking up chills.

It’s important to get your HVAC working in style too, but they’ll count for very little if the insulation properties aren’t under control first. Make this your first step towards a healthy winter.

#2. Eat Well

Every parent appreciates the importance of good nutrition. This is even more crucial during the winter months as it can be the perfect way to boost the immune system, fight off colds, and flush toxins from the body. Start with a strong level of fluid intake, and you won’t go far wrong.

This is the perfect time to add warm soups and similarly comforting meals to your diet. It’s also an excellent time to think about high antioxidant recipes that can actively aid your health. Find a handful of meals that are loved by adults and kids alike. You will not regret it.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying candies, chocolates, and other delightful treats too. Just be sure to build a healthy foundation of wholesome meals first to strike a sense of balance.

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#3. Stay Active

The winter weather makes it very tempting to wrap up on the sofa and binge watch festive films. While this is an ideal family activity for a day, you cannot keep doing it again and again. It’s imperative that you stay physically active. Otherwise, it will affect your health in a negative way.

Young kids can be taken to play centers while family walks and bike rides can be very fun as long as it’s not raining cats and dogs. If leaving the home isn’t an option due to the weather, try an exercise DVD or an interactive video game. It doesn’t matter how you squeeze exercise in, just do it.

Given that you’ll be eating a lot of candies and naughty treats over this period, there’s an even greater need to burn off the calories. The physical and mental rewards can be huge.

#4. Sleep Well

A good night’s sleep can have a huge impact on your general well-being at any time of the year. Still, the need for rest and recuperation is even greater in the winter months. It could be a key factor as your family tries to keep winter sicknesses down to a minimum.

Investing in a new mattress may not be on the cards. Thankfully, you can enjoy an equally positive transformation by upgrading the pillow, duvet, and bed sheets. Decluttering the bedroom can aid the cause too, not least because it reduces the threat of dust particles from causing an issue.

You may not like this one, but breaking the habit of using your smartphone in bed is perhaps the greatest upgrade of all. Try it for a week, and you’ll be amazed by the results.

#5. React To Illness

Prevention is the best form of protection, but you won’t be able to stop all bouts of flu. As long as you respond in a fast and efficient manner, it should be possible to minimize the impacts and stop the symptoms from getting any worse. Therefore, preparation is vital.

Over the counter painkillers and medications can work wonders for headaches. Meanwhile, experts at Pastendurance can help you overcome stuffy nose symptoms. A lot of rest and regular hydration should work wonders too. If possible, getting a little fresh air is another top solution.

The kids may require child-friendly medications, which is why seeing a doctor is advised. Or failing that, connecting to online GPS via the internet can help you gain the necessary support.

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#6. Keep The Home Clean

Whether a member of the household has been ill or not, a clean home is pivotal throughout winter. Viruses spread on surfaces very quickly, and this will be infinitely more likely if you do not keep them clean. Antibacterial wipes are an essential weapon against germs. Do not forget it.

Even shaking hands can see germs spread, so your family needs to be in the habit of washing their hands after blowing their noses. Furthermore, used tissues need to be disposed of right away. Leaving them on tables can see the harmful bacteria spread into the air.   

While keeping the rooms warm is a priority, good air circulation is also required. Ensure that ceiling fans are working well before the coldest weather arrives.

#7. Quit Smoking

If you’re a smoker, there’s a good chance that quitting cigarettes would be your New Year’s Resolution. Why not take charge of the situation today by making the decision today. It’ll have a huge impact on your health while preventing secondhand smoke from harming your family.

Quitting isn’t easy, but the level of support is greater than ever before. Aside from patches and support groups, you could look at vaping as a way to transition into a smoke-free lifestyle. Or you could look at other consumables that provide nicotine without the smoke.

In truth, making this lifestyle upgrade will actively enhance many of the other issues and finances. Besides, it’ll avoid the need to stand out in the wet and cold smoking area at work.

#8. Manage Your Finances

Money worries are the most common source of stress, and it can have a damning impact on your mental health. When taking the festive season costs into account, along with the increased utility bills, staying on top of this aspect is crucial.

This is the perfect time to make simple upgrades. From adjusting your home entertainment package to finding a new energy supplier, those tricks will work wonders. Moreover, setting up an organized payment plan for any gifts that are bought on credit will help you maintain control.

Keeping on top of those finances should help you avoid stress, and this can prevent your body from feeling run down too. While it’s vital throughout the year, now is the time to take charge.

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#9. Wear The Right Clothing

While you will spend more time at home during winter than in the summer, going outside is still vital. Nevertheless, you must take extra precautions by ensuring that the family are wrapped up in coats, hats, and scarves. Failure to do this could invite chills and illnesses.

Perhaps most importantly, you need the right footwear. Walking in the snow with the wrong choice will lead to wet feet. Davesnewyork winter boots are a great option for Dads, but you also need to find suitable options for the wife and kids.

Apart from keeping out the cold, you must also consider the potential hazards caused by the ice. Slipping over could result in an unwanted trip to the E.R.

#10. Be Committed

Finally, you must remember that the above tips can’t be followed and unfollowed on a whim. Keep them in mind at all times, and the rewards will be huge.

Making Your Family Home Environmentally Friendly

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Nowadays, kids are being educated on all sorts of matters that may affect them directly during their lives. Environmental damage and pollution may be one of the subjects that they are taught at school. Why? Well, human activity is the number one cause of environmental problems right now, and things that we do on a day to day basis are making the world an increasingly problematic place for our species to survive. It’s therefore up to us to change this and kids are likely to be the leading generation to implement real change! So, if your little one comes home all hyped up about becoming an eco warrior and saving the planet, encourage them! Work hand in hand with them to make real change in your family home and create a greener living space for everyone. Here are just a few steps that you can take to make your family home as environmentally friendly as possible.

Say Goodbye to Plastic

Sure, it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to be able to completely eliminate plastic from your family home. There are certain items and products that you will have to use that come wrapped in plastic whether you like it or not. Examples include bottle caps and pill trays for medication. However, you can significantly reduce the amount of purposefully disposable and non-necessary plastic from your family’s lifestyle. Buy fruit whole rather than pre-cut and wrapped in plastic containers. Use bamboo toothbrushes rather than plastic ones. When it comes down to it, all plastic is bad for the planet and its use should be seriously minimized.

Insulate Your Home

If your home automatically lets heat and energy escape, you’re going to have to burn fossil fuels constantly to keep it warm and functional. So, make sure your property is as well insulated as possible. Make sure that windows are double glazed and coated in Residential Solar Films. Make sure that your roof and loft have insulating materials in the cavities. Use draft excluders between rooms. Small steps can make a massive difference!

Compost

Families tend to use more ingredients in their meals, as there are more mouths to feed. But the more food there is in a home, the more waste there is likely to be too. Try composting natural waste. You can invest in a compost bin where you can dispose of potato peels, vegetable cuttings, tea bags, and other forms of food waste. This can then be used as a great natural fertilizer.

These are just three different steps that you might want to implement into your family’s home and routine. Sure, they may seem like small changes. But they would make a massive difference if every kid’s family tried them out. So, get the ball rolling in the right direction and give them a go!

Health & Finance Tips For Families

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Of all the areas of your family’s budget, few are quite so as important as your budget for healthcare. With medical expenses one of the leading causes of bankruptcy, the needs to protect your family’s financial future and ensure their good health and well-being are inextricably entwined.

Below, we have put together three simple, straightforward tips that all families can implement in an effort to keep control of both their health and, subsequently, their medical expenses too.

#1 – Find the right insurance coverage

It is estimated that just over 12% of Americans do not have health insurance, which is an extremely worrying statistic given how severe the costs of essential treatment can be. However, while anyone reading this is almost certainly aware they need insurance, it’s important to note that bad coverage is not particularly useful in and of itself.

In a busy world with a thousand and one different demands on your time, it’s often tempting to buy the first policy you can afford and consider the matter settled. However, it’s worth setting aside some time to research in depth, checking to see if your children are eligible to enroll in CHIP, and reading through every page of the terms and conditions of any policy you are considering buying. Consumers Advocate .org has online reviews of providers and coverage’s that are an excellent resource. This extra level of research should mean that you can find a genuinely useful policy, and also helps to ensure maximum value for money from any premiums you pay.

#2 – Focus on “prevention” over “cure”

Even with the right insurance, medical bills can be expensive, so it can be hugely helpful to focus on proactively preventing illnesses. Here are a few ideas to help achieve this:

    • Cut down on your alcohol consumption
    • Improve your diet, perhaps by considering scientifically-backed options such as a Mediterranean diet
    • Avoid added sugars and processed foods
    • Use sunscreen, even on cloudy days
    • Keep your vaccinations up to date
    • Exercise at least three times per week; recent research has shown that strength training is particularly beneficial for overall well-being
    • Wash your hands after touching public surfaces, such as door handles
    • Use lumbar support to ensure proper posture when sitting at a keyboard
  • Try to get between six and seven hours of sleep per night

#3 – Explore natural remedies for mild conditions

Some conditions, such as the common cold, ‘flu, coughs, and throat infections frequently do not require medical treatment or antibiotics. It’s therefore useful to have an idea of natural remedies that can ease the symptoms of these illnesses while you wait for your immune system to do the rest. For example, rather than spending $10 on cough syrup or far more on a doctor’s visit, you could use honey and lemon; tests have shown that this combination is just as effective as cough syrup, and it’s cheaper too.

However, there are a few caveats to this point: if your symptoms last for over three weeks, or you are taking prescribed medications, seek further advice. For children, natural remedies should be checked with a doctor prior to use or avoided altogether.

In conclusion

By focusing on a mixture of sound financial management, combined with a focus on developing and sustaining good health habits, you should be able to ensure that these two so linked – and so important – areas of your family’s life are always protected.