Skip Bottled Water

You’ve likely heard that bottled water has major environmental consequences, but how bad is the problem? Here are a few facts from thewaterproject.org that illustrate the severity of the situation: • Approximately 80% of single-use water bottles in the U.S. become “litter,” and one bottle takes more than 1,000 years to bio-degrade. • U.S. landfills have two million tons of discarded water bottles in them. • It takes three liters of water to package one liter of bottled water. In response to the bottled water problem, some cities and businesses have banned it, but what can you do? • Skip the single-use water bottle, and invest in a reusable water bottle. If you forget it, buy multiples to keep in vehicles, the office, and your gym bag. • Drink tap water. Several studies have been done to show municipal tap water is usually just as safe as bottled water. • Refrigerate water. Cooling tap water helps remove the chlorine taste many people feel is in tap water. • Boil water if you are concerned water might be contaminated.

Spice Up Your Brain

By “spicing up” your life, you can be helping your brain. Recent studies have shown that spicy food can preserve brain function and help prevent disease. Add these five tasty spices to your diet to reap the benefits: Turmeric. Called the “ultimate health spice,” turmeric contains curcumin and is an ingredient in curry. Studies have shown that it may help prevent Alzheimer’s and lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Sprinkle it on your broccoli or mix a spoonful in a warm glass of water and drink it down. Ginger. This spice may make you smarter if combined with ginkgo biloba. It also may help treat Parkinson’s disease and migraine headaches. Try drinking it as a hot tea. Garlic. You already love this one, but did you know it increases blood flow to the brain? In a 2007 study, garlic helped fight brain cancer cells. Saffron. A saffron extract has been found to be effective in treating people with depression. Cinnamon. Eating it helps with blood sugar control, but just smelling it boosts brain activity. It also speeds the way your brain processes visual cues. Chew some cinnamon gum before your next bike ride.

Improve Your Vision With Berries!

The Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has discovered that the humble blueberry and its European cousin, the bilberry are a uniquely rich source of the powerful antioxidant, anthocyanin. Anthocyanin gives grapes, blackberries, and blueberries their deep blue-violet coloring. Bilberry extract has been used in Europe and Japan as a natural vision-enhancer for years. Beta-carotene combined with 400 mgs. of bilberry have been shown to significantly improve the ability to see in dim light, especially at night. Bilberry extract appears to strengthen the tiny blood vessels behind the eye and prevent macular degeneration. There is strong research-backed evidence that anthocyanin may protect the brain cells from the wear and tear of extended life. They shield the neurotransmitters from age-related changes in the brain. The antioxidants in blueberries could help preserve our memory, as we get older. The Nutrition Research Center suggests eating fresh blueberries for the maximum benefit, or substitute a good bilberry extract from the health food store.

Find More Free Time

Where does the time go? Even if you work a normal schedule and get a full night’s sleep, you still have about 50 free hours during the week – but most people say they still can’t find free time for hobbies and passions. Take these steps to find more time for YOU this fall: 1. Map your current time use. First track how you use your time. Keep a log for a week or two to get a good representation of how you spend your time now. Try the app Chronos for Android and iPhone for an easy-to-use and comprehensive time log. 2. Create a list of things you really want to do. Try to come up with a list of 50-75 things. Make some of them easy one-day things (visit a museum) that you can quickly accomplish and others things you tend to put off (practicing guitar). 3. Cut out unnecessary time-wasters and replace with something from your list. Cut out the time spent watching TV, surfing the internet, or attending too many functions. Start a new schedule and prioritize things that make you happy instead of time-wasters.

10 Ways To Live Well

We all want to feel better, look better, and live as if we are a finely tuned instrument, or well-maintained vehicle. Here are some tips I’ll share to get you started on the road to feeling, looking, and living better and increasing your chances for enjoying life. Your age is just a number fight, fight, fight!! 1. Smile. Researchers at Harvard found that people with positive attitudes are more likely to have fewer heart ailments. 2. Take Monday Off. Researchers in New York found that missing a few days of work lowers your risk for stroke by 30 percent…not to mention most heart attacks occur on Monday morning! 3. Eat Oatmeal Cookies. University of Connecticut researchers found that eating oat-bran cookies daily can lower your LDL cholesterol by 20 percent. 4. Go To Bed Early. People who are fatigued have high levels of fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein that reduces blood flow to your heart and brain. 5. Wash Your Hands. German scientists found people with high levels of antibodies from fighting infections also had more clogging of their arteries. 6. Read A Good Book. Need I say more? 7. Meditate 30 Minutes A Day. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University found meditation may reduce depression and anxiety by up to 25 percent. 8. Drink Cranberry Juice. People who drink 8 ounces of cranberry juice a day increase their HDL cholesterol levels by 10 percent…reducing heart risk by 40 percent, according a New Jersey study. 9. Bike Your Blues Away. Biking was found to be as effective at relieving depression as antidepressants reported Duke University researchers. 10. Join A Group. People who have a circle of friends handle stress better and have less heart disease, according to University of Chicago researchers.

Home Security – Worth It?

Having a secure home means you can sleep soundly at night knowing you and your loved ones are completely safe. You can either put the system together yourself or hire a professional to do it. Consider these pros and cons in deciding if installing your own home security is right for you. Pros:  Cost. If you pay for professional installation, expect to pay up to several thousand dollars for services, including arming sensors and motion detectors, and prepping monitoring systems. Tip: If you choose professional installation, ask about available promotions to reduce costs.  Install the system you want. You can choose from more customizable systems and services that might result in lower month-to-month monitoring costs.  Ownership. Usually DIY equipment is owned by the person who buys it – you! And, if you move houses, you’re free to take it with you.  Step-by-step assistance. DIY systems usually have prompts, so you can properly follow the installation sequence. Sometimes companies with DIY installation kits also offer on-the-go help by phone. Cons:  Time and effort. You can install at your leisure, but you’ll have to put in the time to make sure it’s done properly. This may include time on the phone trouble-shooting any problems.  Lack of expertise. A professional technician ensures your system is fully and properly installed and can walk you through how to operate it – something you don’t get if you DIY.  Fewer warranties. If you install your own equipment, you may not qualify for warranties because no one can guarantee whether it was done correctly. Additionally, you may invalidate warranties on windows, doors, and other parts of the home when installing the system.  Repair costs. Professional installation often comes with repairs for free or at a reduced cost. With a DIY system, you’re on your own.

Skin Cancer Alert

Melanoma can be a deadly form of skin cancer, but it can be successfully treated if caught early. The key is to check the moles on your skin regularly. Make sure you have someone else regularly check your back and the backside of your legs. Here’s what you should look for: • An asymmetric shape, where one half of the mole does not match the other. • An irregular border where edges are ragged, notched, or blurred. • The presence of a number of different colors, including shades of tan, brown and black, red and gray-blue. • A large mole or one that increases in size is of special concern. If you have a mole that has any of the above characteristics, see your doctor as soon as possible to have the mole evaluated. Don’t wait to make an appointment...it could save your life!

Wonderland Trail

The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile hiking trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier. The trail goes over many ridges of Mount Rainier for a cumulative 22,000 feet of elevation gain. The trail was built in 1915 and is now designated as a National Recreation Trail. The average time it takes to complete the entire trip is 10-14 days. You will travel from lowland forests to subalpine meadows to the faces of 25 named glaciers. The hiking season is late summer to early fall because of the elevation and hikers always need to be prepared for wind and even a snow storm! Go Hike and Enjoy!!

Summer Road Trip

The summer of 2021 is the right time to hit the road and make memories that will last a lifetime. On May 23rd 1903 a former bicycle racer and mechanic, a dog, and a retired doctor looking to collect on a $50 bet embarked on the first cross-country road trip. Previous automobile trips had ended in failure as roads were still extremely primitive. There were no road signs or gas stations, auto repair shops, or phone booths; you were basically on your own. Leaving San Francisco it took 63 days to get to New York City. The Cannonball Run record is 27 hours and 25 minutes. Dwight D. Eisenhower signed The Federal Highway Act of 1956 authorized $25 billion for construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways. It was by far the largest public works project in American history! We now have nearly 49,000 miles of interstates. Hop on the longest interstate highway in the United States in downtown Seattle and in 3,020 miles you will reach the end of I-90 in Boston MA. The United States of America has 62 National Parks that are operated by the National Park Service. President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act of Congress creating Yellowstone as the first National park in 1872. Yellowstone was the first National Park in the world! We now have more than 52 million acres protected for future generations. We have 26 National Parks within a two day drive. If you take your week vacation you could easily pickoff 2 or 3 parks and you will have memories for a lifetime. One of my all-time favorite trips was to Yellowstone coming in from Cody and leaving thru Grand Teton to Jackson. I hope I inspired you to get out on the open road and celebrate our countries lasting love affair with the automobile. Stay safe!

Effective Emails

While you may know proper email etiquette, follow these tips to make sure your business emails aren’t deleted.  Use a concise, compelling subject line. “More information” and “new program” only ask the recipient to say “about what?” Better to say “Action Items On Project XYZ.” Say “urgent” if necessary.  Don’t use long lists of email addresses if the subject only pertains to some of them. Type the relevant addresses into the address line ("To" line) and use the BCC line for the others.  Keep your message to the point. Say why you’re writing within the first two lines and try to limit yourself to one topic. Using bullet points helps you organize your thoughts. Re-read or print your email out (if you have time) before you send it.  Be careful with humor and irony. Emails aren’t good at conveying emotions, and humor, inside jokes or over-used phrases don’t really build a dynamic business relationship. Avoid phrases like “can I pick your brain” (what are you offering in return?); or “please advise” (better to say “can we discuss this further?”).  Respect confidentiality. Should everyone read this?  As a recipient, do not “reply all” unless everyone needs to know. You know this but people still do it, sometimes accidentally.  Respond promptly. Don’t leave people hanging. Include your signature and phone number for follow-up.

Donate Old Clothes

Is it time for a wardrobe facelift? Before hauling your old clothes away to the same secondhand store or tossing them in the trash, consider these options. Blue jeans: Old blue jeans donated through bluejeansgogreen.org will be turned into insulation in communities that need it most. Shoes: Both soles4souls.org and oneworldrunning.com accept gently worn shoes to donate to people in need around the world. Wedding and formal dresses: Most people only wear formal clothing a few times, so if your wedding dress or formal gowns are still in great condition, pass them on! Soon-to-be-military brides are on the receiving end at bridesacrossamerica.com, and Project G.L.A.M. (wgirls.org) provides teenage girls with prom dresses. Eyeglasses: If you’ve updated your prescription lately, donate old frames and lenses to new-eyes.org, where they’ll be passed on to someone who can’t afford new eyeglasses.

Financial Traps to Avoid

• Not being prepared for emergencies. Plan ahead. Stash some cash so you’ll be able to have a least a three-month emergency fund. • Living off credit cards and making minimum payments. Once you go down this road, you may never catch up. • Using loan leftovers. If you happen to have some leftover loan money, don’t spend it – use it to pay back what you’ve borrowed. • Rushing to build credit. While you want to have good credit, you don’t want to do it by opening multiple credit cards accounts. Chances are you’ll lose track of billing and end up in heavy debt.