Lose The Cruise On Slick Roads!

The American Automobile Association recommends turning off your cruise control when it’s raining or snowing. Tapping the brakes will usually disengage the cruise control. Roads covered with snow or ice are dangerous. And when driving on rain soaked roads at high speeds (60 mph or above) hydroplaning can occur, where there can be total separation of the tire from the pavement. On wet and snowy roads, the AAA recommends: 1. Slow down and turn off your cruise control. 2. Avoid hard brakes and sharp turns. 3. Stay in the tracks of the car in front of you and increase your distance behind the car.

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.

Get Back On Track

One of the best ways to stay fit is to have at least one athletic hobby: walking, swimming, bowling, tennis, golf, skiing, bicycling or even dancing. If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll stick with it. Second, a workout partner can make the time go by more quickly, and you can have fun at the same time. Whether it’s a family member, friend or co-worker, a workout partner will encourage you on the days you may want to slide. Third, hire a trainer if you have trouble maintaining an exercise program. A trainer can guide you through a program that works for you. Remember to vary your workouts. This prevents overworking certain muscle groups, and it will keep you motivated.

Sweet Drinks Add too Many Calories

How many soft drinks or other sugar-added drink do you consume a day? One, two, five, or more? There’s an alarming trend occurring in the American diet—soft drinks and other sugar-added drinks are becoming the main source of calories. According to researchers at Tufts University, the average American consumes enough sweet drinks each day that add up to more calories than any other food source. In the study, researchers collected data to study the relationship between obesity and certain foods. What they found was shocking! Two-thirds of the people sampled reported that they consumed enough sweet drinks to provide them with more daily calories than any other food source. Want to lose weight? Limit your sweet drinks.

Success in Life

Albert Schweitzer once wrote, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Here are seven steps you can take today to achieve more happiness and success in your life: 1. Believe In Yourself. Identify your natural talents and abilities. Do what you enjoy and what you do best. Truly successful and happy people find joy in their working lives. Invest your time in what you do best. Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. 2. Develop a Vision. First, define your path and start working your plan. Write down a vision for yourself and your life. Be specific. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want your life to look like in 5 years, 10 years? 3. Develop Good Habits. Happy and successful people choose good habits. If you’re watching too much TV, chronically late, or eating poorly, make a commitment to change your bad habits into habits consistent with your goals. 4. Show Gratitude. The happiest people are also the most grateful people. Count your blessings frequently and you’ll quickly start seeing a change in yourself and the world around you. 5. Take A Chance. Seize opportunities! Success and happiness does not come to those who sit and wait for it to be brought to them. 6. Give to Others. Studies reveal that the happiest people are also the most generous. Do, say, or give something nice to another and see how your own life improves. 7. Take Responsibility. You hold the key to your future. Take responsibility for your actions. Choose the work you like to do, and do it well. Ultimately, you are the master of your fate. You choose your own future by the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Just Relax

Even though modern life has countless benefits (most people these days aren’t churning their own butter, for instance), those benefits come with countless additional stressors. Everyone feels pressed for time, and self-care often takes a back seat. Next time you need a break from the everyday grind, here are some relaxing activities to try that don’t involve eating or drinking anything. • Meditating: Simply resting quietly for a few minutes while concentrating on your breathing helps relax the body and mind. • Reading: Put down all the electronics and get lost in a good book. • Working on a Puzzle: If you have the space, keep an in-progress puzzle available at all times for when you want even just 10 or 15 minutes of relaxation in the middle of a hectic day. • Organizing: Many people find cleaning and organizing their spaces extremely relaxing, both the process and the result. • Doing an Art Project: Grab a coloring book and a set of colored pens or pencils. Take a sketchbook on your next walk. Learn origami. Play your favorite instrument. • Playing a Game: Shuffle a deck of cards for a game or two of solitaire. Pick up the newspaper’s crossword puzzle. Or, if you have friends or family around, get everyone involved in a fun board game.

Walk for a Longer Life

According the U.S. Centers for Disease Control the most beneficial exercise we can do on a regular basis is…walking! All you need is a good pair of shoes and few hours a week to do a simple aerobic conditioning activity that really works. The benefits are substantial – walking helps your heart, lungs, circulatory system, and controls body weight. The positive impact of walking is similar to that of running or jogging without stressful wear and tear on your joints, knees, and shins. If you don’t follow any other exercise program, just simple outdoor walking could add many healthy years to your life.  A Brisk Walk Is Best. You should be able to carry on a conversation and have your breathing slightly elevated.  It’s Easy—Just Walk 20 Minutes A Day. Start slowly, and then build up to longer, faster paced walks. Stretch your muscles (especially the calves and hamstring muscles) before and after you walk. For the best benefit, make a commitment to walk everyday. A recent study in Germany found that walking just two hours a week can cut your risk of heart disease in half!  Walking Relieves Stress And Invigorates Your Mind And Body. Walking will make your heart stronger, improve your lung capacity, and the efficiency of your breathing. Walking circulates more oxygen through your body and is very effective in lowering your blood pressure. A regular walking routine can be your best preventative medicine – greatly lowering your risk of stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and even depression.  People Who Walk Live Longer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted an 11-year study of 2,896 adults in their late 50’s who had been diagnosed with diabetes. Researchers found those subjects who walked just two hours a week had a 39 percent lower death rate from all causes! They speculate that if every healthy person in the United States walked briskly just 30 minutes a day, the incidence of many chronic diseases would go down 30 to 40 percent. So grab your shoes and get walking…your body will be glad you did!