Health · Lifestyle

Get Your Health On The Right Track

As they say, there’s no time like the present. Your health should be the most important thing in your life. But sadly, it is often left to last. We put bad lifestyle choices, as well as diet, before the thought of our health. The implications of this as we age are so big. I’m sure we can often admit that it is the fact of not knowing what exactly what is needed to get our health back on track. It goes so far off track, that getting back to the right place just isn’t even in sight. Well, we’re here to show you it isn’t. All it takes is a few minor changes and you can be as healthy as ever. One by one, we’re going to tackle the issues you might have, and get you feeling the best you ever have. Read on to find out more.

Health, Lifestyle, Healthy Living, Ageing, Cholesterol, Exercise

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Things That Can Be Prevented

There are many things that we can prevent that often goes wrong with our health. In fact, so many things that we could go on forever. But we’ll start with the main ones that can cause you hassles. Your eating habits are something that can have massive implications for your health. Eat well, and you’ll hardly have any issues. But we’re living in an era where the easy foods to make, the processed and the ones high in fats and salts, are the ones we’re filling our diets with. Which is understandable.

We work all day, potentially have families to look after, and there just isn’t enough time in the day to cook healthy foods… is there? Well, no, that’s not the case. Yes, a microwavable meal might be easier and quicker to do, but a few of them a week and you’ll be piling on the pounds, and your cholesterol will be going through the roof. Eating a diet that is dominated by fatty foods causes issues such as high cholesterol.

High cholesterol leaves deposits on the arteries within your heart. The more they’re clogged up, less blood is flowing to your heart. Eventually, it will lead to heart attacks or heart disease. To get your diet on the right track, you need to start experimenting with the healthy foods available to you. Fill your diet with lean meats, or tofu replacements etc. if you’re vegan. Plenty of vegetables and fruit and fewer carbs will leave you feeling amazing. You really won’t realise how much a bad diet will affect you as a whole. Not only the physical symptoms, but the grogginess and general feeling of being sluggish will be gone. You’ll have so much more energy, your weight will drop, and you’ll feel so healthy.  

Lifestyle Changes

A bad diet can be part of a bad lifestyle choice, but we all know we’re guilty of a few outside of the diet. One we know a lot of you won’t do is exercise. Exercise is so vital to a well functioning body. It helps to promote healthy bone growth. Increase muscle density, and improve the function of your cardiovascular system. Fitting exercise in around work and family, especially if you’re going to the gym, is just not an option for a lot of people. But how about just a nice 30-minute walk after work to wind down. It isn’t strenuous, and walking in some people’s eyes is actually better for you than running. It puts less stress on the joints, and tones up the muscles more.

A brisk walk opens up the airways, promotes weight loss, and relieves stress. Being out in the open with your own thoughts often clears the mind more than you would realise. Other lifestyle changes we recommend you do is cut down on alcohol consumption. Even if you don’t think you drink a lot, the odd binge each month has more of an effect on your body than if you were having a casual drink each weekend. Over time, it reduces liver function, damages your skin, and increases the risks of stroke. For a lot of people, it is also the reason for weight gain.

Aging Issues

Some things to do with our health we just can’t help. Many things happen to our bodies as we age, whether you like it or not. One of the most obvious is the physical signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles. But they aren’t really going to affect your health, perhaps only your mental health. But things such as hearing and sight loss are something that just can’t be stopped. Once your sight stops deteriorating, you’re best off getting some done about it sooner rather than later. Despite maybe not liking the idea of glasses, the help your eyes so much.

The more your eyes are straining, the quicker they’re going to deteriorate. The retina is one of the main reasons for this, as they can degenerate over time. Your eyes are susceptible to other degenerative diseases, more of which can be seen on this website. Ears are the only other issues we come across. But a lot of people are worried about hearing loss, and the thought of having to wear a hearing aid. Unlike your eyes, your ears won’t get worse through straining. But it will become annoying for you, and the people around you, if you’re struggling to hear anything. All you need to do is visit an audiologist to put you on the right path.

Mental Wellbeing

Your health is often affected by your mental health, and vice-versa. The more clear your mind is, the more focused you will be on your actual health. One of the main issues that affect our mental wellbeing is stress. There are so many things in life that can cause stress, and it is hard to avoid them. Walking, as we’ve said, can reduce your stress levels. But we simply recommend talking to a friend and working through whatever is stressing you out. It could be money, overworking etc. Find solutions to your problem, and soon everything with your health will fall into place.

Poetry/Poems · Social Issues · The Daily Post

Pots of Unrest…

insects, log, poetry, social critic, politics, immigration

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I am always puzzled
at how some folks
delight in stirring pots of unrest
in the lives of others,
yet, they want to go home
and expect to have peace in their lives. 

In my place, we say that
he who brings in an insect-infested log
has invited lizards for a feast.

The Western world
has benefitted immensely,
from destabilising and destroying Nations.
For Centuries they did and still do this,
but they complain about a handful of immigrants
fleeing the unrest caused by them.

©

Jacqueline

Inspiration - Motivation

In A Nutshell…

in a nutshell

Stop putting yourself down. Yes, you must remind yourself often that you are as good as you think you are.

Inspire, Motivate

Poetry/Poems

Stifle…

Imagination, Creativity, Poems

you cut my tongue

 took it to the morgue

 to stifle my words;

you chopped my fingers

 burnt them to cinders

to bridle my vigour;

yet my thoughts

cease to staunch

from fluttering out

©

Jacqueline

Excerpt from my work-in-progress poetry book 3 – Check out Unbridled

Poetry/Poems

Sharpshooter

Loaded Tongue

 

From his trigger loaded sharpshooting tongue
he shot dirty, vicious bullets
leaving behind a trail of anger, tears and snot.

©

Jacqueline

Family · Poetry/Poems

This Circle of Life…Personal

 

Tears leak from my eyes

as I watch your broken heart bleed

from the news that we all dread to receive

that a beloved one has passed on

 

I have no words enough to offer

that will mend the deep ache that you suffer

but I know that with time its sharpness will dull

with time you will smile again through the tears

 

In this circle of life, we dance in

never knowing whose turn to return it might be

but memories we gather of each other

to remind us when one is no longer there

 

My dearest Father-in-law just passed on, my husband aches.

I’m sharply reminded that our time apportioned to sojourn here is short. We must not tarry in seeking our purpose, finding peace, making beautiful memories and in living a life that would leave wonderful, indelible marks in the hearts of those who we love.

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. Thomas Campbell

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Challenges · Haiku · Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Songs of Praise – Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Challenge

Peace, Haiku

Sing joyful songs of praise
even when you don’t feel like it,
it will bring you peace.

©

Jacqueline

Ronovan writes weekly haiku challenge – Sing & Peace

Blogging

The Factors That Should Not Be Allowed To Hold Your Blog Back

There are many, many many different bloggers out there trying to stake their claim in the endless and ever-expanding frontier that is the digital landscape. As of last year, there were around 350 million blogs on Tumblr alone. In such an oversaturated marketplace it takes a real pioneering spirit to plant your flag in the dirt and let everyone hear your voice. Broadly speaking, bloggers fall into 3 distinct categories. The first category is made up of hobbyists who use their blog as a whetstone to hone their writing skills, document their day to day lives and/or use their blog as a vehicle to keep far away friends abreast at what’s going on with them. The second group are the semi-pros. They’re committed to growing their blog and while they hope to someday use it as their main source of income… they’re not quite there yet. The third are the professionals. They have a sizeable following, they’ve monetized their blog and use it as their primary source of income.

Blogging, Personal Space, Laptop

Image by Pexels

Transitioning from the first category to the second is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is commit to creating regular content and put the effort in to grow your audience. Making it into the realms of the professionals, however, is a tricky business and there are many impediments that will try to block your path. Don’t let these repeat offenders stop you from living your dream…

Lack of investment

Few bloggers realize just how much they need to invest to be able to turn pro, which might necessitate a change in net working capital. Your battered old laptop and your basic WordPress site are unlikely to launch you into the stratosphere. A good laptop will be important to ensure that you’re able to manage several processes at once without slowing you down. Creating your own high-resolution images will allow you to stand out from the crowd so a good quality camera is also a good idea. You’ll also need to invest in your own domain name and a web hosting package with enough space to store your content.  

Apathy

All bloggers start their journey with boundless enthusiasm, churning out content with gusto. If the content doesn’t find its audience, however, it’s easy for that enthusiasm to erode and turn into apathy and self-doubt. Before long they’re barely posting content anymore because… Why bother? If this sounds achingly familiar you may need to give yourself a shake to stay motivated.

Fear

There’s no greater enemy to creativity than fear. Fear that we’ll never be as good as our peers. Fear that nobody will care to read our content. Fear that we’ll receive nasty comments. Fear that we’ll be shunned by the community of bloggers and fear that we’ll be laughed out of the internet. While fear can be potent in stifling your creative spark it must not be allowed to extinguish it. Post regularly, share on social media regularly and maintain good relations with your fellow bloggers and the interest will come!

Lack of focus

With so much content out there, people like to go to particular blogs to read about very particular things. Therefore the more you know your niche the better. If you’re a parenting blog, choose a specialism in the realm of parenting like nutrition or education. If you love to write about movies, specialize in a genre like science fiction or horror. The more focused your niche, the better chance you have of reaching your target audience.

Life

In A Nutshell…

in a nutshell...

Life is too hard to D.I.Y. Cultivate a circle of friends no matter how few.

Friends For Life, Circle of Influence, Circle of Friends

Finance · Lifestyle

Good Debt Vs. Bad Debt

Moneywise, Financial Matters, Good Debt Bad Debt, Money sense, Raining money
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When it comes to debt, most of us would probably like to be completely free of it altogether, but for most of us that simply isn’t practical – not all the time anyway – and actually, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ debts to have. For example, if you’re using debt to acquire something that is truly essential to your life, or to do something that will actually enrich you in the end, then it cannot be said to be bad now, can it? The key is to be able to make the distinction between good and bad.

To help you differentiate between debts that are okay and those that should most probably be avoided, here are some examples of good and bad debts:

GOOD DEBTS

Student Loans

There can be few things better than borrowing money to advance your education so that you can earn more money over the course of your life, Sure, there are probably some people who regret their student loans, but for the vast majority, they are a debt worth taking on.

Loans for Medical Bills

Although it’s much better to spend your money on medical insurance, if that isn’t possible, or your insurance doesn’t cover the kind of treatment you need, it is obviously sensible to take out one of the best low-interest personal loans to pay for your treatment. After all, there is nothing more important than your own life, and no debt worse than a death!

Mortgages

Taking out a home loan can be pretty daunting, but by buying your own property, instead of effectively throwing your money away on rent, you are investing in your future, and many home loans are actually cheaper per month than rent, so you’re saving money too. It’s a no-brainer.

BAD DEBT

Credit Card Debt

You might not think so since their use is so ubiquitous in our society, but credit card debt is almost always a bad choice. Why? Because credit card interest rates are much higher than the average personal loan rates, which means that your spending can spiral out of control pretty quickly.

Non-Essential Debt

Whether it’s loans, credit cards or store credit, any time that you use credit to buy the non-essentials in life such as expensive clothes, gadgets that you could easily do without and a lifestyle that is really beyond your means, it is a bad decision that will leave you much poorer in the long-term.

Money Borrowed from Your 401k

It is possible to borrow money from your 401k, but most of the time, when you do this, it represents a bad debt because you will be hit with lots of early withdrawal penalties if you don’t pay it back on a timely manner. The only circumstances when it might make sense is if you have a medical bill to pay or you want to invest in a property that you can live in.

The Bottom Line

Financial matters in the modern world can be difficult to deal with and many of us will need to borrow money, but as long as we know the difference between bad debts and good ones, this need not be a worry if we can stay on track.