The word “holiday” is essentially synonymous with food. People get together and celebrate with unlimited drinking and eating. More often than not, the food and drinks are of the less-than-healthy varieties, especially during Labor Day celebrations. 

People often refer to Labor Day as the last hurrah of summer. People bid adieu to the summer fun in the sun and prepare for cooler days. BBQs, football, shopping, potlucks, and beach parties go hand in hand with Labor Day. In fact, an average of 160 million Americans enjoy a cookout at some point during the holiday weekend.

When you come face to face with so many temptations, it’s hard to resist them or maintain discipline. Because most people fall into the trap of indulging more than they should during Labor Day weekend, we have detailed many helpful tips to stay healthy. Avoid diet pitfalls and stay on track. We believe in your willpower!

Don’t Skip Meals

For most holidays, including Labor Day weekend, the common thought is to skip meals to save room for the big feast. This is the worst approach you can have because skipping meals often leads to overeating. It’s better to have several nutritious snacks or smaller meals throughout the day before the potluck, party, or festivity. A handful of nuts, plate of fruit, fruit and vegetable smoothie, or even a small salad are excellent options to help you feel full and keep you from overindulging. 

Consider Which Parties To Attend

There are parties that have every unhealthy food under the sun, and then there are parties with a more health-conscious theme. Everyone has friends who want to lose weight or put their health first. If you receive an invite from one of those friends, consider attending that Labor Day event versus the unhealthy one that is essentially a ticket to high blood pressure and weight gain. When you spend time with like-minded people who have more of a focus on health, you will benefit. 

Grill Healthy

Hotdogs, burger patties, slabs of steak, and ribs aren’t the only things you can cook on the grill over the holiday weekend. You can shift your focus from meat to vegetables. Slice a head of cauliflower into thick steaks or grill portobello mushroom caps. Marinate veggie kabobs and then grill them for maximum flavor and a little char. There are many healthy ways to grill, so look up some recipes online and get creative with your food. 

Survey The Spread Before You Load Up

When you go to a table of food without a plan in place, you will most likely grab a little bit of everything, and then some. Don’t just wander the food table and grab anything that looks appetizing. Scan the table and take a closer look at what you can eat. Come up with a plan for what to grab and then go in. Additionally, it’s beneficial to pinpoint the foods you really want. You don’t have to eat everything just because it’s there. Make an effort to control portion sizes and try to make at least 50% of your plate consist of vegetables. 

Avoid Alcohol

Some people don’t count liquid calories, but knocking back a few alcohol beverages can quickly ramp up your caloric intake. It’s very common for people to drink alcohol at Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations. If you are trying to eat mindfully, though, it’s best to avoid alcohol. Not only does alcohol lead to excess food consumption, but it also impairs your ability to resist temptations. After a few drinks, the desserts you are trying to avoid may quickly find their way onto your plate. 

Just Say No

The power of the word “no” is very real. You don’t always have to say yes to every food item in sight. For instance, if someone wants to offer you something that you know you should avoid, you can politely decline by saying, “It looks so tasty, but I’m too full right now. Thanks for asking, though.” 

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Heat waves and record high temperatures present one primary challenge for people: how is it possible to stay cool? This proves more difficult if there is no air conditioning. To avoid rolling blackouts, some cities or counties advise people with air conditioning units to use more eco-friendly temperatures. That’s fine and great, but not everyone has functioning AC, or some people want to simply save energy and money by avoiding AC usage. 

With record high temperatures of 105-115º F, it’s very easy to feel uncomfortable all the time. Not to mention, going outside seems like an impossible task. The heat from the cement seems to warm your feet through the soles of your shoes. Opening windows may not even let in a refreshing breeze. Occasionally, in fact, it may feel more like opening an oven door, depending on where you live. 

To help people beat the summer heat without air conditioning, use the following tips and tricks. You may find that hot and sticky summer days and nights become more bearable, refreshing even. Let us know if they work for you in the comments below. 

Cold Compresses Keep You Cool

If the heat is getting to you, apply a few cold compresses or ice packs to key areas on the body. When you feel overheated, apply ice packs to the back of the neck, lower back, and wrists. Do not apply ice packs or ice directly to the skin, as it can result in ice burn. Place a thin layer of cloth between the cold and your skin, preferably an old shirt or something of that nature. It’s also beneficial to take a cold shower to cool down, especially before bed. 

Keep The Blinds Down And Curtains Shut

The darker you keep your house or apartment, the cooler it will stay when it’s hot outside. It’s wonderful and healthy to let natural light in your home, but reconsider that when it’s blazing hot outside. Heat can linger at night if you let sun rays in during the day. When it gets cooler at night, your home will cool off much more quickly than if it was light all day inside the house. 

Get Creative With Fans

Fans don’t just blow air around, and if you think that’s all they do, prepare to have your mind blown. If you have a box fan, face it out against an open window so that it pushes out hot air that’s in the house. You can also adjust ceiling fans to have the blades spin counterclockwise, which helps draw hot air in an upwards motion. Position fans in a specific way to create more of a cross-breeze in your home. Set up multiple fans around the room, with one by an open window, to create optimal airflow. 

Old School Tip: Place a tray of ice cubes in front of your fan and face it in your direction. The fan will provide a chilled breeze by picking up the cold that emanates from the ice. 

Always Have Water With You

When it’s hot outside the body sweats at a rapid rate, which puts the body at a higher risk of experiencing dehydration. The body loses not only water via sweat, but also essential electrolytes. To counteract the water loss, make sure to always replenish with cold water. Regular water intake helps to counteract dehydration and heatstroke or heat exhaustion. If you feel thirsty then you are already in a mild state of dehydration. Get ahead of dehydration by drinking water before you feel thirsty.

Avoid The Meat Sweats

During summer, it’s common to grill large amounts of meat and eat until you can no longer move. Instead of heavy, meat-centric dinners, opt for smaller dinners that are easier to digest. When you ingest a lot of meat, it takes a toll on the body, making it work harder to break down the food. Swap out a large steak for a plate of whole grains, vegetables and legumes. Additionally, don’t eat two to three hours before you go to bed because eating late can make you feel hot or sweaty when trying to go to sleep. 

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Summer is a wonderful season, but the heat can be oppressive. Depending on where you live, you may feel blazing dry heat or humid, sticky heat. Neither one is optimal and both require you to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration. There’s no reason to suffer from heat stroke when you can easily keep the body hydrated with the tips in this article. 

Water is necessary for many biochemical reactions in the body. It works to aid with waste removal, maintain proper circulation, regulate body temperature, and deliver nutrients throughout the body. Without water, the body quickly becomes dehydrated. Dehydration can show itself in many ways, for example, thirst, bad breath, muscle cramps, or general fatigue. It’s also possible to experience headaches, constipation, or dizziness. 

When it’s hot outside, getting enough water is more important than ever. The body easily dehydrates in intense eat, and it can be easy to forget about water if you participate in fun, summer activities. Don’t end up in a hospital hooked up to an IV to replenish the body. You can easily avoid that if you use the following tips to stay hydrated during hot weather. 

Always Have Extra Water If You’re Outside

If you are outside in the heat, you can dehydrate quickly. It’s also easy to lose electrolytes via sweat, specifically sodium and potassium, so you have to replenish the body with water and electrolytes. To avoid low blood sodium and dehydration, bring a large water bottle and hydrate throughout your entire time outside. Additionally, consider buying all natural coconut water for electrolyte replenishment. 

Cool Down

Drinking water isn’t always enough to properly hydrate the body. People tend to neglect the fact that regulating body temperature is integral for proper hydration. The risk of heat stroke is much higher during summer, so do your best to keep the body cool. Wear loose-fitting clothing, avoid strenuous activity, and wear lighter colors when it’s hot outside. Protect your body by staying in the shade when possible, or cool off in a body of water. Lastly, keep a spray bottle of cold water on hand to mist yourself if need be. 

Hydrate Before A Hike

Hiking is a classic summer activity, but it’s easy to overheat and get dehydrated if the sun is blazing. Drink up before you hit the trail and get a head start on your hydration efforts. You can even bring a snack that helps to hydrate the body. Watermelon, cucumbers, and celery are great hydrating produce items. Additionally, carry a backpack with a bladder full of water, like a Camelbak. Not only will your back be cool, but you’ll have a hose to hydration on you at all times. 

Start Drinking Early

Water, we are talking about water. Drinking alcohol is a surefire way to dehydrate the body in no time. The body is naturally dehydrated when you wake up, so start your day with at least 16 ounces of water before you eat anything. Mornings are often the coolest parts of the day, so get ahead of dehydration. Additionally, consider doing strenuous activity in the mornings or evenings because you won’t sweat as much and you’ll stay more hydrated. 

Drink Water When You Sweat

Whether you play a pick-up game of basketball or head out on a hike, it’s your obligation to your health to drink water every time you sweat. The humidity, how much you sweat, and how long you exercise all contribute to dehydration. A great recommendation is to drink about 20 ounces of water two to three hours before exercise. Drink eight ounces of water 20-30 minutes before you exercise, and drink about 7-10 ounces of water every 20 minutes during exercise. Within 30 minutes of finishing your workout, drink eight ounces of water.

Eat Foods With High Water Content

About 20% of your daily water intake comes from food, so it’s wise to consume a variety fruits and vegetables for optimal water intake. Most fruits and vegetables contain some water, but some have more than others. Cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, watermelon, strawberries, broccoli, spinach, and grapefruit are great water-rich produce items. All of them contain 90% water or higher, so eat up!

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Healthy eating can lower your blood pressure. Keep watching to learn how to manage it with a heart-healthy diet.

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Before the New Year begins, people do their best to get their ducks in a row to achieve resolutions. The easy part is saying that you will do whatever your resolution is. Once the first couple weeks of the New Year pass, motivation begins to dwindle. Exercising every day turns into exercising a couple times per week. Reading every night gets replaced by your favorite TV shows before bed. Eventually, you abandon the resolution altogether, leaving you heavy with the feeling of failure. 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of self-loathing when you don’t achieve your goals. If your plan to save money or lose weight doesn’t work out, your self-esteem can take a big hit. Failure is an inevitable part of life and nobody is perfect, so there’s no reason to beat yourself up for abandoning resolutions. More often than not, the people who embrace failure often generate more motivation to succeed. 

Why Do New Year’s Resolutions Fail?

Do you want the complete, honest truth? Let us first tell you that resolutions are problematic, primarily because they aspirational. This means that people think that setting these goals will change who they are, but the authentic self can never be silenced. So how do you maintain commitment to your resolutions when they are the farthest things from what you know to be true? Resolutions are often so grandiose that they are not easy to commit to, causing self-doubt and eventual failure. That’s why it’s better to set intentions and break resolutions up into smaller, more manageable goals. 

If you recently gave up on your New Year’s resolution and feel down in the dumps, the following tips will help you get back on the horse. It’s never too late to bounce back and focus on strategy and success!

Reframe Your Failure

It’s easy to look at your failure through a negative lens, but failing at a resolution is not a poor reflection of your character. It’s best to analyze failure so that you can learn from it, improve, and ultimately try again. Through failure, you can see where you thrive and where your weaknesses are. Plus, you build up resilience when you emerge from the ashes of your failure to try again. 

Acknowledge Your Strengths And Weaknesses

When you fail at anything, the hardest thing to do is to see where you succeeded. You failed at achieving your goal, so you naturally point out weaknesses, but it’s constructive to analyze your strengths as well. In fact, when you examine both your weaknesses and your strengths, you can correct yourself for the future and invite change into your life. 

Keep Time On Your Side

The wheels can easily come off the resolution wagon, and one of the most common causes is poor time management. If getting fit is your goal, you have to plan out daily workouts and make them work with your schedule. Rather than stressing out beyond control, you abandon your workouts to focus on making breakfast for the kids, working on freelance projects, or whatever else demands your attention. Time management, in and of itself, is a great resolution to have, but you don’t have to wait for the New Year to practice time management. When you figure out how to make space for your resolution, you’ll have greater success. 

Applaud Your Efforts

You may not think that you deserve a pat on the back, but you did put some effort into your resolution. That’s worth something! Don’t deny yourself a little self-appreciation. Your efforts have merit and are worth celebrating. If you want to succeed with future resolutions, you have to be able to encourage yourself, even if you don’t hit your goals all the time. 

Set Yourself Up For Success

When you don’t see a resolution through, it’s easy to see that your goals may have been out of reach from the start. That shouldn’t stop you from trying again, though. When you come back for round two, be sure to evaluate your past processes to implement change for your future goals. Plan your route, so to speak, and expect a couple twists and turns along the way. The reality is that the road to accomplishing your goals is not smooth and flat. Realistic expectations will allow you to invest more time and effort into your journey. Be aware of the setbacks, acknowledge them when they arise, and keep moving forward. 

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Be careful this season and implement fire safety throughout the season. Keep tree lights off while you’re out, and be sure to check the batteries in your smoke detector!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:31 You’re twice as likely to die in a house fire over the Christmas holidays as you are the rest of the year?
1:33 How many people get hurt every year putting their Christmas lights up?
2:51 Which day of the year are you most likely to have a heart attack?
4:11 Outro

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There’s always an uptick in illness during the holiday season. This is due to several factors, including an increase in virus activity and more frequent social interactions. Learn more travel tips and tricks on today’s episode of Street Smart!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:31 You’re twice as likely to catch a cold on a holiday plane flight as your are in normal life?
1:45 If you’re wearing your seatbelt, how much less likely are you to die in a car accident?
2:19 Which of these is good to avoid if you don’t want to get sick while flying?
3:37 Outro

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Did you know you can get healthier in the cold? Studies show that exercise is has more health benefits when it’s chilly outside. Stay tuned for this and more winter health facts!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:29 You get more health benefits working out when it’s cold than when it’s warm?
1:17 What’s the most popular winter sport worldwide?
2:14 What’s the most common winter sport injury?
3:18 Outro

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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some factors, including genetics, can make you more prone to heart disease. No matter your situation, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart-related issues. You can control most risk factors, or at least modify them, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Cardiologists explain that lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your overall heart health. In fact, lifestyle choices play a larger role than genetics do. The AHA estimates that 80% of cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke and heart disease, can be prevented. Other heart experts and researchers agree that most heart disease cases are preventable. If you take care of your heart in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you may not have to see a cardiologist for most of your life. What can you do to keep your heart healthy? Continue reading to learn about some helpful tips. 

Look At Your Diet

What you put in your body can dictate your overall health, especially your heart health. There are various diets that place emphasis on consuming healthy fats, fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from fresh ingredients. The AHA often recommends the DASH diet to help control heart health, but you may prefer the Mediterranean diet instead. Your main goal, no matter which diet you choose or don’t choose, is to consume lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Olive oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts are great sources of healthy fats! Limit your sugar intake and cut back on red meat, opting for wild caught fish when you can. Lastly, try to avoid processed foods because they don’t do anything for your heart. 

Minimize Stress

Everyone experiences stress, which can be tough on the heart. Stress can also lead to overeating and inactivity, two things that can increase blood pressure and cholesterol. It is tough to avoid stress, but there are things you can do to manage it. Consider taking five to 10 minutes out of every day to meditate, do yoga, stretch, or breathe deeply and you may notice a huge difference. A relaxing bath a couple times a week may also help you unload your stress. 

Aim For A Good Night’s Sleep

While certain people can function great with varying amounts of sleep, the last thing you want to do is neglect sleep. Sleep experts recommend that adults get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Dipping below six hours on a regular basis may hurt your heart, according to a few studies. In fact, poor sleep habits have been linked to high blood pressure and a harder time losing weight. Sleep is the body’s way of recharging the heart because heart rate goes down during sleep. You are not under a lot of stress while sleeping, so get some sleep to improve your heart and overall health.

Keep Your Blood Pressure In Check

Annual physicals are intended to inform you of your health. Your healthcare provider can check for heart disease symptoms and help you stay on top of your blood pressure. Knowing your blood pressure is crucial because there are no specific indicators of high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is out of control, your risk of heart disease is much higher. Should you find out that your blood pressure is high, there are steps you can take to naturally lower your blood pressure before you resort to medication. 

Exercise Most Days Of The Week

The AHA encourages everyone to get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise weekly. If that number is not feasible, try to work out harder for shorter amounts of time, for example, high-intensity interval workouts. The AHA also states that 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or a combination of vigorous and moderate workouts is also acceptable. Physical activity is the fountain of youth, people! Try your best to squeeze in a workout, even if that means some push-ups at home, a neighborhood walk or jog, 20 minutes on the exercise bike, or yoga class here and there. Elevate your heart rate!

Assess Your Weight

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of heart disease. A 2021 report found that obesity directly contributes to heart disease risk factors, including type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Obesity can also lead to the development of heart disease and death from heart disease. Although body mass index (BMI) often indicates obesity, it is not always the best measure. BMI is simply an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes. If you are overweight or obese with heart problems, consider losing weight to promote better overall health. Exercise daily and make dietary changes (detailed earlier in this article). Consider a nutritional consultation to find the best plan for you.

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Too much sugar can worsen your vision. It impacts your vision by resulting in high blood sugar levels which damage the tiny blood vessels of the retina at the back of the eye. If this damage remains untreated, it can lead to vision loss and blindness. You should be checked for diabetic retinopathy immediately if you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Treating diabetic vision loss can repair damage to the eye and even prevent blindness in most people if caught early. Treatment includes laser therapy, surgery, and injections.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:41 Sugar can damage your eyes.
1:55 Diabetic people are at increased risk of cataracts.
3:38 If diabetes cuts off your vision, it’s actually because blood is filling the inside of your eye.
5:28 There’s no treatment for diabetic vision loss.
7:00 Outro

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