National Wellness Month: 7 Tips for a Healthier Life

This month of August is the best time to focus on managing stress and promoting self-care and healthy routines. You know why? Because it is National Wellness Month! Studies have shown how self-care helps reduce stress and promote happiness. And putting efforts into making a change in your lifestyle can significantly affect your health in positive ways. If you want to take the first step to living a healthier life, read the tips below.

Drink a glass of water in the morning

One of the very first things you should do when you wake up in the morning is to drink a glass of room temperature water. This will help cleanse your system and flush out toxins before you even eat any food. Also try adding a twist to your regular water by putting a slice of lemon or lime for a citrusy taste.

Get enough sleep

The importance of sleep cannot be emphasized any more. Regardless of your age, it’s imperative that you get an adequate amount of sleep every night. A lack of sleep is detrimental to your health in several different ways. Not only will it cause damage to your heart, it can also make you feel constantly tired, irritable and can reduce your attention span.

Eat healthy snacks

In between meals snacks don’t always have to be junk foods. You can snack the right way by switching to healthier alternatives. Instead of consuming too many sweet and starchy foods like candies, potato chips, and cookies, you may want to have nuts, berries and fruits. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and are good for your health.

Exercise often

We are all aware of the benefits of working out and exercise. However, these are some things we usually take for granted. Exercising doesn’t always mean going to the gym and spending an hour or so sweating out. It can be as simple as taking a daily walk to or from work. Instead of taking the elevators, use the stairs as often as possible. Or  take your dog for a long walk during weekends. The important thing is that you take time to do some physical activity every chance you get. Having an active lifestyle can improve your heart health and overall well-being.

Connect with people

People who don’t have friends are said to have higher likelihood of sickness and early death. Their stress and depression can make them physically ill. This is the reason why experts highly recommend that we make time to connect and nurture healthy relationships with the people around us. Spend more time with your family, friends and loved ones. No matter how busy you are, make it a point to get in touch with someone close to your heart. Catch up with your friends during your free time. Visit your parents on the weekends. Doing these things can significantly impact your health, even in the later years.

Try new activities

Finding a new hobby can help reduce stress. If you haven’t done anything fun and exciting for a while, it’s time to look for a new activity that you can enjoy with your friends or family. Think about going hiking, playing a new sport or trying out a new adventure. This will help you unwind and even give you opportunities to meet other people who share the same interest. But if you want to try out some activities alone, that’s perfectly fine, too. For as long as it pumps your adrenaline and makes you happy, you can never go wrong with it!

Ditch the unhealthy habits

If you have some habits that you know are detrimental to your health, stop them now before it’s too late. This includes smoking and excessive drinking. Smoking reduces a person’s lifespan by several years. It can affect your lungs as well as your skin. It is one of the major causes of death in the world. If you want to live longer, ditch the unhealthy habits and always choose life!

There is no better time to live a healthy lifestyle than now. Start making these small changes and you’ll be amazed at how they can improve your life in general.

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5 Basic Rototiller Fixes that will Save you Time and Money

Rototillers are small garden tools used to cultivate the soil in the garden. They are a gas-powered machine that turns difficult soil manageable for planting. They loosen up the soil before planting. Having basic knowledge on how to troubleshoot and fix your rototiller engine will come in handy if ever the machine will break.

There are a few quick fixes you can do to get your broken rototiller up and running. Here are 5 basic fixes to get your rototiller back to tilling:

Problem #1: Rototiller will not start

This is a common problem with rototillers especially when they have not been used for months. The problem might be that the fuel has gone stale or the carburetor is clogged.

Quick Fix: Check the carburetor for blockages by spraying a little amount of carb cleaner to the intake. Then attempt to start the rototiller engine. If it runs for a while and then sputters, then the problem with it is the fuel. You can buy a carburetor cleaner and rebuild kit that are suited for your rototiller model. Rebuilding and cleaning it may take some of your time, but it will be fixed.

Problem #2: Rototiller starts but then sputters out

The sputtering might be because the fuel cap is clogged. This prevents the air in entering its gas tank.

Quick Fix: Loosen up the gas cap and then start the rototiller again. If it stays running, clean it or replace the gas cap. Sometimes the problem might also be because the carburetor is clogged.

Problem #3: Rototiller runs but does not move

If your rototiller is belt-driven, check if the belt for any wears and if tension is in the proper position. Make sure, also, that the idler pulley works. And that also puts enough pressure onto the belt.

Quick Fix: If the belt is really worn or already stretched beyond repair, it is likely to be slipping. The quick fix to this problem is to have the belt replaced and then tension should be adjusted.

Problem #4: The rototiller wheels turn yet the tines aren’t

Most of the rototiller tines aren’t keyed into the shaft. Instead, they are locked and secured to the shaft using a clevis pin. You can put this to the test this by shutting the engines off, taking the spark plug off and then attempting to turn the tines with your hands carefully. If you notice that the shaft turns but the tines don’t, the problem could be that the clevis pin is broken or missing.

Quick Fix: The clevis pin should be replaced. But don’t use a bolt.

Problem #5: The rototiller kinda works but it’s not tilling like before

This problem is most likely because of the the tines, the state of the soil, or sometimes it can be both. Sometimes, it’s the slipping of the drive belt that could be the cause.

Quick Fix: If there are dull, worn off, or bent tines, you can have them replaced quickly. If the problem is the soil because it’s too hard, you can adjust its depth. You can also make many shallow passes to keep your rototiller from overworking.

Home gardeners love their rototillers. They are a great gardening tool that turns cultivates soil quickly. Having rototillers will eliminate the use of spade for digging or hoeing. And they are used in keeping the pathways clean and clear in the growing season. This piece of a gardening tool is also efficient in controlling weeds.

Keep some spare parts in your garage as this will keep your rototiller in top shape. Spare parts like tines, spark plugs, and drive belts can be very useful. Don’t forget to keep tools, cleanup gears, and/or portable generator repair as well. If you follow the basic steps we’ve provided above, you will surely learn how to fix your rototillers. You won’t have the need to spend and waste time and money by having someone over to fix it.

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Celebrate National Picnic Month by Going on a Picnic with the Family

Everybody celebrates Independence Day in July. But, what many people don’t know is that we also celebrate National Picnic Month in July, too! Going for a picnic is an excellent time to embrace nature and breathe in fresh air. It is also a great opportunity to bond with friends, family and loved ones. While a picnic is understood as a simple excursion with meals eaten outdoors, there are some interesting facts about the origin of picnic that not many of us are aware of.

•  The word picnic was taken from the French word “pique nique” which refers to an outdoor meal. The first picnics took place in the Middle Ages when the members of the upper class society would “dine out” or eat their meals outdoors during a hunt.
• The first recorded use of “picnic”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was in a letter written by Lord Chesterfield to his son in Berlin in 1748. The word picnic here was used in the sense of a social gathering.
• In the early 1800’s, picnic was already being used to refer to a social meal eaten outdoors.

A picnic with family is a great way to spend time

The lovely, warm weather of July gives us another reason to celebrate National Picnic Month.  If you are looking for ideas on how you can celebrate this national holiday, here are some ideas to help you get started.

• Get outside for a BBQ party! Prepare your favorite meats and side dishes like coleslaw and potato salad. Enjoy family bonding time while you grill your BBQ to perfection and dig into the sumptuous outdoor meal together!
•  Have a traditional picnic. Fill a straw picnic basket with your favorite foods and drinks. Find that perfect spot in a park and don’t forget to bring the plaid blanket. Bring some board games or just savor the moment as you celebrate the open air.
• Play some outdoor games. After eating, it’s a perfect time to play some outdoor games. You can throw a Frisbee and play ball games where everybody can join in.

For fun and exciting activities like picnics, safety and health should remain a top priority. Avoid foodborne illnesses and make the most of the National Picnic Month by taking note of the following tips.

Be conscious of the food temperature and time.

Be prepared when going for a picnic

Protect your food from getting spoiled by keeping hot food hot and cold food cold especially when you’re traveling or during your outdoor gatherings.  Bring plenty of ice.

Use a food thermometer.
Make sure that your food is safely cooked by using a food thermometer. Before removing meats, especially whole cuts, from the heat source, measure the internal temperature and make sure that they are cooked to 145 degrees F. Let them sit and allow 3 minute rest time before consuming.

Choose healthy foods for your picnic.
Picnics are all about enjoying delicious foods. But delicious doesn’t have to be unhealthy. You can certainly pack satisfying, yet healthy meals for your picnics. For example, you can add a twist to your traditional sandwiches and vary your bread choices. Try using tortillas, flat breads and whole grain products. Then experiment with fillings instead of sticking to the same old ham and cheese. Incorporate oven roasted vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants to make it healthier.

Bring more non perishable foods.
Limit the number of your perishable foods and bring more non-perishable foods. Aside from your salads and sandwiches, you can bring pretzels, oatmeal cookies, or baked potato chips. Other snacks like nuts and sunflower seeds are also excellent food choices.

Keep it clean.
Avoid food contamination by keeping everything clean and sanitary – from the food handling to preparation and packing. Don’t forget to wash your hands before and after handling food. Make sure that all utensils are clean. Don’t use the same utensils for raw and cooked food to avoid transfer of harmful bacteria.  Also bring paper towels, disposable cloths and clean water for cleaning hands and surfaces before and after eating at your picnic venue.

July is a perfect time to take vacations and spend more time outdoors. Make the most of the beautiful weather and celebrate National Picnic Month with your family!

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