Make Money with Your New Fitbit, And Some Tips

Today in the paper it announced that the Fitbit app was the most downloaded app on Christmas Day. That means lots of people are going to start tracking their steps and hopefully get healthier. I got a fitbit early this year and have enjoyed the confirmation of my daily steps and it is one of my apps I check almost daily. The cool thing is you can turn your daily steps into money by linking your fitbit with some reward programs and other apps.

If you've got a new fitbit, here are some tips.

• Wear it and forget it. If you take it off, you may forget it and miss out on your tracking.
• The unit charge lasts several days, it charges on a usb port on PC or wall charger. charge it while sedentary reading or watching tv, or overnight.
• Track specific workouts by tapping twice. then you can check the data on your PC to see expanded view of your activity progress.
• Log sleep manually if you forget to tap twice before you lay your head down.
• Link your fitbit to My Fitness Pal app to automatically add your steps to that app. Go to settings on your MFP app and click add devices, it will take you to website to allow fitbit to access your account.
• If unsure of accuracy compare to cardio trainer app, or Moves app to validate movement. Actually if you don't want to buy a fitbit, the moves app will track activity without an additional device, just have your phone with you. Won't work for swimming or yoga, but would work for biking. The Moves app also can be linked to your www.ShopYourWay.com account to earn you points and $2 each week at Kmart or Sears.
• Join higi.com to make money from exercising, android app. Link your fitbit and moves app to higi to earn even more. There is usually a new Challenge every month where you can win gift cards by logging in at higi stations (blood pressure machines) in Publix stores and other retail pharmacies.
• Join www.Fitstudio.com and link it to your www.ShopYourWay.com account (at Kmart and Sears) to earn 2000 points each week you walk 15 miles. The points expire quickly within the week, but we've used it to get stuff almost every week.
• Download app and join Google Fit which you can link to GoodCoins to earn points. Not really sure how many points you need or what they are worth.
• Fitbit comes with a small and large wristband. Its good to have spare. If you don't like your color you can buy a fashionable band. They even sell leather and metal ornaments to make it look pretty.

Enjoy!

My Weight Loss July Update

Well, its been a month since I posted about our weight loss since our cruise in May. If you remember, both DH and I had gained some weight and were determined to lose it. It's not necessarily a goal to lose weight fast, but by slightly modifying our diet and and increasing our exercise we did manage to lose five pounds in June.

July has been a little tougher because of the wonderful free sweet and salty snack deal at Busch Gardens this past month. We've been walking there several times a week and of course we have to get the free snack. Popcorn is the healthiest snack they offer, and then the frozen fruit bar could be considered healthy too. But, we've splurged a couple times for the dippin dots cookies and cream ice cream treat, and the snickers ice cream bar. So, there's that. Plus the fact that Ryan Newman won the NASCAR race at Indianapolis this past week and his sponsor gave away a free Bloomin Onion at Outback on Monday. I know all these excuses are lame, but that's the way life is. So, we only lost 3 more pounds.

The good thing is we've been eating healthy recipes and lots of fresh produce. Our daily healthy snack is some fruit. DH learned this cool way to cut melons on the cruise ship. The chefs just cut off the top and the bottom of the each round melon and then it sits nice on your cutting board so you can just slice off the rind, without wasting any fruity flesh. Then he just grinds up the rinds in the food processor with our other compost items and pours the whole mess into the garden composter outside.

So we've lost eight pounds in 8 weeks, for an average 1 pound a week. I would like to lose about eight or ten more pounds so I'll continue to eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water and exercise daily. These 3 diet tips are all you need to know.

Crispy Chickpeas Great Recipe Idea

This great recipe is quick and easy, plus these crispy chickpeas taste just like popcorn. Last night our dinner idea was to cook pan fried shrimp, and these delicious crispy fried chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. I just poured some oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a skillet and turned the heat up to 6 on the dial. Then I opened a 15oz can of garbanzo beans and patted dry on paper towels to remove excess juice. When the oil was hot I gently put all the beans into the oil and covered it quickly, it will spatter. Then just shake the pan from side to side to roll them around and evenly cook. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Pat the excess oil off chickpeas and then sprinkle with some seasoning - I used smoked paprika and garlic powder, plus a dash of sea salt. This food recipe is healthy and delicious, plus ads variety to your meal with the crunchy textures. If you're on a low carb diet, it is a good way to get your protein.

Is Fish a Safe Source of Vitamin B12?

It's alarming to know that at least one in four adults in the United States today experience vitamin B12 deficiency. Even more disturbing is the fact that half of the U.S. population has less than optimal levels of this important nutrient.

Why are many people suffering from B12 deficiency when it is one of the most common vitamins today? In fact, you can get it from a wide variety of sources. Vitamin B12 is prevalent in animal food products, including beef, liver, and other meats, as well as dairy. It is also present in fish and other types of seafood.

Seafood Sources of Vitamin B12

The National Institutes of Health say that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for B12 is 2.4 micrograms per day for adults. For pregnant women, the RDA is slightly higher. Consuming different types of seafood will provide you with the ideal RDA for vitamin B12.

Some examples of seafood with ideal levels of B12 are clams, mollusks, shrimp, and scallops. For example, a three-ounce serving of cooked clams can give you 84 micrograms of vitamin B12.

There are also saltwater and freshwater fish that contain ideal amounts of vitamin B12. Freshly-caught tuna, snapper, salmon, haddock, and halibut are some great examples. For example, salmon gives 4.9 micrograms of B12 per serving. As for freshwater fish, the ideal choice is wild rainbow trout, which may contain 5.4 micrograms of B12 in every three-ounce serving.

However, when consuming seafood and fish for their B12 content, make sure you only consume freshly-caught wild ones. Avoid factory-farmed fish as much as possible, as these are not as healthy as they appear.

The Problem with Factory-Farmed Fish

The rapid growth of the fish farming industry is due to the decline in ocean fish stocks. In fact, in 2003, researchers found that tuna, swordfish, marlin, sharks, cod, halibut, and other large fish varieties had dropped by 90 percent in just 50 years. This means that only 10 percent of all large fishes are left in the ocean!

One of the main reasons why this happens is irresponsible fishing practices. One example is trawling, a process that works by scooping up everything within the range, up to the ocean floor. Of the acquired resources, only five percent is used, while the 95 percent is dumped back into the ocean, dead and useless.

The decline in the quantity of freshly-caught wild fish is the reason why many supermarkets and establishments now acquire their seafood from factory fish farms. Not only are the fish from these farms contain less B12, but they are loaded with other unhealthy toxins that you would NOT want to put in your body.

Studies have found that farm-raised fish contain higher levels of dioxins, PCBs, toxaphene, dieldrin, and mercury than wild fish. These farm-raised fish are also loaded with antibiotics, hormones and even chemicals to change their appearance. For example, salmons are given synthetic chemicals to give them their pinkish appearance.

If You Want to Get B12 from Fish, You Need to Get Fish from a Safe Source

The problem is that some wild-caught fish may contain certain levels of pollutants and heavy metals (although these levels are lower than those in farmed fish). Before consuming any fish or seafood product, make sure you verify its purity first. Find a trustworthy source that can provide you with wild fish that is free of toxins and is sustainably harvested. One wonderful example is wild Alaskan salmon, which is harvested from pristine freshwater lakes.

Indeed, getting optimal levels of vitamin B12 should be an important concern of any health-conscious person. If you choose seafood as one of your B12 sources, remember these safety considerations, so your efforts will be rewarded.

About the Author

Mishka Thomas suffered from two years ago. However, instead of supplementing, she chose to increase her consumption of B12-rich foods instead. Fresh, wild-caught fish is one of her favorite B12 food sources, but makes sure to consume it moderately.

Frugal Travel to Improve Your Health

Even though gas prices have stabilized, there is still great incentive to ride your bike as a means of commuting. Riding a bicycle is a great, frugal way to travel and also improves your health. Remember, your health is your greatest wealth. Having a bunch of money isn't that much fun if you aren't healthy to enjoy it.

If your destination is less than ten miles from your home, it wouldn't take much effort to bicycle as a regular occurrence. Five miles is only twenty minutes of riding and you don't get sweaty enough to negate the cleanliness of your morning shower. I do recommend you wear different biking clothes for the ride (preferably a high visibility color shirt, and your black spandex biking shorts for comfort) and just change clothes in the rest room or a private room when you get to your destination. It's also important to wear stiff, thick soled shoes like my Keen Commuters (which I absolutely love!!) which you can get for a discount with Shoebacca Coupons. Proper shoes will help avoid foot numbness from the road shock, along with biking gloves.

To make this bicycle commuting a healthy habit, it's important to have good solid equipment. Make sure your bicycle is tuned up and lubed, with fully aired tires. Also a strong rack is necessary so you don't have to wear a back pack with your stuff, which just makes you sweaty. Along with proper clothing, shoes, and equipment you need to wear your helmet. My hair is damp in the morning from my shower so when I get to work, I just comb it and it springs to life and looks great. With all the bike and motorcycle helmets I wear, it helps to have permed hair that bounces back from the helmet.

Its also important to make sure you know the rules of the road - ride with the traffic as far to the right as possible - but not on the sidewalk if you can avoid it. Your bike is considered a motor vehicle so make sure you follow all traffic signals at intersections, and give pedestrians the right of way. Signal with your arms to let drivers know you are turning, and use your bike bell to warn people you are coming along.

You will love the fresh air biking allows you to enjoy, get off your phone and get outside and live life.

Thoughts On Employment

This article was published about a month ago, and I've also read various other sources about the same problem, finding a job when you're unemployed and older. The chances of finding another job in your field is slim to none, and you may be involuntarily unemployed the rest of your life. If this happens, are you ready for it? It's a long time until you qualify for social security, or your pension if you're lucky enough to have one, and there are penalties for withdrawing your retirement savings for many more years.

 

Its scary to think that perhaps the scoundrel Rick Scott actually has believers and may get voted in as new Governor of Florida. Life will suck if that happens, especially since I'm a civil servant of the State of Florida - the very group of employees that Rick Scott would love to minimize and eliminate from the world. If the wrong person gets in office and the legislature cuts government staffing, I may lose my job. And as an older worker approaching mid century vintage this is not cool. If I were one of the unemployed, would I get rehired? A growing trend is that companies only will consider employed people as candidates for their openings. I think I have a pretty good chance compared to other candidates even if my competition is younger. Here are a few ideas on how to keep yourself competitive in the job industry.

• Stay Healthy - I mentioned how to stay healthy earlier and I believe that a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand in hand. If you keep yourself healthy and you "look" healthy, you'll be more attractive to employers. They may assume you are healthy if you look and act healthy. This means less medical expenses for insurance and less sick time and lack of productivity. If you smoke, don't let your employers know - don't waste time at work out by the smoking area.
• Keep Up Technologically - one sure difference in our society with age groups is the use of technology. The younger crowd uses it. Most older people shy away from technology because they don't understand it. This is a key factor in your hiring potential - do you know how to operate a computer, can you figure out all the features on your cell phone, can you figure out how to scan and send a document on the copier at the office? Do you know how to use a lot of the features and programs on your computer - like all the Microsoft applications and email and the Internet? If you don't, you're not going to get the job because there are a ton of people who know that stuff.
• Be Interesting - It seems to me a lot of younger people prefer to text or email rather than talk to friends. Social skills are lacking and this will hurt them in the workplace, this is where you can have the advantage. If you have manners, know etiquette, are polite and yet interesting to talk to, you will succeed in the interview. A person who "fits" and doesn't seem to have outward hangups or is opinionated and set in their ways will succeed at work and be easier to train. You can always be taught the job skills needed, but you can't expect to learn people skills on a job. Interviewers look for people skills.
• Use Your Brain - I mean outside of work. Keep your critical thinking skills sharp by reading and writing, not just the newspaper either. Write a Blog. Do crossword puzzles or cryptoquips, or for me I calculate my coupon grocery shopping trips and organize my coupons. This is no easy feat as most of you know. Anyway, it helps to think on your feet, and do math in your head when you're shopping.
• Face Reality and Change What's Wrong - If you are obese or ugly or stupid, you can change. You can lose weight, or use makeup and change your hairstyle, or start learning (or pretend you know what you don't) if you are stupid. No matter what your problem is, you can work on it. You may not want to face the fact that you're a bitch to get along with and that you hate minorities - but you need to. Reality is perception. If others perceive you to be offensive in some way they won't want you around. You may have no clue why you don't get any jobs after you've had interviews - and there is a reason. You need to find out what your problem is and deal with it.
• Act Younger - if you do the things you liked to do when you were younger, you'll feel younger. One thing I do is ride my bicycle almost everyday. Its carefree and there's that sense of danger and riskiness being out on the road with all the crazy drivers. Its like being on a roller coaster ride at Busch Gardens - but its real life. Its fun and I love how it makes me feel high when I ride really hard and get all pumped up. You could also try wearing some clothing you liked when you were younger, some shoes or a new hairstyle. All these things will help you act younger and seem younger. It will make you smile.

So, that's my take on it. I hope any of you out there who are unemployed take all this thought with a grain of salt, I know every situation is different and we all have circumstances that are beyond our control. But, there is probably something you can do to improve your chances of getting a job. Just figure it out and do it.

10 Lifestyle Changes

Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down. For more detail see source HERE

1. Lose those extra pounds and watch your waistline

Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure significantly. In general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure. Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you're taking more effective.

2. Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity — at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). And it doesn't take long to see a difference. If you've been sedentary, increasing your activity can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks.

3. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.

4. Reduce sodium in your diet

Even a modest reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg. And bigger cutbacks mean greater reductions in blood pressure.

5. Limit alcohol consumption

Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can help prevent heart attacks and coronary artery disease and potentially lower your blood pressure by 2.5 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a day for women and more than two a day for men.

6. Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke

On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after you smoke.

7. Cut back on caffeine

The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debatable. Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily cause a spike in your blood pressure. And some studies show that people who drink caffeine regularly have a higher average blood pressure, suggesting that caffeine might have a long-term impact. But other studies show you can develop a tolerance to caffeine so that it doesn't affect your blood pressure.
To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage you regularly drink. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.

8. Reduce your stress

As with caffeine, the influence of stress on blood pressure isn't settled. Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure.
You need to know what stresses you before you can try to reduce your stress. Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.

9. Get regular health care

If you have high blood pressure, you may need to monitor your blood pressure at home, or use the monitor at Walgreens or Publix.

10. Get a support system

Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor's office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your blood pressure low.