Hit The Pavement: How To Start Jogging

Fitness buffs have known for centuries that running on a regular basis is one of the best ways to get aerobic exercise and tone your entire body. But if you’re new to jogging, there are some important things to know before you start.

-        Buy good shoes. Your feet and knees are going to take the brunt of this exercise, so it’s vital that you wear appropriate shoes. Go to a running specialty store, talk to a clerk there, and they’ll fit you for a pair that will provide optimum support.

-        Warm Up. It’s important to get your muscles ready for exercise. A brief warmup will dilate your blood vessels and prepare you for more intensive exercise. Despite what you’ve heard, you don’t want to start with stretching. Instead, do some light aerobic exercise like walking briskly for ten minutes to prepare yourself.

-        Pace Yourself. Don’t burst out of the gate at your maximum speed. Start slow, gradually increase your pace, and slow down if you feel yourself getting winded. It can be helpful to start on a treadmill for a little while to get a clear picture of your comfortable speeds.

-        Cool Down. You don’t want to just come to a dead stop after you run. Transition into another brisk walk for five to ten minutes. Once your heart rate has dropped to normal levels, it’s time to stretch.

-        Stretch It Out. After you exercise, your muscles should be more flexible. Now is the time to do fifteen minutes of stretching to further engage and tone them. Don’t push yourself hard, just give each muscle a little love and move on.

Let’s Drink to Good Health! Water, That Is.

Forget those herbs, vitamins, and crazy elixirs you hear about on TV—water is without a doubt the most important thing we put in our bodies on a daily basis. Not only does it make up a huge percent of our bodies, but water helps our metabolisms burn calories 3% faster (important for weight loss and appetite regulation), detoxifies our insides, assists organs in nutrient absorption, protects and moisturizes joints, and helps many other critical processes of body function. Drinking water on a regular basis also combats dehydration, which can be a major cause of tiredness, kidney problems, dry skin, and so much more. 

Wondering how many glasses of water you should be drinking a day? It's widely said that every person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day (2 quarts or 1.8 liters). However, everyone is different, and daily lifestyle can largely affect the amount of water you actually need. Find out more in this great guide to How to Drink More Water Every Day. Not only will you find out how much water you need based on your body and lifestyle, but you'll learn tips and tricks to incorporating it inot your daily life.

Cooking Decoded: A Cheat Sheet for Diners and Aspiring Chefs

When reading menus it can be tough to keep all those terms straight. And if you’re cooking your way through a cookbook at home, you’re likely to run into some words you haven’t seen before. Keep this glossary on hand to guarantee a tasty, memorable meal.

Blacken. A popular Cajun cooking method in which seasoned foods are cooked over high heat in a super-heated heavy skillet until charred on the outside.

Blanch. To briefly boil a fruit or vegetable in order to loosen its skin. After 30 seconds in boiling water, the fruit or vegetable should be plunged into ice water to stop the cooking action and then the skin easily slices or peels off.

Braise. A cooking technique that requires browning meat in oil or other fat and then cooking slowly in liquid. This tenderizes the meat.

Broil. To cook directly under the heat source.

Dash. A measure approximately equal to 1/16 teaspoon.

Dice. To cut into cubes.

Julienne. To cut into ultra-thin strips.

Poach. To simmer in liquid.

Reduce. To cook liquids down so that some of the water evaporates.

Saute. To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil in a skillet or frying pan over direct heat.

Scald. Cooking a liquid such as milk to just below the point of boiling; also to loosen the skin of fruits or vegetables by dipping them in boiling water.

Sear. Sealing in a meat's juices by cooking it quickly under very high heat.

Simmer. Cooking food in a liquid at a low enough temperature so that small bubbles begin to break the surface. A very low boil.

Zest. The thin, brightly colored outer part of citrus fruit rinds. They contain volatile oils used as a flavoring.

Farm-Raised vs. Wild Salmon: What’s Better?

Eat your salmon, but pay attention to where it comes from. The American Heart Association recommends a diet heavy in the juicy, antioxidant-rich fish, but how your fish is raised can impact your health.

Farm-raised salmon often live in densely-packed pens with poor water circulation, and are fed low-quality artificial food. This can result in them carrying traces of toxic chemicals called PCBs. Though the average PCB level in farm-raised salmon is well under the FDA’s safe guideline, it’s best to limit your consumption of farm-raised salmon to once a week. If you eat it more often, reduce the fat content by trimming the skin and/or broiling. Wild salmon may be more expensive, but they don’t taste significantly different, and their chemical levels are negligible.

Eating this fish in moderation is the way to go—packed with healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and protein, salmon can be both healthy and delicious. For recipe ideas, click here.

The Ultimate Decision: Kindle or iPad

Electronic readers have become a major part of the book market in the 21st century, as technology has advanced to the point where it’s easier to get a digital copy of a book than a hard copy of one. The two major devices that are delivering books are e-ink readers like Amazon’s Kindle and standard LCD screens like Apple’s iPad. Both have a wide variety of books available, and each has advantages and disadvantages.

The Kindle has a passive screen, so it creates less eyestrain to read, and Amazon’s selection is by far the best. The iPad’s screen makes eyestrain, but it can also show color, which the Kindle cannot. Given the choice, if you intend to read novels the Kindle is the better choice, but the iPad is a multipurpose device that can do more in the long run.

Tips For Saving Money When You Travel

Traveling can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be a very expensive venture. In many cases if you are traveling to a once in a lifetime destination, it's worth the expense; but there are still ways to save money here and there.

Compare fares. It used to be that if you wanted to book a flight, you’d have to head to a travel agent and let them navigate the world of airline reservations. Now you can do it all yourself—compare airfare and lodging packages on search engines like Expedia, Travelocity, and Priceline; check travel deals on Jetsetter and Bloomspot; and test flight prices on Farecast, a site that predicts whether prices for the flight you are searching for will go up or down.

Bring on the green. While traveling, bring cash instead of using plastic—foreign ATMs are great ways to get dinged with unnecessary fees.

Eat smart. Although there’s a lot of reasons to eat out when you travel, going to the grocery store and making one meal a day can really help stretch your travel budget.

Location, location, location. When you’re booking your hotel, try to make sure it’s located near your other destinations in the area. It doesn’t make sense to save on a hotel if you’re going to spend more on transportation to make up for it.

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer, you might have noticed an annoying little twinge in your wrists. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but that twinge might be early warning signs for carpal tunnel syndrome. When the median nerve that travels into the hand is compressed by the tunnel, it can cause pain, tingling, and weakness in the fingers. Left untreated, it can cause serious atrophy. If you’re concerned, there are steps you can take to prevent it.

1. Purchase an ergonomic keyboard—it may take some time to train your fingers, but the lessened strain will be vital.

2. If you expect to be using the computer for some time, purchase and use a wrist rest so that your wrists are not elevated when you type.

3. Take a break! Especially if you sit at a desk all day typing away on the computer, work in a few breaks to get up, stretch, and change positions.

4. If you have symptoms, make sure to also investigate other causes. Obesity and arthritis can contribute to developing the condition.

How To Start A Book Club

Book clubs can be a great way to expand your mind and get to know your community—having an excuse to get together with people can be just the kick in the butt your social life needs. But starting a book club from scratch can be difficult. Here are some tips to get one going.

First off, don’t start a new club if you can join an existing one. Many clubs are always looking for new members, so ask at your local library if they know of any.

If you do have to start your own club, be aware that it might take some time to get it up and running. Ask around in your own social circle, and once you have a core of a few members, start advertising. Put up flyers at bookstores and libraries, and use social networking services like Facebook.

People always come together over food and drink so why should book club be any different? Have everyone bring their favorite bottle of wine to try, or organize a pot luck dinner with dishes inspired by the chosen book. This will keep things interesting and fun!

Finally, make sure not to pick books that are too long, dense or overwhelming.

Good luck and happy reading!

Thinking About Getting a Dog? How About One of the Most Popular Dog Breeds in the United States?

Thinking of getting a dog? You’re smart to seek out what breed is best for you. Here is a brief introduction to the most popular dogs in America, and what makes them so ideal for homes of all types.

1. Labrador Retriever. The quintessential family dog, labs are sweet-natured, playful, and easy to train. They adore human contact—especially with children—and require lots of exercise.

2. Yorkshire Terrier. Yorkies are small, docile charmers. They’re intelligent, happy and eager to please, but don’t require much walking, which makes them a favorite of seniors and people who are constantly on the go.

3. Golden Retriever. Golden Retrievers are similar to labs in size and personality. Their high intelligence means they’re often used as guide dogs. They love to play, but they will also happily roam a large yard in peace.

4. Daschund. The Daschund is a small, eager, friendly dog, well suited to apartment living. Their loud bark makes them good watchdogs, but they require strict, solid training when young.

5. German Shepherd. German Shepherds are intelligent, trainable, friendly dogs that love children. They often get nervous around strangers but quickly acclimate to them. Their loyalty to their families runs so deep that they may become ill if left alone for long periods of time.

Still not sure which breed is right for you? Your local shelter or kennel club can help you choose the pup that's right for you.

Should You Take a Daily Multivitamin?

Scientific evidence as to whether multivitamins have demonstrable health benefits is mixed, to say the least. While advocates argue that the body needs a portion of a number of key substances to run at optimum health, sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have released reports stating that no benefits have been observed in the general public.

There are, of course, some people who should definitely take multivitamins— pregnant and nursing mothers, most notably—but for most of us, it’s just a matter of personal preference—and how much your diet provides all the nutrients you need. For example, if your rarely eat fruits and veggies, a daily vitamin can only help you get the nutrients that those foods would otherwise offer.

The majority of commercial multivitamin formulas are pretty much interchangeable, with slight differences in the ingredients depending on the target market. If you’re going to take a multivitamin, choose an established brand like Centrum or One-A-Day, which come in special varieties for men, women, and anyone age 50 and over. If you’re vitamin swallowing averse, try One A Day’s VitaCraves—vitamins in gummy form.

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