(Orange Beach)
Here are the most current health rating for Orange Beach from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Standout establishment scoring a 100 this month are: Rafters Restaurant and Sports Bar, Publix, and Grape Escape Deli. Here is an explanation of their scoring system and the results.
State law requires any facility selling food to have a current food service permit that is issued by the local county health department. Foodservice establishments are generally required to be inspected a minimum of three times per year depending on the type of food being prepared. The average convenience store may be inspected one time per year, again depending on the type of food sold there.
Inspection Reports and permits are required to be posted in conspicuous view within the establishment. A numerical scoring system on a 100-point scale is used with points deducted for each violation.
Critical violations have a higher point value and are identified in red on the inspection report. Critical items are required to be corrected as soon as possible but not to exceed ten days regardless of the overall score. Any food items found out of compliance with public health standards will be issued an order to discard regardless of the overall score.
The overall score determines the reinspection schedule and the use of enforcement actions:
Establishments scoring between 85 and 100 are considered to be in satisfactory compliance and are inspected on routine schedule.
Scoring System
The overall score determines the reinspection schedule and the use of enforcement actions:
|
Scoring between 85 and 100 |
Establishments are considered to be in satisfactory compliance and are inspected on routine schedule. |
|
Scoring between 70 and 84 |
Establishments require a follow-up inspection within 60 days. |
|
Scoring 60-69 |
Establishments require follow-up and reinspection within 48 hours. |
|
Scoring below 60 |
Establishments are closed immediately. |
Here are the Results:
(Gulf Shores)
(ARA) - Setting aside a day of beauty for yourself could be your key to not only looking good, but keeping yourself safe and healthy for the rest of the year. Think of cooler weather as the essential season for good skin care. Go about it naturally by crafting your own toxic-free skin care products that feature the benefits of pure, plant-derived essential oils.
Step 1: Start your new yearly routine by examining and evaluating your skin. Everyone should periodically perform a thorough skin examination. First, get naked, and then use a handheld mirror in a well-lit room to look over your entire epidermis. Map out the location, size, color and form of any mole, scar, birthmark or discoloration. Make a note of any troubling changes that occur in any of these permanent skin features, such as blemishes, moles or lesions that are or become persistently itchy, bleeding, waxy, translucent, and hard or clustered together. Pay special attention to any blemish that increases in size and has an irregular edge. Make an appointment with your doctor or dermatologist if you note anything out of the ordinary.
Step 2: Adjust your skin care routine. Now is the time to help your skin recover from summer sun and wind and look good throughout the winter months. To that end, the most effective approach isn't premium cosmetics - simply get adequate rest, good nutrition and hydration. Here are some lifestyle tips to promote great skin:
* Minimize caffeine.
* Get at least eight hours of sleep every night.
* Eat right - you already know what to avoid.
* Eat whole, fresh fruits and colorful vegetables. Beta carotene-rich carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes can even skin color and help prolong your summer glow.
* Drink pure, clean water instead of coffee, soda or sweetened juices.
* Get exercise and fresh air - 20 minutes every day is adequate and easy.
Expensive cleansers are mostly water with a small percentage of "active ingredients" thrown in, while high-end lotions and creams are mostly water emulsified with a bit of oil. Both of these types of formulations are inherently unstable and must be preserved and stabilized with a whole host of potentially toxic and irritating ingredients that have everything to do with maintaining the product on the store shelf and nothing to do with maintaining your healthy skin. Why pay for what you don't need or want?
Step 3: Create your own safe and natural skin care products. What's not in your skin care products is perhaps more important than what is in your skin care products. You can control what goes on your body by making and using a few essential skin care products yourself. Aura Cacia's aromatherapy expert, Tom Havran, offers cleanser, moisturizer, and hydrating mist recipes that call for lavender and geranium essential oils which are toning, calming and adaptable to all skin types.
Cleanser. A gentle, natural liquid soap created when an alkaline mineral salt is combined with a natural vegetable oil such as sweet almond is the cleanest clean you can use. Soap can be drying for sensitive individuals, so don't overdo it and make sure you follow up with a moisturizer.
Ingredients:
1 cup unscented liquid vegetable oil based soap
2 tablespoons water or unflavored green tea
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
1/4 teaspoon geranium essential oil
Directions:
Combine soap, water (or tea) and essential oils in a small bottle. Apply about 1 tablespoon to a soft, wet washcloth and gently scrub damp skin in a circular buffing motion (not too long or with too much force). Rinse with warm water and follow with moisturizer below.
Moisturizer. We need a moisturizer to re-fat the skin after cleansing. Washing with soap lifts away dirt, make-up and dead skin and keeps skin bright and pores clear, but it also strips our skin of its natural, protective (and wrinkle-fighting) oil known as sebum. A light-bodied and absorbent, non-clogging oil such as grapeseed or jojoba applied to still-damp skin after rinsing away your liquid soap-based cleanser will perform the same function as costly lotions and creams - but at a fraction of the price.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup jojoba oil
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
1/4 teaspoon geranium essential oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small squeeze bottle, apply a teaspoon to the palm of hand, rub hands together and smooth over damp, freshly cleansed skin, pat dry any excess water or oil.
Toning and hydrating mist. As the day goes on, you'll inevitably lose that fresh glow of the morning. Some areas of your skin might become increasingly dry while others might be oily. A simple mixture of pure water and toning lavender and geranium essential oils can help diminish an oily appearance while moistening dry areas.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
1/4 teaspoon geranium essential oil
Small spray mister bottle
Directions: Combine water and essential oils in a bottle. Shake vigorously and apply two to three spritzes of the mist to skin. Smooth over surface if needed.
For more information and valuable skin care tips, visit www.auracacia.com.
(ARA) - Americans have traditionally considered the health of the planet and their personal health two distinct subjects. Times have changed. When we consider our personal health, many now see the connection to the environment.
"Most people want to be healthy and live on a clean and beautiful planet," says Amy Lou Jenkins, a registered nurse who writes about nature and green living for Examiner.com, and who has authored the book, "Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting." "Now, it's becoming important to enhance our own health, as we care for our Earth. Fortunately, it's easy to make green living choices that are good for you, your family and the planet."
Jenkins offers these seven simple steps that can help you improve your own health, and care for the earth at the same time:
1. Replace car trips with a bike ride or a walk whenever possible. Every day, Americans' automobiles pour millions of pounds of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Any step that reduces that output is a step toward better health for the environment. Walking and biking are also great low-impact ways to exercise your muscles, burn calories and deliver cardiovascular benefits. Taking a bike instead of a car for just one 4-mile round trip prevents the release of about 15 pounds of pollutants, according to the WorldWatch Institute.
2. Buy local foods and eat less meat. Locally grown food requires less fuel to transport and causes the emission of fewer pollutants to arrive at the market than produce grown far from where you live. A meal of meat uses exponentially more water, land and petroleum products than a plant-based meal. The greenhouse gas emission associated with animal feed and animal methane increase environmental damage further. Add to that the water pollution from runoff and land degradation from grazing and you begin to see the enormous ecologic strain caused by a diet rich in meat. Lowering your red meat intake and increasing your consumption of fresh vegetables is associated with improved health, lower incidences of cancer and heart disease and a longer life. In addition, buying local produce will directly benefit your community.
3. Discover solar cooking. Whether you cook on an electric stove, gas range, gas grill or charcoal grill, traditional cooking consumes fossil fuel. Consider buying a solar cooker and swap out propane and charcoal grills for sustainable solar energy. Solar energy is carbon neutral and ultra clean.
4. Take the stairs. Elevators use energy all day long and two-thirds of that consumption is used to move people up and down. Reducing the number of elevator trips cuts the amount of energy used. Plus, taking the stairs is an easy lifestyle change that can net a big payoff over time in heart health and weight management. Overall, it is a healthier way to travel.
5. Get into gardening - all year long. Gardening offers many health benefits, from mental relaxation to light cardiovascular exercise. Indoor gardening with easy hydroponic systems can ensure you'll have plenty of fresh, nutritious produce - even in the winter. And by traveling from windowsill to plate, instead of being flown across the country or planet, your homegrown produce reduces fuel consumption and pollution.
6. Switch to all-natural products for cleaning, rather than toxic chemicals. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that it has found detergent in 69 percent of streams it has tested and disinfectants in 66 percent of tested waterways. Fortunately, many manufacturers of household cleansers now offer all-natural lines. By switching to natural products - including homemade cleaners made with simple pantry products like vinegar - you reduce your personal exposure to toxic chemicals and help keep them out of our groundwater.
7. Unplug. American homes consume a staggering amount of electricity every year. Switching off the computer, video games, TVs and cell phones not only reduces your home's energy use, the electronic silence offers an invitation to family time to reconnect and spend time together. Research shows that healthy relationships and social contacts are associated with long life and happiness.
You can find more green living news at www.examiner.com.
Here are the most current ratings for establishments in Orange Beach. These ratings were provided by the ADPH.
Address: 24559 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 98
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 8/11/2010
Address: 25771 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/9/2010
Address: 23101 Canal Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 4/15/2010
Address: 23101 Canal Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 4/15/2010
Address: 23101 Canal Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 98
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 4/15/2010
Address: 25405 Perdido Beach Blvd. #1
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 93
Smoke Free:
Inspection date: 6/21/2010
Address: 4985 Wharf Parkway
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 94
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/13/2010
Address: 25814 Canal Rd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/30/2010
Address: 24621 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/9/2010
Address: Winn Dixie Shopping Center
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 92
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/9/2010
Address: 27267 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/20/2010
Address: 27075 Marina Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 90
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/14/2010
Address: 28107 Perdido Bea. Blvd s 200
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/20/2010
Address: Gulf View Plaza #10
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/30/2010
Address: 24505 Perdido Beach Blvd. Suit
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 88
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/29/2010
Address: 25637 Canal Rd. Suite G
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/4/2010
Address: 26651 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 95
Smoke Free:
Inspection date: 8/20/2010
Address: 28099 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/16/2010
Address: 25753 Canal Rd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 6/2/2010
Address: 26009 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/30/2010
Address: 25741 Perdido Beach Blvd.Ste A
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 4/28/2010
Address: 22989 Perdido Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 96
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/3/2010
Address: 4651 Main Street, Suite 5
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 94
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/4/2010
Address: 24843 Commercial Avenue
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 97
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/4/2010
Address: 25637 Canal Rd. Suite B & C
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 96
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 5/28/2010
Address: 4560 Easy Street
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 99
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/29/2010
Address: 25637 Canal Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 96
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/4/2010
Address: 2111 Loop Rd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 100
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/21/2010
Address: 4575 Orange Beach Blvd.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 89
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/14/2010
Address: 27121 Canal Road
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 92
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/30/2010
Address: 5749 Bay La Launch Ave.
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 94
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 6/2/2010
Address: 26651 Perdido Beach Boulevard
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/30/2010
Address: 26619 Perdido Beach Blvd
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
Score: 91
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/16/2010
Address: 4780 Wharf Parkway, Ste. F101
City: ORANGE BEACH
Zip Code: 36561
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Here are the most current ratings for establishments in Gulf Shores. These ratings were provided by the ADPH.
Address: 260 Clubhouse Drive
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/8/2010
Address: 160 Cotton Creek Drive
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/3/2010
Address: 131 Cove Avenue
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 88
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 8/13/2010
Address: 2200 East 2nd Avenue
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/12/2010
Address: 1551 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 94
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/19/2010
Address: 501 W. Beach Blvd.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 97
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/8/2010
Address: 3947 Hwy 59, Suite 100
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 87
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/9/2010
Address: 8818 Hwy 180 West
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/19/2010
Address: 3800 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/4/2010
Address: 1154 West Beach Blvd.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 92
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/10/2010
Address: 1545 Gulf Shores Pkwy
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/9/2010
Address: Hwy 59 & Fort Morgan Rd
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 92
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/25/2010
Address: 200 W. Fort Morgan Road
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 91
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/23/2010
Address: 2200 E. 2nd Street, Unit K
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 92
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/10/2010
Address: 2200 East 2nd St.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/10/2010
Address: 3870 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/9/2010
Address: Gulf Shores Plantation-Hwy 180
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36547
Score: 99
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/19/2010
Address: 3750 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 99
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/3/2010
Address: 309 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/28/2010
Address: 1209 Gulf Shores Pkwy
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 87
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/19/2010
Address: 138 W. 1st Ave.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/28/2010
Address: 1140 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36547
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/6/2010
Address: 1145 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 93
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/9/2010
Address: 2420 E. 2nd Street
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36547
Score: 96
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/12/2010
Address: 3645 Gulf Shores Pwky, Ste.101
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free:
Inspection date: 6/22/2010
Address: 20050 Oak Rd., East
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/8/2010
Address: 1930 W. 2nd Street
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 7/12/2010
Address: 200 East Beach Blvd. Suite 400
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: No
Inspection date: 8/12/2010
Address: 3301 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 92
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/22/2010
Address: 524 West Beach Blvd.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 95
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/15/2010
Address: 124 W. 1st Ave.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 99
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 8/12/2010
Address: 244 East Beach Blvd.
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542-
Score: 88
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 7/15/2010
Address: 6781 Gulf Shores Parkway
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
Score: 98
Smoke Free: Yes
Inspection date: 6/9/2010
Address: 4159 County Rd. 6
City: GULF SHORES
Zip Code: 36542
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(ARA) - Warmer weather can make it difficult to stay cool and hydrated. Whether you are playing sports, walking, biking, gardening or enjoying water activities, it's important to drink water throughout the day, especially if you sweat.
While it's hard to stay hydrated during the warmer months, Thermos is coming to the rescue in an effort to "bring back the water fountain" with its new OasisPlaces iPhone application.
OasisPlaces is a free user-generated iPhone app that helps you find public water fountains, share experiences with others and keep your reusable Thermos bottle full of refreshing (and free) water. Registered users will be able to add new fountains, images, comments and ratings on the following criteria: coldness, cleanliness, location and flavor. Many people have made a commitment to avoid disposable bottled water, but it can be challenging to keep a reusable bottle full of fresh water while away from home or work. OasisPlaces is the perfect app for families, outdoor athletes and anyone with an active lifestyle who is avoiding using disposable bottles.
"You're more likely to drink cold water, which helps cool the blood and body by reducing body temperature" says Joanne Larson, a registered dietician who has extensive clinical experience in nutrition therapy and is a hydration consultant to Thermos. "Be mindful not only of the temperature, but what you're drinking. Avoid beverages with caffeine or alcohol, both of which will cause you to lose more water."
Larson shares additional tips on staying hydrated and keeping cool:
* Drink cold water every hour during hot weather and drink enough to replace sweat loss.
* Offer infants and children cold water every time you drink water.
* Older adults with memory loss may not remember to drink water so caregivers should offer water every hour in hot, humid weather.
* Camp coaches should remind kids at camp to drink water even in mild temperatures.
* Carry your reusable Thermos hydration bottle with you to keep you drinking throughout the day.
To celebrate the launch of the OasisPlaces app, Thermos will sponsor random giveaways of free insulated hydration bottles to registered app users in August and September. OasisPlaces is available now for free download on iTunes. For more information, visit www.Thermos.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(ARA) - When fingers get pointed in debates over the obesity epidemic in the United States, technology sometimes shoulders some of the blame. Time in front of computer screens or television is often listed as part of the reason why Americans aren't as healthy as they have been in the past. But the truth is there are also technological advances that have the potential to guide you in your quest for a healthier lifestyle, whether that is eating right, exercising or keeping tabs on vital numbers that are important to your health.
Take smart phone applications for example. Nowadays, you can find applications for just about anything in life that might capture your interest, and healthy living is no exception. So if you're looking to stay fit and healthy, here are six mobile apps that give you and your family a little extra help:
Lose It!: Counting calories is perhaps the simplest and most effective way to keep track of your health goals, especially if it involves weight loss. But it's difficult to do all the adding and subtracting in your head, which is where the free app Lose It! comes in. The app allows you to enter what you eat each day and calculates not only calories, but fat, protein, cholesterol and carbohydrates based on portion size. It also allows you to enter different types of workouts, from walking to yoga, to see how many calories you will burn while you are exercising.
Carb Counting with Lenny: This app is designed to help children with diabetes count carbohydrates to help manage their diabetes, but can be of use to anyone. Using their mascot Lenny the Lion, who also uses insulin pump therapy, Medtronic Diabetes introduced this app, which allows children with type 1 diabetes to learn about carbohydrate levels in basic foods. The application also allows users to create a customizable food guide using their own photos or ones they find on the Internet, as well as play games to test their carb-counting knowledge. Periodic contests and giveaways (www.medtronicdiabetes.com/carb-counting-contest) are announced to reward registered users who get highest game scores. Medtronic Diabetes, which makes such products as continuous glucose monitoring devices, designed the app to be useful and educational for both children with diabetes and others who are interested in monitoring carb intake.
Size Me Up: Another application for kids. This one allows children to enter their current height and receive estimates for how tall they might be in the future, at any given age. This can be used to help keep your child motivated to eat right, so they can grow up to be tall and healthy.
BP Buddy: This application allows people who are monitoring their blood pressure to input their blood pressure numbers and heart rate numbers and log them for up to 60 days. An e-mail feature allows users to send their numbers to their doctor for analysis.
The Carrot: As an interactive journal, this application allows you to track multiple items related to health. In addition to entering information on meals, workouts, and even medication, you can also enter your assessment of your moods or the level of job satisfaction you are feeling at the moment to see if you can pinpoint what healthy habits work best for you.
FitReach: This training and diet application allows you to enter information on your meals, as well as workouts. It also encourages you to do regular weigh-ins so you can compare your weight loss with your goals on graphs that are a part of the app.
Applications are available on iTunes and can also be downloaded through your iPhone, smart phone or other compatible mobile device.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(ARA) - The new school year is just around the corner, and with childhood obesity on the rise and an increased national focus on sensible eating, it's more important than ever to offer healthy food alternatives to kids. And not just for school lunch. Afternoon snack time is often overlooked when parents are planning meals, making it easy for families to stray away from making smart food choices.
When grocery shopping, it's important to plan in advance, keeping snack time in mind. The following five tips for keeping after-school snack time healthy should help you get started:
1. Be creative. Use cookie cutters to cut fruit into fun shapes, or engage kids by having them help make fruit or vegetable kabobs.
2. Stock your fridge (and freezer) sensibly. Make it easy for kids to eat healthy by avoiding the junk food aisle all together.
3. Try a twist on the traditional. Frozen grapes or a banana dipped in peanut butter are more likely to tempt kids' taste buds than a simple celery or carrot stick.
4. Lead by example. If your eating habits are unhealthy, it's likely that your kids' will be the same way. Make smart food choices and they will too.
5. Keep the options open. Give children a variety of choices to show them that there are many ways to eat healthy, tasty food. This prevents food boredom and will encourage them to make smart snack decisions on their own.
Bypassing the junk food aisle and heading to the produce section is always a good idea. But you might be surprised to know that there are a variety of healthy alternatives in the frozen aisle, too. There is an increasing number of healthy frozen foods geared specifically toward kids' tastebuds. Dr. Praeger's Littles, for example, are all natural, bite-size veggie pancakes that come in fun-shaped broccoli, potato, sweet potato and spinach varieties. Parents pressed for time can pop them in the oven for a quick and nutrient-rich snack perfect for fueling kids' brains and bodies for an after-school sports practice or homework session.
"Parents should see snack time as an opportunity to teach kids to make smart health decisions," says Dr. Peter Praeger, a practicing cardiac surgeon and founder of Dr. Praeger's Sensible Foods. "If kids start eating good-for-you foods early in life, they're very likely to take healthy eating habits into adulthood."
On your next trip to the supermarket, consider incorporating healthy after-school snacks into your meal planning, including healthy frozen food options for kids. You'll be surprised to see how quickly kids learn that good food can be tasty, too.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
And, for the more than 1 million Americans with the chronic condition rheumatoid arthritis (RA), volunteering may help them better manage the disease. RA is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints and can cause pain, disability and leave people feeling limited or isolated by their disease. Women are two to three times more likely to have RA than men, and the disease is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50.
A new nationwide initiative - Hand in Hand for RA - aims to change that by demonstrating to people living with RA that they can do more. In fact, results of a recent survey showed that a majority of people with RA want to be more active and not feel limited by their condition. Moreover, four in 10 want to give back through volunteering or public service to prove they are not limited by their RA.
"It's the first time that we are bringing together people living with a form of arthritis like RA who would otherwise be held back a little bit by their condition, and give them an opportunity to help out in their community," says Seth Ginsberg, co-founder and president of CreakyJoints, a grassroots arthritis group and a supporter of the Hand in Hand for RA campaign. "We want people to go to the handinhandforRA.com Web site where they can find resources or share their stories of things they've done in the past, and help out a little bit."
Lending a helping hand
Debbie McGrady, 55, of Greenwood, Ind., has joined the campaign and gives back by driving senior citizens in her local community to doctor appointments and to run errands.
"When I was diagnosed with RA 11 years ago, it was pretty devastating for me," Debbie says. "But after seeking out the right doctor and working with him to get my disease under control, I also changed my life - started eating healthier and exercising more often; then I found volunteerism. It's just been a wonderful thing for me. It takes the focus off your disease and you can help others."
Many ways to give back
When it comes to public service, there is something for everyone. The following are a few activities that may be well suited for those with RA. These include low-impact activities that are easy on the joints, and options that provide enough flexibility for even the busiest of schedules.
* Answering telephone calls for a local crisis support or charity hotline
* Reading to seniors at a local community center or retirement community
* Working at voting booths during election season
* Visiting hospitals or nursing homes to spend time with the patients
* Mentoring youth
* Volunteering at an animal shelter
* Joining a local gardening group or community beautification project
Before starting on any new activity, it is important to talk first with your doctor about what volunteer activities would be the best to pursue.
Get started
For more information on how to get involved with Hand in Hand for RA or to post your personal volunteering story and send kudos to current volunteers, visit www.handinhandforRA.com.
Hand In Hand for RA is a national awareness campaign developed by Genentech and Biogen Idec with the grassroots advocacy group CreakyJoints.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
From reducing your water usage to buying organic, here are 10 simple ways to make 2010 the year of sustainable living:
1. Use water more efficiently: Water is a limited resource and limiting it within your household is a cornerstone of sustainability. Rain barrels, largely unheard of even a decade ago, are becoming a popular way to collect and reuse rainwater for purposes like gardening. Meanwhile, conserving water in the home by taking shorter showers or even fixing a leaky faucet also can make a difference at a time when many communities are experiencing water shortages or are expressing concerns about water overuse.
2. Compost: Turning over leaves by way of a new compost garden is one way to live a more sustainable lifestyle. A compost heap is a simple, effective way to collect yard waste, like leaves and grass clippings, and kitchen scraps such as raw vegetable peelings and coffee grounds, and return them to the ground as organic matter.
3. Seek earth-friendly packaging: To better fill that compost heap, alter shopping habits to look for products with compostable packaging. Snyder's of Hanover, for instance, recently introduced a new Pretzel Variety Sack of 100-Calorie Pretzels and Pretzel Sandwiches in the market's first 100 percent compostable outer package made from 100 percent renewable cornstarch-based plastic. The new Variety Sack includes a special logo indicating that the bag can be composted and is made with sustainable materials. In addition to that example, more manufacturers are switching to cardboard packaging materials, which are made from renewable materials and can be recycled or composted.
4. Buy local, embrace organic: Many farmers, ranchers and, increasingly, food manufacturers, are offering foods and beverages made using sustainable practices. It could be a farmers market tomato, a local dairy's milk, an organic snack food, like new Organic Honey Whole Wheat Sticks and Organic Whole Wheat and Oat Sticks from Snyder's of Hanover, or any number of natural or organic items. The bottom line is that natural, organic and locally produced foods provide both sustenance and sustainability. To learn more about Snyder's of Hanover's sustainability initiatives visit www.snydersofhanover.com/Sustainability/.
5. Go to seed: Take the locally grown movement a step further - like in your own backyard or patio. An afternoon spent planting seeds or small plants can yield plenty of rewards a few weeks or months later, in the form of fresh, inexpensive and convenient vegetables and fruits. You don't need a large tract of land, in fact, to start a small garden.
6. Ride out the trend: Sustain your own energy level by opting to ride a bike or walk to a destination that isn't all that far away. Add a basket to a bike or take along a backpack to bring something back home.
7. Re-recycle: Recycling is nothing new and most people have been recycling in some form for years. But recycling can be taken to another level, going beyond obvious and traditionally recycled items like soda cans or newspaper to the smallest of waste materials, from plastic straws to the paper straw wrapper. Why not recycle apparel as well, by donating clothes and buying gently used clothes?
8. Plug in: Learn how to operate appliances more efficiently. For example, use cold water in the washing machine: clothes will still be cleaned, without the use of heated water. Turn off appliances when not in use, whether it's the television, video game player or radio. Better yet, completely unplug. Many electronics and battery chargers continue to draw a small amount of power even when they are switched off. Instead, use a power strip to cut power completely when not in use.
9. Lighten up: Use energy efficient lighting and bulbs when possible and turn off lights when not in a room. That will cut energy use - and the family budget.
10. Get involved: As the sustainability movement gains traction among the public, there are more opportunities to join in. Local communities, schools and organizations often have green committees, and there is a plethora of national and grassroots organizations geared around earth-friendly living that appreciate new volunteers or members.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
