Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard. It just takes the motivation to change our bad habits into good, healthy ones. Below is a list of 10 healthy lifestyle tips to get you started. Once you start, you can come up with more healthy choices that work for you.
o The first thing is to eat a balanced diet. Eat more fruits and vegetables and get rid of the high sugar, processed foods. Along with eating better is getting the right nutrients in the system.
o So the second thing is to take vitamins and minerals to help your body work properly.
o The third tip is to quit all those nasty unhealthy habits. Smoking, drinking, drugs, chewing tobacco, whatever your vice may be quit now. You are in charge of your health and living a healthier lifestyle means getting rid of the things that may kill you.
o The fourth thing to do is exercise. Exercise makes you feel good and can motivate you to get other things done as well.
o Along with exercise, number five is making sure you see a doctor each year for an annual physical. This is more important in women, but men should be seeing a doctor every 2-3 years to make sure there are no big health concerns.
o The sixth is to surround yourself with a strong support network, or a group of people who will be there for you and participate in a healthy lifestyle as well.
o Your family and friends can help you with the seventh tip, have fun and enjoy life.
o Eighth tip is to create a good balance between work and play.
o The final two tips are to accept yourself for the unique individual you are and love what you do. If you can accept yourself, the good and the bad, it will show in all you do. Your job is something you will be doing for at least the next 20 years, so you should love it. If you don’t keep looking until you find something you do love.
Start with those healthy lifestyle choices and see how you feel in the next few weeks. You should feel more energized, motivated, and positive.
Healthy Life Tips – How to Lead a Happy Healthy Life
A stress free and positive lifestyle is dependent on numerous factors. If you adopt these simple self help tips and techniques, you can live a healthy and happy quality life.
1. Think Positive: A cheerful positive outlook on life is an important factor for good healthy living. Stay in the company of positive thinkers. Self-help books like “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrnes and “Stretch Yourself” by Vickrant Mahajan guide you with invaluable tips to generate good thoughts and make a positive proactive difference in your life.
2. Healthy Diet: Good nutrition means eating wholesome foods such as whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. Restrict the intake of ready-to-eat foods as they are oftentimes high in sodium, fat and even sugar. Limit intake of high fat, high sugar foods. Always make sure that you do not skip any meals, especially breakfast.
3. Regular Exercise: You can incorporate exercise in your daily life with simple techniques to add more activity to your life. Start walking, play the frisbee, toss a ball to your dog, jog, play squash, swim. Usually people are too lazy to start. It is a good idea to involve your family members, your pet or your friends in your fitness plan to make exercise, a fun activity. Think and plan ways to get moving!
4. Cut down stress: If you find your temper rising, count from 1 to 10 slowly in the mind to distract yourself from disturbing situations and better mind management. Avoid people who give you stress and stressful situations whenever possible.
5. Socialize: Family and friends provide physical support in times of need, such as help with running errands, cooking, cleaning and offer a close knit sense of belonging. This feeling gives a strong sense of personal identity, prevents loneliness, help overcome anxiety and depression.
6. Sleep: A good 7-10 hours of continuous undisturbed sleep is essential for mental alertness, emotional stability and sound health.
6 Tips to Beginning a Healthy Lifestyle
Adopting a healthy lifestyle sometimes requires a support system. Working out can be much more fun when you’re accompanied by someone else. And if you lack self-motivation, a solo workout and healthy eating can be challenging. If you’re ready to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll need to adopt some healthy habits to help you reach your goals. Here are six tips to help you adopt a healthy fitness and lifestyle regimen.
1. Plan your workout schedule. Plan out your weekly schedule just as you would with work. Make yourself and your health a priority. Schedule in workout sessions on a daily basis just as you would a meeting for work. Commit to going to your workouts.
2. Get a workout buddy. Family and/or friends are a great place to start. Having a workout buddy can help motivate you, push you and guide you during workouts. In addition, working out with someone else helps keep you accountable. You’re more likely to stay on track when you’ve got someone else counting on you for a workout.
3. Find a class that inspires you. What type of exercise will get you to the gym? What’s most important in the beginning and throughout your healthy lifestyle is to participate in workouts and activities that inspire you to move. Do you love cardio dance classes, body sculpting class or boot camp at your local gym? Determine which activity you would like to do most and gravitate to that activity. In addition, classes are a great way to start working out. Classes provide an instructor that will help motivate you and keep your workouts safe to avoid injury.
4. Get involved in an activity or club. Have you ever thought of getting involved in an activity such as tennis, swimming, golf, softball or a running club? Organized sports activities and clubs provide a great environment for working out with like minded people. In addition, sports groups and clubs are the perfect way to keep you interested, involved and on a training schedule.
5. Set short and long term goals. First and foremost, it’s important to be realistic with your goals. Whether your goals are to lose weight, improve endurance, excel at a sport or simply to become more active, goals can be a great way to keep yourself on track. Make sure to track your progress as well. Whether you journal your steps toward your goals or create a calendar or use an app on your phone, keep a record of the steps you are taking to reach your goals and by what date you would like to reach your goals. Each person is different and each person’s goals should be specific to you and your fitness level and lifestyle.
6. Adopt healthy eating habits. Not only are your workouts important but so is healthy eating. If you want to improve your fitness level, lose weight and become healthier, you’ll need to fuel your body properly. Make sure to hydrate, eat whole fresh foods and try to eliminate processed foods from your diet. Plan your weekly meals, journal your food daily and remember to reward yourself at the end of each week for all of your hard work. Remember, it’s about lifestyle – not deprivation.
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. But with a consistent workout routine, healthy eating and healthy habits, you’re one step closer to your goal. Sit down and devise a workout schedule and a healthy eating schedule. Being prepared can help you stay on track and ensure you stick to your new healthy regimen.
Retirement Redefined: Eight Tips to Creating a Sustained Lifestyle
In 2004, I left Microsoft so Patty and I could homeschool our son Trevor. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age five, and we decided as he was entering seventh grade that he would need more help than what his public school could offer. I was his math and science teacher for two years until he re-entered public school in ninth grade. After my homeschooling stint, I decided to focus on writing and consulting, and later Patty and I starting a publishing business. From that point until now, I have regularly been asked if I’m “retired.” At first, I would respond with a strong “no” due to my opinion that retirees spend their days on the golf course or playing bridge. Over time, though, I recognized I had to come up with a better description of what I do as a profession. It’s not a choice of either the golf course or the 8-to-5 grind. For me, it’s something I call sustained lifestyle.
So, what’s sustained lifestyle? Here’s the definition, then we’ll unpack it:
Sustained lifestyle is when you have a high sense of achievement accompanied by a low degree of stress, making it something you can sustain for a long time.
First let’s talk about achievement. This is about doing something meaningful that accomplishes a desired result which gives you joy. It could be delivering a project on time, helping people in need, or coaching lesser experienced professionals. It’s about getting something done that matters to you and seeing the fruits of your labor.
Next is stress. This is the degree of mental, physical or emotional strain undertaken to achieve a desired result. Delivering a project on time with high-pressure executive meetings, project team infighting, and an unreasonable customer is much more taxing than one with cooperative execs, project team members, and customers. The end result is a completed project, but the execution was like pedaling uphill in tenth gear.
When stress and achievement are combined in the context of lifestyle, one of the four results are realized:
A frustration lifestyle is the result of high stress accompanied by low achievement. Think burning the midnight oil on projects that get cancelled last-minute or never used.
A boredom lifestyle is the result of low stress accompanied by low achievement. Think getting up every morning with nothing to do.
A burnout lifestyle is the result of high stress accompanied by high achievement. Think successive strategic projects with demanding customers, a dysfunctional team, and irrational management.
A sustained lifestyle is the result of low stress accompanied by high achievement. Think volunteering for a cause you’re passionate about on your work terms.
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m in no way saying that a sustained lifestyle means no stress. There are certainly things in life that crop up and cause great stress. However, a sustained lifestyle gives you margin to handle unexpected stress more effectively than if your stress bucket were already full.
Here are eight tips to create a sustained lifestyle that’s enjoyable and fulfilling for you:
- Run to a vocation – Creating a sustained lifestyle entails having a post-career plan that you work to once you’ve left your job. The plan could be to discover your sustained lifestyle vocation or, if you already know what you want to do, how to make that sustained lifestyle a reality. Painting a picture in your head of what it will look like will help you get excited about giving it life.
- Be clear on your decision criteria – Deciding on what your sustained lifestyle looks like means being very honest with yourself on your decision criteria. Is a continued income important or necessary? Will you need something that continues to feed your ego? Is the flexibility to say no to things important? No right or wrong answers on the criteria, but be deliberate about defining it. This Excel-based assessment tool will help you think about your criteria using nine crucial contentment elements.
- Make each day purposeful – I have a theme for each weekday that focuses on some aspect of my vocation; Monday is Amazon book ads day; Tuesday is article writing day (Yes, I’m writing this article on a Tuesday.); Wednesday is mentoring day, etc. While I may move things around based on schedules, I know what my core activities will be on each day of the week.
- Agree on the guiding principles with your spouse/partner – Patty and I have several guiding principles on our sustained lifestyle, the most important being the freedom to do what we want from wherever we want. We enjoy travel and regularly do winter treks to warmer weather. We can continue publishing books and I can write regardless of where we are. Having an understanding between you and your spouse/partner about what is important and what you want to protect is crucial to a happy sustained lifestyle.
- Have at least one goal you’re working toward – After my father-in-law sold his locksmith business, he took on other hobbies which kept him growing, most notably photography. Having goals not only keeps you learning, but also satisfies the need for a sense of accomplishment.
- Be accountable – I am a member of a men’s business group that meets twice a month. Three of us want to drop some extra pounds, so we agreed that before each meeting we will share our current weight with each other. It’s amazing how much more I think about what I consume because I don’t want to report poor progress to my colleagues. Having accountability to someone else helps you focus on your goal and work harder to achieve it.
- Be mindful about what stresses you out – Keeping a wide distance between achievement and stress means being honest with yourself about what stresses you out and putting things in place to keep stress to a minimum. Know your stressors and keep them in check.
- Create a comfortable space – I have a standup desk in our den with three monitors and a large screen TV on the wall. Every morning, after getting my first cup of coffee, I go to my workstation and use it throughout the day. It’s a very comfortable setup that I enjoy and don’t mind spending time at.
Whether you’re at retirement age, close to it, or merely thinking about it, keep the concept of a sustained lifestyle front and center. Think high achievement and low stress.
The Advantages Of Staying In A Downtown Hotel
No matter whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, where you stay can make all the difference to the success and pleasure of your trip.
Sometimes, you might choose a hotel that is on the outskirts of town, either because you are not familiar with the area or because you think the accommodation is less expensive away from the centre.
What you will often find is that this choice has made your daily excursions to places of interest or linking up with your business colleagues very inconvenient and totally out-of-the-way, causing you problems with transport and punctuality.
Your choice of a hotel on the outskirts of town may be miles away from where you are expected to be for your business or personal plans.
If you have traveled by plane and need to rely on public transportation to get to your destination, you will learn very quickly that public transport options may be extremely limited, which means that chances are you could spend a lot of your precious time waiting around. You may also discover the options of dining, sight-seeing and discovering places of interests are limited, because your accommodation is too far away.
From experience we know that staying in a downtown hotel is the best solution for all manner of reasons, the most important being simply because of the convenience factor.
When you stay in a downtown hotel it puts you smack bang right in the middle of everything; where you can enjoy the hub and flavor of the city and its inhabitants.
From restaurants, stores, tourist attractions, public transport to business centres and conference venues you will find them easier to access from a central city point.
Public transport hubs, almost anywhere in the world are always located in the centre of the city, adjacent to the downtown area. There will be many amenities and attractions within walking distance and if transport is needed, the ease of catching a cab, hopping on a bus or boarding a subway is usually pretty easy from a downtown hotel.
In cities around the world, the downtown area is always the heart of the city and this pivotal point will be very close to many places that a visitor would be interested in seeing, either for business or pleasure.
In most cities, if not all, the world of business is centered around the downtown area and when you stay in a downtown hotel, you are right in the middle of the action, so to speak.
The walk to a convention centre or office building can often be more convenient and enjoyable than taking public transport. If transport is required you will usually find a bus stop or train station close at hand.
If traveling by plane to your destination, the trip to and from the airport usually ends at a downtown terminus as airport shuttles and taxis have express routes to central areas making your trip easy and quick. For the downtown hotels, there is no need to call for a cab to the airport when the time comes to depart as the airport shuttles have the standard route, often leaving on the hour or even as often as every 15 minutes.
When it is time to check out and head home, the return trip to the airport can be so much easier when you can simply walk out the door of your hotel and board the shuttle to transport you to the airport.
Source by Midge Hand
Hotel Ambiance – What is Essential is Invisible to the Eye
We define ambiance as the mood or the atmosphere that we encounter in a particular place at a particular instance of time. Ambiance, in this context, is a very important aspect of the hotel experience. It’s not really something guests see, but rather something that is felt, something that is experienced.
Without ambiance, hotels will simply be buildings with a bunch of rooms for lodging-and nothing more. Ambiance helps transform the hotel from a building with accommodations to a home away from home, an establishment where guests can be alive and well. Ambiance is the hotel’s character, important both for the hotel’s own mark as well as for the enjoyment of its many patrons.
Take the Gravetye Manor Hotel, for example. It is perhaps one of the most ambiance-filled hotels ever. This garden hotel located in England may not be the most flamboyant and spectacular hotels in the world, but it is filled with an inherent beauty and character afforded by the garden, the hotel’s stone construction, and a remarkable view of the surrounding English countryside. Its unchanging composition makes travelers come back for more.
Another excellent example is the roof of the Lebua at State Tower, located at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. With its breathtaking perspective overlooking the sprawling Bangkok cityscape, it’s no wonder many voted it one of the most ambient hotels in Asia.
See, the thing about ambiance is that one hotel doesn’t have to be located anywhere in particular just to simulate an atmosphere. Sure, being surrounded by lush groves and a rustic setting helps create a particularly relaxing mood, but it takes more than location to pull it off.
When it comes to creating that perfect atmosphere, well-appointed rooms that complement the hotel’s desired theme or character are always a big plus. Every tiny little detail should be able to work with every other detail as well as the environment, in order to create a unified mood that meshes together perfectly to achieve the desired result.
Sometimes it’s all about getting all things perfectly matched. From the food to the furnishings to the music played in the dining hall, these details all help create a unique ambiance. Lighting, of course, has a big effect on the ambiance. Even the decorations on the doors and the intricate tapestries adorning the walls play a significant role in establishing a mood inside the hotel.
People look for ambiance practically everywhere, from where they will be sitting at lunchtime to where they will be drinking their venti caramel frappuccino when the night comes. Atmosphere is everything-well, maybe not everything, but it sure is a very big something-especially when it comes to choosing hotels. Getting that particular mood just right helps establish the character of the hotel, and it is this defining characteristic that will help make guests book at the hotel more than once. Great ambiance translates to happy clients, and having that down pat means the hotel is well on its way to success.
Hotel Franchises – Pros and Cons
Here is a quick review of the basic pros and cons of buying a hotel franchise. Every investor is different. Depending on who you are some of the “pros” may really be “cons” and vice versa. Consider this a starting point in your assessment of hotel franchise opportunities.
Starting with the good stuff, let’s look at the Pros:
Reduction of startup risk – you are working with someone who has done this before successfully.
Turnkey operation – again no reinventing the wheel on processes, procedures or procurement. Your franchisor has built the system already.
Standardized systems – backend accounting, IT and financial systems already in place so you aren’t spending your time implementing reservations systems.
Buying power – as part of a larger whole, you get the benefit of volume buying.
Consulting readily available – experience counts and your franchisor has been around the block. Ask for as much help as they are willing to give.
Marketing – the brand image and marketing is out there already. You aren’t chasing one-off travel reviewerers to get your name out.
Financial assistance – some franchisors are willing to help you with funding these high capital projects.
You are your own boss – the glory of that goes without saying!
Now let’s take a look at the downsides:
Less Freedom – You are married to your franchisor – for better or worse!
Royalty Payments – as a franchisee you pay for the supports above.
Costs – Hotels are high capital and operating cost businesses.
Lack of Support – if your franchisor doesn’t help as you expect, you may be out in the cold.
Inflexible Systems – even if you have a better way to manage reservations, you are using their method.
Unbalanced Contract – all franchising contracts, not just for hotels, are tilted toward the franchisor.
Dependent on Franchisor – their performance is your performance.
These are all things to consider as you step toward a decision about buying a franchise or hotel business.
Hotel Staycation
There are vacations where you temporarily visit another city, state or country and take in all these new places have to offer and then there are staycations where you stay in your own city and act like a tourist. Both are great ideas for something fun to do, and both have their advantages and disadvantages but if you choose a staycation for this year’s holiday, what about still going to a hotel?
Usually staycations mean you use your house as your home base and you take trips out daily to things in and around your city. It may be that museum you have always wanted to go to but never got around to it, it could be a new water park that just opened, it could be a trip to a nearby park to do things like canoeing that you always wanted to try. At the end of the day, you go home to sleep and do something fun the next day till the staycation is over. What if, instead of going home you checked into a hotel, right in your own city? It’s like a vacation and a staycation all in one and while it may be more expensive than just going home, it adds some excitement to your holiday.
Staying in a hotel is always fun. There are different beds, different layouts, things like the pool and gym to check out, and they usually have a bar or restaurant attached for easy snacks, meals and unwinding times too. Staying in a hotel offers you something different from the same old routine. It gets you up and out in the morning and offers you a warm and comforting atmosphere when you return. You don’t have to make the beds or pick up the towels and yet you come back to a perfect room at day’s end.
Hotels these days have WiFi and other amenities to make it just like home while having a little adventure and you don’t have to stay long, just a night or two will up the fun factor of a staycation and give you different memories that you can share. They also always have plenty of information about nearby places and events that you may have missed. So play tourist in your own town, it’s fun and you’ll learn a lot about where you live, and while it’s always nice to go home again, check into a hotel, if only for a night. You’ll be glad you did!
5 Mistakes You Want to Avoid When Booking a Hotel Room
If you think you can get the lowest hotel price waiting for a last-minute deal, chances are that you might end up paying a lot more for your trip. In this article, we are going to share a report statistics with you to help you get the best deal.
According to a report from TripAdvisor, the best time to book a hotel depends upon the place you want to visit. For instance, if you want to go to Europe in summer, make sure you choose to book when the rates are the lowest. In the same way, the money you need also depends on the region you want to visit. Given below are a few common hotel booking mistakes that you may want to avoid.
Waiting too Long to Book a Hotel in Europe
In summertime, Europe is the most popular among tourists. According to the report, in Berlin, you can save up to 33% if you choose to book at least a few months ahead of the season. There are some cities where you don’t have to worry about booking. They are Paris and Istanbul. The reason is that these cities have more than enough hotel rooms. So, that won’t be a problem for you.
Booking too Early
In Asia, you don’t have to spend a lot to spend your vacations unlike Europe. For instance, in Dubai, even if you book two months ahead of the season, you can save up to 40%.
Booking over 5 months ahead of your Trip
Booking over 5 months in advance will cost you more in case of some places that the study covers. However, two exceptions are Moscow and Barcelona. For these places, you can choose to book up to 7 months in advance and still save a lot. As a matter of fact, traveling to Moscow can get you up to 55% discount, which is a huge sum.
Worrying about Summer Season Bargains in the Caribbean
Conventionally, in the Caribbean, low-season pricing may help you save a hefty sum of money. You don’t have to worry about when to book to get the best deal as booking when the prices are the lowest can save you as high as 7%, which is not much. In other words, you can enjoy the lowest prices no matter when you choose to book.
Thinking about last-minute savings for Expensive Cities
If you are going to visit New York city, know that you can’t get the best deals for summer trips. However, if you still want to save a considerable sum of money, consider booking 30 to 60 days ahead of your trip. This can help you cut your expenses by 25%.
Long story short, the next time you book a hotel for your next trip, we suggest that you go through this article again if you want to avoid the common mistakes. The idea is to make the best decision. Hopefully, this will help you get the most out of your trip while saving you a considerable sum at the same time.
Stay at the Haunted Hotels of San Jose
San Jose is the region in Northern California known as Silicon Valley. It was founded as the first town of Nueva California as a Spanish colony. The city offers a wide variety of cultural, recreational, business and entertainment opportunities. Hence, many tourists decide to stay at the many hotels that guarantee a pleasurable, comfortable and relaxing experience.
Haunted hotels are the perfect place to experience thrill and comfort at the same time. It can also test one’s bravery. Many of the haunted hotels have a past history, sheltering unwanted spirits. Below are the three haunted hotels in San Jose.
Ramada Limited
Ramada Limited is a three story Motor Inn by the San Jose Convention Center. It is located at the center of the downtown area. This hotel is just 3.5 miles from the airport and 3 blocks away from the San Jose State University.
Hotel amenities include free wireless high speed Internet, continental breakfast and a parking area. The hotel also provides modern equipments at the fitness center as well as outdoor pool with Jacuzzi, sauna and a steam room. Guestrooms are equipped with refrigerators, coffeemakers, data ports and direct dial phones. Functions and special events can be held at their spacious meeting rooms.
You can enjoy all these amenities with a thrilling and unforgettable stay for one or two nights. Guests and workers had experienced people screaming because of a green glowing light and rattling locker doors. A dancing couple also happened to disappear on thin air at the ballroom.
Hyatt Hotel St. Claire
Hyatt Hotel is a deluxe Lakspur Hotel at the heart of downtown San Jose. It is just three miles away from Mineta International Airport and a walk-away from San Jose McEnergy Convention Center. The hotel offers elegant and enchanting accommodations that suit one’s comfort. This hotel presents a free-spirited atmosphere with superior services and cuisines. Guests who want to experience business or pleasure can be dazzled with the luxurious and stylish setting of Hyatt Hotel.
Some people who visited the hotel believe that it is haunted. Stories indicate that the hotel has a resident ghost named Julia. She is a prominent young woman who was married at the Palm Room in the 1930s. Her fiancé abandoned her at the altar and she took her life at the basement.
Guests experienced hearing footsteps of a high heeled woman and background pictures that contain a wedding gown train with bride’s feet. There was also a strange incidence at the second and sixth floor.
Unwanted sightings are just one part of the hotel’s exciting offers. The hotel’s first rate amenities and services are the important features you can’t afford to miss. This includes complimentary Internet access, a mobile office, business center, lobby and restaurants. Guest rooms are equipped with flat screen televisions, Microsystem CDs with MP3s and audio cables.
Hyatt Hotel also offers a relaxing evening entertainment at the restaurants like I1 Fornaio and Panetteria. I1 Fornaio offers authentic Italian dining for 220 seats, while Panetteria has a wide array of baked goods. The hotel also offers more than 10,000 square feet of meeting spaces. The modern authentic venues can accommodate 450 guests. Hyatt also recommends exclusive perks for discounts, gift cards and hot deal pricing on packages.
Winchester Mansion
Winchester mansion is a 162 acre residence of Sarah Winchester. The mansion is continuously constructed from 1884 until her death on 1922. It was estimated to cost about $5.5 million.
The story of the haunted mansion started when Sarah Winchester’s husband and son died. A medium told her to move west and build a house for the deceased spirits killed by Winchester rifles of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Sarah’s family was cursed and the only way to save her life from death is to build a house for the spirit to reside in. Sarah will live as long as she keeps on building the house.
It originally has seven storeys before it was reduced to four after the 1906 earthquake struck the building. It was made entirely with redwood and a floating foundation. There are 160 rooms with 40 bedrooms and 2 ballrooms. It also has 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 2 basements and 3 elevators.
Today, the house is owned by the Winchester Investments LLC and declared as a Historical Landmark in California.