Author: admin

Posted on

Last Minute Travel – Don’t Leave Without Knowing This

If you are a business person that is on a very rigid schedule, finding last minute travel deals is probably not for you. However, if you are a single person, and have nothing better to do than to go somewhere for the fun of it, hooking up with last minute travel deals is probably a great choice. Being able to travel for pennies on the dollar because of the discount that the airline gives you can be a blessing for those who absolutely love to travel. There are many ways to travel on the cheap, but there are also a couple considerations that you must make you for taking this discounted trip.

One thing to consider before going on your discounted trip would be to take all important papers that will be needed for the trip including visa, passports, medical and insurance documents, trip schedule, lodging information, driver’s licenses and so forth in your carry-on luggage just in case. Also, if you have some health concerns that require treatment, be sure to carry a copy of your medical history along with you in case it may be necessary to get treatment while you are away.

Most likely, these pet owners have already established a relationship with their dogs and so they are not comfortable traveling to other places and leaving their dogs behind. Whether it is a business or pleasure trip, no one can stop pet owners from bringing their dogs, even if they are traveling by air, land or sea. Almost all countries worldwide have restrictions on passengers traveling with their pet dogs.

Another thing to consider is that some people travel by air with their pet dogs in tow for the purpose of joining dog shows or just to have them along. If you are such a person, last minute travel deals may not be for you if you cannot find the proper accommodations for your pet before leaving. Also, a last-minute trip might upset your pet, causing your pet to get stressed and get ill from the experience.

Lastly, if you are a family person, it is much harder to coordinate everyone and make sure that all accommodations for everyone are taking care of before you embark on your last minute travel deal. These types of trips are designed for single folk, not people with obligations or responsibilities that cannot be left behind. Be sure to check all of the airlines and travel companies that offer last minute travel deals on a daily basis to ensure that you get the right one for you.

Posted on

Children Beware: Cultural Landmines Abound

We live in a time when childhood obesity is reaching epic proportions, as are the typical food servings dished up to our nation’s youth – much to their naive delight. The old adage remains true: ignorance is bliss, but its time for our children to get educated on the relationship of lifestyle and health!

Rather than hemming and hawing about the gravity of the problem, practical methods of teaching children how to recognize and, in turn, circumvent negative societal influences while also imparting how and why to make better lifestyle choices is long overdue. Given all of the negative stimuli our kids encounter each and every day – sometimes hour by hour – of course they are going to make poor choices. Simply put, they are easy prey, and society is setting them up for failure.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that over 20 percent of American children are either overweight or obese, now more than ever we must help our kids recognize the overwhelming number of cultural influences outside their span of control that impact their decision making, and lessen the emotional burden carried by children who have internalized the responsibility for their weight problem. Rather than harboring displaced blame or guilt, our nation’s children would greatly benefit from re-focusing their emotional and physical energy on effecting positive, healthful changes in their life.

This all sounds good in theory but, rather than conjecture, we need action…primarily by parents who are the true foot soldiers in our kids’ battle of the bulge. And, it’s NOT rocket science. For starters, parents must teach their children the vernacular of healthy living, so they understand exactly why they are being asked to do things as it relates to their health so they make the proper connections. Children should know that it’s important to drink milk because it contains calcium that will make their bones strong, or to eat protein because it will help them develop muscle strength. They should know that their parents go to the gym to work out or walk outside because exercising helps keep their heart healthy.

Parents, teachers and other adolescent caregivers should TALK about the health risks of a chronically overweight and obese condition, including age-appropriate concepts related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Parents should point out those television commercials, billboards and other commercial advertising that attempts to influence their child(ren) to make a poor choice, and talk about what a healthy alternative would be. While out and about, parents should show the child exactly how temptations are strategically placed practically everywhere they go, and how to read the Nutrition Facts on food labels so they don’t fall victim to false or misleading health claims.

Parents should teach children how to eat “appropriate” portions of food – even when the restaurant serves entrees that could feed a family of four, should stock their home with nutritious snack and other foods so that their children are enabled to make proper choices, and should limit the amount of time their child is allowed to spend in front of the TV, computer and/or video game system. Parents should teach their child to take the stairs even if an elevator is right nearby. This is the tip of the iceberg…there are so many practical ways we can teach our kids to make the right choices in life.

The bottom line is simple: childhood obesity not only spells danger for the future health of our children, but for our nation at large. As such, it’s our collective responsibility to help kids navigate the omnipresent cultural landmines.

Posted on

Food Items That You Can Take With You on Long Trips

Long trips necessitate a great amount of planning if you don’t want to fall prey to the fast food siren song. Indeed, long trips, whether they are cross-country road trips, plane trips, or simply long commutes, seem designed to prevent people from eating a healthy diet or keep spending at a minimum. Without planning, the fast food restaurants will win out. Here are some great foods to pack when taking a long trip.

Fruits and vegetables:

Crunchy items like these will keep you occupied and awake while driving. Because they contain water and fiber, they will also keep you hydrated and digesting adequately: two things that can be difficult to maintain on long trips. Choose from whole and sliced apples, carrots, celery, and oranges. Soft fruits like pears and berries are not suitable to long trips because they bruise and squish easily. They are good to eat in dried form, however. Try dried pears, peaches, dates, and freeze-dried bananas, strawberries, and pineapple. Eat dried fruit in moderation, as it can dehydrate.

Jerky:

Beef jerky is the consummate travel food. It is high in protein, it fills the need for “real” food, and it is sweet, tangy, or spicy enough to wake the taste buds. Peppered, original, and teriyaki are popular flavors. Jerky can also be found in carne seca, sweet-hot, and barbecue. “Steak strips”, “nuggets,” and sticks are alternative forms of jerky. Chemical-laden jerky can be found in gas stations, but organic brands of jerky are now available in stores like Meijer, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. It is fairly easy to make your own jerky at home with a food dehydrator and a good slicing knife, as well.

Cheese:

Cheeses are good travel foods. They keep reasonably well at room temperature and are another source of nutrient-dense food for travelers. Try string cheese, block cheeses, and cheese cubes. The Babybell cheeses wrapped in wax seem to be tailor-made to travel needs.

Snack foods:

Chips, pretzels, nuts, and seeds can keep one occupied and full while on a long trip. Nuts and seeds are more nutrient-dense and are a better use of space if space is limited. Chips and pretzels, while tasty, don’t provide many nutrients outside of salt and carbohydrates, and are full of air, which takes up space. They also crumble easily. The salt in these snacks can help keep you hydrated while traveling and are worth seeking out for that reason. Instead of carrying them with you, consider buying an occasional bag of chips when you stop for gas or have a layover at the next airport.

Water:

Caffeinated beverages can be a boon to the tired traveler, but they are hard to keep cool and available, they are heavy, and they take up a lot of space. Like chips and snacks, it might be better to occasionally buy the needed soda rather than bringing it along. It is always a wise decision, however, to pack water and/or a water container when traveling. Keep a few gallon jugs of water always in your trunk for emergencies and to refill your travel-sized bottles as you complete your trip. It is getting harder to bring liquids with you onto an airplane, but if you have an empty, clear water container with you, you can fill it from water fountains at the airport and from on-flight service while flying.