How to Holiday with Friends (without falling out)

 

Going on holiday with friends can be a great experience. It gives you more people to socialise with and if you are travelling with children, you can share baby-sitting duties. Travelling with friends is also a good way to cut the cost of expensive holidays as you can often get better deals when more people travel together. However, going on holiday with friends for the first time can also have its stressful moments and no matter how well you usually get on, suddenly being thrust into close proximity for seven days or more can put a real strain on your friendship.

 

The key to a successful holiday with friends is to address potential issues before you set off. Have a meeting before you travel to talk about what you are expecting from the holiday. It might sound boring but it could save your friendship.  Things to consider include:

 

Will you spend each day together as a group, or just socialise together in the evenings? Make sure you know what your friends’ ideal holiday is before you agree to go. Some people’s idea of heaven is lazing by the pool every day whilst others might prefer to pack each day with a full itinerary of sightseeing and adventure. There’s no reason why you have to do the same things each day but it’s better to let your friends know what you intend before you go so that no-one gets upset if you aren’t together all the time.

 

If you are taking children, tensions can often occur if you and your friends have different approaches to parenting. For example, one set of parents might think that children should be allowed to stay up late when on holiday whilst others might believe that it’s best for them to go to bed at their usual time. It’s also a good idea to establish rules for the kids. You don’t want one set of parents telling their kids they can’t have ice-cream every day whilst the others are letting their kids eat as many as they like.

 

Money can be a big source of tension when on holiday. Some people think that holidays are a time to blow the budget; eating out every night and enjoying expensive sightseeing trips. This is fine if all the people in your party can afford to do the same things but if some need to keep an eye on expenses, they may be reluctant to join in. Talk about budgets before you go to prevent tensions arising once you are away.

 

Remember holidays should be a time to enjoy spending each day exactly as you choose so don’t feel you have to join in activities just to please your friends. In fact, it can be a good idea to spend a chunk of time each day apart – that way you’ll have plenty to talk about when you meet up again in the evening.

 

You can find money saving holiday tips at: www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/

Categories: Friends, holiday, holidays, people, time

5 Sure - Five Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy Over the Holidays

 

As the holiday season rolls around, you will encounter an abundance of sugary treats. While this is a big part of the holiday cheer, it’s significantly less cheerful for your teeth. However, these five tips can help you keep your teeth healthy without putting a damper on your enjoyment.

 

1. Eat a Balanced Diet

Be sure to balance those sweet treats with plenty of healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables. These foods help improve salivary production, which is your mouth’s first line of defense against tooth decay. Saliva helps remove leftover bits of food and washes away the acids and bacteria that can damage teeth. Furthermore, the minerals in these foods will help to reinforce tooth structure.

 

2. Take Care with Sticky Candies

Chewy treats like caramels and taffy are especially bad for your teeth. These foods adhere to the nooks and crannies in your teeth, creating an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and plague. In addition, the acidity of the sugar can also wear away at tooth enamel, causing decay and pain. It’s best to limit your consumption of these candies, and when you do eat them, make sure you brush afterward.

 

3. Rinse

Even after you eat non-sticky candies and foods, there will still be ample amounts of sugar and acids left behind. Not only can these contribute to bad breath but they can also cause decay if left there. Fortunately, there’s a quick solution that can be done anywhere. Simply rinse out your mouth with water when you’re finished indulging.

 

4. Go Sugar Free

There are a wide variety of candies available that are sugar-free, yet taste just as good as conventional options. Those meant for diabetics are often sweetened with xylitol, a sugar alcohol that has actually been shown to protect teeth from decay. It does this by preventing oral bacteria from metabolizing sugars into erosion-causing acids. If you have to have candy, try substituting sugary candies for sugar-free ones whenever possible.

 

5. Be Wary of Hard Candies

Hard candies are popular holiday treats. However, as tempting as they might be, you may want to consider avoiding them. They’re responsible for a surprisingly large number of tooth injuries, like cracks and breaks. These conditions can be very painful and may necessitate an emergency visit to your dentist.

 

The holiday season holds many perils for your oral health. Tooth decay, cracks and breaks and tooth pain are all things you must take into consideration. By following these five tips and paying a visit to a quality dental clinic like Brantford Mall Dental Office, you can more effectively protect your teeth without sacrificing the holiday cheer.

 

 

Categories: Healthy, holidays, teeth, ways

Why All Couples Have These Holiday Fights

The holidays are a stressful time for family wellness and wellbeing, and nearly all couples have fights during the holidays. What you need to do is just take a step back and think about the bigger picture, as it’s much better in the long run if you can keep your stress levels low.

 

If you look around you, you’ll see holiday stress and relationship dramas everywhere you look – not just with your friends and family but also at work and in the news. Unfortunately, being bombarded with these kinds of negative messages can make you feel nervous and anxious about your own relationship. If you start thinking negatively, it’s far too easy to let all the little things turn into major fights.

 

Instead, you need to totally transform your mindset. Start thinking that the holidays are going to be great, and you are much likely to find that this comes true. Stay connected with your partner, and you are more likely to avoid those holiday blowups that everyone is so susceptible to.

 

One reason why many people fight during the holidays is that it is a time when you are obligated to spend time with family members. You may find that one half of the partnership is looking forward to seeing a long-lost family member whilst the other person in the relationship is resentful about having to spend the holidays with them.

 

A great way to avoid this is to make sure that you don’t plan to spend 24 hours a day with your family. Of course you want to spend time with them, but you don’t need to spend all the time possible with them, especially if you want to keep a happy, healthy balance in your marriage. When making plans for the holidays, make sure that you build in time to escape, just you and your partner, for a bit of one-on-one time together. You can go for a coffee and just have a chance to chat, clear the air and keep on track with your relationship.

Categories: couple, Family, Fight, holiday, holidays, nbsp, spend, spend time, time

Encourage Your Kids To Enjoy Exercise More With These Tips

The school holidays come around all too quickly, and all of a sudden you’re trying to think of ways to make sure your kids don’t spend the whole time sitting in front of the TV. Summer holidays, in particular, is so long that you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to help keep them active. Times have changed from when kids used to spend the summer biking around their local area and playing football in the park; they now spend time playing video games and browsing the internet. While it may seem they’re safer, it doesn’t do anything for their health. We all need to get out of the house regularly to get some sunshine and some fresh air, and kids are no different. Here are some ways to get the kids up and out, so that they can keep fit, enjoy the sunshine and have fun all at the same time.

Limit their screen time

TV, video games and computers may have their benefits, but too much time spent staring at a screen can have a damaging effect. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children under the age of two have no screen time at all, whereas children over the age of two don’t watch any more than one to two hours of TV or video games each day. If you offer your kids an alternative then they will be less tempted to spend all of their holidays inside.

Buy some basics

You may not have a full gym in your house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep some basics in the house to make exercising easier. A few balls, such as a football and basketball, a skipping rope, and even a bike if you have the room, will be great essentials to give your kids the incentive to move more. Better yet, it gets them  outside.

Take the kids outside

Of course, you can exercise indoors. But getting the kids outside is likely to get them moving more and also gets them their daily dose of vitamin D. Why not take the kids down to the local park for a kickabout, or go swimming for half an hour? You can even use such activities as a reward for chores around the house – a 30 minute session down the park in exchange for taking out the rubbish in the morning or making their bed.

Give them things to do

Often, the problem for children is finding something that’s available to them. This is where buying things for the house, such as footballs, comes in handy. But if you put some more thought into it, it can be even more exciting for your kids. Why not make a scavenger hunt? At each station, give them a clue and an activity that they need to complete before moving on to the next location – this could be something like jumping jacks, push-ups or a lap around the garden. At the end, you could give them a reward to make it even more enticing.

Take up an activity

If you have the facilities nearby, why not set your kids up on a fun course? Dancing, karate or swimming are all great options, where they’ll have fun, keep fit and even make some new friends along the way.Check out the classes at your local gym or activity centre – you may even find that they have special summer classes available that are especially designed to keep kids entertained during the holidays.

Categories: exercise, fitness, holidays, house, Kids, Screen time, spend, time, Video Games

How to Stay Healthy on Holidays

While it’s natural to focus on the exciting elements of travel, like seeing new places and enjoying fresh experiences, when it comes to getting the most out of all your holidays don’t forget to put some thought into staying healthy along the way as well. Whether you’re getting ready to book a hotel in Coffs Harbour for a quick weekend getaway or are preparing for a month-long trip to Europe, it’s a good idea to take care of your body and practice healthy habits even while you’re away. Read on for five top tips to consider during your next vacation.

 

 

Watch What You Eat in Transit

Travelling long distances, especially on planes, can be very dehydrating, so take precautions to ensure you keep your fluid levels up in transit.Steer clear of coffee or alcohol and stick with water for the duration of your journey. It can sometimes be difficult to get enough to drink on a long-haul flight so it’s a good idea to take an empty stainless steel water bottle with you in your hand luggage. You can ask the flight attendant to fill it up with the plane’s purified water during the trip. Similarly, if travelling long distances by road, always remember to take a water bottle and stop for plenty of breaks to top up your supply. You should also watch what you eat when travelling to your destination. Airline food is not generally particularly healthy, and neither is most food you find at stops along the highway. To help you be healthy during your journey take plenty of health-conscious foods with you instead. Many people are unaware that you can actually take food on board airplanes. While you can’t take fruit and veg off the plane as a general rule (due to quarantine restrictions) you can eat whatever you like while on board.

 

 

Research Restaurant Options

Similarly, you don’t want to undo all your good work by eating badly once you arrive at your destination. Eat nutritiously during your holiday and you’ll find yourself feeling much better along the way and when you return home as well. The longer your trip, the more you’re likely to be affected by an inadequate diet, so if you’re travelling for a week or longer, this is particularly important. To help you stay on track it is beneficial to suss out healthy and/or organic restaurants and supermarkets before you leave. When eating out use your judgement about what to eat and what to avoid. Pre-prepared foods can gather germs quite quickly so opt for freshly-made meals and always choose to have any meat well-cooked. You can also book accommodation that has a kitchen, (or at least the basic cooking equipment) so that you can make your own meals while away.

 

 

Make Time to Exercise

Flying, or many hours cramped in a car, train or bus, can be terrible for your circulation so make sure that you stretch as often as possible during your journey. When you arrive in your destination, ensure you fit in some time to exercise regularly as well. Apart from helping your circulation the exercise will also have the other standard health benefits associated with brisk movement, and will also help to regulate your body clock at the same time. Easy exercise options while away can include walking and running, cycling, swimming, yoga and using the hotel gym.

 

Staying clean and only drinking fresh, safe water while you travel is another effective way to keep illness at bay. Wash your hands regularly, or keep a bottle of hand sanitiser with you for those times when you can’t access soap and water. This is very effective in preventing the spread of nasty bacteria and is particularly important before and after meals; before you touch your eyes, nose or mouth; and if you aren’t able to shower for a while. If you’re travelling in a country where the quality of water is uncertain, then boiling water before you drink it is a tried and tested way to avoid most bugs.

 

 

Be Choosy in YourTravel Partner

It’s helpful to select a travel partner who is in the same frame of mind as you when it comes to staying healthy on holidays. Although of course you can keep up good habits and hygiene no matter who your companion is, it certainly makes the trip more fun (and the amount of willpower needed less) if you spend your holiday with someone who is also keen to stay fit and healthy.

 

 

About the Author:

Fiona Spruce is a travel writer with a passion for international vacations, cycling and organic foods who has visited more than 50 countries around the world.

Categories: Healthy, holidays, long distances, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, staying healthy, travelling, travelling long, Water, water bottle

Sick During the Holidays?: How You Can Cope

It’s not easy being sick, especially during “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s the worst timing ever considering there’s lots of good food and you’ll be spending time with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. But all the preparations–overtime before going on break and nonstop cooking for Christmas–can take its toll on you and before you know it, you’re down with colds or worse, the flu. The cold weather isn’t helping either. It will only take your cold or flu from bad to worse. But don’t get depressed, you can still enjoy the holidays if you make the most of it. Just take some necessary steps so that you can cope and get better sooner than later.

Get Drunk on Vitamin C

Some people dive into medicines the second they find out that they are sick. I prefer going the natural way–lots of water and loads of vitamin C. If you don’t like Vitamin C supplements, you can just drink freshly squeezed orange juice or you can eat other citrus fruits that are rich in vitamin C. Water therapy is also important so make sure you hydrate and drink a lot of water. I think the organic way is more preferable that going straight to medicines, since it can help build up your immune system and the next time you get down with a cold or flu, you might have a faster recovery time.

 

Stay Out of the Cold

As much as you relish making snow angels with your family or having snowball fights with siblings and cousins, if you’re sick, you have to sit this activity out. If you’re not a fan of the cold, then this shouldn’t be a problem. If you do love the cold, there’s always a next time and if you get better earlier, there might be just enough time for one last snowball fight. If the snow has already gone by the time you are well, you can always go to an ice skating rink with friends. A bright spot on your getting sick is that you can stay warm and toasty indoors and sip hot cocoa in front of the fireplace. Or you can catch up on your reading and curl up with a good book near the hearth.

 

Be Vigilant

If in the worst case scenario, your little cold turns out to be pneumonia, it’s safer to go to the hospital so that your condition will be monitored better. Try not to feel too depressed because your emotions can often affect the state of your health. If you are frequently depressed, your immune system will also suffer and you will be prone to sickness. Try to always look at the positive side of things. When in the hospital, be vigilant so that you won’t get hospital acquired infections (HAI). One way of preventing HAI is through the use of a needleless connector. In hospital, you will have no choice but to take the medication that your doctor prescribes for you. However, you can still reinforce this treatment with water therapy and vitamin C. Enough sleep is also a must so that your body can rest and recover sooner rather than later.

 

About the Author

Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.

Categories: cope, holidays, hospital, sick, time, vitamin, Water, water therapy

How To Lose Some Weight For Your Holiday

We all love going away on holiday, especially if that means a fun and warm break in the sun. But along with loving the feeling of sitting on a beach, swimming in the sea and getting the chance to really relax that you don’t really get at home, going on a beach holiday can actually cause a certain level of anxiety for us. For some people the anxiety comes from the stress of organising the holiday for others it is the stress of trying to afford the cost of the holiday. But a huge number of people also worry about the way that they will look when they are in their swimming costume on the beach.

 

If you have been lucky enough to book a holiday recently you may be feeling like this. Perhaps you’ve gained a little weight since your last holiday and you’re worried that you might not fit into your swimming costume like you used to. But don’t worry, all is not lost. We’ve got a really fantastic dieting plan that is the perfect way to help you drop those extra pounds very quickly and get in shape for your beach holiday. Based across just seven days, it is ideal for those people who need a quick fix to remedy their pre-holiday blues.

 

So how does it work? The plan is designed around a basis of cutting calories and going a lot of high intensity cardio work. In fact the overall goal of the plan is to create a daily calorie deficit of around 500 calories. When you consider that women generally need around 2,100 calories per day to maintain their weight, it’s clear that if you want to lose weight, you need to bring your calorie intake down. In the case of this diet, you’ll take it down to 1,600 calories and then workout to work off more calories.

 

On the first day of the diet you’ll eat for breakfast two scrambled eggs with one thin slice of wholemeal bread, without butter. Then enjoy a morning snack of an apple and six almonds. For lunch, have a salmon fillet with a butter-less roll, then a low-fat yoghurt and a half a carton of blueberries for your snack. Then for dinner have a low-fat chicken tikka masala made without the use of cream, with a small portion of brown rice on the side. To compliment this you’ll need to do interval training on the treadmill for 40 minutes.

 

Day two sees you having Weetabix for breakfast, celery and cottage cheese for your morning snack, baked sweet potato with ratatouille and feta for lunch, two satsumas for your afternoon snack and finishing the day with stir fried pork for dinner. Today is a rest day, so you don’t need to do any exercise.

 

On day three you’ll have porridge for breakfast, a slice of melon wrapped in prosciutto for a snack, bacon and lentil soup for lunch, a pear for your afternoon snack and Bolognese made with Quorn for your dinner. Then 50 minutes of interval training.

 

On day four have French toast for breakfast, miso soup as a mid-morning snack, chicken and avocado wrap for lunch, a small bunch of grapes for your afternoon snack and skinless cod fillet for sinner. Then complete a one hour walk for your exercise.

 

On days five, six and seven, simply repeat the contents of days one, two and three and you’ll be on course for a fabulous beach body that you’ll be proud to show off. So why not get started today?

Categories: afternoon snack, beach holiday, breakfast, exercise nbsp, holiday, holidays, Interval Training, morning snack, nbsp, Snack, swimming costume, Weight Loss

Holiday Hook-Ups: How to Keep Your Sexual Sanity Intact

Although Christmas is portrayed as this lovely time full of family and cheer, the Holidays can really take their toll on your mental and emotional wellness. Because every movie, song and advert you come across paints Christmas as this idyllic, nostalgic time, you can feel pressured to live up to this idealised scenario. And, as most of us inevitably fail to achieve this, your wellbeing becomes affected by feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, remorse, and even outright depression. Then, you load up on bad-for-you pick-me-ups like food and cocktails and Robert Weiss, Founding Director of The Sexual Recovery Institute, points out that you may risk your sexual health for the same reason.

 

According to Weiss, ‘For a wide variety of reasons, many people have a tendency to make bad sexual choices around the holidays. Office holiday parties are notorious for mismatched couples sneaking off to the copy room for a quickie…And New Year’s Eve is probably the biggest night of the year for regrettable sexual encounters. In fact, I’m pretty certain Baby New Year is the patron saint of one-night stands. Unfortunately, these liaisons are hardly without consequence. Office party hook-ups mean you have to face the other person at work the following Monday, and every workday thereafter…Plus, these ill-advised, heat of the moment hook-ups oftentimes put people at risk for catching and/or transmitting HIV or another STD.’ With that in mind, we have a few sexual sanity guidelines to help you survive the holidays, unscathed:

 

1. Watch your alcohol intake: There are so many events during the holidays that you may as well spend the entirety of December well and truly hammered. However, Weiss warns, ‘Don’t get drunk at the office party (or any other social event). Alcohol is disinhibiting, and over-imbibing greatly increases your risk for making a bad sexual decision.’

 

2. Don’t get nostalgic: If you’re going home for the holidays, you’re bound to bump into an old flame and wonder about reigniting that spark. Weiss advises, ‘Don’t seek out ex-lovers, ex-spouses, or old hook-up partners during the holiday season. These people are in your past for a reason! There is no need to resurrect a bad relationship.’

 

3. Find better ways of coping: If you’re single, Christmas can be a particularly hard time. You’re surrounded by families and couples showing how much they love each other, and this can make things feel pretty lonely. Nonetheless, Weiss instructs, ‘Do not have sex just because you’re lonely or otherwise feeling bad about yourself. Grab a cookie instead, or better yet talk about your feelings with a friend, a loved one, or your therapist.’

 

4. Be honest: If you do decide to have sex with someone, make sure you’re honest about what you want from that person. Say if you just want something casual or if you’re looking for something more. Weiss notes, ‘If you’re dishonest about what you’re seeking you’re much more likely to hurt either yourself or the other person.’

 

5. Be safe: This doesn’t just mean using condoms with new sexual partners – although this is an absolute MUST – but Weiss comments, ‘If you’re meeting a stranger for a sexual encounter, make sure at least one friend or family member knows exactly where you are going, how to reach you, and when you expect to be back. Arrange to check in with that person both before and after your date.’

 

6. Trust your instincts: The Holiday blues can cloud your judgement, but you need to stay in tune with your instincts, whether you’re hooking-up with an old partner or meeting someone new. Weiss explains, ‘It doesn’t matter how good looking the other person is, if something feels “off” to you, then something is wrong and you need to get out immediately. Not everyone is as nice or harmless as they appear online or at first glance in-person. If you get into a sex date and start to feel uncomfortable, it is perfectly OK to leave.’

Categories: Christmas, holidays, hook ups, nbsp, nostalgia, office party, person, safe sex, sexual, sexual sanity, weiss

What Effect Do the Holidays Have on Your Heart Wellness?

We may associate poor winter wellness with Christmas colds, but in hotter countries, heart health is a major concern. Researchers have noted that in temperate countries, there is an increase in the number of deadly heart attacks in the winter holidays, perhaps because of overindulgence in food and alcohol.

Singaporean mechanic supervisor Stanley Siow, 45, had a heart attack at the end of January, on the first day of the Chinese New Year. He had been gorging on goodies and drinking with his friends on New Year’s Eve and, at 4pm the next day, he had sudden sharp chest pains and profuse sweat when he climbed a flight of stairs. He was rushed to hospital, and needed an emergency angioplasty.

According to a study, published in the reputable journal Circulation in 2004, 5% more deaths are to be expected during the two weeks between Christmas Day and the seventh of January. This was based on an examination of 53 million American death certificates from 1973 to 2001, and showed that the spike occurred even in balmy areas such as Los Angeles, where the winter weather tends to be mild. This undermined previous notions that colder weather is the wellbeing risk that causes this higher death rate, and so the researchers surmised that other reasons, such as poorer staffing levels during the festive season, were behind the spike.

However, heart attacks are not only more likely in the two holiday weeks, but on any festival or religious occasion. Heart Health Experts believe this is because people are in a more celebratory mood, leading to over-consumption of food and alcohol. Also, if you are admitted to hospital before a certain holiday, you are more likely to get yourself discharged early, before your body has fully recovered. This means that you also have a higher chance of being re-admitted to hospital and could experience a poorer outcome.

Also, the busyness of the holidays makes people less likely to seek treatment for any symptoms they may experience, causing them to worsen. According to Dr Goh Ping Ping, a cardiologist in private practice and a board member of non-profit Singapore Heart Foundation, said this is especially common practise for the elderly, who put off treatment for as long as possible during the holiday season, and become more ill as a result.

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What Effect Do the Holidays Have on Your Heart Wellness?

Categories: heart attacks, holidays, overindulging