Our days only have so many hours and our careers and family lives keep us using every minute of it. Just because our days are busy does not mean that we can forget health. Especially when busy, that added nutrition is needed to keep us energized. Follow these tips to keep those energy levels up, power through the day and help your overall wealth:

1. Prepare in Advance
   Make your mornings simple by preparing your snacks and meals the night before. Part of keeping healthy is lowering stress and by making your morning as simple as possible will help you start the day out right. You can even prepare snacks and meals during the weekend to prepare for your whole week! There are many sites like Amazon where you can find containers to freeze or put into the fridge. Now when the morning comes, you just grab the container and head out for an amazing day.
2. Never Skip Breakfast
   Breakfast is exactly what it sounds like break-fast. You are breaking the fast from when your body was resting. Your breakfast is a strong determinant in how your day will go. There is a big difference between starting your day with a heavy donut that will leave you hungry an hour later or making a smoothie packed with nutrients. Which one sounds better after your body has not eaten in hours?
3. Convenience is Your Friend
   In this day and age, there is no excuse for not having time to stop by the grocery store, even during your work week. Most chain supermarkets deliver and will bring fresh food right to your home or office. As eating fresh is important for keeping healthy, we need to go to the grocery store more than once a week. Researching your local options is a good idea so your fridge is always packed with fresh farmed foods.
4. Grab-and-Go
   Along with preparing your meals and snacks ahead of time it is important to invest in a few snacks to keep around. Little raisin boxes or healthy granola bars are a must when stocking your desk drawer or car door. Eating small amounts throughout the day leaves you hungry less often. If we are hungry and do not have anything healthy around, our first instinct is to head to that vending machine or hop on a food delivery app. By keeping healthy pre-made snacks around, we can avoid these slips.
5. Water
   Drink water. All day, every day. When you wake up the first thing you should do is drink water. Need something to drink with breakfast? Water. Go and find a reusable water bottle that you can keep with you everywhere you go and try to refill it several times a day. There is no such thing as drinking too much water.Focus on what dehydrates you and drink water after. Working out, drinking coffee and what your consuming dehydrates you and you must drink water to make up for it. Even alcohol dehydrates you. We are constantly dehydrated and do not even know it. Aim for about a gallon a day.
   Keeping healthy on the go seems daunting, but if you prepare and plan ahead of time it will become much easier. Set yourself up for success and make sure you are always stocked with quality options wherever you go the most. If you plan to travel you can even plan ahead for that! Know how your days are planned and prepare accordingly! Your body will thank you for it.

The Dangers of Cholesterol

We’ve all heard of the dangers of cholesterol: once it gets “high”, our heart can suffer in more ways than one. The most popular and serious way is atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries from the collection of LDL cholesterol. You may now be wondering, “What does LDL mean and why is it important?” LDL, meaning low-density lipoprotein, is one of two types of cholesterol out there. The kind to avoid. It’s relative, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is actually GOOD for you because it removes any excess that your body doesn’t need.

The foods we’re about to discuss are thought to be bad for you because they increase cholesterol, but we’re here to tell you the truth. Here are three foods you’re told you should avoid:

Eggs

High in Omega-3s and healthy fats along with numerous other nutrients, eggs are an easy addition to your diet. They can help flesh out your nutrient intake with their high source of Vitamins A, B5, and phosphorus.

A study completed in 2012 in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care revealed that individuals who consume roughly 4-6 eggs per week did not show any increase in cholesterol levels compared to people who cut eggs from their diets completely. Click here to read more about the benefits of eggs.

Avocados

You have no need to feel guilty about your avocado addiction! Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, which raise HDL (the good cholesterol), thereby lowering LDL. Because they are caloric (and so delicious), remember to control your portions.

Grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef, or meat coming from cows who consume grass and other foraged foods, is much more nutrient-packed than your regular old beef from the grocery store. These types of beef contain omega-3s and antioxidant vitamins, and also has conjugated linoleic acid. In lab testing on animals, this acid reduced LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. You can read more about its benefits here (hyperlink dairy nutrition article).

So, the next time a three-egg omelet is calling your name, go for it!

Everyone loves essential oils; they are a great way to decrease nasal congestion, anxiety, sore muscles and more! With a rise in the use of oil diffusers in the home, we need to look at how these oils will affect our beloved pets at home.

The danger goes beyond “this oil is bad and this one is not.” Just like in humans, different animals react to different oils. We must look at the concentration level or how you are mixing the products. An example that the ASPCA gives it that “tea tree oil may cause an issue for your pets with only seven or eight drops, whereas another oil may take more or less.”

The first step to safeguard your pet is to keep the oils and diffuser up and out of paw’s reach. This way they cannot ingest or directly inhale the oils. Use the oil diffuser for shorter time periods and keep watch of your pet. If you notice a change in attitude or breathing, discontinue use and see a vet.

If your pet has a history of breathing problems, it may be best to avoid an oil diffuser altogether. Pets have a much better sense of smell than we do. So, while we can barely smell that lavender, they can really smell it. Remember, LESS IS MORE!

Here is a list of oils to avoid or use sparingly:

You do not have to avoid using your oil diffuser because of your pets. Just make sure you are smart about it and keep them in mind. Watch for symptoms like drooling, vomiting, depression, wobbliness or anything else that is out of the ordinary for your pet. Remember that your cat licks itself to clean and if the oil is in the air, it is on your cat. Our pets also lick us, so avoid applying the oils on areas of the skin where they like to show their love!

For more information, visit these articles that helped inspire our post today:

https://www.aspca.org/news/latest-home-trend-harmful-your-pets-what-you-need-know

https://www.rover.com/blog/essential-oils-safe-dog/

https://www.thesprucepets.com/dangers-of-essential-oils-555089

If you think your pet may have ingested, or been exposed to a potentially poisonous substance, contact your veterinarian or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 immediately. You can learn more about keeping your pets safe from toxins by downloading the APCC Mobile App or checking out our entire list of dangerous household products.