Big Words start conversations and open doors to new places.
Author: anwaryusef
Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath.
Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics.
Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.
My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re running a commercial kitchen, you will need specialized products compared to a personal kitchen. The following contributed post is entitled, Top Tips for Buying Commercial Kitchen Equipment.
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Commercial kitchen equipment is an essential tool in any food business. When you open yours, you need to ensure that you have the best of the best equipment so that you can serve people the right food. You want efficiency and productivity in your commercial kitchen, and that comes down to the reliable and effective equipment that you buy. Before you start investing in commercial kitchen equipment, it’s essential that you think about your needs and the needs of your business and the output that you need to deliver.
From the slow cookers to the Bain Marie, you need to ensure that the equipment that you buy is of the best possible grade and quality. Finding a supplier that stocks the finest equipment is important, especially those that are offering versatile, long lasting products that are easy to clean. Your business is going to thrive based on the equipment that you buy for your commercial kitchen, so let’s take a look at some tips for buying the right stuff.
1. Do your homework. You need to understand what you’re buying, and it’s important that you research every single element of the equipment that you need. Find a supplier that will conduct equipment demonstrations to help you to make your equipment purchase. You want to ensure that the bain Marie that you buy is going to fit your kitchen ovens and you want To be certain that you are buying from the right supplier who can be responsive. This takes a lot of research to find out the best suppliers in your local area.
2. Think about all of your options. It’s an important thing to do to go to a supplier that stocks a wide range of products. Ideally, you want to be able to get all of your commercial kitchen equipment from one place, rather than having to shop around at several different places. Someone that stocks various models of equipment to suit your business is going to make a big difference to how much you spend. From food processing equipment and mixers to meat processing equipment and light kitchen equipment, ovens, grills, food vacuum sealers, weighing scales, it all counts.
3. Consider your comfort. It’s nice to be able to get some impressive looking kitchen equipment, but if you can’t operate it, that’s a problem. The right commercial kitchen equipment will make your food prep and cooking processes easier. So you need to find the equipment that’s going to make your life a lot simpler. Check to see if the equipment will help you to achieve your objectives in your business. Is it convenient? Is it going to give you the result that you want? Whatever you do, make sure that you can find something that you want to present to your customers.
4. Consider the future. What could be practical today may not be as suitable for your business tomorrow, so you need to think about what your business is going to need and how it’s going to grow into new equipment. It’s nice to buy a head, but if you spend a lot of money on equipment that you’re not actually ever going to use, that’s going to be a waste.
My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are several keys to successfully running a business. Controlling expenses is a critical one. The following contributed post is entitled, Overlooked Business Expenses that Could Save you Money.
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If you want to start a business, then you have come to the right place. Here you will find out what steps you can take to try and save money while helping yourself to set up a business that is financially viable. If you want to find out more, then take a look below.
Believe it or not, a lot of financial and legal costs can count towards business expenses. Fees for your accountants, architects, surveyors, and even solicitors can all be used for business tax allowances. You should also take note of your interest rate on bank loans, overdraft fees, and even hire-purchase interest. If you can keep things like this in mind, then you’ll soon find that although you are paying for services, you can easily make that money back.
Unpaid Invoices
If you have ever had to deal with a tricky customer who doesn’t want to pay, then this expense could end up paying off. If you use traditional accounting, then you might be able to claim money back that you will not be getting from your customer. Things like this are called bad debt and you can write them off if you know that it is not going to be paid in the future. This is a great way for you to lessen your tax bill, and it can also help you save money in the future. There are some exemptions to this rule, such as debts that are not included in your turnover or even debts that relate to the disposal of your assets, so be sure to keep that in mind.
Employee Training
Even though you will have to pay for your employees to undergo training, you do need to be mindful of the fact that it will pay for itself moving forward. If your team is trained properly and if they are able to do their job with competence, then this can help them to get more done in the day. They will also be able to avoid accidents which could prove to be detrimental moving forward, so be sure to keep that in mind.
Insurance
Another thing you need to be mindful of is insurance. A lot of companies often try to avoid taking out insurance as it is an expense, but with that said, it could pay off later down the line. Trucker insurance is just one example here, but it is a great way for you to safeguard yourself against any unexpected accidents in the future. Even if you know that your team drives well, you can’t guarantee that other people are going to do the same, so this is something you need to be mindful of.
So as you can see, it’s very easy for you to cut back on expenses, but at the same time, you do need to make sure that you’re paying for things that could save you money as well. By doing this, you can benefit your business.
Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Medical practices are business. Doctors today likewise face the challenge of spending time with patients versus other matters related to the business. The following contributed post is entitled, What’s Taking Up the Time That Your Practice Should Be Spending on Patients.
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One of the greatest predictors of both patient satisfaction and better healthcare outcomes is the amount of time that doctors and nurses are able to spend with the patients that come through their doors. However, it’s not a lack of care that stops medical professionals from giving their patients the care and attention they deserve, as you likely already know. Instead, it’s often the thousand-and-one things you have to get done that take up that precious time. Here, we’re going to look at a few of them, at least, and what you can do to reduce how much of your day they take.
There are few things that can help you better manage your time than a great team. Physicians and other direct care providers often take on more tasks than they should, especially if they are also the business owner. While you might feel invested in doing everything right, training administrative staff and other team members to do it for you can help you handle tasks like routine patient queries and chasing paperwork with ease.
Inefficient Record Management
The proper management of health records in your practice is not only vital for operational efficiency, but it is necessary for regulatory compliance. Ensuring that you have a streamlined electronic health record (EHR) system and that your team is trained to use it, to regularly update it, and to be able to pull records on demand can help you prevent chaos. You want to make sure that patient information is readily accessible to all who need to be able to find it.
Paper Documentation
If you’re operating with paper documentation, whether it’s for patient information or for other processes, then you’re a lot more likely to experience errors and inefficiencies like lost documents. Paper documentation is significantly slower to produce and handle, not to mention prone to misfiling. Transition to digital documentation systems as quickly and as steadily as you can. Scanning and digitizing your existing records can make it a lot easier to run a business that is as paperless as possible.
You want to make sure that your practice is the talk of the town and marketing can be vital for that. However, if you’re spending too much of your time acquiring and retaining your patients through your marketing plan, it can become a major time sink. This is especially true if you’re running ad campaigns, social media profiles, a blog, and more. Outsourcing your marketing efforts allows you to free up time while working with professional digital marketers who are able to ensure that your expertise is showcased in the way that best fits the market you’re trying to target. Aside from freeing up your own time, you can entrust your marketing to those who have the time to ensure it is as effective as possible, through metric analytics and thorough campaign planning.
Digital Administration
While documenting things digitally might be a lot more efficient than handling paperwork, it can still take a lot of time. If you’re wasting precious hours managing email inboxes, responding to queries, and maintaining digital schedules, then you might want to look into the help that a medical virtual assistant can provide. Many of the digital administration tasks on your plate need to be handled, they can’t simply be ignored. You can, however, entrust professionals to handle them for you and to interface with your needs on a daily basis to make sure that your own workload is never too heavy.
Billing and Invoices
You need to ensure that your financial paper trail is processed and recorded well at all times, but issues such as billing errors and delays in invoice processing can disrupt your cash flow as well as waste your time. Having to handle disputes can do it even further. With the help of robust billing software, especially one that integrates with your EHR software, you can automate routine tasks like sending invoices and reminders, or you can entrust it to a specialized service provider instead.
Sometimes, delays are out of your hands. If you work with a lab that is frequently late in returning results, it can begin to create an overflow of inefficiencies. You might have a backlog of patients waiting for news, as well as staff growing more frustrated as they check for updates. When that happens, often, the best thing that you can do is partner with a different lab. You can also integrate labs with your existing EHR system to automatically update patient results as soon as results come in, and to ping your team when they do.
IT System Errors
Most medical businesses are run electronically, nowadays, but they’re also often run on inefficient and old digital tech systems. Not only are these systems likely to lose you time, but without modern security updates, they can be highly risky to keep operating. To avoid digital security threats, ensure that you’re updating your existing IT setup and keep it all running much more thoroughly with the help of an outsourced IT team. Having someone on call to address tech interruptions as soon as they happen can ensure you lose as little time with them as possible.
Poor Communication With Patients
You have to ensure that your team routinely communicates with patients to ensure fewer missed appointments, less confusion about treatment plans, and better overall satisfaction. Having to repeat information and clear up misunderstandings can cost you time, but using communication tools like patient portals to make the necessary information more readily available can help. Not only can patients check these up easily, but your team can look them up to make sure that they’re keeping the information they share and the terminology they use consistently.
Communication issues can plague your practice internally, as well. Misunderstandings and miscommunications lead to errors, redundant repetitions in work, and plenty of wasted time. As such, you might want to look into implementing a central communication platform that is used for all internal comms, replacing disparate emails, DMs, and meeting spaces. Having routine meetings can help you address high-priority topics as a group and give your team the opportunity to address any communication gaps. You have to ensure that you’re listening to your team, as well as trying to communicate with them better.
Low Health Literacy
This is unfortunately a problem more widespread than any one practice is able to fix, but there is a lot that you can do to fight poor health literacy in your community. Patients who have trouble understanding their conditions or treatment plans require more time spent communicating what they should be able to understand. Having the tools to educate patients more efficiently, such as with visual aids, plain language, and culturally appropriate materials (if you’re in an area with a high percentage of non-native language speakers, for instance) can help close that gap.
A Disorganized Workplace
The physical workplace itself plays a huge role in the efficiency and productivity of the people who are working in it. If they have to spend their time looking for supplies, being cramped due to overlapping schedules, and otherwise trying to work in a chaotic environment, it’s going to waste time and shorten fuses. Ensure that your physical space is organized, declutter and reorganize your storage spaces, and make sure that you don’t have more staff working in a given area than you need. Having a team member assigned to oversee and manage the workplace allows them to focus on straightening this out, while the rest can focus on patient care.
Sometimes, it’s not a wider problem that can waste your time, but poor habits in how you handle your work. This isn’t an intrinsic failure, however, but rather something that can be taught. Teaching your team (and yourself) clear systems for managing tasks can ensure that the most important work is being done most efficiently. This can include employing tools like time-blocking and scheduling some time in the day for those important tasks. Batching your work can see you doing similar tasks in one go so that you do not have to constantly switch tasks and switch gears mentally (which can slow you down.)
Unnecessary Interruptions
From phone calls to walk-ins, and worst of all, unscheduled meetings, frequent interruptions can be highly disruptive. They can also drastically damage morale and lead to errors as you’re continually having your focus broken. This can be handled by ensuring a protocol to prevent interruptions during patient-facing or focused work periods. You can designate specific times for internal phone calls and emails, and set up no-interruption zones for focused work, for instance.
With the tips above, you can make sure that you’re able to free up the time that your patients deserve to have spent on them. It will not only make your patients happier but your team will be satisfied knowing they’re able to do more to help each person that comes to your practice.
My blog focuses on Home/Living Discussions and Home/Property Discussions. Your first home is a really big deal. As such there are a lot of things to think about as you make your first home purchase. The following contributed post is entitled, Things To Think About When Buying Your First Home.
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If you are thinking about buying your first home then well done for being in a position to do so. It can be very exciting for you to soon be a homeowner and start doing things around your own home. There are plenty of things you need to think about before you can buy your first home. Take a look at the article below to find out more.
One of the very first things you need to think about is what sort of budget you have to put down as a deposit. You will need a deposit if you are planning on using a mortgage to pay for your home. For this to be approved you not only need to have a great credit score but a healthy deposit to put down. This may have come from years of saving or as a gift from your family. The more money you put down, the less you will pay each month in repayments. Take a look at how you can secure a fixed-rate mortgage for long-term stability.
Location
Think about not only the type of house you want but which area you want to live in. If you have no connections to a certain area then the world is your oyster when it comes to finding which area to live in. You could do some research and find out which is the nicest area to live in near where you already live. Consider neighborhoods and what people are like who live there. Speak to people around the place and get a feel for how they are and if they like where they are located.
Schools
Another thing you might need to think about is what the local school, nurseries, and colleges are like. This information can easily be found online if you know where to look. You can find out what rating they got and also what parents think of them. The last thing you want is to move to a nice area and it have a rubbish school. It might be nice to have a look around the schools in the area so you can get a feel for them.
A Good Solicitor
Finally, you won’t be able to make your house move possible without a top solicitor on your side. You will need a solicitor to sign the paperwork and handle all the legal woes that come with buying a house. Do your research to find the best solicitor in your area that is used to handling first time buyers. A better idea could be to find out who the sellers are using and you all use the same solicitors so nothing gets lost in the system.
We hope you found this article helpful and that it gave you some ideas on what you need to consider when it comes to purchasing your first home. Remember, it is an exciting time when you will soon have your very own house. Be patient and go through the motions, with the right help and support you will get there.
My blog focuses on Creating Ecosystems of Success. Life happens to everyone when we least expect it. Knowing how to navigate the unexpected is likewise a very valuable skill. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Turn Challenges Into Opportunities.
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Life has a real knack for testing us, and that’s not always a fun thing to have to go through – but it’s still something that’s going to happen no matter who you are or what you do in life. It could be a problem at work, personal issue or struggle, or anything else at all, and the main issue is that these challenges tend to just pop up out of nowhere – when that happens, all our plans can be destroyed in an instant, and that’s what really hurts in the end.
That might sound rather negative and upsetting, but since it’s going to happen, it’s really how you respond that makes the difference and if you start thinking about how to turn challenges into opportunities instead of dwelling on the negatives of it all, you’ll find you can move forward much more easily and get back on track much more quickly. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more to turn bad into good (or at least less of a problem) so you can keep heading towards your overall goals.
The first thing you’re going to have to do if you want to have a more positive outlook when things are going wrong in your life is to reframe how you see the challenges in front of you. In other words, instead of looking at them and panicking or feeling down because you assume you can’t get past them, what about thinking about every problem as a puzzle you’ve just got to solve? In that way, you can feel better about things and come up with a positive plan of action at the same time.
For example, if you’ve got limited space it’s going to seem frustrating at first, especially if it was a budget issue that caused the problem, and even more so if you find you suddenly need more space because you want to grow your family, get a pet, or work from home, and so on. But what if you could give yourself more space in an easy and affordable way by thinking creatively and repurposing a 10ft shipping container into something you need, like an office, a shop, extra storage, or – with the right permissions and changes – a tiny home? Just by changing your perspective, what would have seemed like a setback or a limitation might actually be the chance you need to make things better for you.
Learn The Lessons
Something to bear in mind is that every challenge comes with a lesson attached, and it’s down to you whether or not to look at what that lesson is, and whether or not to learn from it. But if you’re wise and you want to turn challenges into opportunities, seeing the lesson and really learning from it is sure to make a huge difference in your life. After all, if you’re happy to do that then even when things don’t go as planned, you’re still going to get something from the experience, and that’s important.
So when something goes a little bit (or a lot, depending) wrong, take a moment to reflect on it all. What can you learn? How can you use the lessons you’ve gone through to make things better in the future? That’s the difference – if you go into everything with an eye for what it can teach you, then you’ll find there’s a lot of opportunities available even if the original plan goes out the window.
Focus On What You Can Control
When you’re faced with a challenge, as we all will be from time to time, it’s so easy to start scrolling through all the ‘what if’ scenarios in your head and you’ll start to worry about things beyond your control. And when that happens, all your energy is going to be zapped and you’ll start to get more stressed than ever before, which is the last thing you’ll want if you’re trying to find the positive in things – you’re just going to keep missing it because you’re worrying and panicking about the negatives.
Take a project at work that’s gone wrong. If that happens, ask yourself what steps you can take to fix it – don’t focus on the problem, focus on the solution instead. If you start to think about actions you can take or people you can ask for help (which can very often be the best place to start), you’ll start to get more and more control, reduce your stress, and be able to think clearly, which will give you the opportunities you need to fix the issue in the first place.
My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. If you’re going business online, the branding for your business is critical. The following contributed post is entitled, Finding the Perfect Online Identity for Your Startup.
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Launching a startup is an exciting time, but building a strong online presence can make or break its success. A memorable and professional online identity helps your business stand out in a crowded market. From choosing the right domain name to crafting a consistent brand image, every little detail matters.
Whether you’re launching a small business or scaling an ambitious idea, creating an impactful online identity sets the foundation for growth. So in this post, we’ll explore how to make your startup’s online presence shine.
A strong online identity these days is a must-have for any startup looking to gain visibility. Most customers begin their journey by searching online, so your business needs to leave a positive impression immediately. A professional website, clear branding, and easy navigation all contribute to building trust with potential customers.
An online identity also helps communicate your values, services, and unique qualities. For instance, a creative agency might use bold, colorful visuals to highlight its innovative approach, while a financial consultancy could focus on a sleek, minimalist design to convey professionalism. These choices shape how customers perceive your business and decide whether to engage with it.
Choosing a brandable domain name
Selecting the right domain name is one of the most important steps in creating an online identity. Brandable domain names for startups are those that are easy to remember, simple to spell, and directly connected to your brand. A great domain name reflects your business’s identity and makes it easier for customers to find you online.
For example, a coffee shop startup could choose a domain that reflects their brand name, and not something generic like “New York Coffee Shop”. A brandable name creates a sense of personality and professionalism that sticks in people’s minds, helping to build long-term recognition. When brainstorming, aim for short, unique names that align with your business’s values and existing branding.
Crafting a compelling website
Your website acts as your startup’s digital storefront, so it should be designed to grab attention and provide value. Start with a clean and user-friendly layout that’s easy to navigate on both desktops and mobile devices. Potential customers shouldn’t struggle to find information about your products, services, or contact details.
Visuals also play a huge role in creating a memorable experience. High-quality images, clear fonts, and consistent colors make your website more appealing. For instance, if your startup focuses on eco-friendly products, using earthy tones like greens and browns can reinforce your message while making your site visually cohesive.
Building a consistent brand identity
Your brand identity is what makes your business recognizable, both online and offline. It includes your logo, colors, fonts, and even the tone of your messaging. Consistency across all platforms, whether on your website, social media, or email campaigns, helps build trust and familiarity.
For instance, a playful children’s toy company might use bright, cheerful colors and a fun tone of voice to connect with parents and kids. On the other hand, a tech startup might focus on modern, sleek designs with straightforward language to appeal to a professional audience. Think about your target customers and craft a brand identity that resonates with them.
Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with your audience and driving traffic to your website. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn allow startups to showcase their products, share updates, and interact with customers directly. Consistent posting and engaging content keep your audience interested and encourage them to learn more about your business.
For example, a food delivery startup could post behind-the-scenes videos of meal preparation or share customer testimonials. Social media also allows businesses to respond to questions or comments quickly, helping to build trust. Keep in mind that each platform attracts different audiences, so tailor your approach to suit each one.
Leveraging SEO and content marketing
Search engine optimization is all about improving your website’s visibility in search results, making it easier for people to find your business. Using relevant keywords in your content, meta descriptions, and page titles can help improve your rankings. If you’re launching a small startup that sells handmade candles, then targeting longer keywords like “artisan soy candles” or “custom scented candles” could drive more traffic to your site.
Content marketing is another way to boost your online identity. Blogs, videos, and guides that provide value to your audience not only attract visitors but also position your startup as an expert in its field. A startup selling fitness equipment, for example, might share workout tips or home gym setup guides to engage and inform potential customers.
Managing online reviews and feedback
Online reviews play a significant role in shaping your startup’s reputation. Positive reviews can encourage potential customers to choose your business, while negative ones can hurt your credibility. Responding to feedback, whether it’s positive or critical, shows that you value your customers and are committed to improving their experience.
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or industry-specific directories. If negative feedback arises, handle it professionally by addressing the issue and offering a solution. Managing reviews effectively helps build a trustworthy online identity that attracts more customers.
Planning for growth
Your online identity should evolve as your startup grows. Regularly updating your website, social media profiles, and branding keeps your business fresh and relevant. For instance, as you introduce new products or services, ensure your website reflects these changes to avoid confusion.
Tracking analytics is another important part of growth. Tools like Google Analytics can show you which pages are attracting visitors, how long they’re staying, and what actions they’re taking. This data helps you refine your online strategy to meet your goals, whether it’s increasing sales, building brand awareness, or expanding your reach.
Building the perfect online identity takes time, but it’s one of the most important investments for your startup’s success. From choosing a great name to crafting a consistent brand identity, each element plays a role in how your business is perceived. By focusing on these key areas and staying adaptable, your startup can create a strong foundation for growth in the digital world. An impactful online identity doesn’t just attract customers–it builds lasting relationships that support long-term success.
My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. One of the most critical parts of your health is your immune health which is linked to your lifestyle choices. The following guest post is entitled, Empowered Living: The Connection Between Lifestyle Choices and Immune Health.
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Your lifestyle choices, or your daily habits, have a significant impact on your overall wellness, including your immunity. Therefore, if you are trying to improve your immunity and increase your health, it’s important to determine what is and what is not a healthy lifestyle choice. Read on to learn more about how to improve your current habits, leading to a more healthy lifestyle with greater immunity.
What is Immunity?
Before delving deeper into improving your immunity, it’s helpful to first define what immunity is in the first place. Your immune system is designed to limit or prevent infections within the body. If our immune system is not properly bolstered by the body due to improper diet or other factors, then our immune system can fail us and lead to more severe health issues. Therefore, ensuring that our immunity is guarded through healthy lifestyle choices is imperative to continued good health.
Eat Right by Consuming Good, Nutritious, and Clean Food
When your lifestyle does not include an adequate or healthy diet, your immune system can suffer. Ideally, you want to aim for a balanced diet, featuring meals and snacks with healthy nutrient-rich food and little processing. Remember, food is your basic and most consistent source of energy, and it’s the way your body gets the minerals and vitamins it needs to maintain a healthy function. Therefore, to create a lifestyle of wellness and healthy immunity, ditch fast food and overly processed items and aim for clean, vitamin-rich dishes. Try to include fresh fruits and vegetables in every meal. Also know that certain vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, play a large role in your immune system’s health, so supplementing with specific vitamins can also be helpful.
Get Plenty of Shut Eye; You Likely Need More Than You Realize
We all know we need to sleep more, yet Americans remain some of the most sleep-deprived people in the world. In fact, one in every three adults is currently not getting enough sleep, according to numbers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This can have several negative ramifications, including a reduction in overall immunity. Our bodies typically need between seven and nine hours to properly recharge and ensure our immune system stays strong. Consistently sleep is important, which makes it a needed lifestyle habit you should adopt to boost your immunity. Think of sleeping like you do putting your phone on the charger. You would never expect your phone to keep going day after day with inadequate charge time. In the same way, your body and your immunity system also require a recharge in the form of healthy sleep to properly work. Therefore, do what you have to do to adopt a better sleep schedule and ensure that your body is getting enough quality and consistent sleep.
Get Moving, Creating Movement, Not Stagnation
Many of our jobs force us to be sedentary for hours every day. Unfortunately, we know that lack of exercise or physical activity can cause a jump in sickness and promote poor health. In fact, if you add regular moderate exercise into your routine, you will effectively cut your risk of swelling and respiratory infections in half. Exercise also improves other health factors like your blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and overall body weight, and even helps reduce stress. Therefore, incorporating a good exercise routine into your lifestyle, even a low-impact one, can greatly benefit your overall health, as well as boost your immunity. Even walking a few times a week or lifting weights can make a difference in your overall health. Remember, exercise doesn’t mean you have to suddenly start training for a marathon.
Drink Lots of Water, Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Chances are, if you evaluated your current water intake, you are lacking. This isn’t criticism but more-so a statement, as most Americans are not hydrated properly. Even if you aren’t sweating constantly or feel like you are losing water, the body itself needs to be hydrated to work properly. Both the blood and lymph systems (which have immune cells) require water to circulate properly through our bodies. In addition, every single organ, cell, and tissue within your body needs water to work as designed. Generally, a good rule of thumb to remember, based on data from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is that adults should aim to consume the following amounts of fluids daily:
● Men: 15.5 cups of fluids daily (3.7 liters) ● Women: 11.5 cups of fluids daily (2.7 liters)
Keep in mind that these fluids include water and other beverages as well as fluids from food. Your water intake should make up about 80% of this number, as only about 20% of the daily requirement comes from food.
Give Back to Others, Serve Others, Get a Pet
In addition to all the physical changes and choices you can make in your diet and your exercise patterns, living a life of wellness also includes making lifestyle choices that give back to others. For example, if you don’t currently have a pet, then welcoming one into your home can be a great way to boost your overall mood and lift your spirits. This, in turn, will help you live a life that is more focused on making good, healthy choices and boosting your immunity. You can also volunteer to help others by working at a food bank or a mission or volunteering at your church or community center. Often, by reaching out to others, we are brought higher and many times find ourselves living much richer lives overall.
You Can Empower Your Living Through Lifestyle Changes
While the information outlined above might seem overwhelming, it’s important to approach it slowly and make noteworthy changes regularly to adopt all the habits outlined above. When you do this, you will make significant improvements in your overall health and wellness, which in turn will help you boost your immunity. We all want to stay healthy and not get sick, and incorporating these changes into your daily lifestyle is a great way to do just that and more.
Megan Isola
Megan Isola holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and a minor in Business Marketing from Cal State University Chico. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.
My blog focuses on Health/Wellness and Legal Affairs. Many of us will be involved in a taxi accident, whether it be as a driver or a passenger. In such a case, it’s important to know what to do. The following contributed post is entitled, Steps to Take After a Taxi Accident.
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One of the most convenient ways to get around town is to head into a cab. You can pick up an Uber or a Lyft directly from your phone, and that can meet you at your door and take you to your destination in no time at all. Many taxi drivers take safety very seriously because it’s their livelihood on the line when they’re in their car, but that doesn’t mean that accidents don’t happen.
It’s nice to be in a car with somebody who knows what they’re doing on the road, but if you are in an accident in a taxi, whether you are the driver or a passenger or another vehicle, you need to be able to file a motor vehicle claim to receive benefits after you are injured. Speaking to a Lyft accident lawyer can give you some clarity on what you should expect after an accident in a taxi, but we’ve put together some steps that you can take after you’ve been in an accident in one. Let’s take a look below.
1. Assess yourself. Before you attempt to get out of the taxi, it’s so important that you assess your own condition. If the accident has been a severe one and you can’t move, then you won’t be able to do much in the way of assessment except to recognise the fact that you are conscious. If the accident was being run into from behind, you need to consider whether you’re bleeding, whether you have any intense pain, are you having any difficulty breathing or are you dizzy. All of these things you need to think about as quickly as you can because those are all things that the paramedics will ask you.
2. Take pictures. At the scene of an accident, evidence is often short-lived, debris will be cleared up very quickly and damaged vehicles will be removed to make way on the road. If you can, document the scene as thoroughly as you are able to. Doing this refer to grouse is important, but this should only be done if A) you are able to move and B) you can access your phone.In the moment when you are dealing with the initial shock, try not to panic if you can’t get any pictures.
3. Exchange information. Every single person involved in a taxi accident has to exchange information. If you’re the passenger, exchange information with the driver of the taxi as well as any other drivers that you can. You are under the protection of the taxi company that you booked with, which means that if you were in an Uber and you had an accident, then Uber is likely to be very liable for your compensation and injury. It’s the same with Lyft and any other particular taxi company.
4. Have a conversation with the police. Accidents must always be reported to the police, especially if you’re looking to make an insurance or an injury claim. When the police arrive at the scene, officers will speak to the people driving the vehicles and then the passengers. When you provide your statement, you need to make sure that you talk about what’s happened as if you were a passenger and therefore a witness.
Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Medical practices of any kind are businesses. As with any business, word of mouth is key to your success and profitability. The following contributed post is entitled, How You Can Make Your Dental Practice the Talk of the Town.
Sure, everyone starting up their own medical private practice can agree that it’s exciting. Maybe even more so if it’s a dental practice, for the most part, the dentist really gets to know their patients on a pretty close level. Plus, you might actually see your patients more than other medical professionals.
But even with all of that in mind, well, there are probably already so many options out there already for potential patients, right? So, that alone just begs the question, how does a new practice rise above the crowd? Well, believe it or not, it’s not just about having great skills or the latest equipment.
Granted, those do help a lot, however. People want an experience that feels modern, personal, and memorable. So, it’s more about the details that you can give. But where do you start?
Start By Making the Patient Experience Unforgettable
Going to the dentist isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite outing. But that’s precisely why a practice that creates a stellar patient experience will stick in people’s minds.
Just think about adding thoughtful touches that make a visit feel more like a spa trip than a dental appointment. For example, this includes warm towels after cleanings, playlists for nervous patients, or even noise-canceling headphones that can take the edge off for visitors. No really, these little perks can make such an amazing difference. Plus, just throw in some comfortable chairs and friendly, upbeat staff, and yeah, you’re making a world of difference.
Just think of it this way; people remember how they felt during their visit, and the practice that makes them feel valued will always stand out.
Invest in the “Wow” Factor
While sure, it’s true that patients may not know the technical side of dentistry, but they’ll notice when a practice looks and feels modern. So, it really can help (if you can afford it) to try and offer some cutting-edge tools and techniques, since this not only makes treatments smoother but also leaves a lasting impression.
For example, something like 3D imaging and laser dentistry shows patients that this isn’t just another run-of-the-mill office. It also builds trust, and yeah, people feel confident in a dentist who invests in the best care.
And it’s not just about the gadgets either (although it does help). Overall, you need to provide what you can that’s high quality, so high-quality materials like dental adhesives & primers can set a practice apart by ensuring precision and durability for every patient. Now, just go ahead and think of it this way; when you combine expertise with the best tools, patients leave knowing they got top-tier care.
Build a Brand That Turns Heads
Sure, it’s definitely true that first impressions matter and a brand that stands out will stick in patients’ minds. Most dental practices don’t even bother, so doing this will immediately make you stick out (and yes, that includes getting a professional-looking website as well).
A lot of dental practices nowadays will even use social media to show off before-and-after transformations, educational tips, and even something a bit more quirky like behind-the-scenes moments to feel more relatable.
My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. Many people will find themselves injured in accidents of some sort. If it happens to you, you might not know how to respond. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Steps to Take After You’ve Been Injured in An Accident.
Nobody wants to get injured, but it happens to people every day. Sometimes, this is because of a mistake they made. In other circumstances, it’s through no fault of their own. No matter what, it’s a terrible position to be in. You wouldn’t just have to deal with the physical implications of the injury.
After you’ve been in an accident, you’ll have to deal with the emotional toll associated with it. Then there’s the fact you could be out of work over it, which often leads to financial issues.
Add in the fact it’s unexpected, and it’s even worse. Brought together, these can all feel overwhelming. Nobody wants to end up in that position, but it can be an all-too common experience. If you’ve found yourself in a position like this, you mightn’t know what to do going forward.
Thankfully, there’s a way forward, and it doesn’t need to be as complicated as you’d think. Taking the right steps can get you back on track before you know it. It’s worth diving into each of these.
See a Doctor
One of the first things you should do after you’ve been injured in an accident is to see a doctor. They’ll diagnose exactly what the injury is, and they know the best way to recover from it. They can help you figure out exactly what you need to do going forward to look after the physical injury.
Make sure you actually listen to them and follow their advice. They’ll know better than anyone what will actually help you. On top of the treatment they – and specialists – will personally give you, they’ll let you know what you can do yourself at home. The more you follow their advice, the better it’ll be for you.
Look After Your Mental Health
When you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s natural to experience a range of emotions. Many of these can be severe emotional issues and even mental illnesses like depression and PTSD. A lot of this can depend on the severity of the accident, but it’s not unusual to experience something over it.
It’s always worth making sure you get help for this when you need to. Your doctor can be the first port-of-call with this, but you could end up needing to seek therapy. There’s nothing wrong with this.
Outside of therapy, there are more than a few things that can help. Spending time with your family, talking to your loved ones, and managing any stress you’re experiencing are some of the more notable of these. Don’t be afraid to put the time and effort into making sure you feel better.
Eat Well
As you’d expect, recovery after you’ve been injured in an accident takes a significant toll on your body. It’s why you’ll need a lot of rest. You’ll also need to eat well, too. Your body will be putting a lot of time and effort into recovery, so it uses up a lot of nutrients and energy on that.
You’ll need to make sure you get all of those nutrients. Make sure you’re eating well enough for that to happen. While that could mean eating more than you usually do, it’ll be more than worth it. You’ve no reason not to put the time and effort into this so you can recover properly.
Make a Claim If You Can
Accidents happen, and these are often nobody’s fault. They’re just accidents nobody had control over. That doesn’t mean there aren’t accidents that somebody else was responsible for. This could be someone you know, the company you work for, an amusement park, and more.
In these circumstances, you could be eligible to make a claim against whoever was responsible for the accident. Even if it was down to negligence, you could get compensation.
It’s just a matter of making a claim, though you could need some help with this. Thankfully, there are plenty of experts out there who can help with this. Many focus on specific personal injuries, like legal assistance for amusement park accident victims. Get the help you need going forward.
Get Enough Rest
Once you’ve seen a doctor, you’ll be told exactly what you need to do to recover properly. One of the more overlooked parts of this is making sure you get enough rest. Your body will be spending a significant amount of energy on the recovery itself, which could make you feel tired quite a bit.
Give yourself enough time to do this. By getting a decent amount of rest, you’ll be in a much better position to recover. It’ll encourage your body to recover better, and you could even end up recovering faster because of that. While you’ll want to be back on your feet quickly, don’t rush it. Get the rest you need.
Nobody wants to get into an accident, but it can be all-too common. Despite the fact it’s unexpected and unwanted, it can end up wreaking havoc on your life. There’ll be the physical injuries you’ll need to deal with, but there’s more to it than that. There’ll also be the emotional toll you’ll experience because of it.
Then there’s the fact you could be out of work, which directly impacts your finances. This can all be too much for some people to handle. It could feel like it’s getting the better of you.
That doesn’t mean you have to stay in this position. After you’ve been injured in an accident, you’ll have plenty of options ahead of you. Focusing on the right steps could get you out of this situation better than you’d think. You’ll just need to know what you’re doing when it happens.
While this seems complicated, it doesn’t need to be. Instead, it could be more straightforward than you might’ve thought. They should help you rectify the situation better than you’d think.
By focusing on these as soon as you’ve been injured in an accident, there’ll be much less to worry about. You’ve no reason not to focus on them from the start.
