Category: Health & Fitness

Have you ever been curious about where you come from? Do you want to know more about your unique genetic makeup?

Whether you want to find out where in the world your ancestors are from or want to gain insight into specific health conditions, genetic testing can help.

If you’re on the fence about this kind of testing, keep reading. Listed below are four great benefits of genetic testing that you ought to consider.

What is Genetic Testing?

You’ve probably seen that there are lots of businesses out there that offer genetic and DNA testing. But, what actually are these tests?

Genetic testing is a type of voluntary testing that identifies changes in the body’s chromosomes, proteins, and genes.

There are several methods used for gene testing. You can visit a lab to get your tests done, but many people are also turning to at-home tests provided by companies like Legacy Tree. These tests typically only require a simple saliva sample.

Top Four Benefits of Genetic Testing

There are lots of reasons to consider genetic testing, including the following:

1. Gain Insights into Your Health

Genetic testing allows you to gain important insights into your health. For example, the results of a genetic test can help you learn more about your predisposition to specific diseases like cancer or dementia.

Genetic testing also lets you know if you have any genetic mutations — such as the MTHFR mutation — that could stop your genes from making normal proteins and functioning properly.

2. Ease Anxiety

If you have a family history of a specific illness and are worried about the chances that you or your child could develop it, genetic testing can provide a source of relief.

Why spend years worrying about whether or not you’ll be stricken with an illness when you can rule it out with a simple test?

3. Make Informed Family Planning Decisions

If you’re planning for future children, genetic testing can help you determine whether or not your child will be at risk of inheriting a genetic condition that you or your partner possess.

When you have this knowledge, you can make informed family planning decisions and be better prepared for future obstacles.

4. Take Action Early

Just because you test positive for a certain gene, that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to develop the disease associated with it.

That positive result, though, can help encourage you to take action and change your lifestyle to reduce your risk of getting sick later in life.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are lots of benefits of genetic testing. One of the most important, though, is the information it can provide you about your health.

Armed with knowledge about specific health risks you may be facing, you can use the results of your tests to motivate you to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Worried about the costs associated with healthy living? Don’t be.

There are lots of ways that you can save money while also making your health a top priority. Check out the health and fitness section of the site today to learn how you can get healthy without breaking the bank.

Some 40 million American adults suffer from severe and frequent pain. If you’re one of them, knowing that you’re not alone can be comforting. But it doesn’t take the pain away.

Long-term prescription painkiller use is concerning. About 40% of opioid drug overdose deaths happen on prescription opioids, not street drugs. Even more mild NSAID painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen can wreak havoc in your body when used long term.

There must be a better solution for pain relief than medication.

There is. Check out these 9 natural pain relief options.

1. Exercise

Endorphins are the body’s own natural painkiller. Few people are aware of how effective this hormone can be at raising your pain threshold.

One of the best ways to release endorphins in the body is through regular exercise. For some people, though, pain is part of the reason they avoid exercise.

However, even starting small and gradually increasing your activity level can improve your symptoms. Gentle exercises like simple yoga moves and stretching can do wonders to get you started. Once you start feeling better, your body will actually crave exercise and you’ll enjoy it, further enhancing its pain diminishing effects.

2. Hot/Cold Compresses

For localized pain, alternating hot and cold compresses can be effective. This is especially helpful if exercise aggravates a certain pain. Exercise for the systemic effect and then use hot and cold compresses to relieve the most painful points.

Why does this work? The application of heat and cold cause the body to release heat-shock and cold-shock proteins. These help to reduce inflammation and naturally relieve the associated pain.

3. Curcumin

What if there were an anti-inflammatory you could take that was more effective than ibuprofen without the nasty side effects? Amazingly enough, there is!

Turmeric root contains the bioactive compound curcumin. This compound is highly effective at treating inflammation, one of the main underlying causes of pain.

You can get curcumin through eating turmeric root, but the concentration is very low (only about 2-5%). For best results, you should look for a curcumin supplement. Curcumin is fat soluble, so taking it with oil will help your body absorb it better.

4. Fish Oil

Fish oil is another powerful anti-inflammatory. The results are pretty impressive.

This study found that after taking fish oil for 75 days, nearly 60% of participants stopped taking their prescription painkillers. If you’re looking for a simple way to get away from medication, this could be it.

5. CBD Oil

Another oil that has been getting a lot of attention recently is CBD oil. Though it comes from the marijuana plant, it doesn’t have the same psychotropic effects as THC. Read more about the difference between CBD and THC here.

CBD oil is legal in 30 states but with restrictions and limited availability, hard evidence of its effects is still scant. Plus, without standard regulation, not all CBD oil is equal.

However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence showing that CBD oil can be an effective treatment for pain. Just be sure to buy it from a reputable supplier.

6. Vitamin D

About 1 billion people globally are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is interesting in that simple sun exposure causes the body to naturally produce it. But with growing concerns about skin cancer, it seems that people are losing out on this important nutrient.

A vitamin D deficiency can affect your quality of sleep. Poor sleep can increase inflammation in the body and worsen your pain. If you don’t sleep well, trying a vitamin D supplement may help with that and your pain symptoms.

You could also try going for a walk outdoors every day to get a little exercise and vitamin D in one fell swoop.

7. Mediterranean Food

Processed foods and overconsumption of sugar can lead to excess inflammation in the body. If that tends to be the bulk of your diet, an overhaul might be in order.

Opting for a Mediterranean style diet full of fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, and olive oil can make a huge difference. This type of food will help regulate your blood sugar levels and control inflammation. If you’re overweight, this is a particularly good choice as it helps promote weight loss.

8. Acupuncture

Acupuncture treatments have been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. Modern medicine is catching on and there is compelling evidence that the treatment is effective for pain relief.

The treatment involves sticking tiny needles into certain points of the body. Not only does this stimulate the release of healing hormones but also can affect the brain and cause it to experience pain differently.

Do you feel like you need a little something extra on top of diet, exercise, and supplements? Acupuncture could be what you’re looking for. Of course, be sure to seek out a licensed practitioner for best results and safety.

9. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy

This might sound more like something that belongs in science fiction. But there is evidence that shows sending an electromagnetic pulse through the body’s tissues can help reduce inflammation.

This is one of the pricier options for natural pain relief on this list. But it definitely worth it to stay off prescription painkillers and still enjoy some pain relief.

You Can Find Natural Pain Relief

All this to say, natural pain relief is possible. Every person’s body is different so you may have to experiment a little to find the right method of pain relief for you.

Just know that there are plenty of options out there. You don’t have to choose between taking potentially dangerous medication and living with chronic pain. There are ways to avoid both altogether.

For more great health tips and tricks, be sure to visit our blog. We’re constantly updating with new information to help you live the best, healthiest life possible!

There are more than 45 million contact lens wearers in the United States alone.

If you’re among them, then we know that you’d love to learn how you can save on contacts. While contacts are a convenient and comfortable alternative to glasses, it’s no secret that the cost of lenses can add up quite quickly.

In this post, we’d love to let you know more about the cheapest way to get contact lenses — without sacrificing on quality.

We’ll cover things like the average price of contacts, where to buy cheap contacts, and much more.

When you’re ready to start saving, keep on reading.

The Average Price of Contacts

While there’s certainly no hard and fast rule regarding the average price of contacts, there are a few things that can influence the cost.

Your specific prescription, the brand you choose to buy, and the unique kind of lens that you rely on to help improve your vision will all impact how much money you’ll spend on contacts each year.

In general, those that wear disposable daily contact lenses should expect to pay anywhere from about $500 to just over $700 each year on their lenses.

If you have presbyopia, you’ll likely pay up to $70 per box for lenses to correct your vision.

However, if you switch out your lenses about once every two weeks, and wear lenses to help with nearsightedness and other common vision problems? You may be able to spend just under $300 a year on your lenses.

But if you have astigmatism, you’ll need tonic/soft contacts, which can run you back up to an average price of about $700 a year.

Finally, if you buy contact lenses for more cosmetic reasons, such as to change your eye color or for special effects, you could easily find yourself spending upwards of $100 for a single pair.

As you can see, the average contact lenses cost per year varies greatly depending on your unique vision and needs.

The good news?

Where you choose to purchase your lenses can help you to save on contacts.

The Cheapest Way to Buy Contact Lenses? Online.

We strongly suggest trying to buy your lenses online when you want to save both time and money.

Shopping for your contact lenses online means that you’ll enjoy a faster shipping speed, a greater variety of brands, and the ability to buy in bulk to save. In some cases, you may even be able to apply online discount codes to your order.

Just make sure that you know whether or not the cost of shipping your lenses is included in the price that you’re being shown.

There are a few key things to be on the lookout for when you’ve decided to shop for your lenses online.

First of all, ensure that the seller asks for a current prescription for your lenses — after all, it’s the law! The seller needs to be able to verify your prescription for lenses by contacting the eye care professional who wrote it for you.

Make sure that you’ve also familiarized yourself with the return policy associated with the online seller, and that you know how they’ll secure your payment information.

Finally, we also suggest studying up on past online reviews left by other customers. If the reviews seem to be mostly negative, and if customers are complaining the orders were late — or that they never arrived?

Run for the hills!

To learn more about ordering contact lenses over the Internet, we urge you to check out this guide on the LensPure website.

Other Ways to Save on Contacts

So, what are some other popular money-saving hacks when it comes to getting the lenses you need?

Especially if you haven’t yet decided which brand or type you like best, you should always ask your doctor to hook you up with a few free samples. You can also ask them if they have any discount coupons that you could use on your next purchase.

You can also head to a big-box retailer. In addition to saving you money, you’ll also be able to get the lenses you need without having to wait for them to be delivered.

Additionally, always make sure that you follow the instructions for proper lens care on each box. You don’t want to risk shortening the life of your contacts by damaging them, or even causing them to tear!

One thing you should never do in order to save cash on your lenses?

Wear them for longer than is recommended.

Not only will this reduce their effectiveness, rendering wearing them at all pretty pointless. It could also lead to serious eye infections and, in some cases, permanent damage to your vision.

It’s just not worth it.

Where to Buy Cheap Contacts: Wrapping Up

We hope that this post has helped to better educate you about the average price of contacts.

When you’re ready to save, we hope that you give a few of these tips a try.

Of course, we know that your contact lenses aren’t the only things that you want to save money on!

Whether you’re looking for ways to cut costs on baby food, how to score deals on e-retail websites, or if you just want to know how to live more frugally (but still enjoy life?)

We’ve got you covered.

We even have a freebies and deals section, so that you’ll never have to miss out on an opportunity to save again.

Keep checking back with our website for more ways to save on everything in your life.

It’s normal for adults to have back pain from time to time, especially if the individual who’s dealing with it is under a lot of stress or not taking good care of their body. Everything from the quality of sleep you get to how active you are throughout the day plays into how much back pain you experience.

But, have you noticed your child bringing up their back pain more and more? Do you worry about their spine’s wellbeing?

If so, the time to educate yourself about spinal health is now. Here are 7 signs of back pain in kids as well as a bit of insight for how you can help them combat the pain.

1. Bad Posture

There’s a reason parents should teach their children to have good posture, and it goes way beyond presenting themselves well. Although keeping your shoulders back and your head up does do wonders for your confidence, the main purpose of good posture is to protect the spine.

When a child is constantly hunching over at their school desk or walking with their shoulders’ slouched, they’re putting unnecessary stress on their back. This can develop into chronic pain and lead to more troubling issues if not treated. As such, make sure you positively correct your children whenever you see them using bad posture.

2. Heavy Backpacks

Speaking of bad posture, admittedly, it’s hard to walk around with a straight back when lugging around a heavy backpack. If you notice your child is slouching under the weight of their school bag, suggest that they carry a few of their heavier books in their hands or offer to get them a rolling backpack.

The thing with rolling backpacks is they aren’t really “cool” after a certain age. But, the good news is that most middle schools and high schools have created systems that allow students to use more technology in the classroom and/or keep their schoolbooks at home. This prevents the need for them to carry everything around all the time.

3. A Developing Injury

Maybe it’s not how your child sits in school or everything they carry in between classes that are affecting their spine. Maybe it’s an injury from an extracurricular activity gone unnoticed.

It’s not like you wouldn’t know if your child was seriously injured. But, sometimes minor issues can develop into more intense pains.

This can happen when a muscle in the back is pulled or if a shoulder or neck injury starts affecting the neighboring areas of the body. The best thing to do in such situations is to seek out kids chiropractic care and get professional answers and treatment.

4. Disc Problems

Another sign that your child has back pain worth treating is if they have a disc problem. The spine is made of 23 discs in total from the neck to the lower back. All it takes is for one of these to be displaced for your child to feel an intense amount of pain, and as surprising as it may sound, it doesn’t take much to move a disc.

This can happen as a result of sudden movement or after a strong impact. It can create a sharp pain right away or grow in intensity over time. As such, the best thing to do is treat a dislocated disc the moment it’s identified.

5. Alignment Issues

As bad as it is to have a dislocated disc, that’s not the only spinal alignment issue that may occur in your child’s body. The other is a development issue that occurs in adolescence.

It’s possible for the spine to develop a curve that is a little different from the normal way it’s supposed to bend. The curve may be too far to one side or the other, or it could also be cramped like in the form of a hunchback.

The medical terms for alignment issues include scoliosis, lordosis, and kyphosis. Each one pertains to a unique alignment problem that may develop and require treatment. Treatment ranges from physical therapy and at-home stretching to surgery.

6. Spinal Infection

Brace yourself, because as bad as the issues mentioned above are, there are still some other possible reasons why your child’s back is hurting. The next thing to consider is the chance that your child has contracted a spinal infection. Such conditions are rare, but they’re definitely not impossible.

This would require very careful medical attention and treatment. It’s not like one visit to the chiropractor will cure this kind of situation, but most spinal infections do have a handful of treatment options available.

7. A Tumor

This is what every parent prays their child never gets. It’s one of the worst pieces of news you can receive as a family, however, it’s not something to rule out until you know for sure. There’s a chance your child’s back pain is the result of a tumor growing in their spine or back.

There is a bit of good news, though. Most tumors found in the spinal column are benign, which means they are noncancerous. As such, these tumors usually have a standard procedure to be fixed with.

Treating Back Pain in Kids

It’s a much different thing to treat back pain in kids as it is to identify the source. After all, a child who is dealing with scoliosis or a dislocated disc is not going to have the same treatment plan as one with a spinal infection or a serious spinal injury.

Everything is situational. But, there is hope for your child when you know what signs of back pain to look for and how to get help for the condition they have.

For more wellness and parenting tips to use with your family, click here.

Do you always talk about losing that baby weight? You may have said you’ll do it once your baby sleeps through the night or once they’re potty trained. But before you know it, years have passed, and you haven’t made any real progress.

It’s no secret that raising children is a lot of work. When you have a couple young kids scampering around, you can barely find time to take a shower by yourself, let alone finding time to stick to a workout routine.

But now that all your kids have started school, you finally have a little extra time for self-care. Weight loss for moms isn’t always easy, but it’s possible with a little motivation and some helpful tips.

Do you want to know more? Keep reading to learn how you can get healthy now that your kids are in school.

Say Goodbye to Fast Food

How often do you order out? Fast food is a convenience that many of us rely on to pull through some long days. But, after a while, it really takes a toll on your health.

Even fast food chains that claim to have “healthy options” are typically not the best choice. Cooking at home gives you more control over what you and your family is eating and can save you money along the way. Now that your kids are in school, say goodbye to fast food and hello to nothing but healthy home-cooked meals.

Plan Your Meals

One reason weight loss for moms is so difficult is because there never seems to be enough time in the day to cook the best meals. You end up rummaging through the fridge and pantry and throw together whatever meal you can with what you find. This leads to a lot of pasta nights and meals that don’t have as many fresh vegetables.

Planning your meals is one of the best things you can do. Before you go grocery shopping, decide what your family will have for dinner every night that week. To save money and avoid food waste, try to find recipes that share ingredients.

You can take this a step further and create a cute DIY menu board. It’ll help you remember your dinner plans for the week and it’ll look great in the kitchen!

Prepare Healthy Snacks

Are you guilty of binging on chips or cookies? It can be so tempting to reach into the kids’ treats and snag a pack of Gushers for yourself.

But snacking doesn’t have to be bad. By preparing healthy snacks for you and your kids, you can remove more junk food from your house, curb your midday hunger, and satisfy your cravings while staying healthy!

If you tend to crave sugar, keep lots of fresh fruit in the house. It’s way healthier than cookies and candy, but the natural sugars will help curb your sweet tooth. If you tend to indulge in salty snacks, keep edamame and nuts around to give you that bit of salt while also being high in protein.

Go for Healthier Ingredients

Alright, so you have your list of healthy dinners and snacks. There’s one more thing you need to do before hitting the grocery store to help with losing weight.

Look at your list and decide which ingredients have healthier counterparts. Opt for whole grain bread, pasta, and flour or get ground turkey instead of ground beef. Many fitness moms choose to do this because it doesn’t take any extra time but offers a lot of great benefits.

If you want to take this to the next level, see what meals you can sneak extra veggies into. For example, you may add peppers and onions into meatballs or meatloaf. Your kids will be more likely to eat them since they’ll be finely chopped and hidden and your whole family will get a nice nutrition boost.

Exercise While You Clean

Are you a stay at home mom? There’s no denying that there’s still tons of work to get done even when the kids are in school. Between grocery shopping, cleaning, running errands, attending PTA meetings, and baking cookies for their school’s bake sale you may not have a lot of time left for exercising.

But who says you can’t exercise while doing something else? One of the best mom exercise ideas is to exercise while you clean.

Do lunges while you vacuum, do squats when you need to clean lower shelves and dance it out while dusting! Is it the intense workout you were planning? Not quite, but it’s a great way to get some exercise in on busy days.

Take a Fitness Class

Were you able to carve out some time to exercise in your schedule? That’s great! There are many ways you can take advantage of this time, but the best is to take a fitness class.

If you haven’t exercised in years, it can be daunting to hit the gym solo. You may not know what all the machines do, or you may feel intimidated by everyone around you who seems to be in great shape.

Taking a beginner fitness class is a good mom exercise since you’ll be surrounded by people who are on the same fitness level as you. You can meet new people (which is always refreshing when you’re a stay at home mom) that can motivate you to keep going. Plus, you’ll have fun while getting a great workout in.

The best part is that there are tons of classes to choose from. Yoga, Zumba, and Pilates are some popular options, so check out your local gym and see what’s available.

Weight Loss for Moms

If you’re struggling to get in shape, you may not know where to start. But weight loss for moms doesn’t have to be so challenging. Just follow our tips to get healthy while you’re kids are in school and get your pre-pregnancy body back.

Did you like what you read? Check out our blog for more great articles like this.