TAKE STEPS TOWARD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

(Family Features) There isn't a better time than now to start getting fit with health information and products so easily accessible. Simply incorporate the basics into your daily routine - good nutrition, adequate exercise and a daily supplement - and start down the path toward better health. 

Plan a Nutritious Diet

 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy diet as one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products. It should be low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugar.

* Warm weather makes fresh produce more easily accessible. Eat more fruits and vegetables by setting freshly washed and prepared produce on the kitchen counter or at eye level in the fridge. At every meal, make sure half your plate is made up of fruit and vegetable servings.

* One-fourth of your plate at every meal should be made up of grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal or barley. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases.

* The remaining one-fourth of your plate should be lean or low-fat cuts of meat, plant-based protein or seafood.

Get Regular Exercise

 

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends an adequate amount of exercise every day. This guide can point to the right amount of exercise to add to your schedule:

* Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week. For best results, spread the time out over several days.  

* Do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Lifting weights builds muscle, which means the body burns more calories - even at rest.

* It's important to keep in mind that when people are active, they produce more free radicals. The antioxidants found in supplements can help buffer the negative effects of the workout.

Improving your diet, exercising regularly, taking a daily supplement and getting enough restorative sleep are all important steps to overall wellness. Work to incorporate each step into your daily routine until you reach your goal of good health, and find more health-conscious tips at eLivingToday.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Source: eLivingToday.com

ADD PERSONALITY TO YOUR LEASED LIVING SPACE

(Family Features) Even if you don't own the house you lease, there's no reason you can't make it feel like home by taking a creative approach to designing and decorating your space.

More U.S. households are renting now than at any point in the last 50 years. That's why Invitation Homes, the premier home leasing company in the United States, put together a team of design experts to create the "Make It Home" design forecast with lease-friendly, affordable design and decor ideas created with renters in mind.

Before starting any design, you need a plan. Here are a few tips to reimagine your rental home:

Embrace Color and Pattern

Emily Henderson, author of "Styled," a "New York Times" bestseller, believes color gives a room life, but it doesn't have to be on the walls. With rugs, textiles and furniture, you can have a lively, fun, lease-friendly room by choosing colors that are on the opposite sides of the color wheel to ensure balance.

Temporary Wall Coverings

A permanent wall texture or design may be a no-no in a rental, but removable wallpaper is a yes-yes and an instant way to add personality to your space. Brittany Hayes, author of the "Addison's Wonderland" blog, believes that bold and daring geometric patterns are perfect for creating an accent wall. Or simply incorporate your favorite colors to embrace a custom feel while you lease.

Unconventional Storage

Staying organized is key when living a leasing lifestyle. "Live Pretty on a Penny" blog writer Erin Marshall recommends using space-saving and unconventional items that are beautiful and functional to effectively store and organize items. Look for furnishings that are both attractive and practical so you can achieve the look you want with the benefit of added storage. Options like nesting chairs or storage boxes that double as benches can add seating options with a modest footprint.

Live Outdoors

Maximize your living space by creating usable outdoor settings. With the right combination of outdoor seating, pillows, shade and colorful planters, you can turn any patio into an outdoor oasis, said Rhoda Vickers, author of the "Southern Hospitality" blog. Whether you treat the space as a garden retreat or an extension of your entertaining area where guests can spill out during a party, the right decorative elements can allow you to add livable square footage without any construction.

Make it a Smart Home

Smart homes aren't just for homeowners. Options like thermostats, doorbell cameras, smart locks, light bulbs and smart plugs all can be easily integrated into a rented property, said Meghan Giddens, design expert at Invitation Homes. In fact, nearly everything in your home can be connected to the internet and controlled by your smart device. Just keep any originals stored safely, and when it comes time to move out, swap out your devices.

Light and Bright Paint

Cooler paint tones and white trim can brighten a room and offer a timeless color scheme. Plus, they welcome of-the-moment decor. If your lease allows it, Giddens recommends creating a light and airy ambiance with paint to bring a rental space to life. If you're unsure about your lease guidelines, talk to your property manager before painting.

Visit InvitationHomes.com for more tips on how to make a rented house a home.

Living room photo courtesy of Sara Ligorria-Tramp for EHD
Bedroom photo courtesy of Luis Noble for Invitation Homes
Source: Invitation Homes

THE IMPORTANCE OF ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS

Farmers use antibiotics in farm animals for the same reason antibiotics are used in people – to treat, control and prevent disease that causes pain and suffering. Keeping farm animals healthy helps improve food safety for all of us by reducing bacteria in the food supply. Learn more about the benefits of treating animals with antibiotics at animalantibiotics.org.

FALL HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

FALL INTO ENERGY SAVINGS THIS AUTUMN

DECORATING YOUR HOME WITH BOLD COLORS

(Family Features) From dark and moody to vibrant and bold, colorful design is gaining favor among homeowners ditching safe, neutral palettes to create more daring, dramatic spaces.

Decorating with deeply saturated colors can be intimidating. Explore these ideas to welcome more bold colors into your home and create inviting spaces for living and entertaining.

Walls of color

Say goodbye to beige and embrace the bold color trend by enhancing walls with hues that make a statement. The trick is to avoid making colors so loud that the space loses its stylish appeal. Bold doesn't necessarily mean bright, so look for muted variations of the shades you prefer. Also remember that when it comes to design, there is such a thing as too much. If painting all the walls in a space will close it in or make it feel lost in the dark, try adding color in more subtle ways, such as an accent wall (or two), or painting the ceiling as your accent. Another option for implementing vibrant wall color: stick to smaller rooms, where the bold look is less likely to be overwhelming.

Illuminate color with natural light

When decorating with statement colors, remember that lighting can make a significant difference in the overall aesthetic. In addition to lighting fixtures, be sure to incorporate plenty of natural light to bring out the best in those bold hues.

To bring natural light deeper into the space, consider skylights as an option with a solution such as Velux No Leak Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylights, which can bathe the space in natural light and open to bring in fresh air. Another smart way to capture natural light is by installing an option like Sun Tunnel skylights. With their low-profile design, they create a sleek appearance, and installation is also quick and easy. Learn more at whyskylights.com.

Bold furnishings

An often overlooked but essential component of design is the furniture. Creating a colorful, inviting room doesn't stop with the walls and floors; what's in the room can bring the colors to life. Think of the space and all its contents, not just the architectural components, as your canvas for creating the space you envision. If you're hesitant to invest in a pricy couch in a trendy hue, a compromise might come in the form of a richly colored accent table or chair.

Creative cabinetry

Traditional wood grain cabinetry sometimes gives way to far more creative color schemes in kitchens and bathrooms. While white is still a popular choice, and can even be considered bold in the right setting, true color on cabinets is also gaining traction among homeowners. With the right backsplash, countertops and flooring, you can safely install cabinets in a uniform color throughout the kitchen, but another on-trend option is to reserve the color for an island base or just one wall of cabinets. You could even mix and match colors on the tops and bottoms. Detail elements like the hardware provide another opportunity for a bold look. You can enhance the room's design with standout pulls that lend extra vibrance to the space.

Fabric with flair

Textiles provide nearly unlimited options to balance a bold design. Using lighter fabrics for elements such as draperies, upholstery, rugs and decorative pillows can soften the feel of a room with bold tones. Look for subtle patterns that pull in hints of the deeper hue to bring the look together, or simply coordinate shades from complementary color families.

4 HOME FIX-UPS FOR FALL

(BPT) - With cooler days and temperate weather, fall is a good time to get outdoors and tackle some larger home projects, as well as prep your home for winter.

“Cold weather can wreak havoc on your house, leaving you with a long list of repairs,” said Cathy McHugh, director, brand management at DAP. “It’s important to take preventative action now so you can enjoy the coming weather change, rather than making costly repairs later.”

Don’t know where to start? Here are the top five “must-do” repairs from the experts at DAP.

Refresh around windows and doors

Temperature fluctuations and weather extremes can cause cracks and crumbling in sealants around windows and doors. The resulting gaps allow air to creep inside, putting your energy bills on overdrive. In addition, if current sealant has any dirt build-up, the hot and humid weather of summer can foster mold and mildew. Protect your home and give your windows and doors a refresh and waterproof seal that stands up to the elements by applying a new exterior sealant like Dynaflex Ultra Advanced Exterior Sealant that will provide long-lasting all-weather, waterproof protection, resisting dirt build-up and water absorption. It also comes with a lifetime mold-, mildew- and algae-resistant guarantee. It’s easy to apply and is paint-ready in just an hour, allowing you to quickly repair problem areas.

Repair imperfections and surface damage

It’s important to take a walk around your property and inspect your home and outdoor living areas for surface damage issues caused by hail, wind and heavy rain. Common damage includes cracks in sidewalks and driveways, as well as chips in siding. Address problem areas like these with an exterior filler, which can fill in exposed, vulnerable areas and prevent further damage. To save time and money, choose a multipurpose filler designed specifically for exterior repairs like Platinum Patch Advanced Exterior Filler, formulated with innovative Weather MaxTechnology for long-lasting, all weather protection. The mold-, mildew- and algae-resistant formula creates a durable bond that prevents discoloration, as well as cracking and crumbling over time. It is sandable and paintable and offers superior adhesion to porous and non-porous building materials such as brick, concrete, metal, composite or wood decks, vinyl or fiber cement siding, PVC trim board and more.

Inspect your roof

Start by making a simple visual inspection of your roof. Before hauling out the ladder, use binoculars or zoom in with a smartphone camera to spot obvious damage. If your roof has a relatively flat surface and you feel comfortable on a ladder, then go up for a closer look. Shingles that are cracked, buckled, loose or are missing granules need to be replaced. And of course, while you’re up there, be sure to clear any clogged gutters to prevent potential water damage.

Prepare your furnace for fall

Now is the time to prepare your furnace for fall. Change the filter, clean vents and remove any dirt or dust that has settled on the unit and connections. If you suspect problems, schedule a professional to check it out now — rather than wait until temperatures drop.

For more information to help tackle your to-do list, visit DAP.com.