"How To" know if you have the flu

Staying healthy during the winter/flu season is so important. The flu is spread so quickly and more and more people are getting diagnosed with it every day. Today, doctor offices are giving flu vaccines to children as young as 6 months old. The flu is a common name for the influenza which is a virus that affects the respiratory system. The flu virus spreads through the air when a person who has the virus sneezes, coughs, or speaks. The flu can even be passed on if a person touches an object that someone with the virus sneezed or coughed on. Flu usually spreads in schools and then the students spread it to their friends and family.

Flu symptoms like a headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, and dry cough usually appear anywhere from 1 to 4 days after a person has been exposed to the flu virus. Someone with the flu can have a temperature as high as 104 degrees. People with the flu often feel achy and exhausted and may lose their appetite. If you get the flu, the best way to take care of yourself is to rest in bed and drink lots of liquids, like water. You should also stay home from school until you feel better and your temperature has returned to normal. Antibiotics don't help people with the flu get better because they don't work on viruses. Be sure to stay healthy, always wash your hands and get as much rest as possible to prevent your self from getting the flu this season. Remember to bundle up and stay warm!

"How To" cope with pimples

All teenagers get pimples throughout their teen years. We all know it is tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin. This can cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing can also lead to scabs and may leave you with permanent pits or scars. Since popping isn't the way cope with pimples, patience is the key. Your pimple will disappear on its own. If you are patient and leave it alone, you're less likely to be left with any reminders that it was there. A health magazine said that if you want to dry a pimple up faster, apply 5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream once or twice a day. You can buy this over the counter at your local drugstore. Each season will also bring out more or less pimples, so that is normal. Also, if you are constantly eating greasy foods you will see more pimples. Try and stay away from these foods and eat more grilled and natural things. Always remember, don't pop but be patient!

"How To" find the right recipes

Choosing a recipe can make or break your dish. It is important to find an easy and delicious recipe and there are different places in which you can locate them. First go to family. Grandma always has her famous delicious pasta or cookie recipes. Next, cookbooks are all over and there are millions of them in stores. Food, fitness and women's magazines are the place to look if you are on a diet or watching what you eat. These magazines are also good to look in if you like to eat organic foods. TV cooking shows are also ideal. They not only give a recipe but they also give a demonstration. If you watch cooking shows on the food network, you can retrieve these recipes online as well. Some schools also offer cooking classes that you may be interested to take part in.

Once you found a few recipes you like, keep them organized. You can store these recipes in a box, folder, or notebook. Once you have a bunch of them, you can start categorize them into separate categories like meat, vegetables, cookies, etc.

"How To" keep the kitchen in order

The holidays are approaching so fast and the season will be here before you know it. It is important to have the kitchen in order to relieve stress and get on with holiday cooking and baking. Be sure to choose recipes that aren't too complicated when you first start cooking. The first thing to do is to read the recipe through from beginning to end before you start. Make sure you have the right ingredients, utensils and appliances before you start cooking. It is important to understand all directions so you do not make a mistake. Assemble and measure out all ingredients before you start to stay organized. Time is the most important principle in cooking. I always like to make sure I have more than enough time to cook and save time for mistakes. Lastly, an apron is a good idea to protect your clothes from getting dirty. Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before any food preparation. Have fun and be safe while in the kitchen. During the holiday season my dad usually puts Christmas music on in my house to get the holiday spirit kicking !

"How To" manage time

Time Management is a problem that most college students deal with. Procrastination is the number one reason why most assignments are not completed. There are many ways in which one can avoid this procrastination and manage the time you may have each day. The first piece of advice on how to manage your time is to write down a list of the number of tasks you need to accomplish. Then set priorities for each task and be realistic. Always remember to keep track of your progress and make sure nothing is forgotten. Managing time in 15-increments helps because in between are break times to eat or do something that you may enjoy. Pulling "all-nighters" doesn't always work for anyone because this drains out the body. Being energized and awake are the best times to get work done.

"How To" stay warm this winter

The winter is arriving before we know it. The cold is creeping up on us without any time to prepare for it. This blog will give you some pointers on how to prepare for this cold weather that is closely coming upon us. The best advice would be to move out west to a place that has winter's of 75 degrees, no snow or ice and no humidity. But, we all can't do that so here are some ways to keep your house warmer this winter. Firstly, you should be sure to close all your windows properly to prevent a draft. If there is a draft, put up heavy curtains to absorb the cold air. Exercise is a solution to every problem. Exercising and being active can help your body stay warm, and prevent your body from getting sick. Always be sure to dress warmly and wear layers of cold, especially in the peak times of the winter. Cooking and drinking warm beverages helps keep your home warm and keeps the heat moving. These are only a few ways to help your self get through the cold winters that feel like they are never going to end. Remember: exercise, eat right, sleep and vitamins are the 4 essentials of the day that will help you get through this winter. Stay warm.

"How To" take good notes

Note-Taking is very important during college. Good notes will always be a keep sake for you for future reference. In my high school, St. Joseph Hill Academy, they taught me very good note-taking skills. Laptops were mandatory and in most classes we used them to take notes on. This helped me become organized, learn how to type and I also learned how to listen, understand and type down important key facts at the same time. Now I still have all my notes saved from high school on my laptop if I ever needed to refer to them.

Some tips on how to take good notes are to write down key-facts as I said before, don't overdo it and go crazy writing down every word your professor says, always ask if you missed an important point. After class it is beneficial if you organize your notes to make them more understandable. Also, if you have poor handwriting, typing or re-writing them is a good idea to make studying and reviewing easier.

Note-Taking is a skill that everyone will eventually master. It just takes time, practice and developing your own technique. Whether you learned how to take notes in high school as I had or if you are just learning now in college, you will use this task for the rest of your life even when you enter the career world.

"How To" cope with stress

Stress is a feeling that is created when we react to particular events. Stress is the body's way of rising to a challenge. Stressors are the events that provoke stress. Some stressors are violence, bad relationships, family problems, schoolwork, work, activities, friends, crammed schedules, not having time to rest and relax and always being on the go.

Some ways to keep your stress under control are to take a stand against over scheduling, be realistic and try not to perfect too much, always be sure to get a good night's sleep, learn to relax and have confidence in yourself. It is also important to keep your body healthy and in shape. Make sure you are getting the right amounts of nutrition, exercise and vitamins that are needed. Try not to be too pessimistic because that can lead to bigger problems. Lastly, it is important to solve little problems that may occur in your life because this will give you a sense of control.

My everyday schedule is very busy. I go to school, work two jobs and go to dancing school. I am on the go all the time. However, I am confident in my self and I enjoy what I am doing. My life is stressful at times when I need money or if any other problems arise. I always intend to overcome this and go on with my schedule of school and work. My weekends are the time when I relax and relieve whatever stress that is built up during the week by going out and enjoying myself. Then when the week starts I am refreshed and ready to being a new cycle. Cycles are what I consider my weeks being. Having plans also helps me get through stress. If there is something to look foward to, I tend to think about that event instead of worrying about other things that can cause me to become irritable.

Stress is an emotion every person has. Learning how to cope with stress is available, you just have to help yourself and make up your own cycle of time. Prioritizing your weekly schedule will help you plan and relieve overload that can develop.

"How To" apply sunscreen

Although we all love the sun and beach, it is a very dangerous part of our everyday life. Did you know sunlight helps our body create Vitamin D? Well if you didn't know, it does and Vitamin D is important to keep our bodies healthy. In order to protect the amount of sun exposure we may encounter each day, we wear sunscreen

Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15, even if it's cloudy or you don't plan on spending a lot of time outdoors. If you sweat a lot or go swimming, reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours. Choose a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Look for the words "broad spectrum protection" or UVA protection in addition to the SPF of 15 or greater. Select a sunscreen that says "nonacnegenic" or "noncomedogenic" on the label to help keep pores clear.
The sun's rays are strongest between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, so make sure you reapply sunscreen frequently and take breaks indoors if you can. Apply more sunscreen with higher SPF when you're around reflective surfaces like water, snow, or ice.

We all know that the sun can damage skin, but did you know it can contribute to eye problems, too? Protect your face and eyes with a hat and sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection. As I said before, many people do not realize how dangerous the sun is. If you wear sunscreen and apply often, and wear sunglasses you will be safe and enjoy a fun day in the sun!

"How To" take care of your skin

Your skin is one of your body's largest organ. That's right it is an organ even though many people do not realize how important it is. Your skin is fragile and needs special care to prevent cancer, acne and other dieases and problems it could catch. Some tips in order to keep you skin healthy is to watch your face twice a day with little soap and warm water, don't pop pimples because that can lead to infection. To keep your skin healthy, avoid touching your face because this could lead to irriated pimples. If you wear glasses make sure you clean them frequently to keep oil from clogging your pores. Always remember to move your make-up before sleeping. You always have to keep your hair clean and out of your face to prevent dirt from clogging pores. Lastly, remember to protect your skin from the sun. Always remember to protect your skin no matter where you are because if you start now, when you are older your skin will look much better than if you do not protect it.

"How To" write a paper

Putting together a strong paper involves a combination of things. Firstly, it is important that you understand the assessment and assignment that is given. Be sure to know the guidelines, length of the paper, if there is a given thesis statement and understand what the teacher wants the paper to be about. The next step is to research your topic and find out as much information as you could about this topic you were given or have chosen. Your research can come from textbooks, newspapers, journals and online resources. When you are doing online research, avoid people's personal pages. It is better to focus your research on sites with .gov, .org and .edu. Make sure you keep track of your sources because you will need this information later. The best way to start a paper is just put ideas on a blank page, then an opening paragraph will eventually develop. Staring at a blank screen for endless hours is a waste of time. Always be sure to organize your paper and write an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion. It is also a good idea to get a head start and avoid procrastination to allow you to have time toward the end to revise your paper. The last part of a paper is citation. It is very important to cite your sources to avoid plagiarism. Sources can be cited in many different ways like: footnotes, endnotes or a bibliography.

To avoid dealing with stress while writing your paper be sure to start as soon as the assignment is given this way you will have plenty of time of unexpected events. Brainstorming is also a good way to avoid dealing with stress. This helps you come out with ideas and bring them all together at once. Writing a paper sounds difficult, but it is a learning experience and the more you work on it and try, the better you will get.

"How To" stop overeating

Overeating is a big problem in our country. All we do is eat non-stop, 24-7. Overeating harm your body by making you over weight, diabetic and some other common diseases. The first thing to do is to figure out if your overeating is something that happens occasionally or all of the time. Holidays are a big time to indulge in overeating, but that is only a few times a year not everyday. But, if you are overeating often, there are somethings you can do to help yourself from eating. For example, instead of eating when you are not hungry find something else to do like watch TV, do homework or take a walk. Also, try to avoid eating while watching TV, because many people tend to overeat when watching sports events. If you have to eat while watching TV eat a piece of fruit or something nutritious, instead of chips and dip. If you do have a real serious overeating problem that you cannot control, there are treatments that doctors can give to help you overcome your problem.

"How To" have a healthy relationship

Sometimes one may feel that it is impossible to find the right person for you to date. But, when you do think you found that person you are most likely estatic. When you do find that person, it is very important that you make sure that your relationship is healthy. Mutal respect is number one in a relationship. It is important that you and your boyfriend or girlfriend value each other's beliefs, boundaries, likenesses and etc. In order to have a healthy relationship, you have to TRUST each other. Trust goes into the next idea of having a healthy relationship which is honesty. Trust and honesty are essential in growing closer and being comfortable with your significant other. In a healthy relationship, your boyfriend or girlfriend will be there with support with always having a shoulder to cry on when you are sad or happy. Supporting each other's accomplishments is important in keeping a relationship healthy. Fairness and equality is necessary in a relationship. This means taking turns in movies you see, things you do, places you go and etc. Lastly, good communication is most important to keep a relationship going. Couples need to learn how to communicate well and not argue when trying to get a point across. Bad communication can lead to a bad unhealthy relationship.

A Relationship is unhealhty when it includes mean, abusive, controlling and disrespectful behaivor. Many qualities like kindness and respect are absolute requirements for a healhty relationship. Here are some signs that you can look for to see if you are having an unhealthy relationship: if your boyfriend or girlfriend gets angry if you don't drop everything for him or her, critizie the way you look or dress, want you to quit an activity or push you to go further sexually even if you don't want to.

I am in a relationship for 11 months now, almost a year and it has been the best year of my life. My boyfriend has all the qualities to look for in a healthy relationship and I am so grateful I have someone like him. It is very hard these days to find a man who shows all good qualities, is respectful and will drop everything just to spend time with you. But, I am sure one day you will find "the one" as I have. My boyfriend is respectful, we communicate so well we never fight, we compromise and we are always having fun. My relationship is definately a healthy one and I am so happy that I have this boy in my life to create memories with.

"How To" take the right amount of vitamins

Vitamins are essential in one's life to stay healthy and are necessary in order to keep the body in shape. Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in the foods that we eat. Your body needs these vitamins and minerals in order to work properly. Vitamin D in milk helps keep your bones healthy. Vitamin A in carrots helps you to see at night. Vitamin C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut. Vitamin B in vegetables helps your body create protien and energy. As you can see the body needs at least these 4 vitamins if not more. The body can not make vitamins, you have to give them to yourself. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs becasue all the different foods we eat contain different vitamins. The hint is to eat a lot of different foods to get an assortment of vitamins.

Many children are not willing to eat different foods. This is not good for a child's growing body, so this is where taking vitamin supplements comes into play. As you were a child, I am sure your parents told you to take your vitamins and eat, etc. Vitamin intake begins when you were a newborn, when your parents put the liquid vitamin in formula. Then as a toddler, you would take the sesame street chewable vitamins and then as a teenager start swallowing adult vitamins. People of all ages are in need of getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals to function. Taking a viamin every morning can make you feel better, have more energy and prevent your body from being sick. Even if you think you eat the right amount of different foods, it does not hurt to take a vitamin or two to give your body extra vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy.

Many people today are working out. Working out takes a lot of energy from your body. In order for this to work, one needs to not only make sure their body has engough vitmains and minerals but PROTEIN is the number one. There are many protien supplements to take after you work out. For example, you can make protien shakes and have a protien bar. These things are not fatening if you are worried about weight, they can help you maintain your body shape as well as doing this in a healthy way.

So, I hope you realized how important it is to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your body. If you are or are not eating the right amounts of foods, I hope you go to the store and purchase vitamins to take because I am sure that the body becomes a lot more healthier if it has the right amount of nutrients it needs.

"How To" have enough energy to get through the day

Sleep is one of the most important things in one's life. If you do not get enough sleep, you will not be able to function. Most teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep every night. This is essential for students to be able to do well on tests, sports and other after school functions. However, many teens do not get the 9 hours they need. Teens are known for staying up late, oversleeping for school and sleeping in class. This is very unhealthy and can ruin their education and even their body. Sleep is so important because it determines one's mood and how well he or she can pay attention in class. Lost sleep leads to poorer grades and damages teen's ability to do their best in their athletics. Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional problems that teens may encounter. Sleep helps us become physically healthy as well by re-energizing us to maintain our daily activities.

Here are some ways to see if you are getting enough sleep or not: if you have difficulty waking up in the morning, inability to concentrate, falling asleep during classes, and having feelings of moodiness and even depression. There are many ways to get more sleep and improve your sleeping patterns. To get better sleep you can set a regular bedtime, exercise regularly, avoid caffine stimulants, relax your mind, stay away from bright lights for long hours, don't nap too much(like me), avoid all-nighters, and lastly it is good to wake up with bright lights to get the body moving as you first open your eyes.

When I was in high school, I had to wake up at 6 a.m. and did not get home until 4 p.m. When I got home, I would always take a nap every day. Now in college, I get up much later and I feel more energized and don't really take naps anymore. So, the amount of sleep you get ech night definately affects your day and how well you concentrate and etc. It is important to have enough energy to get through the day and getting the right amount of sleep is one way to accomplish this.

"How To" write a memoir

Memoir's can be a journey into the past. In order to write a memoir, you can write about yourself or something that happened to you in your lifetime. These memoirs don't have to be about big things, often the littlest things make the most interesting stories. Every human being has their own memories that stick out in his or her own mind. You should make the facts short and elaborate when you have an interesting story. You can also include lifetime goals and career ideas as well in a memoir. It is also important to be sure names and dates are correct in memoirs. Even if you are not a writer, it is a good idea to keep a book of some short memoirs too keep a record of your life and accomplishments.

How To Eat Right When Attending a Sports Function

Today, I went to a Jet Game with my boyfriend, Matt. Before the game, we had a small tailgate party and we barbecued some food prior to watching the game. This is the time to fill up and eat all the good and healthy food before entering the arena and getting trapped into buying the greasy food. To eat right at the tailgate, bring chicken or steak to grill, have roasted vegetables and some tortilla chips with salsa. Bringing fruit and water is also a good idea. Every time one goes to a sports game, it is tempting to buy sausage and peppers or that gross pizza or dried out pretzels. But, if you are prepared and eat a lot before the game, trust me you will not be tempted to buy the greasy foods. Eating this way will also make you feel better and enjoy the game more.
The game today was a lot of fun. This was the first game I had even been at and it was a great experience. My boyfriend and I were cheering and screaming the whole game and in the end the Jets won! We also had really close seats, 11 rows from the field.
So, tailgate right, eat right and you will enjoy the game and have a great time as I did!

"How To" Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is so important today to stay fit and feel good. It is very hard to eat the right foods today because of all the advertising for fast food, and how many people were brought up with eating whatever they want. As years progressed and research began, eating this way is not the right thing to do. If one eats this way it can lead to diabetes, obesity and others diseases of that sort. Fast food keeps expanding to get customers to buy and eat it. For example: many of them now have a dollar menu and children menu to get the kid's attention. Americans are so cheap that if they are hungry they will go to buy food for a dollar at a fast food restaurant. I know that some of these fast food places are starting to cook with better oil and bringing out salads and fruits. However, I think that people go for the french fries or onion rings either way.
To avoid this, it is better to eat at home. Eating organic food can help one feel great and get all the nutritional values they may need. Organic food is the same thing as non-organic except this kind of food is made with no preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, food-coloring and it is all natural. Eating this way is the best way to stay healthy. When shopping in a supermarket, instead of buying the cereal with tons of food-coloring, you can go buy healthier cereal in the organic aisle that is made with fruit juices. Most supermarkets today do sell organic foods. Sometimes buying organic is a little more expensive, however once you start eating this way you will never go back to having fast food again and food containing unhealthy things again.
If you are thinking about loosing weight, don't starve but eat right and organic. If you eat right and exercise, you will see results and feel great. But, you must be careful when buying organic because buying an organic item does not mean that it contains no fat! This just means that there are no chemicals and preservatives. My family began eating healthier and organic a few years ago and by eating this way we all have more energy, feel better, never get sick and are in shape. Eating organic also does not mean that you cannot go out to eat. My family and I go out to eat all the time, we just choose the healthier choices, like grilled chicken instead of fried.
Whether you are eating at home, shopping in a supermarket or going out to eat, you can always find the right choices. You must have the will power and say to yourself that eating organic is the best thing for me.

"How To" Live a Healthy Life

Living today is a very challenging task to accomplish. One needs to have the knowledge on how to be successful and be healthy. Being healthy is the main way to survive in today's world. There are many ways to be healthy for example, eating the right way and getting the right amount of sleep. One also needs to be healthy socially, physically, educationally, and spirtually. There are four main ways on how to begin living a healthy life. These four ways are eating, excercising, taking vitamins and sleeping. Living a healthy life will definately bring along happiness and accomplishment. First, in order to live healthy one needs to eat right. This means throwing away the junk food and bringing out the healthy snacks. Instead of eating chips, cheese doodles and food with large amounts of sugar and food coloring; you can buy fruit cups, organic chips or chips with no food coloring and perservatives. The Human body needs to be in shape. America today is getting very obese because people aren't eating right and aren't excercising. So, the next step to live a healthy life would be to excercise constantly, for example: join a gym, talk a walk or jog in the park, take yoga or pilates classes and always be active. When one is active, you will maintain more energy to get through the day. Taking vitamins are another way on living healthy. Vitamins are a nutritional source or supplement that provides nutrition that one may not be getting from their every day meals. Sleep is the number one way on how to live healthy. Every average person needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. This can prevent one from feeling ill, tired, and lazy. If one does not get enough sleep, he or she will not be able to funtion in work and school. This can prevent one from getting work done that is important for work and/or school. These four ways are essential on living a healthy life. If one eats right, excercises, takes vitamins and gets enough sleep, this person will advance in life and be on the right track to show other people how to live healthy.

"Why I Write"

Now entering college, I thought about many reasons why I write: I write to educate myself. I write because I am told to. I write for school. I write down my feelings. I write to describe the way I am feeling. I write to keep in touch with friends and relatives. I write in a diary for memories. I write when I am happy or sad. I write to remember my agenda. I write to study. I write when I am bored. I write to the one I love when he is away. I write because it helps me learn. I write in Italian. I write when I am up all night and cannot sleep. I write when I am procrastinating. I write when I am working. I write on post-its for reminders. I write to keep my mind off of things. I write to distract myself from nervous situations. I write with colors to pin point important information. I write for children. I write with crayons to help children learn. I write with food, like M&M’s or skittles, to make learning fun. I write with challenging words to help myself become more educated. I write to get criticized so I can fix my mistakes. I write down my interests. I write down dance routines. I write holiday cards. I write because it is a part of me. I write on pictures to remind myself when they were taken. I write to improve. I write for my career so I can prosper. I write for my parents to help them remember. I write checks to pay bills. I write in a notebook to study for exams. I write on a laptop to keep organized. I write on colored index cards because I feel it helps me do better on midterms and finals. I write for me because it has helped my growth from grammar school to college. Writing is a very important part of the learning process.