Month: May 2020

How To Help Sea Turtles on Your Next Vacation

How To Help Sea Turtles on Your Next Vacation

The amount of people that love sea turtles is growing and it shows in all the turtle-themed things you can buy from t-shirts to phone cases. If you’re a turtle lover, no doubt you’ve dreamed of what it would be like to see these magnificent 

5 Ways to Boost the Safety of Your Home

5 Ways to Boost the Safety of Your Home

From preventing break-ins to guarding against fires, home security is at the forefront of every homeowner’s mind. With additional security measures also adding value to your property, here are five ways you can increase the safety of your home. 1. Alarm system Alarm systems will 

What Services Can I Expect from Quality Home Heating Contractors?

What Services Can I Expect from Quality Home Heating Contractors?

Peace of mind for homeowners means having quick and easy access to help when things go wrong. You need a trusty plumber. A good doctor. A reliable auto mechanic. And, of course, you’ll need excellent home heating contractors to handle any problems with your HVAC system.

What Is an HVAC System?

HVAC, of course, is a very broad term. An acronym standing for “heating, cooling, and air conditioning,” HVAC essentially refers to any of the systems that keep your home comfortable during cold winters and hot summers. That’s the simple definition, but as you might suspect, the actual job of an HVAC professional isn’t a simple one at all.

HVAC systems encompass multiple technologies—from air conditioners to gas-powered furnaces to electric heat pumps and everything in-between—and a good heating and cooling contractor should be well-versed in all of them.

The Parts of Your HVAC System

While there are plenty of different ways to heat and cool your home, most HVAC systems have a few components in common. Each of these elements is an important part of the overall system. Among your home heating contractor’s many responsibilities is keeping them in good working order.

One of the most critical elements of any HVAC system is the thermostat. Your thermostat senses the temperature in your home and uses this information to decide when to begin heating or cooling your house. It’s this vital part of your HVAC system that keeps your home at a comfortable temperature. If it malfunctions, it can drive your energy bill way up or even cause your heater or air conditioner to cease functioning entirely.

An equally important part of any HVAC system is the evaporator coil. This small but crucial piece of technology has liquid refrigerant pumped through it. As warm air is pumped across it, the refrigerant draws out the heat energy and cools that air down. This newly cooled air is then pumped back through your home’s ductwork, keeping you cool on even the hottest days.

Whether it’s been heated or cooled, the air in your home is circulated through the ducts by an electric blower motor. This motor can control the airflow around your home, allowing you to turn the heat up and down as you see fit. This is another element that’s prone to malfunction and needs regular care and maintenance.

What Your Contractor Will Do

Installation

A malfunction in any element of your HVAC system can stop the whole unit from working. That’s why it’s important to keep every part of your heater and air conditioner in good working order. Because HVAC units are such large, complex, and expensive systems, you’ll want to hire an experienced professional to work on them for you. This is where your home heating contractors come in.

Your HVAC contractor’s job starts even before you’ve installed a heater or air conditioner in your home. A key part of their responsibility is to ensure you purchase the right unit for your house. Every home is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all HVAC system. The one that’s best for you will depend upon the size of your home, your budget, and your access to heating fuels such as propane or natural gas.

The best contractors will also help you to ensure that your energy bills remain low. Far too many homeowners end up paying far more than they need to every month, for several reasons. The wrong-sized heater, a poorly maintained HVAC system, and reliance on outdated technology are chief among these. A quality heating and cooling contractor will help upgrade your system to the most-efficient model available to you, saving you thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the unit.

Maintenance

Whether you’re getting a newly upgraded HVAC system or relying on an older one, your contractor can also help to maintain it. As with any mechanical system, regular maintenance is vital to extending the lifetime of your heater and air conditioner. It’s best to have your home heating contractor come in to inspect all the components of your HVAC system at least once a year. This service will usually include a duct cleaning as well, helping to keep dust that has built up over the course of the year from being recirculated into your home.

As they inspect your HVAC system, your contractor will discover if there’s anything that needs to be repaired or replaced. It’s best to schedule your maintenance visits in the offseason—that is, spring or autumn—so you’re not stuck waiting for a repair when your HVAC professional is busiest. If you’re diligent with your maintenance and repairs, it will significantly reduce your chances of being stuck without heat on the coldest days of the year, or of being without air conditioning on the hottest days of the year!

Your home heating contractors will be able to make any necessary repairs, helping to prevent the risk of catastrophic failure while also ensuring your HVAC system is running at maximum efficiency.

Finding a Great Home Heating Contractor

A great HVAC contractor can do it all: installation, repairs, upgrades, and maintenance. They’ll take all the stress out of it for you, whether it’s ordering replacement parts, cleaning your fan and ducts, or emergency repairs if necessary. You’ll want to look for an HVAC technician who has a full laundry list of services they offer.

Customer satisfaction is also key to quality home heating contractors. Look for contractors with positive testimonials, read reviews online, and talk to your neighbors to find out who they recommend.

It’s a good idea to have an HVAC contractor who will work with you financially as well. Contractors that offer financing can take a lot of the stress off their customers. Similarly, the best home heating contractors, such as Watts Heating and Cooling, offer maintenance agreements, so you can get regular tune-ups and maintenance, as well as discounted replacement parts, without breaking the bank.

How To Choose a Home Care Provider

How To Choose a Home Care Provider

As family members age, there may come a time when long-term care becomes necessary. Many seniors elect to live at home as opposed to moving into an assisted living facility. However, providing constant care for someone else while managing your own busy schedule can become 

All You Need to Know About Sex After Abortion

All You Need to Know About Sex After Abortion

Even though over 650 000 abortions were performed over a year in the United States (according to the research in 2014), I think that abortions are still being treated as taboo. There is still a lot of misconceptions about where to get them, and what 

What Is Cannabidiol?

What Is Cannabidiol?

From beauty to food and beverage, it seems as though all industries are starting to incorporate Cannabidiol (CBD) into their product lines. Endless CBD offerings can make it challenging to understand what the right product for you is. But, learning about the basics can help you make the right decision before you make your first purchase.

What is CBD?

Short for Cannabidiol, CBD is one of 80 cannabinoids derived from the hemp plant. Similarly to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol—better known as THC—CBD is another compound of the Cannabis plant that offers different benefits than THC. Don’t get confused, while often associated with marijuana, CBD is quite different from its close relative.

Unlike THC, which is known for its psychoactive response, CBD does not provide the same effect. CBD acts differently on the brain and body, allowing for a completely different and more balanced experience.

CBD is most commonly used topically or through ingestion, and sometimes both ways are used together. Known for its therapeutic and non-intoxicating effects, CBD is more approachable for those who are beginning to dip their toes into the world of CBD. The most popular usages for CBD are for discomforts like joint or muscle pain, along with anxiousness, insomnia, and chronic pain.

For years, CBD has been guilty by association due to marijuana’s stigma. Now, the benefits of CBD is starting to come through as more evidence of healing, and health has come to light. As research and awareness also continue to grow, the health and science communities have started regarding CBD as a holistic and natural alternative to over-the-counter (OTC) medicine.

Is CBD Legal?

In 2014, the Farm Bill solidified the legality of CBD. Before then, the conversation around whether or not hemp was legal was a touchy subject. Stated in the 2014 Farm Bill CBD growing and research under state-regulated programs is allowed, and products sold and distributed with under .3% THC are separated from marijuana. This bill helped to create no confusion around the legality of CBD.

Shortly after in 2018, the Farm Bill expanded by legalizing the growth, production, consumption, and sale of CBD products in all 50 states. This addition to the bill, per the decision of Congress, ensures that all industrial hemp products contain less than .3% THC. While CBD products are legal, the Farm Bill does not legalize products that are marijuana-derived, as those rules vary from state to state.

In addition to the legalization of growing and selling CBD, the Farm Bill also allows consumers and growers alike to travel with the oil. “Marijuana and certain cannabis-infused products remain illegal under the federal law except for products that contain no more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis or that are approved by the FDA,” the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) states.

What are the Benefits of CBD?

CBD is now a popular option among those looking for alternatives to modern medicine. Its ability to relieve symptoms that would typically require medications with harmful side effects has made it a go-to option for those looking for a natural remedy.

As scientists continue to research and find more evidence of the benefits of CBD, the list of issues that CBD can help continues to grow. Currently, CBD can provide relief from:

  • Autoimmune Inflammation and Arthritis
  • Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, and Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Diabetes and Obesity
  • Autism, ADHD, and PTSD
  • Leaky Gut, Colitis, and Crohn’s
  • Acne, Dermatitis, and Psoriasis

Along with the above list, Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) are also treatable with CBD. Scientific evidence shows that CBD reduces the number of seizures in these two childhood epilepsy syndromes, and, based on the results of the studies, the FDA approved a medicine that includes cannabidiol in its ingredients list: Epidiolex.

A88CBD™

Back in 2018, The Alkaline Water Company became publicly traded $WTER. This achievement came as a result of a disciplined growth strategy set by the Company which increased brand awareness and opportunities more than ever before. In 2019, The Alkaline Water Company announced its intention to launch into the CBD market space with the creation of its child company, A88CBD™.

They got to work finding the best CBD source and ultimately decided to partner with Centuria Foods, which provides high-quality hemp-derived CBD for their products. Centuria Foods is a global leader in phytocannabinoid-rich hemp-derived CBD ingredients for use in nutritional, pharmaceutical, and wellness products. Additionally, all of their CBD is sourced from hemp that is lawfully grown and processed within the United States.

Premium Products For You

A88CBD™ has an extensive line of topical and ingestible CBD products.

Choose from topicals such as:

  • A88CBD™ Hydrating Body Lotion
  • A88CBD™ Hand + Foot Cream
  • A88CBD™ Lip Balm
  • A88CBD™ Essential Oil
  • A88CBD™ Bath Salts
  • A88CBD™ Muscle Salve

As well as ingestibles:

  • A88CBD™ Tinctures
  • A88CBD™ Capsules
  • A88CBD™ Gummies

A88CBD™ products are created with premium, top-tier ingredients. You’ll find that natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, and menthol are used to help soothe, refresh, and revitalize your body so that you can feel your best! Also, A88CBD™ products are Vegan, Gluten Free, and Cruelty Free so that you can feel good about what you are using. Take comfort knowing that A88CBD™ never uses artificial fragrance, instead, they use natural Lavender oil and Copaiba oil to provide a beautiful natural aroma, as well as provide additional benefits to your products. It is easier than ever to add high-quality CBD products into your wellness routine, learn more at a88cbd.com!

4 Habits for Healthy Teeth and Gums

4 Habits for Healthy Teeth and Gums

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums takes regular care. Failing to look after your oral hygiene can quickly cause dental issues such as gum disease and cavities. This is likely to result in pain, loss of confidence, and costly dental treatment. Luckily, keeping your teeth and 

4 Tips to Boost Your Energy

4 Tips to Boost Your Energy

Sometimes it can be hard to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. You might find yourself hitting the ‘snooze’ button on your alarm repeatedly until you can finally throw off the bedcovers and get up. You might even find your energy dipping during 

The Nutritional Benefits of Chocolate

The Nutritional Benefits of Chocolate

When you are shopping for chocolate bars on a store shelf, it’s easy to forget that this dark and delicious treat comes from a seed. It’s the byproduct of roasted cacao seeds, to be precise. The cacao tree is an evergreen tree native to Mesoamerica, and it’s believed that chocolate was first invented in a region that today is part of Mexico. Originally, what would become chocolate was consumed as a type of bitter beverage.

In summary, chocolate has been around for a very long time. And like many of nature’s gifts, chocolate is quite healthy. Let’s go over some of its health benefits.

Chocolate is very nutritious (if you buy the right one)

Seeds tend to be healthy foods, and as the byproduct of the cacao seed, chocolate itself is quite nutritious. According to Healthline, a 100-gram bar of dark chocolate contains 11 grams of fiber, and over half the recommended daily amount of iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese. In fact, it contains 89% the recommended amount of copper, and 98% the daily amount of manganese you need. Quite nutritious for a delicious snack.

There is bad news, though. Not all chocolate is that healthy. To get the benefits, you need higher concentrations of cacao in the chocolate, which makes it darker, and also makes the chocolate more bitter. The above nutritional concentrations were found in 100-gram of chocolate containing between 70% and 85% cacao. Which is going to be quite bitter, and may taste very different from the sugary chocolate treats you are used to consuming.

You could, of course, get all that from a 200-gram bar of chocolate containing only 40% cacao. But then you start running into the adverse effects of adding more sugar and other chemical additives to your diet — even 100-gram of dark chocolate contains enough sugar that you shouldn’t be consuming that much daily.

In other words, if you are planning on consuming chocolate as a health food to reap the benefits described in this article, going for dark and bitter chocolate is the way to go. The good news is that plenty of studies have found that you can train yourself to enjoy bitter foods, making them more enjoyable over time.

On top of the elements listed above, chocolate also contains plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. On top of that, chocolate is packed with plenty of healthy fats, and it even contains caffeine, thanks to it being present in cocoa seeds. There also are benefits to chocolate beyond nutrition.

What else chocolate can do for you

Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which are very good for you. Chocolate has also been shown to improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart diseases, and improve brain function. The latter is shown both in healthy adults and in older adults suffering from mental impairment.

There’s been plenty of studies looking at the effect that chocolate has on your emotions. These have shown some indication that chocolate can help regulate your mood and appetite. Although the latter two benefits are far from certain, and reports of chocolate as a natural antidepressant have largely been exaggerated. If you’re looking to regulate your mood, you should look into what Cibdol has to offer.

Rory Brown, Lifestyle Writer, Shares 6 Minerals to Add to Your Diet Today

Rory Brown, Lifestyle Writer, Shares 6 Minerals to Add to Your Diet Today

The human body creates cells, which in turn generate skin, hair, collagen, bone, protein, and energy. The body requires the right nutritional balance to produce these essential elements. Vitamins are one source of these nutrients, and playing a similar role, with benefits such as fending