The holiday weekend is nearly here, so there’s a good chance you’ll be going to a barbecue – or two or three!

But how do you stay healthy when you’re tempted by hamburgers and hot dogs?

The best thing to do is come up with a plan first – if you’ve got dietary restrictions, call the party host ahead of time and see if you can bring your own proteins and sides. If not, when you’re there, look for the leaner proteins – chicken kabobs, grilled veggies, or salmon and shrimp.

And what do you wash it all down with? Sugary sodas or alcohol may help pack on the pounds, and if plain water is too boring, look for flavored water without sweeteners, and you’ll avoid extra calories.

Most important of all – have fun and be safe – so that you’ll be able to enjoy more cookouts this summer!

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You’ve heard it before – “Never go to bed angry.”

There’s actually some scientific truth to that old adage – and it’s not just conflict issues you may have with a significant other or member of your household.

A new study shows if you can resolve issues sooner, or at least start to talk about them before you go to sleep, you’ll end up with a much less stressful day when you wake up. Stressors big and small can affect our health because stress adds up and carries over.

Some stressful situations are unavoidable, but the ability which we tie them off, end them, and resolve them will contribute to your well-being – which is key to both avoiding mental health issues, like depression or anxiety, as well as physical ones like heart disease or gastrointestinal issues.

Researchers found that age plays a role in how we deal with stress. Adults over 68 were 40% more likely than those under 45 to resolve conflicts successfully. Whether they have more practice at it or less patience for it researchers didn’t know.

So if you’ve got something weighing on your mind and have been avoiding dealing with it, get it off your chest and you’ll feel better!

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Did you get everything done at work today you needed to? Are there any timewasters that you’re guilty of?

Here are the most common work timewasters that are easily avoided:

First – don’t respond to e-mails right away. Each e-mail message is an interruption on whatever you’re working on – you must stop, respond, then start up again. Set aside blocks of time to answer and answer them all at once.

If you’ve been working from home more, getting distracted by other tasks is a big timewaster! Doing chores around the house or being tempted to turn on the TV – the best way to battle that is to set up a to-do list in the morning and choose the top three things you need to accomplish before you move on.

Finally – social media! Most people say the biggest distraction is the phone – so turn off those notifications, or better yet, put the phone in a different room so you’re not tempted to check it all the time.

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