3 Ways to Beat Prediabetes

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According to diabetes.org, approximately 86 million American adults have prediabetes, and another 29.1 million have developed Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. There is a long list of health complications associated with being diabetic, so it is imperative for those in a prediabetic state to take immediate action to prevent the onset of this disease. Fortunately, you can get your health under control by implementing a few new practices into your daily routine.

1. Remove soda and sports drinks from your diet.
One of the biggest issues that people with diabetes face is difficulty keeping their blood sugar in line. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, it is just as important to remove all unnecessary sugar from your diet. Caffeine can also cause problems, so your best bet is to stop drinking all regular sodas, sports drinks, sweet tea and anything else that contains caffeine. When temptation to grab a soda strikes, be sure to remind yourself that the average 12-ounce can is filled with the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.

I want to build the habit of mindful eating and lose some weight, so I will follow these 7-day healthy eating tips.

2. Start a regular exercise program.
Exercise and diet are two of the most important things for you to embrace if you want to avoid developing diabetes. Experts recommend working out for at least 30 minutes per day, and this may require some professional input or instruction to help ensure you stay safe and don’t get bored. For example, Les Mills fitness programs offer a wide variety of options, ranging from dancing to a full-body weights workout. Utilizing a program that allows you to learn many different things will make exercising more mentally and physically engaging, and it will also give you a better overall workout.

3. Make the switch to low-fat dairy products.
The good news is that you do not need to completely give up dairy unless you’re lactose intolerant. However, your body will thank you for it if you begin substituting low-fat or no-fat dairy products. The American Diabetes Association advocates that this is one of the best ways to keep your intake of sugar and carbs low while still getting the necessary protein and calcium. You can get used to the lower fat products by gradually stepping down from whole fat to 2 percent, followed by 1 percent and, finally, no-fat.

5 Ways Musicians Can Build Their Social Media Presence

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Musicians can either make or break their career with social media. Record labels are no longer building the celebrity or artist like they used to. Major labels want artist to have a social media following before they get signed.

On an indie level it’s even more crucial to have a social media campaign, so you can connect with as many fans as possible. Here are 8 ways musicians can build their social media presence.

1. Build a consistent posting strategy.
Building a consistent posting strategy is a key to building a social media presence. Consistency will also keep your fans engaged with your music. If your social media accounts go too long without any updates, your fans will forget about you and your music. Social media accounts that have more consistent updates are highly correlated with an increased amount of followers.

The best way to create a consistent posting strategy is to get use a scheduler such as the auto scheduler built into Hootsuite. It can put all your updates in for the week, put them on a scheduler, and forget about them. That way you don’t flood your fans’ timeline with overload of information.

2. Tailor your content to the social media platform you’re using.
Some platforms perform better with visual content such as Instagram and Facebook. Other platforms such as twitter performs better when posting live content. It’s best to tailor your content to the right platform you can make the biggest impact on your audience.

3. Engage in one on one conversations.
It’s really important to engage in one on one conversation because it creates an instant connection with your fan base. If a fan reaches out to you, engage in a one on one conversation, you never know where that connect may lead you. Please note that time is of the essence when reaching out to fans. Studies show that fans expect musicians to respond within one hour.

I will drink enough water every day by following these daily tips.

4. Utilize special giveaways and promotions.
Giveaways and promotions are a great way to build your social media presence. Rafflecopter is a great tool to facilitate giveaways for your fans. By using Rafflecopter you can choose the submission options that best suit your social media campaign. You can choose to have your fans tweet about your music to get an entry to your giveaway. This can help you build a larger fan base relatively easy.

In my experience, make sure your giveaway is something that is in line with your message and audience. One last tip on giveaways, do not be the musician that offers a free cd as a giveaway. Make sure your giveaway is a personal experience, not a product.

5. Share useful and valuable content.
It’s not enough to just promote your music. You need to share content that is interesting and valuable to your fans. If you are in the midst of creating an album, it’s a good idea to share footage of you creating the album. Fans love to see behind the scenes footage and it allows them to feel like they are apart of your movement. It’s also important to utilize a 80/20 rule when posting content.

80 percent of the time share useful content, 20 percent of the time share promotional content. Most musicians only share promotional content and wonder why they don’t have the fan base that they need to get to the next level. Please don’t be that musician.

Eating breakfast cuts inches off?

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When you wake up, the blood sugar your body needs to make your muscles and brain work their best is usually low. Breakfast helps replenish it.

If your body doesn’t get that fuel from food, you may feel zapped of energy — and you’ll be more likely to overeat later in the day.

Breakfast also gives you a chance to get in some vitamins and nutrients from healthy foods like dairy, grains, and fruits. If you don’t eat it, you aren’t likely to get all of the nutrients your body needs.

Many people skip the a.m. meal because they’re rushing to get out the door. That’s a mistake. You need food in your system long before lunchtime. If you don’t eat first thing, you may get so hungry later on that you snack on high-fat, high sugar foods.

Skipping the morning meal can throw off your body’s rhythm of fasting and eating

Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism, helping you burn calories throughout the day. It also gives you the energy you need to get things done and helps you focus at work or at school.

People who eat breakfast are thinner than those who don’t. That could be because eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps your appetite in check the rest of the day.