When planning your 4th of July weekend this year, consider taking your family on a picnic!

How do you find the perfect spot though? State parks are an excellent solution. To locate a state park near you (or near your vacation destination), the Internet is a good place to start. Just enter “state parks” and your state name in a search engine.

For a more general site chock full of fun picnic information as well as a state-by-state guide, you can try Alan’s Kitchen. Visitor centers and interstate rest areas/welcome centers have a wealth of information as well.

Check the park's calendar of events for fireworks or any other activities on your chosen date. Be sure to find out what amenities are at the park, as well as any regulations that may apply to you. Are there grills, or will you need to bring one?  Are open flames not allowed?

Picnics are a fine opportunity for the family to play games, and you won't have to bring a lot of equipment to enjoy yourselves. A tug-of-war game only needs a rope. Bring along a few scarves for a 3-legged race. Charades are a fun activity for younger children and adults alike. A game of catch, Frisbee, or a water balloon toss can be a way to sneak in some exercise while creating some lasting family memories.

Bring a cell phone and emergency numbers. Print a copy of the park's map and bring along, just in case. While you’re planning, don't forget insect repellant and sunscreen! And always be sure to supervise children around water.

Have a great 4th!

At one time or another, you may have found yourself alone in a doctor's examination room and noticed the doctor has left your chart on the desk. You take a small peek, and then are stunned to see that you have been described as ‘obese.’

Obese!?!?

What the doctor was basing this observation upon was actually your Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. Health professionals use your BMI as an indicator for the amount of fat on your body.  The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of some diseases, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

The following chart shows what the ranges are for an adult:

     BMI                            Weight Status      

Below 18.5                      Underweight

18.5 – 24.9                Normal or Healthy Weight

25.0 – 29.9                        Overweight

30.0 and Above                 Obese

Your BMI is calculated based on your height and weight. As an example,  a 6'2” tall male who weighs 257 pounds  has a BMI  of 32.9 (obese).

Now, this formula isn't infallible. That's the height and weight of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his Conan the Barbarian days. Since muscle weighs more than fat, it's possible to be in good condition and have a BMI number showing you are overweight, or to have a good BMI number and still have a high percentage of body fat.

Just remember that when you're contemplating a weight loss regimen, the best thing to do is consult your doctor about the proper diet and exercise program you need for your overall health. 

Since Father's Day is coming up, it's time to salute our “other dads”—the TV dads we grew up with. These dads may never have shown up at our dinner table or tucked us in at night, but they still influenced our views on parenting and fatherhood.

Sure, a lot of these fathers were flawed. Take Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) and Al Bundy (Married with Children), for example. These guys seemed to prefer a good punch line over their families. Archie Bunker (All in the Family), despite his many imperfections, made sure his daughter knew how much he loved her.

A great dad, whether or not he's on TV, is one who teaches his children valuable lessons. Andy Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show), Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch), Ward Cleaver (Leave It to Beaver), Pa Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie), and Ben Cartwright (Bonanza)—these dads always seemed to know all the answers. They weren't afraid of showing their children affection from time to time either.

And many times these fathers were just crazy, silly, fun dads, like Tim Taylor (Home Improvement), Herman Munster (The Munsters), and Hal Wilkerson (Malcolm in the Middle). These dads knew that what kids want most from a father is his time. They also knew it was vital to treat your children the way you wanted to be treated when you were a kid.

So thank you, TV dads, for being there, and entertaining us while we were growing up.

And as a special bonus, here's a video clip of one of the best TV dads telling a bedtime story.

Happy Father's Day!

Like many Americans you know the importance of a good credit score. Your credit rating can determine whether you get that home of your dreams or can finally retire that “classic” 1976 Gremlin you’ve been driving around. What you may not know, is that according to the Federal Trade Commission, 1 in 5 consumers have errors on at least one of the three major credit reports, Equifax, Trans Union and Experian.

Here are 3 of the most common errors:

• Identity Errors.  Your credit report might have someone else’s information on it, which, depending on the other person’s payment history, could give you a good or bad score.
• Account detail errors.  The bank or credit bureaus may simply have incorrect information listed, such as wrong dates or missing payment history.
• Fraudulent accounts.  This occurs when someone has taken your identity information and opened lines of credit in your name. 

Fortunately, these mistakes don’t have to darken your financial future. Get a copy of your credit report each year from annualcreditreport.com.

If you detect an error on your credit report, send a letter to the credit bureau(s) along with copies of your supporting documentation. They are legally required to investigate your dispute and will typically do so within 30 days of receiving the notification. If you find that the information provided to them by your bank or other lender was inaccurate, you can contact these businesses as well. 

Your credit is important to you. Don’t let mistakes ruin it.

Feeling blah? Maybe it's the potato chips. Or the coffee. Yes, it really could be your diet.

We all have a tendency to turn to caffeine when we're running low on energy, but then we can feel jittery and have that hard crash.

Instead of coffee, try some green tea. There's still some caffeine content, but green tea contains an amino acid, L-theanine, which helps promote relaxation, so you won't get that jittery feeling.

Junk food can be a major energy-zapper, despite the fact we think of candy bars and donuts as being quick fixes when we're fatigued.

We've heard of good carbs and bad carbs, but here's the simple science: white flour, refined sugar, and white rice (the bad carbs) have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. That means they digest too quickly, causing spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

“So what can I eat now?” Well, how about fruit, yogurt, spinach, and quinoa? Here are some recipes you can try:

• Spinach and mushroom scrambled eggs
• Ginger-pecan muffins

Or how about some Blueberry Frozen Yogurt? Simmer 2 cups of blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a saucepan. Once it's cooled, mix in 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of Greek yogurt. Pour mixture into a 9”x 9” pan and freeze for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Your diet can have a major impact on how you feel. Try changing up a few things and see if you don't notice a difference in your energy levels.

Spring has finally returned, and now you emerge from that long sedentary winter ready to get out there in the sunshine and run again.

Not so fast! You might be ready, but that doesn't mean your feet are! Those tootsies of yours have been cooped up in the house just like you have, and they need to get a little care before you hit the road.

Is it time for new shoes? If you're planning on wearing your old pair, remember that they're only "good" for about 300 to 500 miles (that includes using them for other sports and just casual walking). When you're buying new shoes, find a store with employees who run, so they know what you're talking about. 

A good way to prevent plantar fasciitis—a common foot ailment for runners— is to do some stretching exercises.  Here’s a good one to start:

Stand on a curb facing the sidewalk. Rest the middle of one foot on the edge of the curb with your heel extended beyond the curb. Keep the other foot completely on the sidewalk, and slowly lower your heel enough to give your Achilles tendon and calf muscle a good stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat several times for each foot.

Let's take care of those blisters before they get started. The key is to stop friction. Coat your feet with Vaseline, and wear two pairs of socks. Apply lotion to your feet on a daily basis and wear synthetic socks, which help let the moisture from your feet evaporate. 

Starting a new running routine? We can help! Contact us today and we'll help you get started!

Now take those happy feet out to play!