Categories
Pet

How to Find the Ideal Location for Your Veterinary Clinic/Hospital

As the old saying goes, what are the three things that matter most in real estate? Location, location, and location. Starting any business is an exciting time. When you’re getting into the finer points of planning your veterinary clinic, choosing the location is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

With your veterinary clinic, there are a few reasons that location is important. You need to make sure that the space you have is appropriate for the type of clinic or specialty you’re offering. You also need to research the competition in the area and the market size. We discussed location briefly in our first post on what to consider when purchasing a veterinary clinic. Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at choosing the location of your clinic. There are several important considerations when choosing the best place for your clinic, which we’ll cover below. For more information on other aspects of starting your veterinary clinic, see our veterinary industry page.

Your Veterinary Specialty

The first thing you want to consider is the type of veterinary clinic you want to operate. A clinic that specializes in domestic pets, like dogs and cats, might have an excellent market in a city neighborhood. A veterinary practice that specializes in large animals, like horses or cattle, might not do as well in an urban environment. The type of specialty you work with and the services you offer should inform the space you ultimately choose.

You might want to look in an area where you’d like to live. If you’ll be available for emergency visits, you may need to live somewhat close to your clinic. Some veterinarians choose a location in their hometown because they already have a base of customers and colleagues in the area. You might also want to move to a new location. Your personal goals and aspirations should be a factor in the decision-making. You should also consider how long you’d like to run your practice.

You should look at the structure and zoning of the actual space to make sure it can be renovated to fit your needs. Are you offering boarding or overnight care for animals? Do you offer grooming?

Start with your own business plan. Decide on your market positioning. What type of veterinarian clinic do you want to run? What makes you the best clinic for your clients to choose from?

Here are some of the primary considerations when choosing a location:

  • The Physical Location
  • The Population in the Immediate Vicinity
  • The Demographics
  • Competition

The Physical Location of Your Veterinary Clinic

The physical location is important. It’s the first impression for your clients. It also needs to be fully equipped for you to offer the services you envision.

You need to look at the building and decide whether leasing or buying would be the best option for your practice. You also need to consider parking options, convenience for customers, and the physical space inside. Most veterinary clinics lease for extended periods of time. With that in mind, don’t only think about your business goals for this year. Think about whether the space fits your goals for the future. If you plan to add services or grow to include more providers, you need to make sure the space will still be adequate for your projected growth.

Customers also need the location to be accessible. You want to make sure that parking is available. Some animals are not socialized or comfortable near other animals, so you want to make sure the space is adequate to separate animals that get skittish or aggressive. You need to accommodate for waiting room seating and private rooms for exams. If your practice offers surgical procedures, boarding, and other services, space and equipment will need to be considered when choosing your location.

The way your clinic is designed is an important aspect of customer care. Creating an organized workflow for your staff will mean better customer service and greater satisfaction. If the space is smaller, you might consider whether you can add to the space as your practice grows.

The actual neighborhood and outside location will matter to your clients, too. This might include neighboring shops and the type of town or city. If you’re located in a shopping mall or area where there are other businesses, make sure to check the lease to verify the other types of businesses in the area. You don’t want another veterinary practice to open up in the same plaza.

Visibility is a concern, as well. Customers need to be able to find your practice. Make sure the space is easily visible from the street and that you add clear signage to help new customers find you.

The Population in the Immediate Vicinity

Most pet owners choose a veterinarian within a few miles from their home. This might not be exceptionally important if you’re a specialist. But, for the most part, you’ll want to pay close attention to the population in the surrounding area.

The size of the population in the area will give you a good idea of the possible client base you can attract. For most businesses, it’s more beneficial to set up in the higher population areas. But this is going to depend on your competition and the type of specialty you offer. For instance, veterinary practices that specialize in large animals often travel to farms, so their location is less important.

When you consider the location, make sure that your client base will find it easy to do business with your clinic. This might mean choosing a location that’s walkable or where there are no similar veterinary clinics in the vicinity.

The Demographics

The demographics in your area are also a factor. You want to consider the household sizes in the area and their income. If you can get information on the number of pet owners in the area, that can be a good indication of your ability to thrive as well. Generally, families tend to be more likely to own pets and higher-income families tend to have more disposable income to spend on their pets.

Do some market research on the area. For instance, you might research the number of dog parks, pet daycares, and other pet services in the area. If there are a number of services catering to pet owners, it’s a good indication that you have a market base in the area. But that also leads us to the next consideration — your competition.

The Competition

You need to know how many other veterinary clinics and services are in the same general area. There may be several, but this information will help you decide what makes your practice different and whether you can compete in the market. In some areas, the market is already saturated with providers and there isn’t a lot of room to grow. You need to know that in advance.

In most cases, you can tailor your services to meet an existing need in the location. For instance, there may be big box stores that also offer vaccines and grooming but not full veterinary care. If your clinic offers fully licensed veterinary care, you address a market that the big box stores likely won’t be able to meet.

You should also consider the types of services that aren’t currently available in the area. Filling a need that isn’t currently being met means that you’re positioning yourself in the market where there is no direct competition. When you consider what makes you different, it might be something simple. You might offer great prices or excellent customer service. You might also offer something extra, like house calls for sick animals or extra care for families when they have to put down their pet.

Solid research on the competition in the area will help you understand what the needs are for pet owners in the area. It also gives you advanced information on how to successfully position your clinic.

Do You Need Legal Services?

If you’re in the process of researching or starting your veterinary clinic, Dental & Medical Counsel can help. You’ll need to consider the best type of business structure for your clinic, whether to buy or lease property, intricacies about associate agreements, and other legal aspects of successfully running your clinic.

We specialize in helping veterinary practices understand and adhere to the legal requirements involved in their business. Whether you’re considering the right business structure, drafting associate agreements, considering leasing or purchasing property, or thinking about the future of selling your clinic, Dental & Medical Counsel is your go-to expert.

Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation with attorney Ali Oromchian.

Categories
General

What are the purposes of advertisements?

What are the Purposes of Advertisements?

For a given market target, there are six purposes which an advertisement seeks to attain. It is possible to achieve more than one type of objective with one single campaign; but that is both difficult and costly.

Whenever a company seeks to achieve more than one purpose through advertisements, it must make sure that the various purposes are in conformity with its overall marketing strategy. When a company seeks to increase the recognition of a brand name or product as part of its branding policy in marketing, advertisements are the way to go.

Basic purposes of advertisements:

  • Awareness;
  • Reminder to use;
  • Changing belief about the brand;
  • To assist salesmen in marketing products;
  • Generating direct sales;
  • Building the company’s image.

Advertisements create awareness:

One of the most widely accepted purpose of advertisements is to increase the recognition of a brand name or product, or to communicate information about the availability of the product to the public. This is an important objective from many point of view.

First, when a new product enters the market, it does not easily gain the favor of the buyers unless they are well informed about it. That is, an awareness about the product must exist before a favorable attitude toward the brand can be developed. An awareness about the brand is all the more important when several brands compete with each other.

Reminding buyers to use the product:

For discretionary items having an irregular or unusual pattern, an appropriate advertising policy must aim at stimulating the primary demand. To attain this objective, the buyers must be reminded not only to use the product but also to restock it.

Advertising to change belief about brand:

If an attribute is already considered important, buyer will examine the relative strength of different brands with respect to that attribute. Accordingly, the purposes of advertisements are to improve the buyer’s rating with regard to the product advertised vis-a-vis the other competing brands. When the attribute of a product is not peculiar, advertisements are floated to establish the superiority of product over other competing brands.

General purpose of an advertisement is to market a product:

The manufacturer extensively use advertisement for this purpose. Through advertisement, they try to familiarize the customers with their products and tend to promote a favorable attitude toward them before buyers are approached by salesman. That is why, when a salesman approaches a customer, it is relatively easy for him to sell the product.

For example, companies producing machine tools advertise their goods in those trade magazines which are read by their customers. Such advertisements may induce potential customers to purchase the product. At any rate, they create a favorable attitude toward the product so that the salesman may find it easy to canvass support for it.

Some companies assist retailers in arranging window displays and store decorations. This serves a dual purpose: it creates consumer interest and facilitates a favorable reception of the product by the retailer.

Advertisement as a tool to promote direct sales:

In some cases, advertising is used for the purpose of persuading the customer to place an order for the product. Mail order houses through leaflets and catalogs, advertise their products in such a manner that customers are convinced of their value and are tempted to write to the institution to get the product without going to a shopping mall or without going into further details about the product.

Products like books, ready-to-wear garments, slimming machines, toys and sports goods can be profitably sold by direct mail advertisements. Through such advertisements, the company lays stress on price appeal, and uses such slogans as “direct from factory to you.”

Advertisements builds Company’s Image:

The general purpose of advertisements is to build a company’s image. Practically all companies try to build their image through advertisements. Some consider it as the primary objective of advertisement.

For example, Godrej, Lakme, Vimal, VIP have built up an image through advertisement. It is largely assumed that if the company has some image or reputation in the market, it will be easy to sell its product. For example, Vimal’s clothing is very costly; yet it has good sales because of its image.

Selection of Advertising Media:

Advertising is a vehicle through which advertisers communicate their messages to customers to induce them to buy the products or services advertised by them. The following principal advertising media helps to achieve the key purposes of advertisements:

  • Press Media;
  • Direct mail media;
  • Outdoor media;
  • Social media;
  • Other media;

Though a wide variety of advertising media are available to achieve the above purposes of advertisements, yet selection and use of an appropriate medium of advertisement pose a variety of problems, which cannot be altogether solved by the management media specialist or even by an advertising agency.

Categories
General

Our Environmental Science Program

We prepare our students to develop critical thinking skills that allow them to contribute solutions to the current environmental, social, and economic challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century.

Algoma U’s four-year Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program is an interdisciplinary program that integrates core courses in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and geography. By integrating multiple disciplines, we are able to address some of the most profound and complex concerns faced by modern society.

The program examines the increased impacts of global climate change, the spread and threats of invasive species, the continued loss of biodiversity and degradation of agricultural soil quality and availability, and other environmental challenges. The Environmental Science Course Map (PDF) outlines the program requirements for the Honours Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. HON) in Environmental Science.

Being located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, students will have ample opportunity to work in the various natural ecosystems which encircle the city. Sault Ste. Marie is at a crossroads between nature and industry, providing endless opportunities for students to examine first-hand the relationship between people and the environment. Within the city limits are large tracts of forests and fields, fast moving rivers, swamps, bogs, and St. Mary’s River. Not many cities can boast that kind of habitat diversity, or the biological diversity associated with it, making Algoma U and Sault Ste. Marie the ideal location to study Environmental Science.

Graduates of the program have the knowledge and skills needed to fill the current shortage of skilled workers in the environmental sector, including: researcher, research assistant, environmental consultant, environmental education, project manager, environmental sales, environmental risk management, coordinator for environmental initiatives, environmental technician, environmental communications, climatologist, biochemist, oceanographer, seismologist, biologist, ecologist, meteorologist, entomologist and many more.

This institution has been granted a consent by the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development to offer this program for a 7-year term starting 01/12/2017. Prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (e.g., acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies or other educational institutions). Renewal of Ministerial consent is a cyclical process. Algoma University will apply for renewal of consent in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

 

Categories
General

Types of Keywords With Examples

If you know anything about software-as-a-service search engine optimization (SAAS SEO), you know that one of the steps you need to take is including keywords in your content. SaaS marketing hinges on having strong content, and strong content hinges on having the right material. If you still believe in keyword stuffing like digital marketers from the olden days did, forget all that. Here at DemandJump, we recommend:

  • 20 keywords for pillars
  • 15 keywords for sub-pillars
  • 7-8 keywords for supporting blogs

You don’t need dozens of keywords to optimize your content. In fact, many search engines will penalize you for keyword stuffing because it makes your content repetitive and unreadable.

There are several types of keywords that you can include in your content. A combination of all of these will bring you the best results. In this blog, we will give you explanations and examples of each type. But first, you should know exactly where those keywords come from and what those little babies do for your content.

What Is a Keyword in SEO?

A keyword in SEO is a word or phrase that you include in your writing to help your target audience find your content when they conduct an online search. These keywords are what your audience types into search engines. You can often find examples of these when you search for a certain term (which in itself could be considered a keyword). Once results come up, you’ll see related searches or questions in your results that you might be interested in.

When writing content, you can type in a broad word or phrase related to your topic and use those related searches or questions as keywords to include in your piece. However, the problem with this method is that it’s time consuming and doesn’t tell you how popular those searches are. When you use a platform like DemandJump, you can type in a simple word or phrase and generate a list of keywords within minutes that you can use to write your content. And the great thing about these lists is that DemandJump will also tell you where you and your competitors rank for those keywords so that you know where to focus your efforts.

Not all keywords that you find are created equal. Each type has a different function. Ultimately, though, these different functions work together to achieve the same goal: bring traffic to your website and drive conversions.

What Are the 4 Types of Keywords?

There are 4 types of keywords: short-tail, long-tail, questions, and intent targeting keywords. Let’s take a closer look at each of these with some examples to help explain them. For the sake of our examples, we will say that you work for a sporting goods store.

  1. Short-tail Keywords: These are keywords that consist of 1-3 words. Because they are so short, they are also much broader than the other types of keywords. You can use short-tail keywords in two different ways: either as the title of your pillar page, since your pillar page is supposed to have 3,000+ words of general information on a broad topic, or included within your text.

For our example, let’s say you find a short-tail keyword “sporting goods.” You can use that keyword as the title of your pillar page. Within that pillar, you could also use other short-tail keywords such as “sporting goods store,” discount sporting goods,” and “online sporting goods.”

 

  1. Long-tail Keywords: These are keywords that include more than three words. They might even be a question or complete sentence. Some of these are great for the titles of sub-pillars or supporting blogs, especially the ones that are more specific than the title of your pillar—but not too specific. For example, you could use “sporting goods for sale,” “national sporting good chains,” or “top sporting goods stores.” Like with short-tail keywords, these can also be used within your text.

 

  1. Questions: These keywords work best for supporting blog titles because they are so specific. You can also use them as headers within your content to help readers navigate through your blog much easier. Some examples of questions that you could use are “What is a sporting goods store,” “What is the average markup on sporting goods,” and “Which sport brand is oldest?”

 

  1. Intent Targeting Keywords: These keywords indicate where your audience is on their buyer journey. There are four types of intent targeting keywords: informational, transactional, commercial, and navigational.

 

  • Informational: People searching these keywords are looking for answers, not to be sold to. If you want to target this audience, use questions or phrases that include who/what/when/where/why/how as well as general phases. For our sporting goods example, your informational keywords list might include “Sports equipment list,” “Importance of sports equipment,” and “What are the trends in the sporting goods industry?”
  • Commercial: People searching these keywords are interested in shopping around. Your commercial keywords list might include terms such as “types of baseball bats,” “sporting goods discounts,” or “sporting goods reviews.”
  • Transactional: People searching these terms are ready to buy something. To target this audience, your transactional keywords list might include “Sporting goods for sale,” “Where to get the best sporting goods,” or “List of top sporting goods stores.”
  • Navigational: People searching these terms know what your business is and want to find it. Use the keywords with your brand name in it when targeting this audience. Examples of keywords from a sporting goods’ navigational keywords list are “Dick’s Sporting Goods,” “Dick’s Sporting Goods coupons,” and “Dick’s Sporting Goods hours.”

How Do You Make a Keyword List? With DemandJump

To save yourself time and energy on hunting down relevant keywords, use DemandJump. We offer Pillar Strategy creation to help you determine which keywords to use as the titles of your content. We also have Content Briefs that give you lists of keywords to use within your content. And after you post your content, you can check how you and your competitors are ranking for different topics using the Keyword Rankings function. Say goodbye to the days of guessing how to rank. Sign up for DemandJump.

Categories
General

About Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is increasing with each passing year and inflicting grave and irreparable injury to the world. Environmental pollution is of different types namely air, water, soil, noise and light-weight. These cause damage to the living system. How pollution interacts with public health, environmental medicine and the environment has undergone dramatic change. Recent oil spills in the Yellowstone River, Alaska tundra and Enbridge (Wisconsin) demonstrate how pollution can directly and indirectly impact man’s health environmental pollution was not a medical/public health issue nor was it discussed in clinical settings. Since the 1950s, environmental medicine has been discussed more frequently through a greater awareness in public health and preventive medicine; although today, there is now a focus on occupational medicine. Environmental and occupational medicine are however more commonly viewed as an integrated subject, with emphasis given to industrial issues. Certainly, pollution problems have been recognized in the distant past but were more easily mitigated by nature due to the limited complexity of the pollutant, its degradability (e.g. biodegradable organics) and lower industrialization. Health-related effects from environmental pollution have been well known, but were not fully realized until highly notable events like the Donora (Pennsylvania) smog occurrence in 1948 resulting in later public health programs including in their training a discussion of environmental medicine. There has been an increased awareness of how pollution is observed regarding its health impact and attitudes toward public health and environmental medicine. Damage from oil spills will not only influence public health but overall disease rates for years to come. As environmental pollution increases so will the importance of environmental medicine in managing its consequences.

Categories
Travel

Travel Insurance

Before you travel, consider getting travel insurance to cover yourself in case delays, accidents, or illness occur on your trip. Your current medical insurance may not cover care in another country. Also, some types of travel insurance help you cover costs if your travel is cancelled or disrupted.

There are different types of insurance you should consider: (1) trip cancellation or travel disruption insurance, (2) travel health insurance, and (3) medical evacuation insurance. These will cover different situations and may give you financial peace of mind, as well as allow for safe and healthy travel.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance covers your financial investment in your trip, such as flights, cruises, or train tickets. Carefully examine the policy to make sure that it covers what you need it to cover, including cancellation if you or a close family member gets sick. Depending on the policy, trip cancellation insurance might not cover any medical care you need overseas, so you may need a separate travel health insurance policy.

Trip cancellation insurance may allow you to make a last-minute cancellation or changes to your itinerary in the event of a disease outbreak. Be sure to check the fine print to see if your coverage includes disease outbreaks at intended travel destinations and if there are any restrictions.

Travel Health Insurance

If you need medical care in another country, you will likely need to pay out-of-pocket for any services. Even if a country has nationalized health care, it may not cover people who are not citizens. Before you go, consider your insurance options in case you need care while traveling. Travel health insurance is especially important if you have an existing health condition, are traveling for more than 6 months, or doing adventure activities such as scuba diving or hang gliding.

Check if your current health care covers emergencies that happen while traveling. Ask if your policy has any exclusions, such as for preexisting conditions or adventure activities. If your health insurance coverage is not adequate, consider buying a short-term supplemental policy. Look for a policy that will make payments to hospitals directly.

Medical Evacuation Insurance

If you are traveling to a remote destination or to a place where care is not likely to be up to U.S. standards, consider buying medical evacuation insurance. This can be bought separately or as part of your travel health insurance policy. Medical evacuation insurance covers emergency transportation from a remote area to a high-quality hospital, which could otherwise cost more than $100,000. Medical evacuation insurance may also evacuate people with certain infectious diseases whereas other evacuation companies may not have that capacity. Make sure that the policy provides a 24-hour physician support center.

Insurance Resources

This list is not all-inclusive, but these resources provide information about getting travel health and medical evacuation insurance:

  • Department of State
  • International SOS
  • International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers
  • American Association of Retired Persons

More Information

  • Before You Travel
  • Getting Health Care During Travel
Categories
Health

How to Lose Weight Fast But Safely, According to Dietitians

Extreme weight loss is not something we recommend, but there are ways to jump-start weight loss in a sustainable and healthy way.

Quick weight loss can sound pretty enticing. That’s especially true when fad diets and social media make it seem more realistic than it really is to drop 10 pounds in 10 days. In fact, “yo-yo dieting” or “weight cycling” is associated with an increased risk of death. The truth is, for many people, it’s not easy to lose weight for a myriad of reasons, including life-stage, body composition, physical activity, genetics and hormones, among other factors. Plus, weight is not the end all be all and is only one of several factors that impact our overall health.

 

Extreme calorie restriction and excessive exercising is something our nutrition and fitness experts would never recommend for health reasons, but they also note that you’ll likely gain all of your weight back faster than you lost it if you try those approaches. Losing weight by improving your overall diet and lifestyle is without a doubt the healthiest way to go.

 

If you’re looking for sustainable weight loss, there are a few healthy tips that hold true for almost all of us across the board — and they’re concepts that we can put into practice beginning right now.

 

Editor’s note: Weight loss, health and body image are complex subjects — before deciding to go on a diet, we invite you to gain a broader perspective by reading our exploration into the hazards of diet culture.

 

10 Expert-Backed Tips for Safe Weight Loss

 

1. Up your veggie intake.

Instead of restricting different foods and food groups, focus on incorporating an abundance of nourishing foods that you can add into your diet to promote overall health and weight management. The water and fiber in produce adds volume to dishes and are naturally low in fat and calories but nutrient-dense and filling. You can create lower-calorie versions of delicious dishes by swapping out higher calorie ingredients for fruits and veggies. Think cauliflower rice in place of starchy white rice or doing 50/50. If you think about making any meal mostly veggies (at least 50% of anything that you’re having), you’re on the right track to better health.

 

 

2. Build a better breakfast.

A balanced breakfast — one that is stacked with fiber, protein, healthy fats, coming together in a delicious dish — will revolutionize your day, especially if you are currently skipping it and still find yourself struggling to prioritize a healthy lifestyle. Skipping breakfast may influence your hunger hormones later in the day, leading to you feeling “hangry” in the afternoon which makes it harder to refrain from oversized portions or cravings for sugary and refined carbohydrate foods. The best, heartiest breakfasts are ones that will fill you up, keep you satisfied, and stave off cravings later in the day. Aim to eat anywhere between 350 and 500 calories for your morning meal, and make sure you’re including a source of lean protein plus filling fat (think eggs, unsweetened Greek yogurt, nuts, or nut butters) and fiber (veggies, fruit, or 100% whole grains). Starting your day with a blood sugar-stabilizing blend of nutrients will help you slim down.

 

3. Skip sugary beverages.

We just don’t feel full by liquid calories in quite the same way as we do real food. Drinking a juice or caramel coffee drink just isn’t as satisfying as eating a bowl of veggie- and protein-packed stir-fry. Skipping sugary beverages is often the easiest way to lose weight faster, and bonus, it’s good for things like heart health and diabetes prevention too. Monitor your intake of juice, soda, sweetened coffee and tea and alcoholic beverages. If you consume each of those beverages during the day, you’ll have taken in at least 800 extra calories by nighttime — and you’ll still be hungry. (Incidentally, alcohol may suppress the metabolism of fat, making it tougher for you to burn those calories.

4. Get moving.

Movement of any type can be a very useful weight management tool. Walking is a great, inexpensive option that doesn’t require any extra gym equipment except for a good pair of kicks. A recent study showed that people who walked 8,200 steps per day were less likely to become obese, suffer from major depressive disorder and others chronic health related conditions. Therefore, consider walking for weight loss and better overall health.

Additionally, strength training builds lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories — at work or at rest — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The more lean muscle you have, the faster you’ll slim down.

How do you start strength training? Try some planks or push-ups on your knees or a few squats or lunges. Use your free weights to perform simple bicep curls or tricep extensions right in your home or office. Mix in some new ab, arm, back and leg moves if you like. Strength training just three to four times per week can lead to rapid improvement in not only weight loss, but also range of motion, stability, and posture.

 

  1. Eat mindfully.

Slowing down to focus on things like the taste, textures, temperature and smells of what you’re eating can help with portion control. But mindful eating also means really focusing on what you’re eating and when—this can help you identify unnecessary munching moments you may not realize you’re engaging in throughout the day that may be tacking on extra calories. More importantly, try to avoid eating foods that you don’t choose for yourself. Mindful eating can help shift the focus of control from external authorities and cues to your body’s own inner wisdom. Noticing where your extra calories actually come from is another step to making better choices in the short and long term.

 

6. Spice up your life.

Spicy foods can actually help you cut back on calories. That’s because capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeño and cayenne peppers, may (slightly) increase your body’s release of stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can speed up your ability to burn calories. What’s more, eating hot peppers may help you eat more slowly and avoid overeating. You’re more likely to stay more mindful of when you’re full. Some great choices besides hot peppers are ginger and turmeric.

 

7. Go to bed earlier.

There’s a ton of research that demonstrates getting less than the desired amount — about seven hours — of sleep per night can slow down your metabolism. Chronic sleep deprivation may even alter hormones that control hunger, and some studies show that there is a connection between poor quality food choices and less sleep. Good sleep has a ton of other benefits too, like boosting alertness, improving mood and overall quality of life. So don’t skimp on your ZZZ’s, and you’ll be rewarded with an extra edge when it comes to overall health and losing weight. Start small with just pushing up bedtime by 15 to 30 minutes, every minute counts!

 

8. Keep a food journal.

 

People who log everything they eat — especially those who log while they’re eating — are more likely to lose weight and keep it off for the long haul, studies consistently indicate. The habit also takes less than 15 minutes per day on average when you do it regularly, according to a study published in the journal Obesity.

 

Start tracking on an app like. My FitnessPal or use a regular notebook. It’ll help you stay accountable for what you’ve eaten. Plus, you can easily identify areas that could use a little improvement when it’s written out in front of you.

 

9. Resist the urge to skip a meal.

 

Our nutrition experts stress that skipping meals will not make you lose weight faster. If a hectic day makes a sit-down meal impossible, stash a piece of fruit and pack of nut butter in your car or purse and keep snacks in your desk drawer — anything that will keep you from going hungry!

 

Going long periods of time without food does double-duty harm on our healthy eating efforts by both slowing down your metabolism, and priming you for a binge later in the day. Make it your mission to eat three meals and two snacks every day, and don’t wait longer than three to four hours without eating. Set a “snack alarm” on your phone if needed.

 

10. Munch on mineral-rich foods.

 

Potassium, magnesium and calcium can help to serve as a counter-balance for bloat-inducing sodium. Foods that are rich in potassium include leafy greens, most “orange” foods (oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, melon), bananas, tomatoes, and cruciferous veggies — especially cauliflower. Low-fat dairy, plus nuts, and seeds can also help give you a bloat-busting boost. They’ve also been linked to a whole host of additional health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, and reducing the risk of chronic disease overall.

Categories
Technology

What is Technology?

What is Technology?

Technology means a lot of things these days. The word “technology” brings to mind various devices, such as laptops, phones, and tablets. Technology may also make you think of the internet, data, or advancements in the world of engineering. This may be a narrow scope though, as technology includes so many creative solutions to many everyday problems humans have faced all throughout history. So what is technology?

Technologies from around the world have been adopted to aid human life, from the most basic inventions, to complex systems that function entirely independently from the human experience. Technology has revolutionized society in countless ways; technology allowed early humans to grow their own food, navigate the open oceans, tell time, and connect society on a global scale. The transition from manual to technological methods of solving problems took place simply because relying on technology makes work easier. This lesson discusses these advancements in technology, and provides an overview of what technology is.

Technology Definition

The definition of technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes or applications. Technology uses scientific principles, and applies them to change the environment in which humans live. Technology can also use scientific principles to advance industry or other human constructions. Problems exist in the human environment and have for all of history. The existence of problems is what creates technological advancement; where there is struggle and tension, there is ingenuity and creativity. From this environment comes technology: ways in which the human experience is improved by the invention of objects that solve a problem.

Types of Technology

There are many different types of technology, differing in historical invention and application, as well as by the type of problem they solve. Types of technology include mechanical technology, medical technology, communications technology, electronic technology, and industrial and manufacturing technologies. Though these different types of technology all serve different purposes, range in design, and are applied in different ways, they all have one thing in common: they all solve a problem.

Mechanical Technology:
Mechanical technology is one of the simplest forms of technology, both in its application and in its design. Mechanical technology is the use of simple machines to solve problems. This includes the use of pulleys, levers, wheels and axles, wedges, inclined planes, and even cogs and gears. Mechanical technology is used for any task that involves doing mechanical work, which is primarily the motion of objects. Any machine, generator, or tool used to do work uses mechanical technology.

Though mechanical technology is simple, it has allowed for extremely important advancements in the human experience. Early humans using the wheel allowed for the transportation of heavy material to be faster and easier. The first wheel was found in ancient Mesopotamia, and is thought to be used as a potter’s wheel to throw clay pots. Ancient Egypt and India saw the invention of the shaduf, a hand-operated lever and fulcrum used to lift water to irrigate crops. Ancient Greek philosopher Archimedes was the first to record simple machines, including pulleys, levers, and inclined planes, all used as machines to lessen the work needed to accomplish a task. During the Industrial Revolution, mechanical principles were used in the invention of engines, which use a system of pistons to generate large amounts of force needed to move trains and power factories. In modern times, mechanical technology is employed to accomplish all sorts of engineering tasks, such as running our cars, lifting heavy objects, and transporting goods.

Medical Technology:
Medical technology is defined as the application of scientific principles to develop solutions to problems regarding health, prevent or delay the onset of disease, and promote the overall health of humans. Medical technology is used to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor symptoms and diseases. This includes the production of drugs and medications, and the use of x-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds which are tools used to look in the body for ailments. Ventilators are another type of medical technology, and are used to assist people in breathing. Medical technology can also include the equipment invented and used specifically for medical practices, from stethoscopes to scalpels.

Communications Technology:
Communications technology is the application of scientific knowledge to communicate. This includes everything from telegrams to landlines to cell phones. The internet is considered a communications technology because it is a system that communicates information in infinite ways. Communications technology also includes systems that aid in the effectiveness and efficiency of communication, such as communication satellites.

Electronic Technology:

Electronic technology is the application of scientific understanding of electricity to do work and perform tasks. We think of electronic technology as the many electronic devices, known as electronics, used in our modern world, such as tablets, laptops, and phones, all with internal computers that run on electricity. However, electronic technology includes any machine that runs on electricity. This includes washing machines, lights, and toasters. Electronic technology uses a system of electrical circuits to achieve a goal. This system can be simple, like that of a light circuit, or can be very complex, like that of a computer. Regardless of the system’s complexity, if it uses electricity, it is considered electronic technology.

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Health

Tips for Maintaining Good Health

Everyone knows that eating a balanced diet, exercising and getting plenty of rest are key to maintaining good health. However, that can seem to be an impossible task while in college. Frequently, the appeal of sweets, fast food, caffeine and alcohol outweigh healthy options when you’re in the company of friends or under stress from coursework. Here are some tips for staying healthy in spite of your college lifestyle.

Nutrition

Eat a variety of nutrient rich foods. Your body actually needs more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and there is not one single source for them. Your daily food selection should include a balance of good carbs, protein, fruits, veggies, and dairy products. Check out the food guide from the USDA at mypyramid.gov.

Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes moderate and reasonable, it is easier to eat what you want, and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. What’s a moderate portion? A medium-sized piece of fruit is one serving. A cup of pasta equates 2 servings and a pint of ice cream contains 4 servings.

DO NOT SKIP MEALS. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger and frequently results in over-indulging. Snacking between regular meals can help if you are pressed for time. Just make sure you have at least two balanced meals.

DO NOT eliminate certain foods. Because our bodies require diverse nutrition, it’s a bad idea to eliminate all salt, fat, and sugar from our diets, unless told to do so by a medical professional. Choosing healthier options such as skim or low-fat dairy will help you maintain a balanced diet.

Foods are not good or bad. It’s all about portion control!

Drink water! Stay away from cokes and other sugary sodas, which can pack as much as 17 teaspoons of sugar per 20oz drink! Sugar is a source of empty calories that can use up important vitamins and minerals in your body. Water helps not only to hydrate, but to aid in blood circulation, the removal of toxins from our bodies and in the regulation of our body temperatures.

Avoid too much caffeine. Caffeine is a mildly addictive drug that can affect your ability to sleep and focus while also affecting such bodily functions as muscle function and the cleansing of waste products.

Fitness and stress management

Be active

  • Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Get at least 30 minutes of activity every day. If the idea of sweating at the gym for hours on end doesn’t sound appealing to you, then head outside for a game of ultimate Frisbee. Or, try going for a walk or a run. The important thing is that you get moving!

Relax

  • Keep yourself organized to eliminate unnecessary and preventable stress.
  • Turn off the TV and listen to music.
  • Make time everyday, even if it’s just 15 minutes, for relaxation and reflection.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Allow at least 30 minutes of quiet relaxing activity before bed at night, e.g. reading.
  • Resist the temptation to use sleeping pills, when under the stress of writing papers, studying, etc.
  • Sleep is not a waste of time! It’s as important and necessary as nutrition and exercise.

Social health

Get involved and meet people in a positive environment. Often the adjustment to college can be difficult, especially when students are leaving the support system they have known for a lifetime. Whether it’s participating on a sports team or in Rhodes Student Government, joining a religious organization, volunteering at the soup kitchen, or helping in some other form, helping others helps us. The most important thing to remember is to find something you are interested in and enjoy yourself

Click here for more information about Student Health Services.

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