4 tips to slow down the aging process naturally
4 tips to slow down the aging process naturally
Growing old brings a lot of changes in our bodies, both biologically and physiologically. Some of the most common signs of aging are dark spots, sagging skin, lines and wrinkles, patchy skin, and open pores. Though there are several other signs of aging, these are the ones that are the easiest to notice.
Although the process of aging is inevitable, there are some ways to slow it down and prolong it as much as possible. These anti-aging products and techniques can help one fight the signs of aging. While plenty of products promise you anti-aging results, there are several natural ways to get the same results.
  • Add some vitamin A to your diet: Most dermatologists prescribe retinoids as a way of adding vitamin A to a patient’s diet. Retinol is a form of vitamin A which helps treat fine lines, uneven skin tone, textured skin, and dark spots. Therefore, just by adding retinoids to your skin care routine, you can prevent the early signs of aging. Thus, vitamin A is one of the best anti-aging supplements.
  • Focus on staying fit: One can stay fit by making changes to their diet and lifestyle. It is vital to eat nutritious food and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. People who are fit can tackle the early signs of aging better than people who do not control their diet or lifestyle. Fit people have a healthy gut and high immunity levels which naturally slow down the aging process.
  • Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated is vital for staying healthy. Water washes away most of the impurities in the body. Drinking water regularly also keeps your skin moisturized, and thus, helps fight the early signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. Thus, people who do not drink water frequently can face skin problems when they grow old.
  • Get adequate sleep: Inadequate sleep can make your face appear dull and old. It is a vital activity as our bodies repair itself while we are sleeping. When you do not get enough sleep, your body is unable to replenish itself, leading to problems like dull skin with fine lines and wrinkles. Therefore, to prevent the signs of aging, one should ensure they get at least 7 hours of sleep every day.
  • 4 reasons why it benefits to get your dog a DNA test

    Pet owners may often wonder what it would be like to get a dog DNA test. Well, now it is possible!

    There are a plethora of companies that specialize in developing DNA test kits for owners who are curious and wish to know more about the background of their dog. This opportunity often entices owner’s as they can get to know about their dog’s breed and even the potential health issues that their pet may be at risk of.

    All dog DNA tests aren’t always created equal. Depending on the company’s database of breeds, there is a higher chance for accuracy in the test. Wondering if you should get the DNA test kit for your dog? Well, here some reasons that make the dog DNA a great piece of information.

    Curiosity
    Dog owners are usually very curious about the breed of their dog. Also, “what is the breed of your dog?” is commonly a question asked at the dog park. Well, mixed breed dog owners may often find it difficult to answer this question. A dog DNA test is a great way to understand the breed of your dog and put your curiosity to rest.

    Keep health issues at bay
    There are potential health issues related to certain breeds of dogs. As mentioned above, the dominant breed gene can be established and the results of the same can be discussed with your dog’s veterinarian. Becoming aware of the potential health risk well in advance and keeping the veterinarian aware of the same can aid in averting issues in the long run.

    Prepare for training
    A DNA test can help understand the personality traits of your pet. Understanding how big your dog will get and the unique habits associated with the breed is great for when training and socializing the dog. A retriever mix will require a set of training methods that are different from that of a terrier breed dog.

    Diet
    The test results can also be used to derive the best kind of foods for specific dog breeds. A dog breed that is susceptible to certain diseases, such as arthritis, can be fed a diet that protects it against the progression of the same.

    A dog DNA test can be taken at home using kits that are available online as well as in pet supply stores. The popular offerings on the market include the Embark Dog DNA Test, Wisdom Panel 3.0 Canine DNA Test, HomeDNA Orivet Dog DNA Test, Find My Pet Dog DNA Test, and more.

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  • Things you should know before buying blackout curtains

    Whether you are looking for blackout curtains for a bedroom or any other place in your house, you need to consider certain factors buying blackout curtains so that their true purpose is served.

    • Curtains and drapes: There is a key difference between blackout curtains and drapes. Blackout curtains even if they are window curtains or lace curtains are single layer curtains. Drapes are, on the other hand, thicker in appearance and are multi-layered curtains. They do not allow much light to pass through them
    • Protecting the home: Blackout curtains, whether they are window curtains or lace curtains, help in reducing energy costs as they cut the sunlight and UV rays which enter the room. The furniture and floor are also protected from sun damage if window curtains or lace curtains are used.
    • Spaces to use blackout curtains: These curtains can be used in areas where maximum penetration of light occurs. In conditions where limited exposure to light is needed, the window curtains and lace curtains can prove to be more useful than plain drapes.
    • Cost of blackout curtains: Although it is true that blackout curtains are more costly in comparison to other curtains, these curtains prove to be cost-effective as they prevent premature aging of the furniture and other home furnishing material.
    • Diverse range: Window curtains and lace curtains come in a range of design and colors. These curtains match the color combination of your home and hence, they are becoming more popular. However, in certain conditions, the light version of curtains does not work, and you might have to rely on darker shades of blackout curtains.

    Turning your existing curtains into blackout ones
    The existing window curtains and lace curtains can also be converted into standard curtains. Blackout liners can be added which give a cool and refined look to the home and make the room look good with blackout curtains.

    Installation tips
    A couple of inches beyond the window frame should be measured for installing such curtains. Wraparound rods can be used to block the excess light; the room will, therefore, turn into your most favored room where you can rest and relax.

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  • Top scenic bus tours in the country

    Bus tours are excellent ways of exploring some regions as they offer you the chance to experience new and unusual destinations without having to worry about navigation and driving. In many cases, taking bus tours to explore a destination has the added benefit of being accompanied by a guide. The guide can help you by narrating interesting insights and stories about the place you are visiting. Not to mention, the huge bus windows guarantee fabulous views.

    Advantages of bus tours
    One of the biggest advantages of taking bus tours is lesser costs. When compared to alternative means of travel, such as trains and planes, bus tours are much cheaper. Bus travel is an affordable option for most people, especially during holidays.

    Another advantage of taking bus tours is that you can take breaks during travel. Passengers do not have to request for breaks as bus drivers take brakes during long travels themselves. This is especially true for bus tours that span over multiple states. These stops are great for enjoying some fresh air, especially by the countryside.

    Bus tours that take the scenic route
    There’s a long list of captivating destinations that you can enjoy through bus tours. Here are some of the most scenic bus tours you can take across the country:

    • Niagara Falls tours
      There are many bus tours that travel through cities on the northeast side of the United States to this iconic site. Niagara Falls is one of the world’s most prominent destinations, and it creates a spray that can be seen from quite a distance. This bus tour covers a great amount of distance across the country as it travels to the Niagara Falls located on the border of Canada and the United States.
    • Grand Canyon tours
      Many bus tours travel from different parts of the country to this world-famous location. The Grand Canyon is among the world’s most visited natural attractions and is 300 miles long. Bus tours are the perfect way to travel to this iconic location, and there are many key sites that people visit all year round. One of the best spots across the canyon is Lipan Point situated on the South Rim. One of the most famous locations that many bus tours to the Grand Canyon start from is Las Vegas.
    • Mount Rushmore tours
      This historic location is frequented by many bus tours. Mount Rushmore is a landmark that involves the faces of four American presidents (George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson) covering 2 square miles. Bus tours that travel to this location come from far and wide, and cover a large amount of distance. Other parts of this bus tour can include Arches National Park. There are also options for bus tours with short day trips, which usually start from Hot Springs or Rapid City.
    • Lake Superior tours
      Lake Superior lives up to its name as one of the largest lakes in the country. Its shores are in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Part of the shore is also situated in Ontario, Canada. Bus tours traveling to Lake Superior also cross many spots along its coastline. One of the best spots here is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Most bus tours around the location cover around 1,300 miles in 10 days.
    • Yellowstone National Park tours
      Yellowstone National Park is home to “Old Faithful,” better known as one of the world’s most famous geysers. Bus tours around the entire Yellowstone area will surely include this location on its itinerary. Apart from the destination itself, these bus tours make multiple stops over the course of the trip. These locations are awe-inspiring and enchanting sights. Another location that is much like Yellowstone is the Mammoth Hot Springs. It is another result of geothermal activity in the vicinity. There are many companies that organize bus tours that start from places like Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
    • Hawaii Island tours
      The island of Hawaii is globally renowned as one of the best travel locations in the country, if not the world. While the general idea of a vacation in Hawaii is relaxing on a beach, if you want a better experience, bus tours are a great option. Most bus tours in Hawaii start in Honolulu and typically include the experience of locations like the Halona Blowhole and Diamond Head. The crowning jewel of bus tours to Hawaii is the view on Waikiki Beach.
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  • Things to keep in mind while getting student loans

    A student loan is a type of loan formed to help students pay for post-secondary education and the associated fees, such as tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses. The interest rates on student loans are usually much lesser when compared to other kinds of loans, and the repayment scheme is a little less strict, keeping in mind that the students are still in school while they repay the amount due. Here is a list of important pointers to be kept in mind while getting a student loan:

    Two kinds: Student loans can usually be classified into two broad categories- federal or private. A federal student loan is the one that is entirely funded by the government, and a private student loan can be attained from a bank or a financial institution.

    Interest value: It is very important to decide the period of repayment wisely. If one takes a short period to repay the loan, the amount of interest they will have to pay on loan will also be less. The longer the period, the larger the sum of interest becomes.

    Auto-debit: Once you take a loan, you obviously want to get rid of the hassle of repayment as fast as you can. For this purpose, you can link your account and have it auto-debit the amount of repayment every month. This makes the repayment process fast and easy. The only time you should not consider auto-debit is when you are under a large budget restraint.

    Scholarships: It seems very hard to get scholarships with the competition around, but it is not impossible. It is not necessary to get a full scholarship, even the smaller amounts help. One can apply for a partial scholarship and cover the rest of the fee with the help of a student loan.

    Refinancing: Refinancing is the process of attaining a new loan to pay back old and unpaid loans. If you are lucky enough to find a loan with a low-interest rate, your debt amount could reduce by a significant value.

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  • Phones for seniors: getting the right model

    For some seniors, staying updated with new technology and it’s fast-paced upgrades can get difficult. But just as seniors adjusted to the (old) flip phones in their time, they can be guided to be able to easily use new flip-phone models with better features and functions. What may seem like “too many features” may just come in handy in times of need. Here are some tips for seniors when buying a phone and which popular services work best for them.

    Get a phone with a big screen
    One of the benefits of new phones these days is the big screen that lets any user easily easily read and access information. Seniors must make sure that the phone is comfortable enough to fit and use in the hand. The font size options must be comfortable enough for reading contact information and typing numbers or sending out text messages.

    Save money on older models
    Getting a one- or two-generation old model is not a problem. Getting such a model can save one hundreds of dollars while still getting the essential features. Ideally, seniors must opt for the newest model only if there are some extraordinary and essential features that they must absolutely have!

    Research and review
    Seniors should check with those around them to see which flip phones other people are using. Asking for reviews and seeing if the particular model is suitable for their needs can go a long way. Seniors must also try using a demo model and see they can understand and access the features with ease. There is a wide variety of flip phones in the market, and one can find works best for them with a little research.

    Check for essential specs
    Essential phone features for seniors include Bluetooth, voice-to-text compatibility, hearing aid compatibility, emergency and SOS services, and compatibility with a chosen service carrier. These features can make the phone an important communication tool in times of emergency and to ensure connectivity with friends and family.

    Choose the right carrier
    Getting the right carrier for the phone is a crucial step. Depending on where the senior lives, the carrier decision can be taken accordingly. Some popular carriers are T-Mobile, Republic Wireless, and AT&T. AT&T even has a Senior Nation Plan that gives users aged 65 and above 200 anytime minutes, 500 weekend-and-night minutes, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes without long-distance and roaming charges. This plan works well with flip-phone users and costs about $30 monthly with additional minutes being charged at $0.45/minute. Seniors can get call AT&T personnel or chat with them on their website.

    Popular models
    Some of the popular AT&T models for seniors are as follows:

    Cingular Flip IV
    It has a good screen size and the keypads are spaced properly to make sure typing is not difficult. This phone is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled as well.

    Alcatel SMARTFLIP™
    The phone has up to 4GB internal space and supports 4G LTE data speeds.

    Sonim XP3
    It comes with an 8GB internal memory with 5 megapixel camera with LED light.

    Some other models to look out for would be the LG B470 Flip Phone, Cingular Flip 2, and ZTE Z223 Flip Phone.

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  • Shopping tips to buy TVs from clearance sale

    There are a set of people who hunt for budget TVs and parallelly, there are people who plan on buying TVs off the best TV deals from clearance sale. Most of the retailers go for a clearance sale during the end of every financial year to do away with the abundance of stocks, to clear up shelf space, to sell the outdated products or to deal in with the old display models. One should be aware of all these aspects before purchase, but mostly clearance sales with good deals are some good time to buy TVs provided you are keeping heed of certain knowledge.

    Abundance of stock
    When a limited number of products in good working conditions are left behind and that haven’t been opened, or used, then those, such as clearance TVs, are still sold under the clearance sale. The customers can buy these online as well as from factory outlets, when they put out sales notices or ads in newspapers. The products usually include $25 DVD players, cheap TV deals such as $199 LCD TVs, $49 Blu-ray Discs, cheap home theater packages, sound systems, and lots more in decent brands at best deals. Certain brands may not be a notable model but still they can be a good value for money.

    TVs soon to be outdated
    These models are to be sold during spring, i.e., from January, and the sale extends till the end of the season. There is also a consumer electronics manufacturers fair held at Las Vegas where worldwide producers assemble to exhibit their products. Not only the home town crowd shows great interest to pay a visit to this show but we can see a large crowd of consumer electronic retail chains rushing through to grab the availing offers. Generally, these stocks are less in number. However, if the retailer assumes that a huge crowd is going to come in and overstocks the goods, it would be hard to peddle the stocks of old model as 50% of the consumers may want to buy the newer model. In this case, the retailers announce a price drop for these products to get rid of them. However, both the consumer and the manufacturers are benefited this way. There are also possibilities for this sale to end up being a great deal if you are a good bargainer.

    Exchanged goods
    Many people may come up to the manufactures every day asking for an exchange of product that is damaged or not working or if the consumer finds some fault with the product. Now the manufacturer is accountable to replace them with a product of their choice. For example, if your get two DVDs as a gift you can decide to take one for exchange, there are so many people the company has to face with every year and all these products are sold at the clearance sale at great deal. But before you buy them you need to check for the discount price, contents like manual guide and accessories and the date code.

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  • List of classic interior paint colors

    You might be ready with ideas for coloring the interiors of your home, just not sure, which shade to use. You could also be overwhelmed with the interior paints options and unable to choose the right one that suits the décor of the house.

    Below are some popular and classic interior paints that will make you love your home. Moreover, these amazing colors will suit the walls of your house.

    Blue
    It is one of the most versatile colors for your room. Or, if one may exaggerate, it is rather world’s best color for interior paints. This stunning color is the best one for your bedroom. It is always easy to the eye and can be combined with the warm wooden tone. Moreover, blue is never boring.

    Black and white
    The classic color of all time- black and white- naturally silky and complex. It gives the feeling of both classic and contemporary. It is a color that you will never get tired of.

    Green
    Green is considered a great option for your kitchen. If you have white colored cabinets in your kitchen then a shade of green for the walls is perfect for it. It looks good with almost any color.

    Classic gray
    Gray, when paired with white, adds a lot of light to it. It makes the whole room look bright yet sober all the time. Gray offers a touch of elegance no matter which room it is added to. It looks good with almost any accent. According to a Minneapolis designer, Mary Hickey, classic gray is a lovely combination when matched with peacock blue accessories.

    Yellow
    Yellow is considered as one of the trickiest interior paint colors, the reason being, it comes out to be brighter on the walls than in the paint box. So always, go for a shade that looks close to beige. It will not look so intense; rather the yellow on the wall would feel warm and embracing.

    Red
    Red is considered a versatile and most classic neutral color for interior paints. A combination of red with orange, green or some other neutral shades looks great. When paired with a white trim, red looks absolutely gorgeous.

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  • 4 Of The Best Gaming Laptops At Costco

    Gaming has become a popular extra-curricular and social activity in recent times. It has been proven that gaming helps improve hand-eye coordination and reflexes. However, gaming equipment like laptops is expensive.

    Tips On Choosing Gaming Laptop

    Graphics Cards
    This is the most important factor to consider while buying gaming laptops. There are numerous choices in model and company, Nvidia is known to be one of the more popular ones. If you want better performance you might have to use two graphic cards as this will help in running games at a 4k display.
    RAM
    It is important to opt the for a RAM not smaller than 8GB. This should be sufficient to run your games smoothly.
    Processor(CPU)
    The best in the market now is the Intel i7 processor. But an i5 processor should be sufficient for most games these days. However, it will be wise to spend on Graphics card and memory rather than a processor.
    Battery Life
    All of the above factors won’t matter if you don’t have a longer battery life. You cannot have longer gaming sessions without a long battery life. It will be necessary in such situations to always have a power source with you.

    Top Picks Of Gaming Laptops At Costco

    Lenovo Legion Y520 Gaming Laptop
    With 2TB HDD and 256GB SSD, you can seamlessly run all your games. This laptop is equipped with Intel i7 processor and 16GB RAM. It has a 15.6 display with an Anti-glare screen to prevent any strain on your eyes. It comes with a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Graphics.
    Adding to the appeal of the laptop is a backlit keyboard with a numeric keypad. You can get this laptop for $1,000.
    Alienware 17 Gaming Laptop
    This beast of a laptop comes with 8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Graphics. It’s huge 17.3 screen comes with anti-glare and eye-tracking technology. The Alien 17 Gaming laptop comes with Intel i7 processor. It has 1TB HDD and 256GB SSD. With the upgraded Alienware TactX keyboard you can your over 108-key commands for maximum actions per minute.
    After a discount of $200, this laptop is now available at $2,500.
    Asus Rog GL552VW Laptop
    This laptop comes with a 4K Ultra HD display which gives you that life-like picture clarity. It is equipped with Intel i7 processor. It comes with 1TB HDD+256GB SSD memory and 32GB RAM. This 4GB NVIDIA Graphics laptop comes with 1-year accidental damage protection. This Asus gaming laptop is available at $1,400.
    Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming 7000 Series Touchscreen Laptop
    Equipped with Intel i7 processor, this laptop comes with 1TB HDD+128GB SSD memory. It comes with 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M Graphics and 4K Ultra HD display. Previously priced at $1,200, it is now available at $1,100.

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