All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!

Your Hearing Matters, Here’s How to Take Care of It

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Your hearing is a precious thing. The ability to listen to music, hear your children’s laughter, and engage in conversation are things that many people take for granted. Hearing is something that is often not appreciated until it starts to deteriorate.

Hearing loss is a relatively common chronic condition. According to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 466 million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss. While some babies are born with a hearing loss, it commonly occurs in later life due to the aging process, but can also develop due to environmental factors. Protecting your hearing is vital, so knowing how you can avoid hearing-related problems is essential to ensure that you enjoy clear hearing for many years to come.

Experiencing hearing loss can have a significant impact on your life. You may struggle to keep up with conversations and feel left out both in social situations and in the workplace. This can impact on your confidence and your sense of wellbeing. It is crucial to remember that hearing loss can happen gradually, which makes it harder to detect. This makes it all the more crucial to take care of your hearing and schedule regular hearing tests to learn more about your current hearing ability and how you can help improve it. Seeking professional help from an audiologist when you start to notice your hearing deteriorating can slow down the process and will help you to get the right treatment faster.

Here are some common causes of hearing loss and how you can help to prevent them from causing damage to your ears:

Workplace Hearing Damage

Occupational hearing loss is surprisingly common. Figures from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) show that 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous levels of noise when at work. This means that potentially, millions of workers’ hearing is being put at risk during their working day. If you work in an environment that exceeds the recommended noise level, your employer should provide you with ear protection. But remember that if your employer fails to provide your safety and, as a result, you end up getting hurt, you’ll be entitled to workers’ compensation. To learn or read more about workers’ compensation, visit the given link. If you are self-employed and use noisy equipment for work, you will need to ensure that you take responsibility for reducing the noise levels or wearing ear protection to ensure that you don’t damage your hearing.

Music Volume

If you play in a band or blast out your favorite band at home, you could be causing hearing problems. Frequent exposure to music that is above the recommended level can cause damage to your hearing that could be irreparable. Try to keep the volume down to protect your ears, or consider investing in a pair of noise-limiting headphones.

Don’t Ignore Ear Issues

Whether you have a blocked up ear, or your ear feels irritated, it is vital that you get it checked out by visiting your doctor. You may have an ear infection that could cause damage if left untreated. Scheduling a consultation to see your doctor will help to identify the issue and allow treatment to start before damage is caused.

Time To Make The Most Of The Dad Life? How You Can Make Positive Changes

When it comes to the chapter of our lives that involves children, it can be a very overwhelming part of your life. The family aspect is amazing, filled with priceless moments and time with your children. The day to day aspect of it can be tough as you start to work out juggling the time of working, family life, commitments and the finances. However, the main thing is that you need to make the most of the time that you have. 

It is so easy to let each day escape you, while you slump in a heap on the sofa after bedtime has been done and you feel shattered. But in years to come you may look back on this time and realize you may not have embraced it as much as you could have. With that in mind, here are some of the positive changes that you can make to help you make the most of dad life.

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Look after your skin 

One of the first things to consider would be your skin. It is often the biggest giveaway that you are tired, struggling and feeling a little run down. However, there are things that you can do to improve the situation. First up, it may be worth looking at any skincare routine that you have. You may want to think about dealing with oily skin or putting more moisture back into your skin. Thankfully there are things that you can do by upping your skincare routine and perhaps changing some of the products that you use. You may also want to think about other things you can do such as drinking more water. The more water you drink, the more hydrated your skin will be and it can improve skin tone and overall appearance.e

Make sure you eat the right things

Another thing to consider would be what you are putting into your body. Water can help, but it can extend much more from that. You can make positive changes such as having a better plan when it comes to meals. You could also start by cooking from scratch and using fresh ingredients. A balanced approach to the food that you eat can have a big positive impact on energy levels and other aspects of your life. 

Become more active

The amount of exercise that you do can also impact how you feel, and generally making a choice to be more active can be a great thing to incorporate into your lifestyle. It might be hard to look at exercising in classes or different establishments, but you can still choose to be active by walking more, running or even doing home workouts. You will start to feel happier mentally and also see increased energy levels. 

Embrace the time with your children

You may think that you are embracing your time as a father and enjoying the time with your kids, but are you really? Sometimes it is good to have time away from other distractions such as your phone and focus on the quality time with your children. This might be as simple as putting your child to bed and enjoying reading a story, or taking them out for one on one time. Time can move so quickly and before we know it, our children are grown up. Make sure you embrace some time with them and enjoy the priceless moments. 

The importance of couple time

On the flip side of that being a parent is tough, and if you are with your partner, wife or husband, quality time together can seem scarce. But it is equally important to ensure that you do all that you can to embrace the importance of couple time. This might include time on your own without children, date nights or even nights away when possible. Remember that you were a couple before you had children, and nurture and work on your relationship just as you work on being a good parent. 

Feel passionate about things

Finally, when it comes to your life and day to day routines, it is important that you do what you can to feel passionate about things. If you can, make some changes to help you find that passion. Whether that is cooking the evening meal for everyone, a change in career or having a hobby so that you can have some downtime doing something that you love. The more you feel passionate about, the more you will feel happier in your lifestyle. 

Let’s hope these suggestions help you to make the most of the dad life.

7 Easy Ways To Keep Your Body Healthy

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At one point or another, people’s lives get so busy that they stop taking proper care of their bodies. Whether it’s family life, trying to balance work or some other responsibility, there’s always something that ends up getting in the way and a healthy lifestyle becomes harder to maintain. 

However, there are ways you can lead a healthier lifestyle, simply keep reading to find easy ways to keep your body healthy. 

Practice meditation

Life can be extremely stressful at times and this can affect your overall health. Stress can lead to mental health problems like anxiety and depression, as well as health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. Meditation can help relieve stress and improve your overall health.

Get plenty of sleep

Poor sleeping habits can leave you feeling exhausted and distracted throughout the day. It can also increase the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Set yourself a sleep time every night including weekends to train your body to fall asleep faster at a certain time. A regular sleep schedule can help improve your memory and concentration. 

Take daily supplements

Most people can get the vitamins they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet but if you’re not getting enough vitamins, then you should take daily supplements. Supplements for vitamin C can boost immunity to help strengthen the immune system whereas vitamin B can increase energy levels and brain function. If you prefer food more, If you prefer food more, Gold Bee offers many foods rich in vitamins and minerals that can be easily incorporated into dishes and drinks to make getting extra nutrition as easy (and tasty) as possible. You can also look into Reset IV who provide IV treatments that can rid the body of toxins, balance hormones and boost immunity. 

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water is one of the easiest ways to keep your body healthy. Water is important for you, and you should try to have a glass of water with every meal. If you want to lose weight, drink water as it can help keep you feeling full instead of reaching for the snacks and it can help increase the number of calories you burn. Water can also help you maintain concentration and a positive mood. 

Eat your greens

Dark green leafy vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre and are an easy way to make your diet healthier. Green vegetables like kale, spinach, cabbage and broccoli are low in calories and have many health benefits including reducing the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. 

Switch to black coffee

If you take your coffee with sugar, milk or cream, you may want to ditch these and switch to drinking black coffee. Adding extras simply adds calories to your diet. By opting for a black coffee over a milky, sugary version, means you can still get your caffeine fix and your calorie intake is decreased. 

Practice mindful eating

When you practice mindful eating, it helps you pay attention to what it is you are eating, rather than quickly stuffing your face. Simply eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and focus on the food. Notice how it makes you feel. Try to eat without watching TV or scrolling through your phone. Mindful eating can help you lose weight and requires minimal effort.