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!
Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle

Are You Using Alcohol as a Crutch? 5 Reasons It’s Not Doing You Any Favors

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Alcohol offers an amazing tool for dealing with situations in life. For introverts, alcohol can be a way of coming out of their shell and facing the world out there. For those struggling with esteem issues, alcohol provides a means for gathering courage and confidence, allowing one to do things they would have difficulty doing when sober. It is for this reason that alcohol is called the social lubricant due to its ability to loosen people up. However, such outcomes often come at a heavy cost. If you are using alcohol as a crutch, here are 5 reasons why it’s not doing you any favors.

1. Diminishing Effects

Alcohol can be dangerous mainly because its regular use may result in tolerance, which compels one to drink more to obtain the same effect they did when they started consuming the substance. As the trend continues, the negative effects of alcohol consumption begin to outpace the benefits you’ve been getting from alcohol consumption. In the end, the positive benefits that were once associated with alcohol disappear completely, leaving you lonely. When you find that your expenditure on alcohol has surpassed what you used to spend, then know that your consumption has become problematic, and the time to visit a residential treatment center has come. Seeing a professional can help go a long way in helping divert from your poor drinking habit and get control of your life.

2. Alternatives to Drinking

The truth is, there are other numerous ways to achieve the outcomes that alcohol seems to present. The only reason why alcohol is a preference is because it’s an easier method compared to the rest. Meditation, for instance, can be an excellent way of experiencing a real sense of well-being.

3. Self-medication is Never an Option

Alcohol is always an option for those dealing with mental health issues such as depression. Self-medicating with alcohol is problematic because, in the long run, this tends to worsen symptoms and could make it even more difficult to treat the underlying conditions causing the mental health issues.

4. Alcohol Abuse Doesn’t Improve Life

Addiction often results in a down spiral. This implies that with continued use of alcohol, addiction is likely to worsen and it would be impractical for anyone to make positive progress in their life. Alcoholism holds people back, but once you stop consuming the substance, you’ll be in a position to find happiness and progress forward.

5. Recovery Reveals Self-Worth

If you use alcohol as a way of experiencing inner peace, you only need to change the method to achieve this goal. When you are sober, you’ll be able to develop emotional sobriety which will give you the peace of mind you need to deal with life and make informed decisions that propel your life in the right direction.

Final Word

While alcohol can help you deal with the issues you are facing, uncontrolled consumption often becomes problematic. If you feel like you’re having difficulties in life due to alcohol problems, visit a rehabilitation center close to you to get the assistance you need.

Lifestyle, Tips

Fix it Yourself or Call in the Experts: When to Choose One Over the Other?

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Common tools for home repairs
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Nothing lasts forever. Inevitably, things break down, and often at the most inopportune times. So, the real question is, what do you do when something breaks? Should you try to fix the broken object yourself or seek professional help to avoid worsening the situation? Let’s explore our options.

Having the necessary skills

As individuals, we each possess many skills acquired throughout our lives. For example, some people excel at electrical work, while others are skilled carpenters. But these abilities are often more like hobbies than expert-level proficiencies.

Such a view doesn’t diminish their value. Indeed, if a task is simple enough and you have the skills to handle it, by all means, do so. Tapping into your inner DIY powers can go a long way to boosting your self-esteem and saving you money. But for more complex problems, it’s wise to rely on professionals. For example, when a furnace malfunctions, it’s best to let experienced technicians handle the repair.

In such cases, one can easily find and contact local repair companies, like those specializing in furnace repairs in Groveport, Ohio. It’s crucial to avoid attempting such repairs without proper knowledge or tools, as this could lead to disastrous consequences such as setting the house on fire.

It’s cheaper if you do it

It’s common, particularly among dads, to insist on fixing broken appliances instead of admitting they may lack the necessary skills. They often justify this by arguing that professional help is just too costly and they can fix it for free. However, if someone attempts a repair without the necessary expertise, it can result in even higher expenses than if professionals were contacted initially.

Consider this: calling in the experts may be more cost-effective than having to endure complaints from your spouse after making matters worse by trying to handle the repair on your own. After all, peace of mind is invaluable when repairing appliances and maintaining relationships in your home.

Going Healthy, Health

Fix Your Smile So That You Want To Show It Off More Often

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man wearing sunglasses smiling, white teeth, clean teeth

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A winning smile is truly the greatest asset that anyone can ever possess. If yours is in need of some attention, it’s very likely that this problem has caused self-conscious feelings over the years. Whether you have always realised it or not, this can impact everything from careers to relationships.

Thankfully, an active effort to build a better smile or restore its former glow will transform your life for the better. Focus on the steps below, and you won’t go far wrong.

Quit Bad Habits 

If you think about fixing a leak, you have to stop the leak before you worry about removing the water or making changes to prevent future leaks. If you use this analogy for your smile, it’s clear that removing bad habits is the first step. Smoking, excessive coffee drinking, and nail biting are just some of the issues impacting your oral health and appearance. The sooner you quit them, the better. 

If you fail to do this, they will continue to cause problems. So, even when you subsequently make positive additions, you will struggle to see the full benefits. Conversely, removing the negatives will instantly put you on a smoother path to success. 

Seek Professional Treatments 

Many steps can be implemented to support your long-term oral health. However, the first step to success revolves around seeking professional support. The best dentist will identify the issues that are causing problems and find the appropriate course of action. This could mean teeth whitening, invisible braces, dental implants, or other procedures. Either way, this will get your smile back to where it should be.

The harsh reality is that nothing you do will only deliver limited progress unless it’s supported by professional care. After completing the initial treatment, regular oral hygiene checks will be needed to maintain the results.

Upgrade Home Oral Hygiene

toothbrush with toothpaste, clean teeth, whitener, brushing,

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A deep scale and polish service from a professional dentist will give you a whiter and brighter smile. However, you need to take care of it on a daily basis too. Home hygiene is the key to success. Finding the right toothbrush will make life a lot easier. However, you must also use floss and mouthwash on a daily basis if you wish to see the best outcomes. A solid evening routine after you’ve eaten your last food for the day is vital.

A strong oral hygiene routine will keep your teeth looking whiter and cleaner on a daily basis. Better still, it fights plaque to protect your teeth, gums, and general oral health for years to come. Start now, and you’ll never look back.

Stay Hydrated

A winning smile isn’t only about looking great in pictures. You want to feel confident when communicating with others too. With this in mind, your breath will play a valuable role. Bad breath will cause self-conscious feelings and impact the way others feel about you. In most cases, it is linked to bacteria. So, while scented mouthwash is great, staying hydrated is the key to success. Because it will literally wash bacteria away.

Of course, there are many other benefits to be gained from staying hydrated but this is one that can offer great motivation. For the best results, try to incorporate both tap water that has fluoride included and mineral water into your routine.

Boost Your General Health

Your oral health is closely linked to a host of other health issues. Blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are just three issues that can influence your smile. Visiting your doctor to gain a diagnosis and treatment plan may be the key to building a better smile. Besides, the lifestyle changes linked to these issues will help you adopt a winning mindset for healthy oral health habits.

Even if it doesn’t achieve this goal, you should never overlook those health issues. Nevertheless, the fact that they can enhance your smile with stunning results should not be overlooked. 

Train Your Smile

When building a better smile, it’s not just about white teeth. Learning to use your smile in a more effective manner is equally vital. This guide to smiling better will provide many tips. From analyzing photos to smiling with your eyes and developing different smiles, each step in the right direction will serve you well. When combined with the steps mentioned above, you will see a noticeable difference.

It may feel a little strange to actively analyze your smile at first. However, it will be worthwhile once you have found the smile that works for you. In turn, you should feel more comfortable and confident in your smile and yourself.