All posts by Tia

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Is Your Home As Energy Efficient As You Think?

Is Your Home As Energy Efficient As You Think?

Photo Source – CC0 License

We all like to think that our homes are energy efficient. Nobody will actively admit that they don’t have an energy-efficient home as it’s an admission that you don’t care for the environment. 

Nevertheless, your property could have a larger carbon footprint than you think. It’s not technically through any fault of your own; it’s just a case of being unaware of how much energy you use. So, how do you find out if your home is energy-efficient or not? Here are a few questions you can answer that will indicate if you’re saving energy or using too much:

What type of heating system do you have?

Do you use a typical radiator heating system throughout your property? If so, your house is not as energy efficient as it could be. Believe it or not, but underfloor heating has a much smaller carbon footprint. Hardly anyone is aware that the average cost of underfloor heating is less than radiator heating over your lifetime. True, the installation will cost more, but it costs less to run due to energy efficiency. Without getting too detailed, it stems from the way underfloor heating heats up your home. It distributes the heat a lot better than radiators, meaning you don’t need it to be turned on as often – or at as high a temperature. 

How thick are your windows?

There’s almost no excuse to have single-glazed windows in this day and age. It’s simply an outdated product that provides zero benefits. Single glazing is very thin, which means it costs less than double or triple glazing. That’s about the only reason you may have for keeping it! Realistically, it’s a very inefficient product for your property. The thicker the windows, the more energy you keep inside your home. Therefore, you can turn your heating system down a few degrees as your windows provide better insulation. This reduces your energy usage and makes you more energy efficient. As a bonus, thicker windows also make your property safer by preventing breaches. Anyone can smash a single-glazed window with ease, but a double-glazed one requires more effort. 

Do you have a smart thermostat?

Smart thermostats are revolutionary devices in the age of energy efficiency. Basically, they provide full details of your energy usage by showing you some precise figures. You see how much money you spend, and also what’s using up the most energy. From here, you can actively look to reduce your energy usage by following what’s on your smart thermostat. For example, it may tell you that your lights are using up loads of energy and shooting your bill through the roof. Now that you’re aware of this, you can switch to energy-saving bulbs or be more conscious of turning them off. Without a smart thermostat, you will never be energy efficient as you lack the knowledge to see what you’re doing wrong. Don’t just take my word for it; recent research suggests you can save up to 23% on your energy bills with a smart thermostat. In essence, this means you use 23% less energy!

Answer these questions to figure out how energy efficient your home really is. In an ideal world, you’ll use underfloor heating, have thick windows, and call upon a smart thermostat. If everyone followed this advice, the world would be in a much better place.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME, SEX & LIFE

If You Have A Car Accident, Here Is What To Think About

If You Have A Car Accident, Here Is What To Think About

All of us, at some point, found ourselves in front of a car accident sometimes as spectators and sometimes as responders. Many of us have had some thoughts about what we will do, where we will put our car, what we will face if we have the necessary materials if our knowledge is sufficient and finally if we can deal with it. You should always be aware that you may undoubtedly be able to claim compensation, and in this case, you should look at hiring an auto accident lawyer. 

Photo: Unsplash

Do not act impulsively!

The first thought you have: ‘What should I do to protect myself, the injured person and all those present?’. Stop for 5-10 seconds, and observe the scene of the accident, give yourself time to realize the dangers that exist and to set the priorities of his actions. The importance of dealing with such incidents is the first in safety for any accident scene.

Call emergency and give them your location. Next, place a warning triangle at least 100 meters from the accident and, if possible, send a person at the same distance to warn oncoming drivers so that they slow down. If the accident has occurred on a two-way road, do the same for the opposite stream. If the accident has happened at night, try to send a flashlight with the people you are sending out. And, if possible, to wear reflective vests or brightly colored clothes. Make sure attendees are off the road and take them to a safe place or encourage them to keep going to safer ground. Keeping a small group of people close to you who will help you manage the incident can be beneficial. Once you have completed the actions for the safety of the accident scene, then and only then, do you approach the other vehicle of the injured. Check if the car is safe (e.g. if there is a fuel leak) and, after securing it, only then, should you continue. Otherwise, alert your findings to the emergency services who should already be with you on the telephone. These heroes are made up of people who have the necessary training and equipment to deal with such incidents.

Your next step

Turn the ignition switch off. Be certain the car is turned off, remove the keys and place them in a prominent place outside the vehicle. Usually, we choose the car sky, just above the driver’s seat. Then it would help if you dealt with the injured person. Ask how many people were on board. If young children were not secured with a seat belt or placed in special child seats, they could be easily trapped inside the car, maybe even in a difficult position, or thrown out of the vehicle. Try to find out what condition the injured person is in. 

Common injuries that you can claim for

Some patients who undergo accidents are relieved of their symptoms in a brief period. Complete recovery is significantly accelerated for others, in which the body can alleviate the symptoms of whiplash, most importantly, without the use of drugs, which is known to affect the body. It is instrumental, for a person in an accident, locating all pain points, strengthening muscles and improving area mobilization.

Another condition that can result from a car accident is disc herniation. According to Mr. Kakavas, the role of the intervertebral discs is to absorb the forces exerted on the spine. A hernia occurs when the soft inside of the disc, the gel nucleus, protrudes into the spinal canal, putting pressure on one or more nerves. Some people have no symptoms, but others may experience pain, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, depending on the location of the disc. People with a weakened disc from normal wear (degeneration) are more likely to have a hernia due to a car accident on a vertebra. This is found especially, in older people. After all, in these older groups of patients, the hernia does not require such strong forces, but minor events, such as sneezing can also cause it.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

7 Habits that Destroy Your Eyes

7 Habits that Destroy Your Eyes

A lack of sleep, excessive screen time, and makeup misuse are some of the things that can cause problems for your eyes. If you want your eyes to be free of pain, discomfort, or vision loss, here are the lifestyle habits that you need to break today:

1. Having too much screen time

Work, school, and home: there is always a screen in front of us, whether it be our TV, computer, or smartphone.

Needless to say, having too much screen time can be detrimental to your eye health. When we’re looking at something on the screen, we don’t blink as often, which leads to eye dryness and itchiness. Moreover, staring too long at a source of brightness can lead to eye strain, which, in turn, can cause headaches, fatigue, and sleep problems.

However, staring at a screen is unavoidable for people who work in office settings. What you can do to avoid eye strain is to practice the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something that is at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. In addition to that, you can also consider taking eye care supplements.

2. Not bringing your glasses

Even if you don’t need to wear them all the time, always have your glasses with you. Otherwise, you will likely find yourself having to squint to look at something, which can lead to eye strain, headaches, double vision, and eye fatigue.

3. Rubbing your eyes

Avoid rubbing your eyes to relieve an itch or even just to take away sleepiness. Doing so can risk scratching your cornea, introducing bacteria to your eye, or breaking tiny blood vessels. Moreover, putting unnecessary pressure on your eyes can also exacerbate existing conditions, such as myopia and glaucoma.

If your eyes are itchy, resist the urge to rub and instead put a cold compress on your eyelids. If there is a foreign body in your eye, flush it out with clean water or remove it with a damp cotton swab.

4. Misusing makeup

Putting makeup too close to your lash line can transfer bacteria from the makeup to your eye. It can also block oil glands, which can lead to the accumulation of bacteria and cause irritation or infection.

Avoid applying makeup too close to the surface of your eye, and ensure that your makeup is clean and unexpired (do notshare makeup with others). Before going to sleep, remove your makeup completely and take special care to remove every bit of makeup from around your eyes. Otherwise, you could end up with an eye infection when you wake up.

5. Failing to wear eye protection

Always make sure you wear eye protection in these situations:

  • Being out in the sun
  • Grilling with contact lenses in
  • Swimming
  • Mowing the lawn
  • Doing construction
  • Painting
  • Using chemicals

6. Mishandling contact lenses

If you wear contact lenses, you should know the proper way to use them. Never touch your contact lenses before you’ve washed and dried your hands with a clean cloth or tissue. Also, make sure to clean the contact lens case with solution and replace it every once in a while.

Sleeping with contact lenses is also a no-no. Contact lenses limit the oxygen supply to your eyes when you’re awake, which means that when you sleep with them on, your eyes have even less oxygen. And when your eyes are deprived of oxygen, they swell and create gaps in the cells, which can serve as an ideal habitat for bacteria in your eyes.

Always remove your contact lenses before going to sleep. If you accidentally fall asleep with them on, immediately flush your eyes with eye drops and wear glasses for a few days to give your eyes a rest.

7. Not getting enough sleep

If you are constantly sleep-deprived, your eye health is also affected on top of other things sleep deprivation can do to your body. Not getting enough sleep can lead to puffiness, swelling, dark circles, premature wrinkling, and dry eyes. You can also get involuntary eye spasms called myokymia, which can be annoying when you’re trying to do work or read during the day.

Did you tick off one or two habits from this list? If you want to have healthier eyes and prevent the exacerbation of your existing eye conditions, it’s high time to break these habits that are doing your eyes no good.

Do you have more eye care tips to share with us? Leave them in the comments below.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.

BEAUTY

Got The Time: Nordgreen Watches

Got The Time: Nordgreen Watches

https://nordgreen.com/

Nordgreen has a unique name and a unique watch. The name Nordgreen is Danish. Nord: being of Nordic identity. And Green: signifies the commitment to the earth. Now, I’ve tried many watches over the years and Nordgreen Watches do not disappoint! They offer several styles to choose from for both men and women as well as single band or bundles. Bands come in metal, leather and nylon. Nordgreen brings classy, quality watches together with the environment by giving back to the environment when you purchase one of their finest watches.

Plus, you get to choose what cause you want the proceeds to go to. There’s three categories to choose from… Health. Environment. Education. It’s pretty simple to give back while treating yourself. Nordgreen wants you to pick your favorite style. Once you received the watch, which ships fast, choose your cause. You then, enter the serial number located on the back of the watch. Enter in the rest of your information and change the world for the better, simply by showing off your style.

Styles

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFNYsVNhXK9/

For me, I decided on the gorgeous ‘Infinity’ style in Rose Gold. It has a metal tight-mesh band that doesn’t pull on the skin when wearing it. My first concerned because the tiny size of my writs that I would have trouble resizing the metal band. However, with its sliding clasp, I had no issues with adjusting the watchband to the proper size. Again, the band was super comfortable with no pulling of baby hairs. That’s a huge bonus! The watch, itself, has a beautiful face. It’s a delicate beauty with a strong presence.

Noticeable

Social distancing is a major thing in our world right now, I was wearing the watch and several people who were over six feet away complemented the watch. I’ve learned that a watch can say a lot about a person, and I like what Nordgreen says about me.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram.