The old wisdom has been that getting any degree can be enough to land you a lucrative job. While that may be true for some people, others need to have a more advanced degree to achieve their ambitions. That can be tough, but there are things you can do to make it a reality.

Look Into Cost Options

It’s no secret that higher education is expensive. It’s one of the more prohibitive factors in continuing your education. As such, it’s important to carefully weigh the costs of getting an advanced degree and having a plan for them. Tuition fees can vary widely depending on where you’re going to school and what your subject is. Your options range from paying for it out of pocket, earning scholarships, and taking out student loans. Keep in mind that it’s easy to rack up a lot of student debt that you’ll have to pay back after you complete your program. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s free money you can spend as you please. Make a plan and work your plan to put yourself in a better financial situation at the end.

Make Time

Finding time for an advanced degree is another one of the major challenges to pursuing it. You likely have a variety of other responsibilities in life. Maybe you have a family you are responsible for or a full-time job you have to hold down to pay the bills. Following a classroom schedule can be a challenge when you have responsibilities like a job or children to take care of. Online courses can be a good option for people who need more flexibility in their schooling. As with your finances, it’s important to make a plan and stick with it so you’ll have the time you need to make your degree a priority.

Choose a Program

Of course, none of that matters if you don’t know what degree to pursue or what subject you want to study. There are a variety of advanced degree subjects to choose from. Consider the purpose behind your desire to pursue such a degree and use that to guide you in making your choice. Beyond that, consider the school you’ll be attending. Not all programs at all schools are created equal. If there’s a school that has a good reputation in your desired field of study, that’s one that is worth looking into.

Earning an advanced degree can be a career-changing move if you do it right. When looking to get started with an advanced degree, make sure you look into different cost options. You’ll need to make time for your schooling. Choosing a good program will also be essential. There’s a lot that goes into earning an advanced degree, but that should help you get started on the right foot.

Read this next: Finding fulfillment: Is this the right time to switch careers?

Put Your Resolutions in Easy Reach

(Family Features) Setting New Year’s resolutions is one thing but keeping them is another. Look for ways to make it easy to stick with your plan this year so you can celebrate victories when you reach your goals.

The first step in achieving your resolutions is setting yourself up for success. Arm yourself with the resources you need to eliminate obstacles. That might mean finding the right gear, like exercise equipment or cooking supplies, or using tech tools to learn about the benefits of certain foods for better health.

Making your new routines easy and convenient can help convert unfamiliar actions into habits in nearly no time at all.

Be sure to set realistic milestone goals so you can reward yourself for progress toward your end goal. If you find yourself slipping along the way, take a look at what’s pushing you off your path and make adjustments. Keep your focus on the end goal and allow yourself some flexibility as you figure out the best way to get there.

Find more tips to help keep your healthy living goals on track at eLivingtoday.com.

Manage Meal Prep
Preparing healthy meals ahead of time makes it easier to avoid less nutritious choices when your days get busy. Use a couple of weekend hours to prep meals for the entire week and keep your healthy eating goals on track. The right tools can make the job even easier. Look for meal prep containers with dividers that help you control portions. Also look for options that stack neatly in the refrigerator and are microwave- and dishwasher-safe for extra convenience.

Boost Health with Lemons
Lemons and their peels can deliver health benefits like the potential to reduce cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even cancer. You can easily incorporate lemons into your menu to help solve health problems or achieve desired outcomes like improved skin, hair, nails and more.  In fact, the Nature’s Pharmacy app from Limoneira identifies 57 health concerns or desired outcomes, addressing them with 74 fruits and vegetables found in a typical grocery produce department. Learn more at Limoneira.com.

SOURCE:
Limoneira

The top health benefits of beef

(BPT) - Recent diet trends encourage balancing food sources for optimal health. If you’re following the Mediterranean, Keto or Paleo diets, you’re probably aware that lean meats like beef play a vital role as part of an overall healthy eating plan, balanced with plant-based foods like vegetables and legumes.

Elsewhere in the world, however, access to high-quality sources of protein is a serious challenge. Malnutrition is a significant global public health issue, and recent data shows that countries with the lowest meat access have some of the highest rates of malnutrition. Beef plays an important role in ensuring that the world is well-nourished.

Sources:

• Development Initiatives, 2018. 2018 Global Nutrition Report: Shining a light to spur action on nutrition. Bristol, UK: Development Initiatives. https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/global-nutrition-report-2018/burden-malnutrition/.
• McNeill S, Van Elswyk ME. Red meat in global nutrition. Meat Sci. 2012 Nov;92(3):166-73. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.03.014. Epub 2012 Apr 1.

Beef provides protein

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one three-ounce serving of beef delivers approximately 25 grams of high-quality protein, which is essential for building and maintaining strength for your mind and body.

How do relatively high-protein grains compare with beef? The USDA’s Food Data Central database reports that to get the 25 grams of protein found in one 3 ounce serving of cooked beef, you would need to eat three cups of quinoa – which is more than 3 times the typical serving size for cooked quinoa of 140 grams, about ¾ cup.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov Zanovec M, O'Neil CE, Keast DR, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Nicklas TA. Lean beef contributes significant amounts of key nutrients to the diets of U.S. adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. Nutr Res. 2010 Jun;30(6):375-81.

Beef and iron

Another global nutrition challenge is iron deficiency, which is a concern among adolescent girls and women worldwide. A particular kind of iron called heme iron, which is critical to addressing this deficiency, is found only in animal foods like beef, not plant foods.

Here in the U.S., lean beef contributes 8% of the iron in a typical diet. At a time when many are deficient in this essential nutrient, eliminating beef could worsen the problem of iron deficiency.

Sources:

• Cook, JD. Adaptation in iron metabolism. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;51(2):301-308.
• Le CHH (2016) The Prevalence of Anemia and Moderate-Severe Anemia in the U.S. Population (NHANES 2003-2012). PLoS ONE 11(11): e0166635.

Red meat is not contributing to obesity

Americans are consuming 600 more calories a day, on average, than they did 40 years ago. These extra calories are coming from refined grains, added fats and oils, not red meat. Americans, on average, eat fewer than two ounces of beef daily, which is in line with the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

Our diet is already plant-based — and has become increasingly more so over the last four decades, when obesity has also increased.

Sources:

• United States. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2015. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/PDFs/Scientific-Report-of-the-2015-Dietary-Guidelines-Advisory-Committee.pdf
• What We Eat In America, NHANES, 2003-2004 and 2015-2016. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/DBrief/20_Food_Patterns_Equivalents_0304_1516.pdf.

Beef promotes lifelong health

The nutrients in beef promote health beginning in childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Women Infants and Children’s Program and now for the first time ever, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommend introducing solid nutrient rich foods, like beef, to infants and toddlers, in order to pack in every bite with protein, iron, zinc and choline.

These nutrients continue to sustain people throughout their lives, and protein becomes especially important as people get older. Adults over 50 are at risk for losing muscle mass, which can lead to falls and frailty that affect their ability to age independently.

Balancing your diet with multiple sources of crucial nutrients, from high-quality proteins like beef along with vitamin-rich vegetables, fruit and whole grains, helps support your overall health all your life.

Sources:

• American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook. 7th ed. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2014
• Benton D. The influence of dietary status on the cognitive performance of children. Mol Nutr Food Res 2010;54:457–70.
• Michaelsen KF & Greer FR. Protein needs early in life and long-term health. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;99:718S–22S.
• Nyaradi A, et al. The role of nutrition in children’s neurocognitive development, from pregnancy through childhood. Front Hum Neurosci 2013;7:97.
• Wolfe, R. The underappreciated role of muscle in health and disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:475-82

Learn more about beef and nutrition at BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com, managed by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.

4 Tips for a Productive 2021

(Family Features) This year has taught many workers a thing or two about being productive when offices and homes blend into one.

As the calendar turns to 2021, consider these key products and processes to stay productive next year.

Find a system (and stick to it): Creating an organizing system is an easy way to ensure your at-home workspace is ready for optimal productivity. Designate space to house all your work items – a drawer, cabinet or box – and keep work items organized by type (pens, papers, computer gear, etc.) At the end of each day, transitioning to “offline hours” can be easier when you have a place to stow your work items.

Start your day clean: Studies have shown cleanliness has a direct impact on productivity. Yet, many people struggle to find the time and energy to clean, especially at the end of a busy day at home. An option like The DEEBOT T8 from Ecovacs provides a hands-free cleaning experience, complete with the time-saving benefits of an all-in-one robot vacuum and floor mop, along with TrueDetect technology to avoid tangling in small objects. Easily controlled via an app, just set it to clean before bed and wake up to a tidy workspace.

Break up your day: With so many hours at home in front of a computer, workdays can get a little monotonous. Break up the day to make working from home feel as “normal” as possible – shower in the morning, take a walk or drive to coffee then make time for at least two breaks throughout the day. Some people have found success with the Pomodoro Technique, which is breaking your day up into 25-minute chunks of work, with 5-minute rest periods. If you continue to work until you feellike taking a break, odds are you’ll overwork yourself until it’s too late to take the “big break” you had in mind.

Bookend your days with mindfulness: At the beginning and end of each workday, do a 3-5-minute mindfulness meditation. Before signing on to work for the day, allow your mind to fully focus on the day’s tasks at-hand. Signoff by doing another mediation to end the day and let go of any worries or stresses you might have. Incorporating this tactic into your daily routine can help create a natural boundary from work and home while also restoring peace of mind.

Find more solutions to help maintain productivity at ecovacs.com/us/blog/productivity-tips.

 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Ecovacs