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2024-03-25T23:01:00

(BPT) – There’s something so invigorating and refreshing about springtime. The new season can bring out your best, motivating you to implement changes to your daily routine that will put a smile on your face, boost your energy levels and make many of your ordinary tasks seem easier.

If you’re looking for new ideas for this spring’s refresh, check out these tips from Colette Heimowitz, vice president of Nutrition and Education at Simply Good Foods Company.

Make over your meals.

Take advantage of the longer days and warmer weather by grilling your steaks, poultry, fish, and veggies outdoors! An impromptu barbecue may be just what you need to make weeknight meals special, even if it’s just you and your family enjoying it. As you let go of heavier comfort food from the colder months, try lightening up your meals with fresh salads and healthful soups.

Feeling stuck and need some inspiration to help keep your weekly meal plans exciting? Atkins has an array of low-carb recipes to help inspire your spring menus.

Put a spring in your snacks.

It’s time to upgrade your pantry and add a few new snacking options. The new Atkins Crunchy Protein Cookies are the perfect bite-sized, portable treats to crush your sweet tooth, any day, anytime. With 8 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of sugar, these are the perfect treats to bring with you on-the-go, or to enjoy at home on a rainy spring day.

While you’re at it, consider revamping your refrigerator options with tasty, in-season fruits and veggies. Check out your local farmers market to find the fresh options at their peak. You can elevate your fresh produce in a variety of ways: dip veggies in ranch dressing or hummus, sprinkle berries on cottage cheese, or layer bell pepper slices with your favorite cheese and a few olives.

Get moving outside. Or anywhere.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and daylight is stretching out longer, it’s time to get out and get moving again. If you’re new to exercise or haven’t been active in a while, start slowly. Take the dog for a walk, hit the park with your kids, skip the elevator in favor of the stairs or park a little farther from your destination.

Find an exercise routine that excites and inspires you. Try out a new workout class, start a walking club with friends or even try a new sport like tennis or pickleball.

Clean your space.

Spring cleaning may sound boring, but the results are well worth it as it’ll boost your mood and energy. Having a clean space can be just as important for leading a healthy lifestyle as eating right or getting some exercise. Start small and choose one drawer, one closet, or one room at a time. Put on your favorite tunes or podcast and get to work!

When you’re done cleaning, you can let in a little fresh air, light some spring-scented candles and kick off the season in your newly clean and cozy home.

You can find more healthy lifestyle tips, recipes and low-carb products for your spring refresh at Atkins.com.

2024-03-25T08:31:00

(BPT) – Your customers live in a world where they can — and expect to — get products they order in a fast, seamless way. How important is quick delivery? Recent data shows that nearly seven out of 10 consumers list “speed of delivery” as one of the top five most important factors influencing where they buy products.

As a small business owner, how can you keep up with the retail giants in terms of speedy delivery? Staying up to date on the latest sourcing trends and options can help you shore up your supply chain — and keep your customers happy.

Online sourcing: A new way to find your perfect match

As more and more businesses take their operations online, why leave sourcing out? A recent survey by B2B platform Alibaba.com found that two thirds of businesses plan to increase their reliance on online sourcing. This includes bigger, established businesses with more than 500 employees.

Why are these businesses choosing online sourcing, and why should smaller businesses like yours consider it?

• More information, fewer questions: 31% of business owners cited availability of information in the online sourcing process as a top reason they’re adopting the practice.
• Faster to you, faster to your customer: As they work to meet consumer expectations for speedy deliveries, 29% of business owners listed speed of product order in online sourcing as a main reason for choosing that option.
• Order visibility means peace of mind: 28% of respondents cited ability to track delivery status as a key reason for using online sourcing.

Adopting or expanding online sourcing can help you source more products at lower prices, with the ability to track your orders in real time. These benefits can help your business meet consumer expectations with quick deliveries and competitive prices on the products and services you work tirelessly to deliver, while letting you maximize your financial and physical resources.

More countries, more options, more price points

The U.S. certainly boasts a wide variety of sourcing options and solid price points, but that hasn’t stopped businesses from going international for at least some of their sourcing operations. According to the Alibaba.com survey:

• 50% of businesses source from China
• 36% source from Canada
• 36% source from the United Kingdom
• 20% source from the European Union

Why are these businesses looking to other countries for sourcing and — more importantly — why should you?

• Save with competitive pricing from international suppliers: 39% of business owners said they were able to find competitive prices when exploring cross-border supply partners.
• More options for you, more options for your customers: 32% of respondents indicated that they turned to international suppliers due to the wide variety of products available.

Incorporating international sourcing partners into your supply chain operations can help you find competitive prices for products you already offer, and also identify new products to add to your line. These advantages can go a long way in effectively managing financial resources, maintaining current customers and attracting new ones.

What about customs, delays and disruptions?

Whether they have concerns about logistics prices (27%), lengthy delivery times (22%) or not receiving products (19%), business owners have reason to be skeptical of international sourcing. And while healthy skepticism can benefit your bottom line, successful small business owners know when to adopt new tactics and tools for their toolbox.

Today, international sourcing is becoming a must for small business owners trying to navigate the ever-changing supply chain space and compete with big retailers, leading many to turn to online sourcing platforms as a smart, speedy way to better serve their customers.

Finding the right online sourcing platform to be your supply chain partner can help your small business with resources including tariff and duty calculators, real-time shipment tracking and delivery issues.

Some platforms, such as Alibaba.com, are also introducing more guaranteed services such as fixed prices including shipping fees, promised dispatch of goods within 72 hours, delivery by the expected date and money back for order issues. All these tools can help you make informed financial decisions, know the status of your inventory and address potential delivery issues with the peace of mind that your business is protected.

In a world of instant gratification, it’s more important than ever that small business owners use sourcing strategies to help them meet consumer expectations around fast deliveries. Online and international sourcing through the right platform can be a game changer for your small business as you look to stay competitive and thrive in today’s consumer landscape.

2024-03-25T07:01:00

(BPT) – LaQuilla Harris, a devoted mother, grandmother and retired property manager, led a healthy and active lifestyle for many years before her world gradually began to turn upside down.

Over the course of a decade, LaQuilla began to struggle with weight loss, insomnia, and debilitating anxiety and irritability. She was also experiencing dry, bulging eyes and vision changes. Despite visiting doctor after doctor, each of them failed to give her answers and find an effective treatment plan.

“At the time, I didn’t know what I was going through and that was hard. My family saw me struggling but nobody knew how to help me,” LaQuilla said.

LaQuilla continued to advocate for herself, seeing four separate doctors before eventually connecting with a team that understood her needs. Finally, after years of struggling, LaQuilla was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to become overactive and produce more thyroid hormone than the body needs, and Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) — an autoimmune condition that is separate from but related to her Graves’ disease and requires separate care.

While she was able to get her Graves’ disease under control rather quickly, unfortunately, her journey of managing TED has been a marathon of ups and downs. TED is a condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks the muscle and fat tissue behind your eyes, causing inflammation and scar tissue to form.

“Because my symptoms were undetected for so long, I first lost sight in my left eye and then rapidly lost sight in my right eye. I didn’t want anybody to see me. It was really challenging, both physically and mentally,” she said.

With the help of the right care team and a great deal of courage, LaQuilla pressed on toward reclaiming her health.

“I had a total of eight eye surgeries. Thanks to each of those surgeries, I finally have my vision back. Although my vision is not 20/20, I am very grateful for where I am today,” she said.

Now, determined to help others avoid similar challenges, LaQuilla continues to speak out about her journey with TED and ensure others living with a thyroid condition such as Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s understand their risk.

For People Living with a Thyroid Condition:

• You are at an increased risk of developing TED. In fact, up to 50% of people living with Graves’ disease may develop TED
  • Women are up to five times more likely to develop TED than men
  • People who smoke increase their risk for TED eight-fold
• Make an appointment with a TED Eye Specialist such as an oculoplastic surgeon or neuro-ophthalmologist at the first signs of any changes in your eyes, such as eye pain, dry eyes, watery eyes, bulging, light sensitivity or double vision
• To find a TED Eye Specialist near you, visit FOCUSonTED.com and click ‘Find a Specialist’

Power of Positivity and Perseverance

LaQuilla’s story underscores the importance of self-advocacy and finding the right doctors. She wants those living with any undiagnosed symptoms to keep asking questions, seek second options and look for answers until they get the care they need.

“Never give up. Do not quit. Pull that strength from within you and know that you can tackle anything!”

Recently, LaQuilla was featured in a documentary project called ‘Portraits of Life with TED’ hosted by TED community group, Listen to Your Eyes. In the documentary, artist and rare disease advocate Rachel Mindrup interviews LaQuilla, Christine and Jake — all of whom live with TED — and creates one-of-a-kind portraits depicting each of them doing something they love — despite TED.

“I wanted my portrait to show me picking pecans off a tree, like I used to do when I was growing up. That feels like home to me,” LaQuilla said.

Her portrait will be revealed in the final installation of the documentary series later this year. In the meantime, LaQuilla continues to advocate for people living with TED and other autoimmune disorders. By sharing her story, she hopes to inspire others to push through adversity, continue advocating for themselves, and to find the light even in the darkest of times.

To learn more about TED and watch the first part of the documentary series, visit FOCUSonTED.com.

2024-03-25T09:01:00

(BPT) – What does financial progress look like to you? Whether you are working to put money away for a big-ticket item or trying to keep up with your utility bills, making financial progress can often feel like an uphill climb. However, with the right tools and mindset, it doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience or a huge weight on your shoulders.

“You don’t have to overhaul your life all at once to make progress,” says financial educator, author and Chime spokesperson Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche. “Taking the first step can simply look like shifting your mentality about your finances.”

Need some inspiration to get started making financial progress? Check out the ideas below. Spoiler alert: One of them involves paying it forward.

Create a budget. A recent survey¹ showed that nearly 50% of Gen Zers are already budgeting and tracking their expenses closely, which is the right step toward creating financial progress. Start by subtracting your essential monthly bills from your income and see how much money remains. Now — this is the part that’s really eye opening — how much of your remaining budget have you spent on eating out, nights out with friends, trips to the salon? Is there any wiggle room to cut back? Create a budget that works and stick to it, even just for one month.

Focus on building your credit. Smart money habits can help you boost your credit one swipe at a time. Consider opening a secured credit card, using it for essential expenses, and paying it off every month. Building your credit is the action that keeps giving and will come in handy when you’re looking to make big money moves like getting a loan or lower interest rates.

Open a high-yield savings account for an emergency fund. The goal is to save three to six months of living expenses to fall back on. This might sound unachievable, but you can make it easier by putting it on autopilot. Consider opening a high-yield savings account and automating a deposit into it from each paycheck. It’s foolproof. By creating a second account, you won’t be as tempted to dip into those funds on impulse purchases. And by automating the deposits, you won’t even have to think about it. Chime — the most loved banking app² — offers a high-yield savings account with a 2.00% APY³, which is more than four times the national average⁴, and a Round Ups⁵ feature, rounding up your debit card transaction to the nearest dollar and moving it into your savings. So while you’re building up your rainy day fund, they’re also working for you!

…and another one for fun. Just like most diets have cheat days, build in a little extra into your budget for the occasional splurge! Giving yourself some grace and a little wiggle room will make saving or cutting back in other areas easier in the long run.

Pay it forward. No, really! Generosity can move us all forward. In fact, Chime set out to prove people are more generous than you’d expect, even when trying to make financial progress, in a new video, “Pay Progress Forward.” Participants are offered how much money they said they’d need to unlock financial progress in their lives. Then Chime offers two options: double the amount they were given or take only what they need and give the rest to someone else in a similar financial situation. The result? Everyone chose to give the half away. It’s a moving testament to people’s generosity and willingness to help others climb. And, by the way, because they all chose generosity, it unlocked $1 million to be split among them.

Make the mindset shift. “By helping your community, you’re shifting from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance,” says Sara El-Amine, VP of Community at Chime. “When you realize that you have enough to pay it forward … even if it’s only a little, that’s a powerful shift. Also, by saving money for charitable giving, you’re changing spending habits, which will benefit your finances in the long and short runs. And the tax deductions don’t hurt either.”

As Aliche says, “When ‘I can’t’ becomes ‘I did,’ the world will open up for you.” To learn more, watch “Pay Progress Forward.” And check out how Chime can help you make financial progress, too.

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. The Chime Visa^® Debit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. The Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa^® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.

This guide is for informational purposes only. Chime does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice. You should check with your legal, financial, or tax advisor for advice specific to your situation. Your state or local unemployment agency is responsible for making all determinations on your eligibility for unemployment benefits. Please contact your state or local unemployment agency if you have questions.

¹ Chime Survey: How Gen-Z Builds Wealth. Chime. (2023). https://www.chime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Chime-Gen-Z-study.pdf

² #1 Most Loved Banking App Source: Chime received the highest 2023 Qualtrics^® NPS score.

³ The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is effective as of September 20, 2023. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest.

⁴ The national average rate can be found on the FDIC’s National Rates and Rate Caps website here.

⁵ Round Ups automatically round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfer the round up from your Chime Checking Account to your Savings Account. Save When I Get Paid automatically transfers 10% of your direct deposits of $500 or more from your Checking Account into your Savings Account.

2024-03-22T09:01:00

(BPT) – Did you know broccoli is actually a cluster of unopened flowers? The popular green vegetable consists of tightly packed clusters of flower buds, all attached to a central stalk. Harvested before it blooms into flowers, broccoli is enjoyed for its tender texture and unique flavor. So when you’re eating broccoli, you’re basically munching on baby flower buds!

This is just one of many surprising facts about broccoli you may not know. In honor of National Broccoli Day (March 22), Mann Packing Company, the innovator behind Broccolini^® baby broccoli, is spotlighting one of America’s favorite veggies with these fun broccoli facts and trends.

1. Broccoli can be turned into beer

While it might sound odd, some breweries have experimented with broccoli as an ingredient in beer production. The process involves using broccoli as part of the brewing mash, where the sugars are extracted to ferment into alcohol. This unique approach adds a distinctive flavor to the beer, offering a creative twist to traditional brewing methods.

2. The heaviest broccoli ever weighed 35 pounds!

The Guinness Book of World Records notes that the heaviest broccoli ever recorded weighed a whopping 35 pounds. This remarkable feat was achieved by John and Mary Evans in the United States in 1993. Do you think they had a tough time getting their kids to eat their vegetables?

3. James Bond films were produced by a Broccoli

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are producers of the famous James Bond films, continuing the legacy of their father, Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, who co-founded the hit spy movie franchise. Interestingly, the Broccoli family claims the iconic green vegetable is actually named after them! (Spoiler alert: It’s not.)

4. Broccoli is ideal for the Mediterranean diet — because it was born there

Veggies like broccoli are key to following the health-conscious Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes. This seems fitting, since the broccoli you know and love was developed over many centuries of seed cultivation, with its origins in wild cabbage plants growing in the Mediterranean region.

Today, California holds the crown as the primary producer of broccoli in the U.S. thanks to its temperate climate, contributing 90% of the nation’s production. The U.S. ranks third globally in broccoli production after China and India, producing approximately 1.3 million tons annually.

5. Broccoli was once infused with bubblegum flavor

In 2014, a notable U.S. fast-food chain experimented with a quirky experiment that aimed to encourage vegetable consumption among children by infusing broccoli with bubblegum flavoring.

Food scientists blended strawberry, banana and cherry flavors that approximated the taste of bubblegum to add to broccoli, but somehow the novelty of this concept just didn’t catch on with kids.

6. The ‘Broccoli Cut’ hairstyle is trending with Gen Z

Have you seen this hairstyle? While also referred to as the “bird’s nest cut,” the “wet mop” or the “zoomer perm,” one of the most popular do’s among Gen Z that’s all over social media is most commonly called the “broccoli cut.” Why? Because it features a high fade on the sides and back, with a full head of curly hair on top.

7. Not all baby broccoli is Broccolini^®

While baby broccoli is trending in restaurants, it’s often misnamed as “broccolini” on their menus. The term “Broccolini^®” is actually a registered trademark of Mann Packing Co., Inc. of Gonzales, California — referring to the company’s proprietary type of baby broccoli, the first of its kind in the world — developed with an exclusive seed that produces long, tender, edible stems you can’t get anywhere else.

Broccolini^® baby broccoli is a natural hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale (gai lan), which debuted in 1998 as a new vegetable grown exclusively by Mann Packing Company after an eight-year development period. With a flavor sweeter and milder than regular broccoli, Broccolini^® baby broccoli is 100% edible — from flower to stem — making it a great choice for taste as well as reduced food waste.

Learn more about broccoli, Broccolini^® baby broccoli and other tasty produce, including availability and recipe inspiration, at VeggiesMadeEasy.com.

2024-03-21T15:19:00

(BPT) – Can you imagine living in a world on the brink of imminent catastrophe, caught between superpowers dueling over the very future of mankind?

While this sounds like the plot of a science fiction story, it was reality for millions of people throughout the five-decades-long geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union known as the Cold War.

The Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day in 1991 but it continues to influence cultural and political discourse in 2024.

The 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” which recently won seven Academy Awards, told the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the architects of the first atomic bomb — the precursor of the more advanced nuclear weapons that kept the world on edge during the Cold War.

Just this month, Netflix released a documentary entitled, “Turning Point: The Bomb and The Cold War,” which documents the development of nuclear weapons, the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and asks viewers, considering the current war between Russia and Ukraine, to consider whether the Cold War ever really ended.

The Cold War’s lasting impact simply cannot be overstated, and understanding the conflict is essential to making sense of the world we live in today.

Congress recently designated the National Cold War Center (NCWC), which will be located on the site of the former Eaker Air Force base in Blytheville, Arkansas, as America’s official museum of the Cold War.

Set to open in the fall of 2027, the NCWC will be the best place in the world to learn about the profound history and global impact of the Cold War through immersive experiences and tours of original U.S. Air Force facilities that played a key role in America’s victory in the conflict.

Ahead of the center’s official opening, visitors can experience a taste of what is to come by visiting the Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, which tells the story of the Blytheville (later renamed Eaker) Air Force Base and the heroes who manned it during the Cold War. As a Strategic Air Command, the base housed B-52 bombers capable of launching with 15 minutes’ notice and armed with nuclear warheads three times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Nagasaki during World War II.

Christian Ostermann, an award-winning historian of the Cold War, is the founding director of the Wilson Center’s History and Public Policy Program and oversees the center’s Cold War International History Project. Ostermann also serves as co-chair of the NCWC’s National Advisory Board.

Ostermann has spent 25 years studying the Cold War, its historical significance, and how its legacy continues to shape our world today.

“The Cold War was an epic struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union over power, influence and resources. It was also a struggle of ideas and ideologies, of how best to organize a modern society — our way of life,” said Ostermann.

While the Cold War was primarily a high-stakes duel between the United States and the Soviet Union, the imminent threat of nuclear war and its unimaginable consequences impacted every corner of the globe, he said.

“In Blytheville, we have this authentic site that can bring that history to life — what it felt like to fight, and survive, the Cold War,” said Ostermann.

For more information on the National Cold War Center, America’s official museum of the Cold War, visit nationalcoldwarcenter.com.

2024-03-21T07:01:00

(BPT) – GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are getting major press for their ability to help people slim down. But that’s just the half of it. These groundbreaking drugs, which mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, can improve multiple aspects of your overall health.

Maria Ikram can speak to the benefits from firsthand experience. Her lifelong battle with weight will be familiar to many people: Her closet is filled with clothes ranging from a size 4 to 18 — the result of years of yo-yo dieting. But before using prescription GLP-1 medication, nothing — not even bariatric surgery — gave her lasting results. Maria reached the breaking point when she and her family went to a theme park and she couldn’t go on one of the rides because of her size.

She resolved to shed the extra weight. This time, though, she wanted to slim down more gradually and develop habits that could help her keep the pounds off. She looked for a program led by board-certified medical professionals, who could guide her and help her stay on track. She wanted a program based on proven science — not a quick fix or fad. Maria found the LifeMD Weight Management Program, which combined access to prescription GLP-1 medication with expert guidance and more. It checked all of the boxes for her, and she figured it was worth a try.

Maria didn’t know it then, but the decision might have saved her life.

As part of the program, Maria was sent to a nearby lab for metabolic testing. When the results came back, she learned she had Type 2 diabetes, the condition her father had before he died. She met online with her selected healthcare provider, who outlined a plan that included GLP-1 medication. Slowly but surely, Maria began losing weight. After several months, she tested negative for Type 2 diabetes.

“Many people don’t realize there are other proven health benefits beyond weight loss of using GLP-1 medications,” says Dr. Anthony Puopolo, Chief Medical Officer for LifeMD. “By working closely with her LifeMD care team, Maria has seen tremendous improvements in her overall health.”

Here are five proven health benefits of using prescription GLP-1 medications.

1. Supports weight loss

GLP-1 medication sends signals to the brain that improve digestion and reduce hunger. As a result, individuals who take GLP-1 medication often feel fuller faster, which helps prevent overeating and excessive snacking. By supporting healthy eating habits and reducing calorie intake, these drugs may contribute to weight loss.

2. Helps treat diabetes

People with diabetes often struggle with insufficient insulin production. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels that can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. GLP-1s help the body produce more insulin. This helps regulate blood sugar levels, preventing them from spiking too high. As a result, patients can better manage diabetes and minimize the risk of related health issues.

3. Lowers cholesterol levels

While cholesterol is essential for building healthy cells, elevated levels of cholesterol pose a significant risk factor for heart disease. Clinical studies have shown patients using GLP-1 medications experience notable reductions in their cholesterol levels. By lowering cholesterol, GLP-1s help improve cardiovascular health and reduce the likelihood of developing heart-related conditions.

4. Lowers blood pressure

Research has shown that GLP-1 medications can have a positive impact on blood pressure, particularly in patients with Type 2 diabetes. By effectively managing blood pressure levels, GLP-1s help mitigate the risks associated with hypertension and its negative effects on the cardiovascular system.

5. Decreases the risk of heart disease

A compelling study, reported by the National Institutes of Health, revealed that GLP-1 drugs can significantly reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or cardiovascular-related fatalities. The study showcased a remarkable 12% decrease in the risk of these adverse events and an equally significant 12% reduction in overall mortality rates.

The benefits of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and other GLP-1 medications extend far beyond their ability to help patients slim down. By supporting weight loss, treating diabetes, lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, and decreasing the risk of heart disease, GLP-1s can help patients live longer, healthier lives.

LifeMD’s Weight Management Program helps eligible patients achieve their weight loss goals. LifeMD pairs access to groundbreaking GLP-1 medications with clinical oversight, metabolic testing, and ongoing support from licensed healthcare providers to help people lose weight and feel healthier overall. Want to get started on your wellness journey? Visit LifeMD to learn more.