Grand Traverse Woman – Page 2 – Grand Traverse Woman

10 Steps In Preparing For A New Business Website

June 4, 2022February 23, 2022 by Grand Traverse Woman

Whilst it is the web designers that you choose who will do the bulk of the work to design and build your new business website, that does not mean that you have no part to play in its creation. There are several decisions and tasks you must undertake for web designers to be able to complete their work.

Before you panic, thinking that you are going to have to learn website programming or code, rest easy. Whilst having some knowledge of how websites are designed is useful, those are not the tasks we are referring to. Instead, these are tasks related to some of the services required, some decisions about the appearance of your website, and how you can maximise your website’s effectiveness. Here are all ten of them.

Choose A Domain Name: This should match your name or the name of your business. As for the suffix, dot com should be your first choice, although many of these are already taken. Otherwise opt for dot net, dot org, or your country’s domain suffix.

Decide Which Hosting Service You Are Using: Many of the performance measures of your website, such as reliability and load speeds, will be influenced by your hosting company and the quality of its servers, so opt for one with a proven track record.

Decide Upon An Email Autoresponder Service: Assuming you want your business to benefit from the many advantages that email marketing can provide, then you need an email autoresponder service. This is where your subscriber list data is stored, and where you create and schedule your emails.

Spice Up Your Life With Cayenne!

May 26, 2022January 24, 2022 by Grand Traverse Woman

We all know of cayenne pepper as a hot spice to add to Asian cuisine. A member of the Capsicum family, cayenne is also known as cow-horn pepper, red hot chili pepper, bird pepper or red pepper. But what you may not know is the amazing health benefits cayenne pepper provides. A very high source of vitamin A, it also contains vitamins B6, E, C as well as minerals potassium & manganese.

Ever heard of the Lemon Detox Diet? Using cayenne as the active ingredient in a combination with lemon juice, maple syrup & water, this regime was spouted as a miracle weight loss – well it would if you weren’t eating any food at the same time! Despite the bad rap during the Lemon Detox fad, research has shown that cayenne can boost metabolism assisting with weight loss. Once consumed, cayenne pepper dilates the blood vessels & speeds up the metabolism with its active component called capsaicin. It also helps to suppress hunger & normalise blood sugar levels.

3 Steps to Get Your Mojo Back

May 26, 2022October 14, 2021 by Grand Traverse Woman

Our modern lifestyle is full of convenience, with constant technological advances making life easier to manage and with information at the tips of our fingers. But why are we still so unhealthy as a nation? Our bodies are no longer functioning as they should and we battle with fatigue, weight gain and brain fog. So how do we make changes for the better? Try these 3 simple steps to reduce inflammation, remove toxins and be at your ideal weight.

Step 1 Alkalise

Our bodies sit on the pH scale between 7.35-7.45, which is slightly alkaline (A pH of 0 is totally acidic, a pH of 14 is completely alkaline and 7 is neutral). However, our 21st Century diet of highly acidic processed foods, sugar and alcohol can cause inflammation in the body. The best way to tackle this inflammation is by alkalising with apple cider vinegar, chlorophyll or green smoothies which will detoxify and cleanse the body naturally whilst helping the body to maintain its alkalinity.

Step 2 Detoxing

Our bodies have natural systems in place to deal with toxins and to protect our cells. However, diet and lifestyle play important protective roles. The easiest thing that we can do is reduce the toxic burden on our body through healthy diet and lifestyle choices. This can be done by removing all processed foods and drinks from our diet and swap for fresh fruits and vegetables. Herbal tonic preparations are also a great way to start as herbs help to support the liver and kidneys whilst helping to eliminate toxic build-up naturally. Choose organic foods where possible as most fruits and veggies are covered in toxic pesticides which are stored in your liver and may cause disease. Remember to look at the ingredients in your skincare and what are you cleaning your house with as manufacturers make products cheap by adding nasty toxic synthetic ingredients.

How to Choose Your Nut Milk

May 26, 2022February 14, 2021 by Grand Traverse Woman

Whether you’re allergic to dairy, lactose intolerant, or vegan, nut milks are a great alternative to cow’s milk. Highly nutritious & a great source of protein, nut milks come in a variety of options which each have their own nutrition & flavour profile.

Almond milk is high in magnesium & vitamin E. Interestingly, almond milk has half the calories of skimmed milk, is low in cholesterol & saturated fat.

Hazelnut milk is a great source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, A & E. It is also rich in folic acid. It also contains the most protein out of all the nut milks.

Cashew milk is a high source of vitamin K, iron & magnesium. It is also the easiest of milks to make.

Coconut milk (depending on your view if a coconut is a nut, seed or fruit!) contains as much dairy as cow’s milk & is a great source of vitamin D. The fat content comprises of medium chain saturated fatty acids which is a better form of fat as it helps to boost energy & metabolism.

It’s Time to Ditch the Diet!

May 26, 2022October 3, 2020 by Grand Traverse Woman

Nothing is more precious or priceless than your body & your health. We all have times when we want to indulge a little, particularly during the Silly Season & that’s ok. But holiday time is also a good opportunity to reflect on your habits, good & bad, & to make those small changes that can remain long term.

So where do we start?

Firstly, by reducing as much of the toxic burden on our bodies. Unfortunately, toxicity is unavoidable in today’s modern society. When we walk outside we are exposed to thousands of toxins via our lungs, skin & digestive system. Did you know we have a residual burden of over a thousand new-to-nature chemicals which are invented & released into the environment every year? We need to make choices not only about what goes into our mouths but what goes on our bodies as skincare, haircare, perfumes, makeup, deodorants & even toothpastes are full of synthetic toxic chemicals.

How to Get Good Vibrations

June 4, 2022June 3, 2020 by Grand Traverse Woman

Everything in the universe is energy, every single object whether man made or natural, including our own selves. In fact, nothing is truly solid but is instead made up of microscopic particles that are vibrating at an extremely fast pace. Even though our limited sight as humans doesn’t allow us to see this movement, we can still very much feel it & be very much affected by it on one level or another – either physical, spiritual, emotional, vibrational, and/ or mental.

Ever come away from an interaction with someone & felt really happy & uplifted yet couldn’t completely know why?

Or how about when you’re either sick or feeling much lower & less sparkly than our usual selves?

These are but two examples of the many ways in which we can notice energy in everyday life. Our state of health is also believed to be directly linked to the frequency in which we are vibrating at. Each cell, organ & system has its own vibration & the frequency of which is affected in many ways including by what we eat, drink, think, feel, do, hear & are exposed to. Colours, smells & sounds all have their own varying vibrational frequencies which can influence our own.

7 Ways To Keep Yourself Motivated When You Start Your Fitness Program

May 26, 2022March 25, 2020 by Grand Traverse Woman

If there is ever a time when someone who starts a fitness program is going to be at the most risk of giving up, it tends to be not long after they first start. This might sound counterintuitive as it could be argued that someone’s motivation is going to be at its highest when they first set out on their fitness journey. In many cases that is true. However, after the initial surge of determination, many people start seeing their motivation drop quickly for several reasons, which include:

Realising the amount of time and effort which are going to be required
The early aches and pains as the body becomes used to exercising
Knowing their friends and family are out there enjoying themselves whilst they workout
Not seeing any noticeable difference in the early stages
Seeing that their fitness journey has a long road ahead of it

There are more, but if you are in the early stages of a fitness program, and any of these ring true, even if slightly, then be content that almost everyone has some level of doubt once they begin. The key is not to let those doubts linger or increase, and that can be achieved by using some of the excellent motivational tools and techniques which we have outlined below.

Break Your Fitness Goal Into Milestones: Trying to hit one huge, far-off goal can seem tough, whereas aiming for and hitting lots of smaller goals or milestones is rewarding and motivational. So, instead of losing 24 lbs this year, aim for losing 2 lbs per month which, if achieved, means twelve wins instead of just one.

5 Reasons Why You Should Have Bone Broths

May 26, 2022January 14, 2020 by Grand Traverse Woman

Bone broths and stocks are found in every culture. Traditionally once the meat from the animal was consumed it was common to cook the remainder of the animal by simmering the bones, marrow, feet, tendons and ligaments with water and vegetables for a number of days. This method of slow cooking caused the bones and organs to break down releasing healing compounds such as collagen and amino acids and the liquid to become nutrient dense with minerals.

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Have Bone Broths
1. Nutrient dense – bone broths contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon & sulphur in forms which the body can absorb easily. This also means we can digest broths very easily.

2. Improves joint health – broths contain glucosamine & sulphur which help to reduce inflammation in the joints. Broths also contain collagen & gelatin which are released from the bones, skin & cartilage which help to maintain strong bones & joints.

3. Promote healing – particularly of the digestive system. Broths contain glutamine, an amino acid which helps to heal the lining of the gut & reduce inflammation in leaky gut syndrome or if suffering from food intolerances or allergies.

Snowmobiling Lessons

June 3, 2022December 19, 2019 by Grand Traverse Woman

By Kandace Chapple, GTWoman Editor

WE GREW UP

On snowmobiles. Weekends and evenings were spent outside sliding off the back of the slick seat of a 1981 Ski-Doo, trying to hang on to one another, riding double.

Of course, the point was to dump the other one off, pretend we didn’t notice and leave a sister in the field, enjoying a solo ride for a few glorious moments.

Alas.

The older we got, the more trouble we could come up with. We spent weekends snowmobiling out to sledding hills with a pull-behind trailer on skis stocked with firewood, hotdogs and Pepsi. Our mom did all the work then, and little did we know how much work that must have been. We were focused solely on building jumps big enough to break a leg.

Finally, we set out on day trips, where we didn’t fall asleep riding between our mother’s legs, our helmet hitting the handlebars. Then we became drivers… although we still had to share a sled.

Between the Canyon: Our Bucket List Trip to the Colorado River

May 27, 2022December 11, 2019 by Grand Traverse Woman

By Kelley Bowker

We have been making travel “bucket lists” for years. One of the biggest trips on my husband Mike’s list? White water rafting through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. I looove adventure, so I was all in.

I decided to plan the trip for Mike’s 50th birthday, June 2016. Our Arizona adventure turned out to be one we will never forget, exciting in more ways than we could have ever imagined.

Five-day escapade

After looking at and researching many outfitters and all the options that were available, Mike and I decided the five-day paddling trip would be the best for us (other options included motorized trips, those where the guide paddled, or even an identical trip, just six days longer).

Each day, we hiked the Grand Canyon and paddled our way through very specific named areas and mile markers of the Colorado River. At night we slept wherever our lead guide found a suitable piece of earth for a group our size (13 paddlers, 5 guides).