The John Tesh Blog

17 great, and healthy, foods for under a buck!

One of the best ways to reduce your food bills is to cut back on packaged and processed foods and substitute in more fresh and healthier foods. Sure, some organically grown foods may cost more in your supermarket, and many times, they're quite worth the extra money.  But there are just as many opportunities to shave a little off your grocery bill bottom dollar, especially in the Summer months.  Here's a pretty comprehensive list I found from TipHero.com, and it makes so much sense! Think about it: packaged and processed foods typically contain more sugar and sodium. They're also much more expensive. Most of these 17 healthy foods can be had for less than a dollar per serving, based on prices listed here from a supermarket in Portland, Oregon.

Rice - Rice is the most consumed staple in the world with nearly half of the developing worlds caloric intake coming from rice. The processing of rice removes much of its nutritional value. Brown rice retains the most nutritional value and white rice loses the most. Many rice producers enrich white rice with vitamins to add back in some of the nutritional value lost in the processing of rice. When you go to the supermarket many rice products will say "enriched" on the packaging. Even after enrichment whole brown rice is still more nutritional.

Cost: Rice can be stored up to two years so it makes a good deal of economic sense to buy in bulk. If you buy 20 pounds or more you can find rice for less than 50 cents per pound. It is one of the most economical foods on the planet with a 100 calories of cooked rice costing roughly 3-4 cents.

Oatmeal - We've heard so much in recent years about the health benefits of oatmeal. It's rich in dietary fiber and has been shown to lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health.  So how about its dollars and cents benefits?

Cost: Old fashioned oatmeal can be had for as little as 42 cents a pound. Try a cup of oatmeal with some cinnamon mixed in for breakfast costing roughly 20 cents.

Potatoes - As long as potatoes are prepared without loading them up with butter or sour cream they can be an extremely nutritious low calorie staple that's high in fiber and other vitamins.

Cost: There are several types of potatoes but you can typically find most types of potatoes for between 40 and 60 cents per pound.

Eggs - A great source of affordable low calorie protein. One egg contains just over 5 grams of protein.

Cost: 20 cents or less per egg with a typical breakfast containing two eggs.

Popcorn - Popcorn is high in dietary fiber and low in calories and fat as long as you don't load it up with salt and butter. According to Wikipedia popcorn became a popular snack food during the Great Depression.  Popcorn can be one of the most inexpensive snack foods around, especially if you pop your own. 

Cost: Loose kernels cost around 75 cents per pound. A typically microwave packet contains 2.8 ounces of dry popcorn kernels which comes out to roughly 13 cents if you pop it yourself.


Dried Garbanzo Beans - As with most beans garbanzo beans also known as chickpeas are rich in dietary fiber and are a great source of protein. A cup of garbanzo beans contains more than a quarter of daily recommended protein. Studies have also shown that garbanzo beans lower LDL, the bad cholesterol.

Cost: You can pick up garbanzo beans for a $1 per pound.

Dried Pinto Beans - Like garbanzo beans, pinto beans are packed with dietary fiber that helps reduce the bad cholesterol and is a great source of protein. Pinto beans are among the most affordable beans available.

Cost: 77 cents per pound.

Dried Lentils - Lentils are a protein powerhouse, and one cup of cooked lentils contains more than a third of recommended daily value of protein. Lentils, like most legumes, are also packed with cholesterol lowering dietary fiber.

Cost: 90 cents per pound.

Bananas - Sort of like natures candy bar bananas are a delicious creamy fruit which is rich in potassium and delivers a burst of energy.

Cost: 40-60 cents per pound.

Kiwis –Packed with vitamin C, this sweet tasting low calorie fruit makes an excellent out of the ordinary snack.

Cost: You can often find kiwis on sale three for a dollar.

Apples - An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and it's easy to see why. Apples are loaded with dietary fiber and antioxidants. Nearly all apples are under a dollar per apple in the supermarkets produce sections.

Cost: Apples like all fruits are considerably cheaper during peak harvest seasons; typically the Fall in many areas of the country. Jonagold and Golden Delicious apples run between 70-80 cents per pound, Red Delicious typically run around 90 cents per pound and Fuji apples $1.20 per pound.

Cantaloupe – Cantaloupe is rich in Vitamin A and C, and potassium. This sweet, cool fruit is also low in calories. Like most fruit Cantaloupe prices vary greatly throughout the year.

Cost: In-season you can find it for low as 19 cents per pound and out-of-season it can run you up to 60 cents per pound.

Carrots - Have garnered a reputation for improving eyesight because of the beta-carotene they contain. Carrots are low in calories and packed with essential vitamins and minerals. They are easy to pack and make a great healthy snack.

Cost: Carrots typically cost 50 cents per pound for the large variety and $1.25 per pound for baby carrots.

Watermelon - Watermelon is a great summertime thirst quencher. It's very filling and low in calories due to the amount of water it holds. It's also packed with a number of antioxidants and vitamins. It also contains amino acids such as citrulline and arginine which promote cardiovascular health. 

Cost: You can typically find watermelon for around 40 cents a pound, and cheaper during growing season.

Grapefruit – Is a fruit so low in calories it even has a diet named after it. Grapefruit is packed with Vitamin C and extremely low in calories. It has a tart taste which helps to quench people's hunger.

Cost: 50 cents per pound.

Nuts – Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are packed with monounsaturated fats which are considered healthy fats. Several studies have shown that nut consumption lowers your risk of heart disease. Nuts make a great snack that’s easy to pack up and take anywhere.  They can be powerhouse on the calorie level too, though, so eat them sparingly.

Cost: Almonds $2.98 pound, Walnuts $2.88 a pound.

Water - Water is one of the key building blocks of health. Replacing soft drinks and high calorie, sugary drinks is one of the best things you can do for your health. Drinking plenty of water also cuts down on hungar and food consumption.

Cost: Practically free, when you use refillable bottles, which is also a cheap way to go green for the environment!

Hit your local farmers' market when possible, and look for roadside stands offering locally grown produce for sale.  Try carving a little time for a bulk foods store near you to find many of these foods, and watch how your dollars stretch!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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It's been all over national news, and every accounting of our nation's recession:  house values have been falling.  You may have seen it in your own neighborhood- goodness knows, it's been nearly impossible to ignore where I live in California, and according to the recently released S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index, home values will continue to fall in many parts of the country- well into the close of this year. If your house is falling in value, will the decline threaten your retirement plans?

Well, it depends.  Here's a bit of a mixed bag of good news and not the best of news.  According to Moneywatch's Charlie Farrell, it all depends on whether, and if, you plan on moving.

If you're not moving: If plan to stay in your current house, then the declining value shouldn’t be much of a concern. When you bought the house, you paid what you thought was fair value for a house you liked. Now your main goal should be to get the house paid off before you retire. If you do that, then you’ve got a rent free place to live, which sets you up nicely for your golden years.

And if you wait long enough, housing values will probably recover. But again, if you don’t plan to sell the house, it shouldn’t matter.

If you're not moving for 10 years: If you don’t plan on moving for at least 10 years, then the declining value shouldn’t derail your retirement plans.  Over the next decade, housing values should recover somewhat. Consider that if values fell 30 percent from their highs in your town, they only have to increase at about 3.6 percent per year for the next 10 years to get back to their previous highs.

If you plan to move in less than 10 years: If you need to move in less than 10 years, then falling home values may be a threat to your long term plans. The real problem comes if you must to sell at a price that is less than what you paid for the home. In that case, you’re losing your actual investment, not just prior appreciation.

Here are a few practical steps you can take to help minimize the potential damage:

• Don’t invest a lot more into the home. Keep up on basic maintenance and repairs, but most experts would advise against adding something like a luxury bath. If housing values have been hit hard in your area, long term price appreciation will be tied primarily to any improvement in the overall economic environment.
• If you have to sell for less than your purchase price, then don’t spend more on a new house than what you got out of the old house. For instance, if you paid $400,000 for the home and sell it for $320,00, try not to spend more than $320,000 on your new home.
• Spending less on a new home may be easier than you think. If prices are down in your town, they’re probably down in the place you’re moving to. And if you wait 10 or so years, the new house’s value may appreciate enough to restore the equity you lost when you sold the last house. So at the end of the day, the damage might not be as bad as it initially appeared.

Bottom line: If you don’t move, declining home values aren’t much of a threat to your retirement plans. If you don’t plan on moving for at least 10 years, you can probably wait out the declines. But if you have to move in less than 10 years, consider spending no more on a new home than what you got out of the old home.  Might give you a bit more "adjustment" phase than you anticipated, but with care and economizing, you can come out all right.

Welcome to our new week, and a holiday week, too!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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Is your teen enjoying Summer vaca just a bit too much?

No teachers. No books. No homework. What is a teen to do with all this free time? Left to their own, the couch and the cell phone can easily comprise an entire day!  Guess what?  If this sounds like your teen, don't be embarrassed.  It's what they like to do.  Hmm.  Perhaps not what you envisioned heading into the Summer, is it?  No worries, though; other than relax and soak up some sun, the summer is a great opportunity for teens to find all kinds of activities to get into- good ones!- have some fun, and be a little less idle.

While teens may think camps are for little kids, there are great opportunities for them at summer camps. From being a camper or a camp counselor, there is nearly a camp to be found for whatever strikes your teens likes. Start a summer camp search online and browse through the many Web sites listing camps specializing in technology, arts, academics, sports and more.Your child's school district office, usually open all summer long, is another source of information, maybe for leadership and team building activities that could terrifically enhance your teen's summer.

For many teens, getting a summer job is very high on the “to do” list. If your teen is running into one roadblock after another trying to find a job, a visit to studentjobs.gov might help. This database is an extensive list of federal government opportunities for high school students. Job search sites specifically geared toward high school students, such as SnagAJob.com and GotAJob.com, are good sources as well.

If jobs are hard to come by in your area, your teenager can consider alternatives such as volunteering or starting his or her own “business” (such as landscaping, baby/dog/house sitting, Web site building). Summer can also be a prime time for your child to start researching and setting up fall visits to college and university campuses to prepare for that next step in life. This could prove to be a great time for daydreaming about a new college life, and a good dose of reality when it comes to seeing the real, potential costs of college.  Encourage your teen, too, in this exercise, to begin research on financial aid packages and scholarships they might qualify for.

Believe it or not, your teen's primary goal for Summer vacation probably didn't start out to be "The Biggest Couch Potato"!  Realizing that your teenager is a teenager, and not an adult, is your wake up call that your child does still, at times, need your guidance.  You may find your son or daughter working pretty hard to refute every idea you're tossing out, but keep trying.  You never know when the seed you plant hits a patch of fertile ground!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Avoid Grocery Store IMPULSES

Have you ever noticed that whenever you go to the grocery store that you usually end up with at least one item that you did not mean to buy?  Not that I've ever done that...oh, that's right- I have.  We probably all have, at one time or another.  Maybe it's a snack that caught your eye or a toy or snack for a little one with you- and the stores position what they want to entice you with so..enticingly!  In fact, they purposely design their stores to promote YOUR impulse buying!  Case:  think about what they place along the grocery store checkout line. There are magazines that they hope you will notice, candy they want your kids to beg for, and commonly forgotten and overlooked items. Impulse buys can waste money, ruin diets, or put someone on a budget in even more behind the 8-ball.  Who needs that?  Not us.  Use these grocery store tips from Associated Content to save money and avoid...the impulse buys.

1. Make a List

A lot of people make grocery lists but it can be easy to get tempted and stray from them. When making a list you should make sure that you include drinks and snacks and write down the amount and type. When making your list you should write everything down that you need in your rough draft. After you are done, you should rewrite the list and put it in the order that you will encounter it in the store. This will avoid any back tacking through the store. The less time you spend in the store, the less of a chance you will have to impulse buy any items.

2. Do Not Pick up The Magazines

Unless you can afford the extra purchase, you should not pick up any of the magazines. Have you ever wondered why grocery stores put magazines at the checkout instead of in the magazine aisle? They want the titles to catch your eye so you will pick it up and you will not have enough time to finish the article so you will buy it to read it at home. If you have done this, than you have been the perfect customer for the grocery store impulse buy.

3. Eat before Grocery Store visits

The worst thing that you can do when you are going grocery shopping is to go hungry. Hunger will provoke you to buy more food than you came for because it will sound good to you at the time. If you cannot eat before grocery shopping, go get a small bag of chips or trail mix and purchase it. Eat this through the store as you shop and it will curb your hunger until your grocery trip is done.

Try this:  if you have a habit of stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work- hungry, because lunch was 5 hours ago!, pack a small snack before you leave for work in the morning- maybe a small snack size bag of almonds, or carrots with a small take along tub of ranch dressing.  Walk in to the grocery store with the full confidence that only a healthy blood sugar level can bring, and walk out with only what you needed to buy!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Food to help you fall asleep faster.

Most of us have had at least one of these- I know I have:  nights where you couldn't fall asleep.  Then you become frustrated because you can't sleep.  Before too long, you realize that you're going to be tired the next day at work.  Great- what a day to be dragging- the biggest meeting of the quarter is first thing in the morning- and you're leading it!  At this point, who could fall asleep with this kind of stress and anxiety at work?  Time to stop this chain of events right in its tracks!  If it takes you more than 15 minutes to fall asleep at night, quicken your trip to dreamland by changing what you eat in the evening. MSN's Health & Fitness says it can make the difference between staring at the ceiling and sleeping like a baby.

For years, the top food on the snooze list was turkey, because it contains sleep-inducing tryptophan (credited with all those Thanksgiving naps). But researchers have done an about-face and nixed this connection. Why? Turkey, like most foods, just doesn't contain enough tryptophan to put you to sleep, explains Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of The Food & Mood Cookbook: Recipes for Eating Well and Feeling Your Best.

Instead, think light, but high-carbohydrate snacks. Carbs boost levels of the brain's sleep chemical serotonin without overloading your digestive system. If you like, wash them down with something warm and soothing, such as a cup of herbal tea (chamomile, lemon balm, or valerian) or warm milk.

10 top sleep boosters

Nibble on one of these 10 high-carb calmers an hour before bedtime. You just might find yourself yawning in no time.

1. Half of a whole-wheat English muffin or raisin bagel drizzled with honey
2. Two cups of air-popped popcorn
3. A small slice of angel food cake topped with berries
4. A frozen whole-wheat waffle, toasted, with maple syrup
5. Half a cup of pretzels
6. Fresh strawberries dunked in a little fat-free chocolate syrup
7. Half a cup of pasta topped with marinara sauce
8. A 4-ounce baked potato topped with salsa
9. A handful of oyster crackers and a piece of fruit
10. Canned mandarin oranges sprinkled with crystallized ginger

The benefits of sleep?  We talk about sleep a lot here, and on the radio show.  You can only fake it for so long on not enough of it.  Getting the sleep you need goes well beyond good moods and lots of energy. Getting six to eight hours of sleep a night can make you live longer, and prevent premature death...not to mention leading a great business meeting.  Enjoy your waffle.

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Talking to your kids about drugs and alcohol

Summertime, research says, can be an opportune time for teens, who have a little too much time on their hands, to experiment with drugs and alcohol.  Vacation time is here, and that's great!  But you, as a parent, don't really get a vaca from talking to your kids about the dangers of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.  Does that make you feel a little squeamish?  Having trouble talking to your teen about the risks of drugs and alcohol?  Many times, it comes down to seizing the opportunity when, by surprise, it presents itself, and how effectively you connect.  TimetoTalk serves up five everyday examples of easy ways to bring up the topic.

1. Fictional Character

You just took your teen to a PG-13 movie in which one of the main characters drinks and smokes excessively. It’s a good thing you insisted on tagging along, because now you have the opportunity to discuss the film—especially that lead character’s addiction—with your teen. Did your son think the main character’s drug use was cool or did he recognize that she had a problem?

2. Movie Star

Your daughter reads every magazine she’s in, owns all her movies, and has her posters taped to her wall. So what happens when her magical movie star goes to rehab for the third time? When that famous face graces the cover of Us Weekly, ask your daughter why she thinks Britney or Lindsay or Paris or whoever it may be this week is such a cool person. If your daughter only cares about her expensive clothes and good looks, remind her that her role model should also be someone who drinks responsibly and either doesn’t do drugs or has taken the initiative to get help for her drug problem.

3. Professional Athlete

For as long as you can remember, you’ve taught your daughter that “cheaters never win.” Unfortunately, this holds true when her favorite athlete is in the news for taking drugs. Ask your daughter how she feels about professional athletes using illegal substances of any kind and point out how much it can hurt a person’s career and reputation — especially when they get caught.

4. Classmate

You don’t need a movie star to get the conversation going with your teen. Two kids in your son’s school each received a DUI over the weekend — and they had other friends in their car when it happened. A lot can come out of this conversation — why drunk driving is so dangerous, the consequences of getting caught, and why you never want your son to get into a car with a friend who’s been using — no matter what.

5. Relative

Sadly, substance abuse issues can often hit close to home, and it’s important that we’re open and honest with our kids when it happens. If you can, tell them all the details about your relative who is struggling. Explain why there’s a problem and how you, as a family, are going to do what you can to support one another through this tough time. If your teen isn’t asking a ton of questions, that’s okay—he might be feeling uncomfortable about the topic. It might help to emphasize that while addiction can wreak havoc on a person’s life, it is always possible for him or her to make a recovery with the support of friends and family.

I have a teenager.  Like you, her mother and I love her with everything we have inside us, and want to protect her every day of her life.  Sometimes, the best protection parents of teens can offer is frank, honest, and yes, at times awkward, conversations.  See what you can do today!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Save big with a few cheap alternatives

Hello, and happy Monday!  (Ok, it's not Friday, but why not start the week off on a positive note?)  Hope your weekend was terrific- especially for the dads, like me, I hope your Father's Day was great, too.

Saving money is a topic we love to cover on the radio show.  There are fantastic "tried and true" ideas, which are great, but it's fun to come across something that gives a new approach to stretching our dollars.  When it comes to food, nutrition, and weight loss- a popular theme that comes up for the show is "mindful eating."  Well, these money saving ideas I want to share seem to me like "mindful spending"!  You can find lots of way to cut costs, but how about looking at things you could be overpaying for?  Kiplinger gives us a "wake-up call" to stop throwing money down the drain!

Afternoon snacks. Do you munch protein bars as a healthier alternative to a chocolate pick-me-up? You could easily be paying more than $2 per bar and consuming just as much sugar as you would with your favorite candy bar. Stock up on fruit for a fraction of the cost when you do your grocery shopping. You'll be fitter and save a bundle.

Bottled water. Yes, it's important to drink water every day. But picking up the bottled variety with your lunch is an expensive way to stay hydrated. Rather than spend $2 a day for water, buy a pitcher and a filter for about $20 and drink as much as you want for pennies a glass.

A caffeine fix. Can't get through the day without at least one cuppa Joe? Stopping at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts can set you back as much as $1.65 per cup. Splurge on a pound of gourmet coffee for $8 to $13 and you can make 40 cups for about 20 cents to 33 cents each.

Favorite tunes. Do you rush out to buy the latest CD by your favorite group even though there are only one or two songs you really like? Instead of paying up to $18 for the CD, download those cuts you want from iTunes for 99 cents each, or from Amazon for as little as 79 cents.

A night at the movies. An evening for two at your local theater costs an average of about $20, including the popcorn -- and closer to $30 in major cities. And that doesn't even count the babysitter. For just $5 a month, you can watch two movies from Netflix or pay $9 for unlimited viewing. If you're willing to wait a little longer for new releases, borrow them free from your local library.

Fresh flowers. A bouquet of spring blooms brightens up a room and your mood. But purchasing it from a florist at $25 and up can quickly put a dent in your budget. Check out your local grocery store, which offers a selection of seasonal bouquets for $5 to $10.

Fruits and veggies. Sure, precut vegetables and salad mixes that are washed and bagged save a little time. But you'll pay for the convenience. Broccoli florets and sliced peppers cost $6 per pound, compared with one-third to one-half the price for the uncut versions. Lettuce varieties that are pre-washed and bagged sell for $5.98 a pound. But it takes just minutes to wash and spin dry enough arugula for your evening salad, and you'll pay one-third as much. Buying whole strawberries rather than sliced ones that are prepackaged cuts the price by 75%.

Credit-card fees. Every month, millions of credit-card customers pay their bills late, and they're assessed as much as $39 each time. Set up an automatic monthly payments and you'll never incur another late fee.

ATM fees. Each time you use an out-of-network ATM you pay an average of $3.43. Do that once a week and you'll rack up almost $180 in ATM fees every year. Avoid those charges by selecting a bank with a large ATM network or an online account that reimburses your ATM fees. More alternatives: Get cash back at the grocery store, or make a habit of driving through your bank's ATM once a week.

Fax and mail services. Instead of paying FedEx $1.49 to fax one page, sign up to send free faxes from a provider such as faxZero or K7.net. Save on shipping with the U.S. Postal Service's priority mail service. You'll pay just $4.95 to mail an envelope or small box anywhere in the U.S., and your parcel is likely to arrive within two days. Larger packages cost $10.35. That saves at least 50% over other, comparable two-day service companies, and those costs can vary by weight and distance.

Think of these as looking under rocks- they're familiar stones in our everyday paths, and they could be costing us some big bucks! 

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Four Signs You're a Good Dad, and some ideas to make you a better one!

So, Dad- Sunday's all about you, right?  I'm a father, too, and looking forward to a day of accolades, of love and adoration, right?  How about a dinnertime grilling out?  That you, of course, will have to grill!  But it's true- here comes a day to celebrate dads.  And a good opportunity to give yourself a quick lowdown:  How are you doing as a Dad?  Need some indicators? Here’s a guide from one of my favorite parenting columnists Hugh O’Neill:

• Do you go to all your kid’s games or school events? O’Neill says it’s okay to miss a few. Children need to know that their parents support them, but you don’t need to have perfect attendance. Your kids need to know that the world doesn’t revolve around them. If you go to every game, you’ll have to put the rest of your life on the back-burner. That makes your kids too important. They need to know that your work matters. Another benefit of missing a few games? It let’s your kids fail in private. They don’t need all their failures witnessed. They also need to know that they don’t need Dad there to win every game. They can do it on their own.
• Another measure of how good a Dad you are: Your kids are nothing like you. That’s a good thing, according to O’Neill – as long as you’re okay with it! Any egomaniac can love his kid if his kid is a mini-me. It takes integrity to love and support your kids if they’re your polar opposite. Your assignment as a dad is to help your kids grow into themselves. So accept who they are.
• Another sign of a good father? You go to hug your kids and they say, “Dad, quit it!” Words are overrated as a parent – because kids rarely hear what you mean to say. So use your hands – squeeze their shoulder, kiss the top of their head, give them a fist bump. Do it so much that it gets annoying. Words can confuse, but a loving pat is never misconstrued.
• One last sign of a good Dad: You let them see you struggle. The best way to teach your kids that failure is a part of life is to give them an occasional glimpse of your own struggles. They don’t need to know every time you fail, but if you show them how you recover gracefully from the occasional setback, you’ll do your kids a great service. They need to know even their heroes are human.

So now that you've looked at some guidelines for being a good dad, remember: these are, of course, only a few! You make yourself the best dad by being a presence in their lives.    Being an integral part of your kids' lives holds so much influence for the adults they will become, so let's finish with a few more ideas from MSN parenting expert Craig Playstead, that you can use today to be a great dad:

• Teach your kids to stand tall. No child will get far in this world if they become a doormat. Playstead says you must teach your kids to stand up for themselves. To be heard, defend what they believe in, and not be bullied. This can be anything from speaking up in class, to confronting someone who’s being unfair to them. Yes, we want our kids to treat people well, but there’s also a time to be assertive - rather than a punching bag. Teach them the difference. Assertive does not mean shouting or being a bully themselves. It means being calm, clear headed and confident. 
• Dig deeper. Food, shelter, clothing. Providing for our kids is in our DNA. However, the real test of being a good father is - how well do you know your child? Who do they play with at recess? What’s their favorite hot lunch in the cafeteria? If you can’t answer these questions, that’s a problem. You especially need to know the odd things that make them tick. Like why they’ll listen to a certain song over and over again. Getting that information isn’t easy, so here’s a strategy: When they step off the bus one day after school, kidnap them for an ice cream cone before dinner and they’ll think it’s the coolest thing ever. When kids are really impressed or excited by something, like that, they’re more likely to open up and tell you about their lives. However, don’t preach and don’t gasp - just listen.
• Channel your inner Clark Griswold. He was on to something when he loaded up the family car and headed to Wally World. A couple times a year, we all need to bust out of the rut that our daily routine puts us in – including kids. Getting out of Dodge is the only cure. Think back. Most adults claim that vacations were the best part of their childhood. It doesn’t have to be expensive and you don’t have to go far - you just need to have a family experience to remember.

Happy Father's Day, and have a wonderful weekend!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Managing stress in your mind

How has your Spring been, as we get ready to enter Summer?  Kids are out of school; sometimes there are many adjustments needed with childcare, or simply, keeping our kids active, and cared for, while we're at work.  I know- it can be stressful.  Look around- stress can occur to us, to our loved ones, to friend and neighbors anytime, and anyplace.  Stress occurs when we perceive something as threatening and believe we don't have what it takes to cope with it. Dr. Memhet Oz, a frequent contributor to Oprah, believes that we can change how we respond to stress by changing these perceptions, or beliefs. He teaches us that there are typical patterns of "stressed" thinking that people get stuck in.

The first step to changing how we are thinking about stress is to pay attention to our stressful thoughts and see if we are falling into any pitfalls of negative thinking.

It is important to remember that the goal of challenging negative thinking isn't to simply replace our negative thoughts with positive ones. That would be unrealistic since the positive thoughts would not be believable to us. Instead, the goal is to think in a more balanced and rational way so that we feel more balanced. Challenging negative thinking requires us to try to come up with a more balanced view that is believable.

Changing your thinking could reduce your stress, but sometimes things are simply out of our control, and thoughts can snowball quickly, taking an enormous toll on our mental well-being.  Oprah.com is the source for these "call upon in an instant" strategies to manage your stress level...quickly! 

Take the time to talk to someone who cares about you. Express feelings you might have been holding in. We often feel that we don't want to burden people with how we feel, but in fact, it makes most people feel good to be able to listen.

Use the strategies we focused on earlier to now talk yourself through your day in balanced way. You would cheer someone else on if you knew they were feeling stressed. Why not be your own cheerleader?

Do something that will make you laugh. Watch a funny movie, read a funny book or spend time with a funny friend.

Crying can be a good release of tension. If you haven't cried in awhile, try listening to a sad song, watching a sad movie or even writing about a sad experience.

Sometimes, the best we can do, as we work to become more balanced in our minds, and utilize the steps to change our thoughts, is to accept, and ride through, this temporary wave of emotion.  Feelings are temporary, as are situations, and lives are not ruined while we still have a life to live.  That, my friend, is the greatest gift we each have to treasure.

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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How to Squeeze Out Every Drop of Gas You Buy!

Last summer, gasoline prices surged to record highs, causing Americans to stay at home and rethink their love affair with the automobile. Jump ahead a year: Fuel prices are down nearly 40 percent and the Automobile Association of America's travel and auto group is forecasting that trips by automobile will increase by 2.7 percent over last year, up from 26.3 million travelers to 27 million.  Chuck Tannert, writing for MSN Autos, sums up a list of cost saving "rules of the road."  Some involve proper maintenance of your vehicle, but most require a change in behavior. All will help ease the burden on your wallet, just in time before you take off for the annual family vacation:

Stop Driving Like a Maniac

Changing the way you drive is the most effective way to reduce the amount of fuel your car consumes. Accelerate gradually, drive smoothly and with care and you could see as much as a 33 percent gain in fuel economy on the highway and 5 percent around town, compared with what you'd get with an aggressive driving style, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That means skipping those jackrabbit starts at stoplights and sudden pedal-to-the-metal maneuvers on the highway.

Limit Use of the Brake Pedal
Anticipate stops so you avoid sudden braking. In fact, spend as little time on the brakes as possible. "Any time you hit the brake [in a traditional gas-powered vehicle], you are throwing away energy," says Eric Kaufman, engineering manager for fuel economy and drive quality at General Motors. Take a long view of the road ahead, coasting safely to an intersection in front of you where you see traffic stopped.

Observe Posted Speed Limits
A car or truck moving at 55 mph can get about 15 percent better fuel economy than the same car going 65 mph. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas.

Use Cruise Control Whenever Possible
Sure, it's a luxury convenience. But, when used properly, cruise control can also be a fuel saver. It smoothes out driver input, helps maintain an even speed and allows the driver to take a long look at the road, rather than reacting to every little change in the surrounding traffic.

Avoid Excessive Idling
Idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off and restarting it again. So if you are stopped for more than a minute, shut off the car. That means don't waste fuel by sitting in that drive-thru lane at McDonald's or Taco Bell; park and go inside instead. And shut off your vehicle while waiting outside the elementary school to pick up your children.

Turn the AC Down
When you're in slow city traffic, keep the air conditioner off, if possible. Lower the windows and open air vents to keep occupants comfortable. The air conditioner is a burden that uses fuel, and if you're tooling around town, you can see a slight improvement in gas mileage by keeping it turned off. On the highway, however, keep the windows closed and AC on low. Open windows will impede aerodynamics and hurt fuel economy.

Pulse and Glide
This is a favorite technique of so-called hypermilers, a unique breed of drivers who go to extraordinary lengths to get as much as they can from each gallon of gasoline. However, it can be done only with hybrid vehicles. The first step is to accelerate the vehicle to around 30 or 40 mph (pulse). Then, ease slightly back on the accelerator until no energy arrows appear on the energy monitor, indicating that the vehicle is neither relying on the engine nor recharging the battery. As a result, the car begins to glide. When the vehicle slows to about 30 mph, repeat the whole process again. The pulse-and-glide technique improves fuel economy by minimizing use of the internal combustion engine.

Plan Trips Ahead of Time
Combine your errands into one trip, rather than striking out multiple times during the day. Organize your stops so they're near each other and so you don't retrace your path. You may even be able to park in one central spot and walk between some of your stops, rather than driving and parking at each one. For commutes or events, organize a car pool and plan to travel during less congested times of day. When there's less traffic, you're more likely to drive smoothly. Use navigation aids on the Internet or in your vehicle to keep from getting lost — and thus wasting fuel — when you're headed to a new, unknown location.

Keep Up With Maintenance
A well-maintained vehicle operates at peak efficiency. An inefficient engine — with fouled spark plugs, for example — won't make optimal use of fuel. Be sure the air filter and the fuel filter are clean. Replace them if they're not. Even something as simple as having tires inflated to the automaker's maximum recommended pressure can improve gas mileage by as much as 6 percent, while periodic wheel alignments can help improve fuel economy up to 10 percent, according to the EPA.

Get Rid of What You Don't Need
Clean out that trunk, cargo area or pickup bed. Take out unneeded items that only add weight to your vehicle. Extra weight decreases gas mileage. According to the EPA, every 100 pounds of unnecessary weight could reduce fuel mileage by up to 2 percent. Also remove anything that causes additional aerodynamic drag, such as a bug shield, roof rack or cargo carrier. These have the same effect as adding weight; i.e., they increase the demand on your engine, causing premature wear and tear and reducing your car's fuel efficiency.  Tougher to do if you're packing luggage in your car for vacation, so be as judicious as possible.

Enjoy a few more pennies, and if you are soon off on the trail of making family memories, have safe and happy travels!

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.