10 Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out

It’s hard to stick to a diet, but the challenge becomes even more difficult when you leave your kitchen. Calories, carbs, sugar…restaurant menus make it easy to lose track of these diet crashers. Fear not weight watchers! If you are committed to your healthy eating habits, we offer these helpful tips on nutritious dining:

1. Vegetarian Choices

Chefs have discovered a way to add taste and zest to oft neglected vegetarian options. Restaurants like the Sahara offer meatless fare that is far from tofu, soybean vegetarian meals.

2. Requests are Allowed

It’s your plate and your choice what goes on it. You can request that gravy, dressings and other savory sauces be removed from your dish or be placed on the side. This tactic saves calories by allowing you to choose how much of these high calorie items you consume.

3. Heart Healthy Menus

Some restaurants offer Weight Watchers meals or designate a heart healthy choice. Many restaurants, such as the Michigan City Applebees, located inside Marquette Mall are affiliated with the diet franchise. Logos and numbers referencing the dfish’s point count identify the Weight Watchers meals on the menu.

4. Avoid Mom’s Cooking

Foods labled as fried, crispy, stuffed or au gratin are trouble. They can be high in fat and calories – a no-no for anyone watching their weight. Replace the crispy fried stuff with steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods. Ask for grilled chicken at any of the bars and grills in town, like The Harbor Grill. Sure, these chefs don’t make it like mom, but they’ll find away to satisfy those taste buds anyways.

5. Say No to Butter

Sometimes it’s necessary to cook with oil and that’s fine – 10-30% of our daily calories should come from fat. Vegetable oil provides a much healthier dose of fats than the alternative butter. Butter lurks in many dishes when dining out. Avoid the butter monster and chose vegetable (olive oil, soybean) oil instead.

6. Just Dessert

Believe it or not, some eateries provide healthy dessert options. Explore menu items with mixed fruits or sherberts to appease that sweet tooth.

7. Bye Bye Calories

Some calories are easy to find such as those in cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Get in the habit of avoiding these tempting toppings.

8. Bad Salads

Salads can be deceiving with all the extra ingredients (and thus, extra calories). Mixed greens are always a good option, but be careful when delving into options with cheese, bacon, heavy dressings and other meats.

9. That’s What Friends are For

Splitting an entrée is both cost and calorie effective. Many restaurants provide servings that will topple regimented diet plans. In that case, get two plates and watch your calories disappear in your friend’s appetite.

10. Go Fish

Remember that joke from Seinfeld? “You know why fish are so thin? They eat fish!” Fish are great for many diets and with Lake Michigan so close, the freshness can’t be beat at local venues such as The Lighthouse Restaurant.

Traveling provides a tempting opportunity to veer off your strict eating plans so remember these tips when vacationing as well as when exploring Michigan City. Bon Appetie!

Posted on September 25th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

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Healthy Eating, Restaurants

Five Ways to Achieving a Better Golf Swing

Good golfing begins (naturally) with the swing. Michiana offers the perfect courses on which to find that perfect swing, practicing some easy tips we have listed below. There are more than 800 courses to choose from in Michigan alone. All you have to do is pick a nice day and head out to the nearest course.

Here are some ways to work on your swing when you get there.

Warm up, like you would with any other strenuous workout.

Stretching will allow for maximized use of your muscles. Your swing uses many muscles throughout the body, beginning with the tip off and continuing until the follow through. And don’t forget about all the walking! Stretching will help loosen your muscles in preparation for the exercise, while protecting them from premature overexertion.

Obtain a proper grip on your club.

You should have a firm grip in which your hands are relaxed comfortably on the club. This grip is the key to beginning your swing perfection. Visit the course’s pro shop like the one found at New Buffalo, Michigan’s Whittaker Woods Golf Course to get hands on instruction.

Practice makes perfect.

Rather than spending a day at the course, why not head over to the driving range to practice your swing for a few hours? If you are headed to the course, start with practice swings or a few minutes on the range. If needed, visit one of the area’s premier driving ranges to practice your swing without worrying about hazards or hitting another golfer.

Make your tee off consistent and strong.

You should control your swing before trying to add an extra push to obtain more yards. Once you are able to control your swing, you can increase your intensity.Keep your swinging arm and the club in line. Do not bend your wrist during the swing.

Ask for help.

Many golf courses employ a golf professional or golf instructor. You can participate in lessons, which can possibly be tailored just to learning a better golf swing. Both public and private courses in Indiana and Michigan have resources to help you perfect your swing. They can provide you with the services of a golf pro—a person who teaches amateur golfers the ropes (or swings) on a golf course. For information on places to tee off in the Michiana area, visit Michiana Golf. It offers both a complete list golf courses in Michiana and links to their web pages. The site also offers special discounts for those golfing on a budget these days.

Posted on September 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 am

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Michiana Businesses

Reality in the Rust Belt: 3 Sectors Where Michiana is Recovering from the Economic Trends

Despite the gloom and doom stories being reported, Michiana is surviving the tough economic times. An entire website is devoted to the area’s economic health, especially that of Elkart, IN after the so-called collapse of the RV industry. Although Indiana and Michigan are in the red on every site that mentions foreclosures, job loss, and unemployment, we aren’t all standing in Depression Era bread lines.

Although many communities in the area have been hit hard by the economy, there are just as many pulling through with little damage. A few are even thriving! Furthermore, despite the dramatic push to paint Indiana and Michigan as destitute victims of fading industry, there are a number of bright spots that show Michiana pulling out of this slump.

3 Places Where Michiana is Showing a Comeback

1. Tourism
Tourist towns are thriving. For example, the small town of New Buffalo, Michigan, the population of 2,200 recently received a portion of a six million dollar revenue share from the hometown Four Winds Casino owners. That share was only two percent of the profits from the Four Winds. In addition, the town is a tourist magnet for its beautiful Lake Michigan coastline. New Buffalo is best known for its vacation rentals, pleasure boating and boutique shopping.

Although tourism is taking a hit in this economy, my recent weekend in New Buffalo and the small Michiana communities around Lake Michigan revealed a tourist town that is still bustling. There are several other Michiana towns experiencing a similar tourism boost.

2. Industry
Daniels Governor Daniels announced the arrival of seven companies to the Northern Indiana area silencing the talk of Indiana’s dying manufacturing sector after the RV industry collapsed. These companies include a plastics molder, a casting maker, a bathroom fixtures maker and a wire and cable manufacturer. These companies will come to the area with over 500 news jobs and over $22 million in investment dollars. Soon, Northern Indiana will be knocking the rust off its section of the Rust Belt.

3. Restaurants and Retailers
Despite the bleak economic outlook, some major restaurant and retail chains are expanding into Michiana. Red Robin, known for its specialty burgers, is opening a restaurant in Mishawaka in 2009. Olive Garden and Dunkin Doughnuts also expanded (into Michigan City) in 2009. The retailer Big R Stores is developing an abandoned Michiana building while mega-retailer Wal-Mart has plans to add jobs to its stores in Michigan. In May 2009, the chain showed its support for the state by launching its 90-day, $10 prescription supply program there.

Some Encouragement

The sectors discussed above are not in the clear just yet, but there’s no reason to abandon ship. For many in the area, such encouragement means that reality in the rust belt is much less bleak than that posed in the media.

Posted on September 18th, 2009 at 8:26 am

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Economy Marketing, General, Internet Marketing, Neighborhood Businesses

Choosing the Best Auto Mechanic

You protect the important things in your life. A house-security system for your family, a doctor for your body, and so on. But how do you protect your car? It can also be very expensive to maintain and care for, but if you find the right auto-mechanic, the price can be worthwhile.

So how do you choose a mechanic?

Referral
In most situations, asking around and finding someone through word of mouth is your best bet. You should ask about quality, price and possibly turnaround.
Communication.
A mechanic should be able to explain to you what is wrong with your car in everyday language, so that you understand. If you are not a car expert, you might not know what is wrong; you must be able to rely on that person to take care of the problems. Question suspicious diagnosis before accepting a quote.
Certifications.
Many people understand a car engine and can fix a car without any certifications. However, there are extensive trainings that can keep their knowledge up to date. As you may be aware, technology and cars are constantly changing, these trainings keep the mechanic current with the best techniques. Additionally, in getting this extra training, it shows that the mechanic values the job, the cars and their quality.
Fees.
A good mechanic will not look for the most expensive repair procedures. Instead, he would understand that although your car is important to you, it might not be feasible to put $3,000 dollars worth of work into it. The cost of fixing the vehicle should be weighed against the benefit. You will not want to put $3,000 of work into a car that is not worth that much.

Maybe you want to bring your car into the dealership. Here are some things to consider before heading back to the dealership’s mechanic.

Dealerships, like Sauer Automotive in Indiana’s LaPorte County, often times have more knowledge about your certain type of vehicle, whether it is a Ford or a BMW. They sell and service those cars daily, so they are very familiar with their makeup.
A dealership may have more advanced equipment that a local mechanic cannot provide. This may not necessarily a benefit, unless it is something tailored to your car model.
A dealership will have extra knowledge about any recalls or factory problems with your vehicle.
A dealership may offer a rental car or shuttle service that a small mechanic cannot provide.
An independent mechanic may be substantially cheaper. The mechanics have to market for their business much more than a dealership, so they often offer more competitive pricing.
As for labor charges, a mechanic may consider the actual time spent working on your vehicle and not the standard industry charge. For example, the dealership might say a repair takes 5 hours and will charge you for that time, even if it takes much less.

The best advice is to shop around. Look at the shop, meet the mechanic, and consider the prices and quality you are getting. This car moves you and your life so make sure to choose wisely.

Posted on September 14th, 2009 at 10:58 am

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Economy Marketing, General, Internet Marketing, Michiana Businesses, Neighborhood Businesses, Small Business

Thriving in a Recession: Tools for Success

Major brands such as IHOP, KRAFT and Fortune Magazine have shown us that a company can thrive and even re-invent itself in an economic downturn. Their success stories apply to business in Michiana?

Keeping your composure in addition to providing quality customer services –the core of any business success—will help you navigate this economic downturn. This article will guide you to the other side of the recession –the non-gloom and doom side—with ten ways to keep your composure amidst the anxiety that comes with economic downturns.

10 Do’s and Don’ts for Keeping Your Cool in this Recession

Do not panic. The biggest mistake that businesses both large and small encounter is to decide in a panic. The sight of rising costs and falling revenues sends many managers and CEO’s, to their balance sheets with a pair of scissors.

Do not cut your budgets. Losing employees and entire departments is the most popular decision to such decision-makers. It is also the worst. Cutting staff reduces the company’s ability to function, often leading to sacrifices in customer service and product quality…and thus a slow and painful loss of more customers.

Keep Marketing. Advertising, public relations and marketing are the first departments to see cuts. Many companies fail to realize that a recession is the best time to build your brand name and reputation. The advertising playing field is levelled because of the companies who must cut ad budgets to stay afloat.

Do not pull money from ads to cut costs. Businesses and organizations receiving large income from advertising dollars (such as radio stations selling commercials) have seen the inevitable cut of advertising budgets. In order to stem this income loss, companies are cutting the costs of commercials and ad space. If you are able to weather the storm, you can keep the same number and quality of ads for cheaper prices.

Avoid A La Carte Services. If you must make cuts, try unbundling services. There are no savings in paying for a promotional bundle, when you need only one or two of the services offered in that bundle.

Haggle for Lower Prices. Again, advertisers are slashing prices to attract and keep customers. If you are looking at having to make cuts, call up the sales rep and try to get a better deal. This also works for distributors, vendors and so on.

Negotiate for Your Services. Discuss longer invoicing periods, pre-payment discounts and the possibility of a trade for services or products with clients. When the economy is bad, everyone is looking to keep their client list intact. Many are willing to negotiate to keep your business.

Be Confident. Avoid sending out distress memos, pleas to consumers or any other lament over lost revenues. This gives the impression of instability. It will drive customers away and force vendors and distributors to entertain the idea of labelling your company a financial risk.

Rely on Business Smarts. While it is important not to panic, it also unwise to maintain frivolous, unnecessary costs. Know when to hold ‘em, but also when to fold em.

Steer Clear of Sweepstakes/Rebates sweepstakes/rebate camp. These items are just ways to disguise prices that are often out of sync with the competition. Rebates also falsely advertisement a discount when there really isn’t one. However, these are gimmicks that many companies turn to in order to attract customers.

There are more ways and reasons to keep your composure during a recession. These ten tools should give you a general idea of some of the major mistakes that prevent companies from surviving a recession.

Posted on September 11th, 2009 at 12:28 pm