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08
Feb 2011
Posted by Lesley
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Tuesday Tip: Take care of your ticker

In honor of American Heart Month, we’ve got a couple of posts about how to best care for your ticker. Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are the number one killer in the U.S. Here are six no-drug approaches that anyone can take for prevention.

    1. Load up on fiber and good fats

    A high-fiber diet with plenty of good fats (think omega-3) can control inflammation of the arteries, a risk factor for heart disease.

    2. Go easy on the cholesterol and salt

    Got high LDL (bad) cholesterol? Limit your daily intake of cholesterol to 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day (roughly the amount in one egg yolk).

    3. Belly fat is bad

    The tire around your middle increases blood pressure, causes insulin resistance, and produces substances that inflame the arteries. Keep it 40 inches or less if you’re a man and 35 inches of less if you’re a woman.

    4. Get sweaty

    Get out there and get some aerobic exercise, along with strength training.

    5. Get Zen

    Your daily anxiety attack could be negatively affecting your heart. Chill out and curb negative thoughts and emotions.

    6. Easy on the booze and cut out the cigs

    Enough said.

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01
Feb 2011
Posted by Jason
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Tuesday Tip: Don’t Get Burned!

Tomorrow’s Groundhog Day. I don’t know about Punxsutawney Phil, but I’m predicting that this chilly weather isn’t going away anytime soon. So, I thought it was time for a refresher on how to heat your home safely. First, the rules for staying warm:

    Rule #1 Stoves are for cookingIt is unsafe to use your stove or oven for heating your home. Two big potential threats for this are carbon monoxide leakage and FIRE.

    Rule #2 Space heaters need a sitter

    Be sure and turn off space heaters when unattended.

    Rule #3 Three feet

    Keep material like newspaper, clothing, and carpet at least three feet away from heaters and fireplaces.

    Now that you know the rules of how to prevent fire when heating your home, here are some tips to optimize your efforts:

    Tip #1 If you don’t need it, don’t use it

    Close off any vents and radiators in rooms you don’t use. Think closets and spare bedrooms.

    Tip #2 Ceiling fans for heat?

    Set your ceiling fans to blow the warm air down. I have found this extremely helpful in my home with vaulted ceilings.

    Tip #3 Don’t block the vents

    If your sofa blocks your vents, the sofa will be pretty warm but you won’t. This could also be a fire hazard so just keep furniture away from vents.

Stay warm and be safe the rest of this season . . . no matter how long it lasts.

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Posted in: Home Security, Tuesday tip

25
Jan 2011
Posted by Jason
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Tuesday Tip: Three Times to Arm Your System

Ever have that dream where you need help and try to scream but no one can hear you? It’s a frightening dream to have, but it can be a reality. You have an alarm system to do the notification for you during emergencies. If you fail to arm your system regularly, you’re not protecting yourself.

There are three times that you should be sure to arm your alarm system:

  • In the morning before you leave for the day. You should arm your alarm system in “away mode” whenever you leave your house. If you stay home during the day, be sure your alarm system is in “stay mode” in the morning.
  • When you return home. Just after you come in the door, arm it.
  • Before bed.  Your alarm system should already be alarmed in “stay mode,” but why not take the opportunity to be sure that the system is armed?

If you follow a routine, you can be sure that you are getting the most protection from us and your alarm system. Monitronics cares about your safety. To talk to one of us about getting an alarm system for your home, call 800-290-0709.

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Posted in: Home Security, Tuesday tip

11
Jan 2011
Posted by Jason
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Tuesday tip: Preventing School Crime

Today I learned some jaw-dropping stats from the Bureau of Justice Statistics: In 2007-2008, there were 1.2 million victims of non-fatal crimes at school and 1,701 homicides among school-aged youths.

While it’s prudent to exercise caution, we don’t want our kids to live in fear in a place we send them to learn. The experts say there is not one across-the-board solution that can be applied to all schools. Factors that should be considered when learning how to deal with school crime are location, quality of living, and the local socio-economic status.

Some suggested ways to prevent school crime are:

  • Update the decision-making process at school. Form a committee involving school faculty, parents, and even community members. Think through the crime and the causes of your local criminal activity, then think through all possible solutions.
  • Define expectations. Set the rules and make them known to students from the beginning of school.
  • Engage students. Include students in the learning process versus providing lectures only.  

While these strategies sound like they need to be implemented by educators and administrators, student safety is the ultimate goal. Most schools encourage parent participation in decisions and would be likely open to suggestions concerning child safety.

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Posted in: Home Security, Tuesday tip

04
Jan 2011
Posted by Leah
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Tuesday tip: Test Your Alarm with MyMonitronics

An alarm system is as good as its ability to communicate and function. That’s why it is important to test it every month. You should confirm that all pieces of your alarm are in-tact and the alarm system, as a whole, is communicating with Monitronics. We don’t want is for you to find an issue during an emergency, when you need help.

Monitronics makes it easy to manage your account with MyMonitronics. One of the convenient functions we provide online is the ability to test your alarm system using our testing wizard. Follow these simple steps to test your alarm system today:

1. Log into MyMonitronics

2. On the left-hand navigation, choose “My System”, then “System Test”

3. Follow the instructions in the Test Wizard

And voilà! You’ve just taken an important step to protect yourself and your family.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security, Tuesday tip