5 Questions We Should Ask Ourselves about Wine Consumption among the Elderly

We all hear that wine is healthy as long as we do not go over the line of decency. However, there should be more interest given to this topic. We should ask ourselves, when hitting a certain age, the “why”, “when” and “how” regarding wine consumption among the elderly; all in order to enjoy a happy healthy retirement and quality time with family, grandchildren, friends. So here are five questions you should ask yourself about wine. 

Q1: Can Wine Cure Certain Health Conditions among the Elderly?

The answer depends on the type of health condition. A 1997 study tries to explain if wine can cure dementia. Findings in this research study suspect that alcoholism may be a possible cause of dementia, associated with deficiencies in nutritional habits. Relationships between moderate wine consumption and this particular health condition were explained, with no factors such as social, medical or psychological interfering. It was also demonstrated that moderate wine consumption would not affect people with this medical condition nor would it become a cause of this particular health condition. It would be premature to say that moderate wine consumption could cure dementia, but it could definitely improve blood circulation and heart conditions. An indirect benefit would exist. 

Q2: Is Wine Beneficial for the Physical State of the Elderly?

The answer to this question is given by a recent study published in the HuffingtonPost. Contrary to common belief, wine would not make the elderly feel physically unsteady when drinking in moderation. The Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine can actually improve senior mobility and prevent unwanted accidents such as falling. The study was made using old lab mice that went under a rich diet of Resveratrol for 8weeks. Of course, this implies the person to not have a mobility condition, but the findings provide exciting news. 

Q3: How Much Wine Should the Elderly Consume on a Daily Basis?

This question is indeed a tricky one. While experts point out the dangers of alcohol consumption over a long period of time, they do say that one drink per day is acceptable and will not represent a risk. One drink per day is equal to the following: a) Beer lovers can drink one 12-ounce can or bottle b) Liquor fans can consume one 8-9-ounce can or bottle c) Hard liquor fans can drink one 1.5-ounce (shot glass) or gin, vodka, tequila etc. d) Wine lovers are allowed one 5-ounce glass of white or red or rose wine. Word of advice: never combine or mix them. Just keep going for one type of drink. 

Q4: How Can I Deposit Wine Bottles in Order to Keep the Wine Healthy?

As you might know, the way you deposit the wine bottles can certainly influence the quality of the wine and indirectly, your state of health. Wine that has been wrongly deposited can alter your overall health, while wine that had been properly deposited can be beneficial for the consumer. Plus, deposited correctly means it can maintain and even grow its flavor, aroma. As they say, the older it gets, the better it tastes. In order to correctly deposit your wine bottles, it is highly advisable to use a wine rack, especially for home depositing. Wine racks are usually made from metal or wood. In the old days, the wine was stored in wooden wine racks, but metal works just as fine, as it is more stable in time. 

Q5: What Type of Wine Is Most Recommended for the Elderly?

The answer to this question depends on personal choices, after all. Some people prefer white wine, others prefer red wine. As mentioned earlier, there are more studies that suggest red wine is better than white, especially for the elderly. Red wine contains that special compound called Resveratrol which improves mobility and prevents you from unwanted accidents. But either way, you should choose depending on your heart’s content. Word of advice: If it is in moderate quantities, a glass of wine per day can certainly keep the doctor away. Do you have any other questions about wine consumption among the elderly?

Sugar Under Fire for Unhealthy Youth in Australia

As various substances and habits have come under fire for being unhealthy, sugar has merged as one of the biggest culprits when it comes to poor health. And, new data released by an investment bank shows that concern over excessive sugar consumption is mounting. And, they say this could impact on adversely on food manufacturers. One of the biggest concerns about the sugar craze is that children are being negatively affected. Processed foods, junk foods and sweetened beverages are being advertised all over the place and the country’s kids are getting unhealthier. This, in turn, is putting extra pressure on the already over-exerted public health system. Now, taking control of our health and of the health of our loved ones is one way to reduce our dependence on the public health system. While we all need to run a health insurance comparison in order to find a policy that will help keep our families safe and healthy, the less we need to use it, the lower our premiums are. And, of course, prevention is always better than cure. The best way to keep our kids healthy is to teach them right from a young age.

If you thought you did not have a sweet tooth you might be surprised to know that the chocolate and confectionary industries are responsible for generating $6.2 billion in Australia every year. Soft drinks pull in $35 billion. But, of course, it does not stop at chocolates and fizzy cool drinks. It is everything processed, including packaged pastas and cereals and biscuits that contain excessive amounts of sugar.

Those lobbying against excessive sugar content say that food products need to be branded with loud, visible warnings, just like tobacco products if they are going to discourage people from consuming them. They also say that, in the not too distant future, manufacturers of high sugar foods could be sued by public health providers. We might not be there yet but we could get there if the past suits on tobacco and fast food industries are anything to go by.

Of course the research shows that high sugar consumption is associated with an increase in body weight. It is also more likely to settle in the abdominal area and around the liver when it comes from sugar and may contribute to diabetes. Disturbingly, the door for extra sugar was left open by manufacturers selling low fat and fat free products, in an effort to make them tastier. The experts say that, to date, nutritional guidelines have not taken sugar consumption into account but that it is critical in managing public health going forward.

The youth are among those who tend to be taken in by sweeten foods and beverages, but the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia is using community members as ambassadors as part of its social media marketing campaigns. The Council says that social media platforms have become incredibly valuable for reaching out to younger members of the community and to promote good health. The Council has employed ambassadors to promote the merits of physical exercise, healthy eating habits and to abstain from smoking.

The Council has also gone to considerable lengths to select credible ambassadors who can connect meaningfully with communities. As well as being respected in their communities, the ambassadors also have to be committed to the cause they are supporting. Furthermore, they also need to meet the gender, age and social background criteria to be successful in their roles.

Some of the campaigns being used to target the youth include sexual health programs and anti-maternal smoking programmes. The Council encourages the ambassadors to talk about their own experiences when educating others, as teenagers tend to rebel against being told what to do.

Going forward, the council says it would like to focus on immunisations and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder within the Aboriginal communities and promote health check ups for kids and teenagers. The Council says good health can only be achieved in the Aboriginal communities if the community members remain in control of their health and are fully engaged in policies and campaigns. The Council says it would still like to see more Aboriginals employed as trained health workers and engaging directly in community health programmes.

Understanding The Costs Associated With Heart Disease

Health (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

The costs of leading an unhealthy lifestyle have a substantial effect on your lifestyle costs in the future. Going without exercise and consuming foods that are considered to be traditionally unhealthy puts you at risk of developing heart disease and can leave you with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Making the choice to leave a healthy lifestyle is often difficult until your eyes have been opened to the possibilities of what being diagnosed with heart disease can potentially cost in the future. 

What are the potential costs of heart disease?

Doctors Visits and Procedures

Visits to the doctor, procedures and admission to hospital and medical facilities have the potential to cost upwards of several thousand dollars, for each trip to the center. Imaging procedures are costly and are often required multiple times through the course of a visit to a cardiac health center -- adding up significantly. 

Nutritionist Costs and Dietary Needs

Once patients have suffered a cardiac event, it's essential to take the right path when it comes to health and nutrition. Unfortunately, this can include added costs of physical training and therapy, healthy food that is suited to specialized diets and fitness club memberships. Taking the health seriously late in life is costly -- and not something that should be taken lightly. 

Health Insurance Premiums 

Health insurance premiums are based on the health and the history of the patient. Patients that have a poor health history will experience higher health insurance premiums than otherwise healthy patients. 
In some cases, patients searching for health insurance are denied because of the increased risk based on their previous history. In the case that there is no health insurance, one visit to a cardiac specialist can cost upwards of seven hundred dollars -- and that's without any imaging or studies being completed during the appointment. 

The Cost of Medication

In the case that you've suffered a cardiac event, it's likely that you're going to be on some sort of medication regimen. This daily regimen can cost several hundred dollars monthly -- as not all of the prescribed medications are covered by supplemental health insurance plans. 
Though there is help available for the costs of medication, it rarely covers the entire monthly amount, leaving patients short on medication or short on money. 
Sure, there are generic options that are available that can help to lower the price but the long term cost of medication to reduce the instance of developing further cardiac issues can be quite high. Many patients that are unable to work, have few other options, and have difficulty affording the required medication. 

Surgery

During the worst case scenario, patients that have experienced a cardiac event are likely going to require some sort of surgical intervention. This type of intervention is going to require consultations with physicians and cardiac specialists, admission into the hospital facility, tests, monitoring and medication in addition to the costs of the surgery. 
The entire cost of a cardiac surgery, depending on the circumstances, can be upwards of forty thousand dollars. For patients that require more than one surgery, the costs can be exponential and leave the patient without the funds in the budget to repay the debts that are owed to the hospital. 
Taking into account the finance related implications of heart disease is something that patients should consider before they reach that point. Making the effort to follow healthy eating guidelines, maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle and avoiding things that can increase the risk factor, like smoking, can help to reduce the chances that you're going to find yourself bankrupt, sick and in need of medical and surgical intervention.

Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of health. In this article, she describes the costs associated with heart disease and aims to encourage further study through clinical laboratory science schools.

Loving Care For The Elderly

Loving Care For The Elderly Home health care is a good finance option, and it is ideal for elders and the sick that no longer need hospital care to finish recuperating. This service offers numerous advantageous to elders who prefer to be in the comfort of their home and in familiar surroundings rather than a long-term care center. In-home care providers make it possible for both those recuperating and the sick to stay at home and still carry on with their life in the way that they want. Family members can be with the patients at all times or visit them whenever they want. 

The best In-home care workers do not compromise on the care and treatment they provide. They provide a highly flexible, personalized service. The patients and their families' best interests are given top priority, and all efforts are put forth to give the best clinical, pharmaceutical and healthcare services. The well-trained providers give high quality, compassionate service and take care of all a patient's needs so that they live comfortably. They work in close coordination with the existing medical services and related parameters. 

These services provide freedom, dignity and a sense of belonging. Elders who prefer staying at home and being under the care of a home worker are near their loved and dear ones instead of being in a strange hospital or care facility. A home atmosphere, love and care enhance the healing process. 

Health care includes a range of services. These services include: 

• Physical therapy 
• Speech therapy 
• Dietary Management 
• Medication and injection 
• Observations and assessments 
• Psychiatric care 
• Occupational therapy 
• Intravenous medication therapy
• Chemotherapy 
• Complicated wound care 
• Infusion therapy 

Benefits of Home Care 

Home care provides more advantages than being in a residential health care facility or a nursing home. A health care worker ensures that the elderly person receives nutritious meals, timely medication, rest and adequate supervision. 

Healing happens more quickly in a relaxed environment like one's home. Also, the risk of infection is decreased by leaps and bounds. Health care workers who come to one's home enhance recuperation and recovery, and they are also able to provide better personal hygiene. 

This type of care gives patients more control over their atmosphere. The patient can decide on his daily schedule and have the freedom to do things he has always done in his home. 

A home care aide provides companionship. Family members who have to be away from home due to work and other commitments can leave their homes safe in the knowledge that their loved ones are taken care of. 

Cost Benefits 

Nursing homes, semi private rooms and assisted living in care facilities are alternatives to hiring a health professional to come to your home, but they are more costly. A vast majority of patients are opting to be treated at home under the care of home health care workers than in an alien environment for both comfort and finance benefits. However, these facilities are less expensive than what one would have to spend on hospital service or at long term care facilities. Home care health services also reduce readmission finance. The hourly rates vary from state to state and city to city. Rates can vary from $25 to $50. 

Medicare will finance home health care if certain conditions are met. If you are home bound and need skilled nursing care, then you will be eligible for Medicare finance. There are numerous agencies catering to the needs of elders. They provide health care to the elderly who need constant medical care and assistance after being discharged from the hospital. It is important to get the services of an efficient and reliable home health aide. Referrals from friends and family are the best way to find honest and reliable care providers who your finance plan can handle. Online reviews and testimonials can also help you narrow in on the best agencies to contact. 

Author Bio 

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of health. In this article, she explains a few benefits associate with home health care and aims to promote programs such as a family caregiver program Colorado.

Keeping Fit Through-out Your Retirement

Is it time to retire? Good for you, you deserve some hard-earned time off! Retirement is the part of life that most people who have their feet firmly planted in the working world look forward to. Perhaps not too soon because retirement comes with age, but those getting on in their years who are starting to feel like they need a nice, long rest will welcome retirement with open arms. 

There is one major setback that comes as part of the retirement package and that’s laziness. When you’ve stopped getting up and going to work every day, you may find that you start losing your energy. It is a well-known fact that energy breeds more energy and doing nothing all day with leave you feeling tired. Retired people can begin to feel weary and their health could possibly diminish without a project to keep them busy. If you’re retiring, do yourself a favour and KEEP FIT.

When you keep fit, your body will thank you. You’ll have enough energy to do daily chores around the home, play with the grandkids and see your friends!

But the number one reason to keep fit is in case you have an enhanced annuity fund. Think of it this way, when you have an enhanced annuity you are essentially making a bet with your insurers. If you outlive your life expectancy, you have won the bet and if you die earlier then insurers make a profit. It’s that simple, so if you want to win the bet and not lose out on money then you should do regular exercise and eat as healthily as possible.

Try to cut out eating red meat more than once or twice a week. Stick to lean meats, oily fish (no more than twice a week) and vegetarian alternatives like tofu or Quorn products. You will benefit from the protein levels without taking in the high fat content in red/fatty meats.

Try to get your recommended half an hour – an hour of rigorous exercise a day. Whether you love to run or just want to enjoy a brisk powerwalk, or maybe you’d prefer swimming, football, tennis/squash, or cycling, your health will benefit massively from regular cardio exercise.

Smokers are likely to get a higher enhanced annuity on retirement, so change your habits, kick the cigarettes and beat the odds! You’ll feel healthier, live longer and get a much better pension that anywhere else.

Try not to eat big, heavy meals too often in your retirement. It’s not healthy for anyone to eat large meals because our bodies can’t cope with so much food in one sitting. We put all of our energy into digesting what we’ve eaten (hence the sluggish/lethargic feeling after a lot of food) and the older we get, the harder it is that our bodies have to work. Eat small amounts often and you’ll feel energised, healthy and fit all day long. Make sure you eat complex carbohydrates (whole wheat/wholegrain foods) often and pack in important vitamins to help ward off common illnesses such as osteoporosis.

Unsustainable Cost of Cancer Drugs

This year, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved several cancer treatment drugs such as Afatinib, Denosumab, Trametinib, Dabrafenib and Lenalidomide capsules among many others. This may be a breakthrough development in the field of medicine, considering the fact that more and more drugs each day are being developed in order to treat cancer. 
Unfortunately, all things come with a price. And when it comes to Cancer drugs, nothing comes cheap.

Why Cancer Drugs are so expensive

The high cost of cancer drugs is among the major issues in the healthcare industry. However, there are several factors related to the development of a single drug which makes it expensive. 

• The cost developing the drug itself, from preclinical research to generation of data and testing, is very high.
• Since most cancers are incurable, each patient is treated with an approved agent either sequentially or in combination, thereby creating a virtual monopoly.
• Because of the development of new drugs, the ‘older’ drugs are viewed as a substandard treatment.
• The very nature of cancer makes patients and physicians more willing to pay the price of treatment.
• There is an incentive or reimbursement when chemotherapy and more expensive drugs are resorted to even if there are cheaper alternatives available.
• Certain agencies are prevented from taking economic and cost-effective considerations when approving new cancer drugs. 

Cancer medication and expenses

Cancer drugs can hurt a lot of people’s pockets. A treatment for Kidney cancer called Afinitor cost $3,995.00 – and that’s just one drug! According to a paper signed by 120 leukemia experts from all over the world, there has been a dramatic increase in the price of cancer medications. In Sweden alone, drug therapy is supplied to patients at no cost resulting to 80% survival rate in 10 years. This is opposed to the United States or any other countries where patients will shoulder the expenses. 

Because of the costs involved, around 10% of the patients fail to take their prescribed drugs simply because they cannot afford it. As a result, their chances of survival are greatly reduced.

What can we do about it?

There are many ways that can help alleviate this situation. It is important to maintain a balance between autonomy on physicians prescribing a treatment and costs incurred by the society. This can be done by improving national guidelines that allows both patients and physicians to choose the most cost-effective methods available to them. By providing transparency on the cost-effective options available, people can make better treatment decisions.

Also, price regulation is necessary. In terms of funding the development of a new drug, a lot of money is also spent on marketing the product. Why should the public shoulder these costs when it won’t benefit them at all?

Another solution would be the creation of nonprofit generic companies. As long as companies for profit exist, expect cancer drugs to be at a higher cost. By having philanthropic foundations fund the manufacture and distribution of life-saving drugs, expenses for medications will be greatly reduced. At the end of the day, harmonizing health care affordability and profits will provide greater benefits in the long run.

Investing In Your Health

Investing in your health is important at any age, but it is especially important as you begin coming into your maturity. Being in optimal health is important because you want to be able to enjoy this time of your life, so you must invest in your physical, mental and financial health. This investment means more than putting something away in order to take care of yourself later. It also means paying attention to how you live your everyday life right now.

Get Regular Checkups

While there are lots of things you can do in order to make sure you look after yourself, you still need to make sure you get to a doctor on a regular basis no matter how good you feel. You may not notice inconsistencies in your health, so including physicals, eye exams, ear exams and other necessary exams on a regular basis will help you find any issues and resolve them in a timely manner.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Of course, it is important to eat a balanced diet at any age, but a balanced diet can mean something different as you age. For instance, you should find out how the recommended daily allowances of many necessary vitamins and minerals change as you reach a certain age. You also want to be sure you get a good intake of healthy fruits and vegetables among other healthy foods.

When considering a balanced diet, it is also essential to think about what foods not to eat because they can affect you differently. For example, many people find it more difficult to digest red meat, especially after a certain time, so they have to either only eat foods like burgers and steaks earlier in the day or avoid them altogether. Furthermore, alcohol intake may also have to be modified as well.

Find a Regular Exercise Regimen

You should also try to remain active as much as possible. If you have issues with mobility, there are still things you can do to keep yourself in good shape. Light aerobics can be a good way to help you keep circulation going and/or to prevent developing conditions such as arthritis. Many older people simply prefer to go for a walk, which is not only healthy but also presents the opportunity to socialize.

Engage in Social Activities

Speaking of which, it is very important to make some time to engage with others and make sure you are looking after your mental and emotional health as well as your physical health. As you grow older, you may find that you have more time to spend with your friends and family, so you can look into making arrangements to see them on a regular basis.

For instance, you can set up a brunch or dinner group each month or even get together every week to watch a movie. There are many other activities you can do with others including board games, book clubs or live chatting with friends and family who live long distance. Sometimes it may help just to have a regular support group to discuss any issues of the day and keep up with the well-being of all group members.

Look After Your Finances

Of course, your financial health is a crucial aspect of your well-being. While it is important to begin putting something away for your later years to make sure you are comfortable, you also need to take measures to look after your finances in the moment. Learning how to budget early on will help you as you find living on a fixed income a necessity, especially if you are retired without your usual income.

Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of health. In this article, she explains how to invest in your health and aims to encourage further study with a degree from the Adventist University of Health Sciences. 

New Health Care Law Will Change Employee Wellness Programs

In an era of rising health care costs, many employers are turning to employee wellness programs to keep their workers healthy and to keep health insurance coverage costs down. According to the National Compensation Survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of all employees have access to some sort of wellness program benefit; programs range from discounts at local fitness facilities and educational programs to comprehensive, closely-monitored programs designed to help employees better manage chronic conditions like diabetes or make significant lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking. In exchange for undergoing screenings and meeting other goals, employees also often receive discounts on their health care coverage premiums.

While employee wellness programs are popular, some experts question their value. Because participation is voluntary and companies are prohibited by law from discriminating against employees on the basis of health screening results and their participation in wellness programs, experts point out that employees may be less than truthful (“I quit smoking!” “I go to the gym four times a week!”) to qualify for the discounts, and that the result is often higher costs to employers with few measurable benefits. However, federal lawmakers disagree with the notion that the programs are not effective — to the point that significant provisions for employee wellness programs were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.

Health Insurance Discounts

One of the primary reasons that employees opt to participate in their employers’ wellness programs is that participation often translates to discounts on health insurance premiums. With the cost of coverage going up every year, especially when an employee is paying for coverage for the whole family, voluntarily participating in the employee wellness program and agreeing to engage in healthy behaviors usually means at least a small break on the cost of health insurance.

However, businesses are limited as to how much of a discount they can offer. Under federal law, the maximum discount for signing up for an employee wellness benefit is 20 percent. Employers recoup those costs in the form of fewer health care claims and an overall lower cost for their organization, as insurance carriers give their best rates to their healthiest customers.

Realizing that the bigger the incentive, the greater the participation, the government is increasing the maximum insurance discount to 30 percent for employee wellness participants, with the potential for discounts to reach 50 percent if the program is designed to help people stop smoking. At the same time, the law also allows employers to levy penalties of up to 30 percent of the cost of health coverage should employee participants fail to meet the specific health standards established by the insurer, or for engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking. The law does account for employees who cannot participate in wellness programs for documented reasons by allowing them to meet different health standards or participate in alternative programs.

Grants for Wellness Programs

While the majority of larger employers — those with more than 100 employees — offer some type of employee wellness program, many smaller businesses cannot afford the costs associated with managing such a program (on average, about $150 per employee per year). The PPACA aims to help smaller employers develop wellness programs by establishing a $200 million grant program designed to pay for the costs associated with employee wellness. Employers with fewer than 100 employees implementing programs that meet certain criteria (for example, making efforts to improve employee engagement and create a healthy environment) can apply for the funding. These grants will not only improve the availability of employee wellness programs, but the money will create opportunities for public health professionals, as most small businesses do not have the resources to maintain a wellness specialist on staff. (Click here for additional resources on online MPH degree programs and opportunities in the public health field). 

CDC Support

In addition to increased funding, employers can expect additional support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their efforts to get employees healthy. Under the Affordable Health Care Act, employers of all sizes will have access to the CDC’s tools to analyze, evaluate and measure their wellness efforts. These tools will help employers more effectively manage their programs and maximize their cost savings.

The PPACA will completely change the face of health care in the U.S., including the way employers manage their employee wellness programs. Programs will vary by employer, but expect to see a great deal more attention paid to these popular employee benefits.


About the Author: After earning a master’s in public health, Lara Mack went on to serve as the director of employee wellness for a large financial services provider.

Travel Nurses A Unique Specialty In A Medical Career

Travel nursing is a concept in the field of nursing that came about as a remedy to the shortage of nurses across various health institutions. What happens is that some segments of the medical sector sometimes provide nurses who are able to travel and work in various places that require them to fill temporary nursing positions. The nurses charged with these kinds of duties are the ones referred to as travel nurses. The nursing positions they go to fill are mostly in hospitals that are outside the area in which they work or reside. Despite the fact that the term travel nursing is regularly associated specifically with the nursing profession, the term is also used to refer to a wide range of healthcare positions, which could include physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, dentists or even doctors.

The requirements for travel nurses to meet include; they must have a minimum of 1 year of experience with a year being preferred in their particular specialty. They must also have a license in the state of which they have employment in. The states board of nursing usually grants this.

Travel nurses may at times receive some level of orientation when they reach the new hospitals that they are to work in, it is however minimal and in most cases, they receive no orientation at all. Travel nurses are required to have a high level of experience and knowledge. They are required to have the mental and physical capability to deal and adapt with their new environments while still being able to perform their duties.

Travel nurses play a crucial role and especially in hospitals where their expertises are in need. They help to offer services to patients who would have to wait in long queues or even days if they were not there. Their need and role cannot be underestimated in the medical sector.

Preparing for the Future – Costs to Be Aware of

Life is full of surprises, many of which turn out to be financial. Even if you are an excellent budgeter there will probably be something that comes completely out of the blue that will knock you for six. 

Many experts suggest having at least nine months’ worth of income saved up for these unexpected and unplanned for costs. This is rather a huge amount and it’s not always possible. But you can prepare by being aware of some of the most common expenses that are rarely planned for.

Take a look over these expenses and try to find out a way of putting a little bit of money aside each month just in case they affect you in the future.

Presents and Gifts

It is quite astonishing how much money you can spend on buying gifts for others. You may have already planned ahead for special events such as Christmas and even set aside money for the birthdays of family and friends but what about when a friend has a baby, a christening, marriages, your children’s’ friends birthdays, retirements, new homes, or engagements. Life is full of times when gifts are given that fall outside of the usual routine.

Legal Bills

You may need to find the money to cover your legal bills. These can arise in all sorts of situations such as selling a home, illegal activity, suing someone and you should also consider the costs of making alterations to your will and testament, rental agreement or the Cost of gaining power of attorney. Legal bills can cost a small fortune so plan ahead and put money aside now.

Health Related Costs

Medical costs are another expense that can suddenly knock you for six. You may have to cover the cost of prescriptions, have surgery or diagnostic treatments or pay for long term care. Insurance is another expense as well as routine check-ups. It all costs money if you are unable to get the treatment for free or if you would prefer to use a private health care option.

Transportation Costs

Cars eat money when they are healthy and on the road let alone when they need attention. The work required to upkeep a care is constant. You will have service charges but also have to cover the costs of accidents, general wear and tear such as replacing brake pads and tires. If you have a car you will definitely benefit on building up some savings to dip into in the future. 

Losing a Job or Clients

There are not many careers out there that now guarantee that you will be in work for years to come. Finding yourself unemployed can be nerve-wracking. You should aim to have at least three months’ worth of wages saved up just in case the firm you work for closes down or needs to make some cut backs. If you are a freelancer you will also need to prepare for times when work slows down between contracts.

By saving you can at least work to soften the blow of unexpected expenses. Start saving now for a more comfortable future.

The author is a freelance copywriter with an interest in personal and business finance. His work has been frequently published on websites and blogs as well as in magazines over the past four years. Besides writing about finance he also has an interest in writing articles about small business start-ups.

Stay Healthy To Save Your Family's Finances

Health (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

According to the Administration on Aging, the number of people 65 years or older stands at 39.6 million. With this figure expected to hit the 72.1 million mark, healthcare providers will have to deal with more diseases and conditions affecting the elderly. Some of these include Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, hearing loss, vision problems, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and pneumonia. The good news is you can take steps to stay healthy. Keep reading to learn more about this topic.

Exercise

Regardless of your age, physical activity is good for your health. It will help you improve the body's balance and coordination, strength, and endurance. In addition, you will cut the risk of developing heart disease. In fact, the US Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health found that people who do not exercise are twice as likely to develop heart disease as the physically active. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends activities to improve balance, aerobic activities, activities to strengthen muscles, and activities to increase flexibility. Start by warming up and stop if you feel dizzy. Remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Sleep

For senior citizens, sleep is very important according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Make sure you have at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night. You can also take a nap during the day. Failure to get adequate sleep might interfere with your mood and cause you to be highly irritable and depressed. Additionally, it may cause you to experience memory lapses during the day. In view of this, senior citizens with insomnia should consult their physicians. To get a good night's sleep, NIA recommends avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol late in the day, sleeping on a comfortable mattress, and developing a regular bedtime routine.

Diet

As you get older, what you eat plays a big role in determining your health. Make sure you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains. These contain antioxidants that protect the body's cells from oxidation damage. The NIH also says that they contain beta-carotene, lycopene, and phytochemicals. Some of the best vegetables and fruits that you can include in your diet include tomatoes, spinach, red bell pepper, and carrots.

Avoid the temptation to overeat and limit yourself to 2,000 calories every day. This is the recommended daily calorie intake by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Choose fat free or low fat dairy products, lean protein foods, seafood, as well as foods that contain complex carbohydrates. When it comes to fats, go for liquid oils such as canola or olive oil. Finally, avoid drinks that contain added sugars such as malt syrup, corn syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrates, corn sweetener, fructose, dextrose, sucrose, and glucose. A healthy diet reduces the risk of gaining weight and developing diseases such as type II diabetes and high blood pressure.

Socialize

Staying indoors throughout the day is not good for your health. You are likely to get depressed or even start overeating to deal with the loneliness. Take up a hobby that you love such as gardening, painting, volunteering to visit other senior citizens, or start a book club. You can also arrange with a friend to eat out at least two times every week. The aim is to socialize with other people and avoid the temptation to become a recluse.

The fact that you are getting older does not mean that you have to spend your sunset years in and out of the emergency room. To maintain a healthy body, engage in physical activity, adopt a healthy diet, get enough sleep every night, and build a network of friends you can visit. These tips will not only help you to stay healthy, but also ensure you do not spend your family's money treating medical conditions that you can avoid by simply staying healthy. Remember, huge medical bills could potentially drive your family into huge debts, especially if you have to finance a huge chunk of such bills out of pocket.

Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of health. In this article, she explains the importance of health and exercise in regards to finance, and aims to encourage further study through athletic administration degrees.

What Should Be Covered by Health Insurance Policy

Many people are confused and puzzled when looking for health insurance policy and repeatedly asking themselves what should be and should not be covered by the policy they are going to buy in order to save and not to misuse the money they worked hard for in an insurance plan. As a result of this, many people always fall in the marketing strategies of professional brokers and unconsciously sign up on a contract that is not very helpful to their needs. 

Health insurance is a type of insurance which minimizes our medical expenses whenever we visit a doctor for regular check up or even when we are hospitalized due to sickness or other unforeseen serious health condition. The efficiency of having this insurance policy is really helpful to a lot of health insurance policy holders and as result of this, it has become one of the important investments that we should acquire in order to protect ourselves, bank accounts and our loved ones. 

Some important coverage of health insurance policy you should see in a deal or contract is listed below and if you don’t see all of these in your contract, better question your insurance agent why this one is not included in your policy. 

Hospital confinement 

Emergency can occur anytime and may unexpectedly happen if you are not conscious about your health condition. If your health condition is not going well, the chances of being hospitalized is higher and if you are not prepared of this possibility, you may suffer from medical expenses due to your poor health condition. 

Reasons for hospital confinement: 

• Patient needs doctor’s observation during recovery procedure 
• Patient needs to utilize medical equipment for recovery 
• Patient needs to undergo medical exams for health condition monitoring 

Medical Operation 

Everyone is aware that having a medical operation is really expensive and we should always have enough savings in order to have operation or otherwise, our health or physical condition will not be treated properly and we may have to continue suffering from this unfortunate condition. 

Types of medical operation: 

• Surgical Procedure 
• Replacement of broken bones 
• internal Organ Replacement 

Therapy and physical rehabilitation 

Another important coverage of health insurance is medication. It will be pain in the neck if we don’t have spare budget to provide the prescription drugs by our doctors to treat the pain and illness that we are experiencing especially if the required medicine to intake is high-priced and in a critical situation like this, we cannot afford to miss any required medicine in order to keep our body taken care of.

 
Having a health insurance policy is really necessary for us and we should not pay attention on our monthly premium and overall cost of our health insurance policy since we can have discounts especially if you have good medical records and in good health condition. We should always keep in mind that the main purpose of health insurance is to save us from unexpected medical expenses that may occur due to accidents, physical injuries and many more. 

Bio: 
Alberta Smith, an avid writer interested in insurance industry, regularly contributes to a number of online resources to help those who are looking for information about insurance services.

Guide for Freelancers: Working with Difficult People while Avoiding Problematic Scenarios

Facing daily challenges is not as difficult as dealing with people with problems. This article will help in explaining how to deal with difficult clients and how to handle their questions and reactions. 

Difficulty in Dealing:

Following are explained some reasons of why the freelancers perceive some clients as difficult:

• Communication Style Differences. Communication is the medium through which the complexity of any client can be predicted. Some people feel more comfortable in any type of communication medium. Some uses email, phone calls, chat or face to face meeting. The difficult people find a way in any type of medium to irritate the employer. 
• Knowledge Based Differences. Not everyone can understand everything and not everyone knows everything. Freelancers have to guide the client with proper knowledge and make him understand things he does not perceive correctly. Sometimes the client offers low price for large amount of work, for this freelancer have to elaborate the price scheme so that he understands the amount of efforts required. 
• Life Experiences’ Differences. It’s virtually impossible for a person to acknowledge what the other person has in mind and what he/she is going through unless he/she share. It’s an important note to memorize that mostly people have diverse behaviors in the stressed situations. 

Salvage Relationships:

The first choice for a freelancer should be to salvage the relationship if the client is difficult. If the reasons have been identified of client being difficult, proper steps should be taken in dealing and correcting the relationship. It can either be adjusting the way freelancers operate or by swallowing their pride. Below are various specific steps which could be taken for resolving the specific problems:

• Communication Style Differences. Communication is the medium through which the complexity of any client can be predicted. 
• Knowledge Based Differences. Not everyone can understand everything and not everyone knows everything. Freelancers have to guide the client with proper knowledge and make him understand things he does not perceive correctly. 
• Life Experiences’ Differences. It’s virtually impossible to acknowledge what other people are going through unless they speak of their problems. It’s an important note to remember that most of the people have diverse behavior in stressed out situations. 

Time of Ignoring People with Problems:

Salvaging the relationship with a difficult person is generally considered as best option. There might come some times when it’s best to ignore difficult person. Usually it’s preferable to ignore difficult people to avoid any irritation in work. For instance, if the client is asking for status reports on daily basis, it must be annoying but providing them with the reports. 

Last Resort:

Last resort for a freelancer is to cut off the difficult person from the work entirely. One should go for such act after much thinking because one it is done, it can’t be undone. Ending the relationship should be made if there is not step or chance of reconciliation left.

Author Bio:

Austin Richard is an IT professional from prepnerds. Are you really looking for Prepnerds.com Assistance? Take the benefit of Apple Certification Exams and pass your exam easily.

  

Five Benefits of Having Natural Daylight in your Offices

office setup (Photo credit: Rob 'n' Rae)

If you walk through the office after lunch and notice that your staff seems a bit sluggish and maybe even drowsy, it might not be the lunch they just ate. Take a look around the room; are there blinds on the windows? The problem with the lack of energy and therefore the lack of productivity could be the fact that they are sitting under artificial lights. 

There are numerous benefits of letting the sunshine in through the windows or skylights. Maximizing natural light in the workplace will result in more productivity and efficiency. Let’s have a look at some of these benefits. 

Increased Productivity

When you have the sun streaming in through the windows, the serotonin levels of your workers will be on the higher side. This will put them in a better mood, making them more active and keep the workforce bustling with energy. It might become a little noisier in there, but you shouldn’t mind that as long as they are accomplishing more.

Health Benefits

Your company probably loses a good amount of money and production when people call out sick. Having natural sunlight in the office will increase the production of Vitamin D. This will increase everyone’s immune system and have them at their desks instead of at home. Recent studies have shown a 15 percent decline in absenteeism when employees worked under natural light conditions instead of artificial lighting. So, by just “keeping the blinds open” (hypothetically speaking), your employees get better health and you get more work done. Need I say more? 

A Better Atmosphere

People are just happier when they have the sun shining on them, especially in the relatively cold regions or weathers. It means, everyone feels good about coming to work. They show up on time, don’t take too long on breaks and do not jump up at exactly 5 o clock. Remember, if you are keeping your shades drawn, your employees are not getting much daylight at all. They do not have a chance to get out during the day to soak up the energy. This can make them grumpy at work, and just as a smile is contagious, so is grumpiness. Who wants to go to a workplace, where everyone seems to be in a sour mood? 

Increased Sales

If your staff is some kind of a marketing or salesroom, having natural light will increase their creativity and salesmanship. Because they are more chipper, it will help them with customer service, lead generation, or sales. Not to forget that if your showroom has a lot of sunlight, even your customers will be in high spirits, hence more likely to do business with you. Sunlight has dual benefits when customers and sales are involved. 

Financial Benefits

Any time you use natural daylight to light up your office, and avoid having overhead lights on, you are saving money on your electricity bill. But that’s just one of the many financial benefits. As earlier mentioned, lower absence rate will mean you’ll not be paying for temporary help while also paying for an employee’s sick day, giving you more savings. Not to forget that an increase in production, and eventually in sales will also improve your bottom line.

When you consider all the advantages of using natural light in your offices, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before. You may think it is the lower power bills, increased production and better sales that have you feeling so happy, but in reality, it is just the talk of extra sunshine that has you feeling great.

Scott Ryan is a home and office interior design expert, follow him on twitter.

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Midlife Tips: How to Lose Pounds & Save Money

While some might believe that looking good, staying fit and maintaining reasonable levels of physical health are strictly goals for youth; science and experience prove this is entirely untrue. On the one hand, one recent study has revealed that women past sixty struggle with body image issues, eating disorders, and problems about their current weight to an even larger extent than their younger counterparts. On the other hand, another recently published piece of news has proven that middle-aged individuals who choose to maintain focus on their health and weight will usually enjoy a health risk-free old age, with fewer conditions and illnesses to speak of. 

Keeping fit past the age of fifty is a wonderful exercise in frugality. Think of it this way: while most of your mid-life peers are spending massive amounts of money on pills to treat their weary arteries and hearts, or on unhealthy foods, you’re eating properly working out, and saving money. Weight loss and fitness don’t need to become more complicated once you go past the middle-life marker than they were before. There are plenty of great value dieting plans that cater to mid-lifers, with plenty of information about them available on the Internet. By following a few simple tips and tricks, just about anyone can save up while slimming down.

Whole foods have plenty of advantages when it comes to macrobiotic balance that you need to attain in order to drop some pounds – besides, they come with the boon of costing far less than highly processed foods in the long run. Sure, for the short term, springing for frozen pizzas or kabobs might seem like the more economic option. After all, you are buying several portions for the price of whole, natural ingredients that will also take a long while to prepare, aside from not looking like they’re going to keep your hunger at bay for too long.

The above sentence contains several fallacies that we’ll deconstruct in the following. First off, processed foods that contain refined ingredients, such as white flour, sugars, and saturated fats, will only make you feel hungry faster. Refined ingredients cause spikes in blood sugar levels. After the spike, your blood sugar will plummet, causing the release of ghrelin and leptin, the two hormones that trigger the feeling of hunger. Secondly, thinking you can withhold from eating a whole pre-assembled, frozen pizza in one sitting is usually wishful thinking that you’re using to sabotage your own way out of a diet. More often than not, people struggling with weight issues will not be able to limit themselves to a single recommended portion. As such, you might be buying food that’s supposed to last you for several days, but you will often end up polishing it off in a single sitting – and there goes your frugal lifestyle, right down the drain.

Lastly, whole foods, be they raw or frozen, are so much better from a dietary point of view. Legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain plenty of fiber. Several acknowledged weight loss plans advocate eating plenty of fiber (in excess of 25 g per day) for those who want to shed their extra pounds fast – for more information on the effects of popular diet Medifast, access website here and get educated. Moreover, whole foods usually contain antioxidants, such as vitamin C, selenium, vitamin E, and betacarotene, all of them great for keeping young and healthful. Great sources of antioxidants include most fruits and vegetables, as well as dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale. Recent studies have proven that fruit and vegetables will ward off angina and stroke risks with 39 per cent more positive odds in people over 50 who choose to consume lots of them.

Another key issue is that buying whole foods will usually mean you’re buying locally. Aside from supporting small producers and stimulating the local economy, buying foods that are ‘in season’ will cost far less than splurging on exotic cheeses and meats.

Last, but definitely not least, avoid excess consumption levels of sugars, trans and saturated fats, as well as sodium. Most processed foods contain them, and they stand to damage your health to a great extent. The same goes for alcohol and tobacco products – quitting smoking, irrespective of the age at which it occurs, is likely to save you massive amounts of money, as well as cleansing your body of the toxins which make it more difficult to lose weight.

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What Weight Loss Can Teach You about Property Investment

Even though they seem to be worlds apart on first glance, the connection between dieting and investing in the world of real estate is not that distant or forced. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of parallels to be drawn between the two, whether they pertain to ambition, drive, working toward a given goal and so on. In a nutshell, however, there is no magic solution for capitalizing a.s.a.p., neither when it comes to losing weight, nor with respect to shedding off the extra pounds that stand between you and your healthiest possible self. So just how are property investments and dieting plans similar? Read on to find out – you’ll be surprised to learn that, if you have lost weight, you, too, can apply that knowledge to your capital investments into real estate. 

There is No Miracle Solution

In business, as in dieting, (I think it should be: “In dieting, as in business,…” ) every once in while a self-proclaimed enlightened guru will crop up, with the promise that he or she holds the very secret that will help you reach your desired goal, be that goal a perfectly toned, ideal weight figure, or the fortune that you’ve decided to put your money to work toward. However, miracle solutions are always bogus, bar none. In terms of diets, there is plenty of information available out there on medically tested, safe, healthful and balanced plans that can help you obtain just what you want – an all-new and improved body image. There are many up for grabs, and since no two individuals are alike, finding a tailored solution, as well as a sustainable strategy that’s likely to work out for you is the only way to go.

The same applies to investing money into property (or much of anything, for that matter). There is no foul-proof ‘get rich overnight’ magic solution. Just like any dietitian and nutritionist will remind you that it took time to put on all that weight, a good investment strategist and broker will tell you that getting rich within a short span of time only works in lotteries and raffles. When it comes to investing in homes and/or commercial property, the only way to go is to have patience, to think things through and to figure out your investment style, so as to implement the best strategy that will work for you. 

You Reap What You Sow

Reduced to the essential principle, weight loss is all about creating a calorie deficit. In order to put on a pound of fat, you will need to eat 3,500 more calories than you consume through your basal metabolic rate (the sum total of your vital processes) and your daily physical activities. To lose weight, you will need to create a difference of 3,500 calories between what goes in (i.e., the food you eat) and what comes out (i.e., the calories you burn by working out, staying active, etc.). It’s no wonder that one of the most efficient and sustainable dieting plans out there is calorie counting. By keeping track of what you invest and what you expend, you will be able to maintain full control over the progress of your diet.

The same goes for property investment. There is no end to the amount of stress that must go toward highlighting the importance of thorough asset management, investments and returns. To over-simplify, if you’re spending more than you’re making, you’ll be losing money. Conversely, good investments are those that capitalize on your current resources and build toward increasing their value over time, but this can only happen when you, the investor, are keeping close track of your own money. 

Stick to Your Guns 

Some people will complain that famous diets, such as BistroMD, about which you can learn more here (noticed I changed the anchor text) here, yielded absolutely no results for them. Meanwhile, others will extoll the virtues of the same plan and herald it as the next best thing since bread came sliced. While it’s true that different types of metabolisms will react differently to the various factors that determine weight loss or weigh gain (amount of cortisol released, low carb/high fat diets versus high carb/low fat diets, cardio work outs versus milder aerobics and calisthenics, etc.), it all boils down to patience, determination and habit formation.

The same applies to investment plans. It takes twenty-one days to change a habit, according to recent cognitive-behavioral research. This assertion is equally applicable to dieting habits, as well as to investment habits. You can’t objectively expect to see results, if you haven’t stuck through with one plan for at least that long a time.

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