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Do You Have A Financial Safety Net? (And How To Build One)

October 16, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Movement in the financial markets lately can make you seasick! If you manage your own finances as I do the market ups and downs will make you wonder if you should make changes or stand pat.

The GenuLines post below offers some ideas on getting your financial house in order. Read it and “reap”

Do You Have A Financial Safety Net? (And How To Build One)

Do you have a financial safety net? It’s something worth thinking about and setting up.

If not, now is the time to get started.

You can begin by putting away three to six months of living expenses.

Keep this money in an interest-bearing account. Know what your family needs to live on in the event your income stops.

Then start saving as much money as you can until you have built up this safety net.

You can shave your spending, too.

Do More With Less

Do a little less eating out. Think twice about buying the newest TV and tech gadgets.

To make the process go faster add any bonuses, tax refunds, etc.

But don’t stop there. Make it your goal to add to your cushion as often as possible.

Then come back and revise your numbers from time to time.

Your living expenses may go up or down over time. You can quickly adjust the amount you need in readily accessible cash.

Protection

Life and disability insurance are two more important parts of your financial strategy. Do you have a plan in place to continue to cover your living expenses (or those of your family) if you can no longer work?

Call your insurance agent and go over your current coverage. Make sure the insurance you’re paying for will pay out what you need and if not, make adjustments.

Now you have two legs of your plan firmly in place. Next, think about investing any additional savings in higher interest-bearing accounts.

Do your best to forget about accessing any of this money in the near term. Think about how handy it will be to have it when you’re dealing with an emergency.

Or, when you’re ready to retire.

And, don’t let your money sit in a bank or, worse yet, in a drawer in your house. There are lots of investment vehicles that will get you a much better return than a savings account.

Talk to your financial adviser. You’ll come up with a plan that’s right for you, your family, and whatever the future may hold.

JohnK 10-16-2018

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Overheard: No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself”

~Plato

6 Life Hacks For Better Aging

October 9, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

As we age, we look for things we can do to prevent wrinkles, diseases, and cognitive function. The good news is that there are hundreds of things that you can do to help you age

in the best way possible.

GenuLines looks at six life hacks you can apply to your life today to help you age better.

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1 – Stay Active:

It’s no secret that as you age your metabolism slows down. Getting at least thirty minutes of activity a day increases your metabolism. But can also help to increase bone density, putting you at a lower risk of bone injuries as you age.

2 – Invest In Large Sunglasses:

The skin around your eyes is the most delicate and thin skin you own. It’s also the place where wrinkles tend to appear first.

By wearing over-sized sunglasses you’re preventing sun damage from occurring around your eyes. And you’re also squinting less.

You’ll have fewer eye wrinkles as well as fewer forehead wrinkles.

3 – Make Time For Your Friends:

Often your schedule can be so hectic that you neglect to make time for a social life. But having a social life can help you age better in many ways.

Most important is lowering your stress level. Studies have shown that stress damages your skin cells, causing premature lines.

Stress can also lower your immune system, making it more likely you’ll become ill. As a bonus, making time for your friends also means that you’re more active both physically and mentally.

4 – Take Fish Oil:

Fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. An Ohio State University study found Omega 3’s are good for joints, eyesight, and hair growth.

They make skin supple. And they improve your heart and immune functions.

If fish oil isn’t for you, you can also increase your intake of seeds, nuts, sardines, or salmon.

5 – Keep Your Diet Colorful:

There are foods that speed up the aging process. What you may not know is that there are also some foods that can do the opposite.

The list includes kale, broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and plums. All are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can promote healthy aging.

(***Some of these nutrients include alpha lipoic acid, carotenoids- including vitamin A, ß-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, and retinol- CoQ10, glutathione, polyphenols, and vitamins C, D, and E)

6 – Change Your Opinion Of Old:

This one’s my personal favorite. There is no formal definition of what old means.

The word can have many different meanings depending on the context.

Don’t degrade yourself by talking about your “senior moments” or the things you can no longer do. Having a positive attitude and a good mental outlook is half the battle.

When you tell yourself that you’re old and can’t do things, it becomes the truth. Instead, focus on all the things you can do.

And though it’s a cliche’, age IS only a number.

In today’s busy society we tend to forget to take care of ourselves. We ignore our own needs because we’re so busy taking care of everyone else.

Make yourself a priority. For now, begin implementing at least one of the above suggestions.

Practice and stick to these six. Make them part of your normal routine.

Take care of yourself now so you can ensure that you’ll age in a positive way.

JohnK 10-9-2018

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Overheard: “I suppose real old age begins when one looks backward rather than forward.”

~ Mary Sarton

* Photo by Matthew Bennett on Unsplash

You’re Eating Too Much- What Do You Do?

October 4, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Eating is a fundamental pillar of life. Most of us enjoy it, especially when we’re having some great tasting food!

But, smart eating is part of a conscious lifestyle. This GenuLines post will help you stay on track with your dietary habits.

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ARTICLE

We don’t always have the best sense of when to stop eating. We have access to not only good-tasting food but food in immense quantities.

It’s easy to poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t move a muscle. But in reality, we’re blind to the consequences of eating too much.

These can range from a simple mild stomach ache in the short term to more serious health risks. Think chronic obesity and its connection to cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Overeating doesn’t have to be as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst. It can be eating more than we need in one sitting.

Or eating until we’re full rather than until we get enough nutrients.

We don’t have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from over-eating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t over-eat.

Large-scale agriculture and food processing generally weren’t available until more recent times. Today most humans (Americans for sure) have access to more convenience food than ever.

So, what drives us to eat more than we need?

We have lots of information. We can learn to eat only as much as we need.

Why don’t we?

One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that overeating follows bouts of sadness, depression.

It can also come during struggles with our issues.

The Journal of Adolescent Health studied the eating habits of young people. The participants developed disorders like binge eating.

The study’s main result: “it’s important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.”

We can keep track of our reasons for eating. Are we eating because we’re hungry, or because we’re wrestling with emotional issues?

Another consideration is symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

A Medical University of Warsaw article looked at hypoglycemic symptoms. It found that people might eat more as a way of satisfying urges to increase insulin.

So it’s important to eat sweets in moderation as a way of limiting consumption in general.

Finally, there is no better warning system than our own bodies. Excessive constipation, blockage, bloating, vomiting or stomach aches tell us we’ve had enough.

Add to that list our constant need for laxatives or antacids. Our level of energy and mental alertness are signs, too.

We all enjoy a nicely cooked meal or tasty snacks. But in biological terms, food is simply fuel. It’s the fuel our bodies consume and turn into energy.

Just know that we can bog down our systems with excess fuel or fuel of poor quality- aka junk food.

Our energy level drops. We feel sluggish and less alert. These are signs of an overloaded digestion system.

Final Thoughts

It’s a no-brainer to say that we love food, but how much is enough? Our bodies brains and emotions hold up the stop signs.

Being mindful of our current state can help us avoid the pitfalls. The signs are there and our brains and bodies are telling us.

We just have to listen!

JohnK 10-4-2018

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