To answer this question, take a look at the following video and 99 retirement tips from Fisher Investments.
Click the image to download the free guide.
Should Retirees Be Conservative Investors?
Having a retirement investment strategy.
Tag: don’ts
Do Not Make These Thanksgiving Mistakes
Getting ready for the biggest family gathering of the year next Thursday? To have a very Happy Thanksgiving, there are some things we should keep in mind.
Keep up your good spirits. And be healthful while celebrating.
As Hristina Byrnes reports for 24/7 Wall St.:
“A typical Thanksgiving dinner can amount to 3,000 calories. Appetizers and drinks before, during, and after the meal can add another 1,500. That brings the total to a whopping 4,500 calories in just a few hours. This is about twice the amount a person should consume in a day.”
“Yes, Thanksgiving is about family and food. But some people drink a lot, too. The combination of too many liquid and food calories can lead to drowsiness, upset stomachs, and headaches the next morning from both the alcohol and the high sugar foods, according to Alyson Pidich, medical director of the Ash Center, a longevity and anti-aging clinic in New York City.”
“To determine the biggest and most common health mistakes people make on Thanksgiving, 24/7 Wall St. asked several doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians to share their observations and tips.”
These are a few of the tips:
- “Sitting on the couch after dinner— Your posture affects how your body digests all the food you consume. Research shows that the best position to avoid discomfort is standing. Lying down significantly slows gastric emptying compared to other positions such as sitting, standing, or a combination of sitting and standing. A separate study found that food takes about 20 minutes longer to leave the stomach if you’re sitting.”
- “Being in a hurry to prepare the meal — Being in a hurry to prepare the meal and visit with family is a common mistake. It’s a mistake because it leaves no time for exercising. Working out should be part of your holiday ‘recovery.’ You have to keep the body in motion to keep the metabolism going.”
- “Skipping the vegetables — Consuming vegetables is crucial because they are low in calories and have a lot vitamins and minerals. The fiber and water in them fill you up more efficiently than processed carbs in bread and mashed potatoes. A spoonful of mashed potatoes may be between 50 and 100 calories, while a spoonful of Brussel sprouts is just five. If you want to eat but not gain weight, you need to consume low-energy-dense foods — a big volume of food with a low amount of calories. This way you feel fuller on just a few calories.”
Click the image for further tips.
In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Learn more about breast cancer!!
As we know, October is a very important time for for spreading breast cancer awareness. Thus, this post is in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Let us start with one important resource, the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Click the image to access the site.
Now, we turn to the breast cancer section of the American Cancer Society:
“Whether you or a loved one are worried about developing breast cancer, have just been diagnosed, are going through breast cancer treatment, or are trying to stay well after treatment, this detailed information can help you find the answers you need.”
Click on the image below to learn more about the actual facts of breast cancer, instead of the
“Disproven or Controversial Breast Cancer Risk Factors. There are many factors that research has shown are not linked to breast cancer. You may see information online or hear about these disproven or controversial risk factors, but it’s important to learn the facts.”
Checking Your Health at Home
In addition to giving advice about other health exams, Better Health offers tips for checking your health at home.
Last week, we wrote about having regular health exams. Today, we look at things we can do in checking your health at home. At Australia’s 
“We provide health and medical information to improve the health and wellbeing of people and the communities they live in. The information on our site aims to help people understand and manage their health and medical conditions. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals. We are fully funded by the Victorian Government, with no commercial advertising or corporate sponsorship. “
Checking Your Health at Home
In addition to giving advice about other health exams, Better Health offers tips for checking your health at home:
“You can do a basic health check at home to review your health in relation to:”
* Alcohol – “People who have at least two alcohol-free days per week and stick to no more than two standard drinks per drinking day have better long-term health.”
* Dental care – “Cleaning your teeth regularly and eating a low-sugar diet can reduce your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. Visit a dentist or other oral health professional at least once a year for a dental examination and professional cleaning, or more frequently as advised by your dentist.”
* Diet – “A healthy diet improves your general health and wellbeing. Have at least two servings of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.”
* Physical activity – “Regular physical activity is good for your mental health, heart and bones, and can prevent many diseases. Aim for 30 minutes to an hour of moderate physical activity a day. Moderate physical activity takes some effort, but still allows a conversation to be held (for example, brisk walking, gentle swimming, social tennis).”
* Skin checks – “Check your skin regularly for unusual moles or freckles, and see your doctor if you notice anything unusual. People who work outdoors need a yearly examination by their doctor or a dermatologist.”
* Smoking – “Smoking increases your risk of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, lung disease, and thin bones. If you smoke, quitting as soon as possible helps reduce the harm.”
* Weight – “Maintaining a healthy weight range helps prevent longer-term diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis.”
Humorous Look at Online Self-Diagnosis
How often do YOU look online to diagnose yourself based on various symptoms? I plead guilty to doing this. Is this a helpful approach?
As Kyle O’Brien reports for The Drum:
“The Internet has become the first source of healthcare information for many people. But self-diagnosis can lead to plenty of misinformation, as a spot for North Memorial Health humorously shows.”
“The Minnesota-based healthcare provider enlisted agency BrandFire to compile some of the stranger ailments people think they have after they’ve Googled their symptoms. The spot, titled ‘Symptoms,’ features people discussing the seemingly frightening results with a North Memorial Health doctor who reassures them that their symptoms are not as scary as the Internet has led them to believe. One man is convinced he has scurvy, another bubonic plague while another is convinced he has ‘Himalayan Mountain Syndrome.’”
“The commercial explains that, ‘Searching your symptoms online is scary but our doctors aren’t.’ It’s meant to show that trusting a doctor is a lot more reassuring than taking a stab at Internet diagnosis.”
Health and Alcohol — Another View
On Wednesday, we reported about the recent study about health and alcohol — and the effects of any alcohol. Today, we offer another view.
As reported by Aaron E. Carroll for the New York Times:
“A paper was published in The Lancet that claimed to be the definitive study on the benefits and dangers of drinking. The news was apparently not good for those who enjoy alcoholic beverages. It was covered in the news media with headlines like ‘There’s No Safe Amount of Alcohol.’ The truth is much less newsy and much more measured.”
“There are limitations that warrant consideration. Observational data can be very confounded, meaning that unmeasured factors might be the actual cause of the harm. Perhaps people who drink also smoke tobacco. Perhaps people who drink are also poorer. Perhaps there are genetic differences, health differences, or other factors that might be the real cause. There are techniques to analyze observational data in a more causal fashion, but none of them could be used here, because this analysis aggregated past studies — and those studies didn’t use them.”
“The news warns that even one drink per day carries a risk. But how great is that risk? For each set of 100,000 people who have one drink a day per year, 918 can expect to experience one of the 23 alcohol-related problems in any year. Of those who drink nothing, 914 can expect to experience a problem. This means that 99,082 are unaffected, and 914 will have an issue no matter what. Only 4 in 100,000 people who consume a drink a day may have a problem caused by the drinking, according to this study.”
NONETHELESS, “This message shouldn’t get lost in any argument: There is no debate, and this study confirms once again, that heavy drinking is really bad for you.”
Click the image to read more.
Being Smart About Your Health
Have you ever wondered what your overall health was? Are you smart about your own personal health?
Do’s
- Regularly see your doctor for a physical (at least once per year).
- Get a full range of blood tests at least once a year.
- Listen to you medical professionals.
- Recognize your physical strengths and weaknesses.
- Have an exercise plan.
Don’ts
- Do not avoid seeing the doctor because you are afraid of what you might hear.
- Do not neglect the medications prescribed for you.
- Do not engage in physical activities that exceed your capabilities.
- Do not self-diagnose if you are feeling poorly.
Unlike the result shown on this hat. Plan ahead!!!
