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Sometimes Life Throws You A Curve Ball and Forces Us Down A New Path

July 26, 2021 By Ann E. Nelson Leave a Comment

Sometimes in life, we need a shock, a jolt, or a wakeup call to get us doing something different. When ife throws you a curve ball what do we do then? Sometimes in life we need a shock to force us down a new path. We could be living a successful life. We could have a job that brings in good money and we could believe everything is on track for a happy existence. When a major, unexpected event takes place that puts all that we value in jeopardy we are not prepared.

If for instance the major breadwinner, the one that brings home the most income each week, is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness we may be forced into reassessing not only what we are currently doing but what we will be doing into the future.

Those are perhaps the lucky ones. Some of us get no warning, no second chance. That was the case with me when my Len passed away suddenly from a heart attack. One minute the family was sitting around the table in a restaurant downtown enjoying a birthday celebration and the next minute Len slumps in his chair. A fellow diner jumped in, whipped the tablecloth off the table, lay Len down on it on the floor and commenced CPR while the staff called an ambulance. In that instant the world as I knew it changed forever.

When placed in these situations we are put under great stress and how we cope can vary. Stress can put us in flight or fight mode. This response refers to a specific biochemical reaction that we experience during times of intense stress or fear. The sympathetic nervous system releases hormones that cause changes to occur in our bodies. Unfortunately, we could end up feeling that life is too much and too difficult to cope with. This psychological reaction occurs when we are faced with something that terrifies us and it can be either be mentally or physically fear-inducing and quite serious to deal with. What do we do under these circumstances?

The circumstance can also force us to search for a new path. Kathy Fettke was thrown a curve ball. Kathy was put in this heart-breaking, terrible situation when her husband was diagnosed with a melanoma and given six months to live. With a young family to provide for Kathy was forced into having to take stock of her life. It sent her on a journey to search out ways to create a cash flow income and still be able to spend the time to raise her family.  Kathy was lucky. The doctors were wrong. Kathy and her husband went on to found the Real Wealth Network,a member-based network that educates their members to create multi-million dollar real estate portfolios. We need to be better prepared.

Listen to the episode 47 here and be inspired.

Until next time.

Ann

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Curveball, Kathy Fettke, life balance

How to Take Care of Your Liver for a Healthy Retirement

January 20, 2020 By Ann E. Nelson 5 Comments

The liver is such an incredible organ that nurtures and protects the body day in and day out. With over 500 functions, it is best known as the organ that neutralizes and disposes of body toxins, feeds the body the energy it needs to function, and regulates sex hormones, cholesterol levels, and vitamin and mineral supplies.

On top of all these, the Irish Times note that the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself, which makes it possible for an individual to donate part of their liver to another person. A lot of bodily functions rely on the liver and as such, knowing how to take care of it can be a great help in reducing the risk of developing various health conditions that come with old age. Here are some tips that can help you achieve a healthy liver:

 

life balance for a healthy life

Easy on the booze

With the liver’s capacity to regenerate, liver damage is often reversible – especially if you ease up or completely cut its causes out of your diet. The most common cause of liver damage is alcohol. According to NBC News, a new report found out that more and more Americans are developing severe liver disease related to alcohol. While there is no precise measure of how much alcohol is considered “safe,” it is best to stick to the government recommendation of one drink a day for women and two for men.

 

Get checked

More often not, we don’t realize that anything is wrong with our livers until the damage is already done. If you’re a heavy drinker or eat too many fatty foods, it’s best to get checked regularly even if you don’t feel anything wrong. Each one of us reacts to chemicals, toxins, and medication differently. That being said, efforts you take to support your liver must be advised by a specialist and tailored to your lifestyle, genetics, and other health conditions.

Cleanse through diet

Food can be a great way to cleanse the liver and detoxify. Dr. Shera Raisen of Parsley Health suggests going on a “cleansing diet that gives your liver a break.” Food like artichoke, watercress, green leafy vegetables, ginger, garlic, and berries all help in regulating the metabolic pathways in the liver and assist in the elimination of toxins. Going for green tea and water instead of sodas and other colored beverages can also be of help to the liver.

Drink black coffee

As mentioned by the US News, more and more research has been found to support the benefits of black coffee on the liver. Aside from protecting the liver from alcohol-related cirrhosis, the anti-inflammatory properties in coffee also help reduce the risk of liver disease by as much as 70 percent. Three to four cups of black coffee a day can effectively help in slowing down fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatitis B and C, as well as non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease.

Given the important role the liver plays in your overall health, it pays to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet coupled with regular exercise. To ensure a healthy and happy retirement, make sure to take extra care of your other organs like your gut. For tips and tricks on how to improve gut health, listen to our podcast Improve Your Gut Health For A Healthy Retirement.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: get healthy, healthy retirement, protect your liver

Five Ways to Get Affordable Dental Care as an Older Adult

December 18, 2019 By Ann E. Nelson Leave a Comment

Surprisingly, Medicare has very little dental coverage and with over 48 million people using Medicare as their primary insurance, this is a big deal. Original Medicare, Parts A and B, does not pay for cleanings, dentures, fillings, or any other routine dental procedure. You may receive coverage if you happen to be enrolled in a Medicare advantage plan. If you have Medicaid, some services may be covered and if you’re confused about the difference between the two programs, click here. However, you need to verify, as each advantage plan is unique. It’s not as if seniors stop needing dental care, but with tight budgets and no help from Medicare, many seniors are forced to ignore their oral health.

 

Although it may seem like you’re saving money in the short term, disregarding dental care can lead to complications (beyond your mouth) later down the road. Poor oral health increases the risk of heart disease by 180% and the risk of stroke by 300%. It’s undeniable that dental care is extremely important, but where can seniors turn for help?

If paying for dental insurance is not an option, below are five resources seniors should investigate.

  • Denti-Cal:

For Californians specifically, certain services are covered under Denti-Cal which is a benefit provided under Medi-Cal. This is an improvement from recent years and was reinstated on May 1, 2014. They’ll cover exams and x-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, root canals in front teeth, prefabricated crowns (stainless steel or tooth colored), full dentures, or other medically necessary procedures. Beyond these services though, seniors must either pay out of pocket or buy dental insurance.

 

  • Tooth Wisdom:

Tooth Wisdom is a health resource website for senior citizens. They have compiled a comprehensive resource guide organized state by state. Click the interactive map for each state’s unique programs. After clicking on the map there will be a dental care option to click on, which will list low cost oral health options if you do not have dental insurance. Click here for the website.

 

  • Dental Schools:

If you clicked through Tooth Wisdom’s guide you will have seen that many of the sites they list are dental schools. Dental schools offer high quality care at reduced price. Students will perform procedures, but the students are under strict supervision and the cost is far less than what you’d pay at a private practice.

 

  • Dental Life Line:

Dental Life Line is a nonprofit that strives to provide dental care and education to people who cannot afford it. They only serve people that meet one of these conditions: have a permanent disability, are 65 or older, or who are medically fragile.  Their main program is called Donated Dental Services (DDS) and over 15,000 volunteer dentists provide care. Follow this link to view an interactive map to see which programs are available in your state. It is worth noting that eligibility varies by state.

 

  • Discount Dental Plans:

Discount dental plans, also called dental savings plans, are not the same as dental insurance. Discount dental plans have low monthly payments. As AARP puts it, dental savings plans are similar to a Costco membership, meaning you pay a fee for the access to discounted services. This type of plan gives members access to discount dental care with no deductibles, no caps on annual coverage, and no claims paperwork. In addition, when applying for a discount dental plan, pre-existing conditions are not a problem.

Dental savings plans make the most sense for people who would like routine dental services, but don’t want to pay the full costs out of pocket. Discount dental plans also include cosmetic dentistry, which is excluded from most dental insurance plans. For larger procedures, however, this option may not make sense because you have to pay for the service in full, or negotiate the price with the provider with no reimbursements from the plan. Although it is discounted, it is far from free.

 

Finding and receiving oral healthcare is difficult, if not impossible for many seniors across America. Until the federal government mandates rules that extend to all states, dental care will be determined by which state you live in. Fifteen states have nearly comprehensive coverage, 16 states have limited coverage, 14 states have emergency coverage, and Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, and Tennessee have no senior coverage at all. DentaQuest, a research group and administrator of dental insurance, found that in America we spend as much on dental diseases—most of which are avoidable—as we spend on the total cost of all cancer treatments combined. With this magnitude of spending hopefully a change is due, but for now, use the resources above to locate the best care possible.

 

 

Max Gottlieb is the content manager for Senior Planning. Senior Planning is a free service intended to help seniors and their families navigate through the often-complicated process of obtaining benefits and long-term care.

 

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Dental Care, Max Gottlieb, Senior Planning

Want To Lead A Healthy Life In Retirement Then Change Your Habits

September 19, 2018 By Ann E. Nelson Leave a Comment

What do you do when things go wrong? Panic, phone a friend, or go to Mr Google for answers. Depending on what you type into the search engine box you will get a variety of answers. Anyone can be an instant expert on anything courtesy of the World Wide Web. So I search to ask the question, what would it take to lead a healthy life in retirement?

Superfoods for a Healthy Life In Retirement

Could you change your habits?

Do you want to lead a healthy life in retirement?

I am interested in health as my ever expanding waist line directs me to be more conscious of what I am eating. The more I delve into what I should be eating and should not be eating, the more confusing it gets. There are so many experts out there all claiming their way is the best way to lose weight and be healthy.

Dan Perryman built up his fitness reign over a period of 8 years and is an advocate of the low carb regime. Dan believes that “without a foundation of health, it is very difficult or impossible to create optimal performance”. A low-carb diet restricts carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary foods, pasta and bread. It is high in protein, fat and healthy vegetables.

My daughter, Zoe, has been a vegan for 6 years now along with many celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres. Eating a plant based diet is challenging and can take some time to get used to.Coming up with what to eat has been a trial.I am used to starting with the protein taking centre stage and the veggies and salad are the peripheral characters.

Trying to decide which expert is right is daunting, Paleo, vegetarian, or vegan? The list is endless. Then there are the cooking methods to consider. I can hear them coming at me in my sleep: butter is better than margarine, coconut oil is better than canola oil, use olive oil, don’t deep fry, steam, eat raw…augh.

It takes 21 days to break a habit so I will have to be very persistent.

The trouble with making changes is that I am part of the instant society now and so when I make a change I want to see result straight away. Sadly it does not work that way when it comes to food and being overweight.

I am currently reading David Wolfe on health and beauty and using Superfoods daily in my diet. David claims that Superfoods are the most powerful, nutritious, mineral-rich plant foods on Earth. I am trying to incorporate consuming some superfoods most days along with raw foods in more of my meals. This all part of my plan to have a healthy life in retirement.

When I thought I had it figured out I now came across Wade T Lightheart, and learnt how a body builder discovered the secrets to good health through proper elimination of foods consumed.We need enzymes to break down our food properly. If our systems can’t metabolize the food we eat then we need to consume a patented single strain probiotic to do the job. Apparently if the food I eat remains in my system undigested then this can lead to problems with heartburn, reflux, indigestion, skin problems, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, food sensitivities to name just a few.

Can there really be a relationship between the type of food I consume and my health. The evidence seems overwhelming.

I am going to have to make changes to my eating and fitness regime. What about you?

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Dan Perryman, Wade T Lightheart

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