Category Archives for "Health"

February 26, 2018

What Is A Zoodle?

I’m you’re wondering what type of food, the culinary term zoodle describes, continue reading to discover everything you need to know about zoodles. Including how to serve zoodles in order to impress your dinner guests.

What is a zoodle (zucchini noodles):

Basically, a zoodle is a noodle which has been crafted out of zucchini instead of traditional pasta dough. Zoodles are crafted from kitchen appliances called, spiralizers. Sprializers, like the ones found at https://spiralizershq.com, are perfect for making zoodles as they are easy to use and take minimal time.

3 Reasons why you should add zoodles to your list of favorite foods:

  1. Zoodles contain far fewer carbs and calories than traditional, wheat-based pasta

If one of your favorite comfort foods is spaghetti or fettucini but you hate feeling bloated after eating a serve of traditional pasta, you’ll love how light your stomach will feel after eating an ample serving of zoodles. Especially as zoodles only contain 1/8 the carbohydrates which are present in regular pasta and only contain 1/8 the calories of wheat-based pasta.

So if you’re on the hunt for a healthier version of one of your favorite comfort foods, it’s well worth experimenting with zoodle recipes.

  1. Zoodles are gluten-free as well as being 100% vegan-friendly

If you enjoy hosting your friends and family members for regular dinner parties, you may want to consider adding zoodles to your next dinner party menu as zoodles are gluten-free and vegan and as such as perfect for any fussy eaters who may be invited to your upcoming dinner party.

  1. Children love zoodles

If you’re a parent of small children, who aren’t keen on eating vegetables, making your own homemade zoodles is a great way to trick your children into eating a healthy portion of zucchini.

Fun ways to serve zoodles:

  1. Use zoodles to create mouth-watering stir-fry noodles

Simply heat a bit of olive oil in a wok and fry your ready-made fresh zoodles with soya sauce, garlic, fresh chili and an assortment of vegetables. Examples of which may include Shitake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, baby corn, tomato and bell peppers.

  1. Use zoodles to create a healthy take on spaghetti bolognese

If your family has a soft spot for spaghetti bolognese, why not try making spaghetti bolognese with zoodles instead of spaghetti? If you want to make your spaghetti dish even healthier, you may want to swap out mince for grilled mushrooms.

  1. Use zoodles to cook fettuccine

It’s also well worth experimenting with using zoodles to cook a piping hot fettuccine dish, which your whole family will love.

  1. Consider using zoodles in an udon noodle soup

If you’re a huge fan of udon noodle soup, you can create a healthier take on a classic udon noodle soup dish by substituting udon noodles for healthy zoodles. As it is the flavorful broth which gives udon noodle soup, it’s great taste, you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between your classic udon noodle soup and your brand new zoodle inspired udon noodle soup.

So if you love the idea of experimenting with zoodles and are looking for a healthier diet, it’s well worth trying to prepare your very first zoodle based dish today. After trying zoodles, you’ll never want to go back to eating plain, regular noodles or pasta.

February 19, 2018

3 Facts About Living The Good Life

We all want to live a happy and prosperous life, whether we’re living in San Pedro apartments or the West Village near UC Davis, which you can find out more about here: http://www.carmelapartments.com/uc-davis-west-village-davis-ca. More often than not, many of us feel like the good life is suddenly slipping from our grasp. This is true for people living in the most beautiful residential neighborhoods around the world, or people living in slums and ghettos as well.

How do we live the good life? How do we overcome the barriers that seem to get in our way from enjoying our limited time on this planet? Well, if you’re willing to learn three facts about this topic, you can incorporate this information into your day-to-day experience and start living a happier and healthier life each and every day.

  1. Make Personal and Spiritual Connections

The best parts of life usually entail making personal and spiritual connections. When we have friends and family members that we can count on, life becomes much easier to deal with. The same holds true with spiritual connections as well. If you feel like you have a higher power in your corner, life suddenly becomes more bearable, and if you take it to the next level, you’ll even feel unstoppable.

So take time to slow down and reacquaint yourself with the world. If you are typically closed off and keep to yourself, this may seem difficult at first but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll really enjoy being around people that make you feel safe and loved. Plus, once you open up to these wonderful people, they’ll get to know you on a deeper level and life will feel much more meaningful.

Making spiritual connections is also incredibly important to living the good life. So embrace spirituality to feel a deep connection with the world around you and the entire universe. By developing an unbreakable connection with the world, you’ll never feel alone again.

  1. Live a Life of Contribution

You may not believe it at first, but what you contribute to the world truly matters. If you spend your life chasing money and fame, you may end up feeling disconnected and devoid of the good life. On the other hand, you may be called to chase money and fame and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. Just remember to make positive contributions to society as you fulfill your dreams.

Some people have no trouble walking away from six-figure salaries to do something they love or feel called to do. That’s their way of contributing to society and the world on the whole. You may feel compelled to donate money to your favorite charities or do a number of other things to contribute to the betterment of society. Remember to prioritize giving and contributing to those less fortunate and your life will have much more meaning over the long run.

  1. Live Life with Vitality

It’s hard to crawl out of bed if you don’t feel energized and ready to take on the world. Without vitality, you’ll have a tough time being happy, resilient, appreciative, and free from pain. Instead, you’ll focus on anxiety, depression, sickness, and suffering.

So make every effort to adopt a vitality mindset. Release your fears and let your spirit soar. Eat fresh fruits and veggies and eliminate processed foods from your diet so you’ll have much more energy to experience the beauty of life in all of its glory.

Conclusion

Living a luxurious life may seem nearly impossible at first when you continue to traipse through your existence without any direction. Now that you’ve learned the truth about living the good life, it’s time to make changes and begin incorporating these truths into your daily routine. When you do, your life will feel amazing as a rule.

February 14, 2018

George Ammar – Try Exercise and a Healthy Diet for a Long Life

Over the past 100 years humans have been able to more than double the average life expectancy from 35 years 2 more than 75. The major reason for this is due to fewer wars, improve medicines, and a better understanding of how our bodies work, leading to different food choices and changed lifestyles.

We have today however reach the time where life expectancy of humans has leveled off and in some cases has even declined by year or two. Scientists and doctors have been baffled up until recently as to why we long aren’t living longer. What is been revealed, is that our modern-day lifestyles, are actually leading us to become less healthy.

Part of this is due to the way societies have developed around the world. Today all first world countries and many developing countries have a majority of their citizens living in major cities and working in offices where physical exertion is minimal and good eating habits suffer. Coupled with this isn’t increase in dangerous stress levels due to the extreme demands placed on today’s working class. The result is that these behaviors or causing us to die younger than we should.

People all around the world are worried about this phenomenon and are eager to do something to counter the effects of daily life. George S. Ammar is a great example. He’s an accountant who lives in Cleveland Ohio United States and runs a successful small accounting business. Like most Americans, George has seen the average weight of the local citizens go up while their attention to adopting healthy life habits have gone down. This worries George because he knows that the end results will be debilitating diseases that occurred prematurely, and a shortened lifespan. So George has taken it upon himself to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. In fact his crunchbase profile outlines his specific intention to do all he can to maintain good health.

George Ammar knows that getting and staying healthy is not complicated. The things that one needs to do a well-documented and available for anyone to examine. There are three core areas that need to be focused on by every individual. They are: diet, exercise, and stress reduction.

Each area has its own set of guidelines that must be adhered to in order for you to be healthy. For example diet means that you would here to a healthy eating plan each day. This means the right amount of calories for your height, and balanced meals that include the right types of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It means that you limit your intake of refined sugar, salt, and bad fats, and that you exercise portion control. One should also eat 4 to 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Exercise might be the most important aspect of a healthy lifestyle, and the one where most people fall short. Each of us should exercise 3 to 4 times a week for a minimum of 1 hour each session. We should do an aerobic activity for 30 minutes, a strengthening activity for 15 minutes, and stretch for another 15 minutes. These are minimum time lines for exercise and more is certainly better.

The exercise you pick doesn’t really matter George Ammar for example loves to run. Running is the perfect exercise combining aerobic activity, some strengthening activity, and stretching, although George should definitely stretch folk before and after he runs. The key is to do it consistently. So pick an exercise you actually enjoy because you’ll do it longer.

Stress is the silent killer. We don’t realize how impactful being stressed out all the time is to our good health. But stress can cause high blood pressure and be a contributing factor for heart disease and diabetes. We need to have methods to control or eliminate our stress because of the strain places on the body.

Following these common sense guidelines, will help you to live a healthy and longer life. People like george ammar understand the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, it is because you will live healthier and longer.

 

February 14, 2018

Geoffrey Morell – Why has Faith and Energy Healing Endured for so Many Centuries

Medicine and doctors can be traced back to the very beginning of civilization. Initially in each practically every family there was someone who functioned as a doctor or healer. They eventually came to be those that recognized as being better and they became the village healer. These people were thought to both have a personal connection to the world and to the energy flowing through the world. There use became so prevalent that there came a Time when they were the most important people in society, and the kings, queens and emperors would depend on the skills and the counsel to rule.

Problems developed because many Faith Healers made so many outlandish claims about their abilities but ultimately they proved to be incapable of following through on those claims. As a result the profession suffered greatly. Coupled with this was the emergence of medical doctors who had standardized treatments and formalized education. They were soon filling the communities with a new type of medicine that was based on historical fact and trial and error.

The doctoring profession depended on doctors convening regularly to compare notes on treatments allowing for fast advancement in therapies to patients. Within a few hundred years of their introduction, medical doctors became the go-to professionals for those needing medical care. And those calling themselves faith and energy healers were pushed to the side and classified as medical alternatives.

Faith and Energy Healing Has Survived

Even with this being the case, there have continued to be those like Geoffrey Morell who use spiritual energy and faith to physically and mentally heal. Many faith healers have come directly from the church or other religious institutions. Over the Millennia some claim to have gotten their power directly from God, while others who said their energy has come from the universe or some other source outside of themselves. They are said to be able to channel healing energy through their own bodies and direct it toward a patient.

The Healer might actually touch the patient, or put hands near the patient in order for the energy to be transferred. This can be done in any number of settings including a church, some other religious place, or even a home.

Why do People Consider Faith and Energy Healing as an Option Today?

With so many advances, and so many of the therapies used in traditional medicine proven, why do people continue in large numbers to go to Faith and energy healers today? Perhaps the most prevalent reason is that faith in energy Healers never turn away from proposing that any particular ailment can in fact be cured. This is in stark contrast to traditional doctors who believe that only certain ailments have a cure and others must be managed. Faith and energy healers believe that the energy they provide is healing energy that can be directed toward any element including cancer, diabetes, and HIV, to eradicate the illness. So people looking for cure might gravitate toward faith and energy healers.

Another reason why faith end energy Healers remain popular is because they offer an approach to Healing that does not include pills and other medicines, machines which can cause additional negative symptoms, or extended stays at a traditional medical facility. Many people have a healthy skepticism about the traditional medical system would you time seems to Value profit over people. As a result it often appears that patients are given treatments and medicines simply because they are expensive rather than effective. Many people who either believe this or who have experienced it, choose to turn two alternative medical approaches including faith and energy healing.

Finally, many people find the spirituality aspect of faith in energy healing to coincide with their views on life, Death, and the nature of things. So for them, this approach to Healing the body, is natural and appropriate and the traditional medicine approach goes against what they believe.

The trends for these types of healing Therapies is that more people are adopting them. They are producing very good results for many people who have been told by the traditional medicine community that they were either incurable or that their symptoms could not be alleviated without radical therapies, if at all. There’s no doubt that the popularity of these therapies will continue to grow, and they may soon be considered traditional medicine.

 

February 2, 2018

What to Do If You Get Injured While Traveling Abroad

Injuries never happen at convenient times, but there may be no worse time to get hurt than during a trip. If you’re engaging in high-risk activities like rock climbing or cliff-diving, you might anticipate an injury, but even if you’re taking a leisurely vacation, anything can happen. Bathtub slips, stairwell tumbles, traffic accidents, and everyday scrapes and bruises can happen in a hotel or resort just as easily as they can happen at home. Follow these steps to deal with injuries abroad.

Practice First Aid

Image via Flickr by dlg_images

The same first aid principles apply no matter where you are. If you’re bleeding, apply direct pressure and elevate that body part above heart level. If you or someone in your group has a head or neck injury, wait for professional help, and don’t try to move. Clean wounds immediately with soap and water to prevent infection.

Seek Medical Care

Your hotel, hostel, or rental host should be able to help you get in touch with a doctor or hospital. If your situation isn’t an emergency, you can Google “English-speaking doctors in [city]” to find assistance. The International Medical Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers can also help you find English-speaking doctors worldwide at no charge, although the organization does accept donations. If you have travel insurance, call the number and see if your insurer can put you in touch with a doctor. In a true emergency, reach out to anyone nearby for help with calling an ambulance.

Self-Care for Minor Injuries

If your injury doesn’t require medical attention, practice good self-care. Keep wounds clean and lightly covered. Ice swollen joints, rest them, and keep them elevated. Ask your hotel or host for any supplies you need. A supportive brace or elastic bandage can work wonders for a sore knee or ankle, but be careful not to overuse it. Injured joints need rest.

Evacuation for Serious Injuries

If you need serious medical care, you’ll need to be evacuated to your home hospital. If you’ve planned ahead by purchasing aMedjetHorizon membership, you’ll have all the essential help with coordinating your evacuation, whether it’s due to injury, political unrest, violence, or terrorism. Without that support, you would need to manage all the arrangements yourself, which could be overwhelming.

Check Your Insurance

Even if you didn’t buy travel insurance, you may still have some coverage available through the credit card you used to pay for the trip. Most credit card travel insurance is extremely limited and may not provide much help to an injured traveler. However, there are a few cards that carry more useful benefits. While none of them will cover medical or evacuation expenses, some have a trip cancellation benefit that will reimburse you for the portion of your tours, flights, cruise, or other expensive activity that you’ll have to miss.

No one plans to get hurt on a trip, as injuries are almost always unexpected. If you find yourself with an injury abroad or while visiting a new city, make sure your top priority is to find access to the medical care you need to recover. It is important to keep safe while traveling during all times of the year and throughout your travels. So be prepared and have the right care and coverage to protect yourself!

January 31, 2018

Relaxation Dentist Clinton Services for Those who Fear the Dentist

Have you heard of relaxation dentistry? Not every dentist Clinton has to offer has made this available yet, but there has been a significant interest raised in it. This makes sense, because the reality is that people are afraid of going to the dentist, and they will avoid going because of this fear. As a result, dentists, who know that serious and painful dental problems can be avoided by having regular checkups, do all they can to attract people to their clinics, which is why some are now considering relaxation dentistry.

Dentist Clinton Relaxation Services

With relaxation dentistry, people are able to receive the services of a dentist without having to deal with anxiety and fear. It ensures patients are completely relaxed and that their experience with the dentist is comfortable as well. It basically ensures that people stop thinking about their treatment and what they are having done. Those who have tried relaxation dentistry have been very positive about their experiences. They believe that it offers fantastic value for money as well, not in the least because it has enabled them to go to the dentist at all, sometimes for the first time in many years.

Relaxation dentistry is not the same as sedation dentistry, although the latter does also help patients to relax. However, the ultimate goal and philosophy behind relaxation dentistry is to actually fully remove the fear patients have about going to the dentist. This, in turn, enables them to actually get the treatment they need. Exactly how dentists achieve this, however, varies tremendously. Some examples include:

Spa dentistry, where people can have relaxing spa treatments before and/or after their dentistry treatment. This includes massages, face masks, and sauna treatment.

Aromatherapy and color therapy, encouraging people to enter a fully relaxed state of mind when they enter the treatment room.

Anxiety dogs and other pets, who spend time with patients, often during their treatment, to help them feel more relaxed.

Dentists who have tried to offer relaxation dentistry have been as enthusiastic as their patients. They have seen a great increase in the number of people who come through their door, but also a great increase in the number of people who stick to their six monthly checkups. Suddenly, people do not have as many reservations anymore about going to the dentist, and that can only be seen as a positive development. Exactly how much relaxation someone needs before their treatment and how that is offered varies tremendously, and good dentists will discuss this with their patients first.

The most important thing to remember is that, if you have a fear of the dentist, there are solutions out there for you. Whether it is stroking a dog to calm down while you receive your treatment, or whether it is being placed under general anesthetic because you genuinely can’t cope, there are options out there. There should be no reason, therefore, for anybody to not have their twice a year checkups and focus on their oral hygiene.

January 25, 2018

How Terminix, A Top Pest Control Company, Treats Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are annoying because they are pests that can live both indoors and outdoors. Mosquitoes drink human blood and their bite is known to be itchy and uncomfortable, but even worse, mosquitoes can also carry a variety of pathogens that can cause disease that can be potentially dangerous to you and your loved ones. In some cases, you can get away with just wearing bug spray during the summer months. However, if you reside in an area that is particularly mosquito friendly, you should consider protecting your home and keep your kids safe with a reliable pest control company like Terminix.

Here is more on how mosquito pest control works with Terminix:

Pest Control Near Me: Terminix has a variety of locations within the United States and in Canada. With nearly a century in the business and a variety of trained professionals on hand, Terminix likely has someone in your area or can recommend a good alternative.

Bait: After you contact Terminix about your mosquito problem, a Terminix professional will come to your home to arrange a treatment. The professional will apply a lasting compound that kills mosquitoes and mosquito larvae on contact.

Bite Control: The mosquito population will decrease, leading to an equivalent reduction in bites. Terminix professionals generally estimate a 90% decrease in the first week. However, results can vary by area.

Lasting Protection: Once the treatment is arranged, its zone of protection can last for weeks thanks to a special layer that withstands weather. A Terminix professional can refresh the treatment on a monthly basis to keep the mosquitos controlled.

If you are facing a major mosquito problem, Terminix has plenty of solutions to help ensure that your property is protected from the bugs.

January 5, 2018

10 Facts About Why Adrenaline’s Your Friend

“Heartbeat” (CC BY 2.0) by Joyce Kaes

Whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation, you experience a number of physical symptoms. We’ve all had them, whether we’re racing to catch a train, about to make a major presentation or are even facing a direct physical threat.

For starters, your heart feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest, your palms are clammy and sweaty and your immediate response is to look for a quick way to either escape or to confront the situation. This is a classic example of the fight-or-flight response – a reaction hardwired into us all and equally common throughout the animal kingdom. It’s caused by the sudden flooding of our system by the hormone adrenaline and, although the physical effects can be unpleasant to experience and over-exposure to it can be physically damaging, without it we’d find ourselves unable to cope in a wide range of situations.

The actual hormone is produced in the medulla by the adrenal glands as well as by a number of neurons throughout the body’s nervous systems. And, unlike some hormones which work more slowly, there are always plentiful supplies waiting to be released in a split second as a danger signal is received.

As the fuel that lies behind the fight-or-flight response, the physical responses that it generates all serve a logical purpose. These include the dilation of air passages to the lungs to give a burst of oxygenated blood to the muscles, driven by a rapidly beating heart. As a result, we – hopefully – have all the energy needed to either confront or evade the threat in question

Of course, the emotion that adrenaline is linked with just as closely as fear is stress – a reaction to our environment that is often seen as detrimental to our overall wellbeing and peace of mind. But this doesn’t always have to be the case as, in certain circumstances, the super-sensitive levels of alertness that it can generate can be harnessed to help you perform at a heightened level in a number of ways. Here are just 10 of them.

1. It can help you hit a deadline

When your brain is flooded with adrenaline, for example when that feeling of panic that a deadline’s going to be missed, it focuses your attention very effectively indeed. So rather than relying on cups of coffee to sharpen you up and get you in the right mood to perform when it’s vital, just trust in your own in-built rocket fuel instead.

2. It can help you to see more clearly

Because the role of adrenaline is to get your body ready to react to a danger it can also help you to spot the signs of it approaching. It does this by making your pupils dilate in order to let in more light, which allows you to be more sensitive to the visible signs of an impending attack.

3. It can help you breathe more easily

When you’re stressed you may have the sensation of feeling tightly wound up. So it might be a surprise to learn that adrenaline actually causes some parts of the body to relax including your bronchioles allowing more vital oxygen to be absorbed into the bloodstream. That’s why injections of synthetic adrenaline are often given to asthma sufferers when they are having an attack.

4. It can help you experience life more intensely.

“Loop” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by PanCa SatRio

When adrenaline is coursing round your body it plays a key role in creating what doctors call the “excitation transfer process” which works to intensify any feelings that you’re having at the time. That’s why roller coasters are such an exhilarating and addictive experience for some – and such a source of dread for others.

5. It can help you to manage pain

In a process that’s still only partially understood, adrenaline helps to block pain receptors, at least when it’s in your system. This obviously has a number of advantages – and not just when you feel under real physical threat. For athletes, it can help them focus on the excitement of striving for victory and overcome the pain they’ll have to endure to reach that finishing line.

6. It can give you extra strength

While tales of super-human strength when under extreme stress may seem like an exaggeration, there is considerable evidence – and logic – behind the assertion that a shot of adrenaline can help us all to achieve feats that would normally prove to be beyond us. That’s because when muscles are receiving a highly oxygenated blood supply from exercise and adrenaline they will be able to work extra efficiently and, again, this could be why athletes fired up to perform can go on break world records.

7. It can make you bolder

When you’re in a situation where there’s plenty at stake it can be helpful if the rational can be over-ridden by the impulsive. Say, for example, you’re playing in a live online casino like bitcasino.io. The thrill of the play and the chance to go for a big win could well lead you to on-the-spot decision-making that, in the normal course of events, you simply wouldn’t contemplate. And, hopefully, you would then discover that fortune really does favour the brave.

8. It can help you think more clearly

There’s also evidence that when you’re in a stressful situation it can also help you to think more clearly. An academic called Michael Gass of the University of New Hampshire has found, in two decades of studying the benefits of physical risk taking, that when danger presents itself instinct takes over, blocking out all extraneous detail.

9. It can help to fight off illness

Just as adrenaline primes your body to get everything working at maximum efficiency it also gives a real boost to your immune system, at least for a short period of time, by sending your white blood cells into overdrive

10. It might even slow down the ageing process

Research is still in its early stages but it’s even thought that the antioxidants that are released in an adrenaline rush also serve to destroy many of the free radicals that are responsible for a certain amount of tissue damage that is part of the ageing process – and that really is something to get excited about.

December 29, 2017

How to Train for a Marathon

For many people it is a lifelong dream to finish a marathon. They may have been inspired by watching friends or family – or might just want to feel that intense sense of achievement that is experienced after completing the 26.2-mile race.

The appeal of achievement

Different people will have different reasons for wanting to finish a marathon but a lot of the time it will just come down to being able to say that you did it – especially if it is your first event. Proving to yourself that you were able to complete one of the hardest endurance races in the world of sport is always going to make you feel good about yourself.

It may take immense bravery to sign up for a marathon but it takes a dedicated training regime to be able to go through with it. Whether you have competed in marathons for years – or you are a complete novice – you will still need to put the hours in and follow a plan if you are going to be successful.

If you are raising money for a good cause, the need to be able to complete what you have set out to do will be even stronger as you will be running not just for yourself but for the people you hoping to help.

Whatever the reason you decide to run, here are five marathon training tips to ensure that you end up with the medal around your neck.

Stick to the plan

You will discover that there are various ideas about how long you should train before a marathon. In some respects it depends on how much you run in the first place (and don’t worry, you can absolutely run a marathon even if you have never run before in your life). Ideally you want to start at least 16 weeks before the big day – and whatever you do, make sure you keep at it and follow your regime.

Go harder

You cannot expect to be able to run marathon style distances straight away – and nor should you. You need to be running regularly throughout the months leading up to a marathon but it is a good idea to increase the distances that you are running as you progress. Not only will this increase your stamina needed, but it also means that you know that you can make the distance as you have worked up to it over time. There are also many fitness workouts that can help you increase your endurance on top of just running.

Get the gear

There are always some very memorable sights when it comes to marathons. In many of the biggest city events you will see fancy dress outfits alongside the usual sporting gear. To make sure you can produce your best performance on the day you should make sure that you are kitted out in the right way. Wear what feels right for you but also think about support gear. Compression socks for women and men are very common – they can help circulation and avoid muscle fatigue and come in all sizes.

Go the distance

A mainstay of marathon train is ‘the long run’. This is exactly what the name suggests – a run over longer distance that you need to be doing every week of training. Shorter runs are needed as well but to get your body ready for the marathon you should ideally be including a longer effort. You should also try to increase the miles of this longer run as your training progresses.

Get a friend

Even the most committed wannabe marathon runner can feel like giving up somewhere along the way. To make sure you don’t turn into one of those people who never end up completing a marathon you should find a training partner. They don’t even have to be running the marathon with you – as long as they keep with you through training you are more likely to push yourself and not give up. You could find that they even just offer support and words of wisdom when you feel like quitting. However they help, you will achieve more with a little bit of back up.

Eyes on the prize

Training will be tough – but that may be the easy bit compared to the marathon itself. However, if you follow a good training plan and think carefully about how you are going to complete the 26.2 miles the sense of achievement will be overwhelming. You’ll have a successful race day and you may even feel like signing up for another one as soon as you finish!

December 15, 2017

How to make a retirement plan today

When you are planning your retirement there are several important factors to consider. You need to look at how you will sustain yourself financially, where you will live, and more. Check out the following for information on how you can make a feasible plan for retirement.

Financial planning

Assessing your finances is the first thing to do when you are deciding when you will retire. Consider how much money you would need to cover your financial essentials, leaving some funds for inessential items and fun after retirement. Account for inflation, major purchases, trips, and emergencies.

If your employer offers a pension plan, then you are lucky to have such a secure nest egg awaiting your retirement. Early in the planning for retirement phase it is a good idea to talk to your financial planner about what type of retirement account and funds are right for you over and above your work pension. When you get closer to retirement, they will typically advise you to move funds to less risky investments.

Tips for saving money

Saving money for special events is important. Especially if you are looking to save money for a vacation. You do need to have some meaningful leisure time, but by investing more in your retirement account now you could retire earlier. Cutting back on everyday expenses by spending less on dining out and entertainment is a positive move. Shop around for deals, especially for big purchases and try cutting back on big purchases in general.

Avoiding debt and paying off high-interest debts can also save money in the long run.

Planning ahead

While it is difficult to think about, start to consider the end of your life. Funeral planning can remove some of the financial burden that loved ones have to worry about after you have passed away.

Funeral planning ahead of time ensures that things will be carried out as you wish and gives loved ones a clear vision of how to proceed during their time of grief.

Housing

Before you retire, you should determine where you plan to live for the rest of your life. If you own a home that is paid for, then you could live there long-term without incurring further housing debt. Otherwise you might like to consider moving into a retirement home or perhaps somewhere with assisted living facilities.

Downsizing

Whether you are planning to stay in your current home or move to a new residence, downsizing your possessions can help you to de-clutter and reduce the number of items to be sorted later by loved ones.

Unexpected change of housing

Keep in mind that sometimes unexpected health issues can arise that require us to relocate. As we age, the possibility of becoming unable to care for ourselves or becoming permanently disabled increases.

Issues like osteoporosis, falls, and arthritis can affect our mobility and ability to care for ourselves. Health conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s might require moving to where professionals can help with everyday tasks.

When it comes to planning for retirement, there are many factors to consider. You have to plan your finances, housing, and there are other issues to contend with. Hopefully this guide will help you have a happy and financially sound retirement.