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Of course, because spring is a time for new beginnings, cleaning and organization around the house are very popular this time of year. If you’re ready to tackle that monumental chore, read on for some helpful information. (And if you’re so tidy and organized throughout the year that spring cleaning isn’t a big chore for you, well, keep that to yourself! Unless you want your friends and neighbors to be jealous, that is.) Take it one room at a time. Deciding to clean or organize your entire home can quickly get overwhelming. If you focus on just one area or room, then move to another only when you’re finished, you’ll likely work more efficiently. Follow the six-month rule. Generally, if you haven’t used something in six months (with the exception of seasonal items), it’s a good idea to consider throwing it away or donating it. Don’t forget the kitchen. Just like other rooms, your kitchen likely has things that haven’t been used in some time — and this includes food in the refrigerator or freezer. Give those appliances a thorough cleaning and get rid of anything you won’t be eating. Set yourself up for success. Paper clutter is something we all could probably cut back on pretty easily. Setting up a few recycling bins throughout the house gives you a convenient alternative to just setting that old magazine or paperwork down somewhere and watching the pile grow. Make some money! Of course, the spring cleaning garage sale is a tradition for many homeowners, and can be a great way to bring in some extra income. Talk about a win-win situation — you get rid of stuff you don’t need, and someone pays you for it! Stay safe. When you’re cleaning or maintaining your home, be mindful of the physical risks involved. Lift with your leg muscles, not your back. Avoid prolonged repetitive motions. Use ladders, lawnmowers and other dangerous tools with caution.
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Believe it or not, the average stress level of Americans has dropped since 2007, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). But we here at First Community Financial Group understand if you don’t exactly feel that way. 2020, 2021, 2022 have taught us that stress can come at us from any direction. Even though things have improved, the APA’s most recent Stress in America™ survey indicates that Americans are still living with stress levels higher than what’s considered healthy. And nearly one-quarter of respondents say they aren’t doing enough to manage it. It’s a good thing, then, that Stress Awareness Month is here. Held every April since 1992 and sponsored by the nonprofit Health Resource Network, Stress Awareness Month is a “national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.” Stress management doesn’t just help you feel calmer and more focused. It’s important to your overall health. Constant exposure to stress can trigger your brain’s alarm system to remain in alert mode, flooding your system with the hormones you need to take flight or fight when facing danger, according to the Mayo Clinic. This causes more stress in and of itself. And all that stress can cause problems with your health, your relationships and your overall quality of life. So, reducing your stress is well worth your while, and, if you don’t know where to start, we’re here to help. These tips from the Mayo Clinic and WebMD will get you headed in the right direction:
April in Texas is a great time to try to reduce stress and live a healthier life. So, what are you waiting for? Take a few more walks, read a good book, pick up a new hobby. At the end of the month, see how you feel. Keep doing the things that worked for you; stop doing the things that didn’t. Remember, when you make stress management a bigger part of your life, you leave less room for the stress itself. In most places in the United States, March 12, 2023, is Daylight Saving, when clocks are moved forward one hour. We here at First Community Financial Group want to remind you it’s also a great time to improve your family’s safety. Be safe in your Texas home Health and safety agencies often use the approach of Daylight-Saving Time to remind people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The American Red Cross suggests you test your smoke alarms and talk with your family about your fire escape plan. Whether you live in Texas or elsewhere, practice the plan too – at least twice a year. Daylight Saving is a great time to check your emergency preparedness kit to make sure it’s fully stocked with fresh supplies. Carbon Monoxide a concern too According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400 people die annually in the US from carbon monoxide poisoning. The CDC recommends changing the batteries in your CO detectors when moving your clocks forward this Sunday. The CDC says the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. See the CDC’s site for more ways to prevent carbon monoxide exposure. We here at First Community Financial Group hope these tips help and that you’ll consider sharing them with the people you care about so they can live safer lives too. Everyone needs health insurance, now more than ever. With the COVID-19 pandemic in its second year, there has never been a better reminder that taking care of your health is key to remaining well and safe. The right health insurance can help make certain you receive both routine and critical medical care affordably at the time you need it.
Though health insurance substantially reduces your out-of-pocket burden for medical expenses, it does not eliminate that burden. Most care requires some degree of cost-sharing, meaning you must cover a portion of the expenses yourself. One of these personal costs may be your deductible. A deductible is a specific cost burden that will accompany certain medical procedures or services. Here’s how it works. How Do Deductibles Work? A deductible is a fixed, yearly amount that you must pay for medical expenses before your health insurance will cover the remaining costs of care. Deductibles are designed to lessen the cost burden posed to medical insurers. By sharing some costs, insurers can continue to offer affordable premiums and more expansive coverage to all of their policyholders. For example, suppose that your health insurance plan has a $2,000 annual deductible. This means that you will have to pay up to $2,000 out of pocket in a single year before your insurance plan will cover certain costs of care. After you have paid off the deductible, then your plan will cover additional eligible expenses. In this example, if you received a $5,000 surgery bill, you’d pay $2,000 and your insurance would cover the rest. Once your plan renews, the deductible obligation starts over. When Do I Have to Pay It? Health insurance deductibles do not necessarily apply to every medical expense you might face. Some plans require you to pay 100% of the costs of care until you have met your deductible while others exempt certain care from the deductible obligation. Most plans exempt regular checkups, medically necessary services and preventative care from deductible rules. You may only have to pay the necessary copayment or coinsurance regardless of whether you still owe money on your deductible for a checkup, lab work, vaccination or other routine care. This enables you to still receive the care that is most necessary for you to stay well, without facing an undue cost burden. Your deductible will still often apply to certain care costs, such as inpatient care expenses, certain imaging services or other care that your insurer might not deem medically necessary. You can examine precisely how your plan outlines your own deductible obligations by reviewing your explanation of benefits document. This will outline exactly how and when the deductible will apply. For further information on your health insurance deductible, contact our agency today! his post is not intended to offer dietary, nutrition, or health advice. Instead, I hope it clears up some confusion about what people (including me!) mean when they say “plant-based.” And I cannot stand the word "diet" as it has a negative connotation to most people. I prefer the term "way of eating" or "lifestyle." It truly is that: a lifestyle change! What is WFPB? A whole food plant-based diet has the ability to prevent and even reverse some chronic diseases. Here DFN's GP Resources Advisor Dr. Malcolm Mackay discusses the power of a well-implemented WFPB diet and how to get started. Article first published in Nourish Magazine. "Nothing good removed, nothing bad added" When we talk about plant-based way of eating, we really mean plants only, so no meat, chicken, fish, eggs or dairy products. The whole foods part is not so black and white though and needs a little more explanation. When following a whole food, plant-based diet (WFPB), the food groups included are whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and small quantities of nuts and seeds. Processed food is kept to a minimum and adheres to the adage, ‘nothing good removed, nothing bad added’. A WFPB diet has a strong health ethos – we consider not just whether it’s a whole plant food but also whether it promotes good health. For example, coconut products are avoided because the high saturated fat content is not health promoting. However, unlike other vegan diets, a WFPB diet is defined more by what is included rather than by what is excluded. The key to successfully adopting a WFPB diet is to eat adequate, and even large, portions of ‘complex carbohydrates’ or ‘starches’. You want to get most of your calories from whole grains, legumes and root vegetables, with these making up at least half of your plate. You can load up the rest with salads and vegetables. Following a WFPB diet is easy to sustain for many because of the improvements in well being that people experience. These include:
Your best defense against disease While there are many areas of uncertainty in nutritional science, there is a core of knowledge that is not controversial. Diets that include significant amounts of processed foods and animal products are a leading cause of modern diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Conversely, a healthy plant-based diet can provide improvements and even reverse these and other lifestyle-related diseases. If we consider all the published data on dietary treatment of disease, the known physiological mechanisms behind these diseases, and the experience of clinicians who treat them, they all point towards a plant-based diet that is low in fat and based on whole foods as a solution. Indeed, this is the only diet that has been proven to reverse coronary heart disease. The Adventist Health Study 2 demonstrated a reduction in the risk of chronic disease with each step along the dietary spectrum from omnivore through to vegan. However, it should be noted that this and other studies also find some vegans still suffer from hypertension, diabetes and heart disease – conditions shown to be rare in populations with traditional diets that are mostly plant-based. The difference is that these populations ate minimally processed plant products, whereas a modern vegan diet can have more in common with the standard Western diet in terms of low dietary fiber content plus added fat, sugar and salt. A whole food, plant-based diet has an impact on multiple diseases, whether for prevention, treatment or even reversal of disease. It also has a powerful therapeutic effect: a symphony of nutrients working on a multitude of bodily mechanisms that contribute to good health. This is particularly powerful when compared to a pharmaceutical drug that inhibits a single chemical reaction. The effects of a WFPB diet is as much due to the inclusion of the many biologically active phytonutrients in whole plant foods as it is to the exclusion of harmful components in animal products and processed foods. Phytonutrients enhance normal physiological function, including:
A WFPB diet has a powerful therapeutic effect: a symphony of nutrients working on a multitude of bodily mechanisms that contribute to good health. WFPB dos and don'ts Grains are an important component of a WFPB diet, and gluten free diets are easily accommodated by choosing grains other than wheat, barley and rye. Humans have been eating grains throughout time and research consistently observes better health outcomes for those who consume more whole grains. Intact whole grains such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, are better than flour products for weight loss and reversing insulin resistance. You want to keep any flour products as close to whole meal as possible. Avoid refined grains such as white rice, white pasta, processed gluten-free products and non-whole meal flour. These have had good things removed – dietary fiber, iron and other nutrients, and phytonutrients including antioxidant polyphenols. Fresh fruit is a health supporting whole food, rich in fiber, nutrients and water and low in calories, so great to include. Dried fruit is still a whole food, but a lot more concentrated, so good for extra calories if you need them. While smoothies retain nutrients, they provide less satiety and more rapid sugar absorption, so chewing your food is the healthier option. A WFPB diet may include small amounts of partially processed foods, for example plant milks and tofu (which have had some fiber removed). Sugar, sugary syrups and fruit juices are not whole foods, but if you choose to use them, try to keep this to small amounts. A big adjustment for many who follow a WFPB diet is that all vegetable oils and margarines are excluded, even olive oil. Oils are not whole foods and while there is debate as to whether oil can be part of a healthy diet, the consensus among plant-based nutrition experts is that oils are health-damaging foods. This has a lot to do with its composition. Oil has the maximum calorie content of any food and very few nutrients – zero fiber, zero protein, zero iron, zero calcium and so on. And even if oil were somehow healthy, it would displace a lot of food calories that should have provided fiber, nutrients and phytonutrients. Oils are not your friend if you are struggling to maintain your iron levels without supplements or you need more dietary fiber for better gut function. Further, joint pain and other health problems often only resolve when the last bit of oil is removed from the diet. Rest assured, while it may seem like a big change, it’s easy to prepare food without oil and there are plenty of resources to help you do it. One more thing – plant protein supplements are unnecessary on a WFPB diet and have the same nutrient displacement issue as oil and sugar. Supplementing with isolated and concentrated nutrients is not a good insurance policy because excessive amounts of one nutrient can counteract the action of other nutrients. So, eat peas, not pea protein! (Vitamin B12 supplements are an exception here and are recommended for plant-based diets.) Calorie density is key Understanding calorie density is the key to managing weight whether you need to lose weight, maintain weight or bulk up. You do not need to practice portion control when you eat foods that are high in fiber, low in fat and calories, and naturally satiating. You do not need to practice portion control when you eat foods that are high in fiber, low in fat and calories, and naturally satiating. Minimally processed grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits are satiating, resulting in unintended ‘calorie restriction’, which benefits many aspects of metabolic function. The high carbohydrate foods that have been demonized by low-carb ideology – potatoes, beans, brown rice and other whole grains – are moderately low calorie-density foods, with about half the calorie density of meat. You can healthfully eat large serves of phytonutrient-rich plants on a WFPB diet. Be aware that nuts and seeds are naturally very high in fat and low in water, and consequently have at least five times the calorie density of basic starchy foods. This makes them appealing to eat, but easy to overeat. Eating a lot of nuts and seeds can give you a very high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. For a healthier ratio include nuts and seeds that are higher in omega-3 such as flax and chia seeds. There is legitimate debate over how much high-fat whole plant foods to include in a healthy WFPB diet. However, it’s the more starch-based, low-fat end of the spectrum that has the runs on the board in terms of disease reversal studies, effective lifestyle programs and clinical experience. Of course, part of the personal empowerment is that it’s up to you how plant-based and whole food you eat, but every step you take towards a WFPB diet will improve your health and wellbeing. WFPB top tips
See article in whole here: What is WFPB? (doctorsfornutrition.org) Read more for yourself here: Beginner’s Guide to a Plant-Based Diet: Food List, Meal Plan, Benefits, and More | Everyday Health Beginner's Guide to a Plant-Based Diet | Forks Over Knives Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet Guide - Center for Nutrition Studies Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet Plan | EatingWell I Tried a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet: Here's What Happened | The Beet Are you getting enough hours of sleep at night? Do you wake up each morning feeling refreshed and ready to go?
For many people, that’s not the case. It’s more common for individuals to struggle through those first hours of the day, longing to be back in bed for a few more hours. The problem is that a lack of sleep—especially a chronic lack—can lead to a number of health risks. If your health insurance claims are increasing because your health is suffering, it could be due to a lack of quality sleep. How can you reduce these risks? Why Is Sleep So Important? Sleep impacts many of your day-to-day functions. As a result, your brain health, physical health and emotional health can all be severely impacted if you aren’t getting enough quality hours of sleep at night. How can you reduce the health risks associated with a lack of sleep?
You can prevent complications to your health by making changes to the way you sleep. Paying attention to your sleep patterns (or the lack of them) can be lifesaving. Your health is our priority. Contact our agency for more information on health insurance. When you insure yourself under a life insurance policy, you will name a beneficiary who will receive the policy’s payout in the event of your death. This settlement is called a death benefit, and it can ease your survivors’ financial burdens in numerous practical ways.
You might decide that leaving life insurance to family beneficiaries is the best way to enable them to settle your estate. However, a death benefit is different from other types of inheritance. Here’s what you should consider when you are choosing the death benefit for your life insurance policy. How Do Death Benefits Work? You buy life insurance while you are still alive, but it is only designed to pay out in the event of your death. You can choose the sum of the death benefit included within the plan, and you can also choose for how long you want the policy to cover you. Some plans only cover you for a certain term of years (term life insurance) and others last for the rest of your life (permanent life insurance). At the time of choosing the plan, you will also name the beneficiary to who you want to receive the policy funds. You cannot be both the insured and the beneficiary on the policy since you must die for the policy to pay out benefits. Should you die while the policy is in place, your beneficiary will receive the death benefit. Some life insurance plans allow you to name primary and contingent beneficiaries, and you can also instruct that each beneficiary receive a certain percentage of the death benefit. One positive aspect of life insurance death benefits is that they are not considered part of your estate. As a result, they will not go through the probate process. Therefore, your beneficiaries won’t automatically be obligated to repay creditors or others using this money. Still, if you want to put stipulations on how the death benefit money is to be used, then you have the option of placing the money into a trust. The trust will be the technical beneficiary on the policy, and you can set rules within the trust on how the named trustee is to distribute the money within. You should let your beneficiaries know that you are naming them on your life insurance policy. That way, they will know that, upon your death, they need to notify the life insurer and start the claims process. At that time, they should receive the money within a few weeks. However, they will have to provide proof of your death, and the insurer might take longer to pay out benefits (or even deny a claim) if there are suspicious circumstances surrounding your passing. If you are unsure your loved one will know what to do with your life insurance death benefit, you can let your will or attorney provide instruction to your beneficiary after your death. Additionally, your life insurance agent can help your loved one through this process. Health insurance can be expensive, and as of 2021, there is no longer a federal requirement that you have to buy health insurance. You will not face fines for not carrying coverage.
Choosing to go uninsured isn’t recommended—and for a good reason. The average cost of health insurance for a single person in the U.S. is around $495 a year (about $41.25 a month), while the average cost for an American family is around $1,779 a year (about $148.25 a month). This may seem expensive, but it’s critical to compare health insurance premiums to the cost benefits you will receive from buying a policy. The True Cost of Health Care Getting health insurance is encouraged due to the expensive nature of health care services today. A single hospital stay can cost an average of more than $15,000, this is an expense many are not ready to pay for. While you may be able to schedule payments for expensive medical bills, it isn’t always feasible—especially when added to other everyday medical costs such as medications, check-ups, doctor visits, etc. Consider just a few of the average costs of common health care services (without insurance):
For example, a single person gets into a car wreck and needs emergency services. They’re transported by ambulance to a hospital and rushed into immediate spinal fusion surgery. Once out of surgery, they not only need to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover, but they will also need prescription medication and physical therapy. On the low side, the victim could be facing a bill of at least $35,000 (on top of recovering physically and emotionally from the incident). Growing Health Care Costs Unfortunately, these prices only seem to be growing due to a few factors, such as:
If you have life insurance, then you will name a beneficiary. The beneficiary is the person who will receive the death benefit payout upon your death. You want your life insurance to help your survivors move on financially. However, choosing the right beneficiary might feel like a big challenge, particularly if you are single.
Still, if you are single and are in the process of getting life insurance, you have a lot of freedom to choose the beneficiary who you think will be most capable of settling your final expenses. Choosing a beneficiary for your policy is completely up to you. Still, you should put appropriate thought into naming the right recipient. Consider how the following individuals might benefit from your policy:
Plus, there are countless other people who you might decide to make beneficiaries on your policy—friends, siblings, business partners or extended relatives. In reality, the decision of who to name as a beneficiary is entirely up to you, and as a single individual, you have a lot of room for leverage. The choice of beneficiaries is an important part of life insurance decisions. And, it always helps to have more than one listed on the plan (in case the first person cannot accept the funds). Take a few minutes to discuss your needs with your loved ones so you can make the best decision going forward. Protect your family from the ‘silent killer’Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, invisible gas that results when certain fuels do not burn completely. And it can be deadly. That’s why it’s important to know how to prevent it, detect it, and protect yourself and your family from its effects. In the home, carbon monoxide is most commonly formed by flames and heaters, as well as vehicles or generators that are running in an attached garage. As temperatures drop and more people are cranking the heat and hovering over the stove inside and warming up the car’s engine before hitting the road, it’s especially critical to ensure your family’s safety against this lethal gas. Since carbon monoxide cannot be detected without a carbon monoxide detection device, it is essential to install and maintain one or more detectors in your home. Detector Tips At First Community Financial Group, we want you and your family to stay protected, so check out the following tips from CAL FIRE San Diego County Fire Authority for safeguarding your household. · The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home, including the basement. A detector should be located within 10 feet of each bedroom door, and there should be one near or over any attached garage. · Each detector should be replaced every five to six years. · Battery-only carbon monoxide detectors tend to go through batteries more frequently than expected. Plug-in detectors with a battery backup (for use if power is interrupted) provide less battery-changing maintenance. · Thoroughly read the installation manual that comes with the individual detector you purchase. Manufacturers’ recommendations differ to a certain degree based on research conducted with detectors for specific brands. · Remember that carbon monoxide detectors do not serve as smoke detectors and vice versa. You can, however, purchase a dual smoke/carbon monoxide detector that can perform both functions. · Do not install carbon monoxide detectors next to fuel-burning appliances, as these appliances may emit a small amount of carbon monoxide upon startup. In case of exposure At First Community Financial Group, we hope you never have to use the following tips from the Mayo Clinic, but please read on for good information that could help save a life. If you suspect that you or someone you know has been exposed to carbon monoxide, check for the following symptoms: · dull headache · weakness · dizziness · nausea · vomiting · shortness of breath · confusion · loss of consciousness If any of the symptoms exist, move the individual into fresh air and seek emergency medical care immediately. REMEMBER TO CALL 911! The CDC also has a slew of resources: Frequently Asked Questions | CDC Emergencies and Generators | CDC Prevention Guidance | Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | CDC |
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