Category Archives: Habits

Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever

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Don’t try to overhaul your life overnight. Instead, focus on making one small change at a time. Over time, those small changes will add up to big transformation. Don’t give up!”

A reporter once asked Albert Einstein what’s man’s greatest invention was, and the scientist, after a long pause, simply replied: “Compound interest.”

Compounding—the idea of something gaining value exponentially into the future through better decisions made in the present—is one of the greatest lessons any human being can ever learn.

In Becoming Ageless, “it is never too late to reverse how you look and feel, and to develop the mindset of how you do it. Day in and day out, if you want to live longer and live better, you need a clear and basic understanding that the outcome of your journey is the sum of its steps.”

There are no guarantees with your physical or emotional health, just as there are no guarantees with your wealth. But, you can stack the odds in your favor by making sacrifices today that are worth the gains in the long term.

And with the principles explained in Becoming Ageless, you’ll be living longer—and with greater clarity of thought, mobility, and freedom from pain. Ultimately, you can take the tactical insights about daily living and the strategic insight into the larger quest to live longer and better. After all, you can be living proof that if you’re willing to consistently and incrementally implement small changes—while keeping your eye on the larger goal at all times—you’ll boost your chances of living longer and living happier than you ever imagined.

You can have the mind, body, and spirit of someone half your age, and add more years to your life. Or, you can have people stare in disbelief when they discover how old you really are. You can become…ageless?  You can. It’s possible.

Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever is the result of years of research into the science of longevity. It is about looking and feeling eternal. It has worked, and it will work for you. On this effective plan, you’ll:

  • Lose stubborn belly fat and watch the pounds melt away.
  • Enjoy amazing meals, workouts, and a sense of community.
  • Look and feel noticeabley younger—for life!
  • The strategies contained inside Becoming Ageless, you’ll discover:
    • An easy and effective program for everyone that will help you flatten your gut and become healthier than you ever thought possible.
    • Delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make recipes including hearty breakfasts, easy-to-make lunches, filling dinners, and even desserts.
    • A full workout plan that will sculpt your body and help you prevent back pain and sleep better.
    • A holistic mind/body approach that really works. Look and feel better than ever without deprivation dieting, counting calories—or ever feeling hungry!

    Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever, explains exactly what it takes to be fit and healthy at any age with all the research to support it.

    The three most interesting things Zelnick learned about keeping the mind and body young.

    1. Try the less-is-more approach.

    When it comes to staying youthful and increasing longevity, deliberately plodding along can actually be more effective than going all out. A 2015 study looked at more than 1,000 runners and found that those who jogged slowly had lower mortality rates than those who ran faster. “I was a terrible runner, so a few years ago I worked with a coach,” says Zelnick. Even though they suggested brisk, one-hour sessions, Zelnick insisted on 45-minute jogs. “That was just at the brink of what I could live with before saying, ‘I hate this so much, I’ll never do it again,’” he says. “Taking it slow and steady was my strategy.”

    2. Stay adventurous.

    Research from the University of Texas at Dallas found that trying new, cognitively demanding activities improves memory function in older adulthood. “It’s just not true that we lose the ability to learn or improve our performance after the age of 25,” says Zelnick. “I picked up skiing in my 30s, cycling in my 40s, boxing in my 50s, and I’m picking up gymnastics and squash now.” Not only is it possible to learn new skills as you age, but doing so can keep your body and brain young.

    3. Accept the learning process.

    Study upon study shows the importance of grit in predicting success, and Zelnick believes it also keeps you young. You probably won’t pull off a world-class performance the first, even the 10th time you try something. “Don’t be afraid of failure or slow progress,” he says. “There are days when I play squash and I do really badly. And yes, I might get frustrated with myself but then I realize, you know what? I showed up, I did the best I could, I’ll do better the next time—or I won’t. But I’m still going to keep going.”

    With Becoming Ageless, you’ll feel fitter, sharper, and more energized than ever before—with the body of someone half your age! Boost your metabolism and enjoy all-day energy. Feel younger for life. All you have to do is follow the four secrets in the book.

    – Ageless Secret #1 You’ll Indulge in Delicious Foods 
    It’s true: You can eat to be younger. Most people associate eating for health or weight loss with a “diet”—It’s important to break that association. Diets fail. Instead, focus on “Forever Fuel.” It doesn’t mean you can’t eat your favorite foods; you’re just getting the best versions of them. On the Becoming Ageless plan, enjoy the following and lose 20+ pounds:

    • Unlimited Foods—Lean Protein, Salads, and Vegetables—eat as much as you want. bison, light tuna, chicken, eggs, grass-fed beef.
    • Limited Foods—Some fruits and dried fruits, nuts, and cheese—in moderation.
    • Highly restricted foods—no processed foods, fried foods, or added sugars. Processed foods account for 70% of the calories that Americans take in. They don’t just make you fat; they age you. Research has linked ultraprocessed foods to a higher risk for obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Intriguing new work even suggests that they may actually encourage overeating, possibly because their particular mashup of ingredients disrupts the hormones that control hunger, or it scrambles the gut-brain signals that tell us how much to eat.
    • Commit yourself to eating sensibly and eating yourself healthy.

    The book is packed with a ton of easy-to-make recipes that will help you get your best body ever. It’s true—even with a busy schedule, you can cook, because they’re that simple. And if you cook just three meals a week, you’ll live a decade longer, studies show.

    – Ageless Secret #2: You’ll Unlock Your Inner Strength
    Fitness is the foundation for so much success in many individuals lives—it improved their moods, shrunk their belly, got them out with colleagues (which led to promotions) and you don’t have to run an ultra-marathon or climb Mt. Everest. Just commit and be consistent. Get moving a little every day.

    Work out every morning and some evenings. Some moves take just minutes to do. Here’s a few ways to do it right:

    • Start slow—incorporate regular walks or body weight exercises to feel the burn.
    • Workout when you’re working—like with a stressball or a hand grip strengthener
    • Incorporate a complete exercise plan for building muscle. Use it and you’ll avoid back pain and get injured less.

    – Ageless Secret #3: You’ll Bulletproof Your Body
    You can’t feel younger if you’re sick all the time.  You want to turn your body into a disease-fighting machine. That’s why you should include:

    • Preventative measures—a complete checklist of all the tests you need, and when you should have them.
    • A guide to better sleep, so you can have a more peaceful rest.
    • Cover mental health too…favorite tip to boost confidence is to ditch the scale. Measure success by what you see in the mirror and how you look and feel. If you like what you see, what the scale reads isn’t important. That was a game-changer. Little changes mean big results.

    – Ageless Secret #4: You’ll Discover a Deeper Connection
    People who focus solely on the body and not the mind are shortchanging themselves. For lasting success, it’s essential to construct a support system that will hold you accountable—and provide incentives for you to succeed. Consider texting a friend after every workout, and revel in the virtual high-five; better yet, join a workout class. You’ll strengthen bonds with friends and loved ones and elevate your mood and productivity.

    It’s a benefit in embracing my spiritual side. For quiet reflection, personally integrate morning prayer. It’s life-changing, and feeds into personal success on every level. To help you focus, meditate, do yoga, and find a community that supports your new lifestyle.

    By following the pillars in Becoming Ageless, you’ll be happier and healthier; stave off disease; enhance your spiritual connections; and lose fat from where it matters most. That’s something you want at any age. It works.

    Start by asking yourself an important question: “What do I want?” That answer will drive every decision you make. It will also make the how easier to pinpoint and, eventually, accomplish. Here are a few answers to that question: You May want to . . .

    • Live as long and healthily as possible while being cogent and mobile.
    • Be fit and strong.
    • Perform my job at my highest level.
    • Have warm and meaningful relationships with my family and friends.
    • Push my limits both mentally and physically.
    • Look good in and out of clothes.
    • Feel youthful, happy, satisfied, and as stress-free as possible.
    • Be spiritually connected.
    • Help others achieve their goals.

    You don’t want is to be limited or defined by your age. Yet sometimes, we forget that, while there’s no stopping the passage of time, we can control how well we age. Because the notion that you’ll get too old to run marathons, too weak for century rides, too fragile to ski or snowboard, or too fatigued to keep up with your grandchildren at a park is just plain wrong.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a millennial or a centenarian: Right now, you have all the resources you need to make changes to obtain or reclaim the life you want. That’s if you know what you want. So think about what you want. Be honest and don’t edit your thoughts. Contemplate it for a week if you need to. Then write down five to 10 goals. Write them right now.

    About the Author

    Strauss Zelnick is founder of the private equity firm Zelnick Media Capital and president and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the company behind blockbuster video games such as Grand Theft Auto and NBA2K.

    “Live your truth!”

    Invest for the Long Term

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    When the market is uncertain, following your long-term financial plan will be the best approach for growing your money and long-term investing success.

    Like a roller coaster ride, keeping up with the constant change in the stock market can be an intense experience. And, although those periods of market uncertainty can be unsettling, the good news is that investors who stay the course and continue investing tend to do better over time. It can be tempting to sell at a loss when markets are low, and some wait too long on the sidelines and miss a window of opportunity. If you’re concerned about investing at the right time, you could dollar cost average your investments, which is investing smaller amounts at regular intervals, as opposed to investing a single lump sum at one time. By spreading out your payments, you can take advantage of market corrections and discounted pricing without having to try to figure out the optimal time.  The key is to stay calm and stick to your long-term plans.

    Consider the Big Picture

    Sometimes, we forget that what’s happening in the market today is really just a snapshot in time. History has shown that even after a slump, the market recovers. Even better, given the lower stock prices, a down market could be a good time to add to your portfolio. You’ll likely be in a good position to take advantage of future gains, especially if you don’t plan to cash out your investments for years.

    Turn Off the Noise

    Resist the urge to make investment decisions fueled by emotion or the day’s headlines. Stay focused on your goals and how long you have to achieve them. Here are some ideas to help you follow or tweak your plan calmly:

    Assess your goals.

    Consider how long you have to achieve your goals. What do you hope to accomplish in 5, 10, 20 years? How long do you have until retirement? If your goals need to be tweaked or you need to cash out some investments sooner than planned, be sure to talk to a financial advisor.

    Review asset allocation.

    Review how much you have in stocks, bonds, ETFs and cash. Is your portfolio still a good fit based on your age, goals and risk tolerance? If not, rebalance it to stay on target.

    Start or continue to invest.

    Investing your money is the most reliable way to create wealth over time.

    If you’re new to the investing world, it’s time to get started and make your money work for you.  Your goal is to grow your money, and investing will yield higher returns than traditional savings options.

    Continue contributing to your future.

    Keep making regular contributions to your retirement plan. Prioritize these contributions as part of your monthly budget, so you’ll continue growing account balances without even thinking about it. And, keep in mind—participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or contributing to an IRA provides you certain tax and other advantages.

    Investing may appearing daunting, especially if you’ve never invested in stocks, mutual funds or bonds before. However, if you figure out how you want to invest, why you want to invest, how much money you should invest, and your risk tolerance, you’ll be well positioned to make smart decisions with your money that will serve you well for decades to come.

    Whether you prefer a do-it-yourself investor or prefer to seek assistance from an advisor, it’s important for you to develop good financial habits and for you to make sound choices.

    References:

    1. https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/
    2. https://www.navyfederal.org/resources/articles/life/investments.php?cmpid=em%7Cnl%7Cresources%7Carticles%7Carticles%7Clife%7Cinvestments%7C11/20/2020%7C31689%7CA%7Ccb4.4

    Long Term Thinking and Planning

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    Long-term thinking and planning are core values

    In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains in the book’s second habit that it’s important to “Begin with the End in Mind”. This habit is all about knowing your purpose and what you’re trying to achieve. Beginning with the end in mind is all about asking yourself questions to determine your long term objectives and the reasons behind wanting to achieve them.

    Habit 2 is based on imagination–the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes, according to FranklinCovey. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default.

    “Are you–right now–who you want to be, what you dreamed you’d be, doing what you always wanted to do?” FranklinCovey

    According to Covey, before you can live a purposeful, meaningful life, you’ve got to have a vision of what that life looks like. When you know how you want people to talk about and remember you at the end of our life, you can start taking action now to make that scenario a reality later. With the ‘End in Mind’, you’ll know what you need to do day to day and week to week to get there.

    ‘Begin with the End in Mind’ means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen. 

    It’s never too late to change course.

    “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might.” Dr. Stephen R. Covey

    Personal journeys are all about defining your direction and moving towards it with consistency, perseverance and persistence. It’s important to remember that you are in control of developing your personal journeys to wealth, health and emotional well-being.

    It’s imperative to understand that if you don’t have an end goal in mind, how will you know where are you going. How can you possibly know whether you’ve succeeded, failed or reached a place somewhere in between, if you don’t know your destination. Knowing your end goal can give you the continued motivation you need to achieve success.

    Yet, the end product (goal) isn’t as important as the process. As Covey explains, “writing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs.”

    Additionally, it’s important to ‘focus on the process’. Remember, the important thing is that you’re intentionally thinking about what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning on a daily basis and how to get there.

    References:

    1. https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/habit-2.html
    2. https://www.thediscoveryway.com/begin-end-mind-7-habits-highly-effective-people-explained/#:~:text=Begin%20with%20the%20end%20in%20mind%3A%207%20Habits,can%20use%20it%20to%20develop%20your%20personal%20leadership.

    COVID-19 Prevention: Avoid Touching Your Face

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    According to one infectious disease doctor, if you want to stay coronavirus-free there is one single thing you should avoid touching at all costs: YOUR FACE.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that COVID-19 is mainly spread from person-to-person, either between close contact or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. If those respiratory droplets land on your hand and make contact with any open skin, or the mucous membranes of your mouth, nose or eyes, you may be at risk.

    To help control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), health officials say it’s very important for you to avoid touching your face. Touching your face (i.e., your mouth, nose, and eyes) allows the virus on your hands to reach moist, porous surface tissue, mucous membranes, where the coronavirus can enter your body and cause infection.

    Not touching your facial mucous membranes, an area known as the “T-zone,” is perhaps the most important step you can take to prevent an infection, said William Sawyer, a family doctor in Sharonville, Ohio, and founder of Henry the Hand, a nonprofit organization that promotes hand hygiene.

    “It’s the one behavior that would be better than any vaccine ever created,” Sawyer said. “Just stop this simple behavior. Stop picking, licking, biting, rubbing — it’s the most effective way to prevent a pandemic.”

    On average, people touch their faces up to 23 times per hour, and once you’ve been told not to touch your face, it’s suddenly all you want to do.

    Sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid touching your face. And since the virus can also live on surfaces for several days. if you touch a table that someone with the virus sneezed on earlier, then rub your eye, you could give yourself the virus. That’s why experts stress hand-washing as a key infection control measure. Wash before and after any hand-face contact, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

    https://youtu.be/d914EnpU4Fo

    Washing your hands, along with stopping as many other instances of face-touching as you can, is one of your best defenses in helping you avoid getting infected by the coronavirus.

    If you touch your face unconsciously throughout the day, think of physically touching something else without upping your risk of bacteria exposure like your elbow or leg.

    It’s not enough to simply instruct people to stop touching their face, said Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon who studies habits and behaviors; people must be able to “outsmart their habit” or form a different one. One way to do that quickly is to change something in your environment, Berkman said. Wear something on your hands or face that can serve as a cue, an interruption to an automatic action.

    References:

    1. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a31287400/how-to-stop-touching-your-face/
    2. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/infections-and-contagious-diseases/7-tips-to-avoid-touching-your-face#:~:text=7%20Tips%20to%20Avoid%20Touching%20Your%20Face%201,something%20in%20your%20hands.%20…%20More%20items…%20
    3. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/im-infectious-disease-doctor-never-130824101.html?utm_content=buffer77580&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=yahoofinance&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cDovL20uZmFjZWJvb2suY29t&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADaL0SbymCJYTgt_ubjhBliprjDZmkQY_uE26gedT7TZ7ZafQ5gnyFMgwcPrFOGADw7uC7zBgaKcI1qE6vqQqL3ONXN945sFyPA-ilqmkUBBAF4qHb08KA3RoXRqFEtS8VK0xoHpNlbcMXLjhLAV3FAgZ4qzHp2MJJEB2tXpynHp
    4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/03/coronavirus-prevention-face-touch/

    Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

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    Three in five Americans pay more attention to how their friends spend compared to how they save.

    Americans remain optimistic that they will be wealthy at some point in their lives, and two in five believe they will achieve that goal within a decade. Yet, many obstacles and bad financial habits stands as road blocks to successfully accumulating wealth.

    More than a third of Americans admit “their spending habits have been influenced by images and experiences shared by their friends on social media and confess they spend more than they can afford to avoid missing out on the fun”, according to Schwab’s 2019 Modern Wealth Index Survey.

    Americans struggle to save, invest and accumulate wealth…they:

    • Live Paycheck-to-paycheck – A majority (59 percent) live paycheck to paycheck
    • Carry Credit card debt – Nearly half (44 percent) typically carry a credit card balance
    • Lack an Emergency fund – Only 38 percent have built up an emergency fund
    • Spend on Non-essentials – On average, they spend almost $500 a month on “non-essential items”

    “The burden to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ has been part of American for decades, but it appears that social media and the fear of missing out (FOMO) have increased the pressure to spend,” said Terri Kallsen, executive vice president and head of Schwab Investor Services. “Spending is not the enemy, but when we allow social pressure or other forces to lure us into spending beyond our means, it can impact long-term financial stability and become a larger problem.”

    People need to gain more insights about their own habits of saving, spending, investing and accumulating wealth. Schwab’s survey shows that more than 60 percent of Americans who have a written financial plan feel financially stable, while only a third of those without a plan feel that same level of comfort.

    References:

    1. https://content.schwab.com/web/retail/public/about-schwab/Charles-Schwab-2019-Modern-Wealth-Survey-findings-0519-9JBP.pdf
    2. https://www.aboutschwab.com/modernwealth2019
    3. https://content.schwab.com/modernwealth/?bmac=VEH

    A Dividend-Growth Investment Strategy

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    “Dividend stocks can provide investors with predictable income as well as long-term growth potential.”  Motley Fool

    Dividend stocks have faced strong headwinds, including payout cuts and suspensions as efforts to fight the pandemic have hampered corporate cash flows.

    Yet, investors who have a moderate risk tolerance should consider pursuing a proven dividend-growth investment strategy for income and return in volatile markets.  In volatile markets, protecting current income becomes more important than ever for investors.  But you also want to satisfy your need for current income and capital growth.

    Dividend-paying stocks tend to provide more defensive protection in adverse market environments and they tend to grow over time and protect your real purchasing power. Dividend-paying stocks also tend to have more of a value orientation.

    When dividend stocks go up, you make money. When they don’t go up — you still make money (from the dividend). When a dividend stock goes down in price, it’s not all bad news, because the dividend yield (the absolute dividend amount, divided by the stock price) gets richer the more the stock falls in price.

    Historically, stocks with rising dividends greatly outpaced the dividend cutters or non-dividend-paying stocks. Further, if you focused on rising-dividend stocks over non-dividend-paying stocks, you would have increased your investment by an average of 4.3% per year over this nearly 48-year study.

    pexels-photo-164527

    So, a $10,000 investment in non-dividend-paying stocks made at the beginning of this study, growing at an average annual return of 8.57%, would be worth over $500,000 today.

    However, the same $10,000 investment in dividend growers over the same period at a 12.87% average annual return would be worth an incredible $3.24 million!

    That’s not the only benefit. Returns from dividends have also exhibited a lower standard deviation, or variability, over time. Since the overall volatility of a stock’s total return is typically dominated by its price movements, dividends contribute a component of stability to that total return.

    Looking for good dividend-paying stocks

    Despite challenging economic times, certain companies have grown their dividends during previous downturns; there may be precedent for their willingness and ability to grow their dividends again.  While much remains uncertain, the highest-quality companies have proven their ability to grow their dividends over time.  They have demonstrated an ability to survive through a range of market environments, even raising dividends during and after previous recessions.

    These companies prioritize sustaining dividends in challenging times. They are dividend-paying royalty.  However, it’s advised to avoid stocks with very high yields since they could be prone to dividend cuts or suspensions.  Seek dividend stocks with a fortress balance sheet providing solid cash flow, reasonable dividend payout yield, above average earnings growth and little to no debt.  Avoid companies with heavier debt loads, as measured by net debt (debt minus cash) to earnings-before-interest-taxes-deprecation-and amortization (EBITDA) ratios.

    Investors seeking dividend sustainability need look no further than the Dividend Aristocrats: a list of companies within the S&P 500 index that have increased their dividend payouts consecutively for 25 years or more.  The 64 S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats have raised their dividends in an era that spans the Iraq wars, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Great Recession, and now the novel coronavirus pandemic.

    But while the Dividend Aristocrats list is a great place to start for identifying dividend stalwarts, you are advised to avoid the highest-yielding stocks—some of which can be value traps or worse.  It is okay to look for companies that are paying a decent amount of their earnings back in the form of income, but if the price moves too high and their dividend yield drops, then you’ll sell the stock and capture the gains.

    Additionally, under the recently passed 2020 CARES Act, “companies that borrow money from the federal government may not repurchase stock, pay a dividend, or make any other capital distributions until 12 months after the loan is repaid in full,” according to Goldman Sachs.

    Investors should always consider their investment objectives, their comfort level and risk tolerance before investing. And, they should keep in the forefront of their mindset that investment plans do not need to change in periods of high volatility since they should be based on five years or longer time horizon.

    References:

    1. https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/dividend-stocks/
    2. https://www.aaiidividendinvesting.com/subscribe/diLP.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_campaign=all_leads&utm_content=DI%20Long%20Form%20DCO&adset=di_bundle&fbclid=IwAR1enL0oTxkF5E5phIBVJ1dGk4VYQ_OV6a2RCXNDh-lgeNOFtkxcoXWLJn0

    Heart Disease Leading Cause of Death in the United States

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    “Do Your Part, Care for Your Heart”

    There is a silent and deadly pandemic raging in America every year. That pandemic kills on average more than fifty thousand Americans each month. That silent pandemic is called Heart Disease.

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. More than 610,000 Americans die of heart disease each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s one in every four deaths in this country.

    Almost 70 percent of Americans are afraid of dying of cardiovascular heart disease. Despite this, only 38 percent know or monitor their blood pressure, and just 18 percent know their body mass index (BMI), both of which are essential factors in overall heart health. So, it’s clear that more Americans need to know their numbers and keep their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar at normal levels. They need to learn more about heart health and how they can manage their risks.

    The term “heart disease” refers to several types of cardiovasculaheart conditions. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which can cause heart attack. Other kinds of heart disease may involve the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.

    Americans at Risk for Heart Disease

    Heart disease occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in your arteries. As plaque builds up in the arteries of a person with heart disease, the inside of the arteries begins to narrow, which lessens or blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Plaque can also rupture (break open). When it does, a blood clot can form on the plaque, blocking the flow of blood.

    Smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, and not getting enough exercise all increase your risk for having heart disease. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors.

    Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:

    • Diabetes
    • Overweight and obesity
    • Unhealthy diet
    • Physical inactivity
    • Excessive alcohol use

    Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, and white men.

    A healthy heart comes from lots of little lifestyle changes that become a habit. And, heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your risk for complications. A heart-healthy lifestyle is all about listening to your heart and giving it what it needs to thrive (even if that means ignoring your stomach’s request for a second donut). A healthy heart is a reward that’s well worth some minor lifestyle changes.

    Your doctor also may prescribe medication to treat the disease. Talk with your doctor about the best ways to reduce your heart disease risk.

    Think fitness.

    Spending time in natural environments can benefit health and well-being.

    There’s plenty of science establishing the health benefits of exercise, particularly outdoors. A 2019 Scientific Reports study of nearly 20,000 Britons showed people who spent at least two hours per week in nature were far more likely to report good health and well-being than those who didn’t.

    Think healthy eating.

    The slogan…”healthy eating for a strong heart beating” is one to live by. You can lower your risk of heart disease by making several small changes at each meal and by choosing foods that are good for your heart. Eating a healthy diet of whole grains, high fiber and lean sources of protein, and exercising at least 30 minutes daily can help control or delay age-related health problems associated with aging, like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

    Most standard American diets are based on foods you shouldn’t eat. Instead, Americans should focus on foods that are good for your heart. They should eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The fiber in these foods helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol. They should eat more beans, legumes (like lentils), seeds, and nuts. Additionally, Americans should:

    • Put healthier fats to work for you.
    • Favor unsaturated fats, such as canola, olive, and peanut oils.
    • Eat fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, including albacore tuna, salmon, and sardines. Omega-3s seem to lower triglycerides, fight plaque in your arteries, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of abnormal heart rhythms.
    • Eat lean protein.
    • Make beans, nuts, fish, and chicken your mainstays, and keep portions in check.
    • The American Heart Association suggests you eat at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish a week.

    Think canine companionship.

    Dog ownership is associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and with lower risk of death over the long term.

    Many studies have linked dog ownership to health benefits, including more exercise, lower blood pressure, improved lipid profile, and reduced stress. A meta-analysis published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation in 2019 examined 10 studies over seven decades involving nearly 4 million people. It concluded dog owners had a 24% lower risk of death from any cause than their petless peers during the course of the studies.

    Be heart smart.

    Make smart choices and improve your heart health. It’s about individuals taking care of their own hearts every day. Everyone can benefit by following heart-healthy practices:

    1. Exercise regularly (at least 2.5 hours per week).
    2. Quit smoking.
    3. Lose weight.
    4. Know your BMI, blood pressure and A1C.
    5. Eat heart-friendly foods.
    6. Eat chocolate and drink wine (in moderation).
    7. Don’t overeat.
    8. Learn to manage stress.

    The fight for heart health awareness truly is just that: a fight. Heart disease is a formidable foe that’s responsible for almost 25 percent of all deaths in the U.S., more than any other cause of death.

    Our health-care system would not be so overwhelmed by COVID-19 right now if it was not already overwhelmed with preventable chronic illnesses. About 75 percent of the $2.2 trillion we spend on health care each year goes to treat chronic illness like heart disease, the Centers for Disease Control estimates. And, it is estimated that 40 to 70 percent of those illnesses could be prevented.

    In 2018 the United States shelled out $329 billion to treat heart disease and strokes, the American Heart Association calculated. About 80 percent of those cases — $263 billion worth — were caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, alcohol use and obesity.

    References:

    1. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fdhdsp%2Fdata_statistics%2Ffact_sheets%2Ffs_heart_disease.htm
    2. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/docs/ConsumerEd_HeartDisease.pdf
    3. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/06/10/instead-of-a-tie-think-about-healthy-gifts-and-gratitude-for-fathers-day
    4. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554

    Healthy Habits of Diet and Exercise

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    Good Choices Today for a Healthier Retirement Tomorrow

    Lifestyle choices you make today can lead to a healthier future and retirement. Eating a healthy diet of whole grains, high fiber and lean sources of protein, and exercising at least 30 minutes daily can help control or delay age-related health problems associated with aging, like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

    It is important to develop habits of healthy eating and regular exercising; and, it is important also to set short- and long-term goals to achieve and maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine.

    Make these five tips a habit and priority every day:

    • Try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week.
    • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
    • Choose foods that are low in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Avoid or restrict foods that are fried, processed and consist of refined carbohydrates.
    • Pick whole grains and lean sources of protein and dairy products.
    • Practice all five types of exercise—aerobic, endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.

    7 Habits to Help Build Your Wealth | U.S. News and World Report

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    By Paulina Likos. — U.S.News & World Report May 18, 2020

    Successful investors practice these habits to be one step ahead of the market.

    Develop a routine of successful investing habits.

    When you’re investing for your financial future, practicing successful habits is a fundamental step in constructing a resilient portfolio. It’s evident that in the world of investing, money management can get complex. That’s why having the right habits ingrained in your investment approaches is important in bringing clarity to your decision-making and confidence in your portfolio management. Here are seven habits that will help guide you through investing decisions during unprecedented market movements.

    Read more: https://money.usnews.com/investing/portfolio-management/slideshows/habits-to-help-build-your-wealth

    Periodically review your investment plan.

    Know what your specific financial goals are and develop an investment policy statement. An IPS is a plan that outlines investment objectives and goals for a particular investor drafted by the portfolio manager and their client. This can be a helpful tool to guide portfolio managers on implementing strategies to grow or preserve a client’s investments. Experts advise that clients stick with the initial plan even when drastic market changes occur; however, certain benchmarks should be monitored from time to time. You should examine your risk tolerance and investment plan every six months to ensure you’re on track with your investments when a financial crisis hits. “Changes will likely need to be made in accordance with a well thought out plan that was put in place before the first punch is landed,” says Tim Bain, president of Spark Assessment Management Group.

    Invest in what you know.

    While experienced investors can try to evaluate the quality of a company, more often than not, it can be difficult to define its overall valuation and understand its trends. Taylor Kovar, CEO of Texas-based Kovar Capital Management, says, “Don’t invest in something you’ve never heard of just because someone online said it was going to make you a millionaire.” It’s best to focus on companies with products that you’re familiar with, that way it will be easier to predict and understand the ebbs and flows of a company and, most importantly, help in managing your portfolio effectively. “Look in your closet [and] kitchen cabinet, and invest in the brand of the products you see,” he says. “This will help you invest in companies you actually enjoy. It’s like you are paying yourself every time you buy their products.”

    Stay away from the latest fads.

    Investors seeking yield in a low interest rate environment should try to steer clear of fads. This short-term phenomenon is prevalent during market underperformance and tends to be pretty risky. “It is psychologically very difficult to remain true to your patient investing convictions when it seems investors speculating in the latest fad (think cannabis or tech ‘unicorns’) are being rewarded,” says Robert Johnson, professor of finance at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. There are plenty of other ways to diversify your assets rather than putting your money at risk with fads. “One doesn’t need to chase the latest trend to have investment success. Quite the contrary, chasing investment trends can be hazardous to your wealth,” Johnson says.

    Be honest with your risk tolerance.

    At any stage of your investing journey, it’s important to know if you are a conservative or aggressive investor. Defining risk tolerance is a habit that directly aligns with your financial goals. But sometimes, it can be unclear on how to determine where you lie on the risk spectrum. “Many investors tend to overestimate their level of risk tolerance, which causes them to sell at the worst times,” says Jerry Verseput, president at Veripax Wealth Management in Folsom, California. Market sell-offs like the one in March are good opportunities for investors to assess their feelings honestly as they saw the value of their investments drop.

    Keep educating yourself.

    An expert tip: Keep reading about how the market is changing. With the pandemic in mind, think about how habits and behaviors are changing in the short term, how that will affect the long term and how future trends might evolve. “What is going to be long-lasting in work and personal life? Do you want to be [investing in] Kodak film or the person investing in digital cameras? Don’t believe what you hear as much as know-how and where to find the facts,” says Peter Creedon, CEO at Crystal Brook Advisors in New York City.

    Save for retirement.

    Keep investing in your future by adding into your retirement account each month — that’s the power of dollar-cost averaging. Even if some months are fewer than others, allocating some of your income to retirement savings consistently puts long-term investors in a better position toward meeting their future financial goals. You can measure how successful you are as a saver by monitoring your retirement score, an estimate of what your retirement income may look like according to the steps you are taking to save now. This estimation will predict whether you’re on target on meeting your retirement needs or if you need to boost your allocation. It will also give you an idea of how much you will need for retirement and what changes you need to make that happen.

    Know when to seek assistance.

    Many individual investors try to find “do it yourself” methods for investing. There’s a misconception that successful investors should be monitoring the markets constantly and hold a finance degree, but most experts say the biggest hurdle is knowing when to seek help and how to find the right financial advisor. One tip: Find out what kind of experience the advisor has and which investing strategies they often use. “Make sure in an interview that the advisor shares your investing values and has a well-defined process to develop an investment policy statement for you and your goals,” says Jamie Ebersole, founder and CEO of Ebersole Financial in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. “If you and your advisor are not aligned on these important issues, it will make for a very frustrating relationship.”

    Setting yourself up for investing success.

    • Periodically review your investment plan.
    • Invest in what you know.
    • Stay away from the latest fads.
    • Be honest about your risk tolerance.
    • Keep educating yourself.
    • Save for retirement.
    • Know when to seek assistance.

    Sources:

    1. https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/307635
    2. https://money.usnews.com/investing/portfolio-management/slideshows/habits-to-help-build-your-wealth

    Habits of the Wealthy Anyone Can Adopt

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    “The reason why someone is either rich or poor can be traced back to daily habits.” Tom Corley, author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals”

    Replace bad habits and behaviors. 

    Aristotle, the 4th Century B.C. Greek philosopher, was attributed as saying, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

    It has been said that nature abhors a vacuum, and the same can be said about habits and behaviors; it’s hard to replace a bad habit or behavior with nothing.

    Instead of ceasing a bad financial habit or behavior, investors need to replace them with positive and successful financial habits and behaviors.

    Rather than liquidating an account, encourage a replacement behavior like rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, making more incremental portfolio adjustments, or putting in “crash bids” for high-quality stocks that may be trading at a discount.

    It’s easy for individuals to be disorganized, without vision, undirected and at the mercy of poor habits. Embracing good habits often takes ficus, effort and desire to improve. Here are eight rich habits:

    Habit #1: Exercise.

    Exercised an average of 30 minutes, four days a week.

    Habit #2: Build relationships.

    Keep a running list of positive influencers in your life and regularly connect with them.

    Habit #3: Visualize your goals.

    Look at your goals—each set with an expiration date and action plan—when you wakes up and before bed. Attack goals with intensity. Keep goals top of mind, and always in sight. This will yield big results.

    Habit #4: Read. A lot.

    Start reading two books a month—focusing on emotional well-being, leadership, personal finance, and health

    Habit #5: Practice affirmations.

    Positive mindset provides a huge influence on one’s quality of life. The more you like yourself, the higher your self-esteem and well-being. Practice daily affirmations related to the most important areas of your life, focusing on faith, family and professional career.

    The key to successful affirmations is choosing a mantra that’s tied to a dream and a realistic goal that are specific, achievable and true: “I’m working 10 extra hours per week to make $100,000 by next year.”

    Habit #6: Volunteer.

    There are many reasons to volunteer; use the opportunity to expand your network of like-minded people. It is an opportunities to give back and to create relationships with high-level thinkers.

    Habit #7: Confide in a mentor who’s been in your shoes.

    The most successful people on earth value mentors who’ve walked in their shoes and made it to the other side.

    Habit #8: Practice gratitude.

    Meditate or focus for a few minutes each morning and evening on what your grateful: spouse, kids, job and friends, to name a few. This habit helps you pay more attention to what’s going great in your life, puts life in the correct perspective, and keeps you focused on always moving forward with the right attitude.

    Henry David Thoreau once said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

    If you want to remain unrewarded, unfulfilled and ultimately unhappy, then continue to accept your habits which are not useful to fulfilling your aspirations, dreams and desires.

    Bonus Habit:

    “If you want to become really wealthy, you must have your money work for you. The amount you get paid for your personal effort is relatively small compared with the amount you can earn by having your money make money.” John D. Rockefeller

    References:

    1. https://grow.acorns.com/7-daily-rich-habits-anyone-can-adopt/
    2. https://grow.acorns.com/money-mistakes-wealthy-people-dont-make/