Protecting Your Most Important Asset

The holidays are fast approaching. Naturally, people shift their focus away from conflict, and
narrow in on their family and loved ones during this time of the year. The same shift occurs
in the legal field as potential clients think less about litigation and more about the people who
are most important to them. For that reason, I am focusing this article on protecting those
most important assets in our lives, our loved ones.

When I ask people if they have an estate plan, most people ask me what an estate plan is. "Is
that like... a trust or a will?" Together with not knowing what exactly an estate plan is, most
people I speak with do not think they need a plan until they are old and rich. Let me clarify
what an estate plan is and who should really have an estate plan.

An estate plan consists of several documents which protect different parts of your overall
estate. For example, most basic estate plans will include a trust, a pour-over will, a power of
attorney, and a health care directive. Generally speaking, a trust will protect your property, a
will protects your children, a power of attorney assists you, and a health care directive ensures
your health care needs are cared for properly in the event you are unable to speak for yourself.
I think we can all agree that our most important assets are our children. If you have
minor children, you need an estate plan. As mentioned above,
a will provides for who will care for them and how your children
will be cared for in the event both you and your spouse pass
away. I understand that the thought is almost unthinkable, but imagine if the unthinkable
occurs, and you have left no direction for who should care for your children and how they
should be cared for?

A will can provide for who will take care of your children in the event you and your spouse
are no longer around to do so. Your trust can create trusts with rules to ensure that any assets
and insurance money you leave to provide financially for your children are used properly
to meet your children's needs. By creating an estate plan you can avoid placing your relatives
or close friends in a position where they have to fight over your children.
Your will gives the Court direction on how and who you wanted to care for your children,
so that the Court, which knows little about your children or your relatives,
is not forced to simply make a decision about the custody of your children.
 If, for example, you trust the care and up bringing to one relative who is really good
with children, but would prefer your other relative who is a CPA to
 handle your children's finances, you can do that. Your preference will
be strongly considered by the Court in determining who cares for your
children if you are no longer able. If you do not leave direction, then
your relatives are left to petition the court and argue over who should
be the caregiver of your children. Why would you ever allow someone
 else to decide who cares for your children?

So as we approach the holiday season, consider creating an estate plan to ensure that your most
important assets, your children, are protected in the event the unthinkable occurs.

10 Great Tips for Overall Wellness

Many people may feel overwhelmed by the changes they may need to make to their lifestyle in order to feel healthy. But most people do not need to make drastic changes for them to feel better and to achieve overall wellness. Here are 10 simple tips for overall wellness.

Eat healthy

This is probably nothing new, but just about everyone needs to be reminded to make healthy food choices. A good way to make sure that you are getting enough fruits and vegetables is to fill up half of your plate with them at each meal. That way the meat and bread portion of the meal will only take up a quarter of the plate each and you will eat less of the higher calorie foods and more fruits and 

veggies.

Of course it is also important for you to avoid eating foods high in sodium and saturated fat. Staying away from fast foods, most prepared frozen foods, and many packaged processed foods is a good way for you to avoid the foods you should not eat.

Eat often

Most people think that the more often they eat, the more likely they are to not lose weight, and probably gain a few pounds. But eating about every three hours will actually help your metabolism. Eating three meals and two snacks per day can help keep your body in a good rhythm and help ensure that you do not binge on extra calories at dinner or by eating a late night snack.

Don't eat too fast

During those three meals and two snacks per day it is important to eat slowly. Shoveling the food into your mouth can cause you to overeat and give you indigestion. As you eat, you can think about how your food tastes and concentrate on chewing to help slow down your pace. It can also help to listen to slow music while you eat. Studies have shown that people who listen to slow music take only about three bites per minute compared to the average four bites per minute for people who are not listening to any music.

Exercise

 An essential part of overall wellness is a healthy body. It is important for you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. The trick to being able to exercise regularly is for you to choose something you like to do. Walking, running, swimming, yoga, Pilates, exercise classes, dance classes, basketball, other sports teams, and using exercise machines at the gym are all great options for exercise. Exercise not only helps your body be healthier, but it can also help you reduce stress.

Flexibility

Along with exercise being an important part of overall wellness, so is flexibility. And just because someone is fit does not mean they are also flexible.  It is important for you to include stretching with your exercise. Flexibility can help decrease injuries during physical activity, it can also help a person have less back, neck, and shoulder pain. Yoga is a great way to increase flexibility and can be an excellent stress reducer as well.

Checkups

It is important for you to have a checkup with your doctor at least once a year. As you age, there are certain tests that need to be done even if you are feeling fine, in order to keep you healthy. Talk to your doctor to find out what screenings and tests you should have done so that you can catch a problem early and stay healthy.

Visit your dentist

Going to your dentist is another important check up you should have at least once a year if not every six months. If bacteria is able to build up in your mouth it can get into your blood stream and contribute to problems such as hypertension and diabetes. Getting a cleaning and x-rays can keep your mouth healthy and help ensure that you can keep your teeth strong and clean. 

Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of overall wellness. Everyone can attest to the fact that when they have had a bad night's sleep the day generally does not go very well. And if a person continues to not get enough sleep their overall health can deteriorate. A lack of the proper amount of sleep can lead a person to think less clearly and perform tasks at a less than desirable level.

Falling asleep can be hard for some people. Creating a bedtime routine can be helpful. This way  your body knows that it is time to go to sleep. Having the room completely dark can also be helpful. And turning off the television and any other electronics an hour before bedtime can assist you in winding down more easily; so can reading a book or taking a bath. Many people find that using earplugs or a white noise machine can help them relax and stay asleep once they fall asleep. 

Friends

Having good friends is an important part of overall health. Everyone needs someone they can talk to, who they can go to when they need help, and someone they can have fun with. Studies have shown that people who have good friends are happier people. Friends can be a great source of comfort during times of sorrow, as well as an excellent source of joy and fun. And you don't need to have a lot of friends. One or two good friends can be plenty.

Reduce stress

Everybody has many stressors in their life. But to achieve overall wellness, it is essential that you are able to handle that stress in a positive way so that it does not bring you down. There are many ways for you to remove stress; exercise and stretching are great ways for you to let out some of your built up anxiety and stress and they can help relax your muscles. Spending time by yourself relaxing can be a great stress reliever. Or you might enjoy spending time with a friend or family member seeing a movie, going out to eat, shopping, or attending a sporting event or a play or musical. The activity doesn't really matter as long as the end result of relieving stress is achieved.

Though it may seem overwhelming at first, ensuring your overall wellness can easily be attained through simple changes to your lifestyle. Pick one thing to work on, such as making healthier food choices or reducing stress, and work on that for awhile. Once you make your healthy choices a regular habit you will be ready to work on another aspect of your overall health and pretty soon you will be feeling great!