Coffee Is Good For You

Studies show that black coffee – in moderation (no more than 5 cups a day) – can be good for your health. Here are four benefits you probably haven’t considered: 1. Coffee contains nutrients and antioxidants such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin. These are all things your body needs to function well. 2. It also contains caffeine. Caffeine speeds up your metabolism and aids in fat burning. Health.com says it may protect brain cells from damage that contributes to the development of Parkinson’s, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Avoid it, however, at least four hours before bedtime, or if you have caffeine sensitivity. 3. Drinking one or two cups per day can reduce your risk of cardiovascular and liver disease, as well as lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 4. Coffee may fight depression and make you happier. But, seriously, try to hold off on the venti white chocolate mocha lattes.

Tips for Outpatient Surgery

Here are tips for keeping yourself safe and healthy during outpatient surgery. 1. Select your surgeon carefully. Even if your procedure seems minor, your doctor should be board certified in the field that is relevant to your condition, and his or her certifications should be up-to-date. Also, ask how many similar operations he or she has performed in the past year, and see how this compares to peers. Check a surgeon rating website such as www.checkbook.org/surgeonratings/ to find out how your surgeon ranks. 2. Disclose all current medications and supplements. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist need to know about every prescription and OTC medication and supplement you are taking, as some can cause complications during and after surgery. Have this conversation well in advance of your procedure, because you may need to stop taking certain meds two weeks or more before the operation. 3. Prepare in advance. Put your body in the best possible condition by eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. Stop smoking and drinking prior to your surgery. And don’t let anxiety get the best of you. Deep breathing (greatist.com/happiness/breathing-exercises-relax), positive thinking, and meditation help put you in the right state of mind. 4. Ask all questions. Make sure you fully understand your procedure and what you can expect afterward. Have a plan for your recovery, and make arrangements ahead of time if you need to hire human help or implement mobility and dietary changes in your life.

Getting Things Done

In his best-selling book Getting Things Done, David Allen gives you an effective time management system to help you organize your stuff, your work activities and your personal life. Allen’s key idea is to start with a “mind sweep” ─ get everything out of your head and down on paper (or other written form). Once your mind is cleared, your productivity goes up and you can focus on creative action. His five basic stages of mastering your personal or professional “workflow” are: 1) Collect. Capture anything and everything that is on your mind. 2) Process. Decide what each thing means. Is it something you should do? Do it now or later? Can you delegate it (and track on a “Waiting For” list)? 3) Organize. Place the items in categories, such as Projects, Calendar, Next Actions and Waiting For, and sub-categories of your choice. (To help you visualize this, he includes a diagram for navigating through the processing and organizing phases of your workflow.) 4) Review. Go over Calendar and Action lists daily and do a weekly customized review to get clean and current. 5) Do. Make choices about your actions based on what you can do, how much time and energy you have and your priorities. Another one of his most popular methods is the “two minute rule.” If any task can be completed in less than two minutes (for example, a quick email response), do it immediately. Stop putting those little things off. Allen says Getting Things Done is “just advanced common sense.” But once you learn how to get everything under control, real change begins. Millions of people around the world have found that his methods work. To order the book, search for “Getting Things Done” at www.amazon.com.

Immunity Boosters

Here are a few habits you might want to get into to boost your immune system.  Move! There are many reasons why daily physical activity is good for you, and you can add immune-boosting to the list. Movement helps reduce stress, and stress taxes your immune system. Try to get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise weekly (walking, hiking, bike riding).  Be mindful of what goes into your body. It’s no surprise that you’ll help your immune system by quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, but the same is true for adding more plant-based foods into your diet. Even some herbs and spices contribute to immune health, including cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and thyme.  Get a little sun. Yes, you can take vitamin D supplements, but sun exposure is still considered the best way to get vitamin D into your system—and some evidence indicates it may help your immune system. A good rule is 10-30 minutes, a few days a week (just don’t get burned).  Stay current on vaccines. It takes much longer for your immune system to start fighting off infections if you aren’t vaccinated, so illnesses are likely to make you sicker and take longer to recover from. Check with your doctor to find out what vaccines you should be getting.  Relax. This doesn’t mean you have to learn to meditate, but it does mean that it’s important to your immune system that you don’t let stress take over. Set aside some time every day to do something that relaxes you.  Laugh. When we laugh, our stress levels decrease, and that’s good news for the immune system. Hang out with a funny friend!

What Home Buyers Want

• Every buyer wants a place to call “home”. The decision to buy is emotional, not 100% logical. Buyers look at a “house,” but they’re really evaluating it for its potential to become their home. Properly staging your house allows buyers to have an emotional experience – seeing their family living there. • Every buyer wants a bargain. Subtly influence buyers by using such phrases as “priced to sell” or “a unique bargain at this price.” • Every buyer wants to claim special discounts. You can motivate a sale by creating a sense of urgency. Consider using special terms that expire on a fixed date.

Online Therapy

Virtual therapy options are increasingly common and popular. If you’re wondering whether online therapy is right for you, here are a few important things to consider.  Accessibility: You don’t need to go to an office to talk to a counselor, which is especially useful for people who live in remote areas or have mobility issues, but also very handy if you need to talk through something while you’re traveling.  Multiple formats: With virtual therapy, you may have the option to text your therapist as well as have video or audio sessions, so you can choose whatever is most comfortable for you at that moment.  Insurance coverage: Even if your health insurance covers mental health care, they may not cover tele-therapy. Be sure to verify this in advance.  Affordability: Some online therapy services offer monthly plans that are already less expensive than some in-person therapists, and those plan prices decrease if you pay for packages in advance, such as for three- or six- month periods.

Help Kids Save $$

All adults know that money doesn’t grow on trees, but that’s not necessarily true for kids. Help your kids, grandkids, or other children in your life tuck away their extra nickels and dimes for a rainy day. 1. Bank it. Encourage kids to decorate four separate piggy banks – one each for Saving, Spending, Investing, and Giving – to help teach about setting money-related goals. Investing money will be used for future investments and Giving money can be donated to a charity of the kids’ choice. 2. Offer an allowance. Assuming you are helping your own children save money, provide a small allowance so there is something to put into the piggy banks. Give the allowance in small bills or coins so kids can physically hold and drop equal amounts of cash into each piggy bank. 3. Make goals. If there are certain things kids want to buy, or if they are expected to save a certain amount of money toward larger items such as bikes, explain that they’ll need to use the Saving piggy bank to collect the needed money. And, if they choose not to spend money out of the Spending piggy bank right away, they’ll be able to buy the items they’re saving for faster. 4. Go shopping. When you go to the store, let the kids take their Spending money with them. If they want to buy something, count out change in the store. Feel free to remind them that, if there is something more expensive they’d like to buy, they’ll have to continue to save for it – and they’ll reach their goals faster by moving Spending money into the Saving piggy bank. However, if they want to buy something, that is their choice as this is their money.

Bottle Water Alternatives

You’ve likely heard that bottled water has major environmental consequences, but how bad is the problem? Here are a few facts from thewaterproject.org that illustrate the severity of the situation: • Approximately 80% of single-use water bottles in the U.S. become “litter,” and one bottle takes more than 1,000 years to bio-degrade. • U.S. landfills have two million tons of discarded water bottles in them. • It takes three liters of water to package one liter of bottled water. In response to the bottled water problem, some cities and businesses have banned it, but what can you do? • Skip the single-use water bottle, and invest in a reusable water bottle. If you forget it, buy multiples to keep in vehicles, the office, and your gym bag. • Drink tap water. Several studies have been done to show municipal tap water is usually just as safe as bottled water. • Refrigerate water. Cooling tap water helps remove the chlorine taste many people feel is in tap water. • Boil water if you are concerned water might be contaminated.

Color Scheme Websites

Whether you’re redecorating a room, designing a website, or just looking for inspiration to add pop to your wardrobe, there are several websites that help you create beautiful color schemes. Coolers: coolors.co/ The Coolers site (also available as an app and a Chrome extension) creates color palettes based on images you can upload, or you can simply browse their endless array of popular color schemes. Muzli: colors.muz.li/ With Muzli’s color palette generator, you start with one color and Muzli offers options for other colors that coordinate well with it. Colormind: colormind.io/ Like many similar websites, Colormind will produce color palettes based on images you choose or offer random color schemes for inspiration—but Colormind lets you save the colors/lock them until you land on a palette you love.

Curb Appeal

The first impression of your house is from the street. If you want to sell or just add some new style, try these ideas: Focus on your front door with a new color, updated light fixtures and easy-to-read house numbers. For more charm, add window flower boxes or shutters around the windows. Learn to build a window box on YouTube.com. Clean out the clutter, and trim the overgrown bushes and trees (this also makes your home safer). For quick color, add container gardens. You can buy them pre-planted. Add lighting accents to trees or to illuminate the pathway (another safety feature). You can go solar to eliminate wires. Pressure-wash the exterior. If it doesn’t look better, consider new paint or siding. Don’t forget the garage door. Repair it, paint it or replace it to make your house look like new.

Getting Along With Adult Siblings

If you have siblings, count yourself lucky. These relationships are the longest-lasting family ties you’ll have. This can be tough for those who had rough sibling relationships growing up, but a recent study found two-thirds of people said a brother or sister was one of their best friends. It’s never too late to turn that special family relationship into one of your most treasured, especially around the holidays. People spend lots of effort improving friendships and romantic relationships, but a brother or sister may outlast all of those relationships. Don’t take a sibling relationship for granted. Research by West Virginia University shows people are more verbally aggressive with siblings than anyone else. Being aware of this and actively offering affectionate support goes a long way to strengthen familial ties. Also, don’t compare your sibling relationships with those of other people. These are your unique relationships, so shake off expectations. Siblings may not unconditionally confide in or spend every holiday with you, and that’s okay. Instead, enjoy the time spent together and conversations you do have. Focus on the good instead of what could be.