Woman's Heart

Most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain and discomfort. Don’t discount them and assume they are caused by something else.

By: Natasha Morgan

In February you might see many more women wearing red. They are likely promoting the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” month. Although, heart disease is a debilitating condition that can attack anytime throughout the year, this month has been selected to increase its awareness to women.

Heart Attack

The symptoms of a heart attack in women can be different than those for men which might be why women can take from two to four hours longer to respond to their symptoms. When they finally get to the hospital, some medical professionals have been slow to recognize a heart attack in women and delay treatment. This obviously has a serious impact on the lives of many women.

So, let’s review the heart attack symptoms experienced by women:

1.  Most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain and discomfort. Don’t discount them and assume they are caused by something else.
2.  Discomfort, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes is the most common symptom.
3.  Experiencing pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach should be a big wake-up call  for women.
4.  Should you start to feel lightheaded, break out in a cold sweat or feel nauseous, pay attention as this might also be a warning.
5.  Something as simple as shortness of breath even without any other symptoms can be an indicator that something serious is going on.

Stroke
As in a heart attack, a severe stroke can cause long lasting, permanent damage that affects your lifestyle. If you experience any of the following warning signs, get to a hospital immediately:

1.  Your face, arm or leg suddenly feels weak or numb, usually on one side of the body.
2.  You feel confused or have difficulty forming words.
3.  You feel dizzy and lose your balance.
4.  You may have trouble walking and feel you’ve lost your coordination.
5.  Your eyesight is affected as you suddenly can’t see.
6.  You get a severe headache for no reason.

Whether you experience a heart attack or a stroke, the key to optimal recovery is how soon you get medical treatment. By calling 911, an ambulance can be at your door quickly. Paramedics are trained to stabilize your condition but physicians and hospital equipment are needed to treat your heart attack and stroke.

Note: This article is written to bring awareness to heart disease.  For medical advice please contact your physician and for more information visit the American Heart Association and American Stoke Association.

Photo:  Gabriela Camerotti

Become Mortgage Free

Anyone with a decent credit score and good bill-management skills can accelerate the end of their mortgage and other debts.

By: Jordan E. Goodman with Bill Westrom

Pssst – This is a big secret, but it’ s one you are going to be very happy I am sharing with you. It’s a secret that  you could use to become completely debt free in less than a decade.

I’m talking about a new way to manage your mortgage, and your monthly cash flow, so that you — and not some banker — get to squeeze the most use out of every dollar that comes in and every dollar that goes out. Used correctly, this strategy will enable you to pay off your mortgage in as many years as some people take to pay off their cars.

The strategy is called equity acceleration, or mortgage acceleration. It’s not such a big secret in Australia and the United Kingdom, where as many as one in four homeowners are accelerating their mortgages.

It’s legal. It’s not a scam. It’s entirely aboveboard. Anyone with a decent credit score and good bill-management skills can accelerate the end of their mortgage and other debts by using the system I am going to lay out here.

Here is a basic outline of how it works:

• * You finance a new home or refinance an existing one by obtaining a home equity line of credit (HELOC) requiring an interest-only monthly payment for at least 10 years.
• * You use the HELOC to pay off your existing mortgage (if you have one). The HELOC replaces a new or existing conventional mortgage.
• * You send your whole paycheck into the HELOC every time you are paid. This covers your monthly minimum payment, and then some. The HELOC becomes the new depository for your income.
• * You pay your bills out of the HELOC, as close to the due date as possible. That maximizes the amount of time your money sits in the HELOC, cutting your interest.
• * Any extra money you have left in the HELOC account after you pay your bills and make the minimum interest payment on the HELOC goes toward further accelerating your debt reduction every month.

Why It Works

The key to grasping the power of equity acceleration to eradicate your debt so quickly is understanding how interest is calculated in a traditional mortgage and in a HELOC which is a revolving loan. That gives you the flexibility to make interest-only minimum monthly payments every month, or to make larger payments if you want to.

In a traditional fixed-rate mortgage, the monthly principal and interest payment is predetermined and calculated according to a conventional amortization schedule, and the principal is assessed every month on an ascending schedule. With an average-sized 30-year conventional mortgage, it could take almost 19 years before more principal than interest is coming out of each monthly payment. You can, of course, pay the mortgage off early and reduce overall interest costs, but it isn’t until you’ve completely paid off the loan that you realize the savings. There isn’t an immediate benefit to you on a monthly basis; you are still obligated to make the original monthly payment, and all of the principal payments are locked away in your mortgage holder’s treasure chest. And of course, they don’t give you a key to their treasure chest.

A portion of your monthly payment is applied toward the outstanding balance of your loan and facilitates the payback of the debt. The remaining portion of your payment pays the interest you agree to when you borrowed the money.

In a HELOC, interest is recalculated every month on the basis of the average daily balance of the principal owed. The more money you run through your line of credit (even if the deposits do not stay there long), the more you are driving down the principal and setting the stage for those interest costs to be calculated on a lower average daily balance. As the monthly interest is pushed down, more and more of your cash goes toward paying off the principal owed, and that results in lower and lower interest charges every month. That gets compounding working for you, instead of against you.

It’s true that interest rates on HELOCs are variable, which means that this strategy operates in an open-ended, variable environment. That may sound scary, but in fact, the accelerator system is so powerful it even trumps rate increases. Bill Westrom, my guru on this strategy, helps consumers to accelerate the payoff of their mortgages. And he has found that even if interest rates on HELOCs rise to frightening, double-digit levels, the equity acceleration strategy creates a smaller bottom line and a faster debt payoff.

Copyright © 2010 Jordan E. Goodman with Bill Westrom, authors of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free

About the Authors:
Jordan E. Goodman, co-author of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free, is a nationally recognized expert on personal finance. He is the author of the bestselling Everyone’s Money Book and twelve other books. For eighteen years, he was the Wall Street correspondent for Money magazine and also served as a regular commentator for NBC News at Sunrise and Mutual Broadcasting System’s America in the Morning. Today, Goodman appears regularly on many radio shows, including public radio’s Marketplace as well as on TV programs on Fox, CNN, CBS, CNBC, and MSNBC. He also speaks regularly to large groups such as the Harv Eker wealth seminars.

Visit Goodman’s Web sites: www.moneyanswers.com and www.master-yourdebt.com.

Bill Westrom, co-author of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free, is a consumer advocate and veteran mortgage professional who has become a critic of the traditional banking system. His own business, IFS Development Group and TruthInEquity.com, focuses on educating and empowering homeowners so they can make smarter choices about mortgages and employ an innovative mortgage reduction strategy; equity acceleration. Westrom’s mission is to “change the financial landscape of this country by helping homeowners get more out of what they own and what they earn.”

Photo:  Rev Dan Catt

Salmon

Experts are finding evidence that omega-3 fatty acids in fish can substantially benefit our body and perhaps even prolong our life.

By: Natasha Morgan

Much has been written about the benefits of eating fish. Researchers have suggested that by eating Omega-3 rich fish two to three times a week, we can ward off heart disease. Now a new study is showing that following this advice can increase our life span. So, who’s not interested in learning more about eating fish?

Here’s the Scoop:
The shortening of telomere which are sequences of DNA has been linked to the aging process. At the end of our chromosomes we have telomeres that protect chromosomes from damage. As our cells divide, telomeres become progressively shorter and eventually the cell dies. Inflammation that is caused by obesity, poor diet, inactivity, smoking and alcohol is responsible for speeding up the process. However, increasing your intake of omeaga-3 fatty acids can reduce the telomere shortening and keep your chromosomes in good shape longer.

Six Ways to Keep Your Chromosomes Healthy

1.  Eat two six-ounce servings of salmon or other Omega-3 rich fish a week.

2.  Lose extra pounds that increase inflammation in the body.

3.  Take vitamin D supplements which reduce inflammation and enhance the body’s immune system.

4.  Choose a low fat, low sugar diet rich in whole grains, fruit and vegetables.  Cut back on processed meats such as ham, hot dogs and luncheon meats.

5.  Get off the couch! You need at least 30 minutes exercise, several days a week to derive healthful benefits.

6.  Quit smoking. This, you already know about. Just do it!

©2009  This article was written specifically for notjustthekitchen.com.

It can be copied provided the content is in no way altered and the following link remains active: Read more articles geared toward women.

Photo: Marco Veringa

Credit Cards

The temporary credit card works just like your regular card and the merchant will never know that it’s not your real card.

By: Natasha Morgan

If you’re like most of us, you cringe when you enter your credit card information for online purchases. After all, how do we know that the merchant is honest?

Truth be told, we don’t. There are so many scams circulating the internet and many of the shysters are technically clever. They can set up websites that resemble those of name brand names and add security logos that are meant to make the victim feel secure. You unsuspectingly part with your credit card information and before you know it, your card has been hijacked.

The good news is that recently, some banks have addressed this problem. They offer a temporary credit card number on which you set a limit and you can use it without compromising your regular credit card.

Avoid erroneous billing:

Even honest merchants can make errors. From time to time we’ve seen incorrect or duplicate charges applied to our credit card. Using a “Secure Shop” feature will eliminate the duplication and prevent a charge that is higher than your set limit.

Here’s how it works:

* When you’re ready to make your purchase you sign into “Secure Shop”. Banks have their own trademarked names for this service.

* Once on the site, you enter the spending limit you want to give that merchant.

* The system will automatically generate a temporary credit card number, expiration date and security code.

* The same temporary card can be used for multiple purchases with the same merchant provided you have entered sufficient spending limit.

* If you shop at a different merchant, you simply log on to the “Secure Shop” site again and obtain a new temporary credit card.

* The temporary credit card works just like your regular card and the merchant will never know that it’s not your real card.

* Since the bank links the cards, merchants will not have access to your real card number.

Recurring payments:

If you have recurring payments and like to pay them with your credit card, you can set your “Valid Thru” date for up to 12 months in the future.

I enrolled online with my bank and found the process to be easy. You might want to check with your bank to find out if they offer the service and how their system works. Once you’ve registered, you can start shopping and not worry if some criminal is sending your confidential information to websites around the world.

Note:

This article was written specifically for notjustthekitchen.com. It can be copied provided the content is in no way altered and the following link remains active: Read more articles geared to baby-boomer women.

Photo: pfreviews

We know that the dating scene has changed considerably since we were younger. How will we know what is expected of us and what should we expect from our date?

By: Natasha Morgan

After years of being married or in a long time relationship most women find that starting to date again is daunting. Those of us in our middle-years who never expected to face this situation again are finding it extremely difficult.

We know that the dating scene has changed considerably since we were younger. How will we know what is expected of us and what should we expect from our date?

Recently, a group of baby-boomer women got together over lunch to exchange views on some common problems.

Justine:

“I’ve just met an interesting man whom I’d like to know better. Is it too forward of me to offer him my telephone number? What if he’s the type who would prefer to make the first move?”

Sharon:

“At the first meeting, you’ve probably established some common interests. You could suggest getting together sometime to share these interest i.e. play tennis, visit an exhibition, or see a movie. If he sounds interested you could give him your number without feeling that you’re being too forward.”

Susan:

“A mutual friend introduced me to a man who later called to ask me out for dinner. I was excited to hear from him but was full of self doubt. What should I wear? What if he chooses a restaurant that serves food that I don’t like. Who will pay?”

Helen:

“I found that a good way to elicit answers is to say: That sounds wonderful, which restaurant do you have in mind? The answer should give you clues on the dress code and if need be, give you an opportunity to tactfully suggest a different restaurant.”

Susan:

“Ok, but what about paying the bill?”

Nancy:

“I know it can be awkward but you’ll just have to be clear before you go. In today’s environment, it’s not uncommon to share the cost of the bill so don’t make assumptions. Having wrong expectations can cause embarrassment for both of you.”

Susan:

“That scares me. A doctor friend of mine revealed that some of her dates expected her to pick up the tab because she is a doctor and presumably had more money.”

Helen:

“I once planned to go on a dinner date to a newly opened Italian restaurant. We agreed on 7:00 PM on Friday evening. I was excited and dressed for the occasion but when 7:30 arrived and I was still waiting, I became angry and humiliated. Fortunately at 7:45 he called to ask where I was. Evidently, we were to meet at the restaurant. It was embarrassing but could have been much worse if he had assumed that I had stood him up.”

Susan:

“Yes, in my earlier dating years, I expected the man to pick me up from my home or office. Now many men feel it’s perfectly acceptable to meet at the restaurant.”

Just then, the lunch bill arrived and the women automatically passed it around the table. Without hesitation each put down the cost of her meal, including tax and tip.

Why can’t it be that easy when we go on a date?

Note:

This article was written specifically for notjustthekitchen.com.

It can be copied provided the content is in no way altered and the following link remains active: Read more articles geared toward women at NotJustTheKitchen.com.

Photo: borkur.net

By: CD Mohatta

In a marriage, what are the limits for friendship with a member of the opposite sex? Who sets these limits? What is the difference between a friendship and an emotional affair? Is an emotional affair wrong? Does an emotional affair help the marriage by letting a partner vent out all emotional frustration, which otherwise he/she would not have done with his/her spouse? Or does it kill the marriage?

What is an emotional affair?
Most of us have friendships. Many of us are very close in some of our friendships. We share quite a lot in such friendships. But when one develops such a close friendship with a member of the opposite sex, it can be termed as an emotional affair. Sharing intimate emotional details with someone of opposite sex is called an emotional affair. This the the common definition. It also includes the clause that you are keeping your partner unaware about the emotional bond you share with someone else.

Does it hurt your marriage?
It hurts a marriage if after knowing about the details shared, the spouse feels that mutual trust was violated. If the emotional affair becomes strong, it may so happen that one may begin sharing more emotional details with one’s friend than with one’s spouse. That hurts the spouse and may also lead to a break-up.

Why do people have emotional affairs?
It has being debated whether an emotional affair is purely emotional or it has begun because of physical attraction. Does one need a friend of opposite sex to share emotional details? Why not one of your own sex? And why does one feel uncomfortable with one’s spouse about this bond? All pointers go in one direction – an emotional affair may be the way one wants to begin a physical relationship with another, outside the marriage. Otherwise, if one wants to have emotional sharing, or to vent out feelings, one can easily consult a psychiatrist which will help her feel relieved and get advice. Or one can chose a friend of the same sex.

How to avoid an emotional affair?
One who is involved in an emotional affair needs to ask own self if this is only emotional? Why do I need this person to talk about everything? You must reflect. Talk it out with your spouse. Let your head control your heart for a moment and think about the marriage and the bond. This may help you to understand an emotional affair and help you to come out of it.

Saying sorry after having an emotional affair is the first step. You can also send ecards to say sorry and begin rebuilding your marriage via your PC right away.

About the Author:

CD Mohatta is a content writer for ecards, screensavers and wallpapers for http://www.valentinesday-cards.com, http://www.cupidecards.com , http://www.ecarduniverse.com etc.

Source: www.isnare.com

Sunshine

Boost the brain chemical serotonin to switch off your appetite and turn on a good mood. Serotonin is sunshine for your brain.

By: Judith J. Wurtman, PhD and Nina T. Frusztajer, MD

The long days of winter can cause depression, fatigue, increased appetite, decreased interest in work and social activities, and a significant need for more sleep. This cluster of symptoms is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Whether you experience all these symptoms of SAD or just a general feeling of the winter blahs, don’t blame it on the holidays, after-holiday bills, cabin fever or endless ice storms. There is a physiological reason behind these seasonal changes: The activity of a brain chemical called serotonin seems to be altered during the seasons of the year when there are fewer hours of sunlight. And this decrease in serotonin activity seems to be behind the urge to crawl into bed at 4pm with a bag of cookies and the remote.

Antidepressants that activate serotonin have also been prescribed for SAD. They may relieve the mood symptoms but might leave behind an unwanted side effect: weight gain, which is one of the symptoms of SAD (making swimsuit season a dreadful time of year despite the return of long days of sunshine).

The better way to cope with SAD is to boost the brain chemical serotonin.

Nature’s Own Appetite-Suppressant

We all have serotonin in our brains, although women have less than men. When serotonin is functioning normally, it keeps us emotionally stable and also turns off our appetite so we eat less. The natural way of increasing serotonin activity is to get the brain to make more.

Boosting serotonin activity naturally may be the most practical and slimming option. There is a single way to make more serotonin: Eat sweet or starchy non-fruit carbohydrates at the right times during the day.

When carbohydrates that contain very little protein or fat (such as a potato without the sour cream or butter) are eaten, serotonin is made in the brain.

Insulin is involved in this process. As soon as the carbohydrate is eaten, changes occur in the blood driven by insulin secretion. The result is that an amino acid, tryptophan, enters the brain very quickly and, just as quickly, is converted to serotonin. One potato can lead to a better mood, more energy, less sleepiness and a controlled appetite.

Winter is long but the effects of eating a potato are short. There is one problem with this eating solution to the winter blues: The boost in serotonin probably doesn’t last more than 2-3 hours. Once the effect wears off, the blues may return. The answer is eating by the “sun clock.”

• Eat foods that will maintain your mental alertness such as protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products during the light hours (i.e. breakfast and lunch), and
• Switch to serotonin-producing carbohydrates when it becomes dark.

You will not overeat because the serotonin that is produced will switch off your appetite.

Chasing away the winter blues is not only easy — it’s delicious. Here’s what a typical day of eating looks like:

Sunshine Meals

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg beaters
Whole wheat English muffin with jam
An apple

Lunch:
Grilled chicken with a mixed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette

Sunset Snacks and Dinners

4pm snack:
Low-fat granola bar

Dinner:
Pasta with roasted vegetables and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
A cup of minestrone soup

After-dinner snack:
Skinny Cow fudge bar

All You Need to Know

When you need to boost your brain serotonin levels, eat a low-fat, low-protein carbohydrate snack such as half a bagel, a cup of oatmeal with brown sugar, or 3 cups of low-fat popcorn. Finding serotonin-friendly snacks is easy. Just check the labels to make sure that a serving contains between 100 to 120 calories, 20 to 25 grams of carbohydrates, no more than 1 to 2 grams of fat, and no more than 3 grams of protein. If your favorite snacks don’t come in single-serving sizes, pre-package your own and toss them in a briefcase, handbag, glove compartment or desk drawer. Options include:

• Breakfast cereal
• Low-fat biscotti
• Fat-free Fig Newtons
• Fat-free mini-meringues
• Low-fat popcorn
• Pretzels
• Baked potato chips
• Baked tortilla chips
• Rice cakes, rice crackers, and baked rice snacks
• Fat-free hot chocolate
• Granola bars
• Pita Bread

• Eat one snack 3 to 4 hours before dinner. If you feel the need for an evening snack, enjoy one 2 to 3 hours after dinner.
• On any day the sun is out, try to get outside around noon for at least 10 minutes. A sunbox is another option, as long as you sit in front of it in the morning for at least 10-20 minutes (it mimics early morning light).
• Drink plenty of non-caloric beverages and avoid alcohol.
• Exercise — even if you don’t feel like doing so. Physical activity will give you more energy. Get out and walk. If the weather is too cold or inclement, take a brisk stroll around the mall. Check out the exercise DVD’s at the library and follow the prompts at home. If you belong to a gym and you don’t have the energy to get there after work, go over the weekend.
• Make sure you get the sleep your body craves. A 20-minute afternoon nap can be very refreshing (make sure it’s over by 4pm so that it won’t interfere with nighttime sleeping). Also, you may want to aim for an earlier bedtime in the winter months.

Boost Serotonin to switch off your appetite and turn on a good mood.

©2009 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD and Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, authors of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs — Nature’s Own Appetite Suppressant — to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain

About the Authors:
Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs — Nature’s Own Appetite Suppressant — to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain, has discovered the connection between carbohydrate craving, serotonin, and emotional well-being in her MIT clinical studies. She received her PhD from George Washington University, is the founder of a Harvard University hospital weight-loss facility and counsels private weight management clients. She has written five books, including The Serotonin Solution, and more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She lives in Miami Beach, Florida.

Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs — Nature’s Own Appetite Suppressant — to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain, counsels private weight management clients and is a practicing physician and certified professional life coach. She received her master’s degree in Nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from George Washington University. She lives in Boston, MA.

For more information, please visit www.SerotoninPowerDiet.com.

Photo:  danydrs72

Health Care Costs

The legislation that created the new Medicare drug benefit expressly prohibits the federal government from attempting to negotiate lower prices with drug companies.

By: Jim Schlagheck

Americans are deeply unhappy with the country’s health care programs and costs. And rightly so. As one author observed, “A recent survey showed that only 17 percent of respondents in the United States were content with their health-care system . . . Why the discontent? The superficial reasons are simple enough to describe: the system is hugely expensive, very bureaucratic, and extremely patchy. The expenses first: U.S. health care costs a third more, per person, than that of the closest rival, superrich Switzerland, and twice what many European countries spend. The United States government alone spends more per person than the combination of public and private expenditure in Britain, despite the fact that the British government provides free health care for all residents.”

The United States pays more for health care per capita than any other industrialized nation — and even then, Medicare is not a comprehensive, pay-for-everything national health program like those of many nations and United States per capita health care costs continue to escalate rapidly.

Here’s what you need to know about health care costs as you plan for retirement.

Americans age sixty-five and over spend four times more on health care on average than do Americans under the age of sixty-five. At the outset of this decade, the average per capita health-care outlay for a person under the age of sixty-file was about $2,800. For people over the age of sixty-five, it was $11,089. And for Americans ages eighty-five and older it was $20,001. Clearly, health care outlays are likely to get substantially larger as you age. You need to plan for them.

U.S. health care expenses have grown mightily. U.S. health care expenses have dramatically escalated each year as new medications, new treatments, diagnostic tools, and health care innovations have come onto the market.

For example, the median nationwide cost for a hospital stay — excluding physicians charges — was $11,280 in 1997; by 2004 it was almost double at $20,455. The average total cost for treating a heart attack climbed 40 percent in just seven years. All in, health care costs have escalated fast and the increases are gaining momentum.

Health care costs are likely to continue to grow unabated. Unlike in other countries, no laws meaningfully curb the continual climb of health care and drug costs in the United States. For example, many Americans continue to import drugs from Canada because Canadian prices are significantly lower. This is true even though the new Medicare Features introduced in 2006 offset the cost of pharmaceuticals for U.S. retirees. To curb the cost of medicines, Canada prohibits drug companies from advertising on its television channels. In the United States, on the other hand, the very legislation that created the new Medicare drug benefit (Part D) expressly prohibits the federal government from attempting to negotiate lower prices with drug companies.

Count on it: medical costs are sky-high and likely to keep climbing unless there is a radical overhaul of the system.

More and more corporations are cutting back on health care benefits as medical costs soar. Recent statistics show companies cutting health care benefits and requiring employees and retirees to pay more for them. As one survey of corporate benefit trends concluded, “[Benefit] reductions have become not just common, but expected, with the only question now being of how much more of a reduction in benefits and or an increase in cost will be directly placed on individuals . . . In the end . . . Individuals, either as taxpayers or consumers, will need to pay the bill.

I believe this trend will gain greater momentum over the next decades. It will be part and parcel of the continuing erosion of employment benefits — like the demise of traditional pensions — that is taking place throughout the country. Just like pensions, more and more health-care expense is going to become a do-it-yourself responsibility because heath care insurance costs are simply becoming too great for companies to shoulder competitively.

Taken all together, you can count on: (1) higher and higher health care costs, (2) more health-care-benefit cutbacks by U.S. employers, (3) the need to factor large health-care expenses into your funding plans, and (4) the need to buy supplemental health-care insurance to shield your savings from cost attack.

Of course, these views will not come as a surprise to most folks. Recent polls show that — immediately after the foremost financial concern of having enough money for retirement – the next great concern of most Americans is health care. More than half of adult Americans are “very worried” or “moderately worried” about being able to pay for serious illness or catastrophic health-care expense.

Copyright © 2008 by Jim Schlagheck , author of the book:
Cash-Rich Retirement: Use the Investing Techniques of the Mega-Wealthy to Secure Your Retirement Future

About the Author:
Jim Schlagheck is an author, banker, longtime advisor to the ultrawealthy, and the coproducer of the public television series Retirement Revolution. He has written numerous articles on investing, retirement, and finance, and is also an acclaimed speaker who describes better ways for retirement readiness to audiences of wealth-management professionals and lay investors nationwide.

Photo: by seiuhealthcare775nw

Red Cross Helping Victims

Don’t give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card. Write the official name of the charity on your check

In the wake of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti, the Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to choose carefully when considering urgent appeals for aid in the news, online, and at social networking sites. The best way to provide immediate help is to donate money directly to established national relief organizations that have the experience and means to deliver aid.

The FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has these tips to help consumers give wisely:

* Donate to recognized charities that you have given to before. Watch out for those that have sprung up overnight. They may be well-meaning, but lack the infrastructure to provide assistance. And be wary of charities with names that sound like familiar or nationally known organizations. Some phony charities use names that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations.

* You don’t have to donate to someone who contacts you out of the blue with an unsolicited e-mail, phone call, or text message. It’s better to give through a Web site or phone number that you know is legitimate.

* Give directly to the charity, not the solicitors for the charity. Solicitors take a portion of the proceeds to cover their costs, which leaves less for victim assistance.

* Do not give out personal or financial information – including your Social Security number or credit card and bank account numbers – to anyone who solicits a contribution from you. Scam artists use this information to commit fraud against you.

* Check out any charities before you donate. Contact the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org.

* Don’t give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card. Write the official name of the charity on your check. You can contribute safely online through national charities like www.redcross.org/donate.

* Ask for identification if you’re approached in person. Many states require paid fund-raisers to identify themselves as such and to name the charity for which they are soliciting.

For more information, visit ftc.gov/charityfraud.

Photo:  American Red Cross

Squash spinach soup

Here are three suggestions for choosing foods that can sustain you from January until the first bunch of locally grown asparagus makes its appearance in spring.

By:  Mary Ann Esposito

Ah winter! Fun in the snow making snow angels with the kids, ice skating and snowshoeing. If only all that joy and satisfaction could be found at your local grocery store come January. And unless you live in warmer climes, most of us along with warding off colds, the flu, and grouchiness at the thought of a looming long winter, are at a loss as to what to buy and eat when the choices are almost as bleak as the weather.

Sure, lots of us will crave warmth reaching for cans of soup, full of sodium and other stuff too difficult to try and pronounce. We’ll scavenge the produce aisles in hopes of finding some lively looking salad greens from California and fruit from Florida, instead of some foreign country. We’ll console ourselves with grapefruit, navel oranges, apples and pears while dreaming of fresh local strawberries not due until June.

January, February and March can be tricky if you are picky about where your food comes from. Chilean plums, Mexican grapes, blueberries from Uruguay, anyone? Even in the winter months, it’s important to choose foods that are as local as possible.

Here are three suggestions for choosing foods that can sustain you from January until the first bunch of locally grown asparagus makes its lovely anticipated appearance in spring.

1) Dried beans such as garbanzo, kidney, split pea and pinto beans are readily found on grocer’s shelves. They can be turned into delicious, high fiber, high protein dishes that will power you through the cold. For instance, how about a hearty sausage, lentil and ditalini soup from my latest cookbook: Ciao Italia, Five Ingredient Favorites from an Italian Kitchen? Easy to make and you won’t believe how good just a five ingredient soup can be.

2) Winter squashes of every color and description are in my opinion, the workhorse vegetables of winter along with onions, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. Creamy and velvety squash soup is a favorite as is a rich risotto made with diced squash, and spaghetti squash does a great stand-in for spaghetti and meatballs. If you have some eggs, an onion and mushrooms, a tart is a nice change of pace as is a steaming bowl of onion soup with a blanket of melted cheese over the top.

3) Don’t overlook leafy Swiss chard, kale, carrots and beets. Swiss chard and kale can be steamed for use as a side dish, incorporated into crustless quiche or stuffed and baked. Combine cooked beets and carrots for a nice winter salad; add some feta cheese, and a handful of walnuts or pine nuts and you have a perky salad that can banish winter blues with one taste.

Yes, January can be a challenge on many levels but sacrificing good food does not have to be one of them if you think, choose wisely, and cook in season.

Squash and Spinach Soup
Zuppa di Zucca e Spinaci

SERVES 6 TO 8

Now, this soup uses real ingenuity. A vibrant green, the soup is beautiful to look at as well as eat. I call this a kitchen-sink soup because it uses vegetables, milk, and pasta, and was created just by having the ingredients on hand.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach, washed, drained, and stemmed
• 4 tablespoon (½ stick) butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 pound yellow summer squash (about 3 small), cubed
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup ditalini or other soup pasta
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Place the spinach in a 3-quart soup pot, cover, and cook without any additional water until limp, about 3 minutes. Drain the spinach in a colander and let cool. Press out the excess water with a wooden spoon, then coarsely chop the spinach. Set aside.

Wipe out the soup pot, return it to the heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until soft. Add the squash and potatoes, and cook the vegetables together, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the water, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir, combining ingredients well, cover the pot, and boil gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.

In a skillet, heat the remaining butter. Add the spinach and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the spinach to the soup and stir well to blend.

In a food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the soup pot and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the soup.

To serve, reheat the soup and serve in individual bowls. Pass the cheese for sprinkling on top.

Variation: Use thin slices of uncooked yellow squash as a garnish.

©2009 Mary Ann Esposito, author of Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

About the Author:
Mary Ann Esposito, author of Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen, is the creator and host of the long-running PBS series Ciao Italia, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010. She is the author of eleven successful cookbooks, including Ciao Italia Slow and Easy and Ciao Italia Pronto! She lives in Durham, New Hampshire.

For more information, please visit www.CiaoItalia.com.