Check out our February newsletter!
THE LEGAL NAVIGATOR FEBRUARY 2021
FROM THE DESK OF Mike Bryan
Can You Afford to Spend $82,860 Per Year on Health Care Costs?
• Do you know how Medicaid & Veterans Benefits
can be used to help pay for home health, assisted living, or nursing home costs?
STAY TRUE TO YOUR GOALS THROUGH FEBRUARY Where Goals and Resolutions Go to Die
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Do you know how planning ahead has the potential to protect your home and other assets from Medicaid ? Do you know how to receive $14,742.00– $27,195.00 in Veterans Benefits each year that can be used to help pay for health care costs?
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• Want to understand how to protect yourself and your family from loss of financial security?
If you’re a forward-thinking, hardworking person, you probably set at least a few business or personal goals every January. You may have even accomplished some of them! Chances are, however, there are probably just as many that you haven’t achieved. In fact, studies in recent years have shown that by the second week of February, around 80% of New Year’s resolutions have been abandoned. If this sounds familiar, does that mean that you’ve failed and that you should give up hope of ever achieving your goals? Absolutely not. Admittedly, I’m writing this article before February, so taking on 2021 feels a lot easier right now. But, if your resolutions are currently among that 80%, you can continue to push forward using a few simple ideas. By now, you’re probably aware of the SMART system for setting goals. You may have even used this methodology to plan your goals for 2021. If you’re not aware, SMART goals are S pecific, M easurable, A ttainable, R elevant, and T imely. You can find all sorts of info on the specifics of each of those qualities online. While you’re more likely to achieve your goals if they’re SMART, that might not be all it takes. According to direct sales trainer Deb Bixler, writer for TheBalance.com, our goals shouldn’t just be SMART; they should be SMARTER. SMARTER goals are ones where you also E valuate and R eevaluate. While SMART goals may seem easy to achieve, you’ll never know how easy the process actually is until you get started. Then you might find out that your plans don’t work and the
Call our office today or visit our website to find out more Attorney Bryan’s latest book:
“Estate, Medicaid & VA Benefits Planning: An Ohio Guide”
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Limited free copies are available!
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E-book options are available, as well!
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Call 740-452-8484 and ask to speak to Courtney Haug, or visit our website at swbwlawfirm.com/ estate-medicaid-and-va- planning-an-ohio-guide
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action steps that you laid out don’t bring you as close to achieving your goal as you’d hoped. Instead of giving up, however, that’s when you should take some time to evaluate your progress. What action steps are working well? Which ones need to be tweaked? These are the perfect sorts of questions to ask yourself this month if you’re thinking of giving up. However, evaluation isn’t the only means to success. You might find that adjusting your plan for achieving your goals might not change anything. In fact, the new plan might even be less effective than what you did previously. That’s why you have to continually reevaluate your plans and your goals. What works this month might not work next month, so you have to be ready for that. At the end of it all, I’ve also found it’s helpful to acknowledge that we don’t always set the best goals for ourselves at the start of the year. We may find out that the goal we thought would be good for us actually doesn’t have the impact we were striving for. Say your goal is to wake up every morning before work and go for a run. While that might have a great impact on your physical fitness, it might also mean you’re tired all day at work and you’re less productive. At a certain point, you might have to find a different goal, and that’s okay. Just because you decide to abandon one goal doesn’t mean you’re giving up on success.
This month, I want to encourage all of you to resist the urge to quit striving for success. Evaluate and reevaluate your plans, and don’t be afraid to find a new path to success if your goals aren’t serving you as you intended.
THE BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS
In the famous Swiss novel “Heidi,” a little girl recovers from her fragile health — both physically and mentally — by spending time in the mountains. There are plenty of anecdotal stories about the medicinal effects of mountain air, but how much is supported by research? Here’s what there is evidence for so far: Cleaner, Pollution-Free Air One basic but important benefit of getting to a higher altitude is the escape from city pollution. It may surprise some city dwellers that air pollution is linked to asthma attacks for those with sensitive lungs and also to more serious conditions. Research suggests that prolonged exposure to air pollution may lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other lung diseases.
Up in the mountains, you’ll likely be able to breathe a little easier.
Reduced Risk of Obesity and Heart Disease People who spend more time at high altitudes may also experience a decreased appetite and lower risk of obesity. One study from 2017 even found that living at a higher elevation is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol. Even more interesting, mountain air may passively improve your weight loss journey as well.
Natural Weight Loss One German study followed 20 obese men who lived in an
environmental research station below the highest peak in the country. The subjects reached the peak effortlessly by railway or cable car, and they were allowed to eat as much as they liked. By the end of the week, however, each had lost an average of 1.5 kilograms or 3.3 pounds. Two factors are thought to have contributed to the weight loss: A naturally decreased appetite from the altitude (the men ate nearly 700 fewer calories than usual) and an increased metabolic rate. While there is still more to learn about the potential benefits of spending time in the mountains, these three studies give the greenlight for more high-altitude adventures.
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How to Be a Straw Box Chef And Make Hearty Winter Meals Without a Stove
The invention of gas and electric stoves forever changed the way we cook our food. We are no longer reliant on open flames for a hearty, nutritious meal, and cooking is now a lot safer. Yet, there are some methods from the past that are timeless. Gas and electric stoves still rely on finicky electricity, which can often go out in bad storms. That’s where homesteaders of the past turned to straw box cooking.
Straw box cooking goes by many names, including fireless cooking, a haybox, or a Norwegian cooker. Farmers didn’t want to leave their stoves on all day just to enjoy a hearty soup at night, and Americans during World War II followed strict rationing guidelines and couldn’t spare excess fuel. As a result, straw box cooking was born. The idea is to take a wooden box and pack it full of straw. This will serve as insulation to “cook” your food. Bring soup, stews, roasts, and other meals to a boil or simmer on the stove, place a lid on the pot, and put it inside the box. Then, simply close the box, and let the straw insulate the pot to cook your food. You can also use coolers, metal containers, or other “boxes” to hold your pot. Straw can be replaced with blankets, towels, or other nonflammable items.
meals in a slow cooker, and when the power does go out, transfer the meal into the straw box. (A camp stove or fireplace can also be good alternatives for reheating your meals if the power is still out!) But here’s a word of caution for interested chefs: Be sure to use a thermometer to check the temperature of your meals before digging in. While the straw box method is great for conservation and nights without power, it doesn’t work as efficiently as the stove or oven. You may need to practice this method a few times to get it right, and if possible, bring your meal back to a boil after it’s cooked in the straw box, just to be safe. It may not be a great invention like electric and gas stoves, but straw box cooking is a helpful tool every homesteader, camper, survivalist, adventurous chef, and outdoor enthusiast needs to know. Enjoy!
This can also be an effective preparation tool for forecasted storms. Simply prepare your
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BALSAMIC ROASTED VEGETABLE PASTA Winter is still here, which means it’s time to curl up with a bowl of delicious comfort food. This seasonal vegan pasta dish does the trick! Inspired by TheFullHelping.com
Ingredients
Directions
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1.
1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, root vegetables, and onion. Toss until evenly coated, then spread the mixture across two foil-lined baking sheets. 3. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper, then roast them for 35–40 minutes. While vegetables are roasting, cook pasta according to package directions. 4. When vegetables are done, heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic for 4–5 minutes. 5. Add the root vegetables and onion, pasta, vegetable broth, and vinegar to the pot and stir until warm. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. 6. Serve with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.
2 1/2 lbs mixed vegetables of choice, chopped into 3/4- inch pieces (parsnips, turnips, carrots, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, etc.)
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1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
MLK JR PENNSYLVANIA PHIL PRESIDENTS DAY VALENTINE WINTER
AQUARIUS BLACK HISTORY CANDY CUPID GROUNDHOG HEART LINCOLN
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 8 oz uncooked pasta 1/2 cup vegetable broth 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls arugula
Salt and pepper, to taste Nutritional yeast, to taste
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Mike PAGE 1 Sticking With Your Goals Through the Rest of the Year PAGE 1 Can Mountain Air Actually Improve Your Health? PAGE 2 How to Make Great Meals With a Box and Straw PAGE 3 Take A Break PAGE 3 Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Pasta PAGE 3 Is Air Travel as Risky as You Think? PAGE 4
IS IT SAFE TO FLY DURING THE PANDEMIC? Air Travel May Be Less Risky Than You Think
Back in March, when the pandemic first started to affect our daily lives, the number of U.S. airlines’ international passengers fell by 53% from the previous year. In April, the difference was even more stark — a drop around 96%. People didn’t trust that they would be safe from COVID-19 on airplanes, and why would they? Whether earned or not, airplanes have a reputation for being flying petri dishes. That said, flying may be safer than you think, even if there are still some risks. Here are some of the ways airlines are taking precautions to minimize those risks. Using High-Quality Air Filtration The air filtration systems on airplanes are built to stop respiratory viruses from spreading. Air quality experts recommend that air in confined spaces be replaced six times per hour. Filtration systems on planes replace the air around 20–30 times an hour. In practice, that means you risk catching COVID-19 only if someone who’s infected is sitting directly next to, in front of, or behind you. However, that doesn’t account for people moving about the cabin on flights, so take that into consideration. Blocking the Middle Seat Some airlines have tried to create social distancing between passengers by leaving the middle seat open on flights. According to research from Arnold Barnett, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
this does seem to reduce the number of passengers contracting COVID-19. Additionally, Barnett recommends that passengers try to get the window seat, since that’s where you’ll have the fewest points of contact with other passengers. It’s not quite 6 feet, but it’s better than nothing.
Passengers Wearing Masks Most airlines mandate that passengers wear a mask during boarding and while flying, though some do allow passengers to take them off to eat and drink. Masks are still the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even on airplanes. Back at the beginning of the pandemic, a man who later tested positive for COVID-19 flew all the way from Wuhan to Toronto but wore a mask the whole time. No other passengers were infected. While the risks may be less severe than you thought, you should still exercise caution. Practice social distancing during the boarding and disembarking processes as best you can and keep up to date on any outbreaks at your destination. Just because things are safer than you thought doesn’t mean you should throw caution into the air filtration system.
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