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NortonAccountingServices.com 877-799-3736 Info@NortonAccountingServices.com FEBRUARY 2019 NORTON NEWSLETTER EASE OF MIND • AVAILABILITY • FLEXIBILITY • INDIVIDUAL APPROACH • EXPERIENCE • TAX SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™
I have an exciting announcement to make! You may notice that the company name and logo have changed to Norton Accounting Services LLC. Our accounting and bookkeeping services have grown steadily over the past years, so much so that I felt it was time to set them up in a separate entity with its own brand. Some of you are aware that I have several businesses. I started Bob Norton Consulting as an incubator for my entrepreneurial endeavors. And over the years, as a service line began to grow into a separate operation, I spun it off into its own entity. And, that’s what has happened to Norton Accounting Services. It’s grown up to the point where it needs its own identity. Penny and I will still be providing the great service that you have come to expect. We’re putting additional systems in place so that we can continue to grow and better serve you. Our core purpose remains to help our clients build their wealth while paying the least amount of tax legally required FROM THE DESK OF Bob
THE 4 TYPES OF EXERCISE A nd W hy Y ou N eed T hem A ll
From the Thighmaster to the Shake Weight, every era has had its own ridiculous fitness fad. However, in a world increasingly obsessed with health and fitness, silly, single-use items have given way to complex workout methodologies. Instructors and gyms now offer varying programs for success, and each will tell you their system is the best way to get and stay fit. While the debate over the best way to work out continues to rage on, one thing is indisput- able: Exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle. According to the Harvard Health Letter, there are four types of exercise everyone should do. Each provides unique benefits to your overall health and wellness. Rather than deciding that one is better than the others, it’s smart to make sure you’re mixing them all together regularly. “People do what they enjoy, or what feels the most effective, so some aspects of exercise and fitness are ignored,” says Rachel Wilson of Brigham andWomen’s Hospital. Don’t end up over- looking an integral aspect of any well-rounded fitness regimen. Examine the four most-im- portant types of exercise and ask yourself if you’re getting enough of each.
AEROBIC EXERCISE
Aerobic exercise, which comprises any cardiovascular conditioning (cardio), speeds up your heart rate and breathing. Whether through walking, swimming, running, cycling, or another mode of repetitive movement, cardio increases your endurance and works out your heart and lungs. Your cardiovascular system is the pump supplying fuel to your muscles. If it’s not
-Bob Norton
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STRETCHING
firing on all cylinders, you’ll never perform at your best. That’s why regular aerobic exercise is so important. As Anthony Joshua, the heavy- weight champion of the world, says, “Cardio is a nice way to start the morning … it’s good to get up, get the body active.”
allow you to keep these systems healthy and well-functioning.
When you’re young, it’s easy to take flexibility for granted. A middle schooler can run around all day without warming up and have no fear of straining a tendon or overworking a joint. That’s not the case for older adults, who need to stretch in order to stay limber. Regular stretch- ing will increase your range of motion while reducing your chances of injury — a win-win. Begin by warming up your muscles with dynamic stretches like arm circles or walking in place. Once your blood is flowing, move to static stretches that require you to hold a position. Areas like the calves, hamstrings, shoulders, neck, and back are particularly important to stretch.
Some types of exercise, like yoga and tai chi, help maintain your balance. They’re also incredibly easy to start at any point in your life because they don’t have a high barrier to entry. Even if you don’t have balance issues, you may want to consider trying them out. Alternatively, those already dealing with problems should consult a physical therapist, who will provide you with a specific set of exercises designed to recover your lost balance. Many sources will tell you that one type of exercise reigns supreme. The problem with this thinking is that it inhibits all the advantages you can gain from a multifaceted fitness plan. There’s no rule that states you can only pick one or two of the four essential types of exer- cise, so why limit yourself? Like a balanced diet, the best fitness system is the one that covers all the bases. BOTH/AND, NOT EITHER/OR
STRENGTH TRAINING
Where aerobic exercise targets the cardiovas- cular systems, strength training is all about building muscle mass. “Regular strength training will help you feel more confident and capable of daily tasks like carrying groceries, gardening, and lifting heavy objects around the house. Strength training will also help you stand up from a chair, get up off the floor, or get upstairs,” says Wilson. You don’t need to lift massive amounts of weight to get the benefits of strength training. Body weight exercises, like squats and pushups, are a great way to strength-train. Because mus- cle mass is actually built during rest periods, be sure to schedule recovery days each week.
BALANCE EXERCISES
Balance is the result of many systems — vision, the vestibular system, leg muscles, body me- chanics —working with one another. As we get older, these systems suffer wear and tear and begin to break down. Balance exercises
STRENGTH OF MIND Tips to Keep Memory Sharp and Improve Cognitive Function
Irish poet Oscar Wilde once called memory“the diary that we all carry about with us.”Of course, inWilde’s time, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years old. As modern medicine continues to enable people to live longer, these “diaries”tend to become muddled. Fortunately, there are ways to counteract the natural dulling of our memory that comes with time. Just like any other muscle, our brain needs a workout in order to stay strong. As Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson of Harvard Medical School writes, “Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells.” Activi- ties like solving puzzles, learning a musical PUZZLE YOURSELF
instrument, or picking up a new hobby work wonders to keep your mind active and your memory sharp. These mental exercises are especially important after retirement, often to make up for the loss of stimulating challenges that work used to provide.
campus.” In short, exercises like swimming and running keep the part of our brain responsible for memory from shrinking.
SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Humans are social creatures. Many studies have shown that being a part of a supportive social group can significantly benefit our phys- ical and mental health. In fact, the American Journal of Public Health reports that people who have daily contact with friends and family cut their risk of dementia and mental impair- ment almost in half. Our mental diaries may be longer and fuller than they were in Wilde’s day, but if we fill those pages with hobbies, exercise, and close friends, our memories will remain sharp and vivid for the rest of our days.
GET PHYSICAL
Taking care of our physical health has also been shown to help brain function. According to a study by Sydney University in Austra- lia, aerobic exercise is particularly good at jogging our memory. The researchers note that “aerobic exercise acts by preventing the usual decrease in neurogenesis associated with aging, thus resulting in greater retention of neural matter — particularly in the hippo-
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The Reason Employees Are Quitting in Droves
According to a survey conducted by Randstad, 60 percent of American employees either quit or strongly considered quitting their jobs last year. That’s a number that should terrify any business owner. However, instead of panicking, consider this record-breaking moment in U.S. employment history an invitation to take a long, hard look at your organization. Are members of your team waiting for the perfect moment to bail? And if so, why? It’s not because the majority of employees are ruthless careerists or disloyal money-grubbers. If we look at Mental Health America’s 2018 Workplace Health Survey, it mostly boils down to the fact that over half of American employees feel unappreciated, unsupported, and disrespected by management. In fact, 21 percent of respondents said that instead of being paid what they deserve, they’re nickel-and-dimed when raise season arrives, and 77 percent believed that instead of being lifted up for their accomplishments, employees were forced to toil away in the corner, feeling invisible. Sadly, scarcely more
The numbers paint a disheartening picture of the average workplace. If you’ve been a manager for a long time, it can be difficult to imagine how frustrated an undervalued member of your team can feel and how these feelings can spread throughout your organization, leaving all your employees discontent. It’s imperative to listen and respond to your employees’ concerns. It takes more than instituting an open-door policy and relaxing work requirements — two characteristics of healthy workplaces, as rated by respondents. You need to commit resources to eliminating the problem. Start with the highest-level leaders of your business. Work with them on how to interact with the rest of your team in more human, empathetic, and responsive ways. Training and assessments are a good start, but you may also need to revamp the mentality and core values of your company.
In a world where finding a new job is easier than ever, managers cannot afford to ignore the needs of their employees. Evolve
and acknowledge the emotions in your workplace or risk losing all that you’ve invested in your top performers.
than 34 percent of respondents believed they could rely on the support of their managers and colleagues.
Take a Break!
TIRAMISU
Ingredients
• • •
6 egg yolks
• • •
2 teaspoons dark rum 24 packaged ladyfingers
3 tablespoons sugar 1 pound mascarpone cheese 1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
•
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 2. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. 3. Fold in 1 tablespoon of espresso. 4. In a small, shallow dish, combine remaining
ladyfingers at the bottom of a walled baking dish.
5. Spread half of the
mascarpone mixture on top of the first layer of ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and another layer of mascarpone.
6. Cover and refrigerate 2–8 hours.
AQUARIUS ARROW CANDY CHOCOLATE
CUPID DATE
HEART LOVE PISCES ROSES
espresso with rum. Dip each lady finger into mixture for 5 seconds. Place soaked
7. Remove from fridge,
sprinkle with chocolate shavings, and serve.
FEBRUARY FLOWERS
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bob PAGE 1 The 4 Essential Types of Exercise PAGE 1 3 Ways to Improve Your Memory PAGE 2 Why Employees Are Quitting in Droves PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Tiramisu PAGE 3 All About Chocolate PAGE 4
WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CHOCOLATE Fun Facts to Wow Your Loved Ones This Valentine’s Day
Chocolate is a treat savored by people all over the world. What we know as the sweet, creamy decadence that sustains Valentine’s Day actually has greater historical and cultural significance. Fermented chocolate drinks have been dated back to as early as 350 B.C. The Aztecs believed it was the beverage of wisdom, and the Mayans saw
alkalizing agent in order to produce a milder flavor, making it a fantastic option for use in baked goods, candy, and ice cream.
German chocolate actually has nothing to do with the country of Germany, either. It used to be called“German’s chocolate,”named after its inventor, Sam German, an American who made sweet chocolate for baking. Adding sugar to the chocolate made it a go-
it as something to be worshipped. While the history of chocolate is as rich as its flavor, there are some common misconceptions about the treat.
to option for bakers around the world, and the base for German chocolate cake was born.
Dutch chocolate doesn’t necessarily refer to chocolate made in the Netherlands; the name refers to a specific chocolate-making process that uses the cocoa press. Before Dutch chemist and chocolate- maker C.J. van Houten invented the machine in 1828, chocolate was only used in beverages. Dutch chocolate is chocolate that has been modified with an
For chocolate to be classified as Swiss, it has to be made in Switzerland, as chocolate-making is considered an art form in the country. Known for its “melt in your mouth” quality, Swiss chocolate uses condensed milk to add a velvety texture. Many chocolate makers outside of Switzerland will refer to their interpretations
of Swiss chocolate as milk chocolate instead.
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