Soto Law Group - June 2019

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June 2019 Soto’s Chronicles

DeDe Soto

Protecting your most valuable asset — your family

UNDER THE SHADOW OF SUGAR ReduceYourIntakeandBecomeaHealthierYou

FROM THE DESK OF DeDe Soto

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there and, of course, a special shout to my dad, Nelson! The summer is upon us. Are you ready for your vacations ahead? Do you have your travel plans in place? Are you going on a road trip, to fly somewhere, or have a staycation? What are the kids’ plans? Do they have activities planned? I would love to hear what’s going on with you and your family or team. Also, I must promote our monthly workshops because just as you have travel plans, you should have trust plans, in case the unthinkable happens. Let us know if you need some guidance or assistance. We are here to serve and assist. We have been involved in several conservatorships lately, and its not something you want for your family. Prevent that situation today!

Sugar is addictive, and it’s in almost all the foods we eat. When you look at the nutrition facts and ingredient list of common food items, you’re almost certain to find it. Sugar comes in many forms, including honey, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, dextrose, glucose, and maltose. Regardless of its type, sugar is one of the unhealthiest substances we consume regularly. Sugar —more than fat or refined carbohydrates — is a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and a whole host of other detrimental conditions.

The average daily intake of sugar for an American is about 77 grams, which is about 18 teaspoons or 310 calories. This means that most Americans consume over 60 pounds of sugar every year!

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting your sugar intake to about 36 grams per day for men or 25 grams for women. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends even less, advising that all adults should keep their consumption under 25 grams per day. A single can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar, mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup. That covers the AHA’s recommendation and then some. Unfortunately, many people drink far more than just one can of sugary soda every day. A recent study published in April 2019 by researchers at Pennsylvania State University tackled daily soda and sugary drink consumption. They found that one-fifth of American children don’t drink water on a daily basis and instead choose to drink sugar-based beverages. Since these drinks have largely replaced water as a source of hydration, children are consuming more calories every day — not to mention suffering from the health detriments that come with consistent sugar intake.

Until next time and many blessings,

Stay up to date on all of our workshops at www.thesotolawgroup.com/Workshops.shtml

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read here: FastCompany.com/3050319/ how-giving-up-refined-sugar-changed- my-brain . In short, he calls the process of cutting sugar from his diet a “roller-coaster ride” of emotion and concentration. Eventually, the author shifted from craving sugar to feeling better than ever. It wasn’t easy, but in the end, making the effort to cut down on sugar was worth it. It’s something you can do too! Reducing sugar in your diet can do wonders for your health, mentally and physically. The hardest part is getting started and taking that first, all-important step. One of the best ways to lower your sugar intake is to make meals and snacks from scratch. A bulk of the sugar we consume daily is in pre-made foods — including just about anything you buy from the grocery store.

While sugar negatively affects our bodies overall, it can have a much more severe impact on our brains. Have you ever noticed that shortly after eating or drinking something high in sugar, you get a rush of good feelings? Sugar triggers the release of dopamine in your brain, and this reward of feel-good chemicals is a major symptom of addiction. Some researchers have compared sugar to illicit drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. Scientists at Princeton University put this theory to the test by performing experiments on rats. They increased the rats’ sugar intakes over time as they became more accustomed to it. Then, the scientists reduced or removed sugar from the rats’ diets. Shortly after, the rats began exhibiting withdrawal symptoms. This exact phenomenon has been observed in humans. When you cut sugar out of your diet, it’s not uncommon to experience headaches, low energy, and cravings. One author put sugar addiction to the test and chronicled the experience, which you can

you put in your food and your body. For busy people, this can sound challenging, but all it takes is a small, dedicated change in routine. For example, plan a day to meal prep. Among the meal-prep community — which is prospering online with many subgroups dedicated to slow cookers and pressure cookers — Sunday is the most popular day. You gather your ingredients, do the necessary cooking, and assemble your meals for the week, organizing everything in neat containers. You can prep for just the week and refrigerate your food or plan for multiple weeks and freeze meals so they don’t go bad as time goes on. You’ll save time on preparation and cooking, and you’re left with healthy meals and snacks when you’re done. There is no doubt that cutting down or eliminating sugar from your diet is hard. It takes time and effort, but the end result is more energy and greater mental clarity. Get out from under the shadow of sugar!

Making your own meals and snacks gives you 100 percent control over the ingredients

Business majors and longtime entrepreneurs will be very familiar with this work. And in an age when many shiny new theories on leadership and personal development come out every year, it’s refreshing to revisit a classic that has stood the test of time. Thirty-five years after its original publication, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” should still be required reading for marketers, small-business owners, and anyone else looking to improve their negotiation skills. Written by Dr. Robert Cialdini, “Influence” explores why people say yes. A professor of business and psychology, Dr. Cialdini is uniquely qualified to tackle this question, combining scientific data with practical applications. “Influence” is still a subject of praise, with marketing research groups and journals of psychology lauding the book as a “proverbial gold mine.”You don’t have to get too far into “Influence” to see why. Dr. Cialdini lays out six “universal principles” of the human psyche. These include “Reciprocity,” our tendency to want to return perceived kindness or concessions; “Commitment and Consistency,” our tendency to cling to past decisions; and “Scarcity,” our tendency to assign value to things based on their rarity. While these may sound like surface level business concepts, the way Dr. Cialdini uses these principles as a launching point gives “Influence” value. ‘Influence’ A Road Map to Closing Deals

With each principle, the author dives into examples of how these psychological elements can be used by you or against you in any negotiation. Take “Commitment and Consistency” for example. If you are able to get a person to agree with you on several small points, you lay the groundwork for them to agree with you in the future. Conversely, you can be more alert when people try to use this tactic on you.

One of the most powerful results of reading “Influence” is that it helps you recognize behaviors you yourself were unaware of. Indeed, that’s the whole underlying thesis of Dr. Cialdini’s work: As social creatures, we all have habitual behaviors geared towards finding common ground with others. Once you are aware of these behaviors, you’ll begin to see conversations and negotiations in a whole new light.

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Defeating the Summer Slump 3 Ways to Keep Up Productivity During the Summer

June 21 marks the official beginning of summer and the productivity slump most businesses experience. The sun’s tantalizing rays draw your eyes from computer screens or conference room meetings to the outside world. A weekend of fresh air, sunshine, and cool evenings on the back porch infiltrate your mind. Your productivity is sapped, but you’ve still got work to do. So, what can you do? Here are a few ways to combat the summer slump.

meeting” outside, or implement exercise breaks every couple of hours. Moving around boosts productivity, and doing it outside can be a great change of scenery.

DRESS DOWN

If shirts and ties are the norm at your business, you might want to consider embracing the laid-back vibe of summer by relaxing the dress code a bit. It’s a small way to ensure employees don’t feel like they’re missing out on all the

RELAX THE WORK HOURS

If you’re in a management position, consider tweaking the standard 9-to-5, Monday through Friday schedule a little bit. Some businesses will implement a 9/80 schedule, meaning employees work 80 hours in nine days instead of 10, so they can get every other Friday off. Some businesses will let employees work half days on Fridays during the summer, and others will let employees work remotely on certain days.

perks of summertime without losing productivity. Plus, who wants to wear a suit in July? It’s tough to compete with the allure of a warm summer day, but sometimes those days can work to your advantage if you make a few simple swaps in your everyday work routine.

GET MOVING

Sitting at a desk for eight continuous hours can stagnate productivity at any point during the year, but during the summer, there’s an easy way to remedy it: getting a little exercise. Since the sun is shining, why not take advantage of it while you work? Try scheduling a “walking

Take a Break!

Inspired by Bon Appétit

• • • • • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, or 6 tbsp ghee 3 russet potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), peeled 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Pinch of cayenne pepper, plus more to taste NO. 1 DAD HASH BROWNS Ingredients

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until foamy. Reduce heat if needed to avoid browning. Skim off white milk solids to make clarified butter (ghee). Transfer to a bowl and reserve. (This step won’t be needed if using ghee.) 2. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate potatoes. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and stir until water becomes cloudy. Rinse potatoes under cold water, then squeeze out liquid using cheesecloth or a kitchen towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season potatoes. 3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter (or ghee) to medium-high. Add potatoes and cook until a crust forms underneath, about 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, break up potatoes and continue to cook, adding more butter (or ghee) if potatoes begin to stick. 4. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of DeDe PAGE 1 Get Out FromUnder the Shadow of Sugar PAGE 1 ‘Influence’ and the Psychology of Yes PAGE 2 3 Ways to Keep Up Productivity During the Summer PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 No. 1 Dad Hash Browns PAGE 3 Crazy Lawsuits Surrounding the Dearly Departed PAGE 4

Lawsuits FromBeyond

Let’s Hope There’s a Courtroom in the Afterlife

We pride ourselves on being a country where everyone receives a fair trial. And while that’s not always the case, even the craziest claims still have to be heard in some capacity by a court of law. As you can imagine, this can result in plenty of spooky high jinks in the courtroom. Let’s take a look at some of the more baffling court cases in recent memory. DEAD MAN TALKING In something straight out of a Coen brothers movie, a New York man had to sue The New York Times on three separate occasions to get them to stop reporting that he was dead. In all fairness, it seemed like an honest mistake prolonged by the ineptitude of his public counsel and a whole lot of terrible coincidences all rolled into one. Juan Antonio Arias just so happened to share the same first and last name as one “Juan Arias”who had met his untimely demise. After it was reported in

a Times article, the living Arias accidentally had his own date of birth and Social Security number added to the death certificate of his now deceased namesake in a terrible mix-up from the coroner. As a result, he sued on three occasions after his lawyer missed certain deadlines to turn in proper documents. Thankfully, the issue was resolved, but not before he had his credit cards and Medicaid revoked after appearing to be dead. SOLEMNLY SPOOKED An unnamed New York resident — just what on earth is going on in New York? — claimed that the house they’d recently purchased was

horribly and cripplingly haunted by unseen forces. The poltergeist was said to disrupt their daily activity, and the plaintiff was suing on the grounds that the home was notorious in the area for being haunted and had a reputation as such, therefore it should have been disclosed to the buyer before closing. They won. That’s right; the court ruled that the seller misled the plaintiff and should have disclosed the nature of this potentially harmful house. Shockingly enough, this type of thing is required to be disclosed when selling a house in New York. Well, at least a buyer will have peace of mind knowing that they got a sweet new pad and a ghoul for pennies on the dollar.