Soto Law Group April 2018

April 2018 Soto’s Chronicles

DeDe Soto

Protecting your most valuable asset — your family

FROM THE DESK OF DeDe Soto

Welcome to our first newsletter! I hope you will enjoy it on monthly basis and pass it along to anyone who needs our services. I established the Soto Law Group so I could dedicate myself to the needs of growing families and business owners. It is shocking that many people do not think that an estate plan is a necessary protection, but it is! Should the unthinkable happen, you need to have your assets and family protected. What will happen to your loved ones? Do you have a plan in place that executes your wishes after death? Or do you leave it to chance and a judge — or worse, let your family members battle each other in probate? The latter leaves a legacy that is filled with anger and bitterness. Your legacy should be filled with memories of joy and happiness. This is why we focus on estate planning: trusts, wills, power of attorney, health care directives, special-need planning, trust administration, probate, conservatorships, and trust disputes.

Environmentalism is a fairly new phenomenon, only gaining real popularity over the past several decades. Just 50 years ago, there were few laws and regulations to protect the environment or restrict pollution. This April, we celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, two holidays that remind us to take care of our one and only home planet. ARBOR DAY Nebraska pioneer J. Sterling Morton set Arbor Day in motion. A lover of nature, Morton was eager to share this passion with others. As a journalist and newspaper editor, he often encouraged his readers to plant trees, either individually or as part of a group. In 1872, Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday called Arbor Day for April 10 that year. In 1885, it was proclaimed a legal holiday in Nebraska and given the official date of April 22 — Morton’s birthday. He proposed that prizes be given out to the community or organization that planted the most trees. On the first official Arbor Day, about 1 million trees were planted. The date was later moved to the last Friday in April, but it now varies from state to state based on each area’s best tree-planting season. If you’re curious to find out when Arbor Day takes place across the United States, visit www.arborday.org/celebrate/dates.cfm. THE EARTH LOVES APRIL C elebrating A rbor D ay and E arth D ay

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Cover story, continued ... EARTH DAY April 22 is now designated Earth Day. The holiday started in 1970 when Senator Gaylord Anton Nelson saw the need to address the worsening condition of the environment after witnessing a large oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969. After the devastating effects of the spill, he became determined to do something about it. His goal was to

WAYS TO CELEBRATE Ready to pitch in and help save the Earth? There are plenty of ways to volunteer your time. Help an environmental group plant trees. Organize a group of friends and neighbors to clean up a park or river. Offer your time to a local garden. Not only will you learn about nature and how to preserve it, you’ll also help your community! Environmentalism isn’t just for April, of course — you can take simple steps to help save the Earth all year long. Bicycle or walk to work. Recycle plastics, paper, and other reclaimable material. If nothing else, simply take time out of your busy life to enjoy nature. Take a walk in the park, and pick up litter along the way. Taking small steps to ensure a healthier environment inspires others to do the same. It might not seem like much, but these measures will add up to a more sustainable Earth. We’re all connected, and we’re all responsible for preserving the planet we live on.

educate the public about the fragility of the environment and the importance of taking care of the planet. Nelson sought help from environmental advocate Denis Hayes and U.S. Representative Pete McCloskey to start the movement. On April 20, 1970, approximately 20 million people across America flooded streets and parks to protest pollution and push for a healthier environment. It was after this movement that several environmental groups unified with one goal: to keep the Earth healthy. This movement also helped create laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, and the Endangered Species Act. In 1990, Earth Day went global. According to the website Live Science, around 200 million people from 141 countries participated. The numbers grew in 2000, expanding to 184 countries and 5,000 environmental groups. More than one billion people worldwide now observe Earth Day each year.

about her selective social media use. If you’re not mindful of your media consumption and participation, it tends to pile up. When you detox, it’s a lot easier to identify which parts of your media diet are essential and which are only a burden. Another benefit of a media detox is that you’ll have more time to pursue new and dormant hobbies. Because most of us consume media in small chunks throughout the day, it’s easy to overlook howmuch that time adds up. All those hours you spend on Facebook could be used to start a garden, knit a quilt, or join a soccer league. Unless you have an unlimited supply of leisure time (and who does?), you need to be selective in the way you spend it. Remember, media isn’t the cause of all your ills. Used mindfully, it can actually increase happiness and satisfaction. The problem is that we are so mired in the media muck that we can’t get a perspective on how much is too much. A detox will allow you to reassess the media you’re consuming and build a better plan for the future. You can still keep up with your grandkids on Facebook, but it shouldn’t be the only way you interact with the world. Do You Need a Media Detox? The Dangers of Overstimulation

With the current trend of getting TV, social media, and news alerts sent to our phones, we have access to more media than we could ever consume. While constant connectivity is a boon for many aspects of our lives, researchers are discovering that too much stimulation is cause for concern. One study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that too much social comparison, spurred by the likes of Facebook and cable news, can lead to an increased risk of depression. If you find yourself pressured to live up to the public lives of friends and family, or if you feel like you’re being bombarded with too much news and entertainment, consider a media detox. A detox doesn’t require you to unsubscribe from social media services or unplug your TV forever. Instead, think of it as a vacation from the overstimulation so many of us experience. Ask yourself which aspects of your media diet are causing more stress than they’re worth, and take a break from them for a little while. “In the same way we think about what we eat, we should think about what we read, what we’re seeing, what we’re engaging in, and what we’re interacting with every day,”EmmaWatson told CNN in an interview

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Earthing:

SLEEP LIKE YOU’RE ON VACATION

which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. Another study in the Journal of Inflammation Research showed that earthingmight speed up healing. Firsthand accounts from individuals who practice earthing often report lower stress levels, increased energy, and better sleep. Many people who practice earthingmake it a point to walk outside barefoot on grass, soil, or sand at least once a day. You have to be careful where you walk, as you don’t want to get cut on sharp rocks or broken glass. An alternative to walking barefoot is to use an earthing pad, which can imitate the negative charge of our planet inside your home. Earthing is quickly gaining a following in the health community. If you are looking for a natural way to improve your overall health and sleep better, why not try taking a walk? Just remember to leave your shoes behind.

Have you ever fallen asleep on the beach after swimming in the ocean? If you have, you know it’s the most restful and relaxing sleep imaginable. Youmight have thought it was just the result of warm sunlight and vacation vibes, but research suggests youmay have been experiencing the effects of a practice called“earthing.” Earthing, sometimes referred to as“grounding,”helps bring our bodies into a natural balance. The theory states that our bodies naturally develop a positive charge. As leading nutritionist Dr. John Briffa explains,“During the normal processes of metabolism, the body generates what are called‘reactive oxygen species,’which are commonly referred to as‘free radicals’... Free radicals lack sparks of energy known as‘electrons.’”When a molecule lacks electrons, it gives off a positive charge. An unbalanced positive charge contributes to inflammation, which can then cause many chronic diseases, including heart disease. You should balance your natural positive charge with a negative charge. How can you safely expose yourself to a negative charge? Just let your skin touch the earth. Earth gives off a mild electric charge, with plenty of electrons to balance out our overabundance of free radicals. There has yet to be a large-scale scientific study about the benefits of earthing, but current research is promising. One study published inThe Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found earthing helps reduce blood viscosity,

ASPARAGUS

Take a Break!

With Lemon Breadcrumbs

Spring is the height of asparagus season.This dish, which features the crunch of breadcrumbs and a refreshing splash of lemon, is the perfect way to highlight the natural flavors of the vegetablewithout overwhelming them.

Ingredients

1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 pounds asparagus 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons lemon zest Juice of one lemon (not packaged lemon juice)

Directions

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fold in parsley and lemon zest.

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Toss

asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking

sheet and bake for 20–26 minutes, turning asparagus halfway through. 2. When asparagus is nearly

3. Transfer asparagus to

serving platter, drizzle with lemon juice, and top with breadcrumb mixture.

done, heat remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.

Recipe courtesy of LoveAndLemons.com

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The Soto Law Group 1101 Dove Street, Suite 200 Newport Beach, CA 92660

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of DeDe PAGE 1 Earth and Arbor Day Go Hand in Hand PAGE 1 Why You Should Consider a Media Detox PAGE 2 Have You TriedThis Natural Healing Remedy? PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Roasted Asparagus With Lemon Breadcrumbs PAGE 3 What HIIT’s All About PAGE 4 HIIT IT HIIT promises an effective workout in under an hour, and it ranked third in the American College of Sports and Medicine’s worldwide survey of top fitness trends from 2017. What’s HIIT all about? One of the biggest fitness crazes to take gyms and backyards by storm in the last few years, high-intensity interval training, better known as HIIT, packs a lot of punch into a short amount of time. Unlike weightlifting and grueling gym sessions, HIIT is designed to burn fat in a minimum amount of time. Each interval in a HIIT workout is designed to push you to the max for a brief period of time —“short bursts of very hard work,” explains SELF magazine. Intervals may be as short as 20–90 seconds, enough time to make you breathe really hard (and burn a lot of fat) if you’re going all-out. Another key component of HIIT is resting between intervals so you can be ready to kick it up again in 20 seconds.

HIIT three days a week with moderate cardio days between to allow your body time to recover and get back up to speed for your next workout. In addition, consult your doctor before beginning a new workout program to make sure it’s safe for you. You can try this workout at home. Since there’s little to no equipment involved, HIIT can be a great workout to try at home. There are many HIIT programs you can follow on YouTube fitness channels or sites like Self.com. Invite a friend to join. If you prefer a group atmosphere, many gyms have classes that incorporate HIIT principles for a fast-paced fat- burning workout. HIIT may have health benefits beyond burning fat. A study by the International Journal of Epidemiology found that women who did intense activity for just 1–2 minutes a day reduced their risk for osteoporosis. An Action-Packed Workout in Half the Time

Ready to do a HIIT workout of your own? Here are a few tips. You can have too much of a good thing. While there are many benefits to this workout, it shouldn’t be your only exercise, and doing it too often will actually prevent you from making progress. Trainer and exercise physiologist Franci Cohen recommends trying

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