Reasons Not to Have an Estate Plan

We often hear from clients many reasons why they waited so long to draft their estate plans.

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We often hear the same reasons over and over as to why people don’t have an estate plan or haven’t gotten around to drafting an estate plan.

Some of the most frequent reasons and why they shouldn’t stop you from having an estate plan are:

  1. I don’t have enough money, property, etc. Estate planning is not just about assets. Estate planning is a way to protect your wishes, in the event of incapacity. If you have young children, estate planning allows you to choose their guardian, something should happen to you. Estate planning also allows you to direct medical and financial care, should

Scale of Ukraine War ‘Out of Proportion’ With NATO Planning: Cavoli

  • NATO leaders have been worried by the heavy casualties and massive ammunition usage in Ukraine.
  • “The scale of this war is out of proportion with all of our recent thinking,” NATO’s top general said in January.

The heavy casualties and massive consumption of ammunition seen during the war in Ukraine worried top NATO commanders.

NATO was created in 1949 to stop a massive Soviet invasion of Western Europe, and it has added new members since the end of the Cold War, but many of its militaries shrank in the decades after the Soviet threat disappeared. Now the scale and intensity of the fighting in Ukraine has raised questions about the alliance’s ability to fight a big-unit war against Russia.

“Scale, scale, scale,” US Army Gen. Christopher

Intense Exercise Raises Risk for People With Blocked Arteries

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A recent study looked at the impact of intense exercise on stroke risk among individuals with blocked arteries. Drazen Zigic/Getty Images
  • New research found that an increased heart rate can lead to stroke in people with carotid artery stenosis (blocked arteries).
  • For people without blocked arteries or minimal blockage, exercise helps maintain healthy blood flow.
  • Further research is needed to understand the relationship between elevated heart rate and adverse effects in people with moderate to severe carotid artery stenosis.
  • For those with moderate or higher levels of stenosis, lighter forms of exercise such as walking, yoga and balance training are recommended.

While exercise is typically considered good for our health, an elevated heart rate can have negative effects in people with specific health conditions.

According to a new study published in Physics of Fluids an increased heart rate can cause a stroke in people with carotid artery

Sweeteners may damage DNA and increase cancer risk

  • A new study finds that a common artificial sweetener can damage your DNA.
  • The zero-calorie sweetener in question is sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda. It is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar.
  • The study found that sucralose may lead to a leaky gut lining, and increase the activity of genes related to inflammation and cancer.

A study from researchers at North Carolina State University suggests that a chemical formed from one artificial sweetener might also damage our DNA.

The zero-calorie sweetener in question is sucralose, which is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar,

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently recommended against using certain sugar substitutes to help lose weight, saying there is little evidence of long-term benefits.

Sucralose, known in the United States by the brand name Splenda, is used in thousands of products, including baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, gelatin and frozen dairy desserts.

How to Manage Heart Disease Risk Factors Benefits Physical Function

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Healthy senior couple

New research published in The Journals of Gerontology suggests that managing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors may help preserve physical function in older adults. Approximately 10% of older adults experience muscle weakness and diminished physical function, leading to adverse health outcomes and disability. The study found that vascular measures were associated with grip strength and change in gait speed, both indicators of physical function.

Study examines the relationship of aortic stiffness, vascular function with age-related physical decline.

A recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology reveals that managing[{” attribute=””cardiovascular disease risk factors may help preserve physical function in older adults. The research, which utilized a longitudinal study design, found that vascular measures were associated with grip strength and change in gait speed, indicating that targeting vascular health may reduce age-related declines in physical function,

6 Frozen Foods To Buy That Are Actually Healthy And Will Save You Money

We’re in the throes of a cost of living crisis and it shows. in fact, according to government datathe prices of food and drink are rising at their fastest rates in over 45 years.

The largest contributors are cereal and bread, for which the average prices rose by 19.4% in the year to March 2023.

So, it makes sense then that many of us are choosing to buy more frozen foods.

According to data from Delivergrocery volumes are down 4% in the first quarter of 2023, but frozen food sales haven’t dipped.

For some, though, this isn’t good news, as according to a Tesco report from December 2022, frozen food still has a poor reputation with half (50%) of 18-24 year-olds believing that frozen food isn’t good for you.

But this just depends on the type of frozen food. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables count as

This is your brain on art: How music, dance and poetry can help your brain: Shots

A growing body of research is probing art’s effects on the brain.

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A growing body of research is probing art’s effects on the brain.

DrAfter123/Getty Images

To make sense of difficult science, Michael Kofi Esson often turns to art.

When he’s struggling to understand the immune system or a rare disease, music and poetry serve as an anchor.

“It helps calm me down and actively choose what to focus on,” says Esson, a second-year student at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Esson, who was born in Ghana, also thinks his brain is better at absorbing all that science because of the years he spent playing the trumpet and studying Afrobeat musicians like Fela Kuti.

“There has to be some kind of greater connectivity that [art] imparts on the brain,” Esson says.

That idea — that art has a measurable effect on the

Ramadan on a budget: How to eat healthy amid soaring grocery prices – National

As Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan in Canada, keeping grocery bills in check could be a challenge amid soaring food prices.

Ramadan, which began Thursday, is the fasting month for Muslims, during which they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset.

Read more:

Do you check your grocery bill? If not, you may be ‘leaving money behind’

From preparing healthy, filling meals to hosting iftar parties, “Ramadan can be a very overwhelming time,” said personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq, who also hosts For What It’s Worth on the Corus Entertainment radio network. Corus is the parent company of Global News.

That’s why Ahmed-Haq says a bit of planning can go a long way.

Here are some helpful tips to get you through the month.

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What to eat and what to avoid

In Canada this year, the fasts are going to be

Why spring-cleaning won’t benefit your health

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Man cleaning windows (Credit: Getty Images)

Many of us spring clean as the weather warms up. But is there such a thing as a house that’s too clean? Could a little bit of dirt be good for us?

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With spring around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us are ready to open the windows, get out the cleaning products and remove all the dust, grime and dirt in our homes.

But how important is having a clean home for our health? Does deep cleaning help prevent infection and protect us from diseases? Experts say we should be careful not to conflict cleanliness with good hygiene.

The Covid-19 pandemic increased household cleaning as people tried to keep the virus at bay by disinfecting every inch of their home. This was exacerbated by the World Health Organization warning early on that the virus could spread through contaminated surfaces, known as

Seaweed, sardines and sauerkraut: the best diet for your brain at every stage of life | nutrition

While the foundations of brain structure and function are laid during pregnancy and early life, the brain is constantly being fueled and shaped by the food and drink we consume daily. We should be thinking of brain health like a retirement plan; it is best to start as early as possible so that you have more to draw from when you need it. That said, it’s never too late to invest in your brain health. Here is how to use nutrition to help the brain at each stage of life.

Pregnancy

Most people know that you need to take folic acid to support a healthy pregnancy, but there is another lesser-known nutrient that is critical for brain development. Iodine is a trace mineral that is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. We know that thyroid hormones play a role in metabolism but they also determine the growth and