Hamilton Insurance Group October 2018

THE SILVER LINING To Your Life & Health

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T he F ight A gainst C ancer S tarts W ith A wareness

And Continues With Support

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while I haven’t been directly impacted from this disease, it’s still a cause that matters deeply to me. The prevalence of cancer in our society is something that can’t be ignored. As I get older, I realize my mortality is finite. When I work with my clients who have to deal with cancer every day, it makes me reflect on what they must be feeling. That initial diagnosis has to be one of the hardest moments for someone to go through. The second that one word is uttered to you, your life changes forever. You can’t run from it, and you have to be ready to fight. Most of us spend our lives fighting battles, like finances and relationship issues, but cancer is one of the biggest struggles anyone can go through. If you don’t win with your finances, you go into debt. If you don’t win with cancer, you may not survive. Fighting is the only choice, and that starts with awareness. One significant detail that should be exposed about breast cancer is that even when you beat it, the effects are residual. It’s not just breast cancer, either. I had a marketing assistant who had bladder cancer, and I know men who have had prostate cancer. But even if they beat it, they will continue to face daily challenges. On top of that,

there’s the damage that chemotherapy does to your body. You can go from living a normal life to facing physical, emotional, and psychological trauma eight months later. Life can change so quickly, which makes me regularly consider my health. “ You can go from living a normal life to facing physical, emotional, and psychological trauma eight months later. Whether you have a Western medical focus or an Eastern holistic approach to health, the greatest impact comes through consistent awareness. Stress

–Duane Hamilton 1 770-744-1855 and a beautiful October. Stay safe, and as always, I hope you have the best day of your life so far. leads to depression, and those who are depressed may have a lowered immune system and are more susceptible to illness. I like to fast two or three days every other week because I believe in the positive effects it has on my mind and body. The more I can keep my focus centered on improving my health, the less stressed I feel. It’s not for everyone, but it has certainly had a great impact on me. I hope everyone has a great Halloween

One of the hardest challenges of aging isn’t coping with the physical changes or new limitations associated with getting older; it’s finding new groups of people with similar interests, especially for empty nesters. Many adults build their peer networks around their children, making them the focal point of conversations with other parents in similar situations. But as children grow older and eventually leave home, parents are forced to adjust to their dwindling social lives. While some adults thrive in meeting new people, many struggle to find ways to connect with their peers. Fortunately, there are apps for that. Easy Facebook for Seniors The mother ship of social media can sometimes be more of a maze than a way to connect with others. Facebook took notice of this and created a simplified version of the app specifically designed for those who want to avoid all the distractions. Ease of use makes the opportunity to connect with others who have similar interests simpler than ever.

OurTime Dating in your 50s can be tricky, especially when many singles are looking for specific requirements in a partner. Some are seeking casual relationships, while others are looking for someone to grow old with. OurTime is a dating app that allows seniors to find partners with similar values, priorities, and passions. It’s a great way to find new people to share the golden years with. Skype You don’t have to wait for the holidays for your next group gathering; Skype allows you the opportunity to have video chats with anyone who has a smartphone. Maybe your conversation about the football game got cut short at church, or maybe you never finished your discussion at book club. Whatever the occasion, Skype gives you the option to connect with the people around you, even when you don’t feel like leaving the comfort of your house.

There’s an App for That?

Include These Treats in Your Giveaways for Optimal Halloween Cheer The Treats a Child Hopes for on Halloween

October is here, which means Halloween is just around the corner. If you, like many adults, are wondering which candies to buy, then you’re in luck. Here is a list of the most popular candies to hand out when young ghosts and princesses come knocking. • M&M’s – There’s nothing wrong with handing out a simple classic. These bite-size treats are perfect for all those trick-or-treaters! • Reese’s peanut butter cups – No matter which route you decide to take, large or small, include Reese’s in your arsenal of candies.

• Gummies – Whether you hand out bears, worms, or the misshapen heads of “Star Wars” characters, gummy treats are an all-time favorite. • Kit Kats – Don’t pass on breaking these out. Add these to your chocolate giveaways for a bonus kids will love. • King-Size or Full-Size Candy Bars – Although a bit on the costly side, handing out these massive chocolate bars will light up a kid’s face and earn you some brownie points as the coolest house on the block.

Making Halloween a fantastic experience for all the kids who’ve waited eagerly for this night is rewarding. That doesn’t mean that anyone should devour their entire candy horde in the same night. Eating far too many chocolatey delights can lead to adults and children becoming awfully ill. If you eat so much you need to see a doctor, call our offices today for all your Medicare needs. We can get you on the track to feeling better.

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7 S teps to T hankfulness How a Gratitude Journal Can Help You See Life’s Beauty

3 Start by writing about memories will be profound, and you’ll see how much beauty can pack itself into one year. 4 When you’re writing, don’t just settle for one sentence. Really explore why you were grateful for that moment or person. 5 Once you’ve written out last year’s occurrences, start working day by day. You can note simple situations like the person at the grocery store who smiled at you or when your grandson calls you. If you can’t find anything positive, look harder and open up your heart to the wonderment of the world. 6 Write every day. Sometimes it might be a few sentences, and sometimes it might be a few everything in the last year you were thankful for. Often these

Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive, especially around the holidays. Family gatherings can make those without a place to call home feel rather lonely. But that loneliness can be turned into something productive by looking for life’s beauty every day. Writing in a gratitude journal may seem trivial, but have you ever tried it? It’s easy to think about situations you’re grateful for without writing them down, but taking a few minutes to jot down joyous moments has a much more profound effect than mere reflection. Here is how a gratitude journal works. 1 Find a small notebook that you can stow away easily and access without complications. 2 A pen is a great way to let yourself feel the permanence of your thankfulness, so skip the pencil. Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 is Medicare Annual Election Period. There are exciting benefits for 2019 plans. If you are satisfied with your current plan and have no desire to make changes, no action is needed on your part. However, if you are not satisfied with your current plan or desire additional benefits, I recommend a brief review of plans offered in your area. If your income has decreased, please call to see if you qualify for help with your Medicare cost.

pages. Just make sure it’s focused on a positive situation. 7 At the end of the month, take time to read back through all the fantastic points you made. Maybe it’s an episode of your favorite TV show that reminded you of watching your kids play at the park. Or it’s possible you wrote about someone in your family who had a child. There is no situation too great or too small for you to find joy in. Thankfulness doesn’t have to be profound; you just have to be willing to see it.

S piced P umpkin S eed C runch

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg white • 1 teaspoon light agave syrup • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds • 1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper • Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk

4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.

We represent all major Medicare providers. We are here to help; just let us know.

together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated.

3 770-744-1855

1170 Peachtree Street NE Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30309

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

770-744-1855

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October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Turn Back Time With Social Media The Top Five Candies Kids Love Have You Tried a Gratitude Journal? Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating

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W hy T here A re K ids on Y our P orch A sking for C andy

The History of Trick-or-Treating

As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?” Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this

tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men

donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave

way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th- century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!

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