Omaha Insurance Solutions - August 2020

Omaha Insurance Solutions - August 2020

Club MED

August 2020

Fight or Fight Harder

competitor, I didn’t tell anyone, though there was a point where I discovered that he knew about it. That’s when the clock started ticking, and I knew he would use that information to try and find a reason to fire me. So, I bought a Prius. I know what you’re thinking: “Chris, you were about to lose your job and you bought a car?” Well, I had great credit and was in a good position for a loan. Also, I needed an affordable way to get around with the kind of business I wanted to pursue (now Omaha Insurance Solutions). At the time, my SUV was chugging gas like crazy. Then, by the time I finally lost my job, I was starting my own business with zero. All I had was a Prius and a piece of plastic in my pocket that said “Visa.” I was working more than 12 hours a day. I was traveling all the time too, and my Prius clocked about 55,000 miles that first year. During that same year, my mom died from ovarian cancer, and my dad died six months later. Every day, I woke up with anxiety and fear, and I was in fairly deep debt. By the end of those 12 months, though, my daily discipline paid off — literally and figuratively. Actually, my wife didn’t know that I had a $30,000 credit balance until the day I actually paid it, at the end of the year. I remember seeing her simultaneous heart attack and relief as I showed her the balance then clicked to pay it off. But I felt stronger, emotionally and financially. For me, I think my response to hardships is always discipline because it really proves to me that I can do anything. We all like to feel strong. In a time where we are more isolated than ever, I think it’s healthy to reflect on our strengths once in a while. Have a wonderful August, friends. –Chris Grimmond CFP ® 402-614-3389 • 1

When I saw that Aug. 1 is National Mountain Climbing Day, I started to reflect not necessarily on climbing but on the uphill battles in my life. Then, I began to realize my response to hardship has been fairly consistent over the years. I’ll give a straightforward example. I went through a bit of a Charlie Atlas transformation as a kid. For the uninitiated, Charlie Atlas was a bodybuilder who sent out ads in the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s that featured comics of a skinny guy getting ridiculed by both larger men and his girlfriend. Then, the skinny guy worked out using Charlie Atlas’ fitness program. Bam! As soon as he got big, he beat up his bully and got the respect of women everywhere. As a once-scrawny kid, I didn’t have Charlie Atlas. I had Gary Schubert. See, I was small and used to get beaten up as a kid by bullies throughout grade school. They’d call me out in a pit behind the school. There must’ve been a fight there every week back in the day, but the times I was picked on didn’t always have such a reliable schedule! Anyway, I was very lucky that Gary Schubert decided to be my Charlie Atlas. His family had just moved from Germany, and he was a very disciplined, athletic guy. Even though I was getting bullied, we started lifting weights together and that helped motivate me tremendously. We worked out three or four times a week together as I tried to get strong to defend myself.

And I did start to get bigger — but most importantly, really, really strong.

Finally, one day, I challenged my bully to a fight after school in the pit. He agreed. Long story short, he was bloodied up instead of me, and I was never picked on again. I can’t say whether or not all the women on the field were swooning, but the confidence boost sure helped me out for a long while after. I don’t know if it’s that fighting spirit, the determination to win, or both that pushed me through my hardest points as a salesman later on. After the 2008 recession, I was working at an insurance company, and the manager didn’t like me. When I started interviewing with a

“In a time where we are more isolated than ever, I think it’s healthy to reflect on our strengths once in a while.”

Medicare Insurance Made Easy

All About Collagen THE PROTEIN THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER

Even if you have heard of collagen, chances are you don’t know much about what it does for the human body. Collagen makes up a third of the body’s proteins. In some ways, it is the glue that holds our bodies together (the first part of “collagen” comes from the Greek word “kolla,” meaning “glue”). Getting your body to produce more collagen can have amazing health benefits, particularly for those who are aging and noticing more wrinkles.

Fortunately, there are certain foods and nutrients you can consume to boost your collagen production and keep your skin smoother and stronger for longer. Collagen begins in the body as procollagen, which is created when two amino acids, glycine and proline, combine. Vitamin C aids this process, so any foods with high concentrations of these nutrients help your body produce more collagen. Egg whites are a great source of proline, along with foods like asparagus, cabbage, and dairy products. Additionally, pork skin, chicken skin, and gelatin all have high levels of glycine. If you want to get your vitamin C levels up, citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries are tasty choices. Watch out for foods and habits that can damage your collagen production, like eating lots of refined sugar, exposing your skin to too much sunshine, and smoking. By adopting habits and diets that enhance collagen production, you can keep yourself looking younger and feeling better, even as you get older. This is important: As part of the certification, the physician must determine a plan of care from the in-person meeting. Your plan of care will describe the type of services and care a person will receive for their health concerns, including: • A list of the variety of services, supplies, and equipment needed • The health care professional who will deliver these services • How often services will be needed • The beneficiary’s function limitations • Nutritional requirements • The results the physician expects from the treatment The home health agency is responsible for providing all the care listed in a person’s plan of care. The agency may do this through its staff or an arrangement with another agency. Finally, the doctor certifies the person as eligible for an initial 60-day benefit period. At the end of the period or before, the doctor may recertify the person or, if the person’s condition has changed, determine the care is no longer needed. Only the doctor can certify the patient or make changes to the plan of care, not the home health agency. If you have any questions, trust your Medicare experts to help and give us a call! We know how confusing this process can be, and Omaha Insurance Solutions is on your side.

There are around 16 types of collagen proteins in the body, but type 1 collagen makes up roughly 90% of a person’s collagen count. Type 1 collagen gives structure to our tendons, bones, connective tissues, and skin. When we’re younger, our bodies produce enough collagen to keep our skin tight and strong. However, as we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, which contributes to thinner skin and wrinkles.

Last edition, we talked a little bit about home health care and how it differs from home care. Today, we want to explain the process of receiving home health care a bit more. While Medicare covers home health care, the Medicare beneficiary must meet particular criteria in order to maintain a status of medical need: 1. A physician must certify that skilled care is needed and must prescribe the plan of care. 2. A participating Medicare-approved home health care organization must provide the care. 3. The patient must need at least one of the services: intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, or continued occupational therapy. 4. The patient must be confined to the home. A physician must meet face to face with the patient 90 days before the start of home health care or within 30 days after the start of home health care. They must sign and date a certification that the patient needs skilled care and meets all the Medicare eligibility criteria for home health care.

2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com

Hear What Our Clients Have to Say

What Is A1C?

Why Your Hemoglobin A1C Levels Can Change Your Life

“Chris was prompt, professional, and thorough.” –Ellen W.

Being prediabetic is a serious health condition that puts you at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke — and while 1 in 3 American adults is prediabetic, about 84% of those adults don’t know it. The truth is that you can be prediabetic for years without clear symptoms, so many don’t find out until serious health problems occur. One way to get a step ahead of the curb is to take an A1C test, which can tell you whether you are prediabetic or have either Type 1 or 2 diabetes. So, what is A1C exactly?

Weeknight Curried Apple Pork Chops

Glycated Hemoglobin Hemoglobins are proteins in red blood cells that carry oxygen. When they’re

coated in sugar, they’re glycated. This is why the A1C test also goes by other names, including the glycated

If you’ve never had apples in a savory dish, this is a great way to try it! Perfect for a lazy weeknight, this easy paleo dish will make your kitchen smell heavenly. You can even watch a sitcom episode while it cooks.

hemoglobin test. It measures your average blood sugar level through detecting these glycated hemoglobins, and the poorer the blood sugar control, the higher your risk of diabetes complications.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp hot curry powder • 3 cups diced apples (peeled or not, your choice!) • 6 pork chops • Cilantro, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee • 1 cup onion, diced • 1 tbsp garlic, crushed • 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 cup water or apple juice

Keeping A1C Levels Low Be mindful of appropriate portion sizes while eating regularly, every 3–5 hours. Spread out your carbohydrate- rich food, and don’t vary your portion sizes too much throughout the day. Less processed foods can reduce the amount of sugars you intake as well. To keep track, it’s best to plan meals ahead of time. Also, anywhere between 150–300 minutes of moderate exercise each week can help tremendously. Even if you’re not diabetic, an A1C test can identify if you’re at risk, and — most importantly — being prediabetic means your diabetes is still preventable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Americans repeat the A1C test as often as their doctor recommends, which is usually once every 1–2 years. Get your annual A1C test today!

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil or ghee. 3. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes or until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant. 4. Mix in water or apple juice and curry powder. Then add apples, ensuring they get coated in sauce. 5. In an oven-safe dish, arrange pork chops, cover with sauce and apple mixture, and cook for 20 minutes (if using bone-in chops, cook for an additional 10 minutes) or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. 6. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Inspired by The Primal Desire

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INSIDE This Issue

1

Fight or Fight Harder

2

The Protein That Holds Us Together

2

How to Receive Home Health Care With Medicare

3

What Is A1C?

3

Weeknight Curried Apple Pork Chops

4

Celebrate National Chefs Appreciation Week

National Chefs Appreciation Week Celebrates Those Who Bring Communities Together

favorite places for great food and company and to support the chefs who bring their communities together. How can I celebrate? Now that many restaurants are opening back up for service at a limited capacity, it’s possible

Restaurants have had an especially tough time staying afloat during the pandemic. Most eateries had to discontinue dine-in service, and those that couldn’t adapt to offering takeout or delivery may still be questioning whether they’ll ever be able to open their doors again. During the pandemic, it became clear to many of us just how important a role our favorite restaurants play in providing not just tasty chow, but also a sense of comfort and community. Celebrating National Chefs Appreciation Week is a great way to let the chefs who run those eateries know just how much they mean to us. What is it? Since the holiday’s inception in 2013, it has most commonly occurred during the third week of August; this year, it’s August 16–22. Restaurants, patrons, and home cooks alike can show appreciation for the art and dedication chefs bring to their craft every day. Several restaurants across the country celebrate with special events and menus, and patrons flock to their 4 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com

to dine in and further support the chefs who make the food you love. But, if you’re still not comfortable eating at a restaurant, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate. Continue having food delivered or picking up curbside from your favorite places. Whether dining in or carrying out, remember to tip well! You can also post about your favorite dishes on social media or leave a glowing review for your favorite eatery on Google or Yelp. The beauty of this holiday is that celebrating includes doing activities you probably already do, so it’s easy to participate. Chefs play a significant role in the evolution of culture, protection of tradition, and construction of community. Their food brings us together, fills our stomachs, and brightens our moods. We may not have fully recognized all they do for us until recently, but now that we have, we can truly celebrate Chefs Appreciation Week to the fullest.