Stano Law - January 2019

Stano Law - January 2019

monthly “You are not alone.”

January 2019

FROM THE DESK OF

Paul Stano

PRACTICAL RESOLUTIONS FOR 2019

I’mnot going to give you a list of traditional resolutions—you’ve heard enough of those. Instead, I’mgoing to share some practical New Year’s resolution ideas that will help you and your adult children in 2019. Let’s get started. 1. Have a life-care conversationwith your spouse about long-termcare planning. Have you discussed how you will finance the $10,000 per month nursing home bill. The chances of needing long-term care exceed 70 percent if you reach the age of 65. 2. Make an inventory of your assets. Get a binder or portable file and place all of your life insurance policies, IRA statements, and any investment documents inside andmake sure that they are clearly labeled. 3. Update your estate documents. Make sure that you and your spouse both have powerful power of attorney documents as well as updated wills and trusts. Good news— I can help you accomplish all of these. Educate yourself at one of our monthly seminars. You can register by calling us at 440- 888-6448 or visit stanoseminars.com.

This time of year, many people resolve to eat healthier. It’s a noble goal, but it can’t be accomplished through wishful thinking alone. There are infinite fad diets and eating challenges you can try in order to improve your diet, but more often than not, these methods produce fleeting results. It’s much more logical to transform your diet through simple, actionable steps rather than attempting a complete overhaul based on obscure methodology or marketing gimmicks. Fortunately, one of the biggest steps you can take to improve your diet is also a simple one: Increase the amount of local and seasonal produce in your pantry and on your plate. Fruits and vegetables are the cornerstones of nutritious eating habits, and sourcing from local purveyors guarantees you’ll get your produce at the height of freshness. In addition to the health and taste benefits of eating fresh produce that hasn’t traveled thousands of miles to land on a store shelf, seasonality and locality affect the sustainability and price of your food. “If people are prepared to eat locally and seasonally,” says philosopher and food theorist Peter Singer, “then they probably do pretty well in terms of environmental impact.” On the economic side of things, the shorter the distance between farm and store, the lower the price, which is why you can always find great deals at your local farmers market. To help make 2019 a year of seasonal eating, you’ll need to know what’s at peak ripeness each season. Of course, some of what’s available in your area will vary based on the climate where you live, but the vast majority of this guide will be applicable to the 48 contiguous states. A GUIDE TO EATING SEASONALLY W hat to B uy and C ook T hroughout the Y ear

–Paul

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WINTER

the pickiest of eaters can get behind. The downside with spring produce is that the season tends to be relatively short, so you’ll have to enjoy these treasures while you can.

Hearty greens like kale and Swiss chard will begin appearing more frequently, as well as unique varieties of carrots and apples. Fall is also the best time of year for foraged mushrooms like oysters and chanterelles. As with the weather, autumnal foods are the bridge between the brightness of summer and the depths of winter. SeasonalFoodGuide.org is a great to tool to find up-to-the-minute lists of what’s in season in your state, from traditional favorites to obscure vegetables you’ve probably never heard of. When it comes to seasonal cookbooks, you can do no better than Joshua McFadden’s “Six Seasons,” which divides the calendar beyond our traditional four quarters for maximum specificity. Here’s to a year of enjoying seasonal, local produce. It will expand your horizons and improve your health — a win-win by any measure. TOOLS FOR EATING SEASONALLY

While you may not expect it, the coldest portion of the year produces a bounty of vegetables that are earthy and subtly sweet. At the top of this list is cabbage, which comes in many varieties and is at its peak during winter. Root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, and kohlrabi are also in abundance. On the fruitier side of things, winter in the warmer parts of the country yields delicious citrus harvests. At no other time of the year will you find such an awesome variety of oranges, lemons, limes, and more. Be on the lookout for exotic varieties like blood oranges and pomelos. Unsurprisingly, spring is when bright green vegetables start to emerge en masse. From asparagus and artichokes to snap peas and fava beans, you’ll find no shortage of delicious veggies to signal the blossoming of a new season. Spring is also the best time to eat strawberries, which is something even SPRING

SUMMER

Variety is at an all-time high during the summer months, but a few categories of produce deserve particular attention. Nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers, chilis, and eggplant, shine during this time of year. In fact, eating a tomato in December is a pale imitation of what you’ll get in July, making it one of the best examples of the stark difference between eating seasonally and grabbing whatever is languishing on the shelves at the grocery store. The same goes for corn and stone fruit like peaches, which are summer-barbecue staples for a reason.

FALL

Think of the Thanksgiving color palette, and you’ll have a good idea of what’s in season.

Sgt. Fieldy Comes Home Reuniting Brothers in Arms

There are around 2,500 military working dogs currently in service, and their efforts help save the lives of countless soldiers and civilians every day. One of these brave military dogs is Sgt. Fieldy, an 11-year-old black lab who was trained to locate the No. 1 threat in Afghanistan: IEDs. Sgt. Fieldy was deployed to Afghanistan with his handler, Cpl. Nicolas Caceres, in 2011. Early in their deployment, their vehicle struck a pressure plate while they were on patrol. Fieldy and Caceres were all right, but one of the other Marines in their company was badly injured in the explosion. The injured Marine could not be evacuated by helicopter until the landing zone was secured. Fieldy found another IED in the area and alerted

Caceres. The bomb was quickly disarmed, and the injured soldier was taken to safety.

Courage Award, and in 2018, he won the American Humane Hero Dog Award for his service. “These dogs are out there with us,” said Caceres when he and Fieldy accepted the Hero Dog Award. “The dangers we face, they face them too. They deserve to be recognized. We ask so much of them, and all they want is to get petted or play with a toy. They’re amazing animals, and Fieldy is just an amazing dog. I can’t begin to express the gratitude I have for him.” If you are interested in supporting our nation’s working dogs or would like to adopt a retired working dog yourself, you can learn more at Missionk9rescue.org.

This wasn’t the only IED Fieldy found. His sharp nose and dedication helped save thousands of lives. After his deployment, Caceres returned home, but Sgt. Fieldy served several more tours without him. While Fieldy continued to protect soldiers and civilians by tracking down IEDs, Caceres worked tirelessly to make sure he could bring Fieldy home when his service was over. Military working dogs can be adopted by former handlers, law enforcement, or qualified civilians when they retire. After three years apart and a total of four tours served, Sgt. Fieldy was reunited with Caceres. In 2016, Fieldy received the K9 Medal of

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Many homeowners reach a point in their lives when they’re ready tomove from the house they raised their families in to something smaller andmore manageable. While finding the right place can be a challenge, the hardest part of downsizing is often sorting through a lifetime’s worth of possessions. This process, called contents downsizing, is much easier when you follow this four-step system. STARTWITH THE JUNK Beginning your downsizing with the hardest items will only lead to frustration and inaction. Instead, start by tackling areas of the house that are full of documents, knickknacks, and boxes you haven’t touched in years. These will be the easiest to part with and will put you in the right downsizingmindset. DONATE UNWANTED ITEMS The next category contains items that are no longer valuable to you or your family but may be useful to others. These items can be donated to one of many worthy organizations, such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or St. Vincent de Paul. Donations are a way to give back to the less fortunate instead of simply giving or throwing things away. GIVE GIFTS TO LOVED ONES If you have children, they will undoubtedly want to keep a few cherished mementos and precious possessions. Deciding who will keep what can be What to Keep, Gift, Donate, andThrow Out A Guide to Downsizing

a sensitive subject, so you’ll need to devise an equitable way to divvy up the goods. Some families engage in the process collaboratively, but there should always be some communication before anything is thrown out. Your kids may value certain items more than you ever realized. If you suspect a certain heirloom could be a source of contention, it’s best to hold on to it andmake it part of your estate plan. ONLY KEEP THE ESSENTIALS After completing the first three steps, you should be left with only those items you actually use and those that have the most sentimental value to you. These are the objects worth bringing to your new home. BONUS TIP: COLOR CODE EACH CATEGORY Odds are that you’ll find junk and valuables stored right next to each other. If you don’t have time to physically separate them at the moment, use different colored Post-it notes to keep everything organized when it comes time to move.

Take a Break!

PEANUT BUTTER AND BERRY FRENCH TOAST Ingredients

• • • • •

8 slices brioche, 1/2-inch thick 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

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2 cups cornflakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 cups mixed berries

1/8 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, to sprinkle Maple syrup, for serving

Directions

1. On a large baking sheet

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Once melted and up to temperature, add sandwiches, cooking on one side until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes. 5. Return sandwiches to baking sheet, add remaining butter, and repeat on other side. 6. Top sandwiches with berries, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve withmaple syrup.

lined with wax paper, place 4 slices of brioche and spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on each. Cover with remaining slices, creating sandwiches. 2. In a pie plate, beat eggs with cream and vanilla. In another, coarsely crush the cornflakes. 3. Lightly soak sandwiches in the eggmixture, then dredge in cornflakes, pressing to adhere. Return to baking sheet.

Recipe courtesy of Delish

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Paul Stano PAGE 1 The Value of Seasonal Eating PAGE 1 What Happens to Military Service Dogs? PAGE 2 Why Less Stuff Means More Freedom PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Peanut Butter and Berry French Toast PAGE 3 Are You Taking Your Longevity Vitamins? PAGE 4

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

How Longevity Vitamins Can Help You Live a Healthier, Longer Life

New research suggests that you aren’t getting the key vitamins and minerals you need to live a longer, healthier life. A 10-year study published in October 2018 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified several “longevity vitamins” as necessary to living a healthier, longer life. These are vitamins and minerals that can keep chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, and dementia at bay. Researchers classified the following as “longevity vitamins”: vitamin D, vitamin K, carotenoids (alpha carotene and beta carotene), astaxanthin, ergothioneine, pyrroloquinoline quinone, quinine, taurine, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene.

Some of these vitamins and minerals may sound familiar. Lycopene, for example, is another carotenoid. It’s found in tomatoes and other red fruits and is a powerful antioxidant. In fact, many longevity vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables, but we often don’t eat enough of these foods.

Vitamin K deficiency, on the other hand, can be tougher to diagnose. Vitamin K is essential in forming blood clots. When your body doesn’t get enough vitamin K, excessive bleeding can occur. The vitamin is also needed to produce an enzyme that promotes better blood flow. Over time, low vitamin K levels in the

“Survival vitamins” are even more critical to your health, and the

body increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

symptoms are noticeable when you’re deficient. For instance, the main symptom

If you want to live a healthier and longer life,

make sure your diet includes these longevity vitamins and

of vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, which causes weakness, soreness, and a number of skin issues, including bruising. It usually takes about a month of vitamin C deficiency before symptoms show.

minerals. They can give you a significant advantage when paired with a healthy diet and exercise so you can enjoy many more years with your loved ones.

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