We are really somewhat helpless when it comes to the economic problems our country is currently experiencing.  If you are feeling exceptionally stressed by these issues, try to minimize your stress by following some of these thoughts.

One of the first things you should do is to take control over the things you can change.  This may take some effort but will be worthwhile in the long run.

Review all of your discretionary spending and evaluate the necessity of the items.  Begin challenging yourself by seeing how long you can go without using your credit card.  If you give up eating in restaurants, calculate how much money will be saved.  Try to avoid paying full price for anything.  See if you can do it.  Another thought might be to include your spouse in this project and turn it into a competition.  Who can save the most relative to their expenses?

After a specific period of time, calculate yours savings from this extra effort and you might be amazed at how substantial they will be.

Another way to relieve the stress in your life is through physical exercise.  Establish a routine that is simple and consistent.  Find a time of day when you can set aside some time for exercise in whatever form you choose.  The key is to be faithful to whatever schedule you establish.

When looking for a home, a nice option to have nearby would be a lovely park. Parks provide wonderful places for exercise and fun. Family picnics, afternoons on swings and slides for the children, a great place to walk the dog; all of these are available if you have a park nearby.

If you take advantage of your park and include regular walks in your daily routine, you will be participating in the healthy lifestyle encouraged by many health insurance plans. Some will even offer incentives to encourage participation.

Parks are available for family outings. Be sure to check ahead to verify if equipment and activities are age-appropriate for your children if this is your first visit.

Wear your running shoes and hit the trails at your local park for a nature walk that will help you relax and be good for both your mind and body.

If possible, visit the park during your workday. It would be a great place to have lunch or take a power walk after eating at the office. This will refresh you the rest of the day.

Many local parks play host to free or low-cost concerts. This provides an entertaining outing at a very minimal cost.

Inquire if they have basketball courts or tennis courts available. If you do not have your own equipment, perhaps you can borrow some from the park.

Many parks offer classes in dance, exercises and gardening. Check with your local park to see what courses are available in your neighborhood.

Local parks often provide the opportunity to meet new neighbors and make new friends.

Some parks host regular farmer’s markets where you can purchase local produce and, at the same time, support your neighbors.

Visit the park with a good book and enjoy the afternoon under a shady tree.

Learn about the people who run your local park. If you have suggestions for new programs, let them know.Still better, consider volunteering to serve on a committee or board.

Unfortunately in today’s society, obesity is a large problem which doctors and health insurance companies are trying to address. Many health insurance plans are providing incentives to people who are trying to lose weight. Some are offering discounted gym memberships. Others are choosing to educate people as to how they can change their habits so that they will have a healthy lifestyle.

Some of the simple weight-loss tactics to follow are:

Create a food diary by recording everything you eat in the course of a day. This truly results in a larger weight loss because you become so aware of each calorie.

Eliminate fructose, the sugar that turns to fat in your body. This can be accomplished by limiting the amount of processed foods you eat and refrain from drinking beverages sweetened with fructose.

It has been documented that eating vegetable soup reduces the risk of being overweight for young girls. This is also true for adults who eat vegetable soup before a meal. They will generally eat 20% less calories because the soup is so filling.

People who eat slowly generally eat 70 fewer calories than those who eat quickly. Tests have found that the slow eaters also seem more satisfied for a longer period of time.

Saturday is the toughest day for dieters. No matter how good you may be at following your diet, the freedom associated with Saturdays causes most people to cheat.

Drinking water a half hour before breakfast can cut calories by 13% in older, overweight people.

A daily portion of breakfast cereal apparently helps young people to stay thin. Overweight dieters who ate two eggs daily were found to have lost considerably more weight in an eight week test than those who ate bagels with equal calories.

The shame of the matter is how we treat the elderly people in our society. As we age, we do not always understand what is happening. We are comfortable with our own surroundings and dislike change in our lives more and more with each passing year. It is, therefore, unforgivable for companies to change their rules and uproot senior citizens who are well settled in their environments.

I recently read of an 86-year-old lady who moved to an assisted living facility five years ago fully expecting to spend the remainder of her days in this home. Four years later, the facility notified the lady’s daughter that she would need to move and it must be within the next two months. The elderly resident did not understand and was extremely upset about being relocated away from her friends and familiar atmosphere.

Apparently, the owner of the facility decided that they would no longer accept funding from Medicare and this was how this resident’s bills were being paid. It would seem to be more in the interest of their residents to make new rules effective when made, instead of being retroactive so that they must displace people who believed they would live in their residences for the remainder of their days. They entered into a contract with these people and should be forced to uphold their end of the bargain and not be allowed to change the rules midstream. Profitability should not be the only consideration. This poor woman keeps asking her family “why can’t I be where I used to be?” This is an extremely sad tale and we really must do more for the elderly in our society to protect them from this type of treatment.