Welcome to this month's edition of the RealtyRave newsletter. We hope that you find it filled with interesting and useful information!
Please think of me with any real estate related questions you may have - now and in the future. It would be my pleasure to be of assistance to you.
The single highest and best compliment a Real Estate Professional can receive is a referral to friends, family or colleagues. As appropriate, please feel free to forward this Newsletter and/or my contact information. Thank you!
David Burke
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Managing summer stress
(BPT) - Each summer we look forward to the sunny weather, schools closing and the vacations. However, managing your or your family’s play, travel and work schedules can be stressful.
According to United Health Foundation’s 2016 America’s Health Rankings, the average number of days per month adults unfavorably assess their mental health ranged from 2.4 days in South Dakota to as high as 4.7 days in Arkansas and West Virginia. The national average is 3.7 days.
Poor mental health days can affect every aspect of one’s day, from your drive to work to running errands before your child’s soccer practice. So what can be done about managing stress and preventing tough days ahead?
First, we must understand that stress is here to stay — a modest amount of stress, offset by periods of relative calm and security, is normal. But high levels of stress can be dangerous to your health, leading to headaches, back pain, fatigue, upset stomach, anxiety, depression and heart problems.
Recognizing stress
Stress is a physical and psychological response to a demand, threat or problem. It stimulates and increases your level of awareness, also known as the "fight or flight" response. The response occurs whether the stress is positive or negative. Positive stress provides the means to express talents and abilities. But continued exposure to negative stress may lower the body's ability to cope, which may lead to prolonged health issues.
Your signs of stress may be different from someone else's. Some people get angry. Others have trouble concentrating or making decisions, and still others will develop health problems. The good news is that stress can be managed, according to Ann Marie O’Brien, R.N., National Director of Health Strategies at UnitedHealthcare.
O’Brien offers these five tips to help manage stress:
Take care of yourself — Eat healthier, engage in moderate exercise and get enough sleep — all of which can improve your health.
Figure out the source — Monitor your mental state throughout the day. Keep a list of the things that create stress. Then develop a plan for dealing with these common stressors.
Do things you enjoy — Go to a movie, meet a friend for dinner or participate in an activity that provides relief. Give yourself a break and take time to care about yourself.
Learn relaxation techniques — Deep breathing is helpful. Meditation as well as “mindfulness techniques” are becoming increasingly popular at home and in the workplace. You can practice mindfulness while sitting in a quiet place or walking. The key is to focus on your breathing or your steps. The technique may be simple, but achieving the desired result takes practice.
Welcome support — Let close friends or relatives know you’re dealing with stress. They may be able to offer help or support that may make a difference.
Remember, stress is your body’s natural defense mechanism, but being under stress for too long can have a serious negative effect on your health. If you notice stress is becoming an issue for you, talk with your doctor.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS  Tips to help save money on prescription drug costs
(BPT) - Modern medications can work wonders, improving quality of life, curing illness and even saving lives. However, those miracles can come at a high cost, as anyone who’s had to pay for branded prescription medication knows. In fact, spending on prescription drugs has increased 73 percent in the past seven years, according to a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).
What’s driving the increase
The Health of America Report found prescription drug spending by Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) members increased 10 percent annually since 2010. High costs of patent-protected drugs account for the lion’s share of the total increase.
Generic drugs account for 82 percent of total prescriptions filled, but account for just 37 percent of total drug spending. By contrast, patent-protected prescription drugs comprise less than 10 percent of all prescriptions filled but account for 63 percent of total drug spending, the report found.
“Experience and past price trends suggest drug costs will continue to rise in the future,” says Maureen Sullivan, chief strategy and innovation officer for BCBS. “The need for more affordable generic alternatives to costly patent-protected brand-name pharmaceuticals is urgent. As prices continue to rise, more consumers will be looking for ways to curb the cost of their medications.”
What you can do
It is possible to lower your drug costs while still taking the medications your doctor has prescribed to help your health. BCBSA offers some guidance:
* If your doctor prescribes a costly name-brand medication, ask your physician or pharmacist if a generic version is available. Generic drugs are identical to their brand-name equivalents in dosage form, safety, strength and quality, how you take them, performance and intended use, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Generics typically cost less than name-brand medications. The BCBSA report shows how costs for medicines like Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Avapro (irbesartan) plummet when generic alternatives become available.
* It may be possible for your doctor to prescribe a higher strength than you need of a particular medication and allow you to split the tablet or pill to get the lower dose you need at a lower cost. In fact, many pills that can be safely split come pre-scored with an indentation that makes it easier to cut them in half. However, not all prescription medications can be safely split, so be sure to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether it’s safe to split your medications.
* Ordering prescription medications through the mail could lower drug costs, but it’s important to ensure you’re buying from your pharmacy benefit manager, typically listed on the back of an insurance card. The FDA recommends you only purchase drugs from organizations located in the U.S. and licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the company operates (find a list of state boards of pharmacy at www.nabp.info). The mail order pharmacy should have a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions, require a prescription from your doctor in order to sell you medication, and have someone you can talk to directly if you have questions or problems.
* Another way to reduce drug costs is to ask your doctor to write your prescription for a 90-day supply so that you will get a three-month supply of the medication for the price of one co-pay.
* Finally, review your prescriptions with your doctor at least every six months to ensure you’re not taking any more medicines than you absolutely need. However, never skip doses of medicine, avoid refilling a prescription or stop taking medicine altogether without first consulting your doctor.
For more information about prescription drug costs, and to read the full Health of America report, visit www.bcbs.com/healthofamerica.
All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners and used for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Bacon Avocado Salad
Makes 6 servings and ready in 20 minutes..
Ingredients:
- 1 pound bacon, chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 5 avocados - peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 green onions, chopped
Directions:
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels.
- Stir cucumber, tomatoes, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Gently stir bacon, avocado, cilantro, and green onions into cucumber mixture.
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Compliments of:
David Burke
Realty Executives Desert Lifestyles
78065 Main St. Suite 101
La Quinta, CA 92253
e-Pro
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Household Tips
- Kitchen Cleaning Tip For Cleaning Your Butcher Block - cover your butcher block with coarse salt and let it sit overnight. The salt will absorb the fat and oils, and you can just brush it off. (This does not disinfect though.)
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- Household Cleaning Tips For Stained Porcelain Teapots - if you have tea stains in your porcelain teapot or porcelain tea cups fill the pot or cup with warm water, and then add a few drops of bleach and let the solution sit for a couple of house. Once the stains are gone was normally with soap and water.
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- How To Remove Odors From Wooden Cutting Board - make a paste of bakingsoda and water, rub it on the cutting board and let sit for an hour or so, then rinse and let the cutting board dry.
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- Removing Coffee Stains From Cups - fill the stained cup with water and add a denture cleaning product, soak for a couple of hours and then rinse and wash as usual.
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- Getting Utensils Cleaner In The Dishwasher - place the utensils handle down in the basket of the dishwasher.
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- Clean Crumbs In Your Kitchen Cabinets - instead of shelf paper periodically use the brush attachments on your vacuum to clean up dust and food crumbs in your kitchen cabinets.
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- Keep Drips From Your Oven - to avoid messes in your oven place a baking sheetlined with aluminum foil or a sheet of foil underneath any food that has a tendency to bubble over.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know a group of rhinos is called a crash
Did you know a group of kangaroos is called a mob
Did you know a group of whales is called a pod
Did you know a group of geese is called a gaggle
Did you know a group of owls is called a parliament
Did you know the first sailing boats were built in Egypt
Did you know Brazil is named after a tree
Did you know Brazil covers 50% of the South American continent
Did you know Brazil borders every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador
Did you know Hilton was the first international hotel chain
Did you know Monopoly is the most played board game in the world
Did you know 96% of candles sold are purchased by women
Did you know4 2% of men and women 25% dont wash their hands after using a public toilet
Did you know if you filled a matchbox with gold it could be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court
About Us
Whether you are looking to buy or sell, we are here to assist you in accomplishing your real estate dreams. Burke and Associates has been awarded the "Top Listing Agent, 2011, and 2012" by Keller Williams Realty. Call today and let us put our tools, techniques and skills to work for you!
Also, be sure to ask us about our monthly specials for our new construction developments!
P.S. Referrals are the highest compliment a sales professional can receive from a client. Please pass my name around to your friends, family, and acquaintances so that I can provide them with the best real estate experience possible!
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