Home

Category: Lifestyle

  • Which Allergy Remedy is Best for You?

    Which Allergy Remedy is Best for You?

    If you live with seasonal allergies, you’re likely looking for a good antihistamine or another type of allergy medicine or remedy would work for you. There are a number of options on the market, so it can be hard to narrow down the best and most useful medicines. Complicating matters, most forms of allergy medicine have notable side effects, such as headaches and drowsiness. Let’s take a look at some of the best remedies for allergies, both medicine and otherwise.

    Best Allergy Remedies

    Avoidance

    The first thing you need to do in order to lessen your allergy symptoms is to avoid whatever triggers your allergies. This means you need to make sure to lessen your exposure to pollen, ragweed, or whatever else you have allergies to. In the case of pollen, the most common seasonal allergen, you’ll want to make sure you stay indoors when the pollen count is at its highest.

    Ride with your windows up, and avoid eating outside. When you get in from your day, change your clothes right away and wash the clothes you came in with. Wash your sheets regularly during allergy season to clean the pollen off of them. Your best bet is cleaning your fabrics and keeping windows shut, keeping yourself away from the triggers as much as possible.

    Other Triggers

    Other things could be triggering your allergies, too. Alcohol, for instance, is an inflammatory and an irritant. Drinking heavily during allergy season is a surefire way to inflame your allergies. Likewise, make sure you clean your bathroom and kitchen during allergy season, as molds could be growing in moist corners. Molds are some of the most allergy-triggering things you can find in your home.

    Other things to watch out for are your dishes and cutlery. Make sure you thoroughly wash them, as you don’t want to accidentally ingest any allergens. You’re going to want to wash your hands before you eat, too, as you could have residual pollen on your hands after coming in from your day.

    Allergy-Proofing

    You can allergy-proof your house by taking a few simple steps. You can get a stronger air filter that will grab particulates, keeping them from circulating around your home. Another thing you can do is keep your windows sealed up, and avoid leaving doors open for long periods. Make sure you thoroughly clean your carpets if you have any, as they can be major trappers of pollen and other allergens. Not to mention, carpets can get gross if not regularly deep-cleaned.

    If you have hardwood floors, make sure you sweep thoroughly and regularly during allergy season. This is a great way to keep your floors looking nice while also keeping your allergies from flaring up.

    Medicine

    Notable medicines you can take for allergies include Allegra, Zyrtec, Xyzal, Benadryl, Rhinocort and Claritin. These antihistamine-based allergy medications work by stopping your body’s histamine reactions in their tracks. This keeps you from having the massive amounts of itching and sneezing. Namely, the itchiness of the eyes and uncomfortable, uneasy feeling your skin gets during an allergy attack are related to histamine responses.

    If you’re feeling a lot of congestion, you’ll want a decongestant medicine. Decongestants are distinct from antihistamines, as antihistamines only stop your allergic reactions. Congestion will keep going even once the allergic reaction is gone unless you use a decongestant.

    Side Effects

    Many antihistamine medications have side-effects associated. These can include drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, nervousness, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Other notable side-effects can include dry, red eyes, hoarseness, sore throat, blurred vision and nosebleeds. However, many people have noted that the side-effects of these medications typically are less impactful than their allergy symptoms, making the medications worth the side effects.


  • Is an AARP Membership Worth It?

    Is an AARP Membership Worth It?

    Many people ask the question as they get closer 50: is AARP worth it? The membership isn’t terribly expensive, and there are a number of benefits associated with being a member. However, do those benefits outweigh the yearly membership cost of AARP? Let’s look at the AARP and find out if the membership is worth it for you.

    AARP Membership

    What is AARP?

    The AARP stands for the American Association of Retired Persons, but you don’t actually have to be retired to be a member. The group is a non-profit interest group that represents the interests of retired and older Americans. The organization’s stated goal is “to empower people to choose how they live as they age.” The organization was originally founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus and Leonard Davis.

    Thanks to their 38 million members and yearly membership fees, the AARP is a rather influential and massive interest group. They lobby Congress and other government agencies on the behalf of retired and elderly Americans, often tackling issues like prescription drug prices and caregiving for older persons.

    What Does AARP Do?

    In short, AARP lobbies for the interests of retired and elderly people. Their lobbying efforts are part of their stated mission goal, and they are a non-profit that spends most of their funds on their lobbying. They also set up tons of discounts for their members at various businesses. Memberships for a year cost $16, or $12 if you sign up for auto-renewal.

    Who can Become a Member?

    Membership doesn’t require you to be retired. All you need in order to become a full member of AARP is to be 50 years old. In fact, you can join up as an “associate member” as long as you’re over the age of 18. However, you don’t get access to the full range of benefits AARP offers members if you’re not 50 or older.

    Benefits

    Some of the most notable benefits you’ll want from AARP include discounts on various services. These can include discounts at restaurants and on travel. Travel, in particular, is a major focus of the AARP. They have travel package deals, focusing on travel for retired persons, that can save you tons of money on vacations.

    Other discounts can include up to 25% off of car rental prices, which is great for frequent travelers. Then, on top of this, you can get up to 10% off of your stay at various hotel chains that have deals with the AARP. Flights, cruises, travel packages and more are also available at discounts through the AARP.

    Entertainment

    Another form of discount you can get through the AARP is on entertainment. This includes discounts on movie tickets through Regal theaters, and there are also discounts through the “Movies for Grown-Ups” program. Another way to save is through Ticketmaster, which offers discounts for AARP members.

    Cirque du Soleil offers 20% off for AARP members at some of their Vegas shows, too! This is a great way for a retired person to save a ton on their entertainment budget, making AARP a smart decision for someone looking to see lots of movies and shows.

    Bottom Line

    There are numerous other upsides for AARP members, including the AARP Now App, the Avo retirement planner, and the free online AARP Brain Games. These benefits, when combined with the discounts that full members get, make AARP membership attractive for many older Americans.

    In short, the cost of your membership is easily offset if you use the discounts on even a few movie tickets. If you spend money on a vacation and save some through the discount program, odds are the $16 membership price will more than pay for itself.


  • Starting Your Day Right with the Right Breakfast

    Starting Your Day Right with the Right Breakfast

    Everyone knows the old cliché: “breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” However, most people don’t properly act on this, instead opting to have a very small (or no) breakfast. However, the key to starting your day off right is getting a complete breakfast. Let’s look at the science of why, and what you should be eating.

    The Right Breakfast

    Why It’s Important

    There’s a lot to be said for the first meal of the day. Getting up on time to eat a full meal before you start your day can be a huge help for your nutrition as well as your mental health. Firstly, starting off with your largest-calorie meal of the day is a great way to set up your body with the energy it needs to take on the day. If you’re going to have a big, high-calorie meal, you should make it your first meal.

    Secondly, if your first meal is your large meal, that means that you can burn off those calories throughout the day. Then, you can have a medium-sized lunch and a small-sized dinner, tapering off your calorie intake as the day goes on. But what should you be eating for breakfast? And why do certain foods taste better as breakfast foods?

    Breakfast Foods

    Everyone knows that there are some set staples of breakfast food. Cereals, toast, eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes are all known for their role as breakfast staples. Why is this the case, though? They don’t taste bad for the rest of the day, so what makes them such ideal picks for breakfast food? And why do you not see people typically eating pizza or steak for breakfast?

    In general, foods that are considered better breakfast options are less “intense” flavors, and tend towards sweeter or slightly savory. This is because bolder or more intense flavors tend to be less pleasing in the morning. Since you’ve got more adrenaline in your system when you wake up, it makes your senses more honed, and thus makes bolder flavors more overwhelming. As such, more muted flavors tend to be better for breakfast!

    Balanced Breakfast

    You’ve likely heard the term “balanced breakfast” many time, but you might not know what exactly that entails. Typically, the term “balanced breakfast” means that you’re getting enough calories and nutrition to make for a healthy day out and about. Let’s take a closer look into what kinds of things you should be eating to get a balanced breakfast.

    Protein

    Protein-rich foods, like sausage and eggs, are a great start. Protein is important for building and powering muscles, so getting your intake of protein in early is a great idea. That’s why it’s so common to see eggs and sausage being eaten for breakfast: they’re great nutrition and they taste great for breakfast.

    Fiber

    Fiber is important for regulating various bodily functions and helps to regulate the body’s use of sugars. You can find fiber in strawberries, avocado, bananas, apples and several other sources. This makes bananas and strawberries added to cereal great additions to a breakfast, as well as avocado toast! These foods are also quite tasty, and not too overpowering to be had for breakfast.

    Sugars

    It’s also good to get some sugars in your diet early in the day. Sugar helps you to get bursts of short-term energy, so foods like bananas, apples and strawberries can also help you get some energy to start your day. Another option is to eat cereal, many of which have tons of sugar! Just make sure you’re not eating cereal that is too sugary: too much sugar can lead to weight gain and lethargy.


  • When to Buy and When to Sell: Stock Basics

    When to Buy and When to Sell: Stock Basics

    While everyone knows the tropes of some Wall Street banker screaming “Sell! Buy! No, sell!” into a telephone, not everyone understands the basics of the stock market. Essentially, the stock market is a way to invest in shares of a publicly traded company. Investing in the stock market can be quite lucrative, assuming you know how to buy and sell like a pro.

    Today we’re going over some basic rules of thumb to help guide your purchasing and selling. Remember, past performance is never a direct indicator of future changes. However, understanding historical patterns is a big step towards understanding what current trends could indicate. Let’s get into some tips and advice.

    Stock at Low Prices

    Investors are notoriously skittish. When stock prices start hitting lows, the average stock investor steers clear of it. The ample supply and low demand often means that the stock maintains its low price until confidence is restored. This often makes low stock prices ample times to buy in on the cheap. If the stock never bounces back, you’re not out much. If it does bounce back to its previous highs, you make out like a bandit.

    This might sound like a cliché, but it’s an old truth. You should always buy when the stocks are low, and sell when they’re high. Doing anything else is playing a scared, defeatist strategy in a world won by the boldest operators.

    Knowing When to Buy

    For each stock you’ve got your eye on, make sure you know what range you’d be comfortable buying it at. That’s not to say you mark down a hard dollar amount, above which you’d never buy it. Instead, look at a price range. If a stock has been high for years but then drops closer to your range, you might wait to see if it falls further. Once it shows signs of resurgence, though, you should go ahead and snap it up so you can ride that momentum.

    Do Your Research

    It’s important that you do your research. There are ample resources online that can help you learn more about how to value stocks. Notably, figuring out when stocks are under- or over-valued is important when you’re making your buying decisions. The main way to find out whether a stock is undervalued is by using valuation techniques. These can be somewhat complex and involved, but here are some of the basics.

    Essentially, valuation techniques are ways that financial advisors and stock managers look at given company’s stock prices and compares them to the company’s projected profits. These formulas are strictly speculative, of course, as no one can tell the future. However, these formulas tend to be time-tested and bear out over longer time periods and across wide sample sizes. When a stock is undervalued, that’s the time you should buy it.

    Patience in Selling

    It’s a rookie mistake to sell out of a stock right as it begins to shoot up in price. Maybe you bought stocks in a company that just posted three profitable quarters in a row and had its stock prices double. It can be tempting to go ahead and cash out, getting a return on your investment and a contented feeling of success. However, this is usually not the case.

    Typically, an undervalued stock could take years to begin trading at its true value. While analysts might project it will go up, that doesn’t mean it’s trading where you want it yet. As such, riding out the stock for a few years and waiting for it to grow naturally is your best bet before you sell out of it.


  • The Best Places to Rent a Vacation House

    The Best Places to Rent a Vacation House

    Who doesn’t love skipping town for a week to party it up with some friends in a rented vacation house? It’s hard to match the fun and excitement of having a party pad all to yourselves in some remote region. No one has to worry about work or school, you’re far from all your troubles, and everyone’s able to cut loose.

    Today we’re going over some of the best places you can go to rent a vacation house. Whether you’re looking for a beachfront getaway or a retreat up in the mountains, this list will have something for you to love.

    Helen, Georgia

    The beautiful mountain vistas and quaint charm of Helen, Georgia make it an ideal vacation destination. Helen has a German village aesthetic that extends to the local food and drink offerings, with numerous German-style pubs dotting the mountainous landscape. If you like outdoors activities, river rafting and tubing are popular local attractions, and numerous nearby water parks make this adorable resort hamlet a must-visit in the summer.

    Wildwood, New Jersey

    People who live in New England often prefer to head to the Jersey Shore when it comes time to make for the beach. After all, driving a few hours beats having to fly to the Southeast, or to California! However, there’s a lot to love about Jersey’s beaches, and Wildwood is no exception. The beaches are pristine and gorgeous, and the boardwalks offer a variety of colorful attractions. Renting a vacation home in this area is ideal for party-goers looking to sample the nightlife of the region.

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Another mountainous town in the Southeast, Asheville is unlike many of the surrounding areas. The quiet and striking landscape rises all around a hip, trendy hamlet that holds numerous breweries, music venues and artsy attractions. If you’re a fan of all things hip and looking for a far-out vacation, consider renting a vacation house up in the mountains around Asheville. You’ll certainly come home with a story to tell!

    Miami Beach, Florida

    Any list of summer vacation spots would be incomplete without mentioning Miami Beach, Florida. Miami Beach is a great pick for a variety of reasons, including the surprisingly affordable rentals. You can even opt for the fancier group rentals, with amenities like dock access and rooftop decks, and make out on the lower end of a normal vacation cost once you split the costs with friends!

    The ample nightlife and numerous stunning beaches allow for a killer vacation. Not to mention, nearby attractions like scuba diving and helicopter tours make this a prime beach vacation destination.

    Santa Cruz, California

    The legendary beaches and temperate weather of California got their reputation honestly. Santa Cruz, a prime surf spot right on the coast, is no exception to this legendary pedigree. In fact, many home rentals in the area offer wetsuits and boogie boards as amenities just for renting. Meanwhile, the town itself offers ample fun for visitors, both on and off the waves. If your crew is looking to get away for a surfing vacation in the sun, Santa Cruz is the destination for you.

    Long Beach, California

    In many respects, THE beach to see in California is Long Beach. The gorgeous vistas of the Pacific, the pristine sands, the excellent location: it all makes for an unbeatable beach vacation destination. If you and your friends are looking for a vacation where you get to do a little of everything, Long Beach is for you. There are tons of home rentals available in Belmont Shore, which is close enough to walk to the shore, tennis courts, bike paths and tons of coffee shops!


  • The Best Reasons to Take a Cruise Vacation

    The Best Reasons to Take a Cruise Vacation

    Are you in serious need of a vacation? We can’t blame you for that, as everyone needs a break from time to time. However, what kind of vacation is the best for you? Many people love heading to the beach, or to exotic locales. Others prefer to go to resort hotels and enjoy the pool, the spa and the bars. What if you could get all of that and more on a single vacation?

    Why You Should Take a Cruise Vacation

    Stress-Free

    One of the biggest reasons to get out to a cruise boat and kick back in style is that a lot of the normal stresses of a vacation wash away when you get on the boat. You’ve got nothing to worry about: the boat is out at sea and all the luxury you could want is around you. There’s no need to drive anywhere or make travel plans: you’re already traveling!

    There’s nothing to stop you from just taking it easy, drinking however much you’d like, enjoying the comedy shows and clubs, and just generally taking it easy. It’s like being in a luxury resort that goes to all of the exotic locales you’d like to see during your vacation.

    Food Included

    Most cruises include all of your meals in their cost. That means that you get to eat at numerous tasty restaurants and don’t have to worry about the bill! Many cruise liners also have specialty restaurants that cost extra to dine at, but those are usually well worth the price. In either case, you get to sample tons of delicious food while enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of the boat. What’s not to love?

    Typically, the dinners that are included with the cruise are delicious and high-end. Most boats have a fancy dining room where guests are encouraged to come in formal wear, allowing for a very exquisite dining experience. It’s like getting a taste of how the other side lives, all while floating across the ocean.

    Exotic Locales

    No matter whether you take a Caribbean cruise, an Alaskan cruise, or a cruise throughout some other locale, you’ll get to see fantastic and exotic locales. While many vacations have you only visiting one or two locations for the sightseeing and fun, cruises allow you to visit numerous locales scattered across the region you’re visiting.

    Not only do you get to experience all of these great locations, you don’t have to worry about the travel to get there. The boat will take you right to the islands or locations you’d like to visit, and all while you’re relaxing and taking it easy on the boat.

    Amusement Park Meets Luxury Hotel

    When you’re on a cruise boat, you’re essentially on a giant, floating luxury hotel that is attached to an amusement park. Many boats have numerous attractions such as rock-climbing walls, water slides, hot tubs, pools and theaters with fun shows. Even on days that the boat is at sea, with no stops at exotic locations, you’re still enjoying the fun of the boat’s various attractions!

    There are also ample bars, clubs and activities to be found on the boat. If you fancy a drink at a cabana, you can find that below decks. Likewise, if you find yourself longing for a bit of nightlife, there are clubs you can go to dance and meet people.

    In short, a cruise vacation is likely the best of all types of vacations you could be considering going on. Taking a week to simply float on the ocean, enjoy luxury food and drinks, and have fun in the sun sounds like the ideal version of a week off. Not to mention, cruise vacations are usually more affordable than other types of vacations. What are you waiting for? Book yours today!


  • Seven Signs that You May be Depressed

    Seven Signs that You May be Depressed

    Often, people aren’t even aware that they’re living with depression. The symptoms sneak up on them, slowly piling up and pulling their quality of life down. If you’re worried that you or someone you know is depressed, you might not know what to look for. There’s a difference between feeling a little low and feeling depressed. Today we’re going over some of the biggest symptoms of depression to help you identify the issue and seek treatment.

    Symptoms of Depression

    What is Depression

    There are a number of mental disorders that fall under the “depression” classification. While there are distinctions between these various forms of depression, they share a few symptoms in common. Notably, if you feel as though you may be suffering from clinical depression, you should seek help from your doctor. Depression can result in suicidal thoughts and has numerous health detriments associated with it.

    If one or more of these symptoms applies to you, and constantly interferes with your daily life, then you need to seek professional help. There are a number of treatments that can help you tackle depression, including antidepressant medication, diet and exercise, and therapy with a licensed psychiatrist.

    Suicidal Thoughts or Attempts

    Intrusive thoughts regarding ending one’s own life, and attempts to do so, are a sure indicator of major depression. Contact the suicide hotline if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, as they are very serious and need to be addressed as such. Remember: suicide is permanent, your problems aren’t. There are plenty of ways you can address your life’s issues without ending it.

    Insomnia, or Sleeping too Much

    Sleep disturbances are common among people suffering with depression. Sometimes this can manifest as insomnia, as the patient finds themselves unable to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Other times, the patient is oversleeping, often sleeping through alarms or going to bed hours earlier than they normally would.

    Concentration, Memory

    Disturbances in your memory and your concentration can also be common with depression. If you find it hard to remember details, or you’re often forgetting your commitments, it could be related to depression. This is often referred to as “brain fog” and can feel like sleepiness and fatigue in some cases. This could, in turn, lead to the oversleeping some patients experience from depression.

    Fatigue

    Chronic fatigue, lethargy and “laziness” are other common symptoms of depression. People with serious depression might find themselves unable to motivate and have difficulty completing simple tasks. For these people, the thought of even cooking a meal or folding laundry can seem insurmountable. Much like concentration issues, this can contribute to the hazy, “brain fog” feeling many complain of with depression.

    Appetite Disturbance

    Much like sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances can occur in some depression patients. This could manifest as a complete lack of interest in food, often accompanied by complaints of nothing tasting good or sounding appetizing. In other cases, this could result in binge-eating that resembles stress-eating, and often is unhealthy in nature.

    Irritability

    Often, depression can be detected in others by the onset of unusual and heightened irritability. If someone is normally easygoing and relaxed but becomes chronically irritable and hard to talk to, it could be a result of the onset of major depression. Likewise, if you find yourself constantly annoyed by even small things, it could be due to depression.

    Lack of Interest

    A pervasive and telltale sign of depression is the sudden lack of interest in things you once found pleasing. Your hobbies become chores to you that you dread. Activities once pleasurable, like exercise or sex, become unbearable in your daily life. This isn’t normal, and you should seek help if you begin feeling this way.


  • The Health Benefits of Vitamin B12: What You Need to Know

    The Health Benefits of Vitamin B12: What You Need to Know

    Vitamin B12, commonly found in vitamin supplements and some animal products, is vital to your body’s primary functions. The vitamin is also called cobalamin, and it primarily helps your central nervous system function and has many roles related to your red blood cells. Notably, despite your body needing it for optimal health, you can’t produce vitamin B12 on your own.

    Today we’re looking at some of the biggest ways vitamin B12 impacts your health. You may be surprised at how wide-ranging the effects of B12 are on your body. The vitamin plays critical roles in many of your body’s systems, helping to regulate things from blood cell production to serotonin synthesis. Doctors recommend that the average adult get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day, meaning you might need to get a B12 supplement to stay healthy.

    Vitamin B12

    Macular Degeneration

    Macular degeneration is a disease of the eye that can be more likely to occur in people with low amounts of vitamin B12. Macular degeneration primarily affects your central vision and is typically related to aging. The presence of homocysteine, a type of amino acid, in the bloodstream can lead to a higher risk of developing macular degeneration. This amino acid can be lowered with proper amounts of vitamin B12, however.

    Macular degeneration is a disease which older persons are at a higher risk for. This disease can cause lessened clarity of vision, more eye fatigue and other negative muscular effects. This makes B12 an important supplement for those worried about their ongoing eye health as well as their muscular health.

    Anemia

    People who get the proper amount of vitamin B12, which is around 2.4 mcg per day, are at a lower risk for developing anemia. That’s because the vitamin is an important factor in creating healthy red blood cells. Small, round red blood cells are healthy, and in the absence of B12, blood cells develop larger and more oval shapes, making them less effective at carrying oxygen throughout your body.

    If you develop anemia, it means that your blood cells aren’t able to carry enough oxygen to your organs and muscles. This results in symptoms like fatigue, weakness, drowsiness and lethargy. As such, it’s important that you get the right amount of B12 in your diet to maintain good blood vessel health.

    Bone Health

    People familiar with the body’s various systems will find it unsurprising that, since B12 plays a role in blood cell production, it also plays a role in healthy bones. Bones play a major role in the production of blood cells, as well as giving support and protection to your organs.

    People with B12 deficiencies tend to have lower bone density and less strength present in their bones. Low mineral density means that bones are weaker and can be broken more easily. Your bones are vital for more than just giving shape to your body, however, as their health is directly tied to diseases like osteoporosis.

    Depression

    There have been numerous studies that have linked depression and the lack of the right vitamins in one’s diet. Vitamin B12 is no different in this case. That’s because vitamin B12 plays a major role in helping the body to process serotonin, the chemical that produces calm and positive emotions.

    Likewise, a lack of vitamin B12 makes it so your body produces less serotonin. Unsurprisingly, this means that a lack of the right amounts of vitamin B12 can lead to significantly worse symptoms of depression. Studies have shown that patients with depression responded more positively to regiments that included both antidepressants and B12 supplements than patients who got only antidepressants.


  • Medicare, Medicaid, and What They Mean for You

    Medicare, Medicaid, and What They Mean for You

    Medicare and Medicaid are two major healthcare programs that are paid for by taxes and run by the US Government. They’re often conflated, due to their similar names and similar functionality, though they are far from interchangeable. Today we’re going over the important info regarding both, and helping you understand what each program means for you, as an American taxpayer.

    What Medicare and Medicaid Mean for You

    Government Health Programs

    Both programs are run by the federal government, and Medicaid, in particular, also operates at a state level. Often, the government uses third party groups to help manage payouts and cover the logistics of the programs. While both are incredibly vital to the overall public health of the United States as a whole, they are rather controversial, and a common inflection point in political discussions.

    Medicare

    Medicare is a federal program that helps people who are over 65, regardless of their income. It can also be claimed by people who are under 65 if they have a disability. Contrary to popular misconceptions, however, Medicare and Social Security are two distinct programs. Medicare is a program that offers health coverage for those eligible to claim it, acting as insurance for those without a private insurance plan.

    Social Security, by contrast, is paid out to retired persons who are over 67 and is a set amount of benefits. These social programs are in place to help take care of vulnerable sections of the population: namely, the elderly and the infirm. They are considered by many to be some of the most important non-discretionary spending the US Government undertakes.

    Medicaid

    Medicaid, unlike Medicare, has nothing to do with your age. Instead, Medicaid is a federal- and state-level program that helps people with a very low income. It offers medical coverage to people who do not have enough income to cover their own private insurance, in most cases. Qualifications for Medicaid vary by state, and it is a very contentious and controversial program among many in the political sphere.

    History

    There is a common misconception that holds that Medicaid and Medicare were both New Deal-era programs. That’s unsurprising, due to their content, but it’s untrue! Both have distinct similarities the 1930’s New Deal program of social safety nets, though they were originally signed into being in the 1960’s. Originally, Lyndon B. Johnson signed them into existence in 1965.

    Changes

    The programs have undergone a number of changes since they were introduced. Namely, Medicare was originally only available to older Americans, though it was eventually extended to people with disabilities, as well. That change began in 1972, when Medicare was extended to people with renal failure. Additionally, as time has passed, Medicare has been broadened to help people with filling prescriptions as well.

    Medicaid has also seen a number of changes since it was first introduced. Originally, it only extended to families that received cash assistance. However, it has been expanded to include pregnant women, anyone with disabilities, low-income families and people who require long-term care. It’s also worth noting that Medicaid is much more varied across states than Medicare, as Medicaid is implemented at a state-level, ostensibly to better serve the needs of individual states.

    Purpose

    The programs are very important to American public health and are intended to help take care of the most vulnerable people in our society. Seniors and poor people are at the highest risk of getting life-threatening diseases, so it’s no surprise that we, as a society, would seek to help them regardless of their income.

    Around election years, focus on these programs increases dramatically, as politicians attempt to convince potential voters that their platform will either protect or potentially strip Medicare and Medicaid of funding.


  • Why Foundation is Important for Older Women

    Why Foundation is Important for Older Women

    As we age, our skin undergoes changes. We’ve all noticed that as we get older, our skin doesn’t look the same as it did when we were in our twenties! That’s okay, though, as it’s a perfectly natural part of growing older. That said, it does mean that women who wear makeup need to adjust their makeup routine to accommodate their changing skin.

    Today we’re looking at some of the reasons why foundation is important for older women, and what types of foundation work best. Let’s talk skin care!

    Foundation Basics

    Why it Matters

    Makeup isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. However, many people choose to wear makeup to accent their natural beauty. If you enjoy wearing makeup and you’ve noticed your foundation isn’t keeping up as you grow older, there’s a reason for that.

    As your skin ages, it begins to lack certain essential compounds that lead to elasticity and smoothness. Your skin can become drier, less elastic and less smooth over time. This means that you have to adjust the types of foundation you use to help counter the effects of aging skin.

    Top Choices

    The best types of foundation for older skin are the types that offer improvements in the tone and texture of your skin. Likewise, you want something that can do a stronger job of concealing wrinkles, lines and other marks earned through aging.

    We’re going over a brief list of some of the top-rated foundations for older women. This list is far from comprehensive, but it’s a great place to start!

    Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm

    This beauty balm from respected brand Dr. Jart is great for helping get a natural and moisturized look. Beauty balms, once popular mainly in Korea, have become a much bigger deal in America, thanks in small part to Dr. Jart’s brand. Beauty balms allow for a great amount of revitalizing moisturizer without laying on too greasy or thick, making them excellent for foundations.

    This product retails for $39 per bottle, and it’s available in a range of colors for various skin tones. It’s SPF 45, so it’s great for going to the beach or heading out for the day, too. It gets rave user reviews and is a favorite of makeup lovers.

    It Cosmetics Your Skin but Better Cream

    The name is a mouthful, but this It Cosmetics cream really gets the job done. Like the Dr. Jart beauty balm, this cream is $39 for a container, but it’s well worth that price. User reviews are glowing, with many noting that they can use this cream by itself as a foundation. The cream is said to leave the face looking awake and glowing without a thick or greasy texture.

    A huge plus in favor of It Cosmetics is that this cream is made entirely cruelty-free. While many makeup brands perform horrific tests on lab animals, this product had no cruelty involved in its production. It’s SPF 50, as well, and available in a variety of colors for different skin tones.

    Covergirl Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation

    Coming in at the affordable price range of $12 for a bottle, this Covergirl foundation has a lot to love. It’s got a great, long-lasting formula that makes it good for all-day wear. It’s resistant to caking, cracking and separating, unlike some lesser foundations. It immediately works to conceal wrinkles and discoloration and looks great on any skin tone. Just pick the color that best matches your tone and you’re good to go!

    User reviews rave about the long-lasting hydration of the liquid foundation, the concealment and the great longevity. It’s even got SPF 15, for some light UV ray protection. That’s not bad for $12!