Life insurance is an important way to provide protection for your family. However, it&#39;s often misunderstood, and misconceptions are plentiful&mdash;including that it&#39;s expensive and difficult to purchase. But once you have a basic understanding of what life insurance is, how it works and the two main types of life insurance, you&rsquo;ll be on your way to providing protection and financial security for your family.

What is life insurance? 
<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/video/health-topics-a-z/financial-health/how-do-i-know-which-type-of-life-insurance-is-right-for-me">Life insurance</a> is a contract between you and an insurance company where you make a monthly or annual payment&mdash;the premium&mdash;and the insurance company pays a specified amount of money&mdash;the death benefit&mdash;to your beneficiaries when you pass away.

If you have people who depend on your income, like underage children, a spouse or elderly parents, then life insurance is imperative. You should also consider life insurance if someone would incur additional costs if you pass away (like childcare for example). The money obtained from a policy can help your family pay their regular monthly bills, your children&rsquo;s future college tuition or for your funeral expenses and outstanding medical bills. In some cases, people decide to purchase a policy when a major life event takes place&mdash;like getting married, buying a home, starting a business or having a baby&mdash;but life insurance can be purchased at any time.

In fact, the sooner you buy life insurance, the lower your monthly or annual payments will likely be. Other factors that determine the cost of life insurance are your health status, medical history and driving record. Smoking status is also a large determinant of your payments, with non-smokers generally receiving significantly better rates.

While historically, purchasing life insurance required medical exams and blood testing, this is often no longer the case. In fact, for relatively healthy individuals, many insurance companies offer a benefit of up to $1 million without a medical exam or blood test. For larger policies or for people with extensive medical histories, a medical exam can still be required.

Two basic types of life insurance 
The <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/financial-planning-health-care/what-different-types-life-insurance">two main types of policies</a> are term life insurance and permanent life insurance.

Term life insurance offers a cash payout if you pass away during a specific period of time (for example, 10, 20 or 30 years); you pay via a fixed monthly or annual premium during the term of the policy. Term insurance is a viable option for covering specific costs such as a mortgage or college education. Often times, insurance companies will allow you to convert your term policy into a permanent policy for a specified period of time after purchase.

Permanent life insurance offers lifetime protection with a cash payout at the time of death, regardless of when that is. It often includes a cash account value that you may be able to access while you are alive, which has the ability to grow, similar to money in other investments (mutual funds, or bonds). Your monthly payments may be fixed or they may be flexible depending on the type of policy you choose. Permanent life insurance is a viable option for people looking to pass money on to their family after they pass away, or for people concerned about paying for funeral costs or medical bills at the time of their passing.

Some employers offer life insurance as a benefit to their employees. While this is generally temporary&mdash;good only while you are employed with the company&mdash;it may be wise to take advantage of this benefit, as the monthly payments may be offset by your employer. But if you have family who is dependent upon your income, additional insurance, outside of work is generally required. Life insurance can be purchased online, over the phone or from a licensed financial professional.

Medically reviewed in July 2018.

What Is Life Insurance?

We&rsquo;ve quoted Ben Franklin before, but his words are still as true as ever: &ldquo;An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.&rdquo; And taking advantage of the Affordable Care Act&rsquo;s free, preventive medicine coverage -- as an adjunct to your smart lifestyle choices of no Food Felons (they&rsquo;re trans and saturated fats, added sugar and syrups and any grain that isn&rsquo;t 100 percent whole), no tobacco, and no smoking anything, walking at least 30 extra minutes daily (heading for 10,000 steps a day), and de-stressing with mindful meditation -- can head off or reverse a lot of health problems. For example, if guys with elevated LDL cholesterol (but no symptoms) are identified and put on a lipid-lowering medication, that could prevent 25 percent of non-fatal heart attacks; and if everyone over the age of 50 had regular colon cancer screenings, more than 60 percent of deaths from that cancer could be avoided.&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s good for your health -- and the country&rsquo;s healthcare bill -- that the ACA provides <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-screening-tests/what-preventive-screenings-should-get" target="_blank">preventive screenings</a>, tests and counseling for abdominal aortic aneurysm, alcohol misuse, breast cancer, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, colorectal cancer, depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity and tobacco use, as well as sexually transmitted infections. And it pays for <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/vaccines-and-immunizations" target="_blank">vaccination</a> against hepatitis A and B, herpes zoster, human papillomavirus (HPV), flu, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (TDP) and chickenpox. (In Canada, the Task Force on Preventive Care recommends their government-provided preventive services.) So, ask your doctor about taking advantage of the ACA&rsquo;s preventive health care services and screenings: you&rsquo;ll enjoy better health and a younger RealAge.

Medically reviewed in March 2020.

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The holidays are a time of festivities with family and friends, making merry and, for some, increased risk of a heart attack. In fact, a study presented at a 2013 European Society of Cardiology meeting found that death from heart disease tends to be higher during January and February. We talked with cardiologists Frank Arena, MD, of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/group/lakeview-regional-medical-center">Lakeview Regional Medical Center</a>, Hoang Nguyen, DO, of Regional Medical Center and Taral Patel, MD, of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/group/tristar-summit-medical-center">TriStar Summit Medical Center</a> about potential heart attack triggers during the winter season and what you can do to keep your ticker going strong.

1. Be kind to your body 
According to Dr. Patel, those at increased risk include people with diagnosed heart disease, those who have already had a heart attack, been treated with stents or had bypass surgeries, smokers and people with diabetes. But even if this doesn&rsquo;t describe you, your heart may not be as healthy as you think. &ldquo;A heart attack is not a singular event,&rdquo; says Dr. Arena. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the end result of the culmination of a series of events. You have a heart attack because you&rsquo;ve spent years and years building up plaque around the arteries.&rdquo;

Maintain good health: Healthy eating habits and regular exercise throughout the year can help keep problems at bay. If you have diabetes, be sure that it&rsquo;s under control. Smokers could give themselves the best gift of all by <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/quit-smoking">kicking the habit</a>.

2. Take a chill pill 
While the holiday season is a celebratory time of the year, it can also bring about added stress from strained family relationships and overstretched finances.

&ldquo;One thing that surprises me is how much stress and emotion play into it,&rdquo; says Patel. &ldquo;Mental and emotional stress is a huge factor that I think we downplay.&rdquo; Some may suffer from <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/circulatory-system-health/what-broken-heart-syndrome">broken heart syndrome</a>: &ldquo;A sudden stressful event can cause a person to have chest pain and a sudden heart attack,&rdquo; says Patel. Stress overload can also make it tough to get enough sleep, which can fuel overeating. &ldquo;Insomnia makes adrenaline levels go up, blood pressure goes up, we get carb cravings,&rdquo; says Arena. &ldquo;You just continue to make poor choices in the moment because you aren&rsquo;t sleeping.&rdquo;

Stress less: Take time to relax; try <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/meditation/how-meditation-help-relieve-stress">meditation to calm down</a>. Make sleep a priority. You&rsquo;ll be more clear-headed for handling family issues and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/anxiety/money-stress">making spending decisions.</a> Get enough shut-eye to prevent spikes in <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/endocrine-system/how-does-cortisol-affect-body">the stress hormone cortisol,</a> which increases appetite.

3. Maintain your medicationsI 
If you regularly take prescription drugs to treat a chronic condition like heart disease, continue to do so during the holidays. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very busy during the holidays,&rdquo; says Dr. Nguyen. &ldquo;People are doing things they shouldn&rsquo;t be doing and eating things they shouldn&rsquo;t be eating. They forget to take their medication; they forget to check in with their doctor. Things like that tend to lead to heart attacks.&rdquo;

Be prepared: Don&rsquo;t rely on your memory for taking your pills; separate them into pill containers labeled by day. Set reminders in your phone. If you&rsquo;re traveling, take the entire bottle of each medication with you. If your return trip is delayed, you won&rsquo;t run out. You&rsquo;ll also have a list of your medications and dosage if needed.

4. Take it easy on the alcohol 
More partying means the toasting flutes and champagne will be in full force. While celebrating in moderation is ok, going overboard is not. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re drinking a fair amount, say, more than two or three drinks or anything enough to give you a hangover, you&rsquo;re creating a lot of adrenaline,&rdquo; says Arena. This can lead to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/arrhythmia/what-is-holiday-heart" style="line-height: 1.6em;">holiday heart syndrome,</a> or atrial fibrillation, which is characterized by a fast, irregular heartbeat. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s contributed to by the buildup of adrenaline that comes when&nbsp;people overindulge and become dehydrated, which makes their hearts start pounding,&rdquo; says Arena. &ldquo;The adrenaline is what leads to heart issues. The same triggers that cause you to go into atrial fibrillation can cause a heart attack as well.&rdquo;

Tame the tipples: Avoid drinking on an empty stomach. Don&rsquo;t have more than one drink per hour, and alternate drinks with water to stay hydrated. Skip sugary drinks; it&rsquo;s more difficult to tell how much alcohol you&rsquo;re imbibing. Stay festive by switching to seltzer water and lime or mixers&mdash;sans the alcohol. If you have heart disease risk factors, you&rsquo;ll want to take extra precautions to avoid holiday heart syndrome: Limit yourself to no more than two drinks per day, avoid overeating (it may trigger a reflex response that can cause an arrhythmia) and avoid caffeine.

5. Beware of cold-weather activities 
If you&rsquo;re tempted to join the family for a sled ride or feel compelled to shovel snow, you may want to think twice, especially if you&rsquo;re not physically active throughout the year. &ldquo;Winter activities can increase stress hormone levels and blood pressure,&rdquo; warns Patel, adding stress on the vessel wall. &ldquo;This is what causes the rupture, which causes the heart attack,&rdquo; he says. Cooler temperatures can also play a role. &ldquo;Even if you&rsquo;re not shoveling snow and it&rsquo;s not super cold, your arteries constrict a bit to keep your core warm,&rdquo; Patel says. &ldquo;That also increases blood pressure and shear stress [on the blood vessels].&rdquo;

Know your limits: If you&rsquo;re not used to lots of strenuous activity limit your time outside, dress warmly and don&rsquo;t overexert yourself.

6. Don&rsquo;t ignore the symptoms 
Maybe you&rsquo;ve just sat down for Christmas dinner or have begun exchanging gifts&mdash;and you&rsquo;re not feeling quite right. Don&rsquo;t worry about ruining the moment&mdash;it will only become worse if you&rsquo;re having a heart attack. Nguyen says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/heart-attack/symptoms-of-a-heart-attack?myAttribute=yay" style="line-height: 1.6em;">heart attack symptoms</a> like chest pain, discomfort or shortness of breath require immediate medical attention. &ldquo;You should never ignore symptoms when it comes to the heart,&rdquo; he adds.

Medically reviewed in January 2020.

6 Ways To Prevent a Holiday Heart Attack

Got a great reason to jump out of bed in the morning? Only 37% of North Americans say they do, according to a recent Gallup Poll. But a study might motivate you to find your sense of purpose: Turns out having a mission in life can help you become healthier and live longer.

When researchers from Mount Sinai Health System in New York City reviewed the results of 10 studies involving more than 137,000 people, they found that those with &ldquo;a sense of meaning and direction, and a feeling that life is worth living&rdquo; were 19% less likely to have a heart attack or <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/stroke">stroke</a> or to need a cardiac bypass or stents to open up clogged arteries. And overall, those leading purpose-driven lives were 23% less likely to die prematurely.

Why does a sense of purpose make you healthier? 
If you&rsquo;re fired-up with a passion for living -- whether it comes from coaching Little League baseball, volunteering at the local soup kitchen, playing your tuba for community groups, or being a good parent -- you&rsquo;re more likely to keep up with health screenings, eat healthily and get exercise. Plus, you get these additional health benefits, according to the Mount Sinai study:

Less inflammation: Recent research has shown that people with a strong sense of purpose also had lower levels of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/inflammation/what-is-inflammation">inflammatory</a> chemicals and stress hormones. The reason goes deep: Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that having a sense of purpose switches on healthier genes. Blood tests of 80 people revealed that those who felt happy when doing good for others had less activity in genes that boost inflammation. Those less generous, more short-sighted and concerned with their own pleasure, had more activity in pro-inflammatory genes, as well as lower activity in antiviral and antibody genes, which help protect against viral infections. As one of the researchers noted, &ldquo;We can make ourselves happy through simple pleasures, but&hellip; at the cellular level, our bodies appear to respond better to a different kind of well-being, one based on a sense of connectedness and purpose.&quot;

Sharper mental powers: A strong sense of purpose could keep your <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/mental-fitness-nervous-system/how-can-i-exercise-brain-and-keep-sharp">brain sharper</a>, longer. Scientists from Chicago&rsquo;s Rush University Medical Center autopsied the brains of 246 older adults. They found the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease in those who had lived with a sense of purpose and those who didn&rsquo;t. But when they looked back at thinking tests performed while the volunteers were living, they discovered a profound difference: People with a strong sense of purpose had a 30% lower rate of decline in thinking skills and memory.

Greater independence as you age. A sense of purpose may have a bonus for your encore years, especially if you&rsquo;ve got big plans for retirement. In the on-going Rush University study, older people with a strong sense of purpose were 30% less likely to have trouble with basic necessities like getting dressed and taking a shower, 44% less likely to have trouble with managing their money, shopping, taking care of their home and getting around town and 39% less likely to have difficulty walking distances, going up and down stairs and doing heavy housework.

So how&rsquo;s your sense of purpose? 
Do you feel driven by passion and meaning? If not, make time to explore the world, try new things, experiment, get together with friends and family to see what makes you feel like a million bucks. Spend some time thinking about what really matters to you, what you&rsquo;d like most to contribute to the world because you think it&rsquo;s important, and that you&rsquo;d love to do. It&rsquo;s one of the essential 7 Do-Over Deeds in Dr. Mike&rsquo;s book, This Is Your Do-Over. You&rsquo;ll make the world -- and your own mind and body -- a better place.&nbsp;

Find Your Sense of Purpose

When it comes to money and happiness, a lot of us think the grass is greener on the richer side. We&rsquo;d be happier in a bigger house with a heated pool and plenty of money left over to treat our kids, grandkids and friends. Wouldn&rsquo;t we?

Some happiness experts, including psychologist Ron Siegel, say we would likely readjust to our &ldquo;happiness set point&rdquo; after the novelty wears off. In this sense, money can&rsquo;t buy lasting happiness.

Other researchers say money&nbsp;can&nbsp;buy happiness&mdash;to an extent. One 2009 study asked participants to report how happy they were in relation to their household income. The study, as well as past research, found that happiness tends to increase with income up to a point ($75,000 in one study, and about $90,000 in this study), but the increase is relatively small. Money makes you a little happier up to a point, but not a lot.

Participants were asked to predict how happy they thought other people feel at different income levels. Respondents were fairly accurate in predicting that higher levels of household income are not associated with higher levels of happiness at the top end of the income distribution (e.g., at $90,000 compared with $125,000). That is, both predicted and actual happiness leveled off at $90,000+.&nbsp;But they greatly underestimated the happiness of people who made less money.

Bottom line: Money does matter, but not as much as many people think. What seems to matter more is what people do with their money. Here are two ways to spend it that really can bring more joy to your life&mdash;no matter your income.

<ol>
	<li>Be charitable.&nbsp;Research shows that those who spend their money on others are consistently happier people. This finding held true for both the rich and the poor. And it&rsquo;s not like you have to give it all away to achieve happiness; if you can see your money making a difference in other people&rsquo;s lives, it will make you happy even if the amount you gave was quite small.</li>
	<li>Pursue experiences instead of material items.&nbsp;This bit of advice has been floating around for years, but research shows that even though people know this to be true, many still believe material goods are a better use of their money. A 2014 study surveyed how participants felt before and after making a purchase. Before buying, participants said they believed that life experiences would make them happier, but that material items had more value. But after their purchases, they felt that life experiences not only made them happier, but also had higher value.</li>
</ol>

If you&rsquo;re worried that &ldquo;life experiences&rdquo; are out of your budget, don&rsquo;t stress. Life experiences can range from a hiking trip an hour away to a salsa dancing lesson nearby. As long as it&rsquo;s an experience you&rsquo;ll be able to bank in your memory, you&rsquo;ll be glad you did it.

There&#39;s a strong connection between our finances and our emotions&mdash;and too much money stress can harm your health.

Medically reviewed in June 2019.

Can Money Buy Happiness?

We found a meme of &ldquo;Honest Abe&rdquo; Lincoln online accompanied by the quote, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t believe everything you read on the Internet.&rdquo; Well, a study confirms Abe&rsquo;s advice&mdash;and shows how often it is ignored!

Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Tulane University published a study in the American Journal of Infection Control revealing the most read/most popular posts on Facebook during the initial <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/zika-virus">Zika</a> scare were the least accurate medically, even though the majority of posts about Zika during the study&rsquo;s one-week window were accurate.

The most popular post was a false one claiming that birth defects from Zika actually come from an insecticide, and that Zika was a host invented by chemical companies. It had over 19,600 shares! The most popular accurate post about Zika; a press release by the World Health Organization, was shared only 964 times! We want people to be accurately informed (you&rsquo;re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts!), because <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-care-basics/article/be-an-informed-patient-and-get-healthier">health misinformation</a> can be dangerous. If you believe that Zika is a hoax, you won&rsquo;t adequately protect yourself from the mosquitoes carrying it.

Take Abe&rsquo;s advice and be a detective the next time you&rsquo;re reading health information on social media. Ask: &ldquo;Where did the person get the information?&rdquo; and be skeptical of people and web sites that don&rsquo;t identify their sources. Sources you can rely on include government health organizations (sites ending in .gov), major medical schools (sites ending in .edu), and articles from journals and research publications like JAMA and The Lancet.

Medically reviewed in February 2019.

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60 Seconds To Better Health

If you wanted to get to the top of the Great Pyramid you&rsquo;d have to clamber over 203 huge steps to reach the 454 foot summit. The top of the Eifel Tower? Today there are 1,665 steps (a lot smaller than the pyramid&rsquo;s) and it&rsquo;s 984 feet tall. Dubai&rsquo;s Burj Khalifa, the world&rsquo;s tallest building, scrapes the sky; it&rsquo;s 2,722 feet tall with 2,909 stairs. &nbsp;Luckily, you don&rsquo;t have to take that many steps to gain the great health benefits of losing weight.

Doing a little has big rewards! &nbsp;If you&rsquo;re overweight or obese, shedding just five percent of your body weight (that&rsquo;s nine pounds for someone who&rsquo;s 180) can help reduce multiple risk factors for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Recently, researchers compared the health improvements of 40 obese men and women who lost five percent of their body weight with those who shed 10 and 15 percent. The 19 folks who shed five percent saw almost as much improvement in the function of their beta cells (that&rsquo;s where insulin is produced) and in <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/type-2-diabetes/article/lean-protein-blood-sugar-control">insulin sensitivity</a> as those who lost 10 and 15 percent. And that&rsquo;s great news for folks who think they have to go from severely overweight to thin to see health improvements.

Just aim for five percent at a time by making simple lifestyle changes: Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, de-stress with 10 minutes of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/meditation/how-do-i-meditate">mindful meditation daily</a>, and start a walking routine pronto. Remember, every journey starts with one small step.

Medically reviewed in September 2018.

Little Steps, Big Rewards: Making a Workout Workable

You&rsquo;ve probably seen endless stories about how you can &quot;stay healthy over the holidays&quot;&mdash;tips intended to keep you from &quot;overindulging.&quot; Ick! How un-fun is it to be at a party when your chief concern is avoiding the baked Brie?&nbsp;

As a doctor, I&rsquo;m going to tell you to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/holiday-health/what-good-holiday-stress-buster" target="_blank">stop stressing.</a> Not only do most of those deprivation-fueled tips not work (who writes those things anyway?), staying healthy without obsessing is much easier than you think. That&rsquo;s mainly because there are likely things that you already enjoy&mdash;and don&rsquo;t realize how good they are for you. Emphasize these four things and you won&rsquo;t have to choose between celebrating and health after all:

1. Spending time with loved ones adds years to your life. Fact. Statistics in the <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/static/realage" target="_blank">RealAge Test</a> show that having close connections with people and engaging with them regularly can add almost two years to your life; it also lowers your risk of heart disease and cancer. Think of the holidays as a time of seeing the people who brighten your life&mdash;rather than a series of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/holiday-health/slideshow/7-ways-to-stop-holiday-weight-gain" target="_blank">diet-killing party obstacles</a>&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll come away with both a heart and soul that are healthier.

2. Be a kid again. When you were six, did you count calories? What&rsquo;s a calorie? No! You were too busy running and playing and climbing trees to worry about it. Use the holidays as a time to let out your inner child&mdash;whether it&rsquo;s playing with your own children (or relatives&rsquo; kids) when they&rsquo;re on vacation&mdash;or just getting out and doing something you love.&nbsp;

3. Allow yourself to indulge. Avoiding foods? Skipping meals to save calories for later? Both lead to eating more calories overall than you would have in the first place, meaning that not only are you miserable, but also less healthy (womp womp). Allow yourself a cheat meal (or cheat party) here or there, where you leave the food police at home, and you&rsquo;ll find that staying on track the rest of the time seems far more doable.

4. Sing (or dance) along to your favorite holiday tunes. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s in your local choir, caroling with friends, or in your car&mdash;singing lowers levels of anxiety and depression, dancing extends your life and even may reduce your risk of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. Even if you&rsquo;re a little more Napoleon Dynamite than Flashdance, in the words of the venerated Meghan Trainor, &ldquo;Prove to them you got the moves, I don&rsquo;t know about you. But I feel better when I&rsquo;m dancing&rdquo;.

Indulging, dancing and hanging out with your best people&mdash;who knew it was healthy? Focus on them, and you&rsquo;ll have a memorable holiday season that&rsquo;s good for the heart&mdash;and the soul. &nbsp;

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

Very best, 
Dr. Darria

Medically reviewed in January 2020.

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Whether you&rsquo;re the picture of health or battling a chronic disease, welcoming your first baby or watching your grandchildren graduate from college, making end-of-life plans is usually last on the list of topics anyone wants to talk about. In fact, only one in three U.S. adults has such plans in place, according to a July 2017 review of 150 studies involving more than 795,00 people published in HealthAffairs.

But creating and sharing your vision for end-of-life care&mdash;even years before you&rsquo;ll ever need to implement it&mdash;should be on everyone&rsquo;s to-do list, advises Lara Raquel Clary-Lantis, DO, a hospice and palliative care specialist at <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/group/saint-joseph-mercy-health-system">Saint Joseph Mercy Health System</a> in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

&ldquo;No one wants to talk about dying, but we have no problem discussing life insurance when we&rsquo;re young,&rdquo; Dr. Clary-Lantis points out. &ldquo;Creating an advance directive is like having insurance that when you reach the last stages of your life, your healthcare providers will do things for you that you do want and won&rsquo;t do things to you that you don&rsquo;t want.&rdquo; She points out that it&rsquo;s never too early to start having these discussions. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s better to talk about when you&rsquo;re not under the stress of an illness, accident or new diagnosis,&rdquo; she says.

What end-of-life plans include 
<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-society/article/how-to-create-end-of-life-plan">End-of-life plans</a> can be as simple or as detailed as you wish, and they should be revisited every few years, Clary-Lantis says. She recommends speaking with a lawyer or simply searching online. Several websites, including PrepareForYourCare.org, have videos and articles that walk you through the process of filling out the papers. Many states also have their own advance directive forms. Your local <a href="https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx">Area Agency on Aging</a> can help you find the correct documents.

At the very least, you should name the person who you trust to make medical decisions for you in the event that you become incapacitated&mdash;even while you&rsquo;re still young and healthy. You can also list specific or general instructions about whether or not you&rsquo;d wish to receive life-sustaining treatments (including intubation and dialysis), if you&rsquo;d like to be an organ donor and where you would prefer to spend your final moments&mdash;at home or in the hospital. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about dying, it&rsquo;s about making sure you are <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/family-health/article/way-die-with-dignity-peace">living the life you want in your last days,&rdquo;</a> Clary-Lantis notes.

Printing out end-of-life documents and initiating discussions about these topics may be uncomfortable at first, but having these conversations and initiating the process could be one of the greatest gifts that you give your loved ones, and yourself. Here&rsquo;s why:

It relieves stress, conflict, and guilt 
If your family tends to bicker about everything from who should host Thanksgiving to who should be the next James Bond, imagine what would happen if they were faced with making a medical decision for you. Research suggests that many relatives of a critically ill patient experience moderate or high levels of stress when they do not have an end-of-life plan to follow, and that having discussions about end-of-life plans makes the bereavement process easier for loved ones since they feel less guilt, anxiety, and regret over their decisions.

&ldquo;If your loved ones know exactly what you want, it helps alleviates stress and empowers them to do what you would want,&rdquo; Clary-Lantis says.

You&rsquo;ll experience fewer unwanted hospitalizations and treatments&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Healthcare providers will sometimes offer everything available to keep the patient alive&mdash;even if we don&rsquo;t think it will help,&rdquo; Clary-Lantis says. &ldquo;And in some cases, that could mean additional unwanted side effects and suffering.&rdquo; One example of this is CPR, she explains.

Though resuscitation with chest thrusts and electrical shocks can be life-saving for someone who has stopped breathing or gone into cardiac arrest, it can also cause serious pain and injury to an older person. If you specify in your advanced care directive that you don&rsquo;t want life-extending treatments or to extend your hospitalization&mdash;and that you would prefer to pass away at home&mdash;your family and healthcare team will know when to say enough is enough.

Research also suggests that having these discussions leads to less aggressive medical care at the end of life and earlier referrals to hospice, where the focus is on helping people <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/longevity/slideshow/things-doctor-wishes-knew-death">live out their final days</a> as comfortably and peacefully as possible.

It allows you to have some control over your final hours 
&ldquo;We plan how we want childbirth to go, and we plan for our weddings, so why shouldn&rsquo;t you plan for how you want your final days to go?&rdquo; Clary-Lantis says. Your end-of-life plan shouldn&rsquo;t just list medical decisions; it can also include details like where you would like to stay, which religious or spiritual traditions you&rsquo;d like to follow (or not follow), and who you would like to speak at your memorial.

You should also consider what your family should do if you become one of the millions of Americans who are <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/living-with-alzheimers-disease/slideshow/diagnosed-alzheimers-ask-these-questions">living with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease</a> or other forms of dementia, or if you develop another chronic, debilitating condition that requires full-time care. An end-of-life plan can also let your loved ones and healthcare team know if you would prefer to live at home with a relative, hire an aide, or move to an assisted living facility.

It&rsquo;s okay to change your mind 
Keep in mind, once you sign your advanced care directive, it is not set in stone. Think of it as a living document, Clary-Lantis explains. When you&rsquo;re younger and healthier, you may very well wish to have your healthcare team try for any possible miracle to save your life&mdash;especially if you have children. &ldquo;But as you get older, your feelings about living and dying may change, and it&rsquo;s easier to discuss it if you&rsquo;ve already begun that conversation.&rdquo;

Medically reviewed in August 2019.

Why You Should Talk About End-of-Life Care

Q: I am trying to take off a few pounds gradually, but in truth it&rsquo;s so slow it&rsquo;s adding up to nothing! I&rsquo;ve been eating a wide variety of foods like the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines says to, so what&rsquo;s wrong? &mdash;Abigail L., Springfield, IL

A: Losing weight gradually is the right way to shed it and keep it off. That said, we wonder about what you mean by variety. A milkshake and a carrot stick is not what&rsquo;s meant by variety&mdash;but it&rsquo;s what many folks seem to think they can get away with.

In fact, it&rsquo;s gotten to be enough of a problem that the American Heart Association recently issued a position paper saying, &ldquo;greater dietary diversity is associated with suboptimal eating patterns, that is, higher intakes of processed foods, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages.&rdquo;

So what is the variety that you should be aiming for? A variety of colors and types of veggies and fruits is a good place to start. You want to enjoy some <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/live-to-one-hundred/article/eat-these-to-live-longer">legumes</a>, some leafy greens, some cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, and some citrus and some fleshy fruits and berries daily. You can add lean proteins like skinless chicken and fish.

But if that variety doesn&rsquo;t spice up your interest in healthy eating, just remember, while variety may be the spice of life, spices are the life of variety. Here are three of our favorites.

Turmeric: A main component of curry powder, turmeric delivers powerful flavor, and preliminary studies show it can reduce the number of heart attacks bypass patients have post-surgery and control knee pain from osteoarthritis as well as ibuprofen. And people from India, who use it frequently, have much lower rates of dementia. Animal studies confirm its brain benefits.

Cinnamon: Use this to flavor your coffee, zip up stews and make black beans sing with flavor. It also has anti-fungal properties and helps control glucose levels.

Pepper: Black pepper can combat cancer-causing properties of grilled foods&mdash;just coat lean chicken or veggies with ground pepper (after marinating in just about anything) before cooking over a flame.

Q: I&rsquo;ve tried to reduce the amount of plastics, their waste and hormone disruptors in my life, but it&rsquo;s difficult. Do you have any tips or helpful guidelines for me and my family to follow? &mdash;Candice B., San Diego, CA

A: With all the recent media attention focused on plastic waste in our oceans and the trend away from BPAs in plastics, there are steps you can take, and some things you cannot, or do not, have to change. And there&rsquo;s a new generation of entrepreneurial plastic recyclers&mdash;more are emerging every day&mdash;that are making recycling a much more effective way to manage the huge quantities that we discard daily.

So, here are a few things you can do in your everyday life to reduce your plastic footprint&mdash;and do recycle every chance you get.

The Rethink Plastics pilot study wanted to see if some pretty simple behavior changes could reduce exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals in plastics and printed register receipts&mdash;and it did! Along the way, it also succeeded in reducing plastic use and waste. The study participants were asked to take the following steps:

<ul>
	<li>Use glass or stainless steel water bottles.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/household-safety/article/ways-home-making-you-sick">Store food in glass or ceramic containers</a>.</li>
	<li>Skip canned foods and beverages.</li>
	<li>Reduce take-out food.</li>
	<li>Do not handle receipts with bare hands. (If you do, wash with soap and water as soon as possible. Hand sanitizer won&rsquo;t wash BPAs off your hands, so wash them before you touch your food).</li>
</ul>

And we have a few more tips for you as well.

<ul>
	<li>Opt out of using plastic bags at the store and rely on reusable cloth bags to carry groceries and brown paper bags to hold produce. Use cloth bags for purchases in other stores as well.</li>
	<li>Use non-plastic containers to pack your lunch, and carry along reusable utensils&mdash;and no plastic straws.</li>
</ul>

Medically reviewed in March 2020.

Why You Should Use More Spices and Less Plastic

Most people know the basic recipe for good health: eat well, <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/exercise-weight-loss/how-much-working-out">get enough exercise</a> and see your healthcare provider regularly. But where you live influences your health, too. Larger cities and communities encourage healthy habits and the well-being of residents, which help reduce chronic health problems like obesity and heart disease, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The study examined 48 communities throughout the United States and ranked them on four metrics: how walkable they are, how bikeable they are, availability of parks and natural spaces and the strength of their public transportation systems. The researchers averaged the scores to create an Active Living score and found fascinating results.

What they learned 
The city with the highest Active Living score is the Boston, Massachusetts area, comprised of Boston, Cambridge and Newton. At the bottom: Fort Wayne, Indiana. Each of the four scores&mdash;walk score, bike score, transit score and park score&mdash;proved to be correlated to the health and well-being of community residents.

<ul>
	<li>A high transit score is associated with a lower rate of depression.</li>
	<li>Residents of communities with a high park score are associated with feelings of safety and security.</li>
	<li>A high bike score is correlated to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/high-cholesterol/article/one-third-americans-dont-control-high-cholesterol">lower cholesterol</a>.</li>
	<li>Communities with high bike and park scores seem to be related to fewer feelings of apathy in residents and lower rates of smoking.</li>
	<li>Communities with high walk, park and especially transit scores were correlated with less daily physical pain.</li>
</ul>

Reduction of chronic conditions 
There are some stark differences between the communities with the five highest Active Living scores versus the five lowest scores. The differences serve to highlight how your community can affect your health. Specifically, people in communities with the highest Active Living scores reported:

<ul>
	<li>Nearly 21 percent less obesity</li>
	<li>Almost 25 percent less diabetes</li>
	<li>20 percent less high <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/high-blood-pressure/article/know-your-numbers-blood-pressure">blood pressure</a></li>
	<li>8 percent less high cholesterol</li>
	<li>29 percent less depression</li>
</ul>

Promoting a healthy lifestyle 
The communities with the highest Active Living scores have almost 20 percent more people who are thriving in terms of physical well-being.

People in these communities also smoke less and eat more fresh produce than people in the lowest-scoring communities. People in communities with the highest Active Living scores even have cheerleaders&mdash;they&rsquo;re almost 5 percent more likely to have someone in their lives who is <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/healthy-habits/how-find-support-lifestyle-changes">encouraging them to be healthy</a>.

What you can do 
Communities like Albert Lea, Minnesota and Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beaches in California are actively changing their infrastructure to promote the health and wellness of their citizens. But you probably can&rsquo;t just pick up and move to one of the top Active Living cities&mdash;at least not on a whim. So, what can you do?

Start by petitioning for your neighborhood to become an Active Living community! Then, take your workouts outdoors. A 2011 review of studies found that compared to indoor exercise, exercising outside made people feel more revitalized, more energized and less tense, confused, angry and depressed. Even if you can&rsquo;t exercise outside, try to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medically reviewed in February 2019.

Where You Live Can Reduce Your Risk of 5 Chronic Conditions, Study Shows

Overall well-being among U.S. adults has declined substantially this year. The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index score so far in 2017 is 61.5, down 0.6 points from 62.1 in 2016 and on par with the lower level recorded in 2014. This decline is both statistically significant and meaningfully large.

These data are drawn from more than 135,000 interviews with U.S. adults across all 50 states from Jan. 2-Sept. 30, 2017, and more than 176,000 interviews each year in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The <a href="http://www.well-beingindex.com/about" target="_blank">Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index</a> is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being and 100 represents the highest possible well-being. The Well-Being Index consists of metrics drawn from each of the five essential elements of well-being:

<ul>
	<li>Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals</li>
	<li>Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life</li>
	<li>Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security</li>
	<li>Community: liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community</li>
	<li>Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily</li>
</ul>

Democrats&#39; Well-Being Drops Sharply; Republicans&#39; Unchanged 
Democrats have suffered a significant decline in overall well-being so far in 2017 compared with 2016. The 0.9-point drop in Democrats&#39; Well-Being Index score is at least triple the decline seen among Republicans and independents. Independents had a statistically significant decline of 0.3 points, while Republicans&#39; well-being is statistically unchanged. The decline among Democrats comes after a notable improvement in 2016, and their well-being is now below 2014 levels.

Women, Blacks, Hispanics, Low-Income See Large Drops 
The overall decline in well-being is concentrated among demographic groups that tend to align with the Democratic Party. Women have had a substantial 1.1-point drop in their Well-Being Index score, while the score for men is unchanged. Across the four major racial and ethnic groups, well-being has dropped the most among blacks and Hispanics, although it has also come down to a lesser degree among whites and Asians. Americans living in lower-income households saw a significant drop in well-being, while their higher-income counterparts saw a smaller decrease, no change or a slight increase.

Emotional Health, Social and Purpose Well-Being All Worsen 
The overall decline in well-being in 2017 is driven by dips in emotional health, social well-being and purpose well-being.

In terms of emotional health, the percentage of adults who report experiencing significant worry on any given day is up, as is the percentage who report having little interest or pleasure in doing things at least some of the time.

Social well-being shows similar declines. Fewer Americans agree that their friends and family provide them with positive energy every day and that someone in their life always encourages them to be healthy, while more disagree with the statement.

Purpose well-being indicators have also receded. Fewer agree and more disagree that there is a leader in their life who makes them enthusiastic about the future and that they like what they do each day.

All of these metrics were highly stable from 2014 through 2016, and in each case the negative movement so far in 2017 is highly statistically significant.

The remaining three elements, financial, physical and community well-being, have had much smaller changes thus far in 2017. Community well-being is unchanged, while financial and physical well-being are both down slightly.

Implications 
After rising in 2016, the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index score has reversed course this year. This drop comes even as key economic metrics closely related to well-being have improved, including <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/189068/bls-unemployment-seasonally-adjusted.aspx.aspx" target="_blank">unemployment</a>, perceptions of <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/218981/americans-ratings-standard-living-best-decade.aspx?g_source=&amp;g_medium=&amp;g_campaign=tiles" target="_blank">standard of living</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/125735/economic-confidence-index.aspx" target="_blank">confidence in the economy</a> and <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/221060/americans-best-holiday-shopping-mood-years.aspx" target="_blank">optimism about spending</a>.

Other signs of worsening well-being in the U.S. include an <a href="http://news.gallup.com/topic/category_wellbeing.aspx" target="_blank">uptick in the uninsured rate</a> for three quarters in a row and reports of elevated <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/204590/daily-worry-sharply-presidential-election.aspx?g_source=&amp;g_medium=&amp;g_campaign=tiles" target="_blank">daily worry</a>, particularly among <a href="http://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/215657/hispanics-emotional-during-trump-era.aspx" target="_blank">Spanish-speaking Hispanics.</a>

This drop in well-being is important for leaders to monitor and address because research shows the Well-Being Index predicts <a href="http://info.healthways.com/hubfs/Science_and_Research/Well-being-5_Science_Paper.pdf" target="_blank">key health, business and social outcomes</a>.

Read more about the decline in social well-being this past year on the new website, <a href="https://quartzy.qz.com/1121777" target="_blank">Quartzy</a>.

Survey Methods 
Results are based on 135,426 telephone interviews with U.S. adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted from Jan. 2-Sept. 30, 2017. In 2016, 2015, and 2014, a total of 177,192, 177,281 and 176,702 interviews, respectively, were conducted from Jan. 2-Dec. 30 of each year. Gallup conducts 500 telephone interviews daily, resulting in a sample that projects to an estimated 95% of all U.S. adults.

The Well-Being Index margin of sampling error for the reported groups will range from about &plusmn;0.2 points for the U.S. and for whites to about &plusmn;0.3 points for blacks and Hispanics to about &plusmn;0.6 points for Asians. The margin of error for demographic groups will be no larger than &plusmn;0.3 points. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects due to weighting.

Each daily sample of national adults for data collected between Jan. 2, 2014 and Sept. 1, 2015, comprised 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline respondents. Each daily sample from Sept. 1, 2015-Dec. 30, 2016, comprised 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents. Daily samples in 2017 comprise 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents. Additional minimum quotas by time zone and within region are included in the sampling approach.

Learn more about how the <a href="http://www.gallup.com/209189/gallup-sharecare-index-work.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index</a> works.

This content originally appeared on <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/221588/americans-declines-2017.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup.com</a>.

News: Americans' Well-Being Declines in 2017

Starting on Thanksgiving and continuing straight through New Year&#39;s Day, the holiday season is supposed to be a time of gratitude, togetherness, and joy.

For many of us, though? Not so much.

Stress from holiday parties and family gatherings, high-maintenance houseguests, and endless trips to the mall can all add up. And if you&#39;re coping with the <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/grief-emotional-health/article/how-to-handle-your-grief-during-the-holidays" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">death of a loved one</a> or other major loss&mdash;or if you find yourself alone or separated from friends and family&mdash;this time of year can be downright depressing.

But stress doesn&rsquo;t have to spoil what otherwise can be a joyful season. These simple strategies can help you manage stress, ease tension, and even beat the blues&mdash;not just at the holidays, but all year long.

Lower your expectations&nbsp; 
Putting pressure on yourself to make your holidays Instagram-ready is a surefire way to increase stress and anxiety, says Jared Gaines, MD, a psychiatrist at Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health Center in Florida.

&ldquo;We can all fall prey to setting expectations way too high,&rdquo; adds psychiatrist Paul Schneider, DO, medical director of the psychiatry emergency center at JPS Health Network in Forth Worth, Texas.

Don&rsquo;t set yourself up for disappointment. Instead, focus on the quality of time you get to spend with others, whether that&rsquo;s in person or remotely, and enjoy the moments for what they are.

Admit when you&rsquo;re feeling overwhelmed 
This time of year, it&#39;s easy to overcommit, over-shop, and overdo&nbsp;pretty much everything.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t try to take on too much,&rdquo; Dr. Gaines cautions. Reach out to your loved ones for help, he suggests. If you&#39;re planning a holiday party, ask others to bring a dish or to help with cleanup. &quot;This can help you take some of that burden off yourself,&quot; Gaines says.

Be realistic and accept some stress 
Let&#39;s face it: The holidays will always be somewhat hectic. And that&#39;s okay, says Gaines. &ldquo;Sometimes, the stress can be worth it.&quot;

To help <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/stress-reduction/article/simple-ways-cope-stress" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">manage the stress</a>, try making to-do lists, suggests Dr. Schneider. &ldquo;It gives you a sense of accomplishment to complete a task and cross it off,&quot; he says.

Acknowledge your feelings, even the negative ones 
It&rsquo;s not just regular day-to-day stress that can get in the way of a happy holiday. Dealing with the loss of a loved one can also make this a more difficult time of year, particularly if you&rsquo;ve <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/coronavirus/article/grieve-support-others-coronavirus" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">lost friends or family to COVID-19</a>.

You may be remembering moments spent together&mdash;birthdays, graduations, or past holidays&mdash;and that can be hard, says Gaines. Instead of shutting down, he says, try talking about it.

Share your feelings and memories with someone you trust, maybe even while looking at old family photos. This can help you reflect on more positive times and cherish them.

In this way, says Gaines, &quot;the holidays can actually be a remedy for sadness.&rdquo;

Life and Family