Healthy, Wealthy And Wise! Magnesium, Money Tips And Mentors!

Healthy, Wealthy And Wise!  Magnesium, Money Tips And Mentors!

This month’s “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” post includes an easy way to boost vitality, some money tips I wish I would have taken to heart more when I was a young adult and first starting out in the “real” world, and how learning to better appreciate wise counsel shared by key people in our lives can ultimately help us tap into our true potential and give us a keener sense of purpose in life!

I feel like I have always tried to enjoy every opportunity to learn and grow, but as I get older, I can honestly say that I am more fully aware of the fact that each day, as mundane as they may seem, really is a wonderful occasion to celebrate life!

“There is no such thing in life as an unimportant day…so celebrate them well!”  Alexander Woollcott

No doubt about it, there is definitely an abundance of information available out there on the importance of vitamin and supplement use that appear helpful in adding longevity to our lives!

Dr. David Angus explains in his book– “A Short Guide to a Long Life” that the body is a genius at creating its own free radicals that help sustain life in a more natural state of well-being:  “……if you block the body’s mechanism by taking copious amounts of vitamins, you block nature’s physiological process.”   

That being said, we are all aware that it’s hard to get the necessary nutrients by dietary consumption alone.  My personal physician recently informed me of the benefits of adding 400mg/day of Magnesium to my regular multivitamin.

According to an article posted by WebMD…

1. Research shows that Magnesium can enhance memory by boosting nerve signal pathways in the brain; this ability also aids other neurological related symptoms such as migraines, insomnia and depression.

2. Calcium when taken with Magnesium is best absorbed and leads to improved bone density, which will help prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

3. One of the most important benefits of taking Magnesium is linked to lowering the risk of coronary heart disease and strokes by its ability to stabilize the heart’s normal sinus rhythm.

4. Magnesium aids in the metabolism of the carbohydrates we eat and influences the release of insulin, thus, controlling blood sugar levels.

 If I’m perfectly honest, I would still like to figure out a way to make chocolate my main source of vitamins and nutrients!

At this time of year, there are a number of young kids who are graduating and heading out to try their hand at chasing their dreams in the “real” world, so to speak.  In this day and age, I feel being armed with a common sense approach to our money habits is so important to the development of a healthy financial lifestyle.

I certainly wish I’d known better some of the key points outlined in this article by three money editors of the New York Times when I was younger and earning my first paychecks.

$ Keep track of how you spend your money.  When I was younger, my parents had me write down my earnings and expenses in a bank check register.  Although I wasn’t as diligent at recording my financial activity as my dad and mom might have liked, over the years I have come to realize that by keeping a record of where my hard-earned money goes, I save more; I’m also a lot less likely to be frivolous with expenses, and at the very least, I give thoughtful consideration to my budget.  (The fact that my husband is a financial planner plays in my favor as well! Ha!!)

$ Start saving/investing early.  I benefitted from my folk’s belief in this concept, especially when it came to them offsetting some of the expenses that add up quickly when you head off to college.  My parents set up savings accounts for each of their children shortly after we were born, then trusted us to manage it wisely for use in furthering our education and when we got married.  Nowadays, there are several smart savings options with big returns for an investment of as little as $100/month, like a Roth IRA or a workplace 401K, where many employers match  a certain percentage of your contributions.  My husband refers to this as “free” money!  Go figure!

$ Having fun doesn’t need to be expensive.   As parents, if we can teach our children that fun doesn’t necessarily need to have a big price tag on it, then their financial path will be that much more secure!  As stated in the New York Times article mentioned above, it’s important to keep in mind all the fun times you have had without spending a lot of money.  Budgeting as a family for special activities and/or travel while keeping your spending in check, also teaches our children that we can enjoy a variety of activities as a family while not investing too heavily in material possessions that are beyond our means.  I think that the feeling of being overly burdened with big budget costs might even prove to take away from the fun of being together with loved ones!   

Much like my husband, I am a firm believer that how much money someone has isn’t always the best measure of their true wealth!

“Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it!”  Albert Einstein

My husband and I went on vacation to Hawaii last week, which obviously gave me some glorious beach time to relax and read a good book.  A week before leaving on our trip, I bought the book, “Resilience“ by Eric Greitens, a former Navy Seal,  (I know, not your usual tropical paradise light reading…?) because the preface of the title caught my attention….. “Hard-Won Wisdom For Living A Better Life: Resilience”!

This book is a compilation of the letters and wisdom written and shared by the author to another former Navy Seal and comrade who was struggling upon his return home to find his place in “normal” life.  Not only does Mr. Greitens offer practical advice on how to confront pain, build purpose in life, and ultimately create lasting happiness, but more importantly, because he has been involved in charity work for children in many countries like Rwanda, India and Cambodia, he is very qualified to offer insights to the immense value of having special loved ones and caring mentors who invest in our lives and “show up” when we are facing crisis and help us become better people even when going through hard times.

A quote on the book jacket states that, “Resilience is an inspiring meditation for the warrior in each of us!”  I found the words of wisdom shared in this book to be most inspiriing!

“To realize the potential of the present, we need to heed the wisdom of the past.  When we see our struggles in the stories of those who have gone before us, we feel less alone.  We begin to see that there are tremendous sources of wisdom all around us!” 

from “RESILIENCE” by Eric Greitens

My sincere hope is that we can all draw on the best parts of who we are and always show compassion to those in need on any given day! 

I would feel honored to have you share any words of wisdom you have learned from a great mentor in your life.

–Mary