An Apple a day keeps the doctor away

We've all heard the old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." It's not just an old wives tale.


In a recent study, 6 people were placed on a diet low in antioxidants for 2 days, then followed with 600 grams of red-delicious, unpeeled apples. Their blood was taken at 0, 3, 6 and 24 hours after eating the apples. The researchers exposed their white blood cells to a significant oxidant stress in a test tube, and found that the apple consumption protected the cells. As the 24 hours passed, the protection decreased, so an apple each day is indeed needed.

Preventing damage to your white blood cells from oxidation helps prevent all kinds of illnesses. It's important to eat the peel as well, and if at all possible eat organic apples to avoid chemical sprays.

Home rebuilding costs versus new home construction

Today we continue discussing the need for adequate replacement cost on your homeowners insurance policy.  As mentioned previously, it can be more expensive to rebuild your home after a disaster than new home construction.  Here are some reasons why:

• First of all, your damaged home's structure may need to be demolished, and debri hauled away and disposed of.
• It can be harder to access the site with large equipment with neighboring homes close by, requiring hand labor which is much more expensive.
• If the upper structure is damaged, but the lower remains, reconstruction must begin at the top and move down which will take longer and be more expensive than traditional construction methods.
• New construction cost estimates tend to be based on contractors building several structures at one time which gains them a significant discount for materials and skilled labor.  These discounts wouldn't be available for a single rebuilding project.
• Because of the unexpected increase in demand after a natural disaster, building costs for materials and labor tend to be higher.
• The cost of temporarily storing your remaining property and belongings may be necessary to safeguard them from further damage from the elements or vandalism.

Is your homeowners insurance adequate?

The main reason people purchase homeowners insurance is to protect their family residence in case of a disaster, yet research has shown that a large portion of homeowners in the U.S. don't have the proper amount of coverage to rebuild if their home was destroyed. Some causes for this are increased property values, improvements not reported to their agent, increased cost of construction and in-home businesses.

Many people think they have sufficient coverage if their home is insured for it's market value or the cost to construct it new, but it can cost much more to rebuild a home than new home construction. For that reason, it's important that your homeowners replacement cost listed in your policy be adequate to cover the costs of rebuilding your home in case of a loss.

Some things to consider when deciding if your home's insurance replacement value is adequate to rebuild your home are:

• make sure you've notified your agent of any additions or remodeling projects you've done
• make sure a replacement cost calculation has been done by your agent
• know what building costs are in your area for a new home, comparable in size and quality to your present home
• make sure your coverage provides protection for any upgraded home features you have such as hardwood floors, plaster walls, high-end woodwork or tile that would be expensive to replace
• be aware of any significant building code changes in your area since your home was built

Next week, we'll cover why it can be more expensive to rebuild a home compared to the cost of new construction.

Healthier eating tip

Here's a simple tip for grocery shopping. When you're at the grocery store, shop only from the outer edge of the store whenever possible. The outer ring of just about every grocery store contains fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, butter, yogurt, cheese products, meat, fish and eggs. Your diet will consist of only fresh, natural products, and you'll be avoiding the temptation to purchase the refined, processed foods and products found in the center aisles of the store.

You may see pastries, ice cream and soda pop on the outside aisle, but these should be avoided. Another exception to the rule is that some needed items such as olive oil, dried herbs, and personal care products will be on the inside aisles, but you get the idea - avoid processed foods as they contain preservatives, trans fats and sugar among other less than desirable ingredients.

Just stick to the outside aisle while shopping, and you'll feel better and shed some of those extra pounds.

Do you need washing?

A little girl had been shopping with her mom in Target. She must have been six years old, this beautiful red haired freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside, the kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there, under the awning, just inside the door. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.

"What?" Mom asked.
"Let's run through the rain!" she repeated.
"No honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit."

This young child waited a minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her mom's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, "If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one left. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just need washing."

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They got soaked. They were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I ran, I got wet... I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories. So don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I hope you still take the time to run through the rain....

(courtesy of Bubba and Bonnie Mehling)