The exercise of fluffing the field expands one’s energy field and enhances the chakras as well. Fluffing can be done any time you feel your energy or mood is down and needs a boost. You can do it to relax and to provide yourself with a sense of peace. Fluffing is simple to do and can be repeated as often as you like. Most people have a sense of what it means to fluff; I would describe it as allowing something to grow or expand, like a puff pastry—expanding inside and continuing to expand outward, until the layers becoming “fluffy.” Yes, it is that simple—just fluff using your imagination.

Each of us has an energy field, or aura, about us. We feel good when our energy field is expanded; if it is pulled in or diminished, we may feel poorly or without much energy. Our aura experiences energy in different ways throughout the day. If we walk into an office whose energy is not compatible with ours, we might feel uncomfortable and not want to stay. Perhaps you have heard the expression “I need to keep that person at arms length.” Well, that is about how far out your field is on an ordinary day, and you do not want that person in your space. There are also times when we meet someone and are totally comfortable with the person right away. That’s right; your energy is compatible with his or her energy!

There are 7 layers of the field. Each layer has a color or colors that are associated with an aspect of your being. I will give you this information, but do not be concerned with remembering all of the details. In fact, once you have read the information and want to fluff your field, you will only need to remember to call each layer by its number, i.e., “I am fluffing the first layer of my field.” Then sense how that layer is expanding all about you: front and back, above your head, and below your feet. At the same time imagine it fluffing out and about you. Then go on to the second layer. The second layer will start inside the first and grow and expand beyond it, while still being in touch. The borders of each layer of the field are soft, which allows them to interconnect. It is really that easy.

Make yourself comfortable and plan to have uninterrupted quiet time for about 15 minutes.

Remember to start with Centering and Grounding and bring the energy up to your heart. Set your intent to fluff your field and just allow it to be.

The first layer of the field is blue—it is the physical, or etheric, layer. Gently fluff it out a few inches beyond your physical body in blue. Slowly let it expand and surround you—above, below, front, and back. Offer extra attention to those areas that feel depleted or hesitant to fluff out. Feel yourself being held in your physical double.

The second layer of the field is your emotions—focus on a soft cloud- like energy of pastel colors. Allow this energy to gently fluff through the etheric layer and beyond, expanding and surrounding it. Be gentle with any areas that are slow to fluff out, and add caring and compassion to your fluffing. Feel yourself held lovingly in your emotional layer.

The third layer is the mental layer. Allow the fine yellow lines of the mental layer to fluff through the physical and emotional layers and beyond, surrounding you and embracing you. Give special attention to those places that may be slow to expand. Look about you and see yourself being held with knowingness.

The fourth layer of the field is the astral layer. As it becomes present, fluff it gently through the physical, emotional, and mental layers and beyond. Fluff it out in deeper pastel colors than the second layer. Feel being surrounded in joy, with compassion, and held in unconditional love.

The fifth layer is the etheric template, the duplicate of your first field. It is a blue gridwork that restructures the first, or etheric, layer. Feel your body repairing and healing from within.

The sixth is the celestial layer and expands from the center of your body like a star of rainbow colors. Feel yourself connecting to your emotions on a spiritual level.

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 Fox 31 – KDVR – August 4, 2010
Dr. Mark Sobor explains how to avoid pain from texting.
Link: http://www.kdvr.com/health/family/sns-health-avoid-texting-aches-pains,0,4713335.story

Is your glass half-full or half-empty? Do you see the positive side of life or the negative side to everything? I have a colleague who wisely states that each day that we wake up on this side of the earth is a good day – and it is time to start releasing your negativity and appreciate each day for what it is!


My mom was the most negative person I ever knew. She was happy when she made other people unhappy. Do you know anyone like that? I hope not.


My mantra in life is to surround myself with people who come with batteries – not those who need them. In doing so, I think positive thoughts, release negativity as needed, and I feel better in the process.


So, what are some methods that we might use to release negativity?


• A visual board (cut and paste photos of the positive things in your life and review it daily; add those things that you wish to accomplish and reflect on your accomplishments as they occur).

• Positive expectations (see the winning trophy before you, and chances are that it is within your reach).

• Let a higher power help you (pray).

• Emotional release (we store memories in our bodies, and we need to release those energy stores periodically).

• Close your eyes in a quiet location.

• Select the negative energy you wish to release; concentrate and feel it pass through your body.

• Repeat the process with each issue or emotion as follows: Imagine that it fills up your body, then imagine blowing all that emotion into a balloon. Breathe the emotion out of your body, out of your mind. You may notice as you blow the emotion into the balloon, that it changes colors. It may turn brown or black with the energy of that negative emotion. When the balloon is full, imagine tying it off, and let it float up into the sky. Continue filling the balloons, tying them off and letting them float up until you feel complete release.

• Let yourself feel peaceful.


Feeling better is a process! Being a positive human being is a process! These are processes that you can achieve and appreciate. Let those glasses be half-full; raise them high and celebrate the release of your negative feelings. Celebrate the positives in your life!

http://www.bodymindhypnosis.com.

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July 30, 2009 — Americans spend almost a third as much money out-of pocket on herbal supplements and other alternative medicines as they do on prescription drugs, a new government report shows.


Out-of-pocket spending on herbal supplements, chiropractic visits, meditation, and other forms of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) was estimated at $34 billion in a single year.


The estimate was based on responses to a national health survey conducted in 2007 by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).


“The bottom line is that Americans spend a lot of money on CAM products, classes, materials and practitioner visits,” National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Director Josephine P. Briggs, MD, said in a media briefing today. “We estimate that this (represents) approximately 11% of the total out-of-pocket spending on health care.”


Although we should obtain most of our nutrients from food, we know that with the quality of our environment, the earth in which food is grown, and more – it is indeed difficult to get all that we need from food alone. Thus, we turn to supplements!


So, what do we need to know?


• Avoid high doses of vitamin E supplements, which have not proven effective in helping to reduce heart disease, as some had thought.

• Smokers who take high doses of beta carotene supplements also can have adverse effects.

• Antioxidant cocktails can interfere with cholesterol-lowering drugs.

• Choose quality supplements; those manufactured to Canadian labeling standards are of a higher quality.

• More does not necessarily mean better.

• Dietary supplements are not required to be standardized in the United States

• Like drugs, dietary supplements have chemical and biological activity. They may have side effects. They may interact with certain medications. These interactions can cause problems and can even be dangerous.

• A supplement supplements the diet; it does not replace it.

• Seek the advice of a qualified expert.

Core Wellness International offers a service that compares and contrasts your supplements with your prescription drugs to identify potential areas of cross-over and enhancement. Visit www.corelimited.com

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/dietarysupplements.asp

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Peanut allergies are scary. Peanuts can be a hidden food ingredients. Other foods that are not “supposed” to contain peanuts can be contaminated by invisible peanut particles found on processing machinery. Some food (such as chili) may have peanut butter as a secret ingredient in the recipe.

And for many children and adults, taking in even the tiniest amount of peanuts causes an allergic response called anaphylaxis, which can be almost immediately fatal. So it is understandable that researchers would be looking to prevent the whole process.

The July 2010 issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has reported a study done at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital and New York’s Mt. Sinai hospital attempting to do just that. They started with extremely small amounts of peanuts, and gradually increased the amount, hoping to “train” the immune system not to react.

One of the principal investigators, Dr. Wayne Shreffler said that it’s “not ready for prime time.” There were many problems:

• The children had to be hospitalized for a week at the beginning of the study

• Only 14 out of 23 made it to the end of the study. Four dropped out because of severe allergic reactions.

• Only 12 of the 14 who completed the study could tolerate an amount of peanut particles equaling one peanut. That’s just over 50% of the 23 original participants.

• The doctors still don’t know if the tolerance will last more than two weeks
.
• Avoidance of peanuts and products processed in facilities which also process peanuts, and carrying an Epipen are still the only recommended ways to protect against peanut reactions.

For more on this study, check out this link link.reuters.com/nyx36m or the original study in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, July 2010

No one knows exactly what causes peanut allergies, and why allergic reactions are increasing, especially in the last 10 years. Here are some thoughts about the possibilities-peanuts are grown and stored differently, possibly increasing the amount of a very toxic mold that can easily infect peanuts—aflatoxin molds. More molds could easily mean more intense allergic responses.

Also peanuts are generally eaten as peanut butter. For many years, this has meant brands of peanut butter that contain processed corn products, such as high fructose corn syrup. Exposure to peanuts in the presence of high fructose corn syrup could increase the allergenic potency of the peanuts, and the person’s reaction to all peanut products.

The bottom line is this: The current way of dealing with peanut allergies—avoiding peanuts and carrying an Epipen—is still considered the best method for now. If you have a child who is allergic to peanuts:

• Avoid, at all costs, any allergist currently offering desensitization to peanuts as an office-based therapy.

• Be sure to teach any allergic child how to say no to people who offer them food.

• Be sure you, the child’s other caregivers, and the child him or herself as they get older, have an Epipen on hand at all times.

• Remember, there is currently an 80% chance that your child will have the peanut allergy for life, so be sure they learn how to master the coping strategies for themselves as they get older.


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There is no “magic pill” for your brain. It is part of a whole ecosystem that includes your body and all your surroundings—including, unfortunately, the artificial flavors, dyes and additives in your favorite junk food, and the chemicals in the hair spray you just inhaled. Your brain has only 2% of the body’s weight, yet consumes 20% of the body’s glucose. How to feed and care for it?

Avoid chemicals as much as possible!
The more your house and office are “clean and green” the better your brain will work. Watch out for house rehab paint strippers, paints, varnishes, and the fumes from new carpets and furniture. Avoid using plug-in or spray deodorizers. Use natural citrus sprays instead. Lime Mate Mist is a good one. Use body products that have natural ingredients instead of chemicals—a lifetime of breathing hairspray can really lower those IQ points. Get organic foods whenever you can, or if they are not available wash all foods with a good fruit and vegetable wash. And learn the “dirty dozen”—the list of fruits and vegetables that, if not organic, are likely to have the highest pesticide content.

Drink water!!
(“Energy Drinks” and “Sports Drinks” with all their sugar and dyes don’t count here, people.) Dehydration actually causes brain damage. Drink at least 8-10 glasses a day.

Take fish oil.
This is really important. Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to lower intellectual performance and is linked with dementia. Fish oil’s “active ingredients” are the essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA. 30% of the content of your brain is these very fatty acids! No fatty acids, no brain. And it’s really tough to eat enough fish to get the right amount of fatty acids, so take a good supplement. Do your best to get at least 600 milligrams of combined DHA/EPA per day.


Eat fresh fruits and vegetables!
The best ones, according to the US Dep’t of Agriculture, have the highest antioxidant value: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, raspberries, brussel sprouts, plums, broccoli, beets, avocados, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, cherries, and kiwis. Five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is recommended. (a serving is a half cup.)


Drink Green Tea
Green tea (and to a lesser extent, black tea) slows the build-up of plaque in brains from amyloid deposits, and also prevents strokes. Drinking tea also helps mental alertness.


Eat Eggs
Eggs are rich in choline, a fat-like B vitamin. Studies have shown that it increases memory and chases away fatigue.


Get Exercise
Greater blood circulation means more oxygen to the brain, and more production of mood-enhancing endorphins.


Meditate
Meditation changes brain frequency and function. The frequencies of deep meditation allow a “brain rest” you cannot get anywhere else. Meditation also enhances connection and symmetry between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.


Try the three top supplements: Alpha-lipoic acid, Acetyl-l-carnitine and Phosphatidyl Serine.

• Alpha Lipoic acid (aLa). This supplement is a powerful antioxidant, and is both fat and water soluble. It can actually get into the brain easily, and can pass through to all areas of the cells to “mop up” free radicals and stop their damage. A former NIH researcher, Dr. Bruce Ames did “rat maze” studies on Alpha Lipoic Acid and the next supplement in the list, Acetyl-L –Carnitine, and showed that the combination of these two caused aging rats who had been confused in the mazes prior to taking the supplements, to make dramatic changes within a month—to be able to perform in the mazes like young rats.

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine. This is the other half of the “A-team for the brain.” It is a primary contributor to the production of the neurotransmitter “acetylcholine,” which is required for mental function. Double-blind clinical trials suggest acteyl-L-carnitine helps the performance of people with Alzheimer’s, and delays the progression of the disease.

• Phosphatidyl Serine. This supplement actually stimulates cells brain cells to make new dendrites and axons. People who take it remember more names, faces, phone numbers, and written information.

That’s it—the whole brain makeover. Happy thinking!

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Meditation is often credited with helping people feel more focused and energetic but are the benefits measurable? Yes – they are! Meditation involves more than naps or exercise.


At the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Dr. Prashant Kaul of the University of Kentucky took 12 students who did not meditate and taught them the basics in two short sessions.

Then, over a series of weeks, the students were asked to come in and take a test devised to measure skills like reaction time. The tests involved a series of visual cues on a display screen that the volunteers had to react to by pushing the correct button. The students were asked to take the tests in mid to late afternoon, when people tend to be the sleepiest. They did so before and after 40 minutes of meditating, napping or exercising, or after taking caffeine. Napping produced poor results, presumably because of “sleep inertia,” the researchers said. Caffeine helped, and exercise was unpredictable.

Earlier studies have found that people are awake while meditating but that their brains undergo changes similar to patterns found in sleep. Some studies have found that people who meditate a lot report sleeping less, so the researchers were curious to see if meditation could serve the same function as sleep. The results support the idea that it can. In fact, when some of the students were asked to skip a night’s sleep and then take the test, the researchers said, meditation was even more helpful. They said they did not know if caffeine and meditation combined would be even better.

Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention and mind on something that makes you feel calm and relaxed and gives you clarity about your life. The medical community is becoming much more accepting of meditation as a legitimate treatment for many different medical problems, such as anxiety, stress and depression. It’s being used to treat all kinds of chronic pain. People are using meditation to try to quit smoking. It’s also being used for alcohol and drug addiction; and the National Institutes of Health is even recommending meditation for high blood pressure. Studies have show also that it can help women who suffer from PMS, menopausal hot flashes and even infertility.

Meditation beats medication – and these points are important reminders:

• Meditation can be a form of medication
• Meditation helps your enter a relaxation state that can lower your heart rate, your blood pressure, slow down your breathing and relax your muscles
• Meditation can be a “reset button” for your body
• Meditation is something that most people can safely try on their own
• Take time each day to meditate and connect with the silence within yourself
• Prayer and meditation is a way to be at peace
• Developing a deeper sense of peace and direction will give you a clearer sense of purpose at work and at home

Exercise is a form of meditation

• Chinese medicine practitioners often recommend medical Qi Gong, a form of Chinese healing exercises
• Qi Gong focuses on breathing and movement of Qi to increase physical harmony and strength and establish spiritual/emotional peace
• Exercise helps you to refocus and regroup

Getting started:
1. Sit or lie in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
2. Simply focus on your breathing, focusing all your attention on sensation of air moving in and out of your body.
3. The other thing you can do is repeat a single word or phrase either silently or by whispering.
4. Do this for about 20 minutes every day if you can

As you begin, your mind may wander, but don’t despair, simply refocus your mind and try again.

http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=about_sfn
http://www.docmisha.com/understanding/exercise-meditation.htm

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We spend a lot of time and effort exercising our bodies in order to keep fit & healthy. What about exercising our minds? In today’s day and age of increased stimulation, high technology, high demand our minds are being inundated with “work” and has to go non stop! We live in a society where there the mind is working on tasking, processing, worrying, fearing, etc that we’ve “exercised” it to automatically run on these thoughts. Just like many things in our body, the more we do something over and over, the more it becomes automatic—this rewiring is called neuroplasticity. So, what if we can use this same ability to rewire the mind to be able to relax again through meditation. Meditation is a practice of quieting the mind which allows our bodies to focus on healing, rejuvenation & peace. There are many ways of meditating the key is to keep it simple and keep practicing!

Some Benefits of Meditation:

• Increase blood flow to heart & vital organs
• Helps to regulate and optimize blood pressure
• Decreases Mental stress/strain such as anxiety, fear, worry, feelings of inadequacy
• Enhances Immune system function especially the “natural killer cells”
• Enhances connection with inner Spirit, intuition, feeling of well-being
• Increases deeper more restorative sleep

Simple Meditation to start

• When you begin choose a peace place to practice meditation
• Sit comfortably in chair or on floor—do not lay on your back or you may fall asleep
• Gently close eyes and gaze down
• Gently tuck chin inward slightly
• Inhale slowly through the nose and into the abdomen; think about expanding with life being grateful for life in this moment
• Pause
• Exhale through nose or mouth; think about letting go of any stress, tension, tightness, thought with each exhale.
• Repeat; start with 5-10 minutes then work your way up
• The most important part is to create a habit and to practice!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200105/the-science-meditation
http://ezinearticles.com/?Overcoming-Depression-Through-Neuroplasticity&id=3836518
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/meditation/objectives.html
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-6-2006-98395.asp

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This week, I have had so many people ask me about a recent study on calcium supplements. The claim of the study is that taking calcium supplements causes a 30% increase in heart attacks. There are some serious problems with the study, a meta-analysis by Professor Ian Reid from the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland, and published in the British Medical Journal.


A prominent researcher on calcium metabolism (who drafted the WHO recommendations on dietary calcium) Professor Chris Nordin, of Royal Adelaide Hospital, has already questioned the findings. He says that the review is misleading because it does not separate men from women in the findings. According to him “Men are much more liable to heart attacks than women, but women need calcium far more than men, so it is absurd to publish a study of the effect of calcium on the heart without separating men from women.”


My own objections to the study are as follows:

• There are a lot of hazards in the kind of statistical number crunching involved in a meta-analysis. Worst case scenario is, you do a meta-analysis of 11 studies, all of which are flawed in their methods or have doubtful data or conclusions, and what do you get? A larger conclusion based on 11 questionable sets of data. So how accurate were the original 11 studies? We have no idea.

• We do know that in the studies, the calcium was treated as an “independent variable” so magnesium and Vitamin D were not given. Magnesium is needed to balance calcium intake. Vitamin D is needed for proper calcium metabolism. So doing studies that do not provide the other vitamins and minerals needed, could have some very poor results. Maybe calcium supplements, specifically when given without magnesium and Vitamin D do cause additional calcium deposits in the arteries, and therefore more heart attacks. But right now we don’t know, and the meta-analysis is not sufficient evidence to tell us.
So, what to do? Bottom line—there are many long term studies showing that calcium supplementation is safe. Here are my recommendations.


• Calcium-magnesium-Vitamin D supplementation is especially important for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.The current recommendation for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women is from 1000 to 1500 mg of calcium per day. Given that most people do get some calcium in their diet, 500 mg of calcium with 250 mg magnesium and 400 IU of Vitamin D (taken all together) is probably enough supplementation, unless the person is allergic to dairy.

• Vitamin D is very important to bone health. There are many people walking around with Vitamin D deficiency in the United States—not enough sun exposure, and not enough Vitamin D in their diets. In addition to osteoporosis, Vitamin D deficiency also is a factor in Alzheimer’s disease. So get your Vitamin D level taken, and if it is low, you may need to take more like 2000 IU or more per day until your level gets up to normal. Take the Vitamin D orally, do not accept high dose injections—they have been associated with atypical bone fractures.

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What do you really know about your statin medication? With over 13 million prescriptions written per month statins are the most prescribed drug in the U.S. Physicians write the prescriptions under the blanket statement that whatever downside a statin has it is not as bad as a heart attack. Is that really true? Do statins actually prevent the disease they are prescribed for? To answer this question we have to understand the history and research into statin medications. In 1970 Lovastatin was isolated from the poison of red rice yeast. The poison is used as deterrent to predators of the red rice yeast. In humans statins block the production of an enzyme that produces cholesterol in the liver. This same enzyme is crucial in the production of Coenzyme Q10 a potent heart antioxidant. CoQ10 is necessary for the production of energy in our muscle tissue especially the heart. Over time CoQ10 depletion leads to weakened heart strength and congestive heart failure. The medicine you are taking to save your heart is actually causing weakness and failure of your heart.


In order for the pharmaceutical companies to sell 13 million prescriptions per month they needed to point the finger at cholesterol as the cause of heart disease since they could suppress cholesterol with statin medications. Is cholesterol the problem? The majority of your cholesterol number is the result of the cholesterol your liver has produced. That is why low cholesterol diets do almost nothing to lower your cholesterol number. The chief function of cholesterol is not to clog up your arteries. It is the primary component of your cell membranes, and it is crucial to repair damage to your cells. So how do cells get damaged? The easiest way to understand this process is to look at a cut to your skin. When the skin is cut inflammation takes over. This process will immediately mobilize cells and chemicals which will cause the blood to thicken and clot, other cells will multiply to speed healing. When the process is complete scar tissue is left behind. More and more research is pointing to the fact that cardiovascular disease is an inflammatory disease. So the inflammation within the arteries is causing the blood to flow slower so it can thicken and clot, and cells are multiplying to ensure that scar tissue lies down. The only problem is that scar tissue in the arteries is called plaque. It is a lesion that has a high concentration of calcium in it causing the artery to lose its flexibility and develop an aneurysm and eventually rupture as a stroke or torn aorta. Cholesterol fits into this process because the chemicals that are produced in response to inflammation are sending signals to the liver to produce more cholesterol so the body can repair the tissues that are being injured due to the inflammatory process. Talk about shooting the messenger!


Whether you are taking a statin or not, controlling the inflammatory process is the key to controlling your risk of cardiovascular disease. We don’t have to stop there. Joint pain, cancer, intestinal disorders, skin irritations, dry eyes, even depression and mood swings are the result of inflammation. Controlling the inflammatory process is the single most important step in regaining or maintaining health. If you or anyone you know is taking a statin medication or if inflammation is causing stress in your life then you need to know about Total Omega-3+.


Total Omega-3+ is an antioxidant infused fish oil that covers all aspects of inflammation in just 2 capsules a day. We start with our pharmaceutical grade ultra-pure fish oil. The only fish oil that is molecularly distilled 3 times to ensure purity, potency, and freshness. We combine bioidentical CoQ10 to ensure that all muscle tissue can produce healthy energy levels. Additionally we have added a high dose of vitamin K2-7. K2-7 or menaquinone has consistently demonstrated the ability to remove calcium from the arterial system (where it does not belong) and transport it to the ground matrix of the bones (where it belongs) in multiple large scale studies. It is crucial for optimal circulatory health. We add a healthy dose of Vitamin D3 for more cardiovascular and bone protection, and we finish with Tocomin SupraBio a patented vitamin E complex that research shows is imperative for keeping blood thin and maintaining normal arterial flexibility.


For those of you on statin medications you should take Total Omega-3+ every day to replenish the CoQ10 that is being robbed from your heart. This will keep your heart healthy while you work to control the inflammatory process that has your liver producing too much cholesterol at this time.

The rest of us should look to add Total Omega-3+ to our routine as a way of combating inflammation at its source to keep us healthy and strong.

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August and September is generally the time when many of my clients ask me how they can use the remaining months of the year to bulk up their savings as much as possible. While four plus months seems like a small amount of time to save a vast amount of money, saving money is within your control. Don’t stress about saving thousands and thousands of dollars. Every little bit counts. Start saving today with these tips:

- Make sure a sale is a sale. With back-to-school shopping season in full swing, many retailers will be promoting and advertising sales. Make sure you do your price research before you go to the store. Make sure the sale really is a sale and not a creative marketing strategy of the store to encourage you to spend your money without thinking. “Buy one get one free” and “50% off”, will only help you save money if the actual price you pay is lower than you would pay somewhere else for exactly the same product. And set your budget and shopping list before leaving for the store so you buy only what you need and spend within your means.

- Use less. We live in a society where consumption and waste is a huge problem. Consider using less shampoo when you wash your hair, turning your air conditioning up or cooking in bulk and freezing the left-over’s rather than throwing them out. Turn off lights, the TV and the computer when not in use. If possible, consider walking or biking to the store or to work rather than using more gas. Each of these efforts will help you save on your utility bills and put that extra money into savings.

- Plan Tax Savings Now. If you don’t itemize your taxes, consider it and start thinking about ways you can save on your 2010 tax bill now. Wait until April and it could be too late to take advantage of tax-saving maneuvers. Make a donation to your favorite charity. Donations made to qualified charities before year’s end can result in some serious tax savings and will make you feel good too. Check with your company to see if they offer a flexible spending account (FSA) and when you can enroll. Under a flexible account program, funds are taken from your paycheck on a pretax basis, which reduces your taxable income, and are refunded to you when you submit the appropriate claim forms to your benefits department.

Julie Murphy Casserly, CLU, ChFC, CFP® is a 15-year veteran of the financial services industry, founder of JMC Wealth Management in Chicago and author of the award-winning book, “The Emotion Behind Money.” Julie helps people understand how their emotional attitudes and behaviors affect how they
earn, spend and save. For more information, please visit http://www.juliemurphycasserly.com.

^*The tips above may not be suitable for all people, and JMC Wealth Management advises clients on their investment strategies on an individual basis.