Happy Money

The book, Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, summarizes current research on how you spend money changes how happy and satisfied you are in life and affects your health and well being.

This is a wonderful book that explains how you can increase your happiness by spending on experiences with the people you value rather than spending on prestige belongings that many people think will make them happy.

According to the book, research shows that spending money on leisure activities like trips, movies, sporting events, gym memberships and the like leads to more happiness than buying expensive consumer and prestige items. Experiences tend to be appreciated more as time goes by whereas things tend to be less appreciated as time goes on as better things than they bought emerge. Experiences tend to make us feel more connected to other people which improves life satisfaction. When couples do exciting and novel things together, their relationships improve. Anything we do to make the time with our friends or partners special is money well spent. Experiences make memorable stories for retelling for years to come and give us a sense of who we are or who we want to be. Experiences can’t be compared  to things purchased. Experiences that remind of us of the past and give us nostalgia, like going to a museum, watching an old movie, or hearing a favorite song, can bolster our vitality and reduce stress.

Research indicates people earning over $75,000 a year do not have an increase in happiness. High income individuals spend more time doing high stress activities like working, commuting, and shopping than those who make less. High income individuals view their time as highly valuable which makes them feel like they have less time. In contrast, buying time, called time affluence, increases happiness. You can gain time affluence by moving closer to work to reduce your commute, working in a job that requires less hours, or hiring people to do your yard work or cleaning.

Research shows that having expensive things does not bring happiness, health, or well-being. The University of Michigan found that those with cheaper cars had the same satisfaction driving them as people with expensive cars. Surprisingly, homeowners are not happier than renters, and are on average are 12 lbs heavier than renters. Those who simplify their lives by reducing their wardrobe, moving into a smaller abode, changing their consumption patterns, and reducing their stuff are happier. The enemy of appreciation is abundance; if we make everything we do special it will increase appreciation and happiness.

I highly recommend this book for people wanting more happiness, time, and life satisfaction. Five Stars. 

How your Bank Balance buys you Happiness

I recently read an interesting study, How your bank balance buys happiness: The importance of "cash on hand" to life satisfaction, by Ruberton, Gladstone, and Lyubomirsky from the University of California, Riverside and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. The study claims having more cash in your checking and saving accounts leads to increased life satisfaction.

This is the first study on money to use actual banking records from the participants to assess how their “liquid wealth” affected their life satisfaction. Previous studies only used self reported estimates of bank account information. In addition to the previous year of bank records, the participants took a Life Satisfaction survey and a two question Perceived Financial Well Being survey. Measures for the study also included Income, Total Spending, Total Investments, Indebtedness status, Employment status, and Relationship status. Another key detail was anyone who had greater debt than savings was excluded from the study.

The study’s results confirmed previous studies findings that people with higher debt have lower life satisfaction and people with investments have higher life satisfaction, as do people with an income high enough to have a moderately good quality of life (approximately $75,000). It also confirmed studies showing that life satisfaction is unrelated to income above $75,000 and people with no debts have higher life satisfaction.

The new revelation from the study was that having more cash in savings or checking accounts increased financial well being and life satisfaction more than any other factor, including total debt, income level, or investments. The study found that with each increase in cash by a factor of ten, life satisfaction increases by 3.45%. So an increase in savings from $1 to $1000 increases life satisfaction by about 10.35%. The next 3.45% increase in life satisfaction is at $10,000 in cash. And another 3.45% increase is at $100,000. The next 3.45% increase in life satisfaction requires a million dollars.

Even people with very large investments (over ten million dollars) who had small amounts of liquidity in their bank accounts had significantly lower levels of financial well being and life satisfaction than those with vastly lower investments yet more liquid wealth in cash.

What is unclear about this new finding is if it is the result of the 2008 financial collapse, since investments may not provide the same feeling of financial well being as before. Or is this something that has been true for a long time and not previously found due to self reporting biases, since actual bank statements were not used in the past. 


The researchers also raised the alarm about how much the long-term, extremely low interest rates from banks may be costing society in happiness and well being. These low rates punish those who have more cash in savings.  

How to Make Your Money Last in Retirement

I just finished reading Jane Bryant Quinn’s book "How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide”. Ms. Quinn wrote this book last year and is now 78 years old, so her concepts are not theoretical or abstract. She shares clear, concrete, and very detailed information on how to make your retirement money last which made this book useful and enjoyable to read.

 

The most basic thing she recommends to do to make your money last is to earn income as long as you can (as old as possible) and not start taking your social security until you are 70 years old. The social security payout increases 8% a year for every year after age 62.

The second way to make your money last is to control spending. The happy place to be in retirement is where your expenses are equal to or less than your income.

For most retirees, their biggest reduction comes from downsizing the cost of their housing. 

Another major expense for many are high stock trade fees and hidden commissions in mutual funds, annuities, and life insurance products. These high costs and hidden fees can eat away as much as 50% or more of the long term value of a retirement portfolio. The best way to avoid this is to use a discount broker and manage investments yourself.

An area of great savings and great risk is Medicare. You can start taking Medicare at 65 and it may be much cheaper than your employers health coverage plan, however, there are big risks to doing this. If you start Medicare, the government will automatically start your social security payments. You have to have the payments stopped or you could lose your 8% lifetime increase. If you miss a payment to Medicare, they cover it with social security and that could impact your start date. You may not even be notified and only find out about it at age 70 when you file for social security. Not a small risk.

Although I have  considered Annuities and Reverse Mortgages foolish things to do, the author pointed out some circumstances where they can be very profitable. The book does a great job of explaining the difference between an IRA, a 401K and a Roth IRA and the tax implications of each. She describes the rules for taxes and inheritances and what income is and is not taxable.

One thing I found surprising is that you can open a Roth IRA at anytime and put in any amount. The earnings are not taxed and, unlike an IRAs, there is no minimum that must be withdrawn each year or maximum that can be withdrawn each year. Even better, the earnings are not taxed when taken out. It actually seems too good to be true, so I recently bought a book on the details of Roth IRAs to see what the downside might be.

The author recommends that you pay off all credit card debt before retiring; apparently people 50 and older have a lot of credit card debt - far more than younger people. She also thinks it is best to avoid buying rentals as a source of income because they are hard to manage.

The book’s detail and depth makes it a slow read but I found the information so useful that I used a highlighter to mark the critical details and consider it an important reference.


I highly recommend this book, five stars.

The Stock Market Index Revolution

The Index Revolution: Why Investors Should Join It Now by Dr. Charles Ellis explained a lot of the changes that I have witnessed in the stock market over the last 40 years. Dr. Ellis has a great deal of experience managing large pension funds and wealth funds. He explained the reasons why investing by amateurs like me no longer works and why it makes sense to invest in indexes.

In the 1960’s 99% of stock market trades were by amateur investors who traded just a few times a year. Today, less than 1% of stock trades are by amateur investors. Now, over 1.5 million professional traders, mutual funds, pension funds, and automated trading systems make 99% of the world-wide stock trades.

Full time professional and institutional traders take advantage of underpriced stocks by finding them faster than amateur investors. They do it by getting instant and detailed information about companies unavailable to amateurs.  Stock information sources can cost over $20,000 a year, impossibly expensive for an amateur like me managing my IRA and small portfolio of individual stocks.

Over the past 40 years, the trend toward professional and institutional stock trading led to the creation and spectacular growth of professionally managed mutual funds. Although the “famously successful mutual fund managers” paid huge salaries touted that their mutual funds performed better than the overall market, academic researchers found that over the past decade only one or two of their mutual funds out-performed the S&P 500 stock index. And, after the cost of trades and the high management fees, none of the mutual funds out performed the S&P 500 index.

The stock market generally goes up about 8% per year, averaged over 10 years. The expense of trades and staff, which is commonly 4% of the gain, can cut the long term appreciation of an investment portfolio by 50% of even the best performing mutual funds. Most of the mutual funds do not come close to matching the performance of the overall stock market index, but even if they did the net result would be less because of their costs.

These findings published by academia have led to a mass exodus from mutual funds to exchange traded index funds (ETFs).

The author’s career included managing foundation portfolios as well as researching stock fund results at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. His unique experience makes the book an especially enjoyable read. I was so impressed with the data and view he presented that I immediately started moving out of individual stocks into ETFs. It has been about 90 days since I started and I am already very happy with the greater stability of the ETFs; no more disturbing daily volatility of individual stocks.

I highly recommend the book. Five stars. 

IP6 - a non-toxic Treatment for Cancer

I became interested in the nutrient “inositol hexaphosphate”, known as IP6, after finding out that it reduced toxic levels of iron in the blood and organs. Initially, my research on IP6 concerned me as many health websites identify IP6 as an anti-nutrient  since it removes iron, copper, selenium, zinc and other metals from the body. If I had not just read the about the dangers of iron and learned that older adults frequently have toxic levels of iron, I would not have considered taking IP6 as a supplement.

To learn more, I got the book IP6 + Inositol: Nature's Medicine For The Millennium!: Discover How A Cocktail of Simple Molecules Can Prevent And Fight Cancer And Other Diseases by Dr. AbulKalam Shamsuddin.

IP6 is a natural substance found in the bran of grains, cereals, seeds and nuts. Since bran is now removed from most grains, Americans are getting very little IP6 compared to their grandparents. Long term studies have shown lower rates of cancer in individuals who consume lots of foods with high levels of IP6. More recent studies of IP6 consumption have also shown significantly lower cancer rates in countries that consume IP6 rich foods. Unfortunately, IP6 tends to bond with proteins in the grain which reduces how much the body can absorb from foods and makes it difficult to get the amount of IP6 into the bloodstream that was used in studies that cured cancer in mice.  The book recommends IP6 supplements be taken on an empty stomach to get the best benefit and avoid the IP6 bonding with food.

IP6 provides key nutrients to the mitochondria and cell membrane. Since the mitochondria control cellular reproduction rate, cellular death, intercellular communication, and cell differentiation of new cells, it is critical for them to receive nutrients to function properly.  I learned from Tripping Over the Truth that cancers are caused by damage to mitochondria, not damage to the cell nucleus DNA which was believed for decades.  The nutrition from IP6 curtails the mitochondria from initiating increased blood flow to support cancer cells rapid growth, slows cell reproduction rates, and increases cell differentiation. Cancer cells are rapidly reproducing cells that are immortal (no apoptosis) caused by damaged mitochondria.  In late stage cancer, cancer cells replicate so fast that the cells are not differentiated enough to be recognized as a specific type of cell like a breast or liver cell. Undifferentiated cancer cells (known as cancer stem cells) can be transported in the blood stream to other organs in the body where they are not recognized as being foreign by the immune system and can continue to replicate and create a metastasized cancer site.

The book described the many other benefits of IP6 that researchers are discovering:

• reduces excess iron in cells;
• reduces xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that makes uric acid. Uric acid causes gout so reducing xanthine oxidase could offer relief to gout suffers;
• helps people with Type II Diabetes because getting inositol into the cell makes cells more responsive to insulin;
• appears to reduce blood sugar levels in the blood and help repair damage blood vessels from high glucose levels in diabetics;
• helps reduce kidney stones by binding to and removing excess calcium.
• improves the immune system, increases bone density, reduces anxiety attacks, reduces obsessive compulsive behavior, and increases energy by recharging the potassium in  ATP cycle.

IP6 looks like it may be an effective nontoxic treatment for cancer as well as a nutrient to prevent cancer. (The author did mention that he has a patent on IP6.) The book convinced me that there were enough benefits of taking IP6 to risk any side effects of lowering my metal levels. I have been taking it as a supplement for about two weeks and I have noticed that it has improved my energy level and seems to be making my skin look better (something not predicted by this book but mentioned in the Dumping Iron book).

In addition to IP6, the book covers many other topics about cancer. For example, there was a review of what is wrong with the methods used to diagnosis and treat bowel cancer. The current method of looking for blood in fecal matter results in a large percentage of false positives which requires expensive, painful, and dangerous procedures to confirm if the diagnosis is accurate or not. Even worse, this entire system of diagnosis only detects 20% of colon cancers, so 80% of colon cancer cases go undetected. The author proposes using a less invasive mucus test that is 78 to 90% effective for finding all colon cancers. Similar cases are made for breast cancer and lung cancer diagnoses using more accurate and less costly diagnostic tests that are currently available.

Although this book was not an easy read and written for people with a bioscience background, I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about how to improve their health through better nutrition. A lot of the information and topics were understandable to an average reader like me. Highly recommended. Five stars.

Ego is the Enemy

The book “Ego is the Enemy”, by Ryan Holiday, was motivated by the author’s personal experiences of fantastic wealth at an early age and subsequent loss of his wealth and marriage which he blamed on his big ego.

The content of the book is inspiring with lots of stories of how big egos have caused people great pain and their downfall. Many of the stories I had never heard before, for instance after being president of the U.S., General Grant sunk all his money in a Ponzi scheme and ended up poverty stricken in his retirement.  The book also has stories of humble people who have greatly improved the world and had happy lives by not letting their ego lead them to poor choices in their lives.

One of my disappointments with the  book was that the author didn’t reveal much about his personal experiences of having a big ego, how it felt for him, or what he learned. Many of the stories seem like they are what the author tells himself repeatedly to keep his own ego from getting out of control. The stories are told in a detached way and are mostly about  public figures rather than individuals he knew.  So there is nothing about what was going on in their minds or a close personal view. Interestingly, most of the stories in the book are about men.

In spite of these issues, I still found the book enjoyable to read and it helped me to recognize my ego better and be aware of the risks of letting my ego get out of control. It actually helped me be less stressed when my plans do not work out. I recommend it, especially for guys.

Hawaii Nutrients

As we were researching for our last book, "Your Ideal Hawaii Health: Why People in Hawaii are so Healthy and Happy",  we discovered that the health and happiness was due to people getting nutrients in Hawaii that are missing on the mainland. People living in Hawaii get vitamin D from the tropical sunshine, iodine from the ocean, and omega 3 oils in local fish and grass fed beef. Each of these nutrients are so important that doctors have written entire books about how they can be a miracle cure for people that are severely deficient in any one of them. As we read stories of amazing recoveries from taking a few supplements, we were curious if taking additional supplements of these nutrients would have an even greater positive effect on us?

We found iodine the most appealing to try after reading about people who reported that their tumors disappeared and kids with autism had sudden improvements after taking iodine supplements. It was hard to believe that a simple inexpensive supplement could have such a big impact. After convincing ourselves that it was safe for us to try, we started taking iodine supplements in the form of Lugol's Solution (5 drops of 2%) in the morning. We were impressed at how much energy iodine suddenly gave us and we no longer need coffee to get us going. It has been over two years now and we still take iodine every day.

Over the last two years we have found Facebook groups on iodine and we followed one of them closely. It seems like most people are excited at first and then find for one reason or another that the supplement did not do what they were expecting.  Generally people on Facebook groups trying iodine seem to have some severe illness and when they are not cured overnight they are very disappointed. For us, our low energy was cured within a few weeks, so we are very happy about that.

Our success with iodine supplements has inspired us to try other supplements and continue researching key nutrients missing in our diet. We will post what we discover in our continuing adventure in improving our Hawaii life with better nutrition.

East Hawaii Blue Zones Project

East Hawaii, which includes Hilo, was selected as one of 3 communities in the state of Hawaii as a Blue Zones project by HSMA, Blue Zones LLC, and Healthways Inc.  The Island of Kauai has been a Blue Zones Project pilot since 2013.

According to Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, people in the Blue Zones he identified reach age 100 at 10 times the average rate.  Blue Zones LLC states that only 20% of how long a person lives is because of their genes; the other 80% is due to their lifestyle and environment. 

The Blue Zones project has best practices for communities to improve the lifestyle and environment for the residents. In Albert Lea, Minnesota, a Blue Zones project since 2009, the residents lost a total of 12,000 pounds, cut their health care costs, and added over 3 years to the residents’ average life expectancy.    

To be selected as a Blue Zones project, the community must have broad buy-in within the community including local leaders, schools, employers, restaurants, and grocery stores who agree to support the program.  In addition, at least 20% of the citizens must sign a personal pledge to take actions to improve their well-being which include eating wisely, moving naturally, making changes at home, connecting socially, and finding a purpose.

The personal pledges are based on 9 shared traits of the world’s longest lived people that Buettner identified.  Summaries of these traits listed on bluezones.com website include:

Move Naturally The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron or run marathons or join gyms. Their environments nudge them into moving without thinking about it.

Purpose Why do you wake up in the morning? Knowing your sense of purpose adds up to seven years of extra life expectancy.

Down Shift Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. The world’s longest-lived people have routines to reduce their stress.

80% Rule “Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawans say this mantra before meals as a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. That could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.

Plant Slant The cornerstone of most centenarian diets are beans. They typically eat meat, mostly pork, only five times per month.

Wine  Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if they share those drinks with friends.

Belong Attending faith-based services four times a month adds 4 to 14 years of life expectancy.

Loved Ones First Centenarians put their families first. They keep aging parents and grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner, and invest time and love in their children.

Right Tribe They world’s longest lived people chose or were born into social circles that support healthy behaviors.

East Hawaii is the perfect place for a Blue Zone project as it already has many of the nine shared traits listed above. When we researched our book on “Why People in Hawaii are so Healthy and Happy” we found lots of reasons why people in Hawaii already live longer and have better health than the rest of the US. 

More on Hawaii Sunlight and Health

The biggest attractions of living in Hawaii for us are the bright sunlight and warmth which uplift our spirits and take away our aches and pains. Since Hawaii is south of the Tropic of Cancer and the southernmost location in the US, it gets more direct sunlight and electromagnetic radiation than anywhere in the United States. Exposure to sunlight, both the visible and ultraviolet components, has been found to improve health, happiness, and lower the chances of getting many diseases.

After spending time in Hawaii’s sun, aches and joint pains begin to subside.  Every winter, we talk to visitors and part time residents from cold latitudes blissfully bathing in the sunlight excitedly showing us the movement in their previously immobile joints and pointing to places that use to hurt.

Regular exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.  A study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that women with the highest levels of sunlight exposure were 21% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those with the least exposure.  This research agrees with other studies that have linked subjects’ location and their risk of rheumatoid arthritis as well as other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.  More exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight based on a location’s latitude, altitude and cloud cover is associated with a reduced risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

Just last year, Dr. Han van der Rhee published a review of research on the preventive effects of sunlight on cancer.  His findings were that chronic, not occasional, sun exposure is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  

The eye is very sensitive to the blue color, which is more prevalent in the morning and a delight on walks along the turquoise bays in Hawaii.  Blue light, a component of sunlight, causes the brain to wake up, increases alertness, and boosts concentration.  Researchers at the University of Greenwich showed that blue light made people happier, more alert, and more productive.The blue spectrum declines the most in the winter compared to other components of visible light, but in Hawaii we do not lose the blue spectrum of light in the winter.

Recent research at Harvard Medical School has shown that consistent exposure to ultraviolet light raises levels of beta-endorphin, a natural opiate, in mice.  Previous studies have found that the administration of an opioid blocker produced withdrawal-like symptoms in frequent tanners.  sunlight may be one of the reasons that residents in Hawaii rank as the happiest in the country. 

Every time we are outside under the Hawaiian sun we feel rejuvenated. Now we know why.

Designing a Healthy Home

East facing window for best morning light

Since moving to Hawaii Island we have moved three times to experience different communities and climates on the island.  Having lived in many types of houses and condo rentals,  we often think about home design changes that would make our life easier and more healthy. Some things we have installed ourselves, but others require major changes to a house design. Here are some home design ideas that we wish were standard:

1. Situated to maximize the amount of early morning light that floods into the bedrooms;
2. No granite or other sources of uranium in the house - granite in counter tops, floors and molding have uranium that decays to radon. Other non-radon producing surfaces like marble, stainless steel or tile are healthier;
3. Designed for robots to constantly clean, with no steps up and down through the house and all the plugs required so the robots have power and unobstructed movement;
4. Maximized for air flow through the house so mold and mildew cannot flourish and humidity is lowered so tropical bugs will stay away;
5. Automated humidity control to maintain moisture and keep it at the ideal level for health and to minimize molds;
6. Easy access to AC air filters and smoke detectors so they can be frequently changed;
7. Built in security cameras for discreet monitoring of the outside perimeter;
8. Back up lighting installed for safety in the event of power outages;
9. Built in water purification with easy access to change the filters;
10. Backup power systems for electric and an easy switch between primary electric power and backup power.
11. Non toxic walls, paint, and furniture without heavy metals, chemicals, and bromine;
12. Single story construction with no steps or landings to reduce the chances for falls;
13. If multi-storied, then the staircase is designed for installation of an elevator chair or other means to get people up and down if it is needed.
14. Showers with built in seats for comfort and safety;
15. Sound proofing to minimize noise in the house – there are many negative health effects of not sleeping well because of noise;
16. Automatic window shades to open windows and window shades easily and control the amount of light from hard to reach windows;
17. L ED lights, low energy appliances, and other electrical devices that minimize electricity usage;
18. Storage area designated for survival supplies and water storage;
19. Non-toxic plantings around the home - ornamental plants are often selected because they are easy to take care of but are often highly toxic;
20. Easy access outside the house without stairs, barriers, or long distances to get to the car or street.

It seems like modern houses are focused on a “prestige presentation”; it would be wonderful to have homes designed with healthy features instead.

Healthy Sunlight in Hawaii

Measuring Light in Hawaii

After reading studies about the health benefits of sunlight and reports that world-wide pollution is blocking sunlight in the northern hemisphere, we wondered how bright the sun is in Hawaii?  

To find out we ordered a digital light meter (Dr Meter) to see how much light we are getting inside our home and on our walks.  Is the sunlight as bright as it seems?

Researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine found that exposure to light was correlated to BMI (Body Mass Index).  The key was to bask in light of at least 500 Lux (a unit of light measurement) and the best time for the exposure was early in the day. Every hour the light exposure was delayed, BMI rose by 1.28 points.  

With new our light meter we measured the Lux during our early morning walk at 6:20 in the morning.   The sun was just on the horizon so were surprised to see the readings ranging from 800 to 3000 Lux.  Later in the morning, sitting on our couch next to the open windows, the readings ranged from 500 to 600 Lux.  At noon, on a cloudless day with the sunlight directly overhead, we measured over 140,000 Lux.  In Kona, even on a morning with moderate Vog (Volcanic smog), the reading was still 70,000 Lux.

Measuring Lux at sunset in Hawaii

At 5:30PM, with the sun low in the sky and cloud cover, the light was still over 3000 Lux on the beach.  

3250 Lux on the beach at 5:30PM

We were expecting higher light levels than on the mainland since Hawaii is the only state south of the Tropic of Cancer.  But the extremely high noon Lux measurements confirms Hawaii is giving us an incredible amount of healthy sunlight. 

As the days get shorter and we head into winter, we are curious to see how much the light levels will change in Hawaii.

Forest bathing “Shinrin-Yoku” on Hawaii Island

Forest bathing in Volcano, Hawaii

We love our daily walks through fruit and palm trees and along the coast.  We recently read about Shinrin-Yoku or “forest bathing”, which may explain the rejuvenating effects we get from our walks. When we stroll along tree lined paths, the sights, smells, and sounds drains away our stress and improves our mood.

In 1982, the Forest Agency of Japan started the Shrinrin-Yoku program to encourage people to get into nature to improve their health.  Dr. Yoshifumi Miyazaki of Chiba University found that after walks in the forest people had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol as compared to those after the same walk in a laboratory.  Research showed lower blood pressure and pulse rate in addition to lower levels of cortisol.  Additional studies showed that spending time in a forest reduced psychological stress, depression, and hostility while improving sleep and increasing vigor and liveliness.

Though many of the hikes on Hawaii Island have no trees, there are some great forest trails that we know about if you want to try “forest bathing”.  Below is a list of our favorite forest walks around the island:

Volcano- Within Volcanoes National Park we love the cool, refreshing, forest walk from Kilauea Iki Crater parking lot to Thurston Lava tube parking lot.  Outside the national park gate, the Kipuka Puaulu Bird Park is a loop trail through an old growth forest of koa and ohia trees.  The trailhead is at the end of Mauna Loa Road (off Highway 11) in Volcano.

 

Canopy of trees in Lava Tree State Park

Puna – Lava Tree State Monument, on Highway 132, has a canopy of trees along pathways through the stunning park.

Hilo -  Liliuokalani Gardens on Hilo Bay has trees with grassy expanses along pathways with gorgeous views every direction.  The  sidewalk along Banyan Drive has a canopy of  trees above.  Hilo’s Zoo, on Stainback Drive,  is away from the crowds with tree lined paths and colorful flowers. 

Honomu - Akaka Falls State Park has a nature walk with trees and waterfalls, perfect for a forest walk. 

Trails through the forest in the Bond Estate, North Kohala

North Kohala – Near Hawi, the 54 acre Bond Estate on Iole Road has hiking trails through lush forests, perfect for meditative walks. 

Paths in Waimea Nature Park

Waimea - Ulu La`au, which means “garden of trees” is a 10 acre park in central Waimea (Kamuela), a place to bathe in the forest.

Puako Petroglyph Trail under Kiawe trees

South Kohala - The path within the Puako Petroglyph Reserve (accessible from Holoholokai Beach Park) meanders through a forest of Kiawe (Mesquite) trees.  

Kailua-Kona - The Walua Trail is a wonderful place to escape from Kona’s traffic and walk among the trees and foliage. The trailhead for Walua begins at Lako Street (off Highway 11) just below the Kona Vista Subdivision.

Let us know your favorite place for “Forest Bathing” on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Delightful Hawaii Mornings

Every day on Hawaii Island we cherish how great we feel when wake up in the morning.  It is a special type of joy to awaken to the sounds of tropical birds, the smell of flowers, and the sight of a brilliant sunrise.

We were recently reading a book called Your Brain On Nature: The Science of Nature's Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality that details research that explains why we sleep so well and feel so great when we wake up on Hawaii Island.  We specify Hawaii Island because many of the attributes are unique to Hawaii Island.

We go to sleep with a very dark sky.

Hawaii Island is careful to control light pollution in support of the optical telescopes on Mauna Kea.  There are lighting ordinances that require shielded light and limited street lights.  On cloudless nights, the bright stars are visible above when we fall asleep at night.  According to Dr. Selhub, research shows that artificially brightened night skies interfere with the sleep cycle by affecting melatonin production and that even low levels of light during the night can interfere with normal adult brain cell structures. Our very dark night sky helps us get into a deeper sleep.

At night we hear calming sounds of nature.

We keep our windows open and can hear the wind blow through the palm trees as we fall asleep. A Japanese research team at Chiba University showed that sounds of nature, like the sound of a creek, changes the brain blood flow to a state of relaxation. A study from Stockholm University showed that nature sounds calmed people down whereas road traffic noise increased stress based on measurable physiological markers.  We don’t have noise from traffic or machinery where we live.  We didn't realize how quiet it was until we spent some time in Honolulu last year and were unsettled by the constant background drone of traffic, AC, and machinery spiked with loud sirens all night long. 

We wake up to a symphony of tropical birds songs 

Every morning the birds start to sing as the sun is rising.  Research published in Psychological Medicine in 2006 showed that hearing birds songs in the morning lifts the mood and decreases fatigue.

Blue light shines through our windows at sunrise  

Early morning light has more blue spectrum.  The eye is very sensitive to the blue color (460nm) and causes the brain to wake up, increase alertness, and boost concentration. Researchers at the University of Greenwich showed that blue light made people happier, more alert, and more productive. The blue spectrum declines the most in the winter compared to other spectrums, but in Hawaii we do not lose our blue spectrum light in the winter.

We breathe fresh air and negative air ions.

Breathing in negatively charged air ions, most prevalent in the morning, has been shown to improve health. Dr Selhub cites research that shows negative air ions reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and improve cognitive performance.  Negatively charged ions are depleted by pollution, electronic devices, and in enclosed places. Being near the ocean with warm tropical rain, gives us plentiful negative air ions in Hawaii.

We have aromas from flowers all year long.

We love having beautiful, tropical flowers around us all the time.  Research at Wheeling Jesuit University found that the aromatic chemicals in flowers can increase alertness, even in extremely small concentrations.

We start every day by waking up to bird chatter, soaking in the early morning sunlight, breathing in negative air ions, and smelling the flowers.  Now we know it is not just our imagination that this place is good for our health. 

Are you waiting too long to Retire in Hawaii?

This year we have noticed more retirees remaining on Hawaii Island since the departure of the snowbirds last month. They really stick out with their coiffed hair, tweed caps, black silk shirts, long pants, and patent leather shoes.  We see them struggle to carry their garbage out, argue with the gardeners, and frown at the food displayed in our local grocery store. We never see them at the beach, lying in the sun, or laughing.  These recently arrived 70-something year olds may have waited way too long to retire to Hawaii. 

The transition from “mainland clothes” to sandals, shorts, loose shirts, and wild hair takes a while.  It takes a while for the rejuvenating effects of the sun, warm weather, local food, and laid back lifestyle in Hawaii to increase your energy and health.   It takes a while to realize that nobody cares what a big shot you were on the mainland and that yelling gets (at best) no response in Hawaii.  It takes a while to focus on Hawaii’s beaches, sunshine, and peacefulness and give up on the mainland’s addictive foods, restaurants, and malls.

Recent studies have shown that retiring earlier leads to living longer, in contradiction to older studies that showed working longer correlated to living longer.  Researchers at the Tinbergen Institute at the University of Amsterdam compared Dutch men who retired early (age 55 instead of in their mid-60’s) and found that early retirement decreased their chance of dying within the next five years by 42.3%. The researchers concluded that lower stress levels contributed to the lower mortality rates.  Stress in the workplace, since the economic downturn, may be partially responsible for the higher death rate of older workers.   However, observing the difficulty new elderly residents are having adjusting to retirement, waiting too long to retire may also be part of the reason. 

The growing fear among Boomers of running out of money before they die is creating another type of stress.  Money stress keeps people in stressful jobs longer and counters any health improvements a Hawaii lifestyle might offer.  Retiring earlier brings you the mental and health benefits of the relaxed, laid back Hawaii lifestyle sooner.

We believe that money is not a good tradeoff for health which led to our move to Hawaii Island   in our 50’s.  Watching the elderly newcomers hobble from their newly purchased Hawaii condos, we wonder when they will switch to clothes more suitable to a tropical island.   We wonder if they will stay long enough to get any of the benefits of living in Hawaii.  

You need a minimal level of health to walk, swim, lie in the sun, and enjoy what Hawaii has to offer.  Waiting too long makes it more difficult to move across the ocean and create a low-maintenance, tropical lifestyle.  So, if you are dreaming about retiring in Hawaii, don’t wait too long.

Iodine and the Ocean in Hawaii

We have always been drawn to the ocean and mesmerized by the crashing waves.  Living in Hawaii, we look forward to our daily walks along the Kohala Coast; after the walk, we sit close to the crashing waves and feel invigorated and revitalized as the salty mist covers our bodies and fills our lungs.  Our recent research into iodine has given us new insight into our addiction to ocean surf.  The ocean’s mist contains iodine, which affects the body’s metabolism (which the thyroid gland located in your neck controls). A shortage of iodine causes cold feet, hair loss, constipation, depression, dry skin, fatigue, poor memory, throat pain, muscle weakness, cysts, and worse in adults. In babies and children, iodine deficiency is catastrophic to the brain’s development.

In his book Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, Dr. David Brownstein, claims up to 40% of Americans have thyroid disease from lack of iodine, which every cell, muscle, and organ in the body depends upon.  A minimum amount of iodine was added to table salt to prevent goiter (the swelling of the thyroid) and mental retardation in babies.  However, iodine deficiencies in the US population has been increasing dramatically with low-salt diets and the use of bromine (in flour and soft drinks) and fluorine (in toothpaste and drinking water) which both block iodine absorption in the body.

In 1829, a French physician Jean Lugol discovered that a solution of potassium iodide and iodine treated infections and numerous other ailments.  Different tissues and glands in the body require iodide or iodine or both, for example, the thyroid needs iodide (which was the form added to salt to prevent goiter) whereas the breast and prostate glands require iodine.  "Lugol's Solution" was a major breakthrough in the medical world and widely prescribed by physicians before being replaced by prescription drugs.  The use of iodine to treat breast cancer dates back to 1896.  It has been known for 5 decades that low iodine levels result in cysts and ultimately cancer in the breasts, ovaries, uterus, and prostate where iodine is concentrated.  Iodine is also required by the gastrointestinal tract, salivary glands, bones, and body fluids.  Without sufficient iodide, the thyroid won’t stimulate the mitochondria to produce energy (ATP) and muscle soreness, fatigue, and brain fog takes over.

Our discovery about iodine explains why we feel so wonderful after our daily pilgrimage to the Kohala Coast.   The ocean is unique in that it has both iodine and iodide in the mist, both of which are needed by the body and are absorbed by the skin. There are lots of ideal places under coconut trees further from the surf,  but our favorite place is out on a point where the waves crash around us. Though we are getting iodine and iodide from the ocean, seafood, and even local grass-fed beef, we have found new levels of energy and concentration since starting supplements of J.CROW'S® Lugol's Solution of Iodine 2%.

Where is the healthiest and happiest place to live?

New studies have been coming out about where to live the healthiest, happiest, and longest life in the US.  Although health and happiness are often measured by subjective questionnaires, the rankings are interesting to boomers looking for warm, healthy, and happy places to spend time in their retirement years.  We collected recent rankings on living in Hawaii and compared  them to the overall national ranking on health, longevity, and happiness.

WEATHER AND AIR QUALITY

Though Hawaii has some bad air days from the active volcano, it gets high rankings from the EPA for having all zero ozone days.

Hawaii has strong Smoke-free laws which reduces the chances of breathing second-hand smoke.

Hawaii’s tropical climate (at sea level) has minimal temperature variation during its two seasons.  It is 85-90 degrees in the summer and 79-83 degrees in winter. 

In our opinion, Hawaii has the best weather on the planet.

ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE

Warm weather (that is never too hot) year-round may be why people in Hawaii are more active than most of the rest of the nation.

According to the 2012 CDC report, 81.3% of Hawaii residents participated in physical activity within the past month which is higher than the overall nationwide data of 77.1% and ranks Hawaii in the top 5 of US States.

In 2012, only 16.3% of Adults in Hawaii told the CDC that they are limited in their activities because of physical, mental, or emotional problems compared to 20.1% nationwide and ranks Hawaii in the top 3 US States.

OBESITY

Increased activity and year round sunlight may be the reason for less obesity in Hawaii.  Many people we know, including us, are thinner in Hawaii than we were when we lived on the mainland.

According to the “F as in Fat” project by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Hawaii is the fourth least obese state in the nation (ranked 47/51) with an obesity rate that is lower than 30%.

Hawaii’s 2012 adult obesity rate is 23.6% (men 26.8% and women 20.3%)

Hawaii’s obesity rate for adults age 45-64  is 26.8%, the rate for adults age 65+  is 14.1%, and the rate for  white residents  is 19%.

MORTALITY

According to the CDC, Hawaii had the lowest mortality in 2011 in the US with an age-adjusted death rate of 584.8 deaths per 100,000 standard population.  This compares to the national age-adjusted rate of 740.6 nationwide.  The closest state to Hawaii’s low mortality is California with an age-adjusted rate of 638.8.

Hawaii’s low mortality may be related to the healthy state of the residents.  Hawaii was ranked the most “Healthy” in the nation by United Health Foundation using a wide range of measurements.  According to the report, some of the positive measures for Hawaii as compared to elsewhere in the US include: low cancer deaths, low cardiovascular deaths, low diabetes, low disparity in health status, high immunization coverage, high health insurance coverage, low obesity, high physical activity, low rate of preventable hospitalizations, high public health funding, and low smoking.

The United HealthFoundation’s report on seniors reported that Hawaii has the lowest prevalence of depression among seniors in the nation and the lowest prevalence of obesity among seniors in the country.

LONGEVITY

With a low death rate and better health for people in Hawaii, it is not surprising that the state continues its top ranking for longevity in the nation at 81.48  years old compared with the national rate of 78.61.

HAPPINESS 

One of the best things about spending time in Hawaii is that most people are really happy and very fun to be around.  In 2012, Hawaii maintained its ranking as the “happiest” State in the US by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Hawaii and the Sunshine Nutrient

Recent studies have shown that Vitamin D, called the Sunshine Nutrient, is a key factor in protecting health and longevity.  On the mainland US and Europe, it is estimated that over 75% of the population is deficient in Vitamin D.  Even with plenty of sunshine in Hawaii over 50% of the residents have a Vitamin D deficiency.  

You can be deficient in Vitamin D if you do not get enough exposure to sunlight.  But sunlight alone is not enough, because processes in the liver and the kidneys are needed to convert the inert Vitamin D created by sunlight to the active form of the vitamin.  Then the digestive tract has to absorb the active Vitamin D.   

Wearing sunscreen, clothing, and having darker skin slows the process of absorbing Vitamin D from the sun.  As people age, their skin absorbs less vitamin D from sunlight and many older people stay indoors all day.  People who are overweight are often short of Vitamin D from sunlight because it is stored in their fat tissue and therefore not available in their blood to be used.   Vitamin D is also available in some foods such as fatty fish, fresh eggs, and foods like milk where Vitamin D is added. 

But even with enough sunlight, Vitamin D may not be converted to its active state if a person has liver or kidney problems.   Cholesterol is needed to create Vitamin D, so medicines that block the creation of cholesterol in the liver may interfere with Vitamin D production.  Some people can’t absorb the Vitamin D in their intestines because of the inability to absorb dietary fat, inflammation from gluten, or other digestive issues.

Research has shown people deficient in Vitamin D are more likely to die of cancer and heart disease and have other illnesses.  Other research has shown Vitamin D helps  prevent diabetes, hypertension, sugar intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.  Dr. Oscar H. Franco at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands recently published a study that calculated roughly 13% of all deaths in the United States and 9% in Europe could be attributed to low vitamin D levels.     

People who live in Hawaii have lower BMIs and longer life spans when compared to people living on the mainland.  Hawaiian fish such as ahi (tuna), aku (skipjack) ono (king mackerel), and opakapaka (pink snapper) are rich in Vitamin D.  One of the major differences may be the year-round sunlight and fresh fish in Hawaii that triggers vitamin D synthesis.  

Why it’s so hard to find an Ideal Hawaii Home

We were inspired to write our first book, Your Ideal Hawaii Home after meeting so many people who were unhappy with their new dream house in Hawaii.  We noticed that mainland-style homes in our Hilo neighborhood were constantly on and off the market.  The houses usually sold quickly, however the new buyers were soon unhappy with the afternoon heat and high electric bills.  The cold-climate, mainland-style houses in Hilo, so unsuited to the tropical climate in Hilo, yet so pleasing to eyes of buyers from the mainland, had a continuous turnover of new owners.  Although people who read our book learn about the downside of mainland hot-house designs in a tropical climate, bugs, rain, humidity, garden maintenance nightmares, and other Hawaii house issues, the book doesn’t actually help with finding an ideal house. 

Recently we visited a family on a beautiful property with a Hawaiian style house, perfectly groomed orchards, quiet neighborhood, and great views.  The property had been lovingly cared for and improved to be easy to maintain.  It was a delight to spend time there enjoying the cool breezes and scented air.  The elderly owners inherited the property from their parents, who had inherited it from their parents.  The owner described how his children and grandchildren loved the place, making it clear that the property would likely not be for sale for generations, if ever. Properties in Hawaii with the positive attributes and design elements that make living in the tropics wonderful are handed down through generations.  We have even met local residents who moved to the mainland for their career and kept their grandparent’s home for their retirement.  Ideal Hawaii properties are rarely for sale

Many of the homes that are for sale in Hawaii have major problems with design, lack of air flow, wood rot, bug infestations, or mold that the new owners could not solve.  In Hawaii really nice looking neighborhoods or condos can have unexpected problems with noise or crime that similar looking (or priced) neighborhoods on the mainland would not have. When looking for an ideal property in Hawaii, find out how many owners there have been over the years. If you see a lot of owners in the last 5 years, consider it as a red flag.  If the neighborhood is having high turnover, then that is also a red flag.  Many of the best properties being sold never make it to the market, they are sold to friends or families known to the neighborhood.  Even if a realtor is used, the best properties are not put on the MLS because the realtors know they will sell quickly.

Finding an ideal house or property in Hawaii takes time.  It requires research to identify the right neighborhood and then patience to wait for a property to become available.  The prize is a property that may become a family heirloom, a place where your great-grandchildren retire.