By Dave Kavanagh

Something that I have recommended for many years to clients, is to set up an “ICE” file, (In Case of Emergency). Preferably in either a metal filing cabinet or any container that is fire resistant (some have even used a strong biscuit tin, but only after the biscuits are gone!). Then make sure at least one trusted friend or family member is aware of where it is kept in the home. This way, in the unexpected event of either a fatality, severe illness or even early onset dementia, it removes the confusion of trying to establish details like what bank accounts are there, what cover (if any) is in place, is there a will made? I often hear of situations where a surviving partner says “oh he/she always dealt with all of that, I haven’t got a clue.”So what kind of things should be kept in it?

Consider the kind of information that would be needed at such a time. Details of bank accounts, any loans due to be paid, details of any mortgage and any associated cover in place that could clear such a mortgage. Any life cover details (and any contact names/numbers in connection with them). Details of any regular payments that should be cancelled, such as gym membership, magazine subscriptions, etc. The benefit of having cover plans/ wills in pace is diluted somewhat if nobody knows that they exist or where the details are.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or phone 087-6414570, or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM and TV3.

By Ciaran Russell

Ever since the internet became a thing people have been conditioned to click and receive. Instant gratification is part of our lives more so now than ever. It can be very gratifying to be able to have what you want, whenever you want for most things in life. People now can accomplish a huge list of things on their phone, all without getting off the sofa.This is now affecting people’s health and fitness causing a massive problem when it comes to diets and losing weight. With instant gratification becoming more prevalent people can look to gain quick results or take some shortcuts to achieving what they believe might be success. These shortcuts might look like juice cleanses, meal replacement shakes or supplements claiming to boost fat loss in short periods of time. When it comes to diet and exercise, there are no instant results.In order to achieve any weight loss or fitness goals you have to have a plan, put in some hard work and effort over a long period of time. Sometimes you can be working for weeks and not see results but then decide to give up. You get discouraged and enter into a vicious cycle of try to lose weight, fail, try something more extreme and so on.Be careful when you see a product or service promising a result in a short period of time. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. People who achieve results, and sustain them, recognise that there is no easy fix. There is no instant gratification. They trust in a plan, commit to it for a few months at least, and amazing things start happening. They look better with their shirt off. Their clothes are less tight. They feel better in their own skin. They start getting compliments.You don’t have to do crazy fad diets for a week to lose weight. You need to do the basics consistently. Train 3-4 times a week. Make sure the majority of your meals are properly portioned. Eat lots of fruit & vegetables. Eat enough protein. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Drink plenty of water.Executing the basics consistently is the one thing that everyone who has lost weight, and kept it off, has done.

by Siobhán O’Neill White

Over lockdown many of us have gained a few extra lbs but hooray, summer is coming, restrictions are easing and it’s time to get back into shape - without spending a fortune on fancy food plans & gym memberships! We have been working on building a gym space at home, in what was a musty garage full of discarded paint tins and broken bikes! We started with 2 coats of heavy duty paint and then laid a floor which is specially designed for gyms. All we needed was 18 gym mats from black-swan.ie. No glue, no hard work just set them down, give them a soapy mopping and hey presto, floor was done! They are heavy and sturdy and do not curl at the edges.We’ve been picking up gym equipment from Fittrhome.ie. They have everything from dumbells to power racks and also offer a bespoke gym design service. I’m skipping & using small dumbells in the garage, while my have son is lifting bigger weights and saving up for a quarter rack. It’s given him great focus! Finally, for a boost of energy, we’ve been taking a daily supplement ‘Immune Phyx’ from award winning Irish company, Phytaphix.ie Everyone in our family is taking it - its an all rounder product, good for everyone! So that’s how we’re doing it folks slow and steady and spreading the cost. If you need any inspiration, hop on over to www.mams.ie for our blogs & tips on creating a workout space to suit your home & budget!”

Shortlisted for Golden Spider Award & Infant & Maternity Award. As seen on RTE and Virgin Media Ireland & Weekend AM As heard on Today FM’s Ian Dempsey & Dermot & Dave; RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show, 98FM, LMFM Late Lunch, WLRFM & Shannonside FM

By Dave Kavanagh

In 2019 in Ireland, there was €455 million collected in Capital Acquisition Tax. This covers both inheritance tax and gift tax. It also includes estates that may have been taxed in previous generations. For example, if someone left an estate worth €2,000,000 to an only daughter, she would (in the current tax year) have a tax bill of almost €550,000. After she pays the bill and puts what’s left in the bank, any interest is taxed (DIRT). Guess what happens when she passes and leaves her estate behind? It’s taxed again! Spouses can leave any amount to each other tax free. After that, the three thresholds are, a) Children - €335,000, b) Other close relatives - €32,500 and c) All others (including cohabiting partners) - €16,250. Everything received above these is taxed at 33%.So, is there any way to avoid it? There are two main actions that can either reduce or eradicate such a tax bill. The first is to take the time to plan when making a will. Let’s say a value of €750,000 was being left to 2 adult children. (Not a big estate if you combine a house, savings and a life policy). This would create a tax bill of over €25,000. Instead, if €670,000 of it was left to the 2 children and the balance between a few grandchildren, there is no tax bill. The second thing that can be done is for the person leaving the estate to take out a Section 72 plan. This is a type of life policy that is allowed to pay any tax liability without adding to the value of the estate. It becomes particularly important for anybody that does not have children to plan things out, as even other relatives can only receive €32,500 before any balance is taxed. Make the time to plan.

For the”choo-choo” Choose More Vegetables Train

I used carrot batons for the train track, peppers as the carriages and cucumber as the train wheels held in by cocktail sticks (be careful of children with cocktail sticks).Fill the carriages with hummus, salsa, guacamole or other vegetables or fruit!

For the Sleeping Star Melon Cradle

Use star or other shaped cookie cutters to make shapes with fruit and/or vegetables. I used various types of melon, colourful peppers and pineapple in this image.

The sleeping baby inside is an orange with a soother and eyes drawn on using marker!

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.Please follow@BiaBites on twitter. For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups=please email arthursniamh@gmail.com Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc .Registered Dietitian and Researcher

May is officially the first month of the Summer season and hopefully we will have lots of nice sunny weather which ‘May’ entice us to eat more salads! This recipe is quick to throw together but has lots of variety with crunchy and juicy textures and flavours!! Really handy and can help avoid food waste too, especially if you have left over cooked chicken or salad ingredients that need to be used!!!

Ingredients:
(Serves 1 person)

1 chicken fillet
1 handful (approx. x10) grapes (green or red)
50g pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
6 cherry tomatoes
200g spinach and other leaves (Fresh Basil leaves add a beautiful flavour of Summer!)
60g Feta cheese

Feel free to add any other ingredients of your liking such as red onion, scallion, peppers, diced beetroot, shredded carrot, cucumber, slices of apple, Goat’s cheese, couscous, walnuts or pecans.
Tip: For more flavour, toast the seeds by heating them on a dry pan over a medium heat for 1-2minutes until they turn golden brown and produce a rich, toasty fragrance. DON’T take your eye off them though as they burn quite easily and toss them around on the pan to ensure even toasting!

Optional Balsamic Honey Dressing (alternatively use a dressing of your liking)
(Makes 4 servings. Store any leftover dressing in an air-tight container in the fridge and use within 3 weeks)

3 tablespoonsBalsamic vinega
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of black pepper.

To make the dressing, place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth (approx. 30 seconds). Alternatively whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until they are well combined. (Although using a blender will result in a smoother consistency). Stir well before serving to ensure the ingredients are combined.
Method:

(1.)Grill the chicken fillet with spices or flavouring of your liking. I like Cajun spices or paprika.(2.) While keeping an eye on the grill, prepare the salad ingredients by washing and chopping/slicing. (3.) Place all of the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl (spinach, sliced grapes, tomatoes, feta cheese and seeds). When cooked thoroughly, slice the grilled chicken and add into this mixing bowl. Then add a dressing of your choice and toss all the ingredients around in the mixing bowl. Ensure the dressing coats all of the ingredients evenly.(4.) Assemble the salad on your serving dish. Bain sult as (enjoy)!!

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.Please follow @BiaBites on twitter.For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups = please email: arthursniamh@gmail.com Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc Registered Dietitian and Researcher

By Ciaran Russell

Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT, refers to unplanned physical activity which is the largest component of caloric expenditure that you can readily change. People are more sedentary than ever before and this contributes to an increase in chronic illness, all because we are spending more time staying still. Many people working office, or now home office, jobs will likely be sitting down for the majority of their work day, which is followed by sitting down to watch the next must see TV series for the evening.Over time this compounds into a population of people that don’t move their body as much as the can or should and can then lead to further health concerns later in life.Thankfully there’s some steps we can take to increase our levels of physical activity which not only benefits you when you want to lose some excess body fat but it will also positively contribute to better health. For example; things like walking to school with your kids or cycling to the shop instead of getting in your car. When you’re back in the office or shopping centres, opt to take the stairs over the lift. Even park your car as far away in the carpark as possible. These small actions will become habits over time and will have a really big impact on your levels of activity.For the office workers, set regular alarms to trigger you to take a movement break, leave your bottle of water or your phone on the other side of the room so you have to get up to get them. Better still get yourself a standing desk if possible. The aim is to move as much as possible throughout your day. Some might find it helpful to set a daily step target. By setting a number of steps to be achieved every day you are giving yourself some more motivation to get moving. By putting more emphasis on your NEAT and increasing your levels of physical activity you are building better habits for the future more active you. Having a more active day will have a positive impact on your physical and mental health, your energy and your weight loss.

By Siobhán O’Neill White

So many of us have lost loved ones over the past year and grieving has been made even more difficult with lockdown and restrictions. In January we lost my beloved Nanny Tess. She was a fabulous woman and we were so sad to lose her. It was extremely difficult that only 10 people attend her funeral. Then, in March, we suddenly and unexpectedly lost my husband’s Mother. She was a very active woman and as she was only in her 70’s, the shock of her passing has been very traumatic to process. Our children are devastated. They have had days where they cried in school or couldn’t get to sleep because they were so upset. Again, the funeral was very restricted and caused us alot of pain and sadness. Not being able to have her siblings and son-in-law in for the service felt cruel and wrong. As so many of us are navigating bereavement, we asked parenting coach, Allen O’Donoghue, from Help Me to Parent, for some advice on dealing with bereavement as a family. He says:1) to take care of yourself and look at what is going on for you as a parent;2) try not to hide your own grief from your children, seeing you be upset or know that you are upset, may give them “permission” to grieve themselves;3) try not to force them to talk or worry if they don’t show emotion, sometimes they need to just try and process things for themselves;4) just listen to them, if they come to you upset, let them experience their emotions and reassure them that it is absolutely okay to feel how they feel;5) if you have a child who generally doesn’t want to show emotion, let them know that it is okay to cry and be upset, but that they don’t have to do it in front of anyone;6) you could get a notebook to let them write how they were feeling if they need to;7) get professional support if they really need it.For more advice, contact Allen at: r 086-805840 for support.

By Dave Kavanagh

There are many aspects of life that people take for granted, especially if it’s something that is long running and gets paid by direct debit from your bank account. I regularly see clients that have had the same cover plans in place, without ever checking if they are still suitable for their current circumstances. Changes in employment, income, new additions to family, or moving home are just some of the things that could completely alter your requirements. You could even be paying for something that is no longer required or needed. If a plan was taken out directly with a bank or insurance company (where it was not compared) you could be paying premiums way higher than necessary.

What kind of details should people be aware of?

For a start, just knowing the basics would be helpful. With things like life cover, mortgage protection or serious illness cover, what premiums are you paying? How much cover is in place? When is the plan due to expire? Does it have a conversion option that would allow you to continue cover beyond the end of the plan if your health deteriorated? Is it “dual” or “joint” cover? If you pay for income protection, has your salary reduced or increased over the years? Are you paying for levels that you may no longer be able to claim for? While it may not be the most “fun” exercise, taking some time to examine the details of anything you may have in place, is usually very worthwhile. You may save yourself money but you will also have the peace of mind that what you have in place is the most appropriate for your circumstances.

Going completely indulgent for this one but enjoying food is one of the many great pleasures in life and one of the few things we still have to enjoy during the current pandemic lockdown.Also this might be a scrumptious recipe to try over the Easter and especially f there is lots of chocolate around!! No baking required and although there may seem like quite a few steps, it’s just because there are a few different layers. This means all the more mixing bowls and spoons to lick clean after!!! Have fun, happy making and sharing!! Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh.

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.Please follow @BiaBites on twitter.For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups= please email:niamh@biabites.netNiamh Arthurs BSc, Msc Registered Dietitian and Researcher.

Ingredients:

600g dark chocolate digestive biscuits
300g butter
75g peanuts
100g dark chocolate

For the caramel:

75g caster sugar
120g butter
400g (approx-397g is fine!!) tin sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon golden syrup

{Alternatively for convenience, use a 400g tin (OR 397g as available in shops) of caramel.}

Method:

Grease or pre-line a non-stick springform based tin.To make the biscuit base: place the biscuits in a strong bag that can be tied and can withstand the force of a rolling pin!
(I use an empty breakfast cereal bag). Bash the biscuits using a rolling pin or other utensils until they form fine crumbs.Alternatively you could blitz the biscuits in a food processor/blender.Melt the butter in a saucepan. Take off the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs until well mixed.Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon to make a smooth and even surface.Place in the fridge to chill while making the caramel.To make the caramel: gently melt the sugar, butter, condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan.Then increase the heat until just below the boil and stir vigorously using a whisk for approximately 15 minutes as the sauce changes colour from a lighter to a darker brown and thickens. If clumping starts to occur, remove from the heat and whisk vigorously to combine again. Allow the caramel to cool slightly as it will thicken further as it cools. Then pour the caramel over the biscuit base. Place in the refrigerator to cool fully.(If using a tin of caramel instead, then skip step 5 and 6 and just pour the already made caramel over the biscuit base and place in the refrigerator to harden. Finely chop the peanuts. Sprinkle on top of the caramel. Melt the chocolate and pour on top of the peanuts (ensure the caramel has cooled fully), making a creative design! I did a zig-zag drizzle as in the image! White chocolate could also be melted and used to decorate it! Store in an airtight container.

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums. Please follow @BiaBites on twitter. For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups= please email: niamh@biabites.net Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc Registered Dietitian and Researcher.