What Indexes should be Considered to Find Retirement Countries? - part 1

A tropic beach, just for illustration

Some retire persons in developed countries try to find “suitable” places for their retirements.

The places might be in Asian countries, European nations and in Latin American countries.

Word of suitable refers to the “cheapest” or affordable nations. At least, 2 Indexes should be Considered to Find Retirement Countries:

- cost of living index

- local purchasing power index

Cost of living index is a tool to compare cost between one location to other locations. In this case, USA (New York) as a standard. It is included the cost of:

- one gallon of milk

- gas (transportation)

- food

- clothing

- utilities

- groceries

- other cost of goods and services that relate to every day life.

Sample of Local food

The highest score for cost of living index is 100. A particular place or country might be have the higher or lower than 100, the meanings are following:

1) If index score higher than 100, let’s say 115:

- the meaning that the place or country has the higher cost of living. 15% expensive more.

2) If index score lower than 100, let’s say 85:

- the meaning that the place or country has the lower or cheaper cost of living. 15% cheaper.

What is local purchasing power index?

What countries to be included as cheaper countries and suitable for retirement?

We will discuss in the following post.

# To be continued at part 2

Whale Shark is Observed after Disappearing for 100 years

Whale Shark is included in endangered species list

Whale Shark is a shark instead of a whale. Physiologically, a whale shark breathes with gills, like other fish.

Its large size, make people call this shark as a “whale shark.” In fact, whale shark is believed as one of the biggest fish in the ocean. While whale is the biggest marine mammal, and even the largest animal in the world.

The number of whale shark (Rhynodon typus) is estimated around 7 thousands all over the world.

The population is decreasing year by year. Caused of population depletion are:

- by catching impact of fish industries.

- vessels strikes

- long life span

- late maturity

In some spots such as in Tambelan, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia, whale shark is observed after 100 years of disappeared.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) enlists whale shark as endangered species.

Have you seen or knew about whale shark?

What is the Meaning of Insulin Resistance? - Diabetes 15

Insulin resistance for illustration (credit to EndoctrineWeb)

Insulin resistance refers to cells (of organs) which resist to insulin, thus glucose in the

blood streams can not enter the cells, and then can not be used as source of energy.

What factors contribute to Insulin resistance? Here are several of them:

- body weight

- belly fat

- smoking

- less sleep

- less exercises

Resist to insulin is a kind of pretext to reduce cells ability in order to absorb glucose. This condition could cause increasing of sugar level in the blood.

In long term, higher blood sugar lead to development of pre-diabetes and then diabetes (type 2 diabetes) diseases.

Illustration of obesity and diabetes (credit to Infographic)

Sure, physicians may know whether we are developing insulin resistance or not. The tests may include:

- test of Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG).

- A1C test for knowing pre-diabetes development.

Moreover, can we feel or know that our body is developing insulin resistance? Some signs are following:

- feel hungry often

- thirsty

- skin tag

- urination frequently

- feel tired

- feel tingling in hand and feet.

Insulin resistance may be reversed by doing:

- Reduce body weight and belly fat

- Healthy life style (no smoking and sleep enough)

- Eating healthy foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans and legume)

- Doing exercises regularly 

Physician prescribes drugs to control blood sugar, they may include:

- Fortamet

- Glucophage

- Glumetza

- Riomet

Relate posts:

- How Lipotoxicity Relate to Diabetes? - Diabetes 6 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- What is Hypoxia and How Its Relates to Diabetes? - Diabetes 7 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Can Abnormal Blood Sugar Lead to Seizure? - Diabetes 8 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Can Diabetic Ketone-acidosis Lead to Death? - Diabetes 9 | Tanza Erlambang Update

 - Is there Relationship between Coffee and Type 2 Diabetes? - Diabetes 10 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Why We are not be Rich Persons?

Illustration for a rich person (credit to filthy poor)

After hard work with two or three jobs, some people may ask a question for themselves: “Why am I not rich yet?”

Based on many sources such Forbes, Lifehack, The Motley Fool and Kiplinger that the answer might be due to the following reasons:

1. Not have right friends (not have good networks)

- It is important to have successful friends from community (school alumni, ex boss, ex coworkers) to build a business and invest wisely.

2. Risk Avoid

- Taking risk is a part of to be a rich person. It is not mean to gamble in doing business. Off course, rich people will take any risk wisely and invest with great calculations.

3. Have no good ideas

- People can not be rich without any ideas let’s say to start own business and success need a good idea and goal.

Avoid debt in order to be rich (credit to Michaelwest)

4. Not pay attention to little things

- Many simple things always be done by rich people such as compare prices from different stores or groceries, the different might be just few cents. It could be accumulated in many transactions in years.

5. Spending too much with a lot of debt at the end

- Rich people never spend more than their earning. The balance then be invested carefully and wisely.

6. The same job

- Rich people will avoid to work at the same job with no improvement of income and career for long time.

What do you think that why you are not rich yet?

Why Ancient Egyptian Mummified Million Birds?

A mummified bird from ancient Egyptian

(credit to pinterest)

The bird was part of worship to a god, namely Thoth. After sacrificing to God Thoth, ancient Egyptian mummified the birds and buried them in the ancient catacombs or burial grounds.

God Thoth is a god represented by human body with Ibis bird head. Thoth was god of:

- magic

- justice

- wisdom

- the moon

- writing

- mathematics and measurement

- knowledge

Interestingly, Ibis was believed as god symbols of:

- power

- identity

- attributes

Modern African sacred ibis

(credit to Science Source)

What wonder me was the number of mummified birds: millions. However, the number was collected for about 600 years, from 665 BC to 250 AD.

Million mummified are found in two areas, they are:

- 4 millions from catacombs of Tuna el Gebel

- 1.75 millions from burial of Saqqara.

Million birds were mostly collected from wild species, and small number was from reared (farmed) population.

Based on DNA study, scientists proved recently that wild birds were the most source of mummified sacred Ibis. This finding has answered the long time question: where the bird come from.

Moreover, ancient mummified birds relate to modern species, African sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). The birds are indigenous of Middle East and Africa.

Unfortunately, the birds had been extincted in Egypt, the last observed of bird was in 1891. The extinction was mainly due to habitat destruction and human hunting.

Luckily, African sacred Ibis is found elsewhere in Africa, and quite abundance in the sub Saharan and South Africa.

How does Insulin Work in our Body? - Diabetes 14

Insulin is a kind of key to open cells (credit to Quora)

We consume foods which contain carbohydrate every day. In the stomach, enzyme breaks down the carbohydrate into glucose.

The glucose then carried into organs through bloodstream for energy sources or store its for future purposes. The organs may include:

- muscles

- liver

- adipose tissues (fat)

- brain

- other tissue cells

To enter these above organs, we need the insulin as “a key” to open a “door” of an organ cell. Thus, all people, both diabetes patients and normal people need insulin.

It is because without insulin, glucose can’t be used as (converted into) energy and stored in the organs (such as a liver, muscles and the fat tissues).

Glucose is stored in the liver

(credit to Biology Notes for IGCSE 2014)

Since glucose can’t be used, it remains in the blood, then will contribute to higher blood sugar level.

We know that higher blood sugar level causes organs malfunction in the long term. It happen to many diabetes patients who did not control their blood glucose level with manners.

Hope, we understand Why does our Body Need Insulin, and know little bit about how it works in the body.

You may would like to read the relate posts:

- How Lipotoxicity Relate to Diabetes? - Diabetes 6 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- What is Hypoxia and How Its Relates to Diabetes? - Diabetes 7 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Can Abnormal Blood Sugar Lead to Seizure? - Diabetes 8 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Can Diabetic Ketone-acidosis Lead to Death? - Diabetes 9 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Is there Relationship between Coffee and Type 2 Diabetes? - Diabetes 10 | Tanza Erlambang Update

What Cities are Easy to Get Mortgage?

Minneapolis, Minnesota for illustration

For who does not have a house yet, the good news that there are many cities provide easy way to get a mortgage.

Term of “easy” refers to application rate. Rejection to loan application below 10% is categorized as “not difficult” to be approved.

Based on article written by Esther Trattner, 2019: “The US Cities Where It's Easiest to Get a Mortgage,” there are 25 cities considered easy to have a house loan.

Here the rank (top 10) of cities across America with more than 90% of approval loan application:

- Minneapolis, Minnesota: approval application 95.4%

- Salt Lake City, Utah: approval application 95.1%

- Kansas City, Missouri: approval application 95.1%

- Virginia Beach, Virginia: approval application 94.8%

- Portland, Oregon: approval application 94.5%

- Washington, D.C.: approval application 94.3%

- St. Louis, Mississippi: approval application 94.3%

- Boston, Massachusetts: approval application 94.2%

- Richmond, Virginia: approval application 94.2%

- Raleigh, North Carolina: approval application 94.2%

A corner of Salt Lake City, Utah

Approval mainly based on debt ratio, how much debt compared to monthly or yearly income.

As my previous posted, it is important to have good credit scores to get approval of mortgage (How Important Credit Score to Mortgage Rate?).

Then, followed by “loose” regulations and other factors such as property “booming” and population growth in each states or cities.

This is a kind of “good news” for who moves in to those cities and need a house.