I recently took a 6 week fitness and nutrition class called Mind Body Blast and really enjoyed it. To sum it up, it’s an engaging online class with Luci Gabel, a national exercise physiologist and wellness consultant. It’s like having your own nutrition consultant and fitness trainer on-the-go. Mind Body Blast is a small step approach, where you tackle one change to your diet and exercise program each week, working until you’ve built a healthy living change that will lasts.

Mind Body Blast is not a specific diet (no fads), it’s a program that simply hones in on healthy habit changes for lasting results. Luci guides you through the course through a series of tools: podcast videos, MP3 recordings, homework, tip sheets, and a community forum to share your progress, struggles, and successes to get support from your classmates. But most of all, you get to work with Luci one-on-one via emails and phone calls to meet your health, fitness and nutrition goals.

I lost eight pounds and an inch each from my waist and hips over the course of the six weeks. I have read a lot on health and nutrition and thoroughly endorse Luci’s methods, which can help you to become healthier in the long run. You don’t just lose weight and then gain it back like you do on many “diets,” you actually acquire the tools to continue living a healthier life long after the class is over.

Luci Gabel is offering a special discount on Mind Body Blast exclusively to my readers. The class is normally $169 for 6 weeks, for Luci is offering a promotional rate of $109 if you mention this discount code, “boomerblog2012″ when you sign up here: Mind Body Blast. The next class starts January 16th, perfect timing for those New Year’s resolutions.

If you are thinking about signing up, or would like to learn more about the class, you can use Luci’s contact form and mention the same code and she can give you a free 15 minute phone call to evaluate your goals, describe the class, and see if it sounds like a good match for you. Don’t worry, there’s no strong, pushy sales tactics here. Luci is just a nice person who’s offering a phone call to our readers to chat. Sometimes it’s helpful to hear a reassuring voice at the other end of the line who wants to help you to be your best self for 2012!

Did you miss the annual Medicare Enrollment Period? Today I have another guest post by Ross Blair, President and CDO of Plan Prescriber, Inc, with information about what to do now.

On December 7, 2011 Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for 2012 Medicare Advantage (part C) and Medicare Part D plans ended. These plans often change prices and benefits from year to year, so the AEP was designated to allow people to review and change their coverage, if necessary.

Prior to 2011, AEP ended on December 31st. So, as you can imagine, there was some concern that the new December 7th deadline could sneak up on some people. There was understandable concern that some people wouldn’t hear about the new dates and could wind up missing AEP altogether.

We were concerned too, so two weeks after the AEP started we surveyed Medicare Part D or C recipients to find out how many knew about the new deadline. And, as suspected, the survey showed that one-in-five Medicare recipients were unaware of the new dates.

Our hope is that anyone who didn’t know about the date changes when we ran our survey somehow got the news between November 1 and December 7, and updated their drug coverage before the deadline.

But, we also know from experience that a fair number of people always miss the deadline, no matter when it is. In the past when the AEP ended on December 31, we’d get phone calls as late as January 10 from people wanting to make a “last minute” change to their coverage for the coming year. And, all too often, we had to give people the news that it can be very difficult to change your Part C or D coverage outside of AEP. It’s not impossible, but it can be difficult.

So, if you or someone you know did miss AEP this year, we created a short list of tips to help you maximize your drug and health benefits in the coming year. And, if you desperately need to change plans, there are some strategies for doing that in here as well.

What to do if you missed the 2012 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period:

1. Look for Other Drugs: If you missed AEP and you can’t change your coverage, try to optimize the drugs you’re taking to fit your current plan. Among the ten largest drug plans in the country, no single plan covers more than 79 percent2 of all available prescription drugs in 2012. We surveyed people using our web site during the last year’s AEP and found that one-in-three (34%) took a drug that wasn’t covered by their Medicare plan in eth coming year. So, if they didn’t update their coverage heading into 2011, they’d pay full price for that drug and their expenses wouldn’t count toward the “Donut Hole.”

If you’re in the same boat this year, don’t despair. The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) requires every Medicare plan with prescription drug coverage to include at least two drugs in each category and class. So, even though the plan doesn’t cover the drug you take, it must cover another drug designed to treat the same problem. Talk to your doctor to find what other drugs exist to treat your illness and discuss the possibility of switching.

2. Ask about Medicare Supplement (MediGap) open enrollment periods: If your MediGap plans I isn’t working for you any longer, and you can’t enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan outside of AEP, you may

be able to change your MediGap plan during select MediGap open enrollment periods. MediGap plans are usually medically underwritten, which means the insurance companies don’t have to accept your application if you’ve been on Medicare Part B for more than three months. AEP is the best time to drop a MediGap plan and switch to a Medicare Advantage plan. But, some states and insurance companies have created open enrollment periods for MediGap plans as well. These open enrollments allow you to update or change your MediGap health coverage without medical underwriting. But the rules change from state to state, so, if you want or need to make a change outside of AEP, investigate the MediGap open enrollment rules in your state by contacting a licensed agent.

3. Ask an expert about Special Needs Plans (SNPs): Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are available for people who are low-income, disabled and under the age of 65. There are also fifteen types of SNPs designed specifically for folks with chronic health problems. And, if you qualify for a SNP you can enroll at any time, provided one is available in your area. The SNPs designed for chronic conditions cover the following areas: chronic alcohol and other drug dependence; certain auto-immune disorders; cancer; certain cardiovascular disorders; chronic heart failure; dementia and Alzheimer’s; diabetes mellitus; end-stage liver disease; end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis; certain hematologic disorders; HIV/AIDS; certain chronic lung disorders; certain mental health disorders like bipolar and schizophrenia; certain neurologic disorders; and stroke.

4. Investigate 5 Star Medicare Advantage plans: New this year, you don’t have to wait for AEP to enroll in a 5-Star Medicare Advantage plan. The 2010 Health Care Reform law created a new ratings system for Medicare Advantage plans that begins in 2012. Plans with the highest rating of 5 stars can enroll people at any time, even after AEP is over. But, the plans are not available everywhere. The easier way to find one near you is to use a Medicare plan search engine, like PlanPrescriber.com or Medicare.gov.

5. Medicare Annual Disenrollment Period (MADP) Starts January 1: Medicare’s ADP lets you “disenroll” (cancel) from a Medicare Advantage plan if it fails to meet your needs and add drug coverage at the same time. ADP starts on January 1, 2012 and ends on February 14, 2012. If you decide to drop a Medicare Advantage, you will have the option to enroll in a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan so you don’t lose drug coverage. But, if you abandon a Medicare Advantage plan you’re giving up benefits like the network of providers who participate in that plan and a cap on your out-of-pocket spending for medical bills (provided those costs are approved by Medicare). These are two benefits original Medicare doesn’t have. So, before you disenroll in a plan, do some homework to be sure you’ll still have the coverage you need in 2012.

6. Investigate Medicare Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs): Medicare also provides SEPs for people who need to change their coverage outside of AEP. A person may qualify for an SEP if they move permanently outside of their plan’s service area; become eligible for a low-income subsidy due to a loss of income; receive incomplete information about what qualifies as creditable prescription drug coverage or lose that coverage through no action of their own; if they become eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (”dual eligible”) but lose their dual eligibility status; if they live in, are moving into, or are moving out of certain types of skilled nursing facilitis; if they receive a retroactive Medicare entitlement determination; or if they qualify for other special enrollment periods that may be authorized by the Federal Government.

If you missed the Annual Enrollment Period, don’t feel trapped in a plan that doesn’t meet your needs. If the cost of drugs, coverage or key benefits becomes more than you or a loved one can afford, there may be opportunities to make changes. The key is to be proactive, and reach out to an expert who can help you figure out what those opportunities are, and how to take advantage of them.

About the Author: Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information.

Creative Commons License photo credit: greenplasticamy

In between baking cookies and cleaning the house for company and Christmas dinners, I wanted to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas!

This has been a terrific year for my family and your comments have greatly added to my pleasure in writing this blog. I’ve also enjoyed discovering and reading the blogs of many of you out there too!

I know from watching the news or reading the newspaper, that this has been a hard year for many but remember that true happiness does not depend on outward circumstances. There is always something to be grateful for.

Keep reading in the coming year for more healthy aging tips, book reviews, and info on how to get the most out of your boomer years.

Here’s to health, wealth and happiness in the new year!

If you need retirement income, or perhaps a productive way to spend your time in retirement, you might consider selling ebooks you’ve written yourself. There is a lot of time invested upfront, but once you have your ebook completed and a marketing system in place, you have a great profit margin.

Read about Dan Kennedy's information marketing system

Some websites I’ve looked at say you have 100% profit from selling ebooks but if you’re using a marketing plan, which will help you sell more products, then you will have a few upfront expenses, such as investing in a good auto responder system.

I’ve been reading Dan Kennedy’s ebook The Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing, which gives a complete road map to not only creating an ebook to sell, but how to market it too.

The first step to selling ebooks, is, of course, to come up with a topic. If you already have a blog or website, then it would probably be something connected with the topic you’re already writing about. If you don’t have a blog, then the topic could be something related to your work experience or a hobby. Remember the first rule of marketing - your product needs to solve a problem for readers and the more specifically you target your audience, the better.

How-to books are very popular and if you have expertise in any area, you could write a how-to ebook. Once you know what your general topic would be, do a lot of research to see what else is available. You don’t want to spend time writing an ebook on How to Invest in the Stock Market only to find thousands of other books and ebooks already available on the subject.

Take knitting for instance. A general ebook on knitting wouldn’t really hit a target audience. However, 101 Knitting Patterns for Baby Hats or 101 Knitting Patterns for Dog Collars would be much more specific. You can take any interest or hobby and break it down to a target audience.

Even before you actually write the ebook, you need to consider your marketing strategy. Here are some ways you can begin:

Start a Blog or Website to Sell your ebook.

Remember that to sell a large number of ebooks, you need traffic to your site, which doesn’t happen overnight. If you are going to sell your ebook somewhere else, your blog or website might just provide general info about your and your product.

Use Sites like Amazon or Clickbank to Sell Your Ebook

Amazon.com is a great resource for selling ebooks. Formatting Your Ebook for Kindle in One Hour is available on Amazon for just $2.99 or for free if you’re a Prime member.

Clickbank is a site you can use to promote your work too. People sign up with Clickbank and choose products such as ebooks to promote on their own sites, then you split the profits with them. Keep in mind that Clickbank earnings are usually about 50% for affiliates so if you sell your ebook for $29.95, you are only going to make half that amount. The upside though is that other people are out there selling for you.

I know about Clickbank from selling other people’s ebooks and programs which I found there and I can recommend it as a good way to go if you don’t mind splitting profits.

You don’t have to use Clickbank or Amazon exclusively either. They could be just one part of your marketing strategy.

Beyond Just Selling the Ebook - More Marketing

As part of your marketing plan, consider free information you can give away so you can set up a relationship with your potential customers. Part of this is called “lead capture.” In return for a free report or newsletter, readers give you their email address to add to your database. This is where some expense will come in because an auto-responder will make your life much easier.

At one time I was doing a health newsletter and sending it out monthly by hand. Once the number of subscribers reached 100, I decided I needed an auto-responder. This was a wonderful tool. People opted in to my site and an automatic response was sent to them. Then newsletters were automatically sent to them once a month. You can use this to send out special emails too, perhaps promoting your newest product or ebook.

I once did some freelance writing for a marketing genius - he really was! This man could take any topic, the one I worked on was cake and cookie decorating, and sell it. He first created a website with a forum and free stuff, then he began promoting his upcoming cake and cookie decorating video ebook. He had about 300,000 subscribers when ebook came out. A ready made audience was just waiting for his ebook.

He didn’t care that much about cake and cookie decorating actually. He did the same process with Barbecue tips and ebook, and, I’m sure, other products. The idea was that he discovered a successful formula and applied it to various informational products.

Dan Kennedy’s ebook is a great resource for teaching you that formula if you want to create a big business selling ebooks and other informational products. His book covers all sorts of products besides ebooks, like creating coaching classes, complete with DVD’s, books and other resources.

Available for just $2.99 to your kindle

One good auto-responder resource is AWeber.com. I am not an affiliate of theirs and don’t have my newsletter anymore but they are the one I used a couple of years ago on recommendation from a friend.

If you’d like some inspiration and to see where selling ebooks can take you, visit Dan Kennedy’s information marketing website.

Take a look at all the information he offers, starting with free and building up to more expensive products.

Keep in mind that if you’re going to try selling your ebook, it isn’t a get rich quick scheme. You aren’t going to write an ebook and then sell a thousand copies without some hard work. I have a friend who wrote an ebook on budget travel to Hawaii. She does no newsletter or marketing because she’s moved on to other projects. Operating this way, she only sells one or two ebooks a month. Granted it’s all profit, but she can’t support herself with the proceeds.

Your profits from selling ebooks totally depends on how much time and effort you put into creating a good product and then marketing it but it can be a creative and lucrative project if you’re willing to put in the time it takes.

Inspirational Retirement Videos

Recently I received the email below from Jadon Gauthier about Prudential Retirement’s Day One videos. I thought I would share these inspirational videos with my readers. This website also has some informative links to help you prepare for retirement.

Here is Jadon’s email:

Baby boomers deserve to have their stories told and their lives anew come time of retirement. Prudential’s new videos may be the best retirement ads ever made because of their beauty and inspiring representation of the first day of life in retirement for several men and women. Every so often you get to see and hear something that is truly moving and captivating. Prudential Retirement’s Day One videos are just that. They speak of beauty, discovery, identity, love, hard times and recovery, new times and peace.

I invite you to experience one or more of these inspirational videos and share them with your readers to get their reaction.  Let me know if you would like more information about Prudential or need any other details. Thank you so much for your consideration.Linda Gutherie - Day One of her retirement

In this episode we meet Linda who finds contentment in her dog Deacon and her new independence.

Mujahid Abdul-Rashid - Day One of his retirement

In this episode, Mujahid who considers whether the steps he’s taken have cleared a safe path for his family to follow.

Nadine Peterson - Day One of her retirement

Nadine reflects on the importance of family and friends and her own vitality in this next chapter of life.

Hermann Bouska - Day One of his retirement

In this episode, we meet Hermann. After years of deadlines and calculated precision, he’s now focusing on helping his family get to the next stage of life.

I’d like to thank Jadon and Prudential for providing these great videos.

Save Money - Dine Out with Restaurant Coupons

If you don’t use restaurant coupons when you’re dining out, you’re wasting money. My family is big on eating out at least once per weekend and we never go without some sort of discount coupon. If fact, before we go, my daughters and I compare notes on which coupons we have and which is the best deal.