October 2025
Friends and Clients,
Healthy Wealthy Wise provides applicable and to-the-point info to expand your knowledge on health and finances and inspire your heart and mind. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for following along!
Jon
Healthy
Creatine Supplementation: Hype vs. Facts
In all my years as a trainer, practitioner and researcher I have found very few supplements that give the bang for the buck. Creatine is on my short list of absolutely WORTHWHILE supplements.
Creatine works by increasing the amount of phosphocreatine stored in your muscles, which helps regenerate ATP, the body’s main energy source for quick, high-intensity efforts. This means your muscles and even your brain has more readily available energy to perform, recover, and adapt.
The most noticeable aspect for me is the energy I have to give during my work outs. It’s important to note, while creatine supplementation does not GIVE you more muscle, the energy provided by having it in your body when you work out, can help produce better gains and performance.
Creatine is one of the most researched and safest supplements available. Unlike many supplements that come and go with hype, creatine has been tested in hundreds of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the results keep coming back the same: it works.
What the research shows:
Stronger muscles: People who take creatine alongside resistance training consistently build more strength and lean muscle mass compared to those who don’t.
Sharper memory: Studies in older adults show creatine can improve memory and recall, suggesting benefits beyond the gym.
Proven safe: Long-term trials confirm creatine does not harm kidney or liver function in healthy people. It’s one of the few supplements with a clear and consistent safety profile.
Why it matters for you:
Even if you’re not a heavy lifter, creatine can help you think clearer, recover faster, and age well. It’s inexpensive, widely available, and among the rare supplements that truly deliver.
Action steps:
Use creatine monohydrate (the form most studies use).
A daily dose of 3–5 grams is effective for most people.
Drink water! You will experience increased thirst and take in more H20. Mild water retention is common but make sure you drink enough to not deal with hydration issues.
If you have kidney issues or take related medications, check with your doctor first.
As always, these are not fixes for any one issue, and they’re best paired with a healthy diet, lifestyle and exercise. I am not a doctor and this is not specific medical advice. Please consult your physician for any medical conditions.
Sources:
Delpino FM et al. Influence of age, sex, and type of exercise on the efficacy of creatine supplementation on lean body mass: a systematic review & meta-analysis. Nutrition, 2022.
Prokopidis K et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on memory in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, 2023.
Silva AS et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a randomized controlled trial. J Exerc Nutr Biochem, 2019.
Wealthy
Why the “S-Election” Could Save You Thousands
Here’s a question for business owners and the self-employed: are you paying more in taxes than you should? If you think so, how do you know?
One of the biggest moves people overlook, that can save thousands in taxes is making an S Election.
If you’re not currently - Here’s how you’re being taxed WITHOUT this Election.
Normally, if you’re a sole proprietor or an LLC, all of your profit is hit with self-employment taxes: Social Security and Medicare.
With an S-Corp election, you split that profit into two parts:
A reasonable salary, which is still taxed like normal income
Distributions, which are not subject to self-employment taxes
That shift can mean thousands of dollars saved each year once your business profit gets past a certain level.
Here’s the tradeoff, though- It does come with more paperwork & complexity. You’ll need payroll and bookkeeping handled correctly, however if your business has consistent profits, the savings usually outweigh the hassle.
Bottom line: If you’re running your business as a sole prop or LLC, and your profit is growing, it’s worth a conversation about the S-Election. It could be one of the simplest ways to keep more.
👉 Book a call to find out if this is right for you.
20-20 Financial Services and LPL Financial do not provide legal advice or tax services. Please consult your legal advisor or tax advisor regarding your specific situation.
Wise
Quieting the Inner Critic Through Improvisation
We all have that inner critic that second-guesses, overanalyzes, or talks us out of taking action. What’s fascinating is that science shows improvisation can literally quiet that voice in the brain.
In fMRI studies of jazz musicians and freestyle rappers, researchers found that when people improvise, activity in the brain’s self-monitoring centers (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) drops, while regions linked to self-expression and creativity light up.
In simple terms, improvisation in a creative area can you find a state of flow. That place where you forget about yourself, your problems and the outer world for awhile and just tune into your activity.
And this doesn’t just apply to professional musicians. Similar patterns show up when people improvise stories, sketch spontaneously, or brainstorm without filtering ideas. The principle is the same, letting go of control opens up new creative pathways.
Why this matters for you:
Improvisation isn’t about being perfect—it’s about practicing freedom.
When you let yourself speak without a script, draw without a plan, or even cook without a recipe, you’re training your brain to loosen the grip of self-censorship. That practice carries over into bigger areas of life. Leading, parenting, creating, or problem-solving are places where confidence and flow matter significantly.
Try this:
Instead of scrolling on the phone or checking email when you have some time in between tasks at work or downtime at home…
Grab a pen and paper – doodle or sketch without erasing and see what comes up? I love making random designs on my planner or journal when I am waiting on hold on the phone.
Journal without editing – see where your words take you… Anyone can do this, and it doesn’t require artistic or musical talent. You may be shocked at what comes out!
Grab that guitar in your house that sits in the corner and doesn’t get played. Or sit down at the piano if you have one and see what comes out. I often find that if I sit down with an instrument, no agenda, something usually cool comes out.
Notice how nice it feels to set the inner critic aside, even briefly.
Sources:
Limb CJ, Braun AR. Neural substrates of spontaneous musical performance: an fMRI study of jazz improvisation. PLoS One, 2008.
Vergara VM et al. Functional network connectivity during jazz improvisation. Sci Rep, 2021.
Liu S et al. Neural correlates of lyrical improvisation: an fMRI study of freestyle rap. Sci Rep, 2012.
Music I’m Listening To
The Barr Brothers - 🎧 Listen on YouTube
I have been so impressed with the Barr Brothers and have been listening to all their albums a lot for the last 6 months. I am constantly finding new gems within their catalogue. Not only do they make great albums (which is rare in the days of singles and one-off video snippets made for social media), but they also write incredible songs from top to bottom.
The melodies are catchy and accessible; however, a more trained ear will notice really unique progressions and changes that take the songs to unexpected places without ever really feeling like you’re somewhere different.
On top of that, I feel like the instrumentation and selection of what they apply to the songs is just ALWAYS the right thing. It’s tasteful, but unique, and even if it’s an unfamiliar sound at first, it immediately settles in while simultaneously capturing your attention.
Barr Brothers write music that is easy on the ear-palate for anyone who is not a musician, but if you are a connoisseur, you’ll find a burst of flavor that grabs your attention and your emotions.
As if that wasn’t enough—the lyrics are thoughtful, clever and vulnerable. Great lyrics like that are a rarity in music nowadays. If you tune in, you’ll get a LOT from the Barr Brothers.
A Few Favorite Tracks:
Naturally (off the new album)
Beggar in the Morning
And this soulful one, Never Been a Captain
