Are you drinking enough milk?

To remain active and healthy, your body needs calcium. Without it you would lose bone mass and weaken, increasing your chances of injury while making it harder for you to maintain the strength needed to exercise. Drinking milk is a great way to get the calcium you need on a daily basis. Drinking milk helps to protect teeth, protect against heart disease, and allow muscle contractions.

Many people have dairy for breakfast, if they eat breakfast. The bad news is that many Americans skip breakfast on a weekly basis at least once, and out of the ones that faithfully get up and eat a healthy meal in the morning, a certain percentage of them either eat the wrong types of foods, or forget to get the other 2/3 of their recommended daily intake of calcium for good bone and muscle health by carrying on the habit during other meals. Dietary guidelines recommend at least 3 servings of calcium rich products each and every day, with dairy products and green leafy vegetables the best sources of natural calcium.
What is at stake?

Osteoporosis affects 1 out of every pair of people on the planet after the age of 50. Lack of calcium in the diet and lack of physical activity can increase your chances of osteoporosis later on in life, but that does not mean that you have time to waste. Bone development in young adults is usually completed by the age of 25, and up to this point, calcium is important to the development of bone tissue and the strengthening of it. after this point calcium is needed to replenish calcium leaving the body and to decrease the amount of bone mass lost as we get older. The first half of life is important to build out defenses, and the second half to preserve them.

Falls become more of a concern for older adults. This is quite reasonable when you consider that a large percentage of older adults who have a fall that results in a broken hip do not live longer than a year after the fact. Getting enough calcium now and in the future can help hedge your chances of not becoming a statistic, and enjoying the ability to remain active and in tip top shape for many years to come.

If a person is lactose intolerant, other foods other than dairy products that are rich in calcium as well. If needed, there are lactose free calcium supplements that can be taken to make up in deficiency.

As millions people consume caffeinated beverages in ever increasing amounts, the effects of caffeine on the system needs to be better understood. Recent studies have shown that the stimulant in our coffee, teas, and ever more popular by the day, energy drinks is a complex chemical that has a myriad of effects both in the immediate and long term.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and as such, has serious influence over the central nervous system. Mental alertness is found to be sharpened in the short term, with a lowered ability to concentrate and focus present as the effect of the drug wears off, or when caffeine addiction pushed the body into withdrawal in its absence. The duration and power of the stimulant effect is in direct relation to the amount of caffeine ingested. Though considered a mild stimulant, overuse can lead to insomnia, irritability, and even moderate signs of physical addiction. The recent popularity of energy drinks including guarana as a caffeine source has been of particular notice, as the amount in caffeine contained in this South American Fruit is up to 4 times as potent as the coffee bean and 3 times as strong as stout tea. These drinks also contain high levels of simple sugars, especially fructose, which are horrible for health, and should be considered when evaluating them for use.

While the adverse side effects of caffeine addiction can usually be reversed with discontinued use, the mildness of its effects make addiction hard to take seriously by most people, and the will to discontinue its use low. Longer term side effects do not seem to have an overall negative impact on health in general, but the existence of certain health conditions or the taking of particular medications might make the taking of caffeine a more risky endeavor. While usually considered safe in moderation it is always advisable to talk over dietary and medication conflict over with your health care professional. For now, caffeine is seen to increase temporary mental alertness with minimal negative results. Abuse of any drug increases these results, and caffeine is not different in this matter, and should be respected as the stimulant it is. If you have a history of drug abuse, especially stimulants, then drinking coffee can actually help to trigger this addiction, so precaution is to be taken. Minors, pregnant women, and those with sleep sensitivity issues are recommended to choose caffeine free alternatives because of its stimulant properties.

Many of us have to battle acne on a constant basis. The only thing that seems to be more consistent than the pimples is the barrage of medical remedies that are being pushed on us on a daily basis as a solution to our problem. While some of these products definitely have the benefit of helping to clear up acne, often you can get the same results by doing self treatment. Here are 5 simple solutions that offer healthy benefits to the skin and general health that often have a positive effect on acne removal, reduction, or prevention.

* Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Often the source of our acne troubles is a high sugar and fat, low nutrient diet. Skip the Ho Hos, and instead eat a salad, enjoy a mango, or consume green leafy vegetables instead. Healthy skin usually begins with a steady supply of nutrients and vitamins that fruits and vegetables are chock full of. Instead of a soda, have a fruit juice. Your body will thank you for it.
* Drink water. The average person is supposed to consume an average of 10 full glasses of water each and every day. However the average person does not. Clear, healthy skin is well hydrated. Dead skin cells are reluctant to make way for new if your skin is dehydrated, and without fresh skin cells, you are more prone to develop acne.
* Avoid the use of harsh chemicals, especially in the treatment of acne. Natural products are always better than their man made counterparts. With the use of chemical products, there is a higher risk of unwanted side effects from the treatment, often with no understanding of the cause. Not only are natural products better for you, but with lower production and regulation costs, they are also usually more cost effective. Why pay more for less benefit and higher risk?
* Relax a little- Many people have a tendency to break out more when under stress. On often overlooked method of creating an acne breakout is to constantly touch the face, as people under stress tend to do more than those not under such stress. Stress also releases hormones into the system that exacerbate acne, increase it, while reducing the ability for other treatment options to remain effective. Exercise, meditation, or even relaxing with friends can have a positive effect on the reduction of stress levels that make getting you acne under control much harder.
* Get some fresh air and a little sun- While not advising to get a tan, getting out of a stale air, indoor environment for 20-30 minutes a day can keep your skin flush with vitamin E, essential to good skin health. Not only that, indoor environments have a dampening effect on the mood, which can also lead to higher stress levels and worsen your acne problems. Take a break from your indoor activities and go outside for a bit. It can do wonders for your complexion as well as your psyche.

Some of the best skin wrinkle reduction products can be found it the grocery store and offer other health care benefits. Several foods not only help to make your skin look younger and smoother, but also help to preemptively protect our skin from damage.

If you want to protect your skin from the elements, promote anti-aging, and make you look as good as you ever have, then there are several natural ingredients that you can add to your skin care regime.

One of the best ways to reduce wrinkles is to eat foods high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the number one cause of signs of aging, free radicals. Free radicals are extremely harsh on skin and other cells in your body, and have even been linked to some cancers. Eating foods high in anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the damage that free radicals can cause. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of anti-oxidants, especially spinach and broccoli. Other greens such as collards and kale also offer free radical protection, helping to reduce the effects of aging and reducing the chances for unsightly wrinkling.

* Fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon are vitally important to the health of skin and your general health. The nutrients provided by salmon, tuna, and other Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods provide an excellent source of protection in the battle for better skin, especially the effects of aging.
* Other “healthy” fat enriched foods, such as certain nuts, especially cashews are not only great for the skin, but also provide the body with much needed fats without having to resort to “unhealthy” fats such as are found in processed foods and trans-fat fast foods. Getting enough fat in your diet is essential to health, but unfortunately most people get too much of the unhealthy fats, and not enough of the fats that provide energy without damage to a person’s overall health.
* While not often seen as food, the skin creams that offer the best chance of benefits to the skin without unneeded side effects are mainly natural food items, or have these included in the ingredients. Your skin is the largest organ of the human body, but few people care for it as such. Using natural ingredients in the care of your skin is probably the best thing a person can do to protect it, improve its appearance, while at the same time avoiding the harsh and often chemical solutions that many might apply to their skin without a natural alternative.

As we age, our skin has a tendency to become thinner and more brittle, allowing us to bruise more or even tear easily. This is usually due to the reduction of elasticity and collagen in the system. In addition to the foods above, One such food additive is within common Japanese sea kelp, which can be eaten regularly to promote skin health. Phytessesnse Wakame, the main ingredient, is also extracted and used in several effective skin care products. It is proven to help in the reduction of wrinkles as well as promoting the natural and healthy glow that many people are looking for without resorting to the use of harsh drugs or chemicals that might eventually be more damaging to the skin than beneficial.

Photo aging, skin damaged caused by prolonged time in the sun, resulting in high levels of UV radiation, is usually recognized by the appearance of spots, wrinkles, sagging skin, jaundice like features, is not only unsightly, but also has been known to carry a heightened risk of certain skin cancers. Skin cancer, while often overlooked as a major health concern, actually affects over one million people annually, and poses serious risks to the afflicted person’s life.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere even when the sky is not sunny, and have proven to be human carcinogen, speeds up the aging of skin, can produce severe burns, and is a major cause of wrinkles in almost all people who do not protect themselves from its rays.

Ultraviolet radiation comes in two forms from its natural source, the sun. UVA radiation is the most common, with over 90 percent of all UV rays being of this type. It is this type of radiation that advances skin aging prematurely, contributes to wrinkles, and is also a source of cancer.

UVB, though being less than 10 percent of the UV rays that come in contact with the skin due to atmospheric filtering, is known to be extremely harmful to skin, a known carcinogen, and even in smaller amounts, is much more damaging than UVA. UVB rays are the central reactionary triggering sunburn and other immediate skin damage, and also harms the eyes, being the main source for cataract destruction.

While this news is not likely to make you jump with joy at the knowledge, there is something you can do to help reduce the chances of permanent skin damage and cancers, prevention. Wearing a sunscreen at all times that you expose yourself to the sun’s rays, even when cloudy, is the most prominent and most effective method of protecting skin from UVA and UVB. While it does not offer 100% protection from the sun, the SPF, or protection rating of your sunscreen will tell you the rate at which UVA and UVB will enter the skin with its protection as opposed to without. An SPF rating of 35 states that UV rays will take 35 times longer to reach and damage your skin than untreated skin.

While many people wear sunglasses, most do not realize that if their glasses have no UV protection, then they are actually helping to promote eye damage, as they allow for pupil dilation due to shading, allowing more damaging rays to enter the eyes. When choosing sunglasses, make sure that they clearly state that they are UV protective lenses, or you will be doing more harm than good. UV protection lenses also help to protect the area around the eyes that are prone to wrinkling, where application of sunscreen is not recommended.

Your skin is the first line of defense your body has against outside invaders, seen and unseen. If you do not take proactive solutions to your skin’s defense, then painful surgery, excessive wear and aging, fragility of the dermis, or even cancer might be in your future. Your skin is too important to ignore. To combat photo aging, prevention is truly the best medicine.

I do not think that there has ever been a time throughout history where women have not resorted to some type of potion or other remedy in the search for perfect skin. Everything from a change in diet, to the use of drugs, and even surgery have been used in order to combat wrinkles and to try to get back the smooth skin that we were born with. The only thing that is different in this day and age is the availability of products and procedures that a person has to choose from, as well as the wealth of information available on each and every one of them.

One thing is for certain. Several of the wrinkle reducers and skin care procedures on the market today come with their own specific set of side effects and drawbacks. Many of the best techniques and products shown to work at reducing the signs of aging are very expensive or only available in a limited region. Others, though widely available and affordable, simply do not produce the results that they claim, and some procedures, such as plastic surgery, while seen as widely effective, in rare cases, can leave a person scarred, and far worse off than they were before the treatment. Drugs, though seen as less invasive than surgery, can also come with a whole host of side effects that have to be weighed before use.

Does this mean that in the search for the dermic fountain of youth one has to undergo the knife, risking possible horrific scarring, take drugs that might lead to further complication, or use foreign creams or even resort to injections to see desired results? Does getting older necessarily mean that your days of smooth skin are gone forever? Is there even a safe way to reduce the signs of aging of the skin, or are risks inherent to improving your skins appearance? One technique that proves to both effective at combating facial wrinkles and aging, and with little risk, is the use of facial exercises.

Facial exercises are definitely safer than surgery, can be done from the comfort of your own home, and cost nothing to perform. Not only are facial exercises good for the reduction of wrinkles in older women, but can also be used as a preventative measure by the young. Like any other boby part, the face can benefit from exercise by improving facial health, tighten muscles, and improve the look and feel of the skin over them. Not mny people think of putting the face through a “workout”, but it is the least intrusive method of improving facial health without surgical or drug intrusion.

The greatest thing about facial exercises, is that a person that practices them regularly can often see results within 4-6 weeks, which is better than several of the more expensive wrinkle medications and creams on the market today. While many of the medications try to improve collagen and elastic levels to no avail, facial exercises improve the blood flow to the face, increasing collagen and elastic naturally and conclusively. This gives way to a more natural looking, smoother looking skin, reducing wrinkles and the effects of dark spots. Even oversize pores are improved upon with the use of facial exercises, leaving smaller pores and a smoother look after only a few weeks of “working out”.

Everybody knows that a healthy diet and an active exercise program are the best ways to lose weight and to the tendency to put on extra pounds under control. What do you do during those times where you have tried everything that you can? You eat a balanced diet, and you work out on a regular basis, but the weight just does not seem to be coming off as fast as it seems like it should. Sometimes the best solution doesn’t lie in getting involved in the latest crash diet or chugging down nasty food replacement shakes. Sometimes the extra push you body needs is a vitamin supplement.

Some studies have shown that certain vitamins help the body in the carbohydrate to sugar and starch processing functions by making sure that the body is able to process the most fuel for your body as possible, eliminating the need for the body to retain the food instead as fat stored in all of the wrong places.

Another benefit of the use of vitamin supplements is that for people on the go, the limited availability of certain food choices allows them to use supplements to replace used nutrients in the body that are missing in the person’s diet.

While the use of vitamin supplements has shown great promise, the idea that taking a multi vitamin in hopes of better body intake processing can simply be dismissed off hand. The ability to make vitamin supplements work for you is to research the body processes that you wish to be affected and which vitamins have shown to progress this process. By targeting specific functions and the vitamins that affect them is not only more effective but more efficient, as you might be getting too much or too little of a specific vitamin with the use of general multi vitamin combinations on your local store shelves.

Know what you nutritional goals are and take the correct vitamin combination to promote it. You can have adverse side effects from taking too much of one kind of vitamin, so be sure to also keep track of the nutritional intake of the foods that you eat on a daily basis, so tat you can accurately manage the amounts of specific vitamins that you put into your system.

Remember, that vitamin supplements are just that, supplements. Do not use them as a food substitute or expect positive results without proper diet and exercise.

Losing weight has become a favorite pastime in the West, and more and more of a preoccupation in the East also. The effects of the western diet and lifestyle have been devastating for the weight management and healthy living of almost all people touched by it. The ever increasing availability of instant, often over processed and nutrient deficient food, to the daily commutes we make from one location of idleness to another, all while sitting down in the comfort of a car have had huge impact on obesity and general lowered the amount of physical activity that a person is faced with.

Losing weight and being thin, in contrast to these norms, is still seen as the only way to be, and the pressure society places on this ideal is immense. Everywhere you look, in the media, and even in interpersonal expectation, thin is in. In a society that places heavy emphasis on weight control while at the same time places every obstacle possible in your way at the same time can be very frustrating, and is probably one of the main reasons diets fail.

There are many options out there for the person trying to lose weight. There are the usual options of a good diet and exercise, and then there are the extra provided options of binge diets, herbal supplements, drugs, and even surgery. The sad fact is that while many people opt for the instant options such as binging, drugs, or surgery, the duration of weight loss is usually short lived, though dramatic. The risks to health are much higher than if pursuing to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise and the end effect is a diminished health, relapse into weight gain, loss of energy and resources put into the attempt, and a further shattered self esteem, making coming back from setback even harder than before on many different levels.

The best way to lose weight is to start a healthy and active lifestyle, not just go on a diet. If you make consistent, health improving changes to your life and stick with them, no matter how small, the accumulated effect will be healthy weight loss that sticks, instead of yo yo diet failure or added health risks with few positive results. Knowing what you put into your body is the first step to controlling your diet, and the first step in exercise is to find simple activities to replace inactivity, such as walking to the market instead of driving. Simple changes in lifestyle are more effective in weight loss than inconsistent workouts and dieting attempts of any level.

Western society has a never-ending obsession with weight, while at the same time producing the most obese populations on the face of the planet with no side of subsiding the trend.

This strange irony has led to the multitude of products and services that are promoted to the public in order to help them with their weight loss dilemma. Everything from hypnotism, pharmaceuticals, to surgery has been offered as the sure fire solution to your overweight woes.

One often overlooked method of encouraging weight loss is the use of herbal supplements.

Our emphasis on getting what we want when we want it has created a society of “have it now”. While the positive effects of both natural and synthetic treatment are the same, many opt for the fast results of drugs or surgery at the risk of increased complication, and even death. One alternative to these risks is to opt for a sane progress schedule and the elimination of several of the risks involved with other options through the use of herbal weight loss products.

The use of natural foods and herbal products to control weight should be approached as any other medical decision. When used with physically altering goals, certain herb, though generally safe, may still produce side effects in certain individuals. as many herbal weight loss supplements and products are a combination of more than one ingredient, it is wise to read the label and decide if its contents are going to promote your personal weight loss goals or conflict with any medications you might take or conditions that you might have.

Many of the dietary supplements on the market contain one or more of the following ingredients:

Senna, a natural laxative is often one of the main components in herbal dietary supplements. They promote quick weight loss by stimulating the colon. Be aware that if using Senna, you should monitor to make sure you have a proper water intake, or dehydration may become an issue.

Some dietary supplements contain Chromium Picolinate. This is not a natural but a chemical additive, and has been known to cause genetic problems in high doses. It is best to be avoided if possible, but safe to use at recommended doses in most cases. The risk of dehydration is also a factor in its use, so you should drink plenty of water.

St John’s Wart is also very popular in dietary herbal supplements. This herb is not only used in weight loss solutions, t has shown promise in helping to promote cognitive ability. If abused however, the eyes and skin might become irritated, stomach ache may result, or fatigue may set in after ingestion.

Although Dietary supplements can be found in a variety of forms, two sources of natural weight fighting in their rawest forms are green tea, and organic food. Green tea has long been used to promote enhanced digestion and weight control, and the chemical application or use of chemicals in processing of non organic food can sometimes affect the ability for the body to process food correctly and efficiently.

One of the most common mistake that people make that leads to weight loss failure is to chase fast weight loss solutions.

Whether it is in the supermarket in the magazine rack, or on late night television, everyone is talking about the best ways to loose weight at an extremely fast rate. They tell you tahat they personally lost 5-10 pounds a week for a total of over a hundred pounds with the use of the advertised product or technique solution. While they disclose the fact that the results that they discuss are not typical, the want of such a product to work for you can often get you to ignore this fact and palce your hopes on getting a miracle in return for your hard earned cash. What you are often overlooking is the fact that diet results are reliant on several variables, and the variables that contributed to the weight loss on the screen may not have even had anything to do with the drug or weight loss program that they are promoting. These testimonials are very good at getting desparate people to part with their money, but do very little to tell the average person what effect the use of the product shown will have on their weight loss success.

Healthy, permanent weight loss depends on a consistant and positive change to ap erson’s lifestyle over a prolonged period of time to be effective.

A large percentage of dieters will fail due to giving in to the slick sales messages of commercial powers that pry on laziness. By targeting consumers that they know have trouble with the two ingredients for dieting success, pesistance and patience, they can market differnet products to those wishing to lose weight while keeping them inoerpetual need of another solution, one that they will readily and eagerly provide.

Both history and medical science have shown that the only consistantly proven way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat the proper foods in the proper amounts, and to increase physical activity to burn calories and keep the body from storing excess enery as fat. Though some people might find extra support or metabolic advantage from taking herbal suppliments or following a specific dietary regimine, without these two factors, and the will power to control them on an ongoing basis, any fast weight loss solution will ultimately end up in temporary, minmal weight loss with the highest health risks.

As I often do, I’m reviewing expenses with my wife, and we’re considering cancelling our gym membership.

We got it because we not only wanted a good gym to exercise at, but we also wanted affordable child care. (Since we both exercise at the same time, we put our two children in the “Kid’s Club.”)

But there’s a problem. While my wife and I are exercising, our daughter is vegging out in front of a TV for 90 minutes!

The Kid’s Club has videos playing constantly. My son is immune at this point. He just plays on the slide. But my daughter can’t resist watching cartoons. So she gets a whopping 90 minutes of viewing time two or three times a week.

That’s a lot of TV.

This right now is a big factor in our decision. Because while the gym is healthy for us, it’s not healthy for my daughter. Something to think about…

Today I thought I’d share something I’ve been making my 5 yr olds to get them interested in eating lots of leafy greens. Greens are the food highest in mineral (per calorie), and I want to make sure my kids are getting plenty of minerals, but some kids have a hard time with greens. My kids don’t mind eating them but I was trying to get them to eat bigger portions of tender leafy greens.

So here’s what I did.

They’re really into pirates right now and one day I decided to make a “Treasure Salad.” I took a big pie plate for each kid and covered the entire bottom area with some fun salad fixin’s that they like. Fresh orange slices, almonds, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, baby carrots, mango pieces, pineapple. Then, I shredded a bunch of lettuce and piled it all on top of the plate to make a mountain, covering all the fixin’s I had on the bottom. I squeezed fresh orange juice over the lettuce mountain.

When the kids first saw it, they were like, “What??? We’re having just plain lettuce?” and I said, “It’s a treasure salad! Eat all your lettuce to get to the bottom and you may find some treasure!”

Lets just say, it worked like a charm. I’ve never seen them eat lettuce more enthusiastically. They ate and ate and ate, and were so excited when they got to the bottom and there was all this “treasure”! :) They savored each bite of the juicy fruit, veggies and nuts I had “hid” on the bottom.

Now, they ask me for a Treasure Salad several times a week. I hope this will be a family tradition/meal that they will take with them when they grow up!

I’d love to hear any creative ideas you all have had to help your children make healthy choices. I will be sharing a couple more ideas this week that has worked with my kids.

For a few years, my kids had almost the same breakfast every morning - cheerios in soy milk, occasionally with a piece of fruit on the side. We didn’t do dairy and I didn’t want them to have sugar, so this seemed the best option to me at the time. They loved this breakfast.

Awhile back, I was looking for a healthier option to this breakfast. I was reading some things about soy that concerned me, especially since my kids were having it every single day - and I was also looking for ways to increase their fruit and veggie intake.

So here are 2 ideas I eventually came up with and now they’re staples that my kids beg for in the morning! They haven’t asked for either cheerios or soy milk in quite awhile.

Idea 1:
Fruit smoothie - blend a few ripe bananas with water, add another fruit - strawberry, mango, date… the possibility is endless. A plain banana based smoothie is actually more delicious than one would think. You don’t *have* to add yogurt or soy or dairy or protein powders in there! It’s good all by itself. (I would argue, that it’s BETTER all by itself). :)

Idea 2:
Banana milk and fruit cereal bowl. Blend 2-3 bananas with enough water to make a milk-like consistency, pour into a bowl of diced fruit pieces and little berries. You can add a few nuts too if you want, but fruit alone digests better in your stomach. It looks VERY attractive because the banana milk is light yellow and the fruit pieces are very colorful! My kids’ favorite fruits to go in their cereal are the berries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.

On Monday February 26, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) held a press conference that put the spotlight upon several chain restaurants which offer single-course menu items each loaded with 2,000 calories or more. In their March issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter, the article titled “X-treme Eating: Increasingly Indulgent Menus Entice Diners to Pig Out” detailed the caloric and fat content of these dishes. Many contained over a day’s requirement of calories and more than two days’ worth of fat. CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson is pushing for city, state, and federal laws requiring nutrition information on chain restaurant menus.

Councilwoman BrownIn response to this report, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown (pictured at left) proposed a measure requiring chain restaurants that operate within the city to provide nutrition information for their menu items. Required information includes caloric content, fat, carbohydrate and sodium. The proposition has been praised by CSPI as well as by Sara Solomon of Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education. “Knowledge, if not power, is at least progress,” stated Solomon, in regards to fighting the obesity epidemic.

Says Councilwoman Brown, “Consumers want to know.” And by all indications, she’s absolutely right. Customers who were interviewed on the street by Philly’s ABC news affiliate WPVI seemed to whole-heartedly support her new proposal. As they exited chain restaurants, they were asked if knowing the caloric content of the dishes would affect how they order. One young woman from Ridley Park said, ” If I knew what was in [the food items], and the calorie intake, would I change my mind? Absolutely.”

A WPVI reporter placed calls to members of the Philadelphia’s restaurant industry. He received no response. (I imagine that the restauranteurs are all busy getting in contact with the NRA — no, not the gun people… The National Restaurant Association — to learn what their collective answer should be. I also imagine that their answer will have much more to do with the well-being of their restaurants’ profits than with the health and well-being of their customers.)

What do you think? Would you support a menu labelling proposal if your city representative suggested it?

Have you noticed how when people who are overweight lose a bunch of weight in a short time period, they seem to have flaps of loose skin leftover that seems to sag and stay on forever?

I’m not really overweight but I did have twins in 2001. I’m very petite (4′11″, started out probably around 100 lbs at the beginning of the pregnancy) so I got extreeeeeeemely stretched out by the end. Afterwards, even though I lost the 70 lbs I gained, I still had this huge fold of skin on my tummy that has never gone away in 6 years.

At least, I really thought it was mostly skin. Everybody said so.

Now that I’m cleaning up my diet and working out more, I’ve been wondering if this flap of “skin” would always be there. Almost everybody I talked to about it said yes, unless I had surgery (which is not an option for me).

How depressing.

And then, a few days ago I came across this article:

The Myth of Loose Skin

It made so much sense to me, and it gave me hope. The guy really sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Basically, the gist of the article is that skin is thinner than paper. So all that “loose skin” is really not just skin but a layer of fat. And fat CAN be gotten rid of with proper diet and exercise! And the skin will adjust. So, read it and tell me what you guys think. It sure gave me hope for my “twin skin” problem!

Oh, and if anyone out there (Ryan? Anybody?) has tips on what specific exercises to do to work on the tummy fat, please give me suggestions. I’ve been doing lots of crunches and cardio and need more ideas.

Politicians like to couple the adjectives “accessible” and “affordable” with the word “healthcare” when describing the goals of healthcare reform. They say that with reform, all Americans will have health “insurance” and that it will be “affordable”. I’d like to suggest that we eliminate the term “insurance” when talking about healthcare.
Insurance protects us from experiencing an unexpected loss that is greater than our ability or willingness to pay. I spend thousands of dollars a year on home owners insurance to protect me from financial catastrophe if my house is destroyed by fire or an earthquake. I spend thousands more to insure my automobiles against theft and collision. In both cases, I am pooling my money with tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of other people to protect me from a loss that statistically only happens to a very few those who are insured.
But healthcare is a different kind of animal. Insuring people for healthcare expenses, especially with low deductible plans that cover almost everything, simply doesn’t pencil out and especially doesn’t if we try to affix the word “affordable” to the premiums needed to support such “insurance”. How much would my home owners insurance cost if every covered home would one day burn to the ground? How much would car insurance cost if everyone in the country drove a red Ferrari, and every red Ferrari got totaled? To my perhaps simplistic way of thinking, that is the conundrum of health “insurance”. We are asking for “affordable” premiums that will protect us from the financial burden associated with services that each and every one of us will need; services that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime. In fact, I’ve read recent statistics suggesting that the average American will need $240,000 just to cover out of pocket healthcare costs not paid by Medicare between eligibility and death. Affordable? I don't think so.
When it comes to discussing healthcare, I think politicians need to start using a word other than insurance, and they certainly need to get rid of “affordable” in the same sentence. Yes, there’s plenty of room to make healthcare “less expensive”. Technology, preventive services, disease management, and process design re-engineering can make healthcare less expensive and more accessible. But no country can deliver affordable healthcare, insured or not, that provides everything than can be done for everyone who wants or needs it. Healthcare reform should not be debated without a healthy dose of “tough love” on basic economics and a whole lot more detail about what we’ll really be getting. And for goodness sake, let’s stop talking about “affordable” insurance. Am I missing something here? I don’t claim to be an economist. I’m just a doctor who gets really confused when people throw around terms that don’t “add up”.

Know The Basics Before You Buy.
You are here because you want to know all you can about health insurance, right? Health insurance is a process that requires your involvement. If you put in the time and effort to understand health insurance, it will reward you with the best coverage possible. The more you know about health insurance, the more you will be able to help yourself. Health insurance is important for your family's well being also. Nobody within your family should be left out in the dark when it comes to learning more about health insurance. Use these blogs to gain some valuable health insurance knowledge. You and your family will depend on it.
The best place to begin is with the basics. The basics of health insurance will set this process in motion. If you become an expert at the basics you will get a head start on the health insurance process. We realize that the basics can be boring, or you might think that you know all about them already. It never hurts to have a refresher on some of the insurance information. The basics will give you an insight into how the rest of the health insurance process will go, and what you can do to make sure it works perfectly in your life. These blogs want to take you back to some of the basics of health insurance. Put in as much time and energy as you wish.

The Federal Government introduced the Private Health Insurance Rebate to make private health insurance more affordable for Australians who chose to take out private health cover.Who is eligible for the Rebate? The Rebate is available to anyone who is eligible for Medicare benefits and who holds any level of private health insurance cover, no matter the level or type of cover. The Rebate eligibility is not subject to a means test.What rebate am I entitled to receive?From 1 April 2005:if you and all persons covered by your policy are under the age of 65 years, you are entitled to receive a 30% rebate on your premiums.if either you or a person covered by your policy are aged 65 to 69 years, you are entitled to receive a 35% rebate on your premiums.if either you or a person covered by your policy are aged 70 years and over, you are entitled to receive a 40% rebate on your premiums. How can I claim the Rebate? You can claim your rebate in one of three ways:as a reduction in your contributions; or

In the modern age, successful business concerns have made globalization and worldwide operations their forte. Companies make huge foreign investments and a major portion of the generated revenue comes from overseas operations. To maintain fruitful liaisons with their foreign bases and forge new alliances, companies often send forth their employees on foreign trips. Keeping this increasing trend in mind, numerous affordable yet lucrative insurance policies have been drafted that would provide unmatched security for employers and companies.

The medical insurance for employees who are actively deployed in foreign projects constitutes a primary concern for the employer. International medical insurance agencies are now offering policies that could be particularly drafted to meet the company’s budgetary plans. These small group health insurance policies are designed to include employees who are deployed on both short and long term projects.

International medical insurance policies offer comprehensive medical coverage to defray charges for physician?s consultations and necessary hospitalization. The policies also defray incurred service charges for floor nursing, food and cleaning. An exhaustive insurance coverage list also includes ancillary services like ambulance, advanced diagnostic scans and intensive care units (if prescribed).

The employee?s international medical insurance also offers a host of extremely beneficial supplementary benefits as per specific policy requirements. Periodic detailed medical evaluations, arrangement of emergency medication, emergency administration of oxygen and pharmaceuticals are few of the facilities offered. The insurance policy entails flexible subscription and payment options (as per subscriber?s convenience) and options regarding deductibles and coverage benefits.

Employee wellness benefits, designed according to the companies? budgetary requirements, are offered by the employee’s group international insurance policies. The employers could also avail of flexible payment options for policies as well as options pertaining to deductibles and coverage value.

The international medical insurance for employees is fortified by the coverage offered by established underwriters like AIG, Lloyds and Sirius International. This bevy of extremely vital services is efficiently supported by a worldwide dedicated customer support network that remains active throughout the day.

A majority of insurance policies are affiliated to a definitive PPO network to facilitate prioritized cashless billing. As a conglomeration of employees, subscription to the health insurance small group is extremely easy. Only the essential medical documents, medical history and documents pertaining to the company’s budgetary requirements are asked for. A well-equipped and knowledgeable medical insurance agent could then design and customize the insurance policy to best accommodate the company budget.

International health insurance for employees offer a bevy of advantages like flexible, customer-oriented plans and dedicated 24X7 customer support. With these lucrative benefits, its little wonder that employee?s insurance coverage typically form an integral part of every company?s benefit package.

In April 2006, the Government announced reforms to private health insurance, including a requirement that health insurers provide Standard Information Statements (SIS) on all private health insurance products they offer. These reforms were introduced on 1 April 2007. Health insurers are required by law to provide these Statements so you can review your existing policy or compare private health insurance products.
A Standard Information Statement only gives a summary of the key product features. However, it does allow you to see if your broad needs are covered and where products differ in both price and features. You will need to contact Health Care Insurance to get all the details about the product.
You should not rely on the $ amounts for premiums or benefits on the Statement as they are there for comparison only. The actual premium may vary depending on your circumstances, for example, your age and your age when you first got health insurance. Benefits will vary depending on the details of your policy, the treatments you are having, the hospital you visit and who treats you.
Note that some words used in the Statement may not be exactly the same as those that Health Care Insurance uses, but we will be able to explain any differences.
As with all types of insurance, conditions will apply, so don't just rely on the Statement - once you have full details from Health Care Insurance, make sure you read them carefully before signing up and paying your premium.
There are three types of Standard Information Statements:- describes the features and limitations of hospital cover, including the type of accommodation, which medical services are covered in full, part or not covered, waiting periods and additional payments (excesses, co-payments and gaps),