Health Life

Archive for July, 2010

Is our reaction to stress genetically determined, or do we learn how to respond to stress by observing others in our culture by watching television and movies?

The Master Cleanse/Lemonade Diet

There are many different fasting methods that can be used in order to lose weight and detoxify the system. My favorite two are “Juicing” fresh fruits and vegetables and “The Master Cleanse”. (I will focus on Juicing and its benefits on my next post).

I found out about the master cleanse a few years back and was very intrigued by all the wonderful health, detox, and weight loss benefits individuals were getting from going on this “Cure All” fasting regimen.

What The Heck Is It?

A man by the name of Stanley Burroughs created the master cleans over 40 years ago to help treat ulcers but found out that this phenomenal cleanse did a whole lot more.

The master cleanse detoxifies the body while it stimulates healthy tissue growth, so basically it scrubs, renews, and rejuvenates every single cell of every organ in your body! Fasting to lose weight does have its advantages.

What Will It Do For Me?

*Weight Loss- The average person will lose 1 – 2 lbs. per day of fat and toxins.
*Cleanses the kidneys and digestive system
*Purifies all glands and cells in the body
*Eliminates hardened materials and waste in joints and muscles
*Purifies the blood stream
*Relieves irritation and pressure blood vessels, arteries and nerves
*Restores healthy skin. Makes you Look and feel younger
*Gets rid of boils, abscesses, carbuncles, pimples and blackheads
*Gets rid of colds, flu, asthma, hay fever, sinus and bronchial problems
*Increases memory, concentration, energy levels soar through the roof and less sleep is required
*Breaking addictions – people have even been know to go on the cleanse in order to
stop smoking, drinking and drug addictions.

What’s In It?

*Lemons
-They have to be fresh not the store bought juice
*Grade B Maple Syrup
-It has got to be this grade, you can get it at most health food stores

*Cayenne Pepper
-Get the powder, they also have it in the liquid form but I never tried it.

*Filtered Water
-Buy a water filter, you can get one for around $15

*Sea Salt (non iodized) Or Herbal Laxative Tea
-While fasting you MUST drink either sea salt with water or an herbal laxative tea 2x’s a day. Your body is going to start getting rid of all types of fatty tissue and alot of other stuff that has been stuck inside of you for many, many years and you have to have a way to get it out. Remember, your not eating so you have to get rid of this waste somehow.

Why It Works?

*Lemons are one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals and help to break up and get rid of mucus in the body.

*Maple Syrup Grade B has positive and negative sugars and contain loads of minerals and vitamins such as: potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine and silicon. Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, nicotinic acid and pantothenic acid.

*Cayenne Pepper also helps to break up mucus and cleanses the circulatory, digestive and respiratory system.

What Are The Negetives?

Day 1-3, a lot of people say (including myself) that getting past the first three days was the hardest part, but everyone is different. You may or may not experience, some fatigue, aches, irritability, and nausea.

You may also have an urge to eat food but DO NOT DO IT!! Just drink more of the lemonade mix when ever you feel a need to eat. It helps with appetite control.

If you can get past the first 1-3 days without eating then you will make it to the 10th day or however many days you would like to detox. You won’t even have a need or want to eat. Some people have been know to stay on the cleanse for up to a full month! The master cleans is definitely in my opinion one of the best detox and weight lose programs out today.

Federal

Owing to multiple blizzards in Washington, Congress started its President’s Day recess a full week early and conducted no official business last week. However, there was some legislative drama as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the rug out from under Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus by scrapping the Baucus jobs bill (without warning), which contained many health insurance items, and replacing it with a stripped down, narrow jobs bill. Whether the health items Baucus originally inserted with Republican help will make it back to the table remains fuzzy. Among the health items that have been dropped are: the COBRA eligibility extension (to May 31); the doc fix (to October, 2010) of Medicare reimbursement rates; and the favorable statutory direction to CMS to calculate the 2011 Medicare Advantage rates “as if” the doc fix were in place.

States

California health insurance The Office of Patient Advocacy released a report card on the states HMOs last week. Aetna received 3 out of 4 stars. The goal of the report card is to allow consumers to compare how well health plans use personal medical records and help address conditions such as asthma, arthritis and diabetes.

COLORADO: Governor Bill Ritter held a press conference to announce what he calls “the next round of reforms that represent common sense.” His legislative package includes bills to preclude insurance companies from charging different rates due to a person’s gender, ensure that women have access to breast cancer screening, assure plain language is used in insurance forms, standardize insurance applications and explanations of benefits, and encourage greater use of online tools to enroll people in public programs. Apart from the Governor’s proposals, a bill that would establish a public option was also introduced.

CONNECTICUT: In a short legislative session of only three months, the Insurance & Real Estate Committee wasted no time in putting forth an agenda that includes many concept drafts for repeat legislation from previous sessions. These include prohibiting health insurance copayments for preventive care, limiting prescription drug copayments, prohibiting Social Security disability payment offsets, and exempting the Municipal Employees Health Insurance Plans from the premium tax on small group premiums. In addition, the committee reintroduced legislation that includes nearly a dozen new health benefit mandates. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, an independent think-tank, says that health insurance mandates could increase premiums in Connecticut by more than 50 percent overall.

GEORGIA: A bill was proposed last week that would impose significant restrictions on insurers’ ability to rescind health insurance policies. Aetna, through the Georgia Association of Health Plans and AHIP, met with the legislator sponsoring the bill to express concerns with the bill.

INDIANA: The legislative session is at halftime, and the insurance agenda is now limited. Most insurance issue bills are officially dead, including a bill that would have prohibited health plan provisions requiring a contracted provider to accept more than a certain number of patients; coverage for dialysis treatment regardless of whether the facility is contracted or not and without certain benefit restrictions; and a bill that would have allowed out-of-network assignment of benefits. However, Aetna is expecting that a bill requiring insurer and HMO annual reporting of premium cost composition, including administrative costs, may be resurrected. A bill that restricts dental insurers and HMOs from establishing fee schedules for non-covered services passed the Senate, with our amendment to accommodate most of the key concerns expressed by opponents of the bill. As the bill stands, dental insurance plans may impose fee schedules for covered services, regardless of whether the plan actually pays for the services rendered.

KANSAS: An amended version of S.B. 389 related to dental services passed the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee on February 11. The amended bill prohibits any contract between a health insurer that offers a health benefit plan and a dentist from containing a provision that requires the dentist to accept a fee schedule for services unless the service is a covered service. Committee amendments added to the definition of a health benefit plan the following: any subscription agreement issued by a non-profit dental service corporation; any policy of health insurance purchased by an individual; the state childrens health insurance plan; and the state medical assistance program under Medicaid. We will continue to update you as this bill progresses and hope to make favorable changes as the bill moves through the House.

MASSACHUSETTS: Governor Deval Patrick filed a 40-page bill that proposes giving the insurance commissioner the power to hold public hearings on rate adjustments and essentially cap health care price increases. Rate increases for individuals would be held to the rate of medical inflation; those sold to employers with 50 or fewer workers could not exceed one and a half times the level of medical inflation. The legislation would also impose a two-year moratorium on any new health benefit mandates. Legislative leaders praised the intent of the governors plan but declined to promise support. Strong opposition is expected from medical provider groups. The Governor simultaneously announced emergency regulations to take immediate effect that will require health insurers to submit proposed small business rate increases for review by the state 30 days before they take effect. Several other proposed provisions include a requirement that insurers offer at least one coverage plan with a limited network of health care providers costing at least 10 percent less than health plans with access to more physicians. The Massachusetts Association of Health plans is lobbying in support of a bill introduced by Senate Insurance Chair Richard Moore that would create a cheaper health insurance product for small employers by capping payments to providers at just 10 percent above Medicare rates. The Massachusetts Medical Society is against that proposal.

MISSOURI: An autism coverage mandate bill was amended and perfected by the Senate and then sent to the Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee from which it must emerge before returning to the floor of the Senate. In addition to two mandate-related amendments, a third amendment to the bill allowing for limited cross border sales of health insurance also passed. In its current form, the bill contains a mandated offering of the coverage in the individual market. Coverage is limited to treatment ordered by a licensed physician or psychologist whose treatment plan the carrier is entitled to review every six months. Coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) is limited to $52,000 annually (down from the $72,000 as introduced) for persons under age 21. Meanwhile in the House, a bill containing significant language relating to the credentialing of autism service providers also passed. The bill also contains a mandate to offer coverage in the individual market and to groups of fewer than 25. Groups of 25 to 50 would be entitled to an exemption from the mandate if they could demonstrate an increase in premiums tied to the mandate. The bill limits annual coverage of ABA ($36,000 for children ages 3-9; $20,000 for children ages 9-21). Aetna will continue to monitor the status of these mandates, but it appears fairly clear at this point that something will pass on the issue of autism.

NEW JERSEY: Last week Governor Chris Christie declared a fiscal state of emergency calling a special session of the legislature to lay out his plan for dealing with states current $2.2 billion budget shortfall. His plan calls for significant cuts or eliminations across 375 state programs and withholding $500 million of state education aid. Of note on the program side is a $12.6 million reduction in Charity Care funding to hospitals, which pays for care to uninsured residents. In legislative action, the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee held a three-hour public hearing on out-of-network reimbursement. Much of the hearing focused on the markedly higher billing practices of ambulatory surgery centers and one non-par hospital. Aetna presented testimony regarding its experience with the non-par hospital, citing their disparate year-over-year increase in charges compared to other similarly situated hospitals. Chairman Schaer indicated the committee will work over the next several months to craft a solution.

NEW YORK: With Democratic Senator Hiram Monserrate officially expelled from the Senate, the Democratic majority (31-30) now faces an uphill battle getting the 32 votes needed to pass legislation. However, both the Senate and the Assembly moved forward with a public hearing on the Executive Budget proposal for health, including the section mandating the prior approval of rate adjustments. The Health Plan Association testified on behalf of the industry. If enacted, Governor Paterson’s proposal for an 85 percent medical loss ratio and a prior approval hearing process for all rate adjustments would essentially amount to government control of health insurance, undermining the private health insurance market in New York. Price controls would weaken health plan solvency, hurt providers and virtually eliminate innovation and efficiency. At the same time, the proposal ignores the underlying cause of the increasing cost of health insurance — the increase in the actual costs of health care services.

OKLAHOMA: The second session of the 52nd Oklahoma Legislature convened in Oklahoma City on February 1. Legislators quickly turned to the states $1.3 billion budget deficit described by Governor Brad Henry (D) in his eighth and final state of the state address and FY 2011 executive budget. During his address, the Governor focused on his plans for resolving the $1.3 billion budget deficit through precise budget cuts. His only reference to health insurance was to encourage the expansion of Insure Oklahoma, a program developed by the state in partnership with small employers to provide affordable health coverage. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 28 but only after addressing a range of legislation including several bills of interest to Aetna.

SOUTH DAKOTA: A dental fee schedule bill (S.B. 108) unanimously passed the Senate Commerce Committee and is expected to be taken up by the full Senate early this week. The bill prohibits any contract between a health insurer that offers a health benefit plan and a dentist from containing a provision that requires the dentist to accept a fee schedule for services unless the service is a covered service. Aetna will continue to follow the bill’s progress as it progresses.

TENNESSEE: Several bills have been proposed that would make changes to the state’s external review law. Aetna and other industry representatives will be meeting with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance regarding its proposed changes to the external review law. The bill proposed by the TDCI most closely mirrors the model legislation proposed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

UTAH: The Speaker of the House has introduced a health reform bill addressing health information technology, individual and small group market reforms and transparency. The overarching theme of the reforms is micromanagement of rates and rating factors, and a broadening of the Insurance Commissioner’s authority. The transparency provisions apply plan designs and benefit descriptions submitted by carriers, and would require providers to make available, upon request, a price list for services on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.

The secrets to success in life.

All we need in life is health, wealth and happiness. Our quality of life ultimately depends on the levels of these three things. The actual levels will not be the same for everyone as we all have different views on what constitutes, for example, wealth. In the end it all comes down to getting these levels right for you as an individual.

Good Health, no major illnesses (obviously) but also very few or even no small niggling health issues either. I have relatively good health but if I didn’t have take those asthma meds every day then that would be better. I’m also short sighted. OK that’s not a health issue as such but if I could ditch the glasses then so much the better. By the way laser eye surgery is not an option for me due to a medical condition I have called cowardice!

Wealth, this is a very individual concept. Having 10K in the bank may be a fortune to one person but a pittance to someone else. In reality, we need enough cash coming in to be able to at least live comfortably (again a very personal concept). Any additional income on top of that allows us to improve our life as we can then afford luxuries and it gives us more choices.

Happiness. What constitutes happiness? You could say that having good health and being wealthy would make you very happy. But it is often said that having money alone doesn’t make you happy. I agree to some extent. Having more money would certainly make me happier as I would then be able to afford the house I would like to live in and drive the car I want (by the way that would be Bentley Continental GT if anyone is giving one away).But I could be healthy and have lots of money yet be as miserable as sin. I could be lonely, have no friends, no wife or girlfriend and not enjoying the benefits of my health and wealth. I think the key component to happiness is ‘relationships’. We need to have human interaction to thrive. That means friends, family and partner.

How do we achieve health, wealth and happiness? Some people seem to have it all while others lack in all three aspects. Why is that? Is it luck, upbringing, hard work, genetics? I believe we all have it in us to change the way we are. It is often our own way of thinking that holds us back. Lonely miserable people tend to get ill more easily and tend not to do so well at work or may not be able to get work. Which makes them more miserable etc. etc. It’s the old Vicious Cycle that brings you down. You may be doing well in life then you get made redundant, you feel a bit depressed, then you lose your self confidence, start to get ill, stop seeing friends, argue with your partner. Life turns out to be rubbish. You need to break this cycle and things will start to improve, one thing leads to another and you can start to reverse the cycle.

How can we succeed in life and achieve health, wealth and happiness? There are techniques that can teach you how to change your behaviour to ensure that you win rather than lose. Take control of your thoughts, become motivated, increase your self esteem and feel great all day. We need an understanding of the causes of success, the reasons for failure and how to make sure we take the correct route.To truly succeed in life we need to maximise these 7 important areas: mental well-being, physical health, personal workload, wealth direction, fun, standard of living & quality of relationships.

I cannot teach all those things in this short article, it would take a substantial book to do that. However, I hope I have made you think about your own situation, how you look at yourself and what you may need to do in order to improve your situation and succeed in life.

Knee pain does not care about your age or your overall health. It does not care how rich or poor you may be either… Sharp knee pain can effect you differently and we will discuss how to help effectively treat this problem in this article, so read on my friend…

Despite the origination of your sharp knee pain, there is one thing in common: It hurts!

Sharp knee pain can stop you in your tracks, put a damper on your activities, and generally decrease your quality of life. What’s more interesting is that sharp knee pain causes can be difficult to identify because numerous factors may be contributing to your discomfort. If you are able to figure out what your sharp knee pain was caused by, then this is a step in the right direction.

Of all the joints in the human body, the knee joint seems to cause the most trouble for most people. In general, 9 out of 10 individuals will indicate that they have suffered from knee pain problems at some point in their lives.

Sharp knee pain causes are often hard to pinpoint because of the inconsistency of the pain. It may come on from time to time, or it may be present for only certain activities. Actually, this seeming inconsistency may hold the key to identifying sharp knee pain causes, so it is important to keep track of when you experience the sharp pain, and what activities you were doing at the time.

Some of the causes of sharp knee pain are self-evident. Sudden injury to the anatomical structures of the knee joint (i.e. twisting the knee) can result in severe knee discomfort. Moreover, trauma to the knee joint(i.e. falling and hitting the knee cap), can result in sharp knee pain issues. On the other hand, some causes of knee discomfort are not always so noticeable. A few of the more common, less obvious causes are as follows:

Arthritis: Arthritis can develop slowly, gradually affecting the mobility of the knee until one day, you begin to experience sharp pain.

Free-Floating Matter: Bits of bone or cartilage can break off within the knee and shift around, interfering with the mechanics of the knee and causing sharp pain.

Chondromalacia: This condition occurs when the cartilage under the knee cap (patella) becomes soft, allowing the knee cap to rub against the bone, causing sharp pain.

Malalignment: The knee joint can become malaligned, forcing the patella out of place and putting extra stress on the muscles and ligaments. This problem, sometimes caused by such simple things as improper gait, bad posture, and overuse, can be a cause of sharp knee pain.

Bursitis or Tendonitis: Sometimes, the bursae (sacs of fluid) around the knee joint, or the tendons within the knee become inflamed, and becomes another of the many knee pain causes.

There are several other causes of intense knee pain. In order to properly diagnose the causes of your knee pain, you need to be evaluated by a qualified medical professional. Still, in the interim, whatever the cause of your knee pain, you may be able to obtain some relief through the use of a well designed knee brace.

In the vast majority of cases, a knee brace can help protect your knee and help alleviate your painful symptoms. Well designed knee supports can come in several different styles, and they are not difficult to use. Some are more rigid (which can be a good thing) with a hinge that prevents excessive painful movements; others are soft, being more flexible in nature.

Regardless of the style or type, knee braces are designed to help support your knee, helping to take the pressure off the joint and thus helping to reduce any inflammation that may be causing discomfort.

Knee braces are also designed to help keep the knee properly aligned, thus helping to prevent sharp pain caused by malalignment while also helping you to avoid traumatic injury.

What is Type 1 Diabetes? www.clearlyhealth.com

From Tuina Student to Master DVD: featuring the tuina treatment for tports injuries. See www.tuinastudenttomaster.com

After a stroke, things change. Because 700000 new strokes occur every year in America, knowing what may follow is invaluable to a stroke victim’s loved ones.Watch More Health Videos at Health Guru: www.healthguru.com

What is the difference between the regular flu and the swine flu? And if someone has the swine , how long does it take to recover from it , esp if there are no vaccines available ? What should one do in that case? I have consulted a doctor and even he does not know what i should do, he himself said he had the swine already and has not fully recovered and i have had it now for three weeks . I have congestion so badly that sometimes i simply can not breathe properly.

I have been doing research on cancer on many ways and for many years.

I have found out that for cancer breast reoval doctors usually prefer surgery.

On the the free site breastcancer.org the various ways of cancer breast removal are reported as following

Lumpectomy, also known as breast-conserving surgery, is the removal of only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue.
Mastectomy is the removal of all of the breast tissue. Mastectomy is more refined and less intrusive than it used to be because in most cases, the muscles under the breast are no longer removed.
Lymph node removal, or axillary lymph node dissection, can take place during lumpectomy and mastectomy if the biopsy shows that breast cancer has spread outside the milk duct. Some people qualify for the less-invasive sentinel lymph node dissection.
Breast reconstruction is the rebuilding of the breast after mastectomy and sometimes lumpectomy. Reconstruction can take place at the same time as cancer-removing surgery, or months to years later. Some women decide not to have reconstruction and opt for a prosthesis instead.

Prophylactic mastectomy is preventive removal of the breast to lower the risk of breast cancer in high-risk people.
Prophylactic ovary removal is a preventive surgery that lowers the amount of estrogen in the body, making it harder for estrogen to stimulate the development of breast cancer.
Cryotherapy, also called cryosurgery, uses extreme cold to freeze and kill cancer cells. Right now, cryotherapy is an experimental treatment for breast cancer.

There is always hope, remember.