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Archive for the ‘Health Care’ Category

There is a small epidemic slithering through your workplace. It’s claimed men, women and managers without distinction or concern. The symptoms are well known, explained weakly over phone calls, typed lazily in private messages (fevers, it seems, destroy all need for grammar or coherency). It’s jumping from cubicle to cubicle; and your row is next. All of your compatriots are beginning to hoard tissues and calcium.

You, however, are not.

Because you’ve already taken all the necessary steps to protect yourself. Those last minute desperations are not worthy of your time.

Health is not a game of chance. It’s not determined by simple fate. While genetics and environment may dictate the major elements of your life, the little moments (such as the all too common office flu) can be instead determined by you. Self-care reigns supreme.

To prepare for any season–and keep yourself from suffering the indignity of coughs and headaches–you know you must keep your body physically fit and so you do what you must:

1. Exercise. It’s the most obvious suggestion and the one too often ignored; but exercising is essential to maintain good health. Devote at least one hour a day to movement. Challenge yourself beyond reaching for the remote. This is the best way to expand years and keep illnesses at bay.

2. Nutrition. That last piece of cake is tempting. It’s not, however, sensible. Understand that you need more than the indulgence of sweets. Offer yourself a well-rounded menu throughout the day. Choose vitamin-rich foods and refuse the ease of calories. Substitute healthy snacks for your typical fare and choose wiser alternatives.

3. Hygiene. There was a time when water was considered a vice and skin was to be kept earth-soaked. Now, however, such times are gone. This is a change you must embrace fully. Wash your hands; prevent cross-contamination; disinfect surfaces. Keep yourself (and your home) in proper order.

Self-care is not a tedious thing. It’s mere common sense. Understand that you must protect yourself by doing more than relying on luck. You must instead work for your health (and then reap the rewards).

If you’ve been looking to tighten your waist line or your budget, it can be overwhelming trying to think of all the many things you “should” be doing differently. For a softer, easier approach that will give you clear and consistent improvement, just try changing one thing: your lunch break. If you eat out at restaurants or other food service vendors, you are spending a lot more money than you probably realize. Spending $10 a day on lunch, five days per week can add up to as much as $230 dollars per month. With a little bit of planning, you can eat better food for far less money.
When you buy cheap fast food like burgers and processed chicken sandwiches, you are ingesting far more sodium, fat, additives, and calories than a homemade version of the same item. “Healthier” options like salads start in the $6 range at the cheapest fast food locations, and often have additives that you aren’t aware of that make it much less figure friendly than you probably realize. If you eat at a restaurant, there is a much more liberal application of oils and fats and the salad dressings are much more fatty than the average brands carried in the grocery stores. You’re spending 2-3 times more money and ingesting 2-3 times more calories than doing it yourself.
To make things easy, buy fresh or frozen chicken breasts on sale. Prepare them with marinades or rubs in flavors that you like. You can make them take on an Asian flair or give them bold Latin flavors. Think about what dishes you like in restaurants and you can find easy recipes to get the same flavors at home. Grill up several days’ worth of chicken and then the night before, slice them and add them to a salad mix from the store. Add nuts, cheese, dried fruit or anything else you enjoy. Keep salad dressing and crisp components separate until you are ready to eat. Fill up on the lean protein and extra greens. You will be full for far fewer calories and will save a bundle.

Often people wonder, do they really need car insurance? General perception is like this – I have never been involved in an accident, I never drink and drive, I follow all the traffic regulations and most importantly, I drive safely. True. But what people fail to take into consideration is a driver can get involved in an accident no matter how careful they are at the wheel. While driving along a road, a random vehicle swerves out of control and rams into your car. The driver of the other vehicle may be at fault, nevertheless, your car is damaged and you may be injured. If you have good coverage, your insurance will cover injuries, car repairs, and a rental car–in no time you’re back to normal within few days.

Now, apply the same logic to swine flu vaccinations that were purchased in huge quantities by the most affected countries (including the U.S). The media reported that the decision to raise the swine flu threat to a pandemic alert was largely influenced by pharmaceutical companies who were engaged in production of swine flu medications. This line of thinking would be like reporting that the government is working with insurance companies to make car insurance compulsory. This isn’t happening.

The H1N1 virus which causes swine flu mutated and infected people rapidly became ill or succumbed to the virus. The world barely had time to react to the situation, because countries were unprepared. Countries moved quickly to buy medications and vaccines from the only pharmaceutical companies that were producing them. No one wishes to contract a possibly fatal disease, just as no one wants to feel helpless when they have an accident in their car. Being prepared is the key, spend time considering all your option then act to protect you and your family.

Many do not realize that eating tainted food can be life threatening. Unless you’ve worked in the food industry, you may never have been taught what is and isn’t safe in the kitchen. A little know how can save you.
Cold food must always be stored in a refrigerator with an air temperature no higher 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and food must be no warmer than 41 degrees. Produce does well in the lower 40’s but seafood should be kept in the lower 30’s. Your food temperature in the freezer should be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit unless it is being thawed for consumption. When thawing frozen food, the refrigerator (at 41 degrees or lower) is ideal, but can take time. If the food must be thawed more quickly, the item can be placed in a water bath that maintains both a constant stream of running water through it and a temperature below 70 degrees. If the temperature gets too high, ice may be added to the bath to bring down the temperature. Be sure that any item or surface that comes in contact with raw meat does not come in contact with any other food item, including cooked meat.
When cooking food, meats and proteins in particular, it is extremely important to heat food to a proper temperature and have it consumed very soon afterwards. As the temperature drops, it becomes dangerous, as food that is between 70 degrees and 120 degrees is a perfect breeding ground for illness inducing bacteria. 165 degrees Fahrenheit is a good guideline to stick to when checking the temperature on your meat, as that is a temp that will ensure the protein is safe to eat. Certain meats can be served at lower temperatures but if you won’t remember them all, then 165 degrees is the guideline to use. For those cooks who prefer that their meat is not overdone, remember that steaks, seafood, and roasts are safe at 145 degrees. Eggs, ground beef, and pork cuts can be served at 160 degrees, while poultry like chicken must always be served at 165 degrees, no exceptions.

You can’t always control whether you develop an illness for which you need medication, but you can control how much you spend. Generic medications can help with that, because they don’t cost nearly as much as the name brands. Some medications don’t have generic equivalents, though, so you’ll have to pay full price for them. If that’s the case with you, ask your doctor about free samples. He might be able to provide you with your medication that way, so you don’t have to keep paying high prices for what you need to keep you healthy. If you can’t get free samples, there are still more choices to help make sure you get your medicine.

One of the things you can do is get a prepaid card and load it with the right amount to pay for your medications, so the money will be there when you need it. You can also talk to the companies that make your medications. Some of them offer discount cards that are good for a year or more. You’ll be able to save money that way, and you can use the money you buy something else you need. Money can be very tight when the economy is bad, but you still need your medication.

Don’t be shy about asking for help from your doctor, the pharmacy, the company that makes your medication, and any charitable organizations in your area that help people with medical expenses. There’s no harm in asking, and you may just find some people willing to help you. Much of that will depend on your income level and the cost of your medications, but you won’t know whether you qualify for any help until you ask around. Some people don’t like to do that because they feel embarrassed, but there’s nothing embarrassing about saving money.

Does the American population seem to be getting fatter and fatter? It is. Today, 66% of Americans are either overweight or obese. At the current rate of increase in obesity, 100% of Americans will be obese by 2048. That 100% prediction is not too far off in the future.

With a dangerous health issue of such magnitude, it is easy to sit back and take a “laissez faire” attitude, but clearly, a more proactive approach is needed. Americans can no longer afford to look for easy answers or quick fixes. With so much contradictory information available about weight loss, it can be hard to decide on the best course of action.

More and more, people blame weight gain on genetics instead of lack of discipline with diet and exercise. Because the pharmaceutical industry aims to make as much money as quickly and easily as it can, it invents new “medications” to help those who believe they are “genetically predisposed” to be overweight.

Don’t fall for the hoax. The same industry that is ready to take your money for weight-reduction pills is the same industry that designs the chemicals in the foods you eat. It is a profitable circle of destruction. As foods are engineered to be more enticing—foods that you can’t stop yourself from eating as the food itself truly becomes an addiction, exactly like drugs and alcohol—have no doubt that a “medication” will be made available to help you control your weight problem.

You could have better luck managing your weight by checking yourself into an alcohol rehab program and asking to be fed only whole, organic foods. What could it hurt? The alternative is a never-ending cycle of dependence, a lifetime of genetically modified foods, diet pills, and the psychological nightmare of obesity.

For those out there that want a beautiful, healthy complexion but do not have thousands of dollars to spend, it can be frustrating to read the magazines full of expensive product adds. Hearing celebrity interviews can be annoying too, as they can go to extreme measures to look their best while spending enough to feed a third world nation to do it. If you had millions of dollars in disposable income and your face was plastered on mega screens, you may very well do the same thing (who wants debut a three foot pimple for the world to see?) but for the rest of us out there who want great skin, we want it to be quick, easy, and affordable. What you may not realize is that there are plenty of fantastic options for you to easily maintain a good skincare regimen.
While creams made with diamonds and facials composed of bird excrement may be what you hear the celebs are doing, the department store beauty products are most predominantly advertised. They are pretty, they smell good, and are beautifully packaged. But many of the companies that produce those products are also the major companies behind the drugstore brands. There are occasionally brilliant products that might be worth a splurge, but don’t take the sales associate’s word for it. Go to online message boards where people discuss their experiences with products and read the customer ratings before taking the dive. Some online retailers often have user reviews as well. Weigh what is said and see if it is worth a try for you. If so, buy it from a retailer with an excellent return policy and save your receipt in case it’s not for you.
Otherwise, what you need is probably at your drugstore. A simple cleanser, an exfoliator, a gentle toner, an oil-free moisturizer, and sunscreen, if your moisturizer is not at least spf 15. Go for products that are light and clean, not full of heavy fragrance. Avoid petroleum products as they are cheap and bad for skin. You’d be surprised how many celebs secretly use drugstore products too!

For adults who deal with acne, it’s embarrassing and frustrating dealing with a situation that you thought you would be done with by adulthood. Battling pimples and wrinkles at the same time is not what most of us had in mind when we considered what being a grown up would be like. Changes in your routine or using new products may help.
Gentle, sensitive skin care is likely to be more helpful than harsh treatments. Choose a gentle cleanser, exfoliant, light toner, and a moisturizer that doesn’t clog pores. Many opt to not use moisturizer, thinking that they are starving the acne by drying it out but actually, your skin will compensate by creating more oils, and when mixed with dead skin cells and microscopic debris, pores are clogged and pimples are created. If adding pimple medications like spot treatments, salicylic acid and benzoil peroxide products are fine, but should not be overly used. Make sure that your skin is regularly and gently exfoliated to remove pore clogging particles. Retinoids are a great option as well. They exfoliate the skin aiding in the reduction of both pimples and line that have formed. It’s a great option for adults needing help with both issues. Always use non-comedogenic sunscreen when retinoids are a part of your routine, as it makes you more susceptible to sun damage and irritation.
Keep your hands off your face as much as possible. Touching your face very gently with very clean hands can help make huge progress in clearing up your skin. Many breakouts are spread when people try to rupture their blemishes in an attempt to get rid of them.
All make up and skin care products should examined thoroughly. Familiarize yourself with comedogenic (pore clogging) ingredients so you will always be able to spot them and do not trust a label just because it advertises that it’s good for your skin. Many such products still contain ingredients that are acnegenic (or hospitable to acne). Petroleum products are the biggest problem, with mineral oil and petrolatum being used in many products, especially in products geared for mature customers.

Diets are extremely varied throughout the world but one thing that is becoming more common is the lack of variety within the diets of the first world nations. With many people turning to prepackaged foods as well as many other processed foods, white flour, sugar, sodium, and fat have become staples, eliminating or at least drastically cutting the amount of multi-colored vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains from their diets. What fruits, vegetables, and meats that are being eaten are genetically modified and hormonally injected. Modern food is not the same today as it was many years ago. Even a common apple is much larger, and more “perfect looking” than a predecessor from 40 years ago, but many people will tell you that the modern apple probably has half the flavor as well. As such, many vital nutrients are lacking from the modern diet.

With malnourishment being an issue, especially among people who are anything but undernourished, changes are appropriate. There are plenty of ways to increase the nutrients you intake. Drastic, major changes are not the only way to supplement your diet either. Baby steps are easy ways to incorporate change without feeling like you have turned your world upside down. You may find that you won’t only enjoy some of the changes, but you will feel infinitely better physically, emotionally, and mentally as well.

Vitamins are a great place to start. A daily multivitamin can fill in a lot of nutritional holes right away. It is easy to pop one pill in the morning with your breakfast and feel the boost right away. The more nutrients in your breakfast, the better your vitamin will be absorbed as the nutrients will “piggyback” their way into your system.

Juicing is another painless way to start packing more nutrients into your system. High quality juicers can be found online and in stores starting in the one hundred dollar range. Fresh juice is not only delicious, but you will feel the pep immediately. If you don’t want to buy a juicer, many grocery stores and juice counters have great options available too.

Adolescence and its trials are many and varied. Mood swings, social pressures, stress about education, hormones, exhaustion, and feelings of inadequacy bombard pretty much every teen. Adding acne to the mix makes things all the more difficult and embarrassing.
While we now know that chocolate and other foods are likely not culprits in causing blemishes, there are many habits that could improve the odds of clearing up skin. Incorporating basic skin care into your routine, including using oil-free moisturizer, and exfoliating your skin gently and regularly is essential. Women who wear makeup should never sleep in it. Use a clean cotton pillowcase that you wash frequently. Wash your hair frequently enough so that you don’t transfer oils from your hands or pillow. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face and do not try to pop your pimples. When dirty hands and nails open a sore with bacteria and then spread it around the face, many more blemishes will naturally come up. Also, while eating certain foods, especially greasy ones that are deep fried like French fries, probably will not cause a break out, the oil from your fries very well could. Take care when eating that you don’t inadvertently touch your face with greasy fingers or get the French fries on your face at all. If you work in a place where a lot of fried food is produced, airborne oil can be a concern. Consider gently but thoroughly cleaning your skin right before and right after work and again, it would be wise to avoid touching your skin at all while at work.
Makeup and skincare can be full of many ingredients that can aggravate skin. Make sure you avoid mineral oil and petrolatum, as well as unnecessary fragrance or perfumes. While strong, sweet smelling lotions are nice to smell, they are terrible for your pores. Consider using only non-comedogenic lotions for your whole body so there is no concern for cross contamination. Spending the time, energy, and money to keep only pure products on your face is wasted if you accidentally get irritating hand lotion on your face.