The Truth About Healthcare Reform
Hi freinds, this is an extract from Doctors Furhman blogs talking about healthcare reform. Basically says that until people do not improve their lifestyles, meaning eating habbits and increase their activity levels, the reform is not going to do much.
Here is the text, “Healthcare reform is irrelevant until Americans improve their lifestyles.”
The fact is, our healthcare costs are out of control because the diet and lifestyle that has become the societal norm in this country causes disease. As Ms. Pirello mentioned in her article:
“We are willing to tolerate this revolutionized food because it’s cheap. But it comes at a high price to our health. We spend less on food today than any other people at any other time in recorded history. And the less we spend on food, the more we spend on health care.”1
Here are some numbers:
- Overweight and obesity rates are at an all time high – 73% of Americans are either overweight (38.8%) or obese(34.2%).2 In 1980, 15% of adults were obese – over the past 30 years,that number has more than doubled.3
- According to the CDC, U.S. obesity-related health costs totaled $117 billion in 2000, and if current trends continue, that figure is projected to reach $344 billion per year by 2018.3,4
- Coronary heart disease costs are estimated at $177 billion for 2010, costs for stroke at $74 billion, costs for hypertension at $77 billion. 5
- Health insurance premiums have gone up 131% in the last 10 years.6
Tags:
Excess iron and copper contribute to chronic disease and aging
There are many nutrients that are necessary for normal functioning as copper and iron, however, its very easy for them to become toxic becasue of excess quantity of them.
In this post blog by Posted on February 1, 2010 by Deana Ferreri in Doctor Furhman Blog,
Both iron and copper serve vital functions, but as we age excess stores of these metals may build and become toxic. A report from the American Chemical Society1 suggests that iron and copper toxicity are unrecognized but significant threats to public health, in particular for adults over the age of 50.
Iron is crucial for oxygen transport and the proper function of several enzymes and proteins. Similarly, copper is also a component of enzymes that catalyze important reactions in several of the body’s cells and tissues. The human body evolved to store excess iron and copper to fuel these vital processes in case of extreme conditions like bleeding or famine, but their accumulation over time may be detrimental because both metals are involved in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
It is now generally accepted that oxidative damage, a byproduct of oxygen-dependent energy production, contributes to chronic diseases and aging.
Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is one of the initial steps of atherosclerotic plaque development. Epidemiological associations between body stores of each of these metals and atherosclerosis have been found, and this is thought to be due to ROS production.2
Oxidative damage and depletion of the brain’s natural antioxidant defenses are implicated in the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Because the brain uses more oxygen and produces more energy than any other organ, it is the most vulnerable organ to oxidative damage. The high iron content of the brain, even higher in those with excessive iron stores, makes the brain even more vulnerable to oxidative stress.3
In people at least 65 years of age who consumed diets high in saturated and trans fats, copper intake was associated with accelerated cognitive decline. Copper bound to cholesterol is also commonly found in the ?-amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.4
Kava Kava: A Natural Anxiety Reducer
Summer is coming to a close and September is the biggest month for going back to school, acquiring new projects at work, and no doubt a new set of things to be anxious about. Instead of popping prescription meds for that new bout of anxiety, stop it before it gets too far with a little bit of natural help. The Kava kava plant is here to help slow your mind and reduce your workday, school day, and dinner time anxieties.
Kava kava – or scientifically termed Piper methysticum – is native to many island nations in and around Polynesia (including Hawaii) where it has been used for centuries as a ceremonial herb to induce intoxication as a way to calm the patrons of celebrations. Although the kava plant has large, green leaves and stems, the actual root is the only part of the plant that is used for medicinal or recreational purposes.
Kava is also used as an alternative to alcohol among the islands and is a well-known drink available at large functions like weddings, graduations, funerals and community gatherings. There is no known hangover quality to imbibing a kava concoction and has little known side effects when used sparingly, although pregnant women and people with liver problems have been cautioned not to take it. Kava kava, while used as a drink or a medicine should also never be taken along with alcohol. Potential side effects of taking kava are drowsiness, headache, and reaction with certain drugs, indigestion or skin rash; more serious conditions may occur with dangerous amounts of kava and people interested in adding kava to their routine should always consult their healthcare provider before taking anything new.
Besides anxiety, kava kava has been used in numerous natural remedies for insomnia and back pain as well as help with children who are hyperactive or have trouble sleeping. It has been used by business associates trying to keep up with their workload, athletes crushed by their vigorous schedules, and intellectuals hoping to take that pressure off and assist in focusing their minds.
Kava kava helps make the body as calm as possible and stay that way as long as the root is in your system. Kava root relaxes your muscles, gives you a feeling of well-being, creates peaceful and relaxing feelings, increases concentration, lowers inhibitions, and can act as an organic form of aphrodisiac. By making people more sociable and less self conscious, it makes sense that it’s the premier “ice breaker” drink of Polynesia.
Traditionally, the kava root was chewed for the medicinal effects or crushed and simmered and made into a beverage. In modern times, kava kava is now available in capsules, teas, liquids, extracts, tablets, and mixed into natural health beverages.
Scientists believe that the root of the kava plant seems to be used as a type of neurotransmitter sending good feelings in the form of chemicals to your brain cells. In 2004, the Cochrane Collaboration investigated previous research in clinical trials used to treat anxiety with kava versus a placebo. Over the 11 trials they studied involved almost 650 people; researchers came to the conclusion that kava, “appears to be an effective symptomatic treatment option for anxiety.” The research also showed, however, that it should not be abused because although there is a percentage of effectiveness against anxiety, it is not high, and should not be used for prolonged or extreme cases of anxiety.
Even if you have never heard of kava root, take a tip from the party planners of the islands if you’re feeling a little crazy before a big presentation, after a particularly bad traffic jam, or in the middle of a stressful to-do list and just relax a little with kava kava…naturally.
The Rise of Eco-Dentistry
By Lara Endreszl
Published: Saturday, 26 September 2009
Recently dentistry has taken on a new role in our annual lives by adding an adjective to its process: comfort. No more stiff chairs, old copies of Highlights magazine, and outdated art on the walls like my childhood dentist; these days offices have waiting room chairs so nice you want to get there early to take a nap, iPods to listen to during your visit to help drown out the ugly sounds of the tools, and the newest copies of all the hip magazines and newspapers. What is next for dentists to adopt? Eco-friendly office environments, procedures, and equipment…also called “Eco-dentistry,” a practice that is quickly gaining popularity as more people would frequent the dentist when necessary if it were safer for their bodies and easier on the Earth.
In June of this year, the Eco-Dentistry Association launched internationally. There are dentists residing in 20 U.S. states, as well as some in Canada, who have joined the association in order to help offices around the world become better suited for the environment and there is no doubt in the industry that these numbers will continue to grow as this new wave of dentistry takes shape.
Dr. Fred Pockrass and his wife Ina started the Eco-Dentistry Association in order to recruit more professionals to this new branch of the trade after they started the first eco-friendly practice in the United States. The Association states in its opening press release a few statistics about the amount of waste that many dental practices accrue. The numbers are jaw-dropping: “…680 million disposable chair barriers, light handle covers and patient bibs, and 1.7 billion instrument sterilization pouches end up in landfills yearly….If every U.S. dental office installed a device capturing mercury-containing waste, at least 7,400 pounds of toxic waste would be kept out of the nation’s water supplies each year.”
The Association explains that cutting down on waste would help tremendously. One of the main concerns in dentists’ offices is contamination and infection which means keeping tools, patients, and the professionals safe and clean. By helping dentists around the globe go “green,” businesses can avoid infection by using non-toxic methods of disinfecting tools and machinery as well as switching to reusable materials around the office which can help boost efficiency in the workplace.
In an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint, eco-dentists are opening and redesigning offices all around the country, incorporating ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle while keeping the medical process running smoothly, all the while creating peace of mind for patients. These ideas include: Recycled paper materials used in the reception area as well as decoration in the waiting room such as wallpaper, natural fiber-based fabrics for the carpet and rugs and chairs, environmentally safe non-toxic cleaners, recycled wood furniture, chemical-free sterilization techniques, a safe mercury-disposal system, the use of forms and databases as well as billing and payment through online forums to reduce paper, reusable instrument carriers, and washable patient bibs and disinfectant cloths, among others.
Perhaps the best new form of technology making headlines in the industry is digital imaging. By taking tooth and gum images using digital technology instead of X-rays you can eliminate up to 90 percent of the radiation being sent out into the universe.
Although most of us never really want to go to the dentist except to listen to the great selections on the iPods, maybe the next time your teeth are due for the annual cleaning you can keep your eyes out for the new and improved practice used on old but standard procedures. Help keep your teeth, keep your health intact, and clean up your community through eco-friendly dentistry.
Tags:
The Great Weight Debate
Surprise: The latest research shows you can be overweight and fit, and thin but carrying too much fat.
Thirty-nine-year-old Teresa Holler, on the other hand, is considered “healthy.” As a physician assistant, Holler knows she needs to monitor her weight. But after a tough pregnancy six years ago, she slowed down her normally rigorous exercise program. Initially, the trim 5′3″, 128-pound, size-5 Holler wasn’t too concerned: Her BMI remained at 23, putting her in the healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9. Still, she began to worry that something was amiss. “I felt like I was getting this ring of fat around my midsection,” she says. “And I was just less energetic.” This led her to request a body-fat test from her doctor. She was shocked to find the amount of fat she was carrying on her diminutive frame—30 percent—qualified her as borderline obese, dramatically elevating her risk for diabetes and heart disease. “Here I was, spending my days telling other people how to get healthy, and I’d missed this,” she remembers.
Health experts have been too strict with heavy people like Dawson and too lax with normal-weight people like Holler: Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that about half of American adults in the normal-body-weight category still have too much body fat—and given that these people also tend to have many of the risk factors associated with heart disease, that assessment is probably correct. “I’m a cardiologist, and I was seeing too many patients whose BMI checked out as normal but who didn’t look right,” says Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD, the Mayo doctor who headed the study. “Some had a big belly, some had low muscle mass. And they had high blood sugar and cholesterol. It became clear to me that the measurements we were using weren’t working for these people.”
How risky is it for a normal-weight person to carry too much fat? The answer lies in the way the body stores the stuff. “All fat isn’t created equal,” says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a professor at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “The deeply deposited kind—visceral fat—produces three times more bad chemicals than other types, and it drains directly into your liver.”
Visceral fat bulks up the trunk of the body, and it has been directly tied to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. (People who carry fat on the hips and thighs seem to have a lower risk.) Importantly, visceral fat tends to be the type normal-weight people have. It sneaks up on a person because it’s not especially visible and it can build up without altering weight—replacing muscle that is naturally lost with aging. And that stealthy buildup of fat may help explain the results of a 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): Researchers analyzed mortality data of people in different weight categories, from underweight to obese, and found that there were fewer deaths among overweight people than those in the normal-weight group.
That finding may come as quite a shock for Americans, who have had it drilled into them that being heavy will take years off their lives. But evidence to the contrary has been mounting, and a 2008 report on the U.S. population published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine made the issue impossible to ignore: Half of Americans who are in the overweight BMI category and a third of those in the obese one (30 or greater BMI) are actually healthy—they have plenty of “good” cholesterol, normal blood pressure and glucose levels, and no other risk markers for heart disease.
“In other research I was doing, I was seeing a lot of people who were heavy but fine,” says MaryFran Sowers, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan who co-authored the study. “What was surprising about the study results was that the number of healthy overweight people was so prevalent.”
Lopez-Jimenez agrees. “We’ve long assumed that all people who are overweight have a lot of fat, and that people with normal weight have less fat and more muscle,” he says. “We now know that’s not always true. There are fewer unhealthy overweight people out there, and many more at-risk normal-weight ones than we thought.” In other words, BMI is an imperfect standard. A simple height-versus-weight number can’t account for how a person is built, lean or stocky, big breasted or not.
So if BMI is flawed, what is the best predictor of who is healthy and who isn’t? In Sowers’s study, there was one reliable answer. People who qualified as heavy but still healthy tended to report being physically active. Indeed, her study isn’t the first to note this. Findings published in JAMA in 2007 indicate that fitness level—regardless of weight—is the single strongest predictor of mortality risk. People with the lowest level of fitness were four times more likely to die than those with the highest. Longevity didn’t require superhuman effort, either; people who could pass a minimal fitness test of walking for longer than five and a half minutes on a treadmill had half the risk of an early death as those who failed the challenge.
Taking all the new findings together, the lesson is that even at 170 pounds, Leah Dawson had it right: Eat a good diet and drop any unhealthy habits you might have. Then focus on exercise and forget about striving toward some standardized ideal of weight. “Fitness is the critical piece we’re losing sight of,” says Church. “People get so caught up with weight—they start to exercise, the scale doesn’t move, and they get discouraged. They’re not noticing that their pants fit differently, that they’ve actually lost dangerous visceral fat. When you become active, you’re not just adding muscle, you’re getting healthier.” And that’s what will help you live longer.
Tags:
Th3 secrets of increasing the sale
The Secret to Attracting More Buyers
By Brian Tracy
What’s Holding Your Sales Back in This Economy?
What’s the one thing that drives every business owner and sales person crazy? What’s the one thing that wastes your time and kills your profits? And what’s the simple solution that can easily increase your profits by 3-4 times, even in the midst of a tough economy?
For most business owners and smart sales people, the problem isn’t a lack of effort. Even in the old boom economy, you worked hard, and now during the current credit crunch, I bet you’re working even harder.
Discover the one proven way to attract more buyers.
The Sales Secret You Need to Know
Every business owner or sales person knows that to make a sale they need to generate interest. You know that you need to advertise online and in print, use mailings, and even market your business with the best site.
The secret that no one tells you…is that when you do these things, the majority of the people you reach are unqualified and won’t buy from you. Even experienced, smart business owners and sales people end up wasting tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on their marketing only to attract people who will never spend a cent with them.
Has that ever happened to you? How frustrating is that?
What’s the solution? How can you cut your marketing costs and make more money this year?
Use A Proven System to Attract More Qualified Buyers
Every smart business owner and sales person knows it. You know it too! If you had a way to attract twice as many qualified prospects and half as many time wasters, you’d make at least twice as much money. And without a way to do this, with fewer buyers in the current economy, you could go broke.
How can you attract more qualified prospects, close more sales and make more money in less time this year? My colleague, Charlie Cook, has a proven system, The Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Marketing. It takes you step-by-step through the strategy I’ve used to build my business.
Discover the fastest way to ramp up your sales and profits.
In this economy, more than ever, you need a proven system to succeed. I’m always amazed at how many business owners and sales people try to grow their business without one. With one, you could be making more and have money to snatch up that second home in Las Vegas or Florida while prices are at rock bottom.
The Simple Truth That Can Make You Rich
Now I know that for many, business times are tough. And it’s true, there are fewer buyers out there. But there is a simple truth that can make you rich.
People are still spending money. They’re still spending money on everything from cowboy hats to information technology. With a proven system for attracting more qualified clients, you can easily double your sales, even in this economy.
Find out the proven way to attract more buyers.
How to Increase The Flow of Profits
The other day I noticed the automatic sprinkler system I use to keep my grass healthy and green here in San Diego wasn’t working. Instead of a steady stream of water coming out of each of the sprinkler heads, I was only getting a feeble dribble.
With the scarce rain we receive, unless it was fixed fast, my grass was going to dry up and blow away.
Fortunately, I was able to get it repaired in short order. It turned out that a bunch of dirt had gotten into the pipes and was blocking the flow of water. It just needed to be flushed out.
Your business is the same. Except for most business owners, 80% of the leads in their system are the time wasters — the non-buyers — who are clogging your sales system.
Now imagine you had a proven way to pull in more qualified prospects and increase your profits. A simple system that you could turn on, just like an automatic sprinkler system that poured profits into your bank account. You could actually see your business grow this year.
Your Profit Building System
If you’re struggling to attract buyers this year, don’t keep wasting your time on chasing unqualified prospects. Find out what works to bring in more buyers.
Discover how to increase your profits — now!
I’ve convinced Charlie to offer the first 97 copies of this profit-generating system to my subscribers for just $2.95, plus shipping. You can review it for 30 days and put it to the test. Find out the proven way to attract more buyers in this economy.
Find out how much more you could be making this year, even in these tough times.
Typically these get grabbed the first day, so don’t wait.
Claim your trial offer copy before they’re gone!
Tags: sales
Inspiration of the day
| “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” |
| – Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of The United States of A |
Tags: inspiration
Welcome back.
Hello and welcome back. We will be featuring the best and most important nws for health, energy and vitality. Everyday from now on, in the morning, at around 7 oclok easnter standar time.
 If you have any suggestions, please be free to make them anytime. The best for your health, energy and excitement.
Tags:
Napoleon keys to victory
Napoleon’s Key to Victory
By: Brian TracyThe only real measure of business leadership is results. This requires the ability to act boldly with no guarantees of success. The greatest obstacle to overcome is fear of the unknown.Â
The only real measure of business leadership is results. This requires the ability to act boldly with no guarantees of success. The greatest obstacle to overcome is fear of the unknown. The Key to ConfidenceÂ
Most fear however, is rooted in ignorance. The more knowledge or skill you have in any area, the less fear it holds. Napoleon Bonaparte is considered by historians to be perhaps the greatest single military leader who ever lived. More than 100,000 books have been written about him since his death on St. Helena.Â
Pay Attention to Detail
Napoleon’s courage was legendary but it was not vain or impetuous. Napoleon was famous for his fastidious attention to detail, for taking pains to study and thoroughly understand every military situation he ever faced. He led the French army in hundreds of minor and major engagements and lost only three, the last one being Waterloo.Â
The more you know about what you face, the lower your level of ignorance, the more courage and confidence you will have naturally. The more time you take to think through a situation, the more capable you will be of dealing with it when it arises. Napoleon planned for every contingency.Â
Think About the Possibilities
He carefully considered and followed through to its natural conclusion every setback or possibility of defeat he might encounter and then he prepared against it. To be caught unprepared for unexpected setbacks is a mark of weak leadership. Confidence comes from the constructive use of pessimism, thinking about what could go wrong long before it does. Action Exercises
Here are two ways you can apply Napoleon’s strategy to your situation.Â
First, become an expert in your field. Never stop learning and growing. The more you know, the more confidence you will have.Â
Second, get the facts. Double check everything. Be prepared for unexpected setbacks and reversals. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will have.www.briantracy.com
Â
Tags:
Keeping yourself Positive
Filed under: Anti-Aging, Be Positive, Inspirational, Uncategorized
Keeping Yourself Positive
by: Brian Tracy
The most important thing you do for your success is to take control of the suggestive elements in your environment. Be sure that what you are seeing and listening to is consistent with the goals you want to achieve.
Listen Your Way To Success
Listen to educational audio programs in your car. The average person drives 12,000 to 25,000 miles per year which works out to between 500 and 1000 hours per year that the average person spends in his or her car. You can become an expert in your field by simply listening to educational audio programs as you drive from place to place.
Take Courses In Your FieldÂ
Attend seminars given by experts in your field. Take additional courses and learn everything you possibly can. Learn from the experts. Ask them questions, write them letters, read their books, read their articles and listen to people with proven track records in the area in which you want to be successful.
Get Around The Right People
Associate only with positive, success-oriented people. Get around winners. As we say, fly with the eagles. You can’t fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys. Get away from the go-nowhere types and above all, get away from negative people. Get away from negative coworkers. If you’ve got a negative boss, seriously consider changing jobs. Associating on a regular basis with negative people is enough in itself to condemn you to a life of underachievement, frustration and failure. Associate only with positive people. Get around winners.
Visualize Your Goals
The last thing before you sleep and the first thing in the morning, think about and visualize your goals as realities. See your goal as though it already existed. Your subconscious mind is only activated by affirmations and pictures that are received in the present tense. See your goal vividly just before you go to sleep. See yourself performing at your best. See the situations that you’re facing working out exactly the way you want them to.
Feed Yourself Mental Pictures
See yourself living the kind of life that you want to live. See yourself with the kind of relationships, the kind of health, the kind of car, the kind of home you really want. Visualize just before you fall asleep at night. The first thing you do when you get up in the morning is to feed yourself mental pictures. Those are the two times of the day when your subconscious mind is most receptive to new programming, when you fall asleep and when you wake up.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do, all day long, to keep your mind and emotions focused on your goals and financial success:Â
First, listen to audio programs in your car and when you travel around. Continue feeding your mind with a stream of high-quality, educational, motivational material that moves you toward your goal.Â
Second, resolve to associate with positive, optimistic people most of the time. Get around winners and get away from negative people who criticize, condemn and complain. This can change your life as much as any other factor.
Tags: