Saturday, August 29, 2009
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance that pays for medical expenses. It is sometimes used more broadly to include insurance covering disability or long-term nursing or custodial care needs. It may be provided through a government-sponsored social insurance program, or from private insurance companies. It may be purchased on a group basis (e.g., by a firm to cover its employees) or purchased by individual consumers. In each case, the covered groups or individuals pay premiums or taxes to help protect themselves from high or unexpected healthcare expenses. Similar benefits paying for medical expenses may also be provided through social welfare programs funded by the government.
By estimating the overall risk of healthcare expenses, a routine finance structure (such as a monthly premium or annual tax) can be developed, ensuring that money is available to pay for the healthcare benefits specified in the insurance agreement. The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity.[1]
HOLISTIC HEALING
 | Step Out of the Darkness |
 | Calcium For Bone Loss |
FITNESS
 | Tennis, Anyone? |
 | Exercising Balance |
Top 10 Health Tips for Men
When it comes to health care, we men are like ostriches. We bury our heads in the sand. We are much less likely than women to visit our doctors regularly, take symptoms seriously and live a healthful lifestyle. Maybe that’s one reason why women have a seven-year average survival advantage on us!
Yet it’s obviously important that men of all ages become more proactive about their health. And an easy way to start is to follow these 10 basic steps to maintaining health and vitality.
- Eliminate "white foods" from your diet.
- Stay away from dangerous trans fats.
- Take a daily vitamin-mineral supplement.
- Incorporate weight training in your exercise routine.
- Maintain your optimal weight.
- Drink alcohol only in moderation.
- Protect your prostate.
- Reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
- Maintain vigorous sexual function.
- Maintain close relationships.
Sleeping Well As We Age
Age alone does not cause sleep problems. Disturbed sleep, waking up tired every day, and other symptoms of insomnia are not a normal part of aging. Instead, poor sleep habits, untreated sleep disorders, medications, or medical problems can contribute to sleeplessness. This article will help you understand the causes of sleep problems and provide tips to help you sleep well.
Depression Treatment
When you’re depressed, it can feel like you’ll never get out from under its shadow. However, even the most severe depression is a treatable condition. There are many effective ways to deal with depression, including lifestyle changes, therapy, medications, and alternative treatments. Learning about the treatment options will help you decide what measures are most likely to work best for your particular situation and needs.
Depression in Women
Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
In This Article:
Understanding depression in women
Depression is a serious condition that can impact every area of your life. It can affect your social life, your family relationships, your career, and your sense of self-worth and purpose. And for women in particular, depression is common.
If you’re feeling sad, guilty, tired, and just generally “down in the dumps,” you may be suffering from major depression. But the good news is that depression is treatable, and the more you understand about depression’s particular implications for and impact on women, the more equipped you will be to tackle the condition head on.
Dealing with Teen Depression
Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend
The teenage years can be tough, and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you can’t handle them, you may be suffering from depression. The good news is that you don’t have to feel this way. Help is available—all you have to do is ask. You also have more power over depression than you think. There are many things you can do to help yourself or a friend start feeling better.
Teen Depression
A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Teenage depression isn’t just bad moods and occasional melancholy. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide. Fortunately, teenage depression can be treated, and as a concerned parent, teacher, or friend, there are many things you can do to help.If you’re a teenager struggling with depression or you’d like to learn how to help a depressed friend, see Dealing with Teen Depression: Tips and Tools for Teens.
Healthy Eating
Tips for a Healthy Diet and Better Nutrition
Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.
Choose the types of foods that improve your health and avoid the types of foods that raise your risk for such illnesses as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Expand your range of healthy choices to include a wide variety of delicious foods. Learn to use guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet.
Recipes
Here is a list of delicious recipes the whole family will enjoy--from appetizers to desserts. Each is prepared in a certain way or uses an ingredient that follows one of our many Small Steps, making healthy eating choices simple and tasty. | |||
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EAT BETTER
Today millions of adult Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Lowering your weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.
But many people are confused about how to lose unhealthy weight. The good news is that this may be accomplished by eating healthy, balanced, and well-apportioned meals.
Check out our section on setting goals to find out how to realistically manage a new eating lifestyle.
GET THE FACTS
Getting The Correct Information
We are bombarded every day with conflicting information about our health. - Is it better to eat a low-carb diet or a balanced diet?
- Should we be physically active 3 times a week or 5 times a week?
- And how can we be expected to follow any of these recommendations when we're always so busy?
It's no wonder that many of us throw up our hands and give up. But if we want to live long and fulfilling lives, it's essential that we learn the real facts about health, nutrition, and physical activity. Luckily, the real facts are pretty straightforward.
Take Small Steps Today!
There are many ways that you can take small steps toward better health, and you can to it - today! We provide over 100 tips below to take small steps to a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. Steps that are simple and free! Choose from any one of these small steps, or create your own. Get your friends and family involved in coming up with fun ways to take small steps each and every day. Remember, for adults, getting physically active at least five times a week, for thirty minutes or more, will help lead you toward a happier and healthier lifestyle. For kids, being active an hour a day is a small step towards good health! Eat a healthy diet, avoid harmful substances, and integrate small steps into your life – and soon you will see the positive effects taking place – one day at a time. | |||||
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Healthy diet
A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic disease such as: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.[1]
A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods, so there are a wide variety of diets that may be considered healthy diets.
Daily Exercise Suggestions
"To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first."
-Shakespeare, Henry VIII. Act I. Sc. 1
Walk 10 Minutes a Day and Increase Your Fitness Level Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.
Park and Walk
Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can handle and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness.
Crunch in Bed
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100. Think you'll never get there? Try it. You may eventually have to set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier, a small price to pay for a flatter stomach.
10 Essential Health Tips (The Basics to Practice Every Day)
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Health is Wealth
The Ministry of Health has admitted that there is hardly any upward transmission of information from around 24,000 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) taking place. The Ministry is dependent entirely on newspaper reports for information and assessment during the outbreak of diseases in many parts of the country. It has been found that it takes nearly an year for information to travel from PHC to the Ministry. The government has concluded that such disease surveillance is meaningless and its data was only for the consumption of government files.
GIS and health is the theme of this issue. Two important fields, so close to each other and yet so far apart in a developing country like India. The US and the UK provide lessons as to how these two fields can develop synergy between themselves and to the benefit of the society at large. Health GIS applications are an important area of activity at the National Centre for Health Statistics of the US government. The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Census and many other databases, which are important for improved public health surveillance are widely used by the health departments. Recently, the UK national mapping agency signed an agreement with National Health Service (NHS) of UK for developing customised geographic information products for the health community. OSCAR, which tracks precise details of every motorable road in Britain, and ADDRESS-POINT, which can pinpoint any postal address instantly, are already popular among the emergency services run by the health authorities.
The GIS and the health community in India are living in two separate watertight compartments. Both need each other. The map sector of the country will find a large market for its products and services in the Health sector. The health sector will make a quantum leap in its service delivery using maps for better planning and decision making. But both are not able to talk to each other due to rigid institutional framework The limited and sometimes non-existent commercial orientation of the government organizations (like Survey of India, Indian Council of Medical Research etc.) in the country also led them to ignore the opportunities offered by new technologies like GIS. As a result, they continue to operate with antiquated technology and have little incentive, let alone funding to upgrade.
Let health create wealth.