By: Ryan Cote
Good nutrition is vital to a strong and healthy mind and body.
It's true what they say - you are what you eat.
This statement points out very effectively that if you feed your
body with low nutritional and sugary garbage, your body has
nothing to work with and you'll end up eventually feeling like
garbage.
On the other hand, if you nourish your body with food that is
packed with nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, healthy fats,
whole grains and omega-3's, you'll notice a huge difference in
how you look and feel...especially if you make this type of food
a dietary habit.
Right now we're at a crossroad - we know we should be eating
better, but there are so many restaurants available offering
"bad" food and it's making the obesity rate skyrocket. Even
restaurants that offer fish platters and other health-conscious
meals end up not so good because of the amount of calories you
ingest between the bread, large portions and dessert.
You have two options:
1. Stay away from fast rood restaurants - and when you eat out
at restaurants, be strict about what you eat. Stay away from the
bread and don't finish everything on your plate...bring the rest
home for a meal you can eat the next day.
2. Make a meal at home yourself using ingredients you buy at the
grocery store, not frozen entrees.
The focus of this article is on number two because by making
your own meal, you can control exactly what goes into it. The
end result is a meal that you know is nutritious and NOT packed
with health-deteriorating ingredients.
Here's an example of the perfect meal you can make at home. It
has everything you need for better health.
What you'll need is:
1 9-10 ounce bag of baby spinach 1 can of wild Alaskan pink
salmon 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic
vinegar 1/2-3/4 cup of brown rice
Here's a breakdown of each food's health benefits:
Spinach - this green leaf is packed with phytonutrients,
vitamins and fiber - and it's low in calories.
Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon - yes, canned! It tastes better than
you think. The reason this is recommended is because the food is
a powerhouse of good fats, protein and omega-3's and is low in
calories and carbohydrates. The salmon you would normally buy is
potentially high in mercury, which is bad. This Wild Alaskan
form is free of mercury...and it's inexpensive.
In case you're wondering, Omega-3's are vital for healthy weight
loss, brain health and a healthy cardiovascular system.
Olive Oil - full of good fat which your body does need. When you
buy olive oil, make sure it's 100% authentic. Some brands are
now mixing olive oil with refined oils...the end result is olive
oil, but not really.
Balsamic Vinegar - vinegar reportedly controls your blood sugar
level when eating which is important for overall health.
Furthermore, it gives the meal more taste.
Brown Rice - whole grains are full of vitamins and fiber. Check
out Uncle Ben's instant brown rice...it's pretty good and quick
to make.
Making the meal is easy. You simply lay the spinach out on a
platter- you can more or less use however much you want- and
drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the
spinach.
Let this sit for 10 minutes or so- this gives the spinach a
chance to soak up the oil and vinegar. While this is sitting,
cook the brown rice and open up the can of salmon.
When ready, simply spread the salmon over the spinach and put
the brown rice either on the side or in a separate bowl.
And now the best part of all - ENJOY!
This meal will take you 15 minutes max to make and each bite
will nourish your body from the inside out. And once you get
used to eating healthy, you'll find yourself experimenting with
all types of different meals.
This article shared with you one example of a perfect meal, but
there are many many more!
About the author:
For more free healthy
living information, please visit
http://www.SimpleHealth123.com and
http://www.GetHealthyReport.com
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Rising Health Care Costs: What you need to know
Americans pay more than one and a half trillion dollars for medical care each year and costs related to all manner of health care, such as prescription drugs, continue to skyrocket. While some of reasons behind this booming bill are understandable, Americans caught in a cash crunch might be surprised to find out some of the lesser-known causes of high health care costs.
The words ‘health care’ might invoke images of doctors, nurses and hospitals, but the reality is that the medical field is a business and a ruthless one at that. Individual practitioners, researchers and participants may have wonderful intentions and a true desire to help people, but the structure of the American health care system ensures profit is the number one issue of importance.
Here are some facts that may help explain the high costs of American health care:
Pharmaceutical research and development companies spend roughly $20 billion each year on R&D, and about the same amount on advertising and self-promotional marketing activities.
Additionally, drug companies have as many sales people as there are doctors in the United States. One of the responsibilities of this sales force is to convince doctors to attend pharmaceutical company-sponsored seminars where drugs are showcased.
According to some economists, the purchase of new technology is responsible for more than 50 percent of new health care spending over the last three years.
Much of the money Americans pay for health care finds its way into the rising profits on health care-related products and services such as the provision of medical insurance. Even higher costs have been forecasted for the future, especially for prescription drugs.
For many Americans who are unable to afford the health care they need, rising costs represent an ever-increasing barrier to medical services and products. The financial burden is also felt on the larger national scale with about 15 percent of gross domestic product going toward health care costs. That is equal to about one quarter of the annual federal budget.
Comparatively, Canada invests around 10 percent of its GDP on its public health care program. Unlike the United States, Canada’s health care program is universally available to all citizens and permanent residents without cost. Other countries, such as Germany, where there is a public/private delivery system model for health care, manage to serve their populations for even less while still having better longevity than Americans. This proves that the quality of health care does not rise proportionally with the amount of money spent to attain it.
While many Canadians supplement their universal health care with added insurance to cover the cost of medication and perks such as semi-private or private hospital rooms, health care insurance is much more essential in the United States. Unfortunately, costs have been rising dramatically, making health care insurance out of reach for many Americans. Currently, more than forty million Americans do not receive any kind of health care benefit.
For employers, providing health care insurance for employees is also becoming more expensive, with increases dramatically outpacing inflation rates. Some years, the difference is four or six fold. Even if premiums were to remain static, offering health care insurance to employees still costs several thousand dollars per worker. For smaller companies, or for those who employ a large number of people, these costs can be prohibitive.
Measures to reduce health care costs are always under consideration, though many are not popular choices. Suggestions that have been put forward by various sources have included:
Increased drug awareness and education. Millions could be saved if health care insurance covered only generic versions of drugs that have been proven just as effective as their more expensive brand name counterparts.
Terminate expensive treatment options will only add a short amount of time to a patient’s life, particularly if it will not be quality time (i.e. patient is in a coma).
Promote preventative care such as smart lifestyle choices, proper nutrition and exercise.
Examine to ways to control drug advertising to consumers. There is speculation that advertising has led to prescriptions of non-necessary drugs.
Limit malpractice liability so doctors and medical professionals do not feel pressured to cover themselves by ordering unnecessary tests to substantiate conditions they already know to be present.
The words ‘health care’ might invoke images of doctors, nurses and hospitals, but the reality is that the medical field is a business and a ruthless one at that. Individual practitioners, researchers and participants may have wonderful intentions and a true desire to help people, but the structure of the American health care system ensures profit is the number one issue of importance.
Here are some facts that may help explain the high costs of American health care:
Pharmaceutical research and development companies spend roughly $20 billion each year on R&D, and about the same amount on advertising and self-promotional marketing activities.
Additionally, drug companies have as many sales people as there are doctors in the United States. One of the responsibilities of this sales force is to convince doctors to attend pharmaceutical company-sponsored seminars where drugs are showcased.
According to some economists, the purchase of new technology is responsible for more than 50 percent of new health care spending over the last three years.
Much of the money Americans pay for health care finds its way into the rising profits on health care-related products and services such as the provision of medical insurance. Even higher costs have been forecasted for the future, especially for prescription drugs.
For many Americans who are unable to afford the health care they need, rising costs represent an ever-increasing barrier to medical services and products. The financial burden is also felt on the larger national scale with about 15 percent of gross domestic product going toward health care costs. That is equal to about one quarter of the annual federal budget.
Comparatively, Canada invests around 10 percent of its GDP on its public health care program. Unlike the United States, Canada’s health care program is universally available to all citizens and permanent residents without cost. Other countries, such as Germany, where there is a public/private delivery system model for health care, manage to serve their populations for even less while still having better longevity than Americans. This proves that the quality of health care does not rise proportionally with the amount of money spent to attain it.
While many Canadians supplement their universal health care with added insurance to cover the cost of medication and perks such as semi-private or private hospital rooms, health care insurance is much more essential in the United States. Unfortunately, costs have been rising dramatically, making health care insurance out of reach for many Americans. Currently, more than forty million Americans do not receive any kind of health care benefit.
For employers, providing health care insurance for employees is also becoming more expensive, with increases dramatically outpacing inflation rates. Some years, the difference is four or six fold. Even if premiums were to remain static, offering health care insurance to employees still costs several thousand dollars per worker. For smaller companies, or for those who employ a large number of people, these costs can be prohibitive.
Measures to reduce health care costs are always under consideration, though many are not popular choices. Suggestions that have been put forward by various sources have included:
Increased drug awareness and education. Millions could be saved if health care insurance covered only generic versions of drugs that have been proven just as effective as their more expensive brand name counterparts.
Terminate expensive treatment options will only add a short amount of time to a patient’s life, particularly if it will not be quality time (i.e. patient is in a coma).
Promote preventative care such as smart lifestyle choices, proper nutrition and exercise.
Examine to ways to control drug advertising to consumers. There is speculation that advertising has led to prescriptions of non-necessary drugs.
Limit malpractice liability so doctors and medical professionals do not feel pressured to cover themselves by ordering unnecessary tests to substantiate conditions they already know to be present.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Is treadmill running as good as training outside?
By: Roy Palmer
Treadmill running differs from road running in a number of ways
and this should be considered when training. The first obvious
difference is the lack of wind resistance when running indoors.
Another difference is the surface. Although experts differ on
this issue a smooth moving surface underneath your feet is not
the same as an uneven stationary road. Most runners agree that
running on a treadmill feels different to road. This should be
taken into consideration when training.
Is running on a
treadmill better than the road? This comes down to preference.
Many prefer being outdoors whereas others have environmental,
climatic or personal safety concerns making treadmill running an
ideal choice.
Firstly let's look at the psychological
factors of running on a treadmill compared to the road. Unless
you have a large room for your machine you will most likely to
be facing a wall or window within a few meters. Research has
shown that runners on treadmills take shorter paces that may be
due to the proximity of a barrier or fear of falling off. It
does take time to learn how to run on a moving surface and even
when confident many runners will tighten their lower backs,
again possibly a psychological reaction to staying on the
machine.
When comparing physical technique, research has
found that when the foot lands on the belt the foot, ankle and
shin, become temporarily part of the belt and move backwards
from the centre and mass of the body at the same speed. This
means the shinbone of the leg landing is not as upright as with
normal running and has a greater range of motion.
Treadmill running can be useful for injured athletes, using a
mirror can be a good way to observe your technique (although it
must be recognised that it is not the same as training on the
road).
Whether using a treadmill or road you will need
to vary your running program for two reasons. Firstly, if you
continue doing the same distance and the same speed you will get
less and less benefit as your body adapts. Secondly, you can
soon become de-motivated by the same thing week in, week out.
Alternating between shorter faster runs and longer distances at
a slower pace will help to condition your body and improve
endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular function. It will
also provide you with variety and a different challenge for each
session.
I usually recommend runners to use one or the
other exclusively, because I see them as different activities.
About the author:
Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has
studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years.
In 2001 he published a book called 'The Performance Paradox:
Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and
exercise' and is currently working on a new project about The
Zone. More information about his unique approach to training can
be found at
http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/treadmill_running.html
Treadmill running differs from road running in a number of ways
and this should be considered when training. The first obvious
difference is the lack of wind resistance when running indoors.
Another difference is the surface. Although experts differ on
this issue a smooth moving surface underneath your feet is not
the same as an uneven stationary road. Most runners agree that
running on a treadmill feels different to road. This should be
taken into consideration when training.
Is running on a
treadmill better than the road? This comes down to preference.
Many prefer being outdoors whereas others have environmental,
climatic or personal safety concerns making treadmill running an
ideal choice.
Firstly let's look at the psychological
factors of running on a treadmill compared to the road. Unless
you have a large room for your machine you will most likely to
be facing a wall or window within a few meters. Research has
shown that runners on treadmills take shorter paces that may be
due to the proximity of a barrier or fear of falling off. It
does take time to learn how to run on a moving surface and even
when confident many runners will tighten their lower backs,
again possibly a psychological reaction to staying on the
machine.
When comparing physical technique, research has
found that when the foot lands on the belt the foot, ankle and
shin, become temporarily part of the belt and move backwards
from the centre and mass of the body at the same speed. This
means the shinbone of the leg landing is not as upright as with
normal running and has a greater range of motion.
Treadmill running can be useful for injured athletes, using a
mirror can be a good way to observe your technique (although it
must be recognised that it is not the same as training on the
road).
Whether using a treadmill or road you will need
to vary your running program for two reasons. Firstly, if you
continue doing the same distance and the same speed you will get
less and less benefit as your body adapts. Secondly, you can
soon become de-motivated by the same thing week in, week out.
Alternating between shorter faster runs and longer distances at
a slower pace will help to condition your body and improve
endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular function. It will
also provide you with variety and a different challenge for each
session.
I usually recommend runners to use one or the
other exclusively, because I see them as different activities.
About the author:
Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has
studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years.
In 2001 he published a book called 'The Performance Paradox:
Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and
exercise' and is currently working on a new project about The
Zone. More information about his unique approach to training can
be found at
http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/treadmill_running.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
