Take Charge of Your Health Care - December 22, 2007

Take Charge of Your Health Care

December 22, 2007

Special Holiday Edition

Welcome to the December 22, 2007 edition of take charge of your health care. First of all I want to wish all of our readers a Happy Holiday. This is truly a time to spend with your family and closest friends. My best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Since this is our Holiday and New Year’s edition, I will begin this edition with our diet and fitness section. Again, I was very impressed with the quality and content of the submissions, and know that you will enjoy reading this edition as I did editing it. Happy Reading!

fitness & diet

Shamelle presents

Staying Motivated When We Don't Loose Weight, The Way We Want! posted at Enhance Life. The author provides some very practical and down to earth tips for staying motivated while dieting.

Sagar presents

Negative Calorie Foods: 15 Foods That Actually Burn More Calories Than They Contain posted at Bootstrapper. The author suggests some low calorie and delicious fruits and vegetables which can keep hunger at bay while adding vitamins and minerals to our diet and jumpstarting our metabolism.

As a complement to good diet, Helene Zemel presents Family Fun and Fitness posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "The author remembers a time when families ate dinner together and children engaged in healthy outdoor activities instead of spending countless hours playing video games, surfing the web, watching 300 plus television programs, and talking on cell phones. These sedentary activities have led to an increase in lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The author suggests a family fun night to bring back family togetherness and increase physical activity noting that the "family that plays together stays together."

Helene Zemel presents

Gift Ideas for Mental and Physical Fitness posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "Whether you are shopping for holiday gifts or a gift for a special occasion like a birthday or graduation, why not choose a gift that has real educational value—a gift that promotes physical and mental fitness. These gifts will be appreciated by both young and old alike."

Peter25 presents

Stay Fit at Home posted at Small Business, saying, "It is possible to get fit even if you lack enough time to visit your local community center or gym. To achieve physical fitness under a tight schedule, you could opt for home fitness regimes."

Jose DeJesus MD presents

Behavior change to healthier living habits opens opportunities in physician entrepreneurship posted at Physician Entrepreneur. The author stresses the role of health care providers in addressing behavioral issues such as poor diet, poor exercise habits, and stress which can and do affect health.

Alvaro Fernandez presents

Jogging our Brains for Brain Vitality, Healthy Aging-and Intelligence! posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Commentary on several recent articles on the importance of cognitive exercise to improve willpower, memory, and brain health." Editor’s note: This blog post points out the importance of exercising our minds to stay sharp and fit.

Alvaro Fernandez presents

Robert Emmons on the Positive Psychology of Gratitude posted at SharpBrains, saying, "can we enhance our happiness and health by nurturing gratitude?"

Marcus Ryan presents

An Super Anti Aging Diet That Will Make You Look 10-20 Years Younger posted at Wrinkle Creams Review, saying, "This is a fantastic diet and lifestyle that's great for longevity and prevention of health problems common in Western society - the Okinawan diet. It's called one of the healthiest diets in the world." Editor’s note: Some very good anti-aging tips here plus a great recipe for Miso soup.

Steve Pavlina presents

Why Vegan? posted at Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog. The author recounts his experience in going vegan and how it led to more energy, more mental clarity, more vitality, and more endurance.

Roger Haeske presents

Having Trouble Staying Raw, It May Not Be Your Fault posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living. Editor's note: This blog post is must reading for those of you who want to follow a 100% raw diet.

Doug Ragan presents

E3 Success Blog » Blog Archive » Cleansing for Weight Loss posted at E3 Success Blog, saying, "According to the Center for Disease Control, an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are overweight. 32 percent are obese. A new study by researchers at RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that U.S. obesity-attributable medical expenditures reached $75 billion in 2003 and that taxpayers finance about half of these costs through Medicare and Medicaid. Some estimates claim that obesity contributes to over 300,000 deaths per year in the U.S. and has surpassed smoking as the #1 killer."

Dan-O presents

Have You Benefited from the Revolutionary Magic of Internet Self Help? posted at Danogo.com - Discover. Inspiring . Media, saying, "Highly informative article about how the Web has changed self help and a huge resource of online personal development information."

SJ Yee presents

How to live each day and get from where you are to where you want to go posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart. The author states: “Are Olympics athletes who come in last place failures? No… as long as they complete the race, they are winners. As long as you do it and give the best of yourself, you are never a failure. “

alternative medicine

Aparna presents

Drumsticks for health posted at Beauty & Personality Grooming, saying, "Drumstick or Moringa Oleifera is named so for its long bean-like fruit. Just about the whole plant is edible. The roots, flowers, leaves, pods are used in curries, salads and soups. The leaves are the most nutritious of all, and hence worth including in one’s diet. However, for maximum benefit, it should be consumed raw or in raw form. Don’t be put off by that characteristic aroma of the leaves. Just take a look at their nutritional value and then decide for yourself. Nutritional value of drumstick leaves * Seven times more vitamin C than oranges to fight many illnesses including cold and flu....." Editor’s note: Interesting post about the nutritional and medicinal benefits of this herb. I look forward to seeing this herbal supplement in the U.S.

Mitch McDonald presents

Chemotherapy vs. Natural Alternatives posted at FYI About.com, saying, "Are you suffering from cancer? Maybe you know that chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments. Also, do you know that you won't come out healthier after you've had chemotherapy treatments? In most respects, you will come out of it worse than before you started the chemo." Editor’s note: This idea is certainly controversial as it goes against what the medical establishment recommends. At the same time, there is growing evidence that many alternative therapies do work without poisoning and aging the body.

Chris presents

Energy Medicine Becomes Front-Page News posted at Martial Development, saying, "Last year, I predicted that Qi Gong and energy medicine therapies would become big business over the next decade...Sorry to say, I was right. Read on about two victims of "energy medicine" quacks."

Pat B. Doyle presents

How We Can Find Healing in Nature posted at Barton Pond Feng Shui saying, “Think about ways that you can bring nature into your life, whether by going out and doing things in nature or by bringing some of it into your home.”

Jose DeJesus MD presents

Stem Cell Breakthrough - New Possibilities in Breast Reconstruction and Augmentation posted at Physician Entrepreneur. Editor’s note: An interesting post that shows the importance of stem cell research.

Anmol Mehta presents

Kapalbhati Yoga Breathing Exercise for Optimum Health & Healing posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "One of the best Yoga breathing exercises for optimizing health and promoting self-healing."

Raj presents

How Often Should You Deworm? MT Herald Dot Com posted at MT Herald Dot Com. Editor's note: Good practical advice especially if you live in an area where this problem is prevalent.

DavidR presents

Herbal recipes for shampoo. posted at All Natural Magazine. Editor’s note: This is an interesting herbal recipe although the ingredients may be difficult to find in the States and Canada.

Rod BeDuhn presents

Fish Oil Benefits posted at Rod BeDuhn's How to Stop Pain Tips & Techniques Blog. The author discusses the benefits of fish oil in reducing inflammation and pain in the body.

save money on health care and health insurance

cashmoneylife presents

Where to Find Inexpensive Flu Shots posted at Cash Money Life, saying, "This article is about some great places to find inexpensive flu shots, which is very important this time of year!"

Doris Chua presents

On Health Insurance posted at Doris Chua: Organics & Your Health, saying, “With the rising costs in health and medical care, health insurance should be looked into in a more serious light.” Editor’s note: And here in the States, we need to make this vital insurance accessible to all.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents

Of Black Holes And Insurance Claims posted at The Digerati Life. Editor’s note: A humorous but true account of dealing with the insurance bureaucracy here in the States with some advice for navigating the system.

Health Chaos presents

Do We Really Need These Drugs? posted at Health Chaos. The author asks the following: “As a health professional, I have encountered patients/clients/members who are on as many as 21 medications each day. This is incredible. Who is monitoring this regimen? How can people keep this straight? How do you do this? And what is really necessary? And what interacts with what other medications? Contraindications? And what are the side effects?”

consumer directed health care and everything else

Health Chaos presents

More About Diagnoses And Pharmaceuticals posted at Health Chaos. The author suggests better health habits as a means of avoiding problems like restless leg syndrome, constipation, and insomnia which the pharmaceutical industry would rather have you take a drug for.

Doris Chua presents

Healthcare in the Air posted at Doris Chua: Organics & Your Health, saying, “Isn’t it nice to know that you can be treated anywhere with the facilities available with air ambulance services? “

Jose DeJesus MD presents

Improving Patient Satisfaction and Patient Compliance posted at Physician Entrepreneur, saying, “Many of today’s patients want to play a more active role in their health care, say two new studies monitoring physician communication."

Health Chaos presents Shingles Virus posted at Health Chaos. An informative post about Shingles which is caused by the same varicella virus that causes chickenpox.

Abdulrasool Sumar presents

Surviving Lung Cancer - Thoracic Surgeons Roll Out New Tumor Removal Procedure posted at Mesothelioma Cancer, saying, "Every year, 170,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer. Surgery performed to remove these lung cancer tumors require patients to stay in the hospital for weeks after weeks, and can be very expensive. However now, Thoracic Surgeons have pioneered a new procedure called thorascopic lobectomy where surgeons make three incisions or cuts into the chest and use new tools to reach into the lungs. A specialized camera helps them see the tumors that have developed around the lungs and these are removed through a bag. Thorascopic lobectomy is a lot less painful than compared with other tumor removal procedures such as pleurectomy where the surgeon opens up the patient's chest and removes tumor from the surface of the lung."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of take charge of your health care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Take Charge of your Health Care - November 22, 2007

Take Charge of Your Health Care -

November 22, 2007


Welcome to the November 22, 2007 edition of take charge of your health care. Today is Thanksgiving, and I would like to wish all of my friends in the blogosphere an enjoyable day with your family and friends. We are continuing to receive a large number of well written and informative blog posts.

Save Money on Health Care


Adam Zekmueller presents You can NOT be charged or refused your contact prescription! posted at Get Better Glasses!, saying, "Go to your existing optometrist, get that prescription, and order online!"


Adam Zekmueller presents This is Why Glasses at Brick and Mortar Stores are so Expensive posted at Get Better Glasses!, saying, "Buying eyewear online is a great way to save money on vision expenses. In this article, I discuss why traditional glasses stores are so expensive."


Helene Zemel presents A Little Known Secret - Patient Assistance Programs posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "With so many uninsured and underinsured people in the United States and the high cost of prescription drugs, you hear stories about people who have to make a decision about whether to pay for their groceries or their prescription medications. Now with prescription advocacy and patient assistance programs, eligible people may be able to qualify for free prescriptions."


Helene Zemel presents Prescription Advocacy - Frequently Asked Questions about Patient Assistance Programs posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "Patient assistance programs run by large pharmaceutical companies have been in existence for more than 15 years. A major problem is that few people know about the existence of these programs or understand the complicated application and approval process required to participate in a Prescription Assistance Program." Plans Plus


Jimmy Atkinson presents 5 Little-Known Giant Health Care Issues Facing the United States NOEDb posted at NOEDb: Nursing Online Education Database.
Alanna presents Health Coverage: Finding the Right Fit BBB Consumer Education posted at BBB Consumer Education. Alanna presents some things that you should look into before purchasing a health insurance plan.

Alternative Medicine


Todd Goldfarb presents Advantages of holistic doctors and alternative techniques over Western medicine posted at We The Change, saying, "hi there-- really interesting piece here comparing western MDs to holistic doctors...enjoy!" This is a well written and informative post comparing Western medicine with holistic medicine in which Todd Goldfarb states: “Where Western medicine is primarily focused on treating symptoms, alternative practices look at the whole body.”


Anmol Mehta presents 5 Healthy Weight Loss Tips from Ayurveda posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "5 great weight loss tips from the ancient science of self healing - Ayurveda." Five weight loss tips from an Ayurvedic perspective. Ayurveda is an effective system of natural medicine practiced in India.


Lucynda Riley presents MJB 2 posted at Quietly Into the Night. This post describes and innovative way to cure a yeast infection.
Wenchypoo presents I've just come back from the fastest dental appointment I ever had... posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Re; saving money on DENTAL care." This post reports on the author’s experience in good diet and supplementation as a preventative measure for tooth and gum disease.

Healthcare Issues


Jimmy Atkinson presents How to Research a Doctor's Credentials Medical Tourism Guide posted at Medical Tourism Guide. Another important post by Jimmy Atkinson. As a recent case on Long Island in which Hepatitis C was spread because of a physician’s lax sterility techniques, this information could save your life.


Tiffany Washko presents Action Alert: Vaccinate Your Kids or Else! posted at Natural Family Living Blog. This post discusses the vaccine controversy in which the state of Maryland threatened to arrest parents who failed to vaccinate their children. There is some controversy that mercury based thimerosol, which had been used as a preservative in vaccines some years ago, has caused brain damage and autism in young children.


Ron King presents ActiveAmericans.com Online Community Announces Launch as Independent, Alternative Voice for Americans 50+ posted at bloglongtermcare.com. ActiveAmericans.com will provide them with resources and innovative solutions about health care, finances, lifestyles, legal issues, life stages, family relations and more.


Sharon Lee presents Huge Rise in Asian Diabetes Rates posted at Asian Diabetes Association. This post reports on the rise in the number of diabetes cases in Asian countries.


Aahz presents Applied Anarchy - Free Market Health Care : Philaahzophy posted at Philaahzophy. More along the lines of the Consumer Directed Healthcare Movement, Aahz states how removing the government from the health care system lowers costs and increases benefits to the consumer. Government spending has led only to worse care and higher costs, just as government interference in any industry does.


Aparna presents Beware of dust mites on your pillows posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, "Dust that gets accumulated in our houses is a host to millions of germs and microorganisms. Dusting and cleaning the house in itself is a cumbersome task, what with dust settling on sofas and beds, carpets, curtains and clothes. We all bother so much about insects, mosquitoes, houseflies and do our best to get rid of them. But we often forget about the tiny, almost invisible creatures called dust mites, which are present and booming in millions in the cozy comforts of our homes."


Health Chaos presents Be Your Own Advocate posted at Health Chaos. This post presents important information for the consumer of prescription drugs and warns the public of mistakes that are made in the hurry to dispense medications.


Holly Ord presents America: The Country That Kills It’s Citizens posted at Menstrual Poetry. Holly states the following: “There are 50 million people in the United States today that do not currently have health insurance, and the biggest reason for that is because it costs too much. There are also thousands of people dying all over this nation because of illnesses that could have been prevented and treated, but weren’t because of health insurance and again, because of it’s cost.”


Dr Martin W. Russell presents Why Help Yourself? posted at Dr Martin W. Russell. Dr. Russell discusses the huge cost of healthcare and predicts a future healthcare meltdown and urges self help and self reliance.

Diet, Fitness and Exercise


Lucynda Riley presents Hold me Accountable posted at A Public Diet. Thanks for sharing your diet progress. This will be an inspiration to many. Thanks for the tip that marshmallows are only 10 calories apieceJ


James D. Brausch presents The Problem With Exercise posted at Weight Loss Dude. James Brausch states: “Instead of taking time out of your life to go to the gym and “exercise”, why not actually live life and actually do the real activities that exercising is meant to simulate?”


Wenchypoo presents Meet “Epi”—the Ghost in Your Genes posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. This is good advice on preventative medicine.


Wenchypoo presents An Investment in Life and the Family Orchard posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. For a different perspective on the meaning of the holidays, check out this blog.

Alternative Medicine

FitBuff presents 7 Easy Breakfast Recipes: Healthy Breakfast in Less Than 5 Minutes posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "You probably already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, the RIGHT breakfast is needed to get you started right and keep you energized and productive all day long. Here are 7 healthy and easy recipes you can whip up in less time than it takes you to find your keys."


FitBuff presents Bill Maher Quotes on Health and Fitness posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "You may never see Bill Maher on the cover of Men's Health, but love him or hate him, he makes some absolutely brilliant points about a number of health issues in this sound off. From health care to medicine and diseases, it's nice to hear someone tell it like it is!"


Davex presents Acne Acupuncture Is An Effective Natural Treatment posted at Mr. Clear's Acne Blog. This post gives both information on herbal treatments and acupuncture for acne treatment.


pnreddy presents Alternative Cancer Medicine - An Effective Remedy For Your Cancer Symptoms posted at Alternative Medicine Zone. Different forms or alternative medicine are discussed in this informative blog.


Trevor K. Neuman presents Why Doctors Don’t Know? posted at Diabetes Research & Diabetic Diet Plans. This article stresses the importance of seeking natural cures for diseases such as high cholesterol of diabetes to avoid some of the serious side effects caused by many prescription drugs.


I hope that you enjoyed reading these informative blog posts. I know that I did. Stay healthy for the holiday shopping season and come back for our special holiday edition on December 22nd.


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of take charge of your health care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Technorati tags: take charge of your health care, blog carnival.

Take Charge of Your Health Care - 2nd Edition

Take Charge of your Health Care - October 21, 2007



Welcome to the October 21, 2007 edition of Take Charge of Your Health Care. Although this is only the second month of publication for Take Charge of Your Health Care Blog Carnival, we received close to 40 submissions. Most of these submissions were well-written, quality blogs that addressed important health care issues. We will publish our next edition on November 20, 2007, but beginning with our New Year’s edition, we will start publishing on a bi-weekly basis.


This month I would like to celebrate Al Gore’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize. On Friday, October 13, 2007, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to former Vice President Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of international scientists dedicated to climate research, for their role in spreading awareness of the danger of man-made climate change and the need to come up with solutions to solve this problem which threatens our environment. Environmental pollution is definitely responsible for birth defects and an increase in cancer rates and autism and climate change will be responsible for even more health concerns. For more about the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize read:


Helene Zemel presents Al Gore - A Man of Vision posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "Al gore has truly been a man of vision in protecting our environment. The danger of climate change will affect the health of present and future generations."

Save Money on Health Care

The main purpose of the Take Charge of Your Health Care carnival is to feature quality blog posts that address various health care issues. Over 47,000,000 Americans do not have any medical insurance. Here are some blog posts that address this issue:

Jimmy Atkinson presents Comparison: Presidential Candidates on Major Healthcare Issues NOEDb posted at NOEDb: Nursing Online Education Database. This is a must read article for people in the United States. The article introduces various healthcare issues and summarizes each of the Presidential candidates views on these important issues.

Staying with the topic of Presidential politics, Ian Welsh presents Questioning the Hillary Health Care Plan posted at The Agonist, saying, "Hillary Clinton's health care proposal isn't universal health care, it's universal insurance -- and that's an important distinction." Nice picture of Hillary too!

Let’s not forget the importance of good dental care for keeping you and your children healthy. Helene Zemel presents Affordable Dental Plans posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "This article discusses the fact that 7 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan, and even among those that do have dental insurance, most are underinsured. Discount Dental Plans are mentioned as a means of providing individuals and families with affordable dental care."

Matthew Paulson presents Minute Clinics Open Nation Wide, Provide Additional Healthcare Choices to Consumers. posted at Getting Green. These inexpensive walk in clinics in big box stores are an interesting concept for providing affordable health care to those who might other wise not be able pay for a private physician.

Shaheen Lakhan presents The Inherent Problem with Health Insurance posted at GNIF Brain Blogger. Read this physician blogger’s October 3rd blog post to see how the private insurance sector places an emphasis on their bottom line at the expense of insuring everyone.

Health Chaos presents No Health Insurance posted at Health Chaos. This is an interesting commentary on the control that the insurance industry and big pharmaceutical companies have on our health care.

Anthony presents The Lives and Times... of Anthony McCune: They Call It Customer Service At The Health Plan posted at The Lives and Times... of Anthony McCune. The author recounts the difficulties that he had with an HMO.

Ian Welsh presents Old Folks Is the US Unhealthier than Europeans. A LOT Unhealthier The Agonist posted at The Agonist, saying, "The key to better, affordable health care lies in better government healthcare policy." Good information in both the blog and the comments to the blog.

For a different perspective on saving money on health care: Wenchypoo presents Affordable Health Care on Every Corner posted at Mental Wastebasket. This article emphasizes the importance of good nutrition and prevention for saving money on health care.

For an opinion on President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): Madeleine Begun Kane presents SCHIP Haiku posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

Jimmy Atkinson presents Top 100 Health and Wellness Blogs NOEDb posted at NOEDb: Nursing Online Education Database. We can always count on Jimmy Atkinson to provide us with well researched resources.

Alvaro Fernandez presents 10 Highlights from the 2007 Aspen Health Forum posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Check out this overview of the Health and Science trends discussed in this recent policy event."

Phil B. presents Cancer versus Terrorism « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "About 13% of all deaths worldwide are caused by cancer, however less than 1% of 1% of all deaths are caused by terrorism." Phil questions why so much more money is spent on fighting terrorism than on finding a cure for cancer which causes far more deaths.


Consumer Directed Health Care – Mental Health

Helene Zemel presents Ritalin - The Truth about ADD posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "ADD and ADHD may be a trumped up diagnosis so doctors can write more prescriptions for drugs like Ritalin, Adderall or Concerta enriching the pockets of the big pharmaceutical companies. This article points out some of the dangers involved."

Tiffany Washko presents The Vaccine Issue - My Son’s Story posted at Natural Family Living Blog. Can vaccines contribute to autism and minimal brain damage in children? The author recounts her experience with her son.

TherapyDoc presents Secrets and Therapy posted at Everyone Needs Therapy. Good advice on children and secrets by a doctorate in social work.

Karen Halls presents Types of Alcoholism Treatments posted at Addiction Recovery Blog, saying, "Once you’ve acknowledged that you have a problem with alcohol, it’s time to start finding ways to treat the problem in an ideal and effective manner."

Kilroy_60 presents Things I Think I Learned ...from You Do It Our Way posted at Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers, saying, "Have you had a look at the Gonzo Blog Carnival Series?" This blog presents mental health therapy from the patient or client’s point of view.

Here is some good mental health advice: Robinson Go presents Start Everyday With A Smile posted at The Robinson Go Blog, saying, "Take charge of your health care with this often overlooked AWESOME tip."

Alternative Medicine

Anmol Mehta presents Introducing Ayurveda- Alternative Medicine for Self Healing posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "The workings of this comprehensive science for Self Healing are discussed here." Good explanation and definition of Ayurveda.

Aparna presents Kapalabhati Pranayam posted at Beauty & Personality Grooming, saying, "‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Why resort to botox injections and other expensive chemical or surgical procedures to get rid of your age lines, when there is such a simple and natural alternative available to you in the form of ‘Kapalabhati’."

Anna presents Essential Oils and Pregnancy posted at Our Family Village, saying, "When I got pregnant, I had this epiphany that I could cure most pregnancy “symptoms” with essential oils and bypass the icky phase entirely."

Petra Ioni presents Omega 3 Reduces Childhood Diabetes Risk posted at Medopdedia. Omega 3 oils have many health benefits, the author gives evidence in its role as a Type 1 diabetes preventative.

Food & Fitness

Paying attention to what you eat and staying fit can keep illness at bay and as a result help reduce health care costs.

MT presents How To Keep Heart Healthy? MT Herald Dot Com posted at MT Herald Dot Com. Good advice on how to keep your heart healthy.

FitBuff presents Lose Belly Flab, Earn Cash: Would you drop 10 pounds for $350? posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Many people don't realize the best way to save money on health care is to keep yourself healthy! But, you have to be motivated, so what would it take for you to get your butt in gear? How about $350?"

Wenchypoo presents Food for the Grist Mill posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Tells a story of how a wheat-and-gluten-allergic person (me) delved into the fiber realm and came out with an answer." For some additional information on nutrition see: Wenchypoo presents The Return of NNR Food Scores (L-O-N-G) posted at Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Tells how to find the most nutritious foods while shortening the shopping list--a BIG money-saver, let me tell ya! We are bombarded with way too many choices of food--even in the produce aisle. Free trade is costing us in more ways than one."

Wenchypoo presents Book Review: Healthy At 100 posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket, saying, "A d-i-y primer on how to live longer and healthier with minimal doctor interference."

Health Tips and Advice

Here are some more tips and advice for staying healthy and reducing your health care costs.

With the holidays coming up, The Career Counselor has some good advice at: The Healthiest Habits for Office and Seasonal Snacking posted at ask the Career Counselor.

Tristan Loo presents How to Power Nap for Optimal Productivity posted at The Synergy Institute, saying, "In this article, Life Coach Tristan Loo, explains how to use a short 20-minute power nap to maximize personal effectiveness, increase productivity, reduce stress, while promoting good health and vitality." Good advice for us busy folk.

Strabo presents This could save your life. The best wrist mounted blood pressure monitor. posted at Kosher Wisdom, saying, "Discusses how you can monitor your blood pressure with a simple and cheap home device."

Kevin Surbaugh presents Need New Shoes! - Exploring My Options posted at Becoming & Staying Debt Free. Good advice on orthopedic shoes.

Save Money presents How to keep your Skin Clear posted at How I Save Money.net. Great skin care tips.

Holly Ord presents The Male Pill posted at Woman Tribune. News on a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill.

Vanalli presents Testosterone replacement therapy posted at Nick, saying, "Is testosterone replacement for you?”

This post is a bit off topic for our site, but some of you blog writers might be interested. Submit your travel writings to this contest for a chance to win prizes. For more information see: Michael@TSM presents Fall TSM Travel Writing Contest: Win $125! posted at Traveling Stories Magazine.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of take charge of your health care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: take charge of your health care, blog carnival.

Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival - 1st Edition - September 21, 2007

Welcome to the September 21, 2007 edition of take charge of your health care.

This is our first monthly edition of Take Charge of Your Health Care. This month we have 10 articles focusing on various healthcare issues such as the high cost of medical and dental care, ways to save money on health care, alternative medicine, consumer directed health care, and current issues in health care.

Good Information Resource

First, I would like to thank Jimmy Atkinson for presenting 100 Web Resources for Medical Professionals NOEDb posted at NOEDb: Nursing Online Education Database. This blog post presented in the Nursing Online Education Database contains 100 web resources for both medical professionals and patients alike. Sources include hospital and physician directories and information sources on nursing, dentistry, oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and job databases for medical professionals.

Save Money on Health Care

The focus of our first edition of Take Charge of Your Health Care Blog Carnival is on ways to save money on your health care benefits.

Alanna presents Health Coverage: Finding the Right Fit BBB Consumer Education posted at BBB Consumer Education. This article in the Evansville Better Business Bureau blog starts out by stating: “Oh, the ever-daunting topic of health coverage! It’s intimidating for everyone, and for good reason. The kind of health coverage we have dictates the kind of health care we get, it’s often the one big “Unknown” in our budgets, and unexpected medical bills directly cause around half of all U.S. bankruptcies!” This blog provides 5 helpful hints on how to find the best health insurance benefits to suit the needs of your family.

Helene Zemel presents What Are Discount Health Plans? Part 1 posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "Discount health plans are one alternative to helping individuals and families save money on their medical and dental care costs." This discussion of discount health benefits is continued in What Are Discount Health Plans? Part 2 also posted at Health Plans Plus. These articles explain how discount health plans work and how they can be used as stand alone plans for people that don’t have health insurance, as supplemental benefits to fill in gaps in coverage, and how businesses can save money by combining a discount health program with a high deductible health savings account.

Consumer Directed Health Care

Health Chaos presents Research Results, Including HRT posted at Health Chaos. Written by a health professional, this blog post raises questions and concerns about Hormone Replacement Therapy and the need for honesty by pharmaceutical companies and researchers.

Tiffany Washko presents What Did You Think? Autism on Oprah posted at Natural Family Living Blog. Tiffany Washko reports a guest appearance by Jenny McCarthy, author of Louder than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism. Although the medical establishment claims that autism cannot be cured, Jenny McCarthy was able to cure her son of autism through the use of a gluten-free, dairy free diet. The connection between autism and vaccines was also made in this show.

Alternative Medicine and Healthy Living

Carole Fogarty presents Design your own health and well being affirmation: posted at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE, saying, "Everyone has their own very personal health and well being affirmation whether they realize it or not." This blog post stresses the importance of positive thinking on physical health. Why not create a positive affirmation like: “I am now growing younger with more energy”

Phil B. presents 9 Suggestions for Exercising More « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "We all want to be healthy and fit, yet we really don't want to exercise. Do we?" I am one of those people who needs to exercise more. Thanks Phil for the tips on working exercise into your daily schedule and having fun while doing so.

TherapyDoc presents Paranoia posted at Everyone Needs Therapy. This is a very informative article about paranoia written by a mental health clinician. Advice is provided on how to help someone that you are close to who suffers from this disorder get into treatment.

Rickey Henderson presents Guess What Rickey Isn't Doing Anymore? posted at Riding with Rickey. Ricky reports about his decision to stop smoking with good humor. Good luck Rickey.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Take Charge of Your Health Care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: take charge of your health care, blog carnival.

Welcome to Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival

Welcome to Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival. Access to good health care, especially in the United States, has become quite costly in the last 10 to 20 years. With big pharmaceutical companies and health maintenance organizations in charge of our health system, things are not likely to get any better until some changes are made. The purpose of Take Charge of Your Health Care is to blog about the high cost of health and dental care, suggest ways to save money using the present system, focus on consumer directed health care where patients can make choices for their best interest, expose attempts by the big pharmaceutical companies to lower acceptable blood pressure and cholesterol values so they can sell more expensive medications or drug our children for made up mental disorders, and seek alternative medicine solutions to health problems.

The carnival will publish each month so we are looking for article submissions on various healthcare issues such as the high cost of medical and dental care, ways to save money on health care, alternative medicine, consumer directed health care, and current issues in health care.

Our first edition will be published on September 20, 2007, and we will publish around the 20th of each month. If you would like your blog article to be published in the next edition, please submit no later than September 19th. For more details visit: www.blogcarnival.com.