Saturday, December 22, 2007

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.