health and fitness info

10 foods that required for health (part two)

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 08 May 2011 04:27:00 +0000

6. Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are low-fat source of protein, and also contains a special fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels in the body. One study revealed that if the kidney beans added to the diets of people with high levels of fat and high cholesterol in the blood, cholesterol and fat was decreased. Cholesterol and lipid-lowering properties of this bean probably originated from the content of protein and fiber.

Red kidney bean is digested slowly. When digested in the intestines, they were gradually absorbed into the bloodstream in the form of glucose, causing a gradual increase in blood sugar little by little. This means that only a few of the amount of insulin needed to keep blood sugar levels remain normal, and this is very helpful for people with diabetes to eat quietly without worrying about skyrocketing blood sugar levels. Non-soluble fiber content of kidney beans will not be digested in the small intestine, but will be forwarded to the colon.
Here bacteria will process it into acid short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids that are likely to prevent colon from carcinogens.

7. Oats
Low-fat source of carbohydrates that produces energy that is released slowly, also contain soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood. The addition of oats to the diet as much as 30-40 grams daily, combined with low-fat diet, can reduce cholesterol levels up to nine percent.
High carbohydrate cereals such as oat fiber can help you lose weight because the cereal may replace the fat in food. Oats take longer to digest, thus giving full effect, Thus stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the release of insulin. This is important because insulin also has changed the nature of the sugar into fat deposits. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates such as oats believed to stimulate the brain to give a message to the body for 'stop eating'.
People with diabetes should keep their blood sugar levels as normal as possible. Intake of some types of large amounts of carbohydrates can cause blood sugar levels rise rapidly. But because oats digested slowly, then the oats become a good source of carbohydrates for diabetics.

8. Walnut
Along with beans and other grains, walnuts are rich in unsaturated oils can reduce the risk of heart disease. One study showed that people who ate walnuts at least four times a week had lower heart attack risk 50% than those who do not eat walnuts. The experts found that those who
add the walnuts in a low-cholesterol diet were able to reduce LDL levels 15% lower than the diet without walnuts.
This may be caused by unsaturated fats, particularly linoleic acid content. These fatty acids are converted into gamma-linoleic acid and then converted again into a compound similar to the hormone prostaglandin which can help keep blood viscosity remained normal, prevent blood clotting, relieves blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Walnuts are also rich in vitamin B6 is believed to help the women of the disruption of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).

9. Olive Oil
Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil can reduce the risk of heart disease, and also a good source of vitamin E for against aging. Reduce consumption of solid fats and replace them with olive oil can reduce blood cholesterol levels
up to 10%. And at every 1 percent pengurangna cholesterol, the risk of occurrence of coronary heart disease will be reduced as much as two percent. Olives also contain phytochemical compounds phenol chain that is flavone.
The content of flavonoids and vitamin E in olive oil makes this oil has a high antioxidant power. A study shows the relationship between consumption of foods high in monounsaturated fat or olive oil with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

10. Apple
Apples contain vitamin C which is boost immunity and fight free radicals. Research shows that eating apples regularly can lower blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL, the bad cholesterol.
Unique combination of fiber and fruit acid in apples probably responsible for the prevention and treatment of constipation. The content of pectin and natural antiviral properties of apples in the western world to explain why the apple is used as traditional medicine for diarrhea. Apples have a very good benefit to the digestive system and excretion system (exhaust system). This may be due to a combination of the action of fruit acids that are improving digestion, the antioxidant effects of flavonoids quercetin, and also the ability of pectin in improving the system of disposal.

10 foods that required for health (part one)

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sat, 07 May 2011 16:09:00 +0000

living in the era of fast-paced and instantly makes us do things faster and instant too, including eating patterns.
There are 10 kinds of healthy foods that can help you slow down the aging process, improve the body, against the effects of pollution, prevent cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

1. brown rice
rice is the staple food of Indonesian people, but usually are consumed white rice. if you want to use more than rice, try eating brown rice. brown rice is a good source of protein, minerals such as selenium sources that can increase endurance, as well as a healthy source of vitamin B cells of the nervous and digestive system.
brown rice has a high fiber content so as to prevent kostipasi, also has the effect of preventing the occurrence of stomach cancer. and because of the high content of fiber and starch, brown rice can reduce the risk of colon cancer, the increase in blood sugar levels more slowly than the premises of potatoes or bread. with stable blood sugar levels to help maintain a stable amount of energy, helps control diabetes and prevent overweight.

2. Orange
oranges are fruits that contain lots of vitamin C, beta carotene and bioflavonid a whole are antioxidants. Vitamin C is important for resistance to infection, and along with flavonoids can increase the absorption of iron in the body. orange also can prevent the transformation of nitrate and nitrite in the body to nitrosamines. Nitrate and nitrite can be from foods that are in asapi or in the fuel, and nitrosamines are substances that are responsible for the occurrence of stomach cancer.
Flavonoids and vitamin C in oranges helps keep the blood vessel cell wall strength. In addition it also has citrus pectin, which is a kind of soluble fiber can help reduce levels of LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein).

3. Apricots
Fresh apricots are one of the best sources of beta carotene, which the beta-carotene is an antioxidant that is closely linked to low risk of cataracts, stroke, heart disease and some cancers. apricots, of course, also contain vitamin C.
apricot, particularly dried, are a source of potassium is a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Apricots are also rich in soluble fiber that keep blood sugar levels remain normal, helping to overcome kostipasi, also lowers blood cholesterol levels

4. broccoli.
broccoli, as well as other dark green vegetables, rich in calcium, as well as anti-cancer because the content of beta carotene. eat broccoli every day cause the risk of lung cancer is lower.
other than that broccoli is a source of folic acid, which is needed for women who will and are pregnant for mrncegah risk of birth defects. besides rich in calcium, broccoli also has iron and zinc levels are high,

5. salmon
salmon is an excellent source of protein and B vitamins in large numbers, which can protect the body from the risk of amnesia. consuming 150 grams of salmon per day, can help overcome the symptoms of psoriasis, which is one of chronic skin disorders.
Salmon also contains EPA (eicosapentanoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoid Acid). The second substance may reduce the risk of blood clotting and prevent accumulation of fat in the blood vessel walls

continued on part two.......................

How to Design a New American Health Care System - 3 Simple Proposals

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:33:00 +0000

Much is currently being written about how President Obama should re-shape the American Healthcare system. Most commentators agree that the current arrangement for healthcare in this country is too expensive, highly inefficient and provides unequal levels of care, including minimal care for the 47 million uninsured Americans.

As a physician with a longstanding interest in how health services are organized, and who has lived and worked in the USA, Australia and Britain, as well as consulted to many other countries, I have strongly held views on the types of directions America should take. And at one level they are remarkably simple, and can be summarized in three suggestions.

1. A public-private partnership philosophy has to be central to the whole re-engineering of the health system. America is founded on capitalist principals, where the profit motive is central, and any new approach to healthcare must combine this with the need to develop core public services that may be less likely to ever achieve a profit. There must be the potential for cross investment in all directions - and with funding for care provided on the basis of annual or episodic whole of person care provided, rather than on individual piece rates as at present. Numerous studies have shown that if health systems can be given the incentive to provide quality care efficiently over defined time periods, and Kaiser Permanente is an excellent example, that they can do this. The primary importance of this approach is that it will force more resources into prevention of illness - to wellness promotion - rather than into the treatment of illness that has already commenced. Of course in such an environment anyone, no matter what their insurance, should be able to receive emergency care in any hospital at any time - public or private. The whole system must be developed with interoperable health information technology systems, including patient accessible electronic medical records and the provision of a unique health identifier for everyone. This approach will greatly improve the delivery of healthcare, and the security and privacy of health information.

2. The public component of the healthcare system would include universal basic health insurance (including catastrophic care insurance) and many emergency and isolated health services, as well as much more public health focus on prevention and health promotion. Public programs should also pick up much of pre/post natal and early child care (by far the most important care in the whole health system) to ensure all mothers and babies are properly looked after, and probably care of some special populations who cannot afford private health insurance such as the unemployed, some seniors and certain impoverished or geographically isolated groups.

3. The private component would be funded with the aid of tax incentives to encourage most people (or companies) to take out private insurance with aim that at least 80-90% of the population should have private insurance. It is crucial to reach this level of insurance to be confident that patients have "skin in the game" and are financially responsible for at least a good proportion of their healthcare costs, and do not see healthcare as something that is provided by the government for free. The private sector should offer a full range of services from birth to death - with the ability to charge extra for certain "non-essential" services such as cosmetic surgery and other niche areas - but with regulation to prevent people being excluded on grounds of pre-existing conditions. A voucher system for certain groups, such as the chronically disabled, funded by government payments would allow all to access the private healthcare system depending on need. The insurance process for this private component needs a complete overhaul to reduce administrative overheads and simplify the payment process - my view of the simplest way of doing this would be to limit the number of private insurance companies and make sure that they are financially viable and large enough to offer reasonable regulated levels of healthcare services to their members.

These 3 steps to providing better care, and fairer access to care, for all Americans are taken from what I consider to be the best parts of the American, British and Australian health systems. No country has a perfect health system, and all are dependent on the core cultural philosophies held by the individual nation. America is the Land of the Free and can afford to choose the best of what other countries have attempted as it debates how to improve its healthcare system, and ultimately the strength and fortitude of its people.

Peter Yellowlees MD has recently published "Your Health in the Information Age - how you and your doctor can use the Internet to work together". available at http://www.InformationAgeHealth.com and most online bookstores. A shorter version as an e-Book for download to iPhones, Blackberry's, PDA's and other mobile devices called "4 Simple steps to Better Health - an Insiders Look" is available at Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1271

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Yellowlees

Our Health Care System - What Went Wrong? How to Stay Out of it and Survive

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:30:00 +0000

The Wellness Industry, as it has been named, has been with us in some form, quite possible, from caveman times. People have throughout history been aware of the curative, and deadly, effects of plants and animals, and many stories, such as old wives tales, have advice on how to maintain, or regain your health. Children were given castor oil as it was believed they needed to be kept regular. Blood letting was used to heal. The Chinese boiled up dried plants and animal parts to cure, or to boost sexual prowess.

The Medical profession, drug therapy and trusting your doctor to make the right diagnosis have for a long time been held up as the official, safe, provider of health care. Therapies that have been considered as alternative are becoming more and more accepted to both the general public and the Medical profession. These therapies include chiropractic, homeopathic, conductive education and many others.

The Wellness Industry and the Health-Care Industry (sometimes described as the Sickness Industry) are now both trillion dollar industries. In one way they appear to be opposites, with the Wellness supporters aiming to stay healthy and the Health-Care supporters managing symptoms and disease processes as they occur. In reality it is not so clear cut. Doctors are giving green prescriptions to encourage people to exercise, stem cell therapy is being developed in an attempt to cure certain injuries and diseases, and plastic surgeons carry out surgery on people to improve their appearance when they have no underlying health issues. To some people, the Wellness Industry may appear to be simply expensive vitamins, but a number of companies are developing complex, technologically advanced products that have met needs such as drug free pain reduction and relief. More information is available to the public on health management with supplements such as omega-3 rich fish oils, and why we need it.

The Wellness and the Health-Care Industries have evolved from our desire for health and our need for management or support when our health is challenged in some way. How each of us measures wellness is very subjective, with some people being prepared to undergo tens of thousands of dollars on procedures to improve our appearance when in otherwise good health; while others rarely see a doctor and accept all aches and pains as being part of the aging process.

How each of us manages our health is also very subjective. Some of us grow our own organic vegetables, watch our diet, and take carefully chosen supplements. Others live for the moment, feasting on takeaways, have a high alcohol intake and smoke in spite of all the health warnings. Governments are challenged by the cost of health care, and it is always an important item on the election agenda. A recent report on health funding showed that USA has the second highest spending as a percentage of GDP, but the quality of that spending is very poor. Governments are struggling to provide adequate health care.

What part do we play in this problem and its solution? Responsibility for our health by avoiding smoking, high alcohol intake and drug use; and exercise and a healthy diet fall clearly on our shoulders. Simply expecting the medical profession, drug therapy and insurance companies to fix us places a massive burden on the Health-Care Industry. Chronic disease is rarely fixable, it can usually only be controlled and relieved.

Our body is designed to heal itself, and when properly fuelled and cared for it is able to do this. The Health-Care Industry plays an important role by being available to us assist when we become unwell. So what is the matter with the Health-Care Industry? The problem is both our attitude and our expectation of the Health-Care Industry. This industry is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and it is vital to our survival. If we damage our bodies through neglect, and abuse such as smoking and alcohol, we will end up asking for help from the Health-Care Industry. It is our responsibility to care of our bodies and the Wellness Industry can play a huge part in helping us to achieve that. It can be as simple as buying some vitamin C to get rid of a cold, to using holistic treatments under the care of a consultant to gain control over chronic health problems.

All of us, at some point in our lives will need to ask for assistance from the Health-Care Industry. At the same time, we should always be mindful of living a healthy lifestyle. It needs to become a habit, and second nature. By focusing on maintaining health, and asking for assistance from the Wellness Industry when necessary you will get the best of good health for as long as possible. Your body will thank and reward you for it..

Mary Speller has had an interest in health and wellness for many years. She has now decided to help others to maintain and improve their health and their incomes at the same time. If you have any questions about the article, you can contact her through http://www.mannapages.com/maryspeller

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How to Choose a Home Fitness Gym

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:14:00 +0000

A home fitness gym is a great idea and will give you a convenient place to work out at home without having to go to the gym. As they are private, in your own home, if you do not like to work out with the people around they are ideal. However there are a few things to consider before you purchase a home gym in order that you find the right one for you.

Some Things to Think About

* How much space do you have in your home? Home gyms can be quite bulky and you will need quite a bit of space for the gym and also space around it.

* How much money do you have to spend? good quality home gyms can be quite expensive, as much as $5000 for a multi-gym. Cheaper gyms start at about $500.

* Which type of home gym is right for you? You would need to choose between a resistance machine uses rods or cables, or a free weight machine.

Some Advantages of Home Fitness Gyms

As we already said the biggest advantage is that you can do your workout at home, when it is convenient and in private. You won't have to get ready and go out to the gym and, once your home gym is paid for, they'll be no monthly fees to pay.

Some Disadvantages of Home Fitness Gyms

One of the biggest disadvantages is very often motivation. Many people find it easier to stay more motivated when they work out around other people who can help to encourage them to continue. There is also a social aspect of going to the gym which some people may miss and at the gym you can have a trainer help you with your exercises and keep you motivated. You will also not have the benefit of someone working out an exercise schedule for you, you will have to do it yourself.

Some gyms can be very difficult to set up initially and some can be awkward to change exercises or to change the setup for another person. They also take up quite a lot of room in your house so are not going to be suitable if you only have a small home.

Considerations When Choosing a Home Fitness Gym

The very first consideration, we think, is to make sure you buy a well-made home gym. A home gym that is not well constructed and is made of flimsy materials is poor value for money as it will not last long and you won't get a good workout. Cheaper gyms may be tempting but they won't save you money in the long run as they won't last very long. We suggest you look for a gym that is made from strong, heavy-duty tubing that is at least 11 gauge steel. Cheap gyms often have bolted together joints that will not last as long as welded joints. You should also make sure that the home gym you choose has a good warranty. Some of the better quality gyms have lifetime warranties, but you should look for at least a three year warranty on the upholstery and any moving parts.

Next have a look at adjusting the gym for different exercises or for the use of a different person. How easy it is to adjust can have a big impact on your motivation to use it. If you find it difficult or it takes too long to change between exercises you can easily be put off working out.

Make sure that benches and seats are well padded so that they are comfortable and that they can be cleaned easily. Well padded seats and other parts help to prevent injuries and blisters.

Conclusion

Home fitness gyms are a great idea if you know that you can stay motivated on your own or do not have the time to go to the gym regularly. Make sure that you do all the necessary research into the type of home fitness gym that will suit you before you buy one as they can be very expensive.

For more information on home exercise equipment and some good deals visit Home Fitness Gyms or read about how to use a home gym effectively at Home Gym Use

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Ashby

Healthcare - Keeping on Top of it All

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:27:00 +0000

Have you ever looked at the list of services provided by a major hospital? It is daunting what all can happen to our fragile bodies and minds. Do you ever wonder if all of these things previously existed but we didn't know it because we did not have the tools and technology to figure out what people had or have we added new ailments to our list or possible problems? No matter the answer to that question, there are a vast amount of ailments to consider with today's technology. If you were to go to Kankakee County healthcare you would find the technology to first determine what it is that is ailing you and then quite possibly the technology and care to cure you.

We are so lucky to be living in these times where the cure for cancer really may be found once the keys are unlocked in the cancer cells. It wasn't all that long ago when you could go to a facility such as a South Chicago Illinois hospital and find excellent service and wonderful patient care however, you might not have found what you really needed to keep you alive because it may not have been developed yet. Nothing against the hospital or the staff, they just may not have known. That may still be a problem today but the medical community is finding more and more answers to difficult questions.

You can definitely find better care at a place such as the Manteno Illinois hospital than you could two decades ago. It's not the people necessarily; the technology has offered more people a longer life and also a higher quality of life when an ailment does hit them.

If you have an ailment contact Riverside Medical Center or visit one of the many sites including Kankakee County healthcare, a South Chicago Illinois hospital or the Manteno Illinois hospital.

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Fitness Bikes - They Can Be the Best Way to Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:12:00 +0000

How much weight do you need to lose, and how quickly do you think you will reach your goal? It can be depressing when you have a lot of weight to lose and know it will take months if not years to accomplish your goal, or when you have just ten stubborn pounds to go and they will not budge. Fitness bikes could make the difference between actually reaching these goals within a reasonable time and giving up yet again in frustration.

Home fitness exercise bikes allow you to workout in the convenience of your own home without driving to and from a gym, waiting in line for equipment, or paying steep gym membership fees on a regular basis. Essentially, owning your own bike could eliminate the most common excuses that usually lead to failed attempts at weight loss.

Don't have time to drive across town? Don't have the money to blow on gym memberships for the rest of your life? Are you feeling embarrassed about going into a gym when you are so far overweight?

Fitness exercise bicycles are the answer to all of these common weight loss problems. For a very reasonable price you can workout from the privacy of your own home at literally any hour of the night or day. If you want to break your exercise time up into smaller chunks of time throughout the day, you can do that since there is no commute to worry about.

If you have ridden an upright fitness bike in the past and found it uncomfortable, you are likely the ideal candidate for one of the many great recumbent fitness bikes. This is a new design which allows you to ride in seated position with a back rest behind you, with your feet stretched out in front of you. This eliminates all pressure from your knees and is about as low impact as you can get while still burning massive calories and toning up your lower body.

One of the most popular models right now is the Schwinn 230 recumbent fitness bike. This bike comes with many workout programs already in the console and comes with a host of comfort features that will make burning off that weight efficient as well as fun.

Fitness bikes come with a wide array of advanced features that make working out fun. When you own your own bike, there will be literally no excuse not to reach your weight loss goals.

Follow the links for exercise bikes and read the best reviews of leading fitness bikes such as Ironman, LeMond the Kettler exercise bikes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Cassidy

What About Your Health - How to Save Lower Your Health Care Costs

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:26:00 +0000

When it comes to your health, what are some ways to lower your health care cost?

The best way to keep from going to the doctor is good body maintenance. Keeping your body fat and cholesterol down are two excellent ways of keeping your body healthy.

So how do we keep our body fat down? Well that is easy; just lower your fat intake. Pay attention to the foods you eat, fat should not be more than 20% to 30% of your daily calorie intake, and less than 10% of your calories should come from saturated fat.

This brings us to our next recommendation, calorie intake. Calorie intake should be weighed on whether you want to lose weight or maintain your current weight. When losing weight it is a good idea to lower your calorie intake gradually, so as not to put your body into shock, and feel like you are starving yourself. When cutting calories, be sure to eat plenty of protein, like chicken, turkey, fish and seafood. They are loaded with protein, and the good kind of fat. The protein will keep you feeling fuller longer, while you are eating less.

Start by cutting your calories by 20%, so for example if you are used to 3500 calories a day, cut down to 2800. Now I know that sounds excessive, but it's not that bad. There are tons of 100 calorie snacks, in the stores, my favorite is the 100 calories bags of popcorn, 2 ½ cups of popcorn popped, and it is a great tasting fulfilling snack.

Always start your day off with a high protein breakfast, or a filling breakfast. Bagel with turkey sausage or bacon, egg-beater and a piece of low fat cheese is a great breakfast. Turkey burger with salsa for lunch, and always a high protein supper. Just Google healthy recipes and you will find thousands of sites to help keep you on track.

For more information on keeping you healthy, and alternatives to traditional insurance check out our blog at http://deniseleeporter.net/

Scott Hughes

For more information on saving money on your health care, and your health care coverage cost upto thousands per year visit out Discount Medical and Dental Plans Today!

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Some Health Advantages of Recumbent Fitness Bikes

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:10:00 +0000

Recumbent bikes have become popular in the fitness world over the past several years. Once viewed as boring, people are now purchasing them and putting them in their personal home. They continue to be a popular item in gyms and even at physical training facilities. Many people do not fully understand exactly the advantages of utilizing a recumbent bike instead of other exercise equipment. However it is important for individuals to realize that there are several great health benefits to using a one.

First of all recumbent bikes are comfortable. “Recumbent” refers to lying or sitting down and that is exactly what people do on these bicycles. They sit on comfortable seats. These are a great choice for any individual regardless of their physical fitness level. Users can adjust the settings in order to make the work out exactly how they want it to be. They can use resistance levels or they do not have to include them. This is also a great exercise instrument for people who are larger. The seats are bigger than on traditional bikes and most people feel more comfortable when riding. Individuals should not think that it is not possible to get a good work out. Changing the resistance levels can make an individual feel like they are trying to climb up a hill and it can become difficult.

Another good thing about recumbent bikes is they get the person from getting bored. Most give users various programs that they can choose from. This helps to keep the workout interesting as well as keep the user motivated. Some of the programs are very challenging and they can really give individuals a great lower body workout. Recumbent bikes are also safer because they sit lower to the ground and require the rider to sit up straight. Most bicycles have the rider hunched over while sitting on a small and uncomfortable sit. Sitting up straight instead of crunched up is much better for the body. People also feel better after they complete their workout. Recumbent bikes do not put any unnecessary pressure on the body and this is great especially for those who have bad knees and the elderly.

Choose a recumbent bike carefully and make sure to get one that has workout programs and resistance levels. They are suitable for all age groups so it is definitely something that they whole family can enjoy. They are a great metabolism booster and they provide the body with its daily cardio work out. Individuals can also ride them in the privacy of their own. Users can ride in any type of weather and at anytime of the day. Everyone enjoys the sanity of their own residence and it is a great idea to bring a piece of exercise equipment into the home. Individuals should really consider the overall benefits of a recumbent bike. There are so many to choose from that a user can easily find one that adequately meets their needs.

For more information about the various Recumbent Fitness Bikes available, please pay a visit to http://www.recumbentfitnessbikes.com

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Your Healthcare System - Become a Changing Force

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:23:00 +0000

Making real change seems a formidable challenge, but the only limitation is in the way we think. That's right...the answers to positive change lie within each of us and center on the way we think about behaviors, attitudes and the corporate roles we play.

We can all point to poor communication (from others), lack of candor (in others), dishonesty (in others), and turf battles (fought by others) as the root causes of most problems faced by hospitals today. But what if we turn the tables and start to look within ourselves for the forces that will produce positive change?

Chances are you want to make a difference but don't believe you have the resources to create real results. As a hospital administrator, department chairman, clinical director, or physician leader, you may believe there is something "out there" that will help you make the right choices and have a significant impact. I'm here to tell you, you already have what it takes--if you're willing to make some personal changes.

These five actions, taken on a personal level, are guaranteed to create radical positive change in your healthcare setting. But remember--to change your healthcare center, you must first change yourself.

Action 1: Learn on the Run

Effective medical care comes from taking in signs, symptoms, lab results and diagnostic studies, then combining them to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Unfortunately, many of us do not apply these same skills to the rest of our jobs.We stay attached to our patterns in spite of indisputable evidence that what we're doing isn't working. We even defend what doesn't work, because it's comfortable.

Learning on the Run is based on "taking in" all available data, then "diagnosing" the problem before acting. Become willing to drop your defenses, take in all the feedback you can gather and then assess the situation. Don't allow yourself to become defensive, respond from habit or act based on stale relationship patterns. Open yourself up to learning--looking at the situation with fresh eyes, from new viewpoints.

Action 2: Drop the Roles That Bind You

Most stress and upset in healthcare settings result from our tendency to get stuck in the drama of the moment and inauthentic patterns of behavior. Authenticity--congruence between your inner state of being and your outer behaviors and actions--makes you a high-integrity player, regardless of title, position or identity.

Ask yourself: Do our roles guide our behavior, or do issues drive our behavior? These role-driven behaviors may sound familiar:

The Chief of Medicine has a predictable "intellectualizing" and "astute diagnostician" style of communicating, and is very defensive. The Chairman of Family Practice has a long-suffering and martyr-like identity. And Surgeons--well, they act like surgeons!

One of my favorite moments of authenticity occurred a few years ago during a highly charged Medical Executive Committee meeting at a major medical center. A very dominating, charismatic and extremely influential Chief of Cardiac Surgery known to be "surgical" even when outside the operating room, jumped to his feet still dressed in surgical garb. He bellowed, "Dr. High and Mighty Heart Surgeon is about to show up and I can't stop him!"
The entire group took a collective breath and broke out in relieved laughter. Needless to say, the drama that had previously played many times was averted and energy was freed to deal with other issues and problems.

Now, how is your authenticity? Does your role bind you? If so, let it go.

Action 3: Take Responsibility (Be Accountable)

Too many people seem to feel more responsible for explaining their results, or lack of results, than for achieving them.

Accountable individuals, on the other hand, make solid agreements and take 100% responsibility for their experiences and commitments. They look inside themselves, wondering about their contribution to problems, rather than lashing out and making them somebody else's fault. They communicate frequently with updates, they're reliable on tight deadlines, and they rarely drop the ball or manipulate reality to stand solo in the spotlight. If they must change an agreement, they promptly alert those who will be affected and renegotiate the agreement.

You must be willing to ask yourself what part your attitude, words or behaviors play in interactions. When I was asked to help the Board of a major healthcare organization improve the quality and effectiveness of their meetings and planning sessions, I observed Board members' discussions, breakout groups and activities during recesses and social activities. I later reported on my observations, calling these physicians on their hallway conversations, gossiping, politicizing, and criticizing of people who weren't
around. You know the general themes: "Ain't it awful?" "There's nothing we can do." "It's not our fault."

Although I enjoyed a close relationship with the group, their response to my observations was one of deafening silence. I waited, with "tar and feather" fantasies of humiliation parading through my mind.

Finally, a doctor known both as a firebrand and as a respected Board member stood. "I'm choking on these words, but I have to say I'm a gossip." He then proceeded to confess to their faces what he had said about these people behind their backs. As he owned his behavior and committed to speaking up more in meetings, he created the opening for many other people to do likewise. It became a radically
responsible meeting with unforgettable breakthroughs.

You can encourage personal accountability by asking yourself these questions:

What is it about my attitude or behavior that keeps this going?

Is there anything I'd like to communicate, but haven't?

Have I broken or missed any agreements?

What can I learn from this situation?

Action 4: Tell the Truth

Just as in today's corporate world, hospital workers suffer from epidemic levels of lying. About 95% of the time, we lie or manipulate the truth because we want to control the uncontrollable: others' reactions or emotions.We actually believe that the truth is not good for people and that we are protecting them by withholding or shading what's real.

This is wrong and it slows your facility down! Truth instantly gets all the information on the table so everyone involved can quickly make informed decisions with the benefit of all details and opinions. True power and enormous speed are the results when people deal directly with the truth, and with one another.

Much of the exhaustion and burnout of our medical lives comes from the energy expenditure of not telling the truth. The host of reasons generally falls into one of three categories: not facing a feeling, not communicating an experience, or not keeping an agreement. As soon as you face these energy-eaters, you'll fast-forward your healthcare interactions into far greater ease and speed.
Perhaps you've done something you feel guilty about and you haven't come clean with the other person. You may feel angry with someone or hurt about something someone has said, and you haven't told the person directly. If you don't communicate the truth directly, your inner self will keep reminding you with random flashes and thoughts, eating valuable time and energy from your day.

Perhaps you didn't follow through on a commitment. Such "integrity slips" tend to drag our energy down. All we have to do to get back to a highly productive state is to handle the broken agreement through some kind of direct communication. Tell the truth.

Is there someone with whom you need to communicate? Is there something you've left undone? What will actually heal and resolve this particular issue? Each time we're willing to tell a hard truth, we become lighter, faster, a positive force for change.

Action 5: Awaken Your Sleeping Giant

Does your organization focus time and energy on improving staff weaknesses, or capitalizing on staff members' talents and strengths?

Truly successful people get "good enough" at basic skills, but optimize their natural gifts, their areas of genius. They also recognize where they don't need to be a genius and delegate those areas to others. When your staff members are allowed to align their purpose and genius with their jobs, your health center's efficiency, productivity, satisfaction and joy will skyrocket.

In healthcare, we constantly ask ourselves to set aside gifts and passions to do "what needs to be done." Instead, let's bring our gifts to the challenges at hand and thrive and expand as a result.

Our combined "healthcare voices" scream that the problems we face today are bigger and more complex than these five actions suggest. Because we doubt the effectiveness of simple solutions and strategies, we continue old, unproductive patterns of indirectness, defensiveness, blame and inadequate communication. But these don't work.

Today in medical therapeutics we are able to abandon old therapies and technologies in favor of those that work. To gain true power for positive change in our organizations, we must be willing to abandon personal behaviors and attitudes in favor of new ones that work.

Adopting these five actions has completely transformed my life and the lives of thousands of clients. They're yours, now. Your choice is a personal one. Take action and realize your dreams. Your next decision determines your healthcare facility's future.

Eddie Erlandson provides executive coaching to executives who want to expand their influencing and teambuilding skills by helping them change entrenched leadership habits. He works with executive teams from start-ups to large corporations.

He has coauthored two books with Kate Ludeman: Alpha Male Syndrome and Radical Change, Radical Results. Previously, Eddie was Chief of Staff at St.Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he was a vascular surgeon and co-founder of a wellness and executive effectiveness program. With his experience in medicine and leadership coaching, Eddie has developed a unique body of knowledge about how the executive brain works and which tools are most effective in expanding leadership skills.

http://www.worthethic.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Erlandson

Bounce Your Way to Fitness!

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:07:00 +0000

Are you as fit as you could be? What about the rest of your family? The unfortunate reality is that many of us don't get enough exercise as we should do. This can be a real problem, particularly when it comes to our children.

Kids who don't get enough exercise when they are young are likely to pick up some bad habits. That means that it's highly unlikely that they'll get enough exercise when they grow older too. This is a real concern - it leaves them open to health problems early in life and also as they grow older.

It's clear that ensuring that your whole family is active could be the key to all of you having longer, healthier lives. So how can this be achieved? It's not always easy.

For starters, many of us don't like running or going down to the gym. We feel uncomfortable when surrounded by all of those fitness enthusiasts. This isn't a frame of mind that is going to help us get more active.

What about when it comes to our children? They're unlikely to want to spend time getting more exercise if they see such activities as being dull and boring, particularly when compared to the perceived excitement of playing computer games indoors.

The answer could be to make use of a trampoline. Larger trampolines are perfect for the whole family, but they do more than simply providing a means to exercise - they're also great fun!

Bouncing up and down on a trampoline is fantastic and allows the entire family to get together and enjoy themselves. It's also a way to spend time outside, enjoying the fresh air. So much better than being stuck indoors!

Trampolines come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular tend to be circular and are perfect for many gardens. Prices have been dropping in recent years and many of the very best deals are to be found online.

You could save up to 40% when you buy from a specialist store online. A good first step is to carry out a price comparison to see what sort of deals are around.

A trampoline could provide the perfect answer to your fitness concerns. It's great for the whole family, allowing all of you to enjoy yourselves while also getting the levels of exercise that you need.

Find out more about outdoor play and Super Tramp trampolines with more articles by Keith Barrett. You're welcome to make use of this article, as long as this resource box is retained in full.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Barrett

Healthcare Providers Must Guard Their Money

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Bernard Madoff was able to con millions of dollars from investors throughout the world. His Ponzi scheme was the worst ever investment fraud in the history of the United States. His estimated net worth of $820 billion was built on false promises and lies. Many of the investors he swindled were in the healthcare industry, and many of the charitable foundations that lost money by investing with Madoff help support healthcare research and treatment for underprivileged people. Bernard Madoff ruined the lives of many people, but his effect on the people in healthcare could be longer lasting than other areas

Many hospitals and clinics are looking to move to the most modern equipment possible to treat their patients. They are looking to outfit their cancer centers with the ability to do things like robotic prostatectomy. The equipment to make these dreams a reality is extremely expensive. Because of Bernard Madoff some hospitals and clinics will have to waiting even longer to purchase the high tech items to make their treatment dreams a reality.

The reality for people in assisted living is that a person like Bernard Madoff was a very dangerous individual. The elderly and those who help manage their money in Chicagoland assisted living centers need to constantly be aware of people like Madoff who are scheming to rob any person of his or her life savings. The centers themselves should work hard to protect their funds so no loss of treatment options is lost for their residents.

Hospitals in United States should reexamine their charitable foundations. Most foundation leaders trust the people who work directly for the foundation, but what happens to the money after it is invested. A hospital in a large state, like the hospitals in Il, need to protect themselves and the large populations they serve.

Riverside Medical Center, one of the premier hospitals in IL, knows to be wary of people like Bernard Madoff. We work hard to use the funds our patients and our supporting foundations entrust to us wisely. We know that financial security is as important for us as it is for an individual. Because we are financially diligent we have the opportunity to offer our cancer patients robotic prostatectomy. Our Chicagoland assisted living centers are financially secure. We know that you depend on us to care for you twenty-four hours a day, so we will make sure our funds are safe to be used to better the care we offer you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Lane

Elliptical Machines Are Great For Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:04:00 +0000

If you want to get in shape and keep your fitness level up, you should consider how elliptical machines can help you achieve your goal. These combo exercise powerhouses offer the best all-inclusive cross training workouts even as they provide the user choices to mix up their programs. What's more, if you add one of these machines to your workout routine, you will evade the hazards of exercising outdoor by keeping out of the cold or heat.

After you have determined that using an elliptical machine would really enhance your workouts, the next move is to locate the best elliptical cross trainer for your needs. Because there are so many selections available with price variations so broad, this part could be rather overwhelming if you don't do some preplanning.

As the well known exercise machine makers are producing ellipticals for consumers these days, the first thing is to make a decision about how much money you are prepared to spend on one of these machines. You should set your financial plan and then start searching for the existing choices. Evaluate the machines in your price range for their features and benefits but pay attention to any accessible consumer reviews out there prior to making your final selection. Keep note of your research so you will be certain to remember the machine that will give you the best performance for your kind of training when you are ready to buy.

As you shop for elliptical machines, remember that these beauties can give the best of several forms of workouts combined into one machine. High-quality ellipticals serve as numerous machines at the same time, and some models boast that they deliver full-body cross training. A superior machine should include a stepper, treadmill, cross country machine and rower all in one, letting the purchaser to not only get the advantages of a terrific workout, but also helping stop the boredom any one routine could impart after a number weeks of serious exercising.

No matter what model and brand machine you decide is best for you, you should still check with your doctor before planning a personal workout program. The only way to get the best advantages from an elliptical is to make sure you do what is healthy for your body.

For more information about elliptical machines, be sure to visit http://ellipticalfitnessshop.com, a popular elliptical fitness site that provides information including elliptical trainer exercise and elliptical reviews.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Silfies

Healthcare Industry is Growing

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 05:33:00 +0000

The healthcare industry is continuing to create jobs despite the global economic downturn. Medical training will be an utter necessity in order to provide services to the increasing geriatric population. Unemployment rates have been going up in most other sectors like retail and construction. Job cuts and recession are the biggest concern in everybody's mind today. Healthcare schools have seen to contribute for thousands of medical industry jobs every month.

Healthcare training in pediatrics and obstetrics have high hospital demands to cater. There is a distinct upward trend in job creation with the medical and health care industry worldwide. Healthcare schools are set to thrive with the sustained increase in national healthcare spending. Medical schools play a key role in providing the skilled professionals in order to handle the aging baby boomer population. Healthcare industry has added two million jobs in the last eight years. This is considerably higher than most other private sectors. Local medical and social assistance services add to about forty thousand healthcare jobs every month. This is in significant contrast when compared with the considerable private job losses in other industries.

The healthcare industry is known to have a minimum job growth of thirty-forty thousand per month. Government policies aim to increase on the annual spending of healthcare programs. This money works to pay for the services of in-demand medical personnel. Healthcare training programs can increase employment opportunities in the hospital sector. Healthcare training programs assure job readiness with solid scopes for permanent employment. The high risk to public health crisis due to the shortage of healthcare professional is increasing in most regions around the word. Government healthcare programs can be undermined in quality from shortage of trained medical workers. A severe crunch in medical manpower arises from the increasing demand of medical services.

Healthcare schools work to reduce the growing disparity in demand for medical services and the available personnel. Healthcare program graduates will be in high demand over the next several decades. The fastest growing employment category is with geriatrics and nursing. Career growth potential with education from the medical schools is said to double. Healthcare programs that work to train nurses are struggling to meet the increasing demand for qualified professionals. There is a chronic international shortage of four million trained healthcare professionals in the current year. Medical healthcare programs that offer graduate degree in healthcare have the highest job potential for the next five years. Healthcare providers continue to hire, as there is no risk to shrinkage in their end market. Government medical programs for the public are immune to the budget constraint measures. The costs of healthcare services continue to grow higher than the average national income. Major job-reports and labor statistics identify healthcare as a recession proof sector.

A decrease in private medical spending during recession is offset by public Medicaid expenditures. The projected annual spending on healthcare is said to increase by one fifth of the country's GDP in the future. A career in healthcare can guarantee growth and security even during the difficult times.

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is healthcare school offering healthcare programs in their campus at San Mateo, Concord, Fresno and Modesto.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Govindan

Evaluation of Health

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Now, more than ever, we need to teach the principles that govern health. Despite medical advances, the abundance and ease of modish life, and easy access to hygiene there is a decay of the life force and energy in people living in our lifetime.

Fashion is often in encounter with the laws of essentiality, and many practices diminish corporeal and mental strength.

Elena G. White rightly points out that when the abuse of health is carried to such an extent that it culminates in illness the forgiving is usually the finest source of information about his or her own anatomy and can be enabled to help himself. The cardinal thing is to actuate the true nature of the disorder, and then proceed comprehendingly to remove the cause. If the harmonious functioning of the body has been confused by excessive effort, food or other irregularities, disorder will not be corrected by the addition of a load of lethal drugs. "In many facts of disease, the best medicine for the patient is a concise fast, which omits one or two sustenance, in order to rest the body from the work of digestion." A aliment of fruit can be a elementary remedy which gives astonishing results for the moderation and restoration of a operative body.

It is also an entrenched fact that medicinal plants have been for centuries one of the most effectual natural healing. They were created by Creator for the benefit of humankind and have ever occupied a prominent place in the narration of medicine. A few of plants, dry and well secure, have been used to decrease pain and conduct illness, and have been ten to one hundred times more effective and have given better eventuality than any medicament with mysterious names.

In conclusion, the natural remedies that God has allocated at our disposal are the perfect agents of curing: clean air, water, individual cleanliness, sun, fasting, calm, diet, exercise and healing plants for the restoration of functional activity. The use of all the above-mentioned, coupled with a firm belief in the divine strength, is the true remedy for disease.

I started my knowledge in natural herbal medicine a long time ago, this is the short story.

I was a Owner of a well known leather apparel store in Caracas Venezuela. one day an old poor women stud in front of the store door, with two big red books.She saying to me that she need some money for getting some food, this situation come to her after she lost her husband how died suddenly.

For the money that I gave her she gave me those books.
Those old books, was full with illustration of plants and herbal with a very wide info how to use them, and what illness you can cure with this herbs.
At this moment I start my long way of searching and helping people with advices, for curing illness and most of all, live a batter life. I published my web http://www.livetob100.com few month ago, and still working on this web to gave the world a plenty of information for batter live.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samuel_Eskenasy

Starting Out With Home Gym Fitness Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:45:00 +0000

When getting ready to improve our physical fitness level, it's often challenging to go to a public gym. It is easy to become uncomfortable around individuals who are already conditioned and toned. As an alternative, with the monetary resources and space, you can install a personalized household workout area. There is equipment available for virtually any set of finances and fitness aim. We are going to focus on how your budget affects the equipment selections. It's fundamental to remind yourself that the expense will result in many personal fitness rewards.

If you have a larger measure of cash ready and the additional space in your home, a Bowflex home gym will satisfy many of your requirements. Although there are several Bowflex models, none of them are for those on an economical spending plan. The most basic model will cost around $600 with the top model going up over $2000. So, before investing, be sure that it is right for you and that you are not paying for functionality you do not need or want. Bowflex has welcomed positive reviews from satisfied customers. One of the gains to buying a piece of equipment such as this is that you are able to use it for various different exercises such as leg curls and squats.

Another good investment is an Olympic barbell and rack. These come with an assortment of weights ranging from 5 or 10 lbs up to 30 or more. Keep in mind that you can invariably purchase more weights as needed. You should also think about an adjustable bench press rack and a squat rack. A couple of small dumbbells would give you a complete set of home gym fitness equipment.

Since not everybody has the financial means or extra room in their house for a complete gym set up, there are some other pieces of fitness equipment that will likewise serve and cost up to $1000. For a minimum cost, purchase an Olympic barbell and a moderate selection of dumbbells and some barbell plates. An exercise bench will likewise be essential along with a barbell rack. This list of equipment is more intermediate than novice, even so if you are serious about employing domestic gym equipment to improve your fitness you will need this set of equipment at some level anyhow.

If you are on a seriously small budget, start out with a couple of adjustable dumbbells and a few different weights. This will help to get you started.

A good fitness plan engages your mind just as much as your body. Visit http://www.homefitnessinsider.com to make a stride toward getting into the Greatest Shape of your life using a plethora of helpful fitness tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Fincher

A Vital Part of Mental Health

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:23:00 +0000

Help lines are a vital part of the mental health field and provide a service to those most in need of counseling. They're a link between a person in crisis and those who can help navigate the murky waters while guiding callers to a safer thought process. These lines are manned by personnel with extensive training and who remain calm and level-headed when the voice on the other end is agitated, frightened, unsure or desperate. Often, by the time a caller has reached out to a help line, circumstances have already become overwhelming and sometimes dangerous. It's critical that those who are there to answer those calls can quickly assess the state of mind and whether or not further steps should be taken to protect not only the caller, but others who might be at risk.

Whether or not there are diagnosed mental disorders or conditions, each of us have had those blue moments and feelings of being misunderstood. For many, these moments and thoughts go beyond normal feelings we experience. It's usually at this point most reach out for help. The availability of help lines are have prevented untold tragedies and those who contribute to the success of these avenues find satisfaction in knowing they've played a small role in another's life simply by listening and providing encouragement and guidance.

The anonymity of these lines enable callers to feel safe enough to discuss situations they might not otherwise be able to do in a face to face conversation with friends or family. And, too, many feel as though those around them play a role in the way they're feeling. Job losses or fears of job loss, divorce, death, children growing up and moving away; these are all triggers that can put the wheels in motion for these feelings of despair. The problem is one out of twelve will develop disorders as a result of attempting to deal with the event. These disorders can be mild or can progress into serious problems that affect one's quality of life.

Not intended to replace traditional counseling, these avenues are meant to provide the caller a bit of reassurance and encouragement to follow through with a few counseling sessions. Still, the professionals who are waiting to hear from callers are educated and experienced and are there because of a sincere desire to help callers.
Although still widely used, the traditional three a.m. phone call has a new look. Technologies such as instant messaging, chat programs and even computer cameras have provided even more tools to provide better guidance to callers around the world. And too, with the lack of medical insurance, courtesy of a weak economy and record job losses, a help line is often the only resource available to many. This is presenting a quagmire of sorts since a counselor on the other end of a phone line is hindered by distance from those who are in serious jeopardy of bringing physical harm to themselves or even others. Help lines aren't intended to replace traditional counseling, but it appears to be doing just that for so many.

For more information on counseling, visit http://counselingmicroblog.com and http://helplinemicroblog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Parks

Fitness Equipment - Start Building Muscle Today!

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Starting a fitness program with the right fitness equipment is a wise decision. This is one of the steps in attaining a lifestyle that is fit and healthy. The first thing you have to concern yourself with is the selection of the type of training you want. This basically boils down into home based training versus gym based training.

If you want to keep up with the trend, you should go with home based training. These days, more people prefer to have their very own gym as opposed to enlisting membership in commercial gyms, spas, or workout clubs. This is because home gyms provide more convenience; you can workout anytime you want and without any fee. What's more, you can assure that with a home gym, you can use the equipment without having to wait for your turn - and in private. On the other hand, commercial gyms, spas, and workout clubs can be a source of social interaction. You can meet various kinds of people and perhaps create solid and lasting relationships. They are also a great option if you want to leave your home for a change of scenery and atmosphere or just to get the feel of proper training.

Whatever type of training you choose, whether home based or gym based, the type of fitness equipment you will purchase should depend on the goal of your training. This time, your choices boil down to three: bodybuilding, weight loss, and cardiovascular training. For bodybuilding, which includes muscle building, the fitness equipment you need include weight lifting equipment, free weights sets, dumbbells, crunch machines, abdominal machines, abdominal straps, abdominal boards and rockers, and different kinds of benches. You can also use lat machines, leg press machines, calf machines, chest toners, inversion tables, arm equipment, and gym racks. For weight loss, you can use fitness equipment such as waist trimmers, support belts, thermal suits, yoga mats, and other yoga products.

Building the muscles is an endeavor that must not be taken lightly. Some people use only bodybuilding equipment, but the truth is that better results await those who use cardiovascular training equipment, which both serve bodybuilding and weight loss purposes. Thus, if what you want is to build your muscles, you should buy fitness equipment that are usually used in cardiovascular training, apart from those used primarily for bodybuilding, such as treadmills, trampolines, elliptical trainers, rowing machines, exercise bikes (and teracycles, if you wish), and steppers. These pieces of equipment can be used for a wide array of cardiovascular training exercises, including walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, step aerobics, and a whole lot more. With cardiovascular training equipment, you can train not just your cardiovascular system but enhance the results of your bodybuilding training as well; your muscles will become more defined and noticeable.

Now you know what you have to purchase. Start building your muscles and trek the road to a fit and healthy lifestyle now by buying the fitness equipment you need. You can browse through a number of sites here on the Internet and get discounts for bulk or combo orders.

Ready to finally learn the TRUTH about fitness equipment? We show you the secret to building muscle 95% of bodybuilders and fitness experts don't know. Go to http://www.justhour.com now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Ericsson

Mental Health Counseling and Stress Management

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:19:00 +0000

Both for counselors and clients involved in mental support, increased levels of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual stress can make challenges worse. It is fairly common knowledge that anxiety, panic, fear, anger/rage, loss of focus, PTSD, chemical dependency and other forms of addiction, and compulsive behaviors are either created, or made worse, as a response to stress. I believe that depression or depressive episodes are often the back side of anxiety (and over stimulation.) With the physiologic response to stressors/anxieties at least partially shutting down the higher function of the decision making neo-cortex, stress can lead to poor problem solving, reduced abilities to communicate, and increased psycho-pathologies.

If you can see the role stress plays in relationship to increased mental health challenges, then the contrary, the practice of stress management, can lead to reduced demonstrations of symptoms. Forms of stress management, biofeedback, "desensitization," "mindfulness," and other anxiety reducing practices (like yoga, meditation, diet, exercise, etc) can prove very therapeutic in helping to control the causes of anxiety/stress related symptoms. Beyond symptom control, for the motivated client, I feel that using these techniques until mastered and then regularly, and preventively, can benefit a person by "empowering" them with body awareness, present living mindfulness, and new skills to control stressed out physiologies.

Empowerment of the individual is the key! Self-awareness and then self-control (of habitually held stress) enables a person to feel better in control of available time and energy and better able to self-minimize, if not eliminate, psychological symptoms and emotional/spiritual pain & conflict. Spending time in a "positive" way, in the present moment, leads to reduced fear and anxiety. This new self-control can often lead to reduced needs for psycho-active medications, alcohol, or street drugs.

Stress management, biofeedback, other behavioral techniques, and other stress reducing practices are not difficult to learn, but finding the time and motivation to use these effective techniques often requires support and counsel.

For therapists, counselors, teachers, and concerned family members, these same techniques are essential in minimizing the potential for "burn-out," "over-load," and reduction in the ability to care for your client, student, or family member. To be a positive role model by regularly practicing stress management, seems an obvious self-care strategy that serves all parties in therapeutic relationships.

I may be "preaching to the choir" but even the obvious needs to be restated. Basic stress management is a necessary element to psycho-therapy. The extra element of simple biofeedback practices is a beneficial feature offering personal awareness that leads to better levels of self-control.

Since 1978, the Stress Education Center has offered coaching, training and products for stress management.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the country's leading stress management expert and the author of the best selling "Guide to Stress Reduction." Since 1977, he has offered Success & Executive Coaching and Training.

Please visit the Stress Education Center's website at Stress, Stress Management, Coaching, and Training for articles, free ezine signup, and learn about the new telecourses that are available. If you would like information or a targeted proposal for training or coaching, please contact us at (360) 593-3833.

If you are looking to promote your training or coaching career, please investigate the Professional Stress Management Training and Certification Program for a secondary source of income or as career path.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L._John_Mason

Healthcare ASP Part 2 - The IBA Healthgroup

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:17:00 +0000

One of the fears of hospital management is that they partner a Application Service Provider and that this partner becomes insolvent. The IBA Healthgroup recently bought a ASP which made them a strong global player. The other side of this fear is that a good software package will always be bought by someone, as in the (same) case of iSoft.

Because the IBA Healthgroup is probably best know for its main label - iSoft. On the website this label is shown directly on the home page and on the "solutions" page.

IBA Health launched in Australia in 1982... developing, delivering and supporting fully integrated solutions across all health sectors.

They employe over 450 health and technology professionals ... "that continue to connect providers, payers, patients and communities around the globe" (including a research and development centre of excellence in India).

Their mission is ... "to promote clinical safety and information sharing by delivering solutions that provide real value for patients, health providers & funders - globally."

Their solutions are used throughout Australia, China, India, Middle East , New Zealand, South Africa and South East Asia and used by both (about 500) public and private hospitals... by over 3,000 Primary Care providers, over 300 Aged and Community Care facilities.

Their systems are designed and built for:
1. Hospitals & Clinics (to manage clinical, administrative and financial processes ... and to manage a patients' progress from beginning to end)
2. Primary Care (an integrated clinical and practice management system for General, Specialists & Allied Health professionals)
3. Aged & Community Care (... allowing facilities to manage residents, clients and the business)
4. Payments & Transactions (... transmitting both financial and clinical data to General, Specialist and Allied Health professionals, Medicare Australia and Private Health Funds)

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is perhaps the most important chain between IBA health and iSoft. The EHR is the basis of the health application. The EHR gives "instant access to patient centric summary information. Treatment and diagnostic data from different disciplines are available securely, accurately and in real time." There are eleven more business and (thus) application areas (Enterprise Wide Healthcare, Clinical Care, Medication Management, Clinical Specialties, Patient Management, Primary Care, Disease Management, Aged Care, Community Care, Facility Administration, Electronic Health Claims) on which the iSoft solutions are centered and which are managed under the label: Lorenzo.

The history of iSoft goes back to a management buy-out of a healthcare information business unit within KPMG in 1998. It merges with another provider of healthcare solutions (Torex).

Isoft was a steady growing company but got into problems after a profit warning for delays in the delivery of its software for the £12.4bn upgrade of the National Health Service's information technology project, NPfIT ... Nevertheless Isoft has been slowly nursed back to health by John Weston, acting chief executive. (1)

Now, under the umbrella of IBA healthgroup hospitals and other healthcare providers can be confident that their software partner is both stable and innovative.

(1) - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6e40afc6-fd00-11db-9971-000b5df10621.html

Copyright © 2009 Hans Bool

For more information have a look at his writer's block note

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Bool

Health Care & ASP Part 1 - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Hospitals belong to the category of organizations with the highest information density. This means that the business that is organized in a hospital is very independent on information.

For instance: a patient gets ill suddenly, possible cause maybe a heart-attack. Someone calls an ambulance which arrives and than the hospitalization process starts. The life of the patient depends on questions like: what is the exact cause, what is the best location to go to inside the hospital and who do we trigger (call) first to cure the patient?

This whole process is dependent on: the information on the patients' health (record), hospital protocols defining who is doing what under certain circumstances and the available resources. In a matter of minutes a series of what-if questions follow and the patient is routed to the right location and the right specialists...

One could argue that any different hospital is a just like an other hospital. They all "operate" more or less the same, with: an incoming patient, available resources, information systems, hospital logistics, etc... If some company is able to develop a system that supports this flow of information (or events) it can deploy this to whatever hospital.

The reality is that hospitals started their own software development in a time where "focus" was not yet an issue as it is now. Some hospitals are more developed in this sense than others. Than specific companies started to develop these "generic" hospital systems to support and service a niche (hospital) market. iSoft is one such a company that has built a system called Lorenzo.

So one of the main and still existing dilemmas hospital information management is the question for hospitals to either self-develop their information systems or to have a "standard" package like that of Lorenzo.

The next question then is to outsource the application -- which is done by an Application Service Provider (ASP) -- or to host the application in the hospital environment and only "buy" the software application.

A few of the advantages in choosing a specific ASP are:

- they have the knowledge and focus, the hospital can focus on their core business. They can innovate faster.
- the ASP will develop a generic and best practice approach according to the common sense in the market in which the ASP operates. Most hospitals will face similar business issues.
- the ASP can offer a use per transaction which is scalable (in-house variant only).

A few of the disadvantages:

- the hospital or healthcare provider is limited to the (develop and maintenance) priorities of the ASP.
- small hospitals have little say in the new application development
- tailoring a system to specific proprietary needs is costly and maintenance sensitive.
- The hospital may have developed their own system which is costly to replace and convert into the new one.
- The ASP partner may become insolvent..
- The cost structure of an ASP is explicit and looks more expensive as in-house-development is implicit and looks less expensive
- the ASP will have to service more parties and when successful will risk unstable system development due to the large number of new and unique requirements for each and every hospital user.
- ... etc.

All thought the disadvantages may outnumber the advantages this doesn't mean there is no point in ASP or a packaged or standard healthcare software development. Each case must be examined and each hospital situation is unique. These advantages and disadvantages are not valued.

Then very important; although most service providers mention an integrated system, this integration needs to be established and often implies a high cost.

One of the main challenges in implementing the healthcare application is the fit of this single system with the whole hospital business architecture. Introducing such a system affects the whole organization.

Copyright © 2009 Hans Bool

For more information have a look at his writer's block note

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Hans Bool - EzineArticles Expert Author

Health Coaches Needed For Health Care Reform

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Most of the Congressional debate for health care reform revolves around ways to extend reimbursement for sick care. However, paying for more of the same fragmented, costly care isn't reform, it's madness.

The $2.2 trillion health care system, the costliest in the world, requires a new top-to-bottom vision, and although the 600 doctors and health professionals gathered at the Institute of Medicine's Summit on Integrative Medicine last month didn't agree on everything, they reached a resounding consensus about the need for Americans to change their health habits. Yet how can that best be accomplished?

With a primary shift toward health promotion, disease prevention and wellness, a revamped health care system could put the brakes on the disastrous trajectory predicted for 2012, in which total health care costs would equal 20% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Providers, employers, and even insurance companies finally concede that the US would fall behind the world's nations in every imaginable sector if one out of every dollar of our productivity went toward health care costs.

For over 30 years, the National Wellness Institute has been reporting that 8 out of 10 Americans suffer from chronic ailments derived from unhealthy lifestyles: poor diet, inadequate physical activity and unmanaged stress. Yet the difficult task of behavior change has always fallen on individuals, without much support from the medical system or their doctors.

In addition, cultural support has been lacking for the most at-risk populations, often minorities with higher rates of diabetes and obesity. At present, there are more obese Americans than overweight ones-an almost unthinkable statistic.

Cultural support for healthy lifestyles starts with community activists demanding bike paths, public parks, safe streets, farmers' markets, fresh food options and more from their local governments. Together with cooperation from industry, government, health care, and public health officials, pressure can be placed on developers to build environments that provide opportunities for physical activity. Teachers, parents and consumers can demand that Big Food stop advertising cheap, non-nutritious, calorie-dense, processed foods to kids and young adults. Schools can offer nutrition and PE classes again, and lunch programs can teach kids about healthy choices-and provide them!

Should Your MD Get Paid to Teach Wellness?

"Lose weight, stop smoking, start exercising, and cut down on your stress-and I'll see you next year for your physical." Everybody knows that the once-a-year admonition from your doctor rarely translates into new health habits.

A new tier of health coaches can supply the support and encouragement needed for Americans to begin their journey towards maximizing personal health. Health coaches should be part of every public clinic, medical office and hospital wellness center. They should be reimbursed by insurance companies, or be part of the first-access tier of Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance companies and corporate wellness programs. Even Dr. Mehmet Oz suggested that health coaches should be considered a central part of health care reform to CNN's medical reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Instead of medical doctors expecting to be reimbursed for providing health promotion and wellness services (at rates exceeding $200/ hour), health coaches could easily provide this service at one-fifth the cost. They would also present a more friendly, accessible, peer-support approach to individuals. The specialized training of medical doctors is best directed to complex cases, whether acute or chronic.

The entire continuum of care needs to be re-examined and opened up to include reimbursement for health professionals that investigate the foundational causes of chronic illness, and who understand and have specialized skills in countering the ill effects of unhealthy lifestyles-professionals such as Nurse Practitioners, Naturopathic Doctors, and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, Homeopathic doctors, and Chiropractors.

For too long, there has been an active collusion barring the advancement of these professions by certain medical organizations with insurance companies, and the public has suffered as a result.

When these allied health professionals spoke up, demanding inclusion at the reimbursement table at the Summit on Integrative Medicine, a few medical doctors such as Dean Ornish, MD, championed this democratizing of the medical landscape, but others kept insisting that their own practices could accomplish wellness services, if only they were properly reimbursed.

However, reimbursement for lifestyle counseling should not have to include the major overhead encountered by medical doctors, including their clinical offices, costly tuition loans, high-tech equipment, numerous staff and billing clerks.

It's been said that the US health care system is neither healthy nor much of a system. I believe it's always darkest before the dawn of a new era, and these dark days of an ailing system must mean the light is about to break over the horizon.

Bringing health coaches into the US health care system can address the colossal "elephant in the middle of the room"-that the burden of disease and related health costs can be dramatically lowered through healthy behavioral change. Learning to move more, eat well and less, and de-stress often, is not only a prescription for a better life, it's an Rx for US health care reform.

Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, is Dept. Chair and Professor of Integrative Health Studies, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. She is a medical anthropologist, specializing in behavioral medicine and integrative health. Reach her at mjordan@ciis.edu

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Life Fitness C9i Exercise Bike Review

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:33:00 +0000

The Life Fitness C9i is based on their popular gym bike and you can feel the same quality in this home version. The saddle is a dream to sit on and the forearm supports on the racing handles ensure a great riding position that's possibly the most comfortable on any bike we've tried. The action of the pedals is ultra-smooth and, of course, very quiet.

The console consists of 6 LED display windows that tell you all you need to know about your workout such as distance, calories, revs and heart rate. Compared to some models on the market the C9i's LED display may be starting to look a little dated but its simple layout makes all the data instantly readable.

You have a number of options to measure your pulse, both the vertical and horizontal handles have grips or you can use the more accurate chest strap (included) that communicates your pulse rate to the chip in the console. The chest strap is more accurate than the grips and a better option if you're using the heart rate controlled programmes.

There are no less than 19 workouts including 3 heart rate programmes to get you burning the fat at a fast rate whilst getting you fit quick. The in-built polar chip will measure your heart rate and alter resistance (there are 20 different levels) or the speed target to ensure the optimum benefits from your workout.

You can also design and name up to 7 programmes yourself plus store your workout data and keep track of your progress over time. Like the C9i this is self-powered meaning you can use it anywhere as it doesn't require mains electricity.

The warranty is an excellent lifetime on the frame, 5 years on the alternator, 3 years parts and labour on everything else.

Conclusion:
The C9i is an absolute dream to use, it's one of the top bikes on the market in our view and worth every penny - even if it's quite a few!

Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2006 he published a book called 'Zone Mind, Zone Body' about how to achieve a peak performance more often. He's also a bit of an 'anorak' when it comes to exercise bikes and gadgets. To read his views on many more models please visit Exercise Bike Reviews

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Family Health Plus

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Family Health Plus is a government health insurance program specialized for adults who are at ages 19 to 64 and have income or resources too high to be eligible for Medicaid Family Health Plus is available to single adults, couples without any children, and parents who only have limited income and are residents of New York State and United States citizens or even who fall under one of many immigration categories.

Family Health Plus provides prevention, comprehensive coverage and primary care, hospitalization, prescriptions and many other services. There are minimal co-payments for some Family Health Plus services around New York. Health care is provided through cooperating managed care plans in the Area.

Family Health Plus is available to all single adults, parents with limited income, and couples without any children, who are at age of 19 to 64 and are residents of New York State and United States citizens or even just fall under one of many immigration categories. If a person has health insurance through a federal, county, state, municipal or even school district benefit plan, then that person is not eligible to enroll.

If a person has employer-sponsored health insurance that is available through other types of employers, he may be eligible for help to pay for premiums, coinsurance, deductibles, and co-payments through the Family Health plus Premium Assistance Program.

There are limitations with the amount of assets or resources that one can have and still be eligible to enroll in Family Health Plus. The value of an individual's home will not be counted. However, the amount of income and assets or resources of everyone can still be eligible for Family Health Plus depending on how many people are there in the family.

Family Health Plus program is provided through the Managed Care Plans. Individuals must select a participating health plan when applied for Family Health Plus. Every effort has to be made to help individuals pick a plan that includes current physician. In choosing a health plan, it is necessary to have a regular doctor; get regular check-ups and see specialists if needed. There are also plans that offer dental care.

Coverage of the plan has includes the following:

* Physician services offered
* Hospital care for inpatient and outpatient
* Prescribed drugs and smoking cessation products
* Laboratory tests and X-ray
* Optimal, speech and hearing services
* Medical equipment
* Emergency room, emergency ambulance and other services
* Mental health, alcohol and chemical dependence services
* Dental care services
* Reproductive health services and family planning
* Radiation therapy and chemotherapy
* Diabetic supplies and other equipment services

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Choosing Fitness Machine - Elliptical Review Helps!

noreply@blogger.com (abuhaikal-info) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Look for elliptical reviews when considering a fitness machine. There are many different types of fitness machines in the market today - treadmill, stationary, elliptical and so much more. When you decide to purchase one and commit yourself to workout at home, it is better to approach user reviews to understand more about fitness machines.

If you are looking for overall workout machines, elliptical review on the net can show you different types of machines that allow the whole body to workout. These can be articles explaining how different thee machines are compared to treadmill or stationary bikes, their effects, and of course, advantages of using elliptical machines.

Elliptical reviews do not only distinguish the differences between conventional fitness work outs, it also reveals the effectiveness of working out using elliptical fitness equipment. Those who are new to fitness equipments may not be familiar with effects of different machines, hence reading reviews by other users will give them a clear idea about what they can expect from this type of machine.

Choosing a certain level of elliptical fitness equipment also depends on the specifications of that particular machine. Elliptical review will enlighten buyers with requirements of different levels of machines. Some may be filled with features but it is not always necessary for beginners looking for simple yet basic machine. Scoping down to what you require is the help that any buyer need.

Users also can know how well the result of working out via elliptical reviews. Current users of these machines will tell how well a particular machine is able to deliver desirable results. Users expecting to work out certain muscles will find out through reviews that elliptical equipments are not that suitable for body building.

Elliptical reviews do not only contain all the good stuffs - side effects or disadvantages are also important for buyers so that they can decide on that particular equipment or not. The unbiased critics by existing users can sometimes be the tipping factor that helps choosing between two identical machines.

Finally, buyers should not rely solely on an elliptical review only - there are tons of reviews on one kind of machine. Make sure that buyer still implies simple 'smart buyer' logic while scoping down the right machine. Choosing the right machine will not only give the right workout experience, at the end of the day it is money well spent.

Elliptical fitness equipment reviews often play an important role as the decision tool while selecting a desired fitness machine. Take a look at http://www.elliptical-fitness-equipment.com to find out more about elliptical fitness equipments

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