There Was “The Republican Alternative” – (American Spectator)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Wright10

Barry, Harry, Queen Pelosi… and oh yes Steny (heard him yesterday with Greta Van Susteren) keep telling us that the GOP have had no ideas and no plan for healthcare reform; they are just the party of no. Well, if anyone really believes that then they haven’t paid attention and they really are as dumb or brainwashed as the radical progressive Dems and their followers think we/you are.

In reality, the Republicans had more than several options for bills and pulled them together into HR3400 (summary below) and have introduced amendment after amendment to try to bring the Obamacare bill (written by a Soros/ACORN associated felon and friend of the Obama Administration) into a partially workable bill with at least a little reform in it and to stop the complete erosion of healthcare for the American people, since the Dems are H_ll bent on forcing this disastrous plan down our throats, even tough only 26% of uninformed and Kook Aid drinkers support it.

By the way, there are numerous doctors in the House and Senate, most are Republicans, who have been trying to get a meeting (either individually or in a group) with Obama to review, discuss and give some input to this bill since April 2009(8 months). April is the last time the WH has agreed to a meeting or to including the GOP in any debate or meeting either in the White House or on Capitol Hill. Oh and Obama’s grandstand offer of meeting with anyone who’d like to and going through the HC bill … never happened, because the WH would not even respond to the requests of those wanting to meet.

The Republican Alternative
By Peter Ferrara on 11.18.09 @ 6:08AM

Democrats have been telling us all year that the Republicans have no health reform alternative. They are just the party of no! So we must have all been hallucinating when, lo and behold, just before the recent House vote on the Pelosi/Obama government health care takeover bill, there was a vote on…the Republican alternative.

Exactly the opposite of the House Democrat health plan, the Republican alternative would actually reduce the cost of health insurance and care. It would also expand coverage and provide a safety net ensuring that no one would be excluded from essential health coverage or care. It would also expand consumer choice and control over health care.

At the same time, the Republican plan involves no tax increases, no Medicare cuts, no rationing, and no increased deficits now or in the future. Exactly how all this is accomplished is fully explained below.

Lower Costs

The Republican plan allows insurers to sell health insurance across state lines. This would greatly expand competition, enabling the more than 1,000 private insurance companies to each compete nationally. That vastly increased competition would reduce health insurance premiums and costs. It would also greatly expand consumer freedom of choice.

We hear liberal complaints about areas within some states that only have a couple of insurance companies competing. That is entirely due to government regulation. We see ads for car insurance, and every other type of insurance, competing nationally all the time.

There is no reason why we can’t enjoy the same for health insurance.
The Republican plan, of course, includes medical liability tort reform modeled after successful reforms in California and Texas. This would sharply reduce costly junk lawsuits and the resulting costly defensive medicine pursued just to protect against frivolous claims. Democrats crassly oppose this because of the enormous contributions they receive from Plaintiffs’ attorneys, which has been openly admitted.

The Republican plan would further reduce costs by enhancing Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which are themselves a Republican reform fundamentally changing health care by introducing market incentives to reduce costs. Individuals with HSAs keep most of their money for health care in a savings account, earning tax-free interest, with the rest going to purchase a high-deductible, catastrophic insurance policy. The premium cost for such catastrophic coverage, with deductibles generally ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 a year, is much lower than for standard, low-deductible health insurance, allowing the savings in the account to grow quickly to cover the entire deductible. Patients with HSAs are free to use the money in their accounts for any health care, including preventive care, check-ups, prescriptions, dental care, eye care, and the full range of alternative medicine. Nothing could do more to increase consumer freedom of choice and to put patients in control of their own health care.

Money kept in HSAs can be used for health care in later years, or for anything in retirement. So patients are effectively using their own money for non-catastrophic care. That provides powerful incentives to avoid overly costly or unnecessary care and to look for doctors and hospitals that can provide quality care at lower cost, creating real market competition to reduce costs.

The Republican House alternative would allow consumers to use funds saved in HSAs to pay for the catastrophic insurance covering costs above the deductible. Broadly expanding HSAs across the entire health system, including Medicare and Medicaid, would essentially solve the health cost problem.

CBO confirms that this Republican alternative plan would reduce health insurance costs, exactly the opposite of the Pelosi/Obama plan that CBO confirms would increase health insurance costs. The CBO analysis shows that for millions of families health insurance premiums would be almost $5,000 per year less under this GOP plan than the cheapest health insurance under the Pelosi bill.

Expanded Coverage and a Safety Net

The GOP alternative also includes several provisions to expand health insurance coverage. Most important are the Universal Access Programs that would expand uninsurable risk pools to ensure that all Americans would be able to obtain coverage for any pre-existing condition. The uninsured who become too sick to buy private health insurance covering their condition can turn to their state’s risk pool for coverage. They are charged premiums for such coverage based on their ability to pay. Each state then subsidizes its uninsurable risk pool to ensure that it could cover all costs.

Few people become truly uninsurable because of their health condition, so the risk pools are a low cost solution. But trying to force these people into the same market risk pools as everyone else through such policies as guaranteed issue (requiring insurers to accept all applicants for coverage regardless of health condition) and community rating (requiring insurers to charge everyone the same regardless of health condition) just ruins health insurance for the general public, making it too expensive and sharply increasing the uninsured as a result. Providing for the uninsurable separately through their own pool is consequently a much better policy.
The GOP plan would also enable small businesses to pool together to offer health insurance at lower prices, like big corporations and labor unions, which would further increase coverage. The proposal would also allow and encourage coverage for young adults on their parents’ insurance through age 25. And though this has already been the law for many years, the Republican plan would also expressly prohibit insurers from canceling health insurance policies as long as payments continue, unless the insured commits fraud or conceals a material fact about a health condition.

The lower costs from the provisions above would also expand health coverage, as lower insurance costs reduce the number of uninsured. Wider availability of low cost HSA insurance would also expand coverage.

Blue Dog Fraud

Again, exactly the opposite of the House Democrat health care scheme, this Republican plan includes no tax increases, no Medicare cuts, and no health care rationing. In sharp contrast, the latest numbers from CBO show the costs of the Pelosi plan already exploding. Once that plan is fully phased in, over the first 10 years (2014-2023) total government spending would increase by over $3 trillion, not the $1 trillion that has been so widely reported. Total Medicare cuts over those 10 years would be over $1 trillion, and total tax increases would run over $1 trillion as well.

Yet, not one of the supposedly fiscal conservative Blue Dog Democrats voted for this Republican plan. Every single Democrat in the House voted against it. The so-called Blue Dog Democrat phenomenon is a scam. These Democrats were elected to the House in conservative districts on the promise that they were, honest to God, real conservatives. But once elected, they play a game with the left-wing House Democrat leadership providing just enough votes to pass Pelosi/Obama socialism every time, with the rest free to vote against it to keep the scam going back home. Whenever the leadership needs their vote, however, they are there.

It is these Blue Dog Democrats that keep the ultraleft House Democrat leadership in power, from Speaker Nancy Pelosi from San Francisco, to Banking Committee Chairman Barney Frank from Boston, to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman from Hollywood, to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charley Rangel from Harlem, to Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers from Detroit. If this is not the kind of leadership you want for America, then the so-called Blue Dog Democrats all need to be replaced.

The Democrats’ Death Panel for Grandma

Whether they vote for any of the Obamacare bills or not, the so-called Blue Dogs in both the House and the Senate are enabling the ultraleft Democrat Congressional leadership in the passage of legislation that imposes government health care rationing on seniors under Medicare, which will deny them essential health care, and begins the implementation of such rationing for everyone else.

Included in these Democrat health bills is a new, unelected, Medicare “Commission” which would implement a new “global budget” for Medicare each year. That global budget would set an arbitrary limit on how much would be spent on health care for seniors every year. The Commission is to enforce that budget by deciding what health care treatments, procedures, surgeries, drugs, etc. would be covered under Medicare and paid for, and which would not. If the Commission decides that the expensive surgery or treatment that Grandma needs to stay alive is just not worth the cost, then the doctors will just come to tell you they are sorry, but there is nothing they can do.

The Wall Street Journal explained the result on Monday by quoting prominent health economist Alain Enthoven, who “has likened a global budget to ‘bombing from 35,000 feet, where you don’t see the faces of the people you kill.’” The Journal explained further:
“The hard budget cap means there is only so much money to be divvied up for care, with no account for demographic changes, such as longer life spans, or for the increasing incidence of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Worse, it makes little room for medical innovations. The commission is mandated to go after “sources of excessive cost growth” meaning treatments that are too expensive or whose coverage will boost spending. If researchers find a pricey treatment for Alzheimer’s in 2020, that might be banned because it would add new costs and bust the global budget. Or it might decide that “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery, but taking the pain-killer,” as President Obama put it in June.”

No true liberal would support allowing the government to play God in this way, deciding who will live and who will die. But today’s so-called liberals are so fiercely partisan now that they have become mentally disengaged. They refuse to even consider any conservative or Republican arguments on any issue, from global warming, to tax policy, to economic policy, to the budget. As a result, they have become dangerous people. What they are supporting is an outright assault on the health care of America’s seniors. But they don’t have a clue.

The House Republican health bill alternative not only includes no such rationing or Medicare cuts. It actually tries to roll back rationing provisions that have already been adopted. The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness is a new bureaucracy created in the so-called stimulus bill. President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors explained the role of “comparative effectiveness” in controlling health costs in a report it issued in June, “The Economic Case for Health Reform.” The government bureaucracy in Washington would decide what health care works and what doesn’t for everybody. It would then enforce its decisions through the payment system for doctors and hospitals. Those doctors and hospitals that don’t follow the received wisdom of the wise and all-knowing federal bureaucrats would be penalized in their payments for your care, if they get paid at all.

The Journal again further explained this policy on Monday, saying:
“The reason that physician discretion — not Washington’s cost minded judgments — is at the core of medicine is that usually there are no “right” answers. The data from large clinical trials produce generic conclusions that rarely apply to individual patients, who have vastly different biologies, response rates to treatments, and often multiple conditions. A breakthrough drug like Herceptin, which is designed for a certain genetic subset of breast cancer patients, might well be ruled out under such a standardized approach.”

You might think that your doctor who knows you and your illness would know what will work for you and what won’t far better than faraway government bureaucrats that don’t know you at all. But don’t tell that to today’s Washington Democrats, who know everything about everything, and don’t need to hear anything from anybody.
This health care rationing involves a radical decline in America’s standard of living. Today, Americans enjoy the best, most advanced, high tech, patient-centered health care in the world, devoted to improving and saving their lives. But after the Democrats get through imposing their throwback socialized medicine philosophy, this will all be gone, and we will suffer with the same third rate health care as in other socialized medicine systems around the world.

This suits President Obama, whose “moral” vision is that America is just another country, and that it is embarrassingly immoral for America to have more prosperity or power than anyone else. That is why all of his policies are leading to this same dead end for America.

Peter Ferrara is director of entitlement and budget policy at the Institute for Policy Innovation, and general counsel of the American Civil Rights Union. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under the first President Bush. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

If you haven’t figured out, you are being had big time, with this bill. If you have figured it out, you need to signing every petition including for impeachment of the 4 people above and removal of the czar system, joining rallies, sit-ins, tea parties and going to your representatives and Senator’s offices (both local and in DC) and be willing to do whatever it takes to stop this bill from becoming law. Oh and by the way, according to the 10th amendment of our constitution, the government cannot force you to buy healthcare. And demand judicial reviews and the over-turning of any laws and bills that are unconstitutional.

Stand up America, this HC Bill, Cap and Trade (or whatever they call it like the (ClimateGate involved) EPA Greenhouse Gases Declaration) and the non-stop spending to ruin our economy are part of a much bigger plan that has nothing to do with making anything better for the average American, for “YOU”

At the very least: call, fax and email your and the 17 fence sitting senators on this bill and tell them VOTE NO… or you will go, no matter what the amendments they add to this bill to falsify the real goals of the bill and program!! All clear thinking Americans realize that if anything is this secretive and one sided… it has to be bad!!

Update:

(Earlier today they came to a possible compromise… the compromise includes (temporarily doing away with the public option). Instead they will enlarge Medicare, after they already cut a lot of the basic services, to include a lot more people, with a provision that if this does not work… a public option will kick in. And Obama is ready to start transferring all medical records from paper to a central government controlled database which will eventually include all your financial records and give government access to all that info… which they then want to implant on an RFID chip to be implanted under your skin. Provisions for the “overseer and head of the death panel “has already been passed as part of a previous bill in anticipation that this bill would pass and that Americans would rollover!

17 Senators
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) 202-224-4843, Fax: (202) 228-1371
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) 202-224-5623
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) 202-224-2551
Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO) 202-224-5852
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) 202-224-4041, Fax: (202) 224-9750
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) 202-224-6551, Fax: (202) 228-0012
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) 202-224-2043
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) 202-224-6154
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) 202-224-5274
Sen. John Tester (D-MT) 202-224-2644
Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) 202-224-3004
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) 202-224-2023
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) 202-224-6324
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) 202-224-4024

and Republican:

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME),((202)224-5344, Fax: (202) 224-1946

Info for all Senators (from your State) etc.

Stand Up Straight and Listen to Your Mother – Written in Prison by Robert F. Creamer, author of the ObamaCare Bill

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged GOP, medicaid, medicare, republicans, United States, White House | Leave a comment

Toxic Ingredients Are Often Unlisted

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Cook19

Research studies done by government, academic and independent researchers reveal that before babies are even born, their bodies are contaminated with up to 358 different chemicals. They include flame retardants, pesticides, fragrances, insulating materials, industrial coolants and lubricants, perfluorocarbon used to make non-stick cookware, and bisphenyl A (BPA) used to make plastic and epoxy resins found in electronics, metal cans, and plastic food and beverage containers.

Many of these chemicals have been linked to cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, weakened immune systems, imbalances in thyroid and sex hormones, and even cancer. Last April, the President’s Cancer Panel, a joint effort by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, urged everyone to reduce their exposure to chemicals in foods, water, cigarette smoke, medicines, medical tests and household products.

But identifying dangerous chemicals can be difficult if not impossible. A study recently published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review analyzed 25 common household products and found toxic ingredients in every single sample. Cancer-causing compounds were also detected in nearly half of the products tested. Products included best selling brands of laundry detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener, soap, shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, deodorant, dish detergent, all-purpose spray, household disinfectant and air fresheners (solids, sprays and oils).

Each product was placed in an enclosed glass container at room temperature and the surrounding air was analyzed for evaporated chemicals using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). All together, the 25 products released 421 chemicals, including 133 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals with known effects on the environment and/or human health. Of the 133 VOCs identified, 24 are classified as toxic or hazardous under US laws.

Researchers found that alone, each product emitted an average of 17 VOCs and at least one toxic or hazardous compound. Almost half the products (11 out of 25) contained carcinogens recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency. And emissions from products promoted as “green,” “organic,” and “natural” did not significantly differ from other products.

Manufacturers of household products are not required to list all ingredients on the labels, nor are they required to disclose any ingredients regarded as “fragrance.” (And a single “fragrance” can contain several hundred ingredients.) In the study, only one of the 133 VOCs (ethanol) was listed on a product label and only two were listed on any material safety data sheet, a widely used system for cataloging information about a chemical’s risks, safety and effect on the environment.

What can you do to protect yourself and your family?

Read this post for my top twelve recommendations.

References

Enviornmental Working Group. Pollution in People: Cord Blood Contaminants in Minority Newborns. 2009. Available online at: http://www.ewg.org/files/2009-Minority-Cord-Blood-Report.pdf

Reuben SH et al for the President’s Cancer Panel. Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, 2008-2009 Annual Report. April 2010. Available online at: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf

Steinemann AC et al. Fragranced Consumer Products: Chemicals Emitted, Ingredients Unlisted. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2010. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2010.08.002

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged Environmental health, Environmental Working Group, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Leave a comment

Senate health care bill: the five paragraphs you must read

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Ramirez2

Buried in the Senate’s 2,074-page health reform bill are provisions that undermine your health freedom and privacy.

WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK – "There is no such thing as a little freedom," said Walter Cronkite. "Either you are all free, or you are not free."

Whether you’re for or against federal efforts to help people buy health insurance, you should know that the reform bill before the Senate would mandate a healthcare system that is definitely "not free."

What most of us know about the Democratic bill is that it requires nearly all Americans to have health insurance. What most of us don’t know is that it requires us to buy a minimum level of insurance approved by the federal government, and forces health plans and providers to share our personal health information with the federal government and other entities.

If this bill becomes law, we could each be assigned a national beneficiary ID number or card (possibly an electronic device). And our personal health information will flow electronically to the US secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) – and many others – without our consent.

Sound farfetched? Buried in the Senate bill’s 2,074 pages are provisions that actually permit and foster such things. Freedom and privacy are often lost in the fine print – which is why we’ve been studying the Senate bill since it was released Nov. 19 to help uncover the facts. Here are five highly invasive provisions Americans should know:

1. MANDATORY INSURANCE

Bill text: "Sec. 1501. Requirement to Maintain Minimum Essential Coverage…. An applicable individual shall for each month beginning after 2013 ensure that the individual, and any dependent of the individual who is an applicable individual, is covered under minimum essential coverage for such month."

Translation: Uncle Sam will now serve as your national insurance agent and force you to buy "minimum essential coverage" – or else you’ll have to pay an annual fine.

However, what Congress considers "minimum essential coverage" and "essential health benefits requirements" includes comprehensive coverage that many neither need nor want. Plus, those who prefer to carry catastrophic-only coverage won’t have a free range of options for such coverage.

Bottom line: In a free society, the government should not force citizens to buy any product nor should the government mandate citizens’ level of health-insurance coverage.

Rather than imposing penalties to coerce people into government-sanctioned health insurance, Congress should offer incentives to help those who wish to buy insurance but find it unaffordable.

Congress could allow everyone to deduct the full cost of health insurance (and provide tax credits for those with no tax liability), while offering assistance to those who can’t afford insurance and subsidize high-risk pools for those with preexisting conditions.

Helping those in need is a much better way to reform our nation’s healthcare system than overhauling the entire system and putting Big Brother in charge of deciding what is acceptable coverage for nearly every American.

2. ELECTRONIC DATA EXCHANGES

Bill text: "Sec. 1104. Administrative Simplification…. (h) Compliance. – (1) Health Plan Certification. – (A) Eligibility for a Health Plan, Health Claim Status, Electronic Funds Transfers, Health Care Payment and Remittance Advice. – Not later than December 31, 2013, a health plan shall file a statement with the Secretary, in such form as the Secretary may require, certifying that the data and information systems for such plan are in compliance with any applicable standards (as described under paragraph (7) of section 1171) and associated operating rules (as described under paragraph (9) of such section) for electronic funds transfers, eligibility for a health plan, health claim status, and health care payment and remittance advice, respectively."

Translation: Requiring everyone to buy federally sanctioned health insurance, and then forcing qualified plans to comply with Administrative Simplification requirements, provides the government and health industry with power they would not be able to exercise in a free market.

Administrative Simplification rules are a product of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. They lay the foundation for a nationally linked database of personal health information. A federal "Nationwide Health Information Network" (NHIN) is well under way in the United States, without assurances that individuals will control their personal health data.

Bottom line: Americans should be able to contract privately with the insurance companies of their choice. Patients should be able to decide whether to have electronic or paper medical records, and not have the government require electronic records, which are then included in a nationally linked database.

3. REAL-TIME HEALTH AND FINANCIAL DATA

Bill text: "Sec. 1104. Administrative Simplification…. (4) Requirements for Financial and Administrative Transactions. – (A) In General. – The standards and associated operating rules adopted by the Secretary shall – (i) to the extent feasible and appropriate, enable determination of an individual’s eligibility and financial responsibility for specific services prior to or at the point of care…. (i) Eligibility for a Health Plan and Health Claims Status. – The set of operating rules for eligibility for a health plan and health claim status transactions shall be adopted not later than July 1, 2011, in a manner ensuring that such operating rules are effective not later than January 1, 2013, and may allow for the use of a machine readable identification card."

Translation: Administrative Simplification rules are being expanded to gather real-time financial and health data on individuals through a tracking ID, possibly a "machine readable" ID card (electronic device).

Bottom line: Moving forward with real-time data collection without an ethical patient consent provision means everyone loses their health-privacy rights. Congress needs to enact strong patient consent provisions for all health data, especially data collected "real-time."

4. HEALTH DATA NETWORK

Bill text: "Sec. 6301. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.… (f) Building Data for Research. – The Secretary shall provide for the coordination of relevant Federal health programs to build data capacity for comparative clinical effectiveness research, including the development and use of clinical registries and health outcomes research data networks, in order to develop and maintain a comprehensive, interoperable data network to collect, link, and analyze data on outcomes and effectiveness from multiple sources, including electronic health records."

Translation: Your personal health information may soon be studied by government scientists. Washington is creating a new research center that plans to use patients’ electronic health records for conducting research and creating disease registries. The data network is comprehensive and includes use of electronic health records.

Bottom line: Federal funds should not be used to collect data electronically and conduct research on patients’ personal health information without their consent.

5. PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION

Bill text: "Sec. 6301. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research…. (B) Use of Data. – The [Patient-Centered Outcomes Research] Institute shall only use data provided to the Institute under subparagraph (A) in accordance with laws and regulations governing the release and use of such data, including applicable confidentiality and privacy standards."

Translation: Think your health privacy is protected? It’s not. This language refers to "applicable confidentiality and privacy standards," but HIPAA’s so-called privacy law permits individuals’ personal health information to be exchanged – for many broad purposes – without patients’ consent (See 45 CFR Subtitle A, Subpart E – Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information; section 164.502(a)(1)(ii) "Permitted uses and disclosures").

Bottom line: Trust is a must for ensuring quality healthcare. Thus, as stated above, Congress needs to pass a strong, ethical patient consent law that ensures patients have control over the flow of their personal health information.

WHAT ABOUT THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED?

All told, the national mandatory health-insurance bill puts the federal government in charge of individuals’ insurance choices and data privacy. This philosophy of governing is the opposite of America’s founding principle: consent of the governed.

Without health freedom and privacy rights, Congress is opening the door for many wrongs to be committed – all in the name of covering the uninsured.

By Sue Blevins and Robin Kaigh – from the November 23, 2009 edition

Sue Blevins is president of the Institute for Health Freedom in Washington. Robin Kaigh is an attorney and medical-privacy advocate in New York.

Posted: True Health Is True Wealth

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged Health care, Health insurance, United States, washington | Leave a comment

Strength Training Aids Mental Acuity in Women, Study Finds – NYTimes.com

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Lewis8

Image via Wikipedia

”Older women who did an hour or two of strength training exercises each week had improved cognitive function a year later, scoring higher on tests of the brain processes responsible for planning and executing tasks, a new study has found.”

Vital Signs – Strength Training Aids Mental Acuity in Women, Study Finds – NYTimes.com:

My wild ride through my tangled neurons…
I found out that I had a learning
disability in middle age and a plethora of vision,
hearing, balance, and motor skill problems. This is the
story of my therapies and my reflections on the
developments of the Great Cognitive Revolution afoot that
will impact our lives as profoundly as the Internet.
Stay tuned!

Posted in News | Tagged brain, Cognition, health, Learning disability, Physical exercise, Strength training, United States, Wikipedia | Leave a comment

Effective Marketing and Autism Have More In Common Than What You Think

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Lewis8

Effective Marketing and Autism Have More In Common, Really!

Don’t use 20 words where five will do.
Be demonstrative
Make sure your audience gets it
Think the way your audience thinks
Pick your battles and decide what matters.

http://thetaptaptap.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/effective-marketing-and-autism-more-in-common-than-you%E2%80%99d-think/

Effective Marketing and Autism Have More In Common Than What You Think

Posted in News | Tagged autism, Autism spectrum, Diabetes mellitus type 2, disorders, health, Mental health, neurodevelopmental | Leave a comment

British HealthCare – Don’t Treat The Old!! – And Senator Coburn Warns Same For USA

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Alvarez15

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Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn, one of two physicians currently serving in the U.S. Senate, tells Newsmax.TV that Sen. Arlen Specter’s defection to the Democrats, just to be re-elected, is precisely what’s wrong with our political system and the reason he has term-limited himself. He also explains why government-run health care as being pushed by Obama and the Democrats is not only prohibitively costly and ineffective, but results in the rationing of medical care to the elderly. Sen. Coburn also explains why he voted against Kathleen Sebelius’s nomination to be Health and Human Services Secretary.

Related Articles:

Obama’s Attack on Medical Civil Liberties

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged Kathleen Sebelius, National Health Service, NHS, Tom Coburn | Leave a comment

Ease the Pain

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Myers18

Have over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, become your top allies in tackling chronic or recurring pain? If so, you might want to start thinking outside the bottle. “In certain short-term cases, such as a simple headache, OTC’s can be very helpful,” says James Dillard, MD, integrative-medicine practitioner and author of The Chronic Pain Solution (Bantam, 2003). But long-term use of OTCs doesn’t resolve the root cause of your pain.

In addition to addressing underlying issues such as inflammation, a holistic approach can ease the burden on your liver and protect you from pain-medication side effects. “By using nondrug strategies for pain relief — everything from salves to stretching — you’re limiting your potential for adverse reactions,” says Dillard.

whether you’re seeking to soothe a constant backache or banish your migraines, reducing inflammation and stress by tending to your diet, doing certain types of exercise, and using pain-relieving alternative therapies, as well as taking anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements, can play a critical role in alleviating your pain for good.

AN INFLAMMATION-REDUCING DIET

Focus on fatty acids. Balancing your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is key, says Dillard. The omega-6s found in red meat, margarine, and hydrogenated oils are woefully abundant in the typical American diet; these actually promote inflammation and increase pain. On the other hand, the omega-3s found in wild salmon and other fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts increase your body’s ability to inhibit inflammation. If those omega-3 sources aren’t a part of your diet, take a fish-oil or flaxseed supplement, suggests Mark Stengler, ND, coauthor of Prescription for Drug Alternatives (Wiley, 2008).

Veg out. “A Mediterranean-style eating plan with high levels of carotenoids from deeply colored fruits and vegetables should be helpful for people with chronic pain,” says Stengler. These powerful antioxidants, abundant in sweet potatoes, carrots, and kale, were linked to low levels of inflammation in a 2007 study published in Clinical Chemistry. Getting plenty of green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and chard may help prevent pain by delivering B-complex vitamins (important for keeping nerves healthy) and the mineral magnesium (essential for relaxing smooth muscles).

Help yourself to whole grains. Choosing complex carbs (found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and legumes) over simple varieties (such as those in refined sugar, white rice, or white bread) can also help thwart inflammation, adds Stengler. This may reduce inflammation in part by keeping blood sugar in check, suggests a 2007 research review from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Get pH balanced. Certain foods (such as wheat, artificial sweeteners, and some dairy products) increase acidity in the body, which could promote pain, according to Stengler. “Tissues are healthiest in a mild alkaline state,” he says. “Too much acidity can overload the lymphatic system, impede the body’s natural detoxification process, and create inflammation.” At each meal, Stengler recommends filling half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, and the last quarter with whole grains. “Fruits and vegetables are alkalizing, while most grains and proteins are acid-forming,” he explains. The least acid-forming grains are quinoa, buckwheat groats, and spelt.

MIND-BODY RECOMMENDATIONS

Sleep. “Stress hormones can wreak havoc on the nervous system and ramp up pain,” says Dillard. The best thing you can do to reduce stress? Get enough z’s. A 2007 study showed that sleep disturbances could lead to a rise in “spontaneous pain,” such as headaches, stomachaches, and back pain. “Deep, restful sleep restores the nervous system and repairs cells,” says Suzanne Tang, ND, Lac, a naturopathic doctor in Costa Mesa, California. Aim for eight hours each night.

Wake up tai chi. Mind-body movement practices such as tai chi can break the stress-pain cycle by calming the nervous system, says Tang. In a recent study published in Pain Medicine, practicing tai chi particularly benefited those with osteoarthritis and lower back pain. The ancient Chinese martial art — which involves slowly moving through a series of gentle postures — may also bring pain relief to people coping with rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a study conducted at Tufts-New England Medical Center last year. For optimal technique, Dillard advises initially opting for a class rather than turning to a DVD for instruction.

Break a sweat. Exercise promotes the release of endorphins, chemicals that interact with brain receptors to change your perception of pain, and helps your body produce GABA, a pain-inhibiting neurotransmitter. Working out regularly also boosts mood, which can offset emotional effects of chronic pain. In one recent report from Arthritis Care and Research, scientists found that exercising just twice a week for eight weeks led to significant improvements for arthritis patients. If pain prevents you from working out, Dillard suggests swimming, cycling, and yoga, which place minimal stress on the joints.

Sources: James Dillard, MD; Suzanne Tang, ND, Lac.

Recommended Natural Remedies and Centers

BOSWELLIA

HOW IT WORKS: An Ayurvedic remedy traditionally used to treat degenerative disorders, boswellia acts as an analgesic, or natural pain reliever. A 2008 study showed positive results for pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.

DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

BROMELAIN

HOW IT WORKS: This natural enzyme found in pineapple alleviates arthritis, headaches, and musculoskeletal tension by decreasing inflammation. Also stimulates healing in muscles and connective tissues.
DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

CURCUMIN

HOW IT WORKS: Derived from the curry spice turmeric and used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammatory disorders, research shows that curcumin suppresses cytokines, naturally occurring pro-inflammatory proteins.
DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

WHITE WILLOW BARK

HOW IT WORKS:Contains salicin, a substance chemically similar to aspirin. Shown to decrease levels of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. In research, it relieved pain caused by degeneration of knee and hip cartilage as effectively as conventional medicine. Also recommended for back pain.

DOSE: 240 mg per day

GO CHI – THE BIG RED JUICE – Developed by Dr. Earl Mindell for FreeLife

HOW IT WORKS: Promotes overall well-being br enabling your own body to heal and rejuvenate itself at a cellular level.

DOSE: 1 to 4 ounces daily

SANOVIV – Hollistic Health Facility - Founded by Dr. Myron Wentz

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged Ayurveda, California, Harvard School of Public Health, inflammation, medicine, Pain management | Leave a comment

Corn, Edamame, and Pepper Salad Recipe

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Williams0

Corn, Edamame, and Pepper Salad - Photo By Antonis Achilleos

Created by Monica Bhide, 2006

This Recipe Is:

recipes vegetarian Corn, Edamame, and Pepper Salad Recipe

recipes low cholestoral Corn, Edamame, and Pepper Salad Recipe

(Serves 4)

This recipe uses raw corn kernels, but you may steam or boil them first, if you like.

4 large ears corn
1 cup cooked edamame, shelled
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 large leaves Boston or other butter lettuce
VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. In a large bowl, combine the corn,

edamame, bell peppers, and red onion. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

2. Prepare the vinaigrette by combining the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt, and

pepper. Set aside.

3. Once the salad is chilled, add the dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust the

seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, separate the lettuce leaves and place on a platter or individual plates.

Top with the salad.

Nutrients per serving: calories 209, protein 8g, carbohydrates 31g, fiber 6g, fat 8g

(saturated fat 1g), cholesterol 0mg, sodium 621mg

Source: AARP

Posted: True Health Is True Wealth

Eating Salads Can Make You Fat

Posted in News | Tagged boston, Maize, Olive oil, Salad, Tablespoon | Leave a comment

How to Boost the Immune System With a Smoothie

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Young0

Smoothies are a quick and delicious treat. Not only are smoothies simple to prepare, but including the right ingredients to your recipe can boost your immune system.

boost immune system smoothie 200X200 How to Boost the Immune System With a Smoothie

1. Mix ripe banana, mango and water in a blender or smoothie maker.
2. Add soluble fiber mix (Fibrestore Reliv) to the mixture.
3. Add ice cubes to blender.
4. Blend mixture until smooth.
5. Serve in cold glass with straw.

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged beverages, Cooking, home, recipe, smoothie, Tablespoon, Yoghurt | Leave a comment

Acetaminophen dosing: FDA advised to change pediatric product labels

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Alvarez15

In a unanimous vote today, the Food and Drug Administrations’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and Pediatric Advisory Committee recommended changing the labels of all over the counter (OTC) single-ingredient pediatric acetaminophen products.

If the FDA follows the advice, revised labels would include dosing instructions for children between ages 6 months to 2 years of age, based on weight and age.

More than eight million American kids take acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, every week, making it the nation’s most popular drug for children, according to Reuters.

“The manufacturers of pediatric acetaminophen products support the FDA advisory committee’s recommendations to give parents and caregivers more accurate and detailed dosing information where it is needed – directly on the Drug Facts label,” said Scott M. Melville, president & CEO of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

The joint committees in Washington, DC also unanimously voted the new labeling for children 6 months to 2 years of age include the indication for fever reduction. The committees did not support labeling the product for pain relief in children 6 months to 2 years of age. This indication is currently included for children over 2 years of age.

CHPA member companies recently announced voluntary plans to convert all single-ingredient liquid acetaminophen products for children to a single concentration (160 mg / 5 mL).

Products will be labeled as “children’s and infants’” products and will include flow restrictors to make it more difficult for children to accidentally ingest the product.

Syringes will accompany all infants’ products, for children age 3 and under, and children’s products, 2 years old to under 12 years old, will come with standardize dosing devices with visible measurement markings, as well as standardizing the unit of measurement ‘mL’ on dosing charts and devices.

The FDA says acetaminophen toxicity is a leading cause of acute liver failure, resulting in an estimated 400 deaths every year in the US. Children are also at risk of acetaminophen overdose if they are given the adult formulation or the wrong pediatric formulation, if the dose is not calculated correctly for the child’s weight, or if the wrong dosing device is used.

Rhode Island Hospital says for an adult, it is not safe to take more than 4 grams (4,000 milligrams) of acetaminophen in one day (24 hours).

Additional Resources:
Poison Control Helpline 800-222-1222

Posted in Knowledge | Tagged FDA, Food and Drug Administration, Reuters, Tylenol, United States | Leave a comment

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