(Photo via Bensonkua, Flickr.com)

Much like finding the right personal loan, the number of calories needed on a daily basis is determined by different factors such as your weight, height, age, and activity level. It varies with different people. However, there are some general guidelines on how much daily calories one person really needs.

400 Calorie Fix: Don’t Count Calories – Control them!

Meet Cassandra. She’s a busy mother of three who, like many of us, has a problem with her weight. She said she was terrified when she first heard about the 400 Calorie Fix. However, after using the 400 Calorie Fix strategy, Cassandra said she has lost 6 pounds in just two days!

The people behind the book, 400 Calorie Fix, say the method is not considered a diet, but a way to limit calorie intake by understanding what a 400 calorie meal looks like. Author and Prevention Magazine Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello also dropped in on the Rachael Ray Show to explain how the 400 Calorie Fix formation works.

“The 400 Calorie Fix was inspired by a column where we showed people how to eat four 400 calorie meals a day,” she tells Rachael. “We show you how to eyeball foods, to read menus, so you’re not counting calories, you are controlling it. It’s the easiest weight loss solution ever because it’s one simple rule: you learn to see the world through a 400-calorie lens.”

Let’s Get Real

It seems just about every weight loss program requires you eat their food which, as many of you would agree, are not the most preferred foods out there. You basically have to starve yourself off, or buy expensive supplements to go with it. People have had to apply for a personal loan just to meet most weight loss program standards. With the 400 Calorie Fix, however, you can still eat the type of food you enjoy.

“We came up with that amount because registered dietitians say that’s the amount in a meal that you’re going to remain satisfied, you’re not going to get cravings,” said Vaccariello. “You get a variety of tastes and textures and you’re going to get enough disease-fighting nutrients so you stay healthy.”

The 400 Calorie Fix teaches the reader how to effectively read menus, identify high-calorie red flags and look out for sneaky calories in dressed-up healthy foods. The bottom line is that you know exactly what you’re eating.

It's bad for you (image by flickr)

The American Cancer Society is observing the Great American Smokeout 2009 on Thursday, November 19th.  The Great American Smokeout is observed the third Thursday of November, as a day where people are supposed to not smoke the entire day.  The event began in the late 70s, and the first Great American Smokeout, or at least the event with that title, was in 1977, in California. Less than 25% of Americans are smokers. The habit is not only bad for you, it’s also expensive.  Granted, spending less quick cash on the habit isn’t the best motivation for people to quit, as the health issue alone is sufficient.

The first event of it’s kind was in 1971

Though the first Great American Smokeout, or at least an event given that specific title, was held in 1977, the first observance of it’s kind took place in 1971.  Arthur Mullaney, of Randolph, Massachusetts, was a guidance counselor at the local high school and thought that if the school got a nickel for every cigarette butt he saw outside, they could send most of the students to college.  So he got an idea – get the town to stop smoking for a day, and donate what they would have spent on cigs to the school.  (The story is located on the American Cancer Society website.)  After getting the idea in the fall of 1970, they held the event the following February.  The students raised over $4,000 the first year and kept doing it every year since then.  They  formed committees to determine who got scholarship funds.  A few years later, a similar movement was successful in Minnesota as Lynn Smith, then editor of the Monticello Times, got participating Minnesotans to abstain on D-Day, or Don’t Smoke Day.

It always starts in California

In 1976, the California chapter of the American Cancer Society had a statewide smoke free day, calling it the Great American Smokeout, on November 18th.  In 1977, it went national, and it’s been an annual observance ever since. This is the 32nd year.

It has been working

Since the 1970s, the number of smoking Americans has declined, and not just because of deaths from the habit.  Though lung cancer remains the number one cause of death in cancer patients, the number one killer in the USA remains heart disease. Between 1965 and 2006, the percentage of people in the USA that smoke dropped from 42% to just over 20%.  It is slightly more prevalent in men than women, and more prevalent among those with a high school education or less, and also more prevalent in people who live close to or below the poverty line.

Quitting is difficult, but a worthwhile pursuit

More studies have shown that the “cold turkey” method is not the most reliable.  It has also been posted that it takes an average of 8 attempts at quitting before it will be successful.  Therapy, quitting aids, nicotine gum or patches, or even medications are all effective in kicking the butts to the curb. Quitting if you do smoke or use tobacco, will pay off in the long run.  Whether your motivation is the Great American Smokeout 2009, or just for yourself, quitting smoking is like a cash advance to your own health.

Hungry families need help all year, but Thanksgiving is a great time to start donating to fight hunger in the U.S.

I was absolutely shocked to read at Reuters Web site that “More than 49 million Americans — one in seven — struggled to get enough to eat in 2008.” That’s 14.6 percent of the households. It is endlessly astounding to me that one of the richest countries in the world has 49 million hungry residents and still doesn’t provide health care for its citizens.

The list of huge problems that needs White House attention is getting bigger. The USDA survey on “food insecurity,” which is where the one in seven statistic came from, shows that the most important fights we should be conducting don’t require bombs and should occur in our own neighborhoods.

Where help is needed most

Paycheck loans can help families who don’t have enough money to buy food, but they are only temporary solutions. The federal survey says that 5.7 percent of households in the U.S. ran short of food for seven to eight months of the year. The USDA has conducted this survey for 14 years, and the number of people in 2008 who had trouble obtaining enough food is the highest yet.

“The number of Americans receiving food stamp assistance soared above 36 million for the first time in August, the eighth month in a row that enrollment set a record,” Reuters reports. President Obama wrote a statement saying he vows to reverse the trend. Food stamp benefits already were raised through the stimulus package.

Help if you can

There are a lot of worldwide and nationwide organizations that help provide people with food, but the best place to start is in your own community. We all know how long it takes for government programs and efforts to be effective, so the best thing you can do to help with this national problem is to find a local organization.

If you’re lucky enough to always have food, share! Especially around Thanksgiving, it is easy to find private organizations or churches that gather and distribute food donations. It’s easy to forget that hunger is a year-round problem, not just an issue around the holidays. Encourage your friends to help if they can.

Tomatoes - a great source of niacin. From Wikimedia commons.

Niacin is one of the essential vitamins that a person has to consume, and recent studies have shown it to help decrease bad cholesterol, and boost the good kind.  That means people might go so far as to throw a few payday loans in beefing up their supply.   However, there is good news -  it turns out there’s a lot of foods that contain it.  You probably already get enough, and don’t even know it.

Also known as Vitamin B3 – Even if you only ate fast food, you’d still get some

Niacin is one of the vitamins that is present in so many foods that most people already eat, so unless you basically only eat McDonald’s Dollar Menu or Ramen noodles (look out college students) then you probably already receive close to if not more than your daily share, so don’t bother buying supplements.

Niacin is present in the following foods:

• Tomatoes (a lot of people already know this)
• Avocados
• Dates
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes (Thanksgiving is coming up!)
• Asparagus
• Leafy veggies
• Chicken
• Beef
• Eggs
• Milk
• Tuna and Salmon
• Beans/Legumes (the musical fruit!)
• Nuts
• Mushrooms
• Brewer’s Yeast

HOLD THE PHONE – Did you just say BREWER’S YEAST?

Yes, Virginia, I said it – Brewer’s yeast contains Niacin.  That means that you are getting vitamins and nutrients with  sweet, delicious, beer, but first, the following caveats: first, only in moderation (moderate drinkers outlive both heavy drinkers and teetotalers) and follow all laws to the letter regarding driving.  That said, if you want to have a brew or two (1 -2 glasses a day are  good for you) and get the benefits of the yeast, you are better off with a craft ale.  Not only will it taste far better than that pathetic yellow water with the ad campaigns, but craft ales have yeast in the bottle, as part of the conditioning process.  Deschutes Brewery and Sierra Nevada are excellent craft breweries, that make beer that will knock your socks off, and are available nationwide.  However, don’t rely on it as your only source – this is only meant as a side benefit – and only in responsible moderation.

Wait a minute – what about the good cholesterol?

Niacin boosts HDL (High Density Lipoprotein – the good kind!) and helps break down low density (lower density lipoprotein, or the bad kind).  Niacin is also one of the 5 vitamins that you should have daily in order to avoid disease.  Niacin deficiency is called Pellagra – and it’s nasty.  (The others are Vitamin C and scurvy, Vitamin D and rickets, Thiamin (Vitamin B1) and beriberi, and Vitamin A and the unimaginatively titled Vitamin A Deficiency Syndrome.)  The more you can do to reduce low density cholesterol (quit with the bacon burgers already) the better.

“Miracle” Vitamin Crazes are not that bright

There are plenty of foods that already contain your daily recommended amounts.  Don’t put any payday loans in niacin pills or other nutritional supplements.  Do a little bit of research, and you can learn how to get plenty of vitamins and minerals from better eating – you’ll eat better, feel better, and live better as a result.

Trista Joy Lathern: one bad apple. Image from openphoto.net.

People have all kinds of excuses for not donating to charity. Most of the people I know and I don’t hand out money to people asking for change on the streets because we all agree that unless we know what they’re going to use it for, we might be hurting instead of helping. We don’t have money to lend for furthering someone’s drug habit.

When it comes to charity organizations, people often have reservations because they worry that they’re being scammed or that the organization won’t use the money responsibly. How do thought patterns like this arise? Because of people like Trista Joy Lathern. For every legitimate charity organization and individual seeking much-needed help, there are despicable scammers like Trista Joy Lathern who ruin things for everybody.

What did Trista Joy Lathern do?

According to Texas authorities, Trista Joy Lathern held benefits in her home state of Texas to raise money to help pay for her medical bills, saying she had breast cancer and had lost her insurance. Her bald head made it appear as though she was going through chemotherapy. The benefits in her honor raised more than $10,000.

Turns out she shaved her head. She even lied to her husband about having cancer. She took the money from donations at the benefit and spent $6,800 on, drumroll please … breast implants for her perfectly healthy breasts.

Why fake breast cancer?

A police affidavit says that “Trista said she and her husband had been (having) marital problems and she thought telling him she had cancer would bring them closer together.” A lot of others are reporting that Trista thought the breast implants themselves would save her marriage.

Trista Joy Lathern is 24 years old and had been married for seven months. In case you’re wondering whether it is illegal to lie about having cancer and collect money from people for said case of fake cancer, yes it is. Trista Joy Lathern has been arrested for doing this. It is called fraud. Also, in case you are wondering whether lying about having cancer and getting breast implants saved her marriage, Zimbio reports that “Lathern’s husband filed for an annulment on the day of her arrest.”

I know, shocking, right?

The plight of the giver

Trista Joy Lathern and all of the other scammers out there who dupe people into donating their hard-earned money to fake causes should be very ashamed of themselves. Because of people like Trista Joy Lathern, there are individuals out there who are really in need of help and can’t get it because others are rightfully untrusting.

What would you do if you donated money to someone in your community and later found out that person used it for totally unnecessary cosmetic surgery? Bearing in mind that two wrongs don’t make a right, I would probably not seek revenge on that person. However, it would take a lot to get me to donate money to a cause again. I have had people lie to me about why they wanted money and refuse food before, and that has caused me to never give handouts to strangers.

People like Trista Joy Lathern don’t just stop at lying about why they want the money. They take it a step further and spend it on things that the donaters could very well be vehemently opposed to. Trista Joy Lathern is no better than a street person who spends his handouts on meth. How can people be generous and giving when they can’t trust others?

Has he lost weight? Image from Flickr.

Behold the power of Google. The world’s most popular search engine put a picture of Cookie Monster on its homepage today, and suddenly a four-year-old rumor is revived. There has not and will not be a decision to change Cookie Monster to Veggie Monster.

The fact that everyone is researching this rumor because of Google’s homepage makes me wonder if people are paying attention. Yesterday, Big Bird’s legs were featured on Google’s homepage because starting Nov. 10, Sesame Street will be airing its 40th season. So if everyone found out yesterday that it’s a big anniversary for Sesame Street and thus birthdays for all the characters, why is everyone suddenly wondering if Cookie Monster is now Veggie Monster? Did people not see the connection?

Everyone loves a good rumor

Of course, it’s human nature often to assume the worst, speculate, go with the most shocking story. People like low interest loans and everyone loves a little scandal in the morning. Those are just the facts of life.

But how did this rumor about Cookie Monster and Veggie Monster get started in the first place? As usual, it is a story with a grain of truth that just got blown out of proportion.

Cookie Monster to Balance Diet Monster

In 2005, makers of Sesame Street decided that in order to achieve their goal of making children’s lives better, they needed to recognize that childhood obesity is a problem. They decided the best character for helping advocate healthy eating was Cookie Monster.

CBS wrote a lengthy report on Cookie Monster not being Veggie Monster and explaining that Cookie Monster was simply changing his eating habits for the sake of his health and the health of his viewers.

The financial advice part

Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a financial news blog, not just a place for me to dispel nasty rumors about puppets. So here is some financial advice:

Following Cookie Monster’s example and eating healthy foods can save you a lot of money. At the least, you won’t end up spending a bundle on pills, books or personal trainers when you realize you need to lose weight. On the super expensive end of the spectrum, we’ve got the medical bills that stem from all the health problems caused by obesity. So be a Veggie Monster, not a Cookie Monster, and you’ll be able to watch Sesame Street for another 4o years.

Image from flickr

Although many people are not aware of it, the medical industry is one of the few American industries where negotiating the price is not only acceptable, but common. The reason many uninsured or underinsured people are quoted higher prices than insured individuals is because the price for many services has already been negotiated down by the insurance companies and HMOs. However, this practice is not limited to major institutions. Individuals can — and do — negotiate the price for particular services on a regular basis and this can result in significant savings.

Negotiating can save you up to 60 percent

According to Consumer Reports, only about thirty percent of Americans even try to negotiate with medical care providers; however, of those who try, 93 percent are successful at least once. The average savings are between thirty and sixty percent of the original amount owed, though there are many stories of people saving as much as ninety percent through effective negotiation. There are no guarantees that negotiation will get you a discount, but experience shows that most people who make the effort are successful to some extent.

Step One: Negotiate in advance

The first step to negotiating medical expenses is to negotiate terms in advance for planned medical visits and examinations. Due to problems with delayed payment, many medical service providers offer “prompt pay” discounts that can reduce your medical bill by as much as ten to twenty percent. These discounts are usually reserved for those who are able to pay for planned medical services at the time of the visit. However, many providers will also offer a prompt pay discount to those who are able to make large, although partial, payments on the spot.

Step Two: Talk to the CFO

The next step is to speak with the provider’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) after you have received your bills. More often than not, just asking the CFO for a discount will get results. However, to do this effectively you have to know what is reasonable from the provider’s point of view. For this reason, you should know the average cost in your area for the services provided and you should ask for a price in that range. You can find out what the normal charge for various services is by looking at websites like Healthcarebluebook.com and many insurance company sites.

Step Three: Discuss payment options with the billing department

If you get a discount from the provider’s CFO, you probably will not be able to negotiate further discounts from the billing department. However, you may be able to negotiate an interest-free payment plan. The interest that accrues on medical expenses paid over time can be significant. Negotiating a payment plan that does not include interest will greatly reduce the amount you ultimately pay.

You have nothing to lose and much to gain

Contrary to the impressions of many people, most medical service providers are willing to negotiate and rarely expect everyone to pay every cent originally charged. In fact, many providers specifically budget for a lower repayment than they initially bill. For the consumer, there really is nothing to lose by trying to negotiate discounts and reasonable repayment terms. The worst case scenario is that the provider will refuse to grant a discount. But negotiating is worth the effort. As Consumer Reports has documented, 93 percent of those who try do in fact get a discount.

There aren’t any known H1N1 vaccine deaths from this current outbreak yet, but they may occur.  It isn’t likely to be many.  Flu vaccines, especially H1N1 vaccines (this isn’t the first time anybody’s caught H1N1 – it’s broken out before) carry a risk of afflicting the vaccinated with Guillain Barre Syndrome.  What’s weird is that the government is using the cash advances they got from we, the people (our taxes) and were supposed to deliver 120 million vaccines.  We got 10 million.  (I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel short changed.  Spiteful aside, it appears that yet again, No We Can’t due to incompetence!)  However, don’t panic.

Guillain Barre Syndrome is an ascending paralysis that can be fatal

Guillain Barre syndrome is a breakdown of the fatty lining (this is fat that you don’t want to waste instant cash on losing – without it, you die) of the nerves, typically beginning in the legs.  The nerves lose control of, well, everything, and it creeps it’s way upward.  It’s the leading cause of non-trauma paralysis. It is a risk of modern flu vaccines, and if a lot of people get swine flu vaccines, people will get it, and people will die.  However, put this into perspective – the seasonal flu, i.e. the flu that EVERYBODY gets, kills over 30,000 people in the U.S. alone, up to 500,000 worldwide, and the actual risk of the side effects are low, and risk of death from it- even lower.

Last Swine Flu Panic – 1976, and it was EMBARRASSING

For those that aren’t “in the know” (which is a kind way of saying that if people would learn a little history, do a little research, they might learn about what panics occur over) there was a swine flu outbreak in 1976.  Congress decided to mobilize mass immunizations, wasting millions of dollars in the process, after ONE PERSON DIED.  (That’s IT. Hardly an epidemic.)  Less than 33% of the U.S. actually got the immunization.  Of those, 500 were afflicted with GBS, of which 25 people died.  If you’re thinking in terms of global disease…you might get where I’m going, but that said, the last swine flu (this one isn’t actually a swine flu, but it is H1N1) or the 1976 Swine Flu Outbreak was a panic over nothing, with vaccinations that didn’t do anyone any good, but did cost a lot.

Immunizations carry risks

Immunizations always carry a risk. The very act itself is risky – how immunizations work is that a very small sample of a virus or bacteria is injected, alerting the immune system to its presence so the body can build anti-bodies, which carries a risk of infection.  The H1N1 Vaccine, as well as flu vaccines in general, carry risks of infection and of GBS, but it’s a small risk.  The risk of death from the H1N1 is about 1 in 1000, and the risk of getting Guillain Barre from it (culled from an article on CBS News) is between 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 1,000,000.  (That’s literally one in a million.)  80% of GBS patients completely recover, and less than 4 in 100 afflicted with it die.   Health professionals advise weighing the pros and cons of vaccinating,  and getting yourself, your spouse, and your children vaccinated will cost a cash advance loans worth. Take care of yourselves; be safe; get vaccinated if you’re at risk – but above all, DON’T PANIC.

What happens when shopping is a compulsion instead of a hobby? Image from www.designmom.com.

Many people who love spending time at the mall and filling their closets with the latest fashions call themselves “shopaholics.” Usually it’s followed by a laugh or a joke, but this habit can sometimes take the form of a destructive disorder called oniomania, which is the clinical term for the compulsive desire to buy things.

You might know an oniomaniac — someone who is already in debt, already in some kind of trouble but keeps buying more and more stuff. Sometimes oniomania, from the outside, looks like another disorder: hoarding. People who compulsively buy things end up filling their houses to the brim with stuff to the point you can barely get around the house.

Does America create oniomaniacs

It’s not surprising that oniomania exists, especially in a country that has entire historical period called “the rise of consumerism.” The introduction of credit, including loan lenders, in the U.S. changed consumer behavior radically. I highly doubt oniomaniacs would exist if people had to stop buying things as soon as they ran out of money.

Rather, perhaps oniomania would still exist, but people would not be able to act on their compulsions so much. As you can probably tell, I think oniomania is a disturbing and dangerous disease, but why?

Bad for people, bad for the planet

As anyone who has ever watched the A&E series “Hoarders” knows, oniomania and the conditions it spawns can be very dangerous to people’s health and relationships. For anyone who is not extremely wealthy, oniomania can cause serious debt and an overabundance of stuff to the point that it is dangerous. Debt and money issues are at the root of many relationship problems, and oniomania sometimes is at the root of debt and money issues.

Furthermore, as U.S. consumers buy more and more stuff, companies make more and more stuff. Most of that stuff ends up in a landfill, and someday we’re going to run out of space for garbage. If you think you might be an oniomaniac, seek help for the sake of yourself, your finances, your loved ones and the planet.

Glenn Close image from Wikimedia.

Some celebrities, or pseudo-celebrities like Adam Jasinski, choose to use their money for destructive purposes such as drugs and material excess. However, I am encouraged today to see that famous actress Glenn Close is using her extensive wealth for good.

Glenn Close this morning appeared on “Good Morning America” to talk about her new mental illness awareness campaign, Bring Change 2 Mind. Glenn Close, with the help of her sister Jessie Close, has started a national campaign to bring mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia.

Why mental illness, why Glenn Close?

People who have been to war have a lot more to worry about than paying off their military personal loans. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disease just as cancer or diabetes is a disease, says Glenn Close regarding mental illness. She was inspired to start the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign because of her sister, Jessie, who is diagnosed as bipolar.

Jessie’s son, Calen, has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, which is both schizophrenic and bipolar at once. Glenn Close says all the people in her Bring Change 2 Mind commercials are real people with real disorders and the people they rely on to help them. In videos on the Bring Change 2 Mind web site, the people who appear in the Grand Central Station commercial, which you can also watch on the site, talk about their specific illnesses.

Seeking help

On Good Morning America, Jessie Close talked about struggling with her disorder all her life. She didn’t officially find out she was bipolar until she was 47. She talked about the struggle with the decision to take medication.

The bottom line is, through the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign the Close sisters want to spread awareness about mental illness to diminish the stigma that surrounds it. They also want people who have mental illness to get help and support.

“We’re getting more and more sophisticated medication,” Glenn Close said. “We need to keep people with mental illness living full and productive and creative lives.”

Image from wikimedia.

How often do we look on packages at the grocery store and check out what the serving sizes are? It’s clear as day what are the recommended portions, yet we tend to eat much more than that.

Get in the habit of measuring every meal by its serving size, and you could save on your grocery bill and avoid using credit cards.

Buy In Bulk? What For?

Often we are told to buy in bulk for savings. It makes sense to do so with household items such as toilet paper, boxes of Kleenex, or paper towels.

However, food shouldn’t be treated in the same manner unless you expect a terrible storm or a massive famine. If the food is in the house, you are likely to eat it unnecessarily which can lead to weight gain. And once the shelves look empty, who’s to stop you from buying even more food?

Getting Fatter

It’s well known that obesity is a serious problem in America. With every fad diet out there telling you what to do, what to eat, how to eat, it’s no wonder that Americans are confused.

We have a plethora of information, but we’re still getting fatter, and we’re spending even more money to learn how to stop. Isn’t there a simpler way to go about this, such as portion control? Measuring your serving size?

Calories In and Calories Out

Experts still emphasize that calories expended must be more than calories taken in to lose weight. They also hammer portion control, sometimes making analogies to visual cues. For example, a serving of steak should be the size of your fist.

Those visual clues can be confusing, though, and don’t apply to many foods. It might be just easier to go with what the labels says. The nutrients are already divided up and measured for you.

If one cup of pancake mix produces four servings, and you’re the only one eating, you only want to eat one quarter of the amount. That equals one serving. Don’t go over that. By strictly following what’s on the labels, you can save on your wallet, waistline and future medical bills.

Get Some Exercise

Get some daily exercise. It doesn’t matter whether it’s walking, running or whatever. Get the blood flowing and the metabolism kicking into gear. You read about it all the time. Just do it.

If you’ve eaten according to serving size, you should know how many calories you’ve consumed and what you need to burn in order to maintain or lose weight. It’ll be easier to keep track of your budget, and you can rack up on savings each month. Plus, if you plan your meals each day, you can then determine how much food to buy for the entire week. No overspending. No shopping carts filled to the brim with unnecessary food. No spending hundreds of dollars in excess food bills.

The Life Expectancy Calculator tells you the same things your doctor would, but it's free. Image from Flikr.

The idea that babies born today will end up living to 100 is becoming a popular theory as advances in health education and medical care increase life expectancy. The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator at livingto100.com supports the theory that with the right lifestyle and habits, anyone can end up living to 100.

I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of the Life Expectancy Calculator at first. I am one of those people who always answers “no” to questions involving knowing when I am going to die. But I decided to check it out.

What is the Life Expectancy Calculator?

The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator asks 40 health-related questions regarding your exercise, sleep and nutrition habits. While I was taking the test, I realized the questions really are just a list of things you can do to stay healthy. I knew what all of the answers were supposed to be. Perhaps if I get debt settlement relief, I’ll be able to give a better answer about the amount of stress in my life.

I knew that if I answered “great!” to the question of how well I sleep I’d get a “higher score” or a longer life expectancy than if I told the truth, “it varies.” So answering the questions for the Life Expectancy Calculator is really a good reminder of which habits are contributing to our health or damaging it. And, of course, not answering the questions accurately really doesn’t do anyone any favors.

Surprising results

Even though I felt that my answers to most of the questions on the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator were not ideal, I still ended up having a life expectancy of 87. I thought that was a pretty good. I could deal with living to 87. However, before you find out your actual life expectancy, the Living to 100 web site says what you can do to add more years to your life.

The feedback from the Life Expectancy calculator also stresses the importance of seeing a doctor, flossing your teeth and talks about your body mass index. For me, the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator made me think of a few small, easy steps I can take to increase my life expectancy and thus my current health. So, in the end, really the Living to 100 web site and the Life Expectancy Calculator only encourages healthy habits. And what could be wrong with that?

image by flickr

Payday loans applications are flourishing as medical costs continue to weigh down Americans.  Currently there are millions of people seeking aid from government programs.  These programs can be confusing, however, and many people are being rejected for innocuous reasons such as location, rather than need.   Government aid comes in the form of health care, housing aid, and food stamps. But each one comes with its own set of rules and regulations to be eligible, and truly needy people can get caught in the red-tape.

Beverly Johnson of Kosciusko, Mississippi lost her job at a Bible college. When she went to apply for unemployment, she was told that as an employee of a religious school she was ineligible.  “That was a shock,” she said.  Most Americans believe that unemployment is there if they are let go but there are underlying rules with every government program.

Because there is so much fine-print when it comes to getting government assistance, payday loans are filling the gap.  When people need money, they look to payday loans as a reliable option because other options are so uncertain.  Martin Summerstein of Miami, Florida stated, “We use payday loans because they are available to us. You can’t count on the government, because one day help is there and the next it isn’t.”

Studies show

The New York Times did a study of state enrollment for six federal assistance programs and found a huge amount of disparity between them.  In California, only 50 percent of people who need food stamps get them, whereas in Missouri almost 98 percent of people get them.  In South Dakota, 19 percent of unemployed people get unemployment benefits, while Idaho gives benefits to 67 percent of its out of work citizens.

Political scientist at Harvard Theda Skocpol stated, “The system for helping Americans in need is very fragmented, and it confuses everyone. Some people are covered, and some people are not, even though they look like they’re in very similar circumstances,” says the New York Times.

The critics

The stimulus package has about $100 billion in safety net provisions but each state is able to decide whether or not to take advantage of it.  A few governors believe that to increase unemployment benefits would increase taxes on businesses and cut down on new job creation.  They rejected the assistance.

Some critics believe that this extra fund is detrimental.  They cited that payday loans and easily available federal aid can cause people to mismanage their budgets consistently.  “If people have options, they won’t be forced to rework their budgets and cut back where they need to. They can become dependent on extra money instead of being responsible.”  Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation believes that added government aid could also discourage people from seeking more education and better paying jobs.

Much-needed reform

In the end, President Obama has a lot to sort through.  His team has to react to the crisis and find ways of including needy people in government aid programs, without driving the economy deeper into a recession.

Shiela Zedlewski, of the Urban Institute, said “We have people (receiving all benefits) but we have far more people who get nothing. … A significant group remains outside the safety net.”  In the meantime, people are trying their best to use payday loans, family assistance and the government programs they are eligible for to stay afloat.  Hopefully, the president will be able to include help for everyone based on need and not on whether they find their way through red-tape.

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The Holistic Moms Network encourages people to get close to nature.

The cost of medical care is weighing down families as Congress unsuccessfully tries to finish and pass a health care reform bill. Some Americans are turning their backs on the health care industry and turning to holistic medicine and avoiding illness through holistic living.

The Holistic Moms Network is an online resource for information on holistic living. It is also a nonprofit organization dedicated to “connecting parents who are interested in holistic health and green living,” according to the Holistic Moms Network web site.

Green living and parenting ‘from the heart’

It’s easy for Americans to fall into a way of life that has their children constantly going the doctor all too often, taking prescription drugs at ever younger ages and eating food filled with chemicals. The Holistic Moms Network shows parents that there are other ways to raise  your children that promote healthier kids and as a bonus can save a lot of money. With mortgages and car loans and other big expenses to worry about, families are trying to save money any way they can. The Holistic Moms Network site says:

We encourage moms to trust their instincts, to parent from the heart, use their innate sense of what is best for their children, live in balance with the Earth, and learn about the pros and cons of all healthcare and parenting options.

The Holistic Moms Network also gives little tips, such as how to make fruits and vegetables last longer by freezing them. Any advice that helps families avoid wasting food saves them money.

Parenting tips from Holistic Moms Network

The Holistic Moms Network has several sections filled with articles and book recommendations to help parents with questions such as “Is it safe to sleep with my baby?” and “Should I let my baby cry it out?” Sections on the site include Holistic Health, Natural & Positive Parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Green Living, Vaccinations, Whole Nutrition and Holistic Education.

The Holistic Moms Network isn’t totally against Western medicine. The Vaccinations section has articles about pros and cons, including information about how effective they are. There are books saying children should be vaccinated and some books saying they shouldn’t. From the web site:

The Holistic Moms Network believes that parents need to make informed and educated choices about all healthcare options for their children, including vaccination, and that they deserve the freedom to make the choice that works best for their family.

Whether or not you agree with the Holistic Moms Network philosophy, you will come away from the web site with great insight and information. I encourage people to always look for ways to save money, lead healthier lives and do what’s best for their kids, and I like that the Holistic Moms Network explores all of these things.

Debt relief and health care reform would seem to go hand-in-hand, brothers and sisters (Photo: flickr.com)

In the midst of the health care reform, many Americans are worried about debt relief.  High medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the nation and many see it as the biggest “ignored necessity.”   Housewife Brandy Giant of Littleton Pennsylvania stated, “When my husband lost his job, we had no choice but to cut corners…when he remained out of work for a year, we had to cut health insurance out of our budget.  It’s easier now because we’re both healthy, but once we have children, that won’t be an option.”

Many Americans are seeing high health insurance premiums as a burden and cutting them out of their budgets.  President Obama is calling for health care reform, declaring the issue a “ticking time bomb” and claiming that without some serious revamping it could cause America to “go the way of GM.”  The president spoke at the American Medical Association’s annual meeting, looking for supporters who will help reshape the industry.  His goal is to bring health care costs down and to bring coverage to the millions of uninsured Americans who are doing without.

Criticism of Health Care Reform

Mitt Romney is a direct opponent of Obama’s plans, stating that government-dictated insurance plans are a “Trojan horse.”  GOP Rep. Tom Price stated that Obama is setting the nation up for a “government takeover” of health care.  He believes that Obama’s proposed committee to police the effectiveness of medical treatments would open the door for a “rationing board” to veto doctor’s treatments and deny patient’s the healthcare they need.

Also garnering criticism is the proposed funding needed for health care reform. The president said that the cost of providing coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans would be approximately $1 trillion over the next decade.   Obama wants to fund the health care cost by cutting federal payments to hospitals, cutting money from Medicare and Medicaid, and increasing in taxes and spending cuts to the health care industry.

Critics are condemning Obama’s proposed tax increases, citing that immediately after the recession is the least favorable time to introduce more financial strain on a country trying desperately to find debt relief.

The AMA Annual Meeting

The president tried to garner support from the 250,000 physicians at the AMA meeting.  His purpose was to free physicians of the role of “bean-counters and paper-pushers” and do a proper assessment of procedures to find the optimum ways to handle health care.  Obama called out for physicians to assist him in informing lawmakers of the importance of reform. “To most Americans, you are the health care system. Americans do what you recommend. That is why I will listen to you and work with you to pursue reform that works for you,” said the president.

Malpractice

One key issue with garnering medical community support is malpractice.  Doctors have long been complaining about the high costs of malpractice insurance, and would like some limit on malpractice lawsuits to be instituted.  Obama addressed the issue stating, he sympathizes with doctors “who feel like they are constantly looking over their shoulder for fear of lawsuits and with the desire to curb them.”  He firmly denied wanting to support capping malpractice lawsuits, however stating that doing so would be unfair to truly injured patients.

The future of health care

The future of health care is an unknown. With huge numbers of Americans going without coverage, something has to be done to help them.  Many Americans are waiting with bated breath for a solution that fits into their budgets and debt relief plans.  Without some careful planning, more and more consumers will find themselves facing outrageous medical bills and no viable option of paying them.

Swine flu may come, even if you wash your hands and use good judgment. But with the stated H1N1 vaccine risks, will you be getting the shot? (Photo: flickr.com)

Flu season is fast approaching, and many people are concerned about whether H1N1 – more commonly known as the “swine flu” – will devastate entire communities. When cooler heads prevail, however, it’s easy to see that H1N1 isn’t all that different from any other flu in any other year.

If you aren’t an infant, elderly or suffering from a serious health ailment that would make contracting the flu a danger (this is the biggest thing, truly), there isn’t much to worry about.

Wash your hands regularly, use a surgical mask if you’re sick and have to go out in public and deal with H1N1 the way you would any normal flu. Take in nutrients, get rest and try not to expose others.

It’s common sense, the same way same day loans can float a budget in the short term during an emergency.

There Are H1N1 Vaccine Risks, Anyway

Some people will opt for the H1N1 vaccine, whether it is because they are at risk or that they think flu shots are essential. However, there are medical experts that have stated their concerns over H1N1 vaccine risks. This leaves people in the position of having to decide whether the vaccine is worth the risk or worse than simply contracting the flu and letting normal immune systems deal with the invader.

According to the Center For Disease Control, high risk individuals are children under 2; those over 65; pregnant ladies; people with chronic asthma, diabetes or HIV; and children younger than 19 who are involved in aspirin therapy. For these groups, the shot may be worth it. There are even locations that will deliver it for free or at a discounted rate, depending upon a patient’s financial situation.

But What About GBC Risk?

Also known as Guillain-Barré syndrome, it is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to death. However, Dr. Jennifer Ashton estimates that this risk is “only 1 in a million vaccines.”

However, since I’m not in an “at risk” group, I’ll take the flu instead. Since I have young children, I have more to consider. Yet it is my belief – based upon my understanding of the evidence – that H1N1 vaccine risks are just another sign that the more you look for loopholes, the more you’ll find.

I am not concerned about my children dying due to swine flu. Common sense treatment and doctors (if necessary) are all they’ll likely need if the swine flu comes to call. If I need financial backup, I’ll consider same day loans.

Barack Obama touts health care everywhere he goes. Image from Wikimedia.

Many consumers are struggling with debt relief because of the huge cost of health care.  Congress has taken the cause up as one of its most pertinent issues to sort out, and President Obama is targeting it as a strong focus throughout his presidency.

Although the topic is much cause for debate among congressional leaders and experts, they all agree that at the center of the issue lies the average health care provider.

Patient-centered medical home

The health care industry has introduced a new term: “patient-centered medical home.”  This refers to the primary location for doctors to care for their patients, normally the doctor’s office.

At a patient-centered medical home, doctors would offer services ranging from flu shots to the management of chronic diseases. They would use the patient-centered medical home as a hub to coordinate care with nurses, pharmacists and specialists.  A study showed that if every patient had a central location for their health care needs, the resulting efficiency could reduce health care costs by 5.6 percent, or $67 billion annually, which would be a possible solution to debt relief for the industry.

The current doctor’s office

Today’s doctor’s office is a far cry from the optimum patient-centered medical home of the future. Research shows that the average patient spends just more than 7 minutes with their primary care physician, who gives superficial answers that focus on symptoms. Often times doctors send patients to chronic care specialists unnecessarily.  Many of these chronic ailments could be managed by the physician if he or she were willing to spend more time with the patient.

Another issue to address is the inefficiency of emergency rooms. Often  patients rush to emergency rooms for immediate care when their physician could realistically handle the issue.  Again, it becomes an issue of time and individualized care by doctors.

Reform

The patient-centered medical home is reminiscent of the “gatekeeper” model of the 1990s. Managed-care was set in motion with the primary goal of managing costs.  Today’s model has a new focus: patient care.  Experts are touting that with new digital technologies to help, it is easier than ever for true health care industry reform to happen.

Health care today is known to be “disorganized and wasteful”, according to Dr. Paul H. Grundy, health-care transformationalist for IBM.  He also noted that health care eats up almost 18 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.  Most of the cost is shouldered by the private sector, that covers about 60 percent of the nation’s insured consumers. Grundy added that “employers can drive the medical-home idea as buyers of care.”  He believes that IBM’s Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, a coalition of more than 500 employers, insurers, consumer groups and doctors, can help to transform the industry as a whole and spur debt relief for the consumer.

There are also four large medical societies endorsing the medical-home concept, and beta programs are currently running in several states.  President Obama is also looking to the idea, saying that any health-care initiative should “encourage and provide appropriate payment for providers who implement the medical-home model.”

The optimum model

In Newport, Va., Dr. Peter Anderson is using the medical-home model. One example is his recent patient, 72-year old Gretchen Parker. Parker was diagnosed with diabetes last year and rather than put her on immediate insulin shots or medications, Dr. Anderson took a model approach.

He developed a plan for Parker to lose 55 pounds through diet and exercise. His team worked with her to best model a new lifestyle for the patient. Her blood sugar is now back to normal. This is an example of how the future of health care is going to be developed.

Health care

In the end, physicians are the key to reforming health care.  Though the model involves more detailed care and more time, the resulting efficiencies will be well worth it. If the health care industry can scale back costs and help employers, consumers, insurers and physicians find debt relief, then the changes will be well received.

Floor mat problem? A personal loan will get you some super glue. (Photo: archie99.wordpress.com)

When the world’s largest automaker recalls 3.8 million cars, you know something serious is going on. That’s exactly what the recent Toyota recall has done because of floor mats that present a risk of causing accidents. Removing the mats and obtaining new ones (even if you need a personal loan to help you get just the right ones) present a much better course of action than endangering lives.

What models are affected by the Toyota recall?

Toyota:

• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2004-2009 Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Tundra

Lexus:

• 2007-2010 ES 350
• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS 350

What problem do the floor mats cause?

Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have released a statement in which drivers are cautioned that the removable floor mats can easily shift while the vehicle is in motion, presenting a scenario where they can become stuck on the accelerator pedal. It can literally stick the accelerator to the floor, and in the case of at least one incident, has led to fatalities.

It could “cause a crash, serious injury or death”

Toyota was very clear of this in their statement regarding an open accelerator caused by a removable floor mat. Interestingly, this problem led to a ban of all-weather mats back in 2007, but the NHTSA noted that reports of rapid acceleration are still occurring “after the release of the pedal.” Is there another problem Toyota or Lexus owners should be concerned about?

A fatal crash in California got the Toyota recall rolling

According to CNN, investigators discovered that the fatal crash of a 2009 Lexus ES350 loaned to a family by a San Diego Lexus dealer “could have been caused” by slippage of the all-weather floor mat into the vicinity of the accelerator pedal.

Ray LaHood of the NHTSA rightly calls this “an urgent matter.” He continues in a statement to proclaim that “For everyone’s sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”

Take action immediately

If you are a Toyota or Lexus owner and your vehicle is one of the ones listed above, remove the floor mats immediately and contact your dealership for further information. If a replacement program exists, take advantage. If you must buy your own in order to protect the upholstery, do so. If you’re short of cash, get a personal loan – don’t risk your life in assuming your mats won’t be a problem.

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This cat is NOT eligible for Zerona laser liposuction, but perhaps it should be. (Photo: flickr.com)

I am one of those individuals who might benefit from liposuction, but I’ve managed fine without it so far. The primary reason I haven’t submitted to the sucking is not because I value diet and exercise over unnecessary medical procedures (I try, but one look at me and you’ll know I’m not a Slim Fast user) , but because it costs a great deal of money that I don’t have and my insurance won’t cover… when I’ve had insurance, that is. The same financial stumbling block has kept me from getting Lasik surgery, too.

Why don’t I take out payday loans with no fax, you ask?

It’s definitely a legitimate way to bridge the gap between paychecks in the event of emergency surgery (Let’s just imagine, shall we?) But when you’re talking about Zerona laser treatment – which amounts to laser liposuction – you’re talking around $3,000 in cost. It’s a luxury, no doubt, but a luxury of which many will partake. Considering that the FDA has declared the treatment safe, I’d say that’s as much a green light as anything.

The Zerona laser punctures fat cells, painlessly

It’s popping up all over the news, and the news is that the Zerona laser isn’t even felt on the skin. Dr. Randy Shoup, one of the first physicians to obtain a Zerona laser in Indiana, tested it on a staff member. The light shined on the woman’s abdomen, an area where she was hoping to lose “a few inches.” Dr. Shoup claimed there was no risk of burning the patient, even though the Zerona laser focuses on a problem area for 20 minutes before being moved to another fatty spot.

“There’s no heat, there’s no pain, there’s no nothing, you can’t feel anything,” Shoup told local media. His patient agreed.

Why doesn’t the Zerona laser burn the skin?

A better question might be why isn’t it even felt on the skin? The short answer is that the wavelength of light used for the Zerona laser is a wavelength that has been proven to be the least absorbed by the skin layer. It is more likely to interact with tissues beneath the skin, such as fat. A key element of the treatment is that the patient takes niacin in order to help oxidize fats and relax the blood vessels so that fats can be more easily absorbed and redistributed. Patients also drink lots of water and wear compression garments to help the redistribution.

“That absorption puts little holes in the fat cells,” said Shoup. “And those holes then leak out the fat, which her lymphatic system metabolizes away.” An accompanying massage helps this process.

Your dentist may be able to use the Zerona laser

It isn’t exclusive to physicians or plastic surgeons. For instance, Dr. Shoup is a dentist; it just so happens that he’s trained in the Zerona laser’s use.

“I know how the lasers work and am certified to use the laser,” he said.

How long does Zerona laser treatment take?

Depending upon how much a patient wants done, Zerona laser treatment takes around six sessions. Results have been impressive according to Shoup. He claims his patients have seen losses of three to nine inches, which would definitely make me happy. I’ll save my pennies and perhaps consider payday loans with no fax… but I’ll probably go for Lasik first.

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Todd and Julia Grovenburg of Arkansas are expecting new additions to their family. However, unlike the vast majority of expectant mothers with two kids on the way, Julia Grovenburg isn’t going to have twins, and the children aren’t going to be at least nine months apart. Her children, a girl to be named Jillian and a boy to be named Hudson, were conceived two-and-one-half weeks apart. They’re growing alongside one another and will have separate due dates.

Superfetation – a gift that makes you thankful for payday loans

Think one kid is expensive? Try two of them this way!

Julia Grovenburg is experiencing superfetation, which was discovered during a routine ultrasound. ABC News reports that this rare medical occurrence has doctors beside themselves.

“They saw one sack, one baby developing, and that baby had a certain gestational age; then they noticed a second heartbeat in a child that was much, much younger developmentally,” Dr. Karen Boyle commented. She also noted that the difference in size and development between the fetuses is uncommon.

So rare, medical literature has almost nothing to say about it

A pregnant woman is pregnant again… at the same time, and they aren't twins! (Photo: wikipedia.org)

A pregnant woman pregnant again in this manner – superfetation – is so rare that medical journals apparently haven’t paid much attention, according to Boyle. “I could only find about 10 reported cases,” she told ABC. Julia Grovenburg’s OBGYN, Dr. Michel Muylaert, wrote local media that it may indeed be superfetation: “(She) is pregnant with twins and there appears to be a discordant growth pattern, possibly due to superfetation… (however), it can only be confirmed after delivery by chromosomal and metabolic studies on the babies.”

Twin births – does superfetation cause doctors to question what they know?

One of the great things about the human condition is that we’re always learning. In the case of medical science, no reputable doctor will tell you that we know everything about every possible condition that could beset a gerbil, let alone a human being. Such may be the case with superfetation. Because it has been observed so rarely, it “may be impossible to tell if this happens more often,” says Dr. Donnica Moore. An obstetrician and president of New Jersey’s Sapphire Women’s Health Group, Moore indicated that “If the children are born at the same time, it might be that they were conceived at different times.”

Unfortunately, if the conceptions are too close together, there could be health risks for the younger child. In particular, premature birth would be a concern, says Boyle. “It [the second conception] can happen up to 24 days later than the first conception, and then you’re putting the second baby at risk for lung development problems,” she said. However, it is believed that because the span between Julia Grovenburg’s children is about two weeks, the risk won’t be great.

So when are the kids due for delivery?

Based upon traditional nine-month time spans, the older child would be born around the end of 2009 and the younger at the beginning of 2010. But if young Hudson decides to come out with Jillian, then plans will of course change. Let’s wish them the best in health and happiness. Hopefully, they’ll be able to financially manage their growing family, but if they need temporary help between paychecks, payday loans are always available.

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