Stretching: Focus On Flexibility
You pound out mile after mile on the treadmill. You grunt and groan your way through a series of weightlifting exercises. You even add some time on the stationary bike for good measure.
And you smile with satisfaction that you made it through your workout. Nothing to do now but hit the shower.
Not so fast. Did you take time to stretch out those muscles that pulled you through your invigorating workout?
Most aerobic and strength training programs inherently cause your muscles to contract and flex. For equal balance, pay attention to lengthening, or stretching, those muscles after your workout.
For more information on this topic, click on
Benefits of Stretching.
Help Kids Make Healthy Choices
Encourage New Foods—So they don’t like broccoli, eh? Forget trying to force foods that they won’t enjoy eating. Instead, encourage trying new foods that could make a good substitute for the forlorn broccoli. Try Spinach! And, when they’re not looking, try adding broccoli to casseroles or salads, and see if they’ll eventually change their minds. Make sure to let your child see YOU trying new foods and they might just follow suit.
Remember—Less is More—Piling more food than they could ever eat onto their plates will not encourage healthy eating. Make sure you use smaller portions initially and then serve more if your child is still hungry.
Provide Forced Choices—Instead of asking “What do you want to eat?” give a forced choice, meaning that you would provide them with 2 or 3 choices of foods that are similar in nutritional value. Kids can then choose what sounds best.
Don’t Fill Up On Juice—If you notice that your child isn’t hungry at meals but manages to finish all of their drink, they might be filling up on liquid. Try serving only half a glass and then allow them to have more when they’re successfully eaten some of their meal.
Turn Off the T.V. — Meal distractions include TV, radio, toys, and anything else that makes your child forget that they’re suppose to be eating. Make meal time family time!
Monitor Snacking—If your child is eating too many snacks in between meals, they may be missing out on some of the nutritional powerhouses that you’re serving for lunch and dinner! Limit cookies and chips and encourage fruits and vegetables between meals.
Set a Good Example—No one knows better than your children that if you don’t have to do it, they don’t have to do it! Make sure you practice positive behavior at the table.
Reward Positive Behavior—When your child finishes all the vegetables you served, reward that behavior with positive remarks.
Don’t Take A Vacation From Healthy Living
To most, vacation means a break from home, work and the daily stresses of life. But it shouldn’t mean a break from healthy eating and exercise habits.
It’s especially important not to put good health on the back burner.
Traveling to new locations can be especially hard on you both mentally and physically. You have a greater likelihood of getting sick from the food, water or other challenges in the new environment.
With the dangers of road trip food constantly at hand, it may be a little more impractical to follow through with your daily fitness and eating habits.
But it’s no excuse to give up entirely and gorge yourself on the continental breakfast or lay by the pool for eight hours, only getting up for another round of margaritas.
The opportunity to make better choices for a healthy vacation exists everywhere.
For simple tips on how to incorporate exercise into your day, click on
LifeScript.
http://www.lifescript.com/www/HealthResources/HealthyLiving/HealthyLiving/index.asp
Educating Consumers About Health Care Still A Challenge
To hear some experts, consumer-driven health plans are the next big thing. H. Edward Hanway, CEO of Cigna, for example, predicts that nearly half of Americans with commercial health coverage will be in some kind of consumer-driven plan within two years.
Employers love the plans because they limit how much they have to pay for premiums. Employees are warming to the policies because they offer greater control over their care while offering the possibility of pocketing savings that result from making smart medical decisions.
Insurers offering the coverage have been quick to provide consumers with the information needed for these decisions through brochures, videos, Web sites and even a nurse for telephone consultation.
To read more on this article, click on
Bizjournals.
Exercise For More Than Just Weight Loss
When you think about exercise, you probably think about weight loss, and using it to get rid of some flab.
But it might come as a surprise to you that weight loss shouldn’t be your only reason for exercising regularly.
To view 10 more reasons that you can use to encourage daily exercise, click on
LifeScript.com.
Exercise And Osteoporosis: Staying Active Safely
Whether you already have osteoporosis or you're trying to prevent it, physical activity can help.
Exercise can slow bone mineral loss, help maintain posture and improve your overall fitness.
The key is to know which exercises to do and how to do them properly — and safely.
The types of activities and exercises that are best for you are based on your goals, overall health status, degree of bone loss and what you enjoy doing.
For more information on exercise and osteoporosis, click on
Getting Started.
Vacations Bring Personal, Financial And Health Benefits
There is evidence to show that vacations may not only be enjoyable but also health promoting.
Experts agree that people who take their health seriously should also learn to take vacation time seriously.
In many studies throughout the years vacations have been proven to delay death for both men and women. It was also discovered that lack of vacations contribute to higher chances of heart disease.
Going on vacation has restorative effects that can reduce stress and prevent burnout. Also both men and women that occasionally take time off are less likely to die from coronary heart disease.
For more information on this article, click on
Benefits of a Vacation.
Children's Snacks: Don't Ban Them, Plan Them!
Snacking is a major pastime for many American children — so much so that nearly one-fourth of kids' daily energy intake comes from nibbling between meals.
But snacking itself isn't necessarily bad.
The content of your child's snacks is what's most important. Providing healthy snack choices now will help your children learn to make healthy food choices in the future.
For more information on this article, click on
snack-time tips.
Young Athletes And Hot Practices: An Interview With A Mayo Clinic Specialist
Strenuous exercise, high temperatures and humidity can be a risky combination.
This is especially true for young athletes who lack the experience to know when they need to take a break.
Jay Hoecker, M.D., a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., offers parents and coaches insight into heat-related illnesses and ideas for preventing these events.
Some people say heat exhaustion. Others say heatstroke.
Click on
What's the Difference?, for more information on this topic.
Generic Scrip Share And The Price Of Brand-Name Drugs: The Role Of The Consumer
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, generic drug utilization has risen dramatically, from 19% of scrips in 1984 to 47% in 2001, thus bringing significant direct dollar savings.
Generic drug use may also yield indirect savings if it lowers the average price of those brand-name drugs that are still purchased. Prior work indicates - and we confirm - that generic competition does not induce brand-name producers to lower prices.
However, consumer choices between generic and brand-name drugs could affect the average price of those brand-name drugs that are purchased.
We use nationally representative panel data on drug utilization and costs for the years 1996-2001 to examine how the share of an individual's prescriptions filled by generics affects his average out-of-pocket cost for brand-name drugs.
Our principal finding is that a higher generic scrip share lowers average brand-name prices to consumers, presumably because consumers are more likely to substitute generics when the price gap is great.
This effect is substantial: a 10% increase in the consumer's generic scrip share is associated with a 15.6% decline in the average price he pays for brand-name drugs.
Dental Plans' Oral Argument Taking Care of Teeth Benefits Overall Health, Reduces Costs
Delta and other insurance companies have stepped up marketing efforts to employers, stressing the link between oral health and general health.
They cite research suggesting oral infections could be a risk factor in cardiovascular and respiratory disease, diabetes, stroke and preterm low birth weight.
Such births account for more than 12 percent of all births, $13 billion annually in hospitalizations and uncounted social costs since babies born prematurely often require years of care.
For more information on how dental carriers report a growing awareness among human resource professionals about oral health’s effect on systemic disease, click on
Workforce Management.
Workers: Health Insurance Most Important Benefit
The following is a newly posted press release by th Employee Benefit Research Institution (EBRI).
Employers seeking to recruit new college graduates this summer can be very confident of one fact: Health insurance remains, by far, the most popular benefit they can offer prospective workers.
A study conducted by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that workers rate health insurance the most important benefit they receive by a margin of more than 5 to 1 (60 percent to 17 percent).
Furthermore, the study found employers that do not offer health insurance may have difficulty attracting and retaining skilled workers.
