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  • Thanksgiving and food and photos?

    In my local paper today there were two articles in two different sections that ought to have been on one page and loudly linked to each other.

    One stated that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest in emergency rooms…

    One explanation is that because most physicians are closed – people go to the emergency room. but why do they go? They feel awful, drink too much, eat too much and the body yells back! It’s not used to this amount of food and alcohol and fat-laden drinks. It’s also a day that visiting relatives can get on your nerves and you are stressed, and lots of people, when stressed – eat more!

    The other article was about the new federal exercise guidelines….2.5 hours a week of moderate is good but 5 hours a week is better defense against many diseases…

    The one last note I saw online was to take a good look at a photo of yourself when you were about 18…it suggested that the weight you were then – give or take a little – is a good one to be at now!

    So – Happy Thanksgiving…cut back on the food, look at old photos of you and your family, and resolve to eat better and exercise more. Let’s all look like we did at 18!

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • About Wellsphere and Mavens

    I am a health blogger and health maven on Wellsphere [see logos to the right]

    Below is a press release about the mavens from the chief medical officer at Wellsphere.

    Recession Special: Free answers from doctors and expert patients who truly care

    Wellsphere’s Health Mavens provide free answers to millions of health seekers

    In these difficult economic times, it’s comforting to know there are medical and patient experts out there who care enough to answer health questions online for free. Dr. Geoff Rutledge , MD PhD, Wellsphere’s Chief Medical Information Officer, told reporters today about the new Health Maven Program, which connects volunteer doctors, psychologists, nurses, personal trainers, expert-patients and other experts with health seekers who are looking for answers. Anyone with access to the Internet can get their health questions and concerns answered quickly and at no cost at www.wellsphere.com/healthMaven.s.

    Health mavens are carefully selected, knowledgeable, health experts who are committed to helping others live healthier, happier lives. Hundreds of Health Mavens have volunteered to join the program and answer questions, with new Mavens signing up every day. “We’re witnessing an incredible growth in the number of people using the Internet to find health information” said Wellsphere’s CEO Ron Gutman . According to an iCrossing research repot, for the first time in history people with health questions are more likely to turn to the Web for answers than to their doctor. “Recognizing this trend among our users, we assembled the world’s leading network of over 1,800 medical and patient experts to share their experiences and expertise with Wellsphere.com’s almost 3 million monthly visitors. We are humbled by the experience, expertise and genuine care these wonderful individuals share every day with people who come to Wellsphere looking for answers” said Gutman.

    In addition to providing a wonderful service to people seeking answers to their health questions, the Health Maven program allows participating medical professionals and patient experts to broaden their impact by sharing their experiences and expertise with a much wider audience, and to get the recognition they deserve. Here are a few of their comments:

    “Being a Health Maven gives me the opportunity to interact directly with the Wellsphere community. It’s been a lot of fun and professionally it’s incredibly rewarding.” – Melissa McCreery , PhD

    “Wellsphere has taken caring to a new level and I’m glad to be a part of it,” – Kathleen Blanchard , RN

    “I enjoy being a maven – it seems that doling out advice and answering questions seems to be my calling in life.” – Lynn Dorman , PhD

    To find out more about the Health Maven program, please visit http://www.Wellsphere.com/HealthMaven.s
    —
    Geoffrey Rutledge, MD PhD
    Chief Medical Information Officer
    Wellsphere
    Dr.Rutledge@wellsphere.com

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • Medicare

    One of today’s headlines:

    Private Medicare Plans Have Added Costs, for Little Gain
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/24/business/24medicare.html?ref=health

    Why is this? Because all those companies now trying to get you to switch to them get a subsidy from the government and here is no incentive to cut costs…

    …two analysts from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission…said that growth in private plans had driven up costs because the government pays them 13 percent more on average than what it would spend for the same beneficiaries in traditional Medicare.

    And we wonder why we are among the least healthy societies on earth while our medical costs are among the highest – if not the highest…..

    In short GREED is the name of our economic game and look where it got us…expensive everything, low wages, declining retirement funds, job loss and…and…and – the list goes on..

    I’m glad I am older and am not starting out in college, starting a family or looking for a job…

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • Just one of "those" days

    A typical Pacific Northwest day – except that we got spoiled since we have not had too many of them this year.

    It’s a wet 54 degrees and every so often the sun shines brightly and the rain diminishes. Have not seen a rainbow yet but they are typical on days like this – we even get double rainbows.

    But while we enjoyed our warm, and mostly dry, October and November – some parts of the USA needed rain desperately and I hope they are getting enough now.

    What concerns me even more – nice as October was – it was the second warmest October in record keeping history. Oceans are warmer, land masses are warmer, air is dirtier and less able to do what cleaner air can do…etc. We need to act to save our planet.

    I’d rather have the usual October and November rain knowing that future generations will have a planet to call home.

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • It’s that time of the year – it’s "open season"

    Sometimes I think the postal service would be in more serious trouble if it were not for the election cycles and Medicare “open season.”

    During the primary I got lots of “vote for me” mail, then even more during the general election season and now that has been followed by the companies who want me to look at their medigap plans and switch.

    Some have local meetings to answer questions, others have web sites to check them out and some ask me to call them to learn more. And most are from companies with names I never heard of :-0.

    I’m happy with the plan I have – which is going down in cost come January! The facility I go to when necessary is also pretty close…so I have no incentive to change.

    But if you are thinking of switching plans or if you are new to Medicare – be careful…over the last few years some companies have used pressure tactics to get people to sign up… Why? The person you talk to is on commission! And now some physicians are no longer accepting Medicare patients. So be sure you find out all you can before switching or joining.

    And rule of thumb when speaking to any company is to say…”thank you – let me think about it” and compare all aspects of plans in which you have interest.

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,