I have been a health insurance broker for over a decade and every day I read more and more “horror” stories that are posted on the Internet regarding health insurance companies not paying claims, refusing to cover specific illnesses and physicians not getting reimbursed for medical services. Unfortunately, insurance companies are driven by profits, not people (albeit they need people to make profits). If the insurance company can find a legal reason not to pay a claim, chances are they will find it, and you the consumer will suffer. However, what most people fail to realize is that there are very few “loopholes” in an insurance policy that give the insurance company an unfair advantage over the consumer. In fact, insurance companies go to great lengths to detail the limitations of their coverage by giving the policy holders 10-days (a 10-day free look period) to review their policy. Unfortunately, most people put their insurance cards in their wallet and place their policy in a drawer or filing cabinet during their 10-day free look and it usually isn’t until they receive a “denial” letter from the insurance company that they take their policy out to really read through it.

The majority of people, who buy their own health insurance, rely heavily on the insurance agent selling the policy to explain the plan’s coverage and benefits. This being the case, many individuals who purchase their own health insurance plan can tell you very little about their plan, other than, what they pay in premiums and how much they have to pay to satisfy their deductible.

For many consumers, purchasing a health insurance policy on their own can be an enormous undertaking. Purchasing a health insurance policy is not like buying a car, in that, the buyer knows that the engine and transmission are standard, and that power windows are optional. A health insurance plan is much more ambiguous, and it is often very difficult for the consumer to determine what type of coverage is standard and what other benefits are optional. In my opinion, this is the primary reason that most policy holders don’t realize that they do not have coverage for a specific medical treatment until they receive a large bill from the hospital stating that “benefits were denied.”

Sure, we all complain about insurance companies, but we do know that they serve a “necessary evil.” And, even though purchasing health insurance may be a frustrating, daunting and time consuming task, there are certain things that you can do as a consumer to ensure that you are purchasing the type of health insurance coverage you really need at a fair price.

Dealing with small business owners and the self-employed market, I have come to the realization that it is extremely difficult for people to distinguish between the type of health insurance coverage that they “want” and the benefits they really “need.” Recently, I have read various comments on different Blogs advocating health plans that offer 100% coverage (no deductible and no-coinsurance) and, although I agree that those types of plans have a great “curb appeal,” I can tell you from personal experience that these plans are not for everyone. Do 100% health plans offer the policy holder greater peace of mind? Probably. But is a 100% health insurance plan something that most consumers really need? Probably not! In my professional opinion, when you purchase a health insurance plan, you must achieve a balance between four important variables; wants, needs, risk and price. Just like you would do if you were purchasing options for a new car, you have to weigh all these variables before you spend your money. If you are healthy, take no medications and rarely go to the doctor, do you really need a 100% plan with a $5 co-payment for prescription drugs if it costs you $300 dollars more a month?

Is it worth $200 more a month to have a $250 deductible and a $20 brand name/$10 generic Rx co-pay versus an 80/20 plan with a $2,500 deductible that also offers a $20 brand name/$10generic co-pay after you pay a once a year $100 Rx deductible? Wouldn’t the 80/20 plan still offer you adequate coverage? Don’t you think it would be better to put that extra $200 ($2,400 per year) in your bank account, just in case you may have to pay your $2,500 deductible or buy a $12 Amoxicillin prescription? Isn’t it wiser to keep your hard-earned money rather than pay higher premiums to an insurance company?

Yes, there are many ways you can keep more of the money that you would normally give to an insurance company in the form of higher monthly premiums. For example, the federal government encourages consumers to purchase H.S.A. (Health Savings Account) qualified H.D.H.P.’s (High Deductible Health Plans) so they have more control over how their health care dollars are spent. Consumers who purchase an HSA Qualified H.D.H.P. can put extra money aside each year in an interest bearing account so they can use that money to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses. Even procedures that are not normally covered by insurance companies, like Lasik eye surgery, orthodontics, and alternative medicines become 100% tax deductible. If there are no claims that year the money that was deposited into the tax deferred H.S.A can be rolled over to the next year earning an even higher rate of interest. If there are no significant claims for several years (as is often the case) the insured ends up building a sizeable account that enjoys similar tax benefits as a traditional I.R.A. Most H.S.A. administrators now offer thousands of no load mutual funds to transfer your H.S.A. funds into so you can potentially earn an even higher rate of interest.

In my experience, I believe that individuals who purchase their health plan based on wants rather than needs feel the most defrauded or “ripped-off” by their insurance company and/or insurance agent. In fact, I hear almost identical comments from almost every business owner that I speak to. Comments, such as, “I have to run my business, I don’t have time to be sick! “I think I have gone to the doctor 2 times in the last 5 years” and “My insurance company keeps raising my rates and I don’t even use my insurance!” As a business owner myself, I can understand their frustration. So, is there a simple formula that everyone can follow to make health insurance buying easier? Yes! Become an INFORMED consumer.

Every time I contact a prospective client or call one of my client referrals, I ask a handful of specific questions that directly relate to the policy that particular individual currently has in their filing cabinet or dresser drawer. You know the policy that they bought to protect them from having to file bankruptcy due to medical debt. That policy they purchased to cover that $500,000 life-saving organ transplant or those 40 chemotherapy treatments that they may have to undergo if they are diagnosed with cancer.

So what do you think happens almost 100% of the time when I ask these individuals “BASIC” questions about their health insurance policy? They do not know the answers! The following is a list of 10 questions that I frequently ask a prospective health insurance client. Let’s see how many YOU can answer without looking at your policy.

1. What Insurance Company are you insured with and what is the name of your health insurance plan? (e.g. Blue Cross Blue Shield-“Basic Blue”)

2. What is your calendar year deductible and would you have to pay a separate deductible for each family member if everyone in your family became ill at the same time? (e.g. The majority of health plans have a per person yearly deductible, for example, $250, $500, $1,000, or $2,500. However, some plans will only require you to pay a 2 person maximum deductible each year, even if everyone in your family needed extensive medical care.)

3. What is your coinsurance percentage and what dollar amount (stop loss) it is based on? (e.g. A good plan with 80/20 coverage means you pay 20% of some dollar amount. This dollar amount is also known as a stop loss and can vary based on the type of policy you purchase. Stop losses can be as little as $5,000 or $10,000 or as much as $20,000 or there are some policies on the market that have NO stop loss dollar amount.)

4. What is your maximum out of pocket expense per year? (e.g. All deductibles plus all coinsurance percentages plus all applicable access fees or other fees)

5. What is the Lifetime maximum benefit the insurance company will pay if you become seriously ill and does your plan have any “per illness” maximums or caps? (e.g. Some plans may have a $5 million lifetime maximum, but may have a maximum benefit cap of $100,000 per illness. This means that you would have to develop many separate and unrelated life-threatening illnesses costing $100,000 or less to qualify for $5 million of lifetime coverage.)

6. Is your plan a schedule plan, in that it only pays a certain amount for a specific list of procedures? (e.g., Mega Life & Health & Midwest National Life, endorsed by the National Association of the Self-Employed, N.A.S.E. is known for endorsing schedule plans) 7. Does your plan have doctor co-pays and are you limited to a certain number of doctor co-pay visits per year? (e.g. Many plans have a limit of how many times you go to the doctor per year for a co-pay and, quite often the limit is 2-4 visits.)

8. Does your plan offer prescription drug coverage and if it does, do you pay a co-pay for your prescriptions or do you have to meet a separate drug deductible before you receive any benefits and/or do you just have a discount prescription card only? (e.g. Some plans offer you prescription benefits right away, other plans require that you pay a separate drug deductible before you can receive prescription medication for a co-pay. Today, many plans offer no co-pay options and only provide you with a discount prescription card that gives you a 10-20% discount on all prescription medications).

9. Does your plan have any reduction in benefits for organ transplants and if so, what is the maximum your plan will pay if you need an organ transplant? (e.g. Some plans only pay a $100,000 maximum benefit for organ transplants for a procedure that actually costs $350-$500K and this $100,000 maximum may also include reimbursement for expensive anti-rejection medications that must be taken after a transplant. If this is the case, you will often have to pay for all anti-rejection medications out of pocket).

10. Do you have to pay a separate deductible or “access fee” for each hospital admission or for each emergency room visit? (e.g. Some plans, like the Assurant Health’s “CoreMed” plan have a separate $750 hospital admission fee that you pay for the first 3 days you are in the hospital. This fee is in addition to your plan deductible. Also, many plans have benefit “caps” or “access fees” for out-patient services, such as, physical therapy, speech therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. Benefit “caps” could be as little as $500 for each out-patient treatment, leaving you a bill for the remaining balance. Access fees are additional fees that you pay per treatment. For example, for each outpatient chemotherapy treatment, you may be required to pay a $250 “access fee” per treatment. So for 40 chemotherapy treatments, you would have to pay 40 x $250 = $10,000. Again, these fees would be charged in addition to your plan deductible).

Now that you’ve read through the list of questions that I ask a prospective health insurance client, ask yourself how many questions you were able to answer. If you couldn’t answer all ten questions don’t be discouraged. That doesn’t mean that you are not a smart consumer. It may just mean that you dealt with a “bad” insurance agent. So how could you tell if you dealt with a “bad” insurance agent? Because a “great” insurance agent would have taken the time to help you really understand your insurance benefits. A “great” agent spends time asking YOU questions so s/he can understand your insurance needs. A “great” agent recommends health plans based on all four variables; wants, needs, risk and price. A “great” agent gives you enough information to weigh all of your options so you can make an informed purchasing decision. And lastly, a “great” agent looks out for YOUR best interest and NOT the best interest of the insurance company.

So how do you know if you have a “great” agent? Easy, if you were able to answer all 10 questions without looking at your health insurance policy, you have a “great” agent. If you were able to answer the majority of questions, you may have a “good” agent. However, if you were only able to answer a few questions, chances are you have a “bad” agent. Insurance agents are no different than any other professional. There are some insurance agents that really care about the clients they work with, and there are other agents that avoid answering questions and duck client phone calls when a message is left about unpaid claims or skyrocketing health insurance rates.

Remember, your health insurance purchase is just as important as purchasing a house or a car, if not more important. So don’t be afraid to ask your insurance agent a lot of questions to make sure that you understand what your health plan does and does not cover. If you don’t feel comfortable with the type of coverage that your agent suggests or if you think the price is too high, ask your agent if s/he can select a comparable plan so you can make a side by side comparison before you purchase. And, most importantly, read all of the “fine print” in your health plan brochure and when you receive your policy, take the time to read through your policy during your 10-day free look period.

If you can’t understand something, or aren’t quite sure what the asterisk (*) next to the benefit description really means in terms of your coverage, call your agent or contact the insurance company to ask for further clarification.

Furthermore, take the time to perform your own due diligence. For example, if you research MEGA Life and Health or the Midwest National Life insurance company, endorsed by the National Association for the Self Employed (NASE), you will find that there have been 14 class action lawsuits brought against these companies since 1995. So ask yourself, “Is this a company that I would trust to pay my health insurance claims?

Additionally, find out if your agent is a “captive” agent or an insurance “broker.” “Captive” agents can only offer ONE insurance company’s products.” Independent” agents or insurance “brokers” can offer you a variety of different insurance plans from many different insurance companies. A “captive” agent may recommend a health plan that doesn’t exactly meet your needs because that is the only plan s/he can sell. An “independent” agent or insurance “broker” can usually offer you a variety of different insurance products from many quality carriers and can often customize a plan to meet your specific insurance needs and budget.

Over the years, I have developed strong, trusting relationships with my clients because of my insurance expertise and the level of personal service that I provide. This is one of the primary reasons that I do not recommend buying health insurance on the Internet. In my opinion, there are too many variables that Internet insurance buyers do not often take into consideration. I am a firm believer that a health insurance purchase requires the level of expertise and personal attention that only an insurance professional can provide. And, since it does not cost a penny more to purchase your health insurance through an agent or broker, my advice would be to use eBay and Amazon for your less important purchases and to use a knowledgeable, ethical and reputable independent agent or broker for one of the most important purchases you will ever make….your health insurance policy.

Lastly, if you have any concerns about an insurance company, contact your state’s Department of Insurance BEFORE you buy your policy. Your state’s Department of Insurance can tell you if the insurance company is registered in your state and can also tell you if there have been any complaints against that company that have been filed by policy holders. If you suspect that your agent is trying to sell you a fraudulent insurance policy, (e.g. you have to become a member of a union to qualify for coverage) or isn’t being honest with you, your state’s Department of Insurance can also check to see if your agent is licensed and whether or not there has ever been any disciplinary action previously taken against that agent.

In closing, I hope I have given you enough information so you can become an INFORMED insurance consumer. However, I remain convinced that the following words of wisdom still go along way: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!” and “If you only buy on price, you get what you pay for!”

Two companies that you can use for insurance are Humana and Aetna. Both of them are considered to be top of the line when it comes to health insurance. You will also find that they are the most widely accepted health policy companies in the nation.

The Best of the Best: Humana Insurance

Humana is known for ‘wide coverage’. It is a large company that offers group insurance, mostly through employers. As such, those who avail of health insurance at work are most likely covered by Humana insurance. Humana is also popular because their costs are low and their policies are accepted at most major hospitals.

Establishing a Name for Themselves: Aetna

Aetna is not as well known as Humana in the health care world, although it is up and coming. It is pretty much accepted at most places where Humana is accepted, although there many be a few places where Humana is accepted and Aetna is not. Also, Humana has a host of medical care facilities that give special breaks to people who carry their insurance, Aetna does not. However, whereas Humana is known for group coverage, Aetna is known to offer individual policies that are ideal for self-employed individuals who want health insurance coverage too.

A Question of Choice: HMO v/s PPO

Both policy providers carry PPO and HMO plans, although Humana is currently trying to get away from HMO plans as a whole. PPO plans enable you to use the doctors that are in their network as a source of health coverage. Most health insurance companies today offer either HMO, PPO or general health insurance and Humana and Aetna offer the same. General health insurance covers you wherever you happen to be, even if you are on vacation or in another company. They will usually pay 80 percent of the health care costs and you have to pick up the other 20 percent and have a deductible.

Both Humana and Aetna have health care plans for individuals and businesses that offer this type of insurance. People like this because they do not have to worry about using a special network when they are looking for insurance. They can go wherever they want to get the insurance coverage that they need.

PPO insurance plans allow that the people choose their own doctors, but charge them more if the doctors are out of the network. Many people prefer a PPO because they can use doctors in the network to save money, but still have the luxury of choosing their own doctors. Both Humana and Aetna have plans for PPO.

HMO is when you can only use the doctors in the network of the provider. Both Aetna and Humana are stepping away from this type of plan that has proved to be very unpopular with the public.

You can expect to pay about the same for coverage through Humana or Aetna. Large groups will pay less for coverage of employees than individuals of course.

Eat a little less than your real appetite. Squeeze air out of your system from time to time by applying slight pressure on your stomach cautiously.

Air inside your system can cause a lot of problems. So it has to be forced out to keep you fit and fine.

As you know our body is composed of five elements i.e. Water, soil, air, fire and Akash (sky) in a definite proportion. Whenever this set up is disturbed some or the other problem is bound to arise.

A regulated living keeps you away from such problems. So it is in our own interest to follow a regulated schedule.

A regulated life style is full of restrictions. Early to bed early to rise, timely breakfast, timely meals, regular exercise and selective diet schedule.

Since we are concentrating on extracting air out of our digestive system it is but natural that we should avoid taking gaseous food items.

It follows that cereals, vegetables, fruits and other food items which are known to produce gas in digestive system must be avoided.

To keep our digestion fit and fine we should avoid drinking water at the time of taking meals as the acids produced by our glands to digest the food taken by us gets diluted causing hindrance in the digestion process.

On getting up in the morning after freshening up we may go for a walk if possible or we should do some exercises regularly.

Keeping our age in mind we should concentrate more on yogic exercises. Our main concern should be to force out gases from our system.

Once our stomach is free of gases we may drink a glass of cold or Luke warm water and take nothing there after for at least half an hour.

We are concentrating on maintaining health around the age of fifty because it is the age when people mostly get careless about their health, get used to eating spicy, oily and fried food items without caring the least for their health.

Expelling air out of stomach is to be done very cautiously. The pressure is to be applied very gently so that the contents of the stomach may not spill out.

In our breakfast and meals we must take restrictive food items as detailed above.

Expelling process should not be undertaken until around two hours after taking meals. Constant practice will give you an idea as to how much pressure is to be applied to force the gases out of your stomach. The process may be repeated after a little gap until the required result is achieved.

It should be kept in mind that this forcible expulsion of air will take place through belches that too in small bits.

As we know digestion of food taken by us is a biochemical phenomenon. Water and gases obtained as bye products are consumed by our body while the excess quantity is eliminated from the system. Water along with other toxic substances is passed out as urine while gas or air is released in natural way as wind pass.

One must eat to live and should not live to eat. Keep your stomach light you will always feel fit and energetic. Over feeding, on the other hand, will make you sluggish.

So one must be patient and continue to repeat the process from time to time rather make a habit of doing so off and on.

To start with let us talk about some precautions which must be taken while applying pressure on the stomach. Mostly gases are found on the upper side of the stomach. If we apply a little pressure on the stomach by sucking it inwards the air will come out orally in small bits. Repeated sucking will help in expelling sufficient amount of gases from the system making you feel lighter.

A regular life style, balanced and healthy diet, a little exercise will never give you a chance to be sorry in life rather will give you a long and healthy life which will be envied by your fellow members.

One must be very careful while resorting to this process of expelling air out of our system as stomach is a very delicate organ of our body and any undue pressure on it may be problematic.

I will however advise all fiftians i.e. people aged fifty and above to an early morning starter exercise schedule aimed at warming up the body and internal organs as well as squeezing air out of our system.

So far as the exercise part is concerned I don’t feel like interfering as to what exercise schedule one wishes to follow. So you are free to follow the exercise schedule you feel best for you.

Our normal exercise procedure should not be strenuous or vigorous and must be easy going. Further our exercise should be balanced for example if we rotate our right hand full circle four times we should also rotate our left hand four times too.

This starter exercise schedule will be in addition to the normal exercise routine you wish to follow regularly.

It is very easy to follow this schedule. It hardly takes 30 to 45 minutes. You have to do nothing but simply stretch yourself to the full extent in all positions ie lying flat, lying upside down, and lying sideways.

Now let us concentrate on squeezing air out of our system. There are three positions in which we can force air out of our system.

In this process you may sometimes have to elongate your stomach, sometimes to shorten it, sometimes you may have to suck your stomach upwards and sometimes to push it downwards

You may have to toss, turn, twist, tilt and stretch your body and do all sort of internal acrobatics to push air out of your system but always using mild to moderate force or pressure and without stressing your stomach. You may also explore your own method and positions to suit your purpose. But be sure that such type of exercise is possible only on a hard bed or surface on cotton mattress. Do not use foam or coir mattress for the purpose

This stretching will give a warm up to the internal organs of our body.

Position one is while we are lying upside down and positions 2 and 3 follow when we are lying sideways on our right and left sides respectively.

We need to put our hands under the chest and manage in such a way that the entire weight of the body does not fall on our stomach. When this position is achieved we can start the process of pushing the air out of our system by sucking our stomach upwards. On each sucking the air will come out in bits through mouth. Thus we can manage to push air out of our system gradually.

In position one i.e. while lying upside down we need to take certain precautions. Since in this position our stomach is hard pressed against the bed due to our weight there is possibility of spilling out of the contents of the stomach in the mouth.

When this position is achieved slightly press your hand against your stomach and suck your stomach upwards simultaneously. The air will come out in bits through mouth as belch. Our stomach may be compared with a balloon. You will notice that a tightly blown up balloon gets softer in a few days as its walls lose elasticity due to constant air pressure. If after a few days we open the mouth of the balloon we find that all the gas does not go out and some of it remains inside the balloon because of the stretched wall.

By the age of fifty our stomach is like a stretched balloon. Air remains filled inside and this is the reason why we do not feel like eating anything as the stomach already appears tight. If the pressure inside the stomach increases considerably you will often find people belching every now and then causing embarrassment to self as well as others.

We keep eating something or the other throughout the day so the gas level is likely to increase inside the system giving rise to complications. If we develop some technique to push the air out of our system from time to time we can remain fit and fine and save embarrassment to self as well as others.

I found this technique of voluntarily pushing out gases convenient as it is noiseless, unlike a belch, and easily manageable once you get accustomed to it. Besides, you will feel active, energetic, lighter all the time and will never feel dull or lethargic.

Please beware that pushing air out of our system must be resorted to when our stomach is almost empty.

Now let us discuss the remaining two positions while lying sideways. In either of the positions whether lying on your right or left you have to bring your knees up towards your chest as much as possible. Then insert your right hand, if you are lying on your left side and left hand, if you are lying on your right side in between your chest and legs, the pressure or force applied to push the air out of our system must be from mild to moderate and never beyond. Exerting too much force may create problems.

Last but not the least you should have a strong Will power and lots of patience and confidence that you will achieve what you wish to achieve and nothing could stop you from going ahead.

I hope this exercise pattern will suit you and you will be able to ward off problems related to over stuffing of gases in your system.

For many people, doing a full home clean is a never-ending, tedious chore that they dread doing each week. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Cleaning has many benefits for your physical and mental health that can help you live a happier, more organised, and more fulfilling lifestyle.

Fitting a cleaning regime into your daily life may seem like just another thing to add to your ‘to do’ list, but if you fully invest in it, and find fun ways of incorporating it into your schedule, you may find that you enjoy cleaning your home more than you might expect!

Cleaning is satisfying, works as a mindful distraction to alleviate stress or anxiety, helps you reduce your exposure to disease and bacteria, and fosters a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.

Keeping up a regular cleaning routine once or twice a week reduces the amount you need to do in one ‘session’, making it more manageable and less overwhelming to approach.

But when you put cleaning off, however, you are likely to end up with a large amount that needs doing all at once, and you may find it more difficult to keep things like clothes and bedding in a sanitary condition.

‘But Cleaning Is Boring And I’m Busy!’

There are many ways that you can make cleaning more interesting and help it to fit around your lifestyle.

First, identify what you do enjoy.

If you like music, listening to a song with a strong beat is a great way to keep your momentum up and your mind distracted – this can help prevent you from getting bored. Alternatively, you could try listening to an audiobook, or perhaps the radio, to engage your brain.

If you are spiritual or religious, or if you engage in meditative practices, you may wish to incorporate cleaning into these to cleanse your home and body of negative energies.

You might also wish to meditate or pray before your cleaning, light incense while you work, and use crystals such as selenite or tourmaline to help purify your space. Ritual cleaning is a part of many religious practices throughout the world, including Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, as well as pagan and spiritualist practices.

If none of these appeal to you and you prefer a more practical approach, you can choose to put the television on, clean at the same time as doing DIY, or just clean as you go about your usual household routine!

Next, identify the limitations and requirements of your lifestyle.

If you are a creative type of person, you may find you are prone to creating a lot of mess. While this is not uncommon among creative individuals, you might find that your house or flat becoming messy gives you less room for your usual activities, and that you get stressed when trying to work surrounded by the clutter.

If you have a more logic or strategy-based mindset, you will likely have less clutter – but working long hours may make it difficult to commit to a thorough cleaning routine. So instead of doing one big clean at the end of the week, why not just do one or two small cleaning jobs each day before work?

This gets your housework out of the way, leaving you free to enjoy your ‘down time’. Plus, after a week of cleaning a bit every day, you’ll avoid having to do it at the weekend!

How To Structure A Cleaning Schedule And Stay On Top Of It

If you want to clean your home, but the thought of doing it is too overwhelming, the best way to approach the job is simply by making a list of things to clean. This will help you to identify what needs doing, and how and when to do it.

The trick is to not make your cleaning sessions too long, and to only commit to two or three tasks per session. If you have an overly long cleaning session, you are likely to tire yourself out or become stressed, which will put you off doing it next time around.

Instead, try to schedule in 2-3 longer cleaning sessions a week, with certain jobs (such as washing up, cleaning the kitchen etc.) being done daily or every other day.

‘But I’m Just Not Motivated To Do It!’

If you struggle with motivating yourself – particularly if you suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or depression – you might choose to prompt yourself to clean your home using a diary, your phone calendar, or one of the many apps on the market. Alternatively, if you have a reliable support network, you could ask them to nudge you when you are finding it difficult to maintain a self-care routine.

Another good way of giving yourself some motivation is to allow yourself a reward each time you do a clean.

Perhaps you can eat a bar of chocolate when you’ve completed a week’s worth of cleaning? Or maybe you could be very naughty and have a glass or two of wine when you’ve finished every cleaning job on your list?

Whatever you find motivates you, embrace it, and use it to your advantage!

Clean Home, Clean Body

There are numerous ways that cleaning your home helps to keep your body in tiptop condition!

Firstly, cleaning is a great way of integrating physical exercise into your daily life – especially for those ( such as the elderly ) who may not be able to carry out more strenuous exertions.

Moving furniture, hoovering, mopping, making the bed, and many other of the usual cleaning activities are effective ways of burning calories, with up to 100 calories being burned in just half an hour! Moving heavy equipment and furniture will also help to keep your muscles strong, lean, and defined.

Cleaning can help you eat healthier too! Studies have found that people eat more food, and more unhealthy foods, when they are under stress, and living in a dirty and untidy home increases cortisol levels – and therefore, stress.

Additionally, a 2013 study found that people who worked in a tidy and organised space were more likely to choose an apple over a chocolate bar when picking something to eat. Therefore, the cleaner your house is, the less stressed you are, and the more healthily you eat!

Plus, if you struggle with insomnia your messy bedroom might just be the culprit, as a survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that making your bed in the morning could boost your night’s sleep by as much as 20%.

Regularly cleaning your home also means you will not get ill so easily, as it helps to eliminate nasty viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust, and fungi spores which can trigger respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies.

The best places to start? Mymove.com identified the nine germiest places in your home, including dish sponges, the kitchen sink, toothbrush holders, pet bowls, and bathroom taps, among others.

The Mental Health Benefits Of Keeping A Clean Home

Keeping your home clean is a simple way to reduce your stress levels.

Firstly, it helps you to stay more organised, as you will know where everything you need is. No more last-minute rushes in the morning trying to locate those important files before work! This will help to keep your cortisol (which is a stress hormone) levels low and under control.

Next, clutter makes us stressed because it overloads our brains with excessive visual stimuli. This contributes to what is known as sensory overload and it’s a particular problem for people with ADD, autism, and certain mental health disorders that can cause high levels of stress as a result of extraneous stimulation.

Clutter also creates feelings of guilt and anxiety from observing jobs that haven’t yet been done. It is hard to push aside the sense of being overwhelmed when there is evidence of uncompleted tasks right in front of you.

Another aspect of mental health that clutter affects is concentration. When we are excessively stimulated, our brains work overtime to try and process the extra visual information. This results in not being able to focus on other things – like work, for example.

Feelings of being overwhelmed by clutter can also promote avoidant coping mechanisms, such as bingeing on junk food or watching television.

All this means that by tidying your home, you can also achieve a tidier, more peaceful state of mind!

For instance, in 2011, researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging – among other biological measurements – found that clearing clutter from the immediate environment resulted in better focus, improved information processing, and higher productivity for the participants.

So by staying on top of clutter, you can help yourself to be more productive, have more energy, and live a healthier lifestyle.

Benefits For Your Home

Aside from keeping your home more clean and tidy, there are other benefits for your house that can be achieved from regular cleaning.

For example, if you clean regularly, you are less likely to find serious problems with your home – such as black mould and rot, for example – further down the line. Cleaning stains immediately helps them to stop ‘setting in’ and makes them easier to remove.

Regular cleaning also helps to prolong the life of carpets, furniture, and more, leading to less frequent spending on purchasing and maintaining furnishings.

Benefits For Friends, Family, Loved Ones, And Pets

Doing your share of the cleaning and tidying helps to improve relationships too!

A study by Yelp recently found that as many as 80% of households argue about cleaning, with 20% reporting that it was a regular cause of conflict. Keeping your home clean can help to reduce these arguments – but it’s not quite that simple!

Many arguments aren’t about the cleaning itself – but how to do it, and who should do it. Cleaning is often a way that gender roles are expressed, so women who do most of the cleaning may feel unsupported, while men may feel they are not doing enough to keep their partners happy.

By creating a regular routine of who does which job, you can help to reduce gender-based arguments, and communicate more effectively with your partner. You may even decide to set a ‘date night’ after cleaning day, so you can reward yourselves and spend time together at the same time!

Also, if you have young children, animals, or elderly relatives with a high falls risk in your household, clutter can pose some immediate dangers to health. But by regularly cleaning and maintaining your living space, you can keep your loved ones safe by reducing the likelihood of accidents occurring around the home.

Benefits For Society And The Environment

Tidying your house can even help wider society! By regularly decluttering your home, you can give to charity shops or list items on websites such as Freecycle.com that will help you offer the items to people who have more need of them than yourself.

This also helps the environment by ensuring that items you no longer need are reused instead of being thrown away. You may also find that you enjoy the creative side of repurposing old items into useful new household equipment and decorations!

Why Keep Up A Cleaning Routine?

Cleaning benefits you, your home, the environment, general society, and your personal relationships. So surely the question should be, why not get your cleaning routines properly organised, so you can see how much better they can help your life to be?

One Stop Bedwetting, a leading provider of bedwetting alarms, waterproof mattress pads, vibrating watches and incontinence products, announced today the launch of it new, redesigned responsive website. The company’s new website projects One Stop Bedwetting’s broad portfolio of bedwetting solutions and enhanced customer support. It also captures the corporate values of the company and its achievements with the use of live customer chat and product videos.

The website redesign includes aesthetic enhancements to provide a more engaging user experience and enhanced navigation to help visitors easily find the information they need. Customers can browse the large selection of products, and subscribe to a biweekly bedwetting blog and get discount coupons and promotions delivered in their inbox.

Visitors get handy practical tips for dealing with bedwetting and will have the opportunity to watch on demand product videos, download user manuals and exchange emails with specialists. The website has a new section devoted to product reviews and testimonials so visitors can read and share opinions and make the right choice selecting a bedwetting alarm.

The company also announced that effective immediately, all domestic customers will get free shipping on purchase all bedwetting alarms and kits and avail unlimited access to bedwetting specialists. Customers can save up to 25% on already low prices of select bedwetting kits when ordered online.

According to a company spokesperson, “We are thrilled and proud to debut our new company website to our customers, doctors, partners and visitors who are looking to understand our products and services. This website redesign is truly another way we are committed to creating the best possible experience for our customers. We are certain that the redesign will reinforce One Stop Bedwetting’s position as a leading provider of bedwetting alarms, waterproof mattress pads and bedwetting solutions. With the new design, we expect an increase in website visitors and content consumption. We look forward to feedback and the exciting new developments to come.”

The site features a brand new resource center specially written by bedwetting specialists which provides visitors with exclusive enhanced bedwetting content and gives them a better understanding of the problem, its treatment and solutions. The collection of articles is especially targeted to educate the millions of individuals who suffer from nocturnal enuresis.

The company’s award winning products are widely recommended by pediatricians to stop nighttime bedwetting. The website features a complete assortment of wearable and bedside bedwetting alarms from popular brands including Chummie, Smart, Shield, Guardian, NewU and Zest, waterproof mattress pads from Prisma and potty training solutions from Joy.

“One of the many exciting new website features launched in early August was multi-currency order processing. This will be particularly beneficial for our large number of international customers who will not only be able to view product prices in their own currency but will also be able to pay using their local credit/debit cards without having to convert to US dollars. The advantage is that international customers will not be charged a currency exchange fee and the price they see is exactly what they pay! Shipping estimates and delivery times are calculated dynamically at the time of checkout.” said a company representative.

The revamped website also features an updated look with enhanced features, including easier navigation, product search, improved overall usability, updated information and a much requested bedwetting alarm finder tool. Designed by specialists, the alarm finder tool eliminates the confusion visitors often experience shopping for a bedwetting alarm. Visitors answer a few quick questions related to their sleeping habits and gender and the tool presents the right bedwetting alarm. Visitors are encouraged to explore the new website and sign up for One Stop Bedwetting’s mailing list to receive direct emails and discount coupons.

One Stop Bedwetting is a leading provider and one of the largest online store for quality bedwetting alarms, waterproof mattress pads, vibrating watches and bedwetting solutions for all ages. Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, One Stop Bedwetting products are widely recommended by pediatricians to stop bedwetting. The company offers hundreds of products sourced directly from manufacturers at deep discount for incredible savings to its customers. Visitors can get unlimited access to bedwetting specialists and valuable tips and information to stop bedwetting.

Board-certified surgeon helps boost patients’ confidence with cosmetic treatments that range from surgical face-lifts and rhinoplasty to Botox injections and extreme trampolining. His time outside the office is spent studying his craft at national meetings or imparting wisdom to other surgeons as a frequent lecturer on plastic surgery. In patients’ rooms, his focus rests solely on the person in front of him, as he listens to their cosmetic goals and discusses their treatment options.

A skilled and caring professional provides exceptional plastic surgery that is truly tailored to the individual patient. Renowned for his aesthetic results, Dr. Horn helps his patients achieve their appearance goals by combining experience, talent, and the highest quality medical care.

Led by renowned plastic surgeon A. Horn, M.D., the Center for Cosmetic Surgery is dedicated to helping patients achieve their personal appearance goals by providing the highest quality of medical care tailored to their individual needs. Dr. Horn is known for achieving the finest aesthetic results and he specializes in using breast augmentation surgery to create a beautiful, shapely figure. In addition, he provides comprehensive plastic surgery options, including facelift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, tummy tuck, liposuction, breast lift, and more, as well as non-surgical alternatives like BOTOX® Cosmetic, vein treatments, laser skin resurfacing,

The caring and knowledgeable staff at the Center for Cosmetic Surgery assists patients at all stages of the plastic surgery process. Each member of our team is available to answer medical questions, provide information on financial concerns, and offer professional support.

For more information, or to schedule a personal consultation, please contact our cosmetic surgery center today. We provide world-class care in a world-class city with treatment tailored to the individual goals of each patient.

IMPROVE YOUR LOOK WITH COSMETIC SURGERY IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Some women are unhappy with the way their body looks for a number of reasons. They may have recently lost weight and are dealing with sagging skin or they may have other issues that resulted from a pregnancy or a variety of other causes, including genetics. At The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, you will find top plastic surgeons who are dedicated to providing you with the body you’ve always wanted.

With so much of environmental and water pollution around, the need of the hour is to have a home water filter chemical purifier. If you don’t have it already, read on to find out the health threat that your family is exposed to right now.If you take a sample of water from your tap and get it tested, you can easily find over 80,000 contaminants present in it. These contaminants are of various types – organic, inorganic, chemical, synthetic and microbial in nature. For example – virus, bacteria, cysts, lead, asbestos, chlorine, fluoride, drugs, pesticides, shampoo, deodorants, traces of heavy metals etc.Now, it is not difficult to imagine the consequence of drinking such water. It leads to various ailments including headache, stomach infection, cholera, typhoid, dysentery and even cancer. This clearly explains the need for having a water filter chemical purifier installed at your home, doesn’t it?Now when you set out looking for this purifier, there are certain aspects that you need to keep into consideration.One, the purifier that you choose should be essentially based on advanced filtration techniques. The old mechanisms like Reverse Osmosis and Distillation simply fail to remove certain contaminants like pharmaceutical drugs and numerous types of new chemicals which are being discovered every day. You need an advanced filtration technique like sub micron filtration and ion exchange to get rid of these impurities.Two, multiple filtration techniques are always better than any single method. This is the reason why it is better to go for a multi stage water filter chemical purifier, especially one which is based on the combination of latest and effective techniques like carbon filtration, sub micron filtration and ion exchange.Three, you should ensure that the purifier you are choosing is not stripping away the essential mineral content present in natural water. This is one problem which is most common with RO based systems and distillers which remove these vital nutrients and hence lead to numerous multiple mineral deficiencies in the body.A multi stage water filter chemical purifier again scores here because it is smart enough to retain what is required i.e. all vital nutrients which are required for the normal functioning of our body. These purifiers are available in various variants like – kitchen faucet filter, shower filter, whole-house water filter which can be used to fulfill your specific needs.And to top it all, the best part about these systems is that they produce 99% clean and pure water at something less than 10 cents per gallon! Now, isn’t that an insignificant amount to ensure the health of your family?Think it over and make a wise choice of having an effective, efficient and economical water filter chemical purifier installed at your home.

Depression can be caused by Genetic factors, bio-chemical deficiencies or for environmental reasons.This article will cover the basics of Bio-chemical depression. Bio chemical depression can be attributed to a lack of brain chemicals, amino acids and nutrients. Bio-chemical depression has characteristics that distinguish it from other the other forms of depression, such as genetic or environmental, although these can contribute to the problem.The typical characteristics of bio-chemical depression:1. Feeling bad, having negative thoughts or emotions that are difficult or impossible to get out of your mind, feeling anxious or worried, and having symptoms of depression despite changes in your life.A good questing to ask of yourself is: Do the symptoms seem to have no common root and seem as if you have always had them?2. Have you attempted counseling in one form or another? Have you spent hours in therapy without getting better? Are you angry all the time and have no clear answer as to why.3. You come home one day and learn you’ve won the lottery. You still feel depressed. All kidding aside, do positive changes in your life still leave you feeling depressed and bad.,4. Do you wake early in the morning, and can not get back to sleep.5. Nothing in your past memories identifies the starting point or the trigger for your depressed state.6. Mood swings.The common forms of biochemically induced depression are:1. neurotransmitter depletion This is caused by imbalances in one of two amino acids: norepinephrine or serotonin. Norepinephrine and serotonin have other responsibilities to your body but when they are at adequate levels they do prevent depression.2. Abnormal levels of triglycerides and cholesterol Low levels of both these substances in the brain can lead to depression. Exercise and changes in diet such as adding foods high in the fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 are important factors for balancing your fatty acid levels. Fish are a great source for both Omega 3 and Omega 6. Other simple changes in diet that can help, limit your intake of man-made fatty acids: mayonnaise, french fries, chips, and cookies.3. Thyroid disease or imbalances.4. Drinking or eating high levels of sugar or caffeine can cause hypoglycemia. Slow down on the soda. Drink one pot instead of two pots of coffee and limit your intake. But, don’t quit cold turkey. Cut back slowly.5. Deficiencies of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin deficiencies that can trigger depression are vitamin deficiencies of B-1, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-12 and folic acid, and mineral deficiencies that cause depression are deficiencies in magnesium, calcium. zinc, iron, manganese and potassium.Depression isn’t a sign of weakness. It is an illness. It is treatable and the good feelings will return. Be patient and learn. Knowing where to begin is critical for getting the proper treatment, the best treatment and recovery.For example, if your depression is based on environmental factors, divorce, job loss or a death, then counseling may help. Whereas if you’re genetically predisposed to depression, maybe you’re bi-polar. Then getting medical help, a prescription, along with lifestyle changes will be necessary.Be active in your treatment. Be involved. Know your symptoms and become knowledgeable. Participate in your diagnosis and recovery.