What are the components of good life?
The priority should be: good health, peace of mind, love, and money.
It's obvious that life has a greater spiritual dimension if you agree with the above priorities.
Good life is impossible without good health.
There exist popular misconceptions about good health:
Your body has more healing power than you know. It can often fix itself. Otherwise, you're a dead person already given all the diseases out there.
Good health never requires expensive or stressful maintenance, unless you have already contracted or inherited a grave illness.
Good health does not mean having the best doctors and the best medicine, although it would be a nice luxury.
What should your approach be?
Take a holistic approach, because most things are connected.
Be responsible for your actions, but avoid being too hard on yourself.
Practice a moderate lifestyle and avoid extremes.
It's no fun to follow expensive or complicated rules for health maintenance. The stress imposed on you will outweigh the benefits. Just stay natural and use your common sense.
Try to simplify your life whenever possible.
Do not live in fear about dreadful diseases. When it is your time to check out, even the best doctors cannot save you. So just relax.
Life is about happiness, not how long or how much money you make.
Maintain your health in such a way that you don't have to depend on other people to take care of you.
How do you measure good health?
Health is a natural process unless you make it otherwise.
Your life cycle reaches its peak around age 40, and gradually declines afterward, depending on how you maintain it.
Health has its small ups and downs daily, weekly and monthly. Those are temporary fluctuations that don't reflect your overall health condition.
Good health does not mean absence of pain or other nuisance, because they are just part of life.
Good health means the up times are much more than the down times.
It means easy recovery from temporary down times.
It means you can make steady improvements, long-lasting stability, or even manage a slow degeneration.
For further information, go to http://www.herbsandtea.com - Herb packages or capsules can be tailor-made to suit your needs.
A video presentation is given on http://www.youtube.com - Search "askjohnfung" to see different topics being discussed.
John Fung is a practicing Chinese herbalist in San Jose, California, specializing in cancer recovery, allergy, anxiety, fertility, digestive disorder, skin problems, and other non-emergency conditions.
Free online couponsHistory has taught us that when a business concept exhibits the potential for growth, industries grow like a virus to exploit the opportunity. The health and fitness industry has evolved from muscle-bound bodybuilders, steel barbells, medicine balls and once-a-day vitamins into a multi-billion dollar money machine. Health and fitness professionals have transformed from toe touching aerobic instructors into highly trained sales and marketing snipers; and your cash is their target.
Consider that heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S., claiming approximately 700,000 lives each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, this represents 29 percent of all deaths. Now consider that two of the main risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Although both conditions can be mitigated largely with improved eating habits, physical activity and other lifestyle changes, millions of people are diagnosed with these two diseases every year. They are given prescription drugs instead of taking preventive measures.
The 2007 estimates of direct and indirect costs associated with cardiovascular disease are $431.8 billion and $66.4 billion for high blood pressure. Drugs designed to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides are the top therapeutic class of drugs with $32.3 billion in sales.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has an interesting way of dealing with our modern-day health crisis. It labels as many conditions as possible as a "disease." This is important to know because according to the FDA, only a drug can "diagnose, mitigate, cure, prevent or treat a disease." It is interesting that even obesity is now categorized as a disease.
The truth is that obesity is not a disease at all. We didn't catch obesity; we developed it bite by bite, pound by pound. Big Pharma wants you to believe the mantra of "Better living through chemistry." I'm not buying it and neither should you. Yes, there are drugs that are important and many that save lives (especially in emergency situations), but the truth is that we have become a nation of prescription addicts who look to drugs as the first line of defense for whatever ails us. The solution we find is in the cure-all prescription pads that provide us with toxic, synthetic chemicals that only trick the body and treat the symptoms, while the true cause of our failing health is left to fester.
When was the last time you walked out of your doctor's office without that little piece of white paper? How quickly did you drop it off at your local drugstore? Unfortunately, the problem with our failing health is not one-dimensional.
Beyond the obvious lack of preventive measures to fend off deadly, life-threatening diseases, there are many forms of addiction that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles and lead us down the path toward poor health. Many of these addictions go unrecognized or fly under the radar of conventional thinking. Consider that the number one reason people do not exercise regularly is that they can't find the time. Yet the average American watches more than four hours of television per day. Not many people would consider watching TV as an addiction, but with one click of the remote, we enjoy instant escape from all the work we want so much to put out of our minds.
Then there are those who like to unwind at the end of each day with a few drinks. No one is trying to bring back prohibition, but could you give up your happy hour for a month? Do the math. An average alcoholic drink has about 125 calories. That means just two drinks per day equals more than 7,000 calories per month. It only takes 3,500 excess calories to pack on one pound of fat, not to mention the fact that when consuming a few drinks before a meal you are eating under the influence. It's always easier to say yes to seconds or that chocolate mousse with a little help from an increased blood alcohol level.
It's the little addictions like these that sneak up on us. Okay, so you can't live without the brew. Instead you decide to at least cut back on those dreaded calories by purchasing low-calorie, sugar-free, fat-free packaged foods to make sure you don't get fat. But just as these products have increased in mainstream America over the past few decades, so too have our waistlines. We have been tricked into thinking that we can eat more and weigh less. It doesn't work that way. If you want to weigh less, you have to eat less and move more. Weight gain or loss is a simple formula of calories consumed versus calories burned.
Another huge issue that affects our health is toxic exposure. There are many forms of toxicity. Most people don't recognize that they can slowly and quietly destroy our health and make us ill. Consider the synthetic chemical sweeteners designed to keep us thin. They are laced in thousands of packaged foods. How about sodium fluoride, which is a known industrial waste byproduct that is pumped into our water supply and dental hygiene products? Or what about the chemicals that are routinely injected into our food supply to extend shelf life and improve the color, taste and texture? It's all good, right? Wrong! It's all bad.
Our bodies operates using eleven complicated systems that are designed to work together to create a state of homeostasis in our ever-changing environment. there are literally trillions of natural chemical reactions that take place in our body in order for it to operate optimally. When we introduce synthetic chemicals into the mix, they disrupt the body's natural function on a cellular level.
The effects of toxic exposure may not be recognized immediately, but over time they eat away at our health, and there is a price to pay. Symptoms of disease will rear their ugly head, and when they do, we treat them with more chemicals in the form of prescription drugs. Perhaps the biggest toxic exposure of all is the one that is responsible for as much as 80 percent of all disease - stress. We are forced to work harder than ever before to make ends meet. We strive to live the American dream of financial freedom, but only a small fraction of the population realizes the dream. The rest are left struggling under a mountain of debt. The majority of every waking moment is spent trying to make more money to buy things we have been conditioned to believe are important, when our health and the time we spend with the ones we love are really the most important things in life.
Indeed, the big, fat health and fitness lie runs deep, but there is also truth. Where there is truth, there is hope. The answers are there for the taking, if you dare to open your eyes and see them.
Craig Pepin-Donat, The Fit Advocate is an international health and fitness expert with a quarter century of experience. Craig is the author of The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie and The People's Guide to Health, Happiness and Longevity. Craig is also the founder, chairman and host of The International Health and Fitness Symposium with a mission of delivering professional, unbiased and often suppressed information you need to make healthy lifestyle changes. Get more information about Craig along with the answers and solutions to your health questions at: http://www.thePeoplesGuidetoHealth.com
Beauty TipsWork-related stress is on the rise and according to Statistics Canada, the repercussions are numerous. Increasingly, individuals are finding that their job demands more of them- more hours, more flexibility, and more qualifications. The end result of such demands is more stress, and people are having a hard time coping with it.
Many individuals respond to workplace stress by working more. Attaining a sense of security in your job or receiving the praise that you deserve often requires that you exert more energy in order to differentiate yourself from the rest. Consequently, longer hours at work leaves less time for family and social responsibilities, thus adding to the list of stressful factors. For some, it may begin to feel like a vicious cycle that they are powerless to stop.
Enduring the difficulties of workplace stress can be more destructive than we may think. According to Statistics Canada, people suffering from high stress tend to develop chronic conditions such as arthritis and back problems. Peoples minds and bodies do have a breaking point. As a result, thousands of Canadian workers are seeking help from specialized doctors and other non-conventional medical practitioners whose fees can become a financial burden.
Provincial health plans vary according to ones province of residence, and not all plans are equal when it comes to coverage. Spending time talking to a trained psychologist can be beneficial, but can cost $120 and up for one 45-minute session. Unfortunately, regardless of the emotional benefit, a psychologists services are not covered by the Canadian government health plan. Many Canadians are avoiding these costs and easing their level of stress by purchasing supplemental health insurance to cover these extra services. Psychiatrists, physiotherapists, registered massage therapists, Osteopath, Naturopath, Chiropractors, podiatrist and other types of therapists all have coverage in many supplemental health insurance plans.
Plans vary and can be customized to fit individual needs. For example, the extended health care benefits of Flexcare would include coverage for the fees of a psychologist or an approved social worker. The benefits would cover an $80 maximum for your first visit and a $65 maximum for subsequent visits, with a limit of 10 visits per anniversary year.
An unhealthy work environment, competition and extraordinary long hours at work are worrisome factors that rarely go away on their own. In order to alleviate workplace stress, some people will consult a naturopath or visit a massage therapist whose costly charges can be covered by supplemental health insurance. The purchase of supplemental health insurance provides individuals with a variety of options, a sense of ease and a decrease in overall stress.
About The Author
Anna Dorbyk is the editor for Canada Health Insurance and is a graduate student in Communication Studies at Concordia University. For more information on health insurance for Canadians please visit http://www.canada-health-insurance.com.
This article is aimed at anyone interested in learning about cold sore treatments using natural remedies. Specifically we'll discuss how to reduce the frequency and severity of cold sore outbreaks, what to do when you do feel an outbreak coming on and how to help heal cold sores rapidly. After reading this article, you should be able to treat your cold sores using natural remedies so that you suffer from them less often and they heal faster.
To reduce the frequency and severity of cold sore outbreaks you need to ensure that the immune system is functioning as well as it can. You can achieve this by ensuring that you eat a balanced diet and tale regular exercise. You should also break poor health choices such as smoking or drinking excessively.
Eating well is a message we hear constantly and in addition to boosting your immune system you'll feel generally healthier and suffer fewer illnesses. You should cut down on junk food or preferable eliminate it completely, in favor of low fat and low sugar meals with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Fish is better then red meat overall, so you should try and increase the amount you eat or add it to your diet.
Regular exercise can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day. Walk briskly, in comfortable shoes and take your iPod if you find it helps. If you don't go much on walking then what about swimming, cycling, or yoga?
These can be difficult habits to change if you are not used to them, but making these changes will definitely help you.
As soon as you get that tingling sensation that tells you a new cold sore is on its way you should take action whenever possible. Probably the simplest piece of advice is to take an ice cube and hold it against the area of the cold sore for half an hour, but if you're at work that may not be possible, in which case a cream containing lemon balm may be the answer. If you do use conventional medicine then treat you cold sore as instructed.
To help your cold sore heal fast you need to treat it regularly with whichever treatment you prefer, or what you have found works best for you. The application of a tea bag to the cold sore isn't viable in many work environments, but at home you can certainly use this as a treatment. And if you take a L-lysine supplement to help you cold sore heal then you should start right away or up the dose if you use them for prevention too.
By considering the points above you can minimize the impact of the cold sore virus on your life. It can be a miserable time while you're suffering from an outbreak, but using the natural cold sore remedies above can help your body fight the virus better so you won't endure so much misery from this nasty condition. If you found this article useful you might like to read more about cold sores at http://www.coldsoretreatmentguide.com
You will enjoy more affordable insurance if you are really committed to it and are willing to take the necessary steps that will ensure you get it. Here are some steps that will go a long way to cut down your rates across different policies...
1. People whose lines of duty expose to hazards get less affordable rates. You can reduce your premium if you choose another occupation that will not expose you to hazards. If your work exposes you to toxic substances, for instance, your rates will be much higher than that given to a comparable profile who probably works as a receptionist in a bank.
2. Insurance companies have unique driving courses that are meant to make you a better driver. There's a type of driving called defensive driving. Be trained in defensive driving. Defensive driving classes that are known by your insurer will certainly reduce your car insurance quote.
3. Your premium will drop if you raise your deductible for any policy you have. For folks who don't know what a deductible is, it is what you will contribute before an insurer fulfills its part. So make your deductible as high as possible but within easy reach.
4. Knowledge will determine what you can save. Knowing what is in your best interest helps you choose rightly. Furthermore, you will as well be more prepared to take advantage of opportunities as they emerge.
There are toll-free numbers you can call if you need advice on health issues. Call the National Health Information Center (1-800-336-4797) if you need advice on health matters. This will help you save on health insurance and probably life insurance too.
5. Electronic Funds Transfer, known as EFT is a smart way to lower your rate. This just means your insurance provider withdraws your premiums automatically from your account each month without sending you payment notices. This saves your insurer in many ways including removing the cost of sending payment notices and the cost associated with processing checks. An insurer gives you part of what they save by reducing your rates.
6. You might save several hundreds or even a few thousand dollars by simply obtaining and comparing quotes from at least five insurance quotes sites. You will make savings if you visit only one of such sites. But, you will get more by visiting many more. The simple reason for this is that you will be able to get quotes from a wider range of insurers thereby reducing the odds that you'll miss any great offer.
Here are great pages for insurance quotes...
Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.
Quickoffice Symbian Crack / KeygenIt is of prime importance for boat owners to be able to conduct business with a certain amount of trust with the boat insurance company of their choice; however, it so happens that many insurance selling agents are just the wheeler-dealer types offload a policy you many not need or one that doesn't quite cover your needs properly.
This is only a smart ploy made out by boat insurance company agents to achieve their monthly sales target and perhaps get the ill-informed customer to pay up for additional coverage down the line. To avoid this kind of cheating, you as a boat owner need to know the kinds of insurance coverage you need as well as those policies that are available in the market and how they hold up against each other.
This process of evaluating your boat insurance needs, the available policies, the features offered by each and comparing coverage offered by your company and that offered by other firms, is the best way to ensure you are on the right path to finding the best option for your boat insurance. Do not shy away from asking questions - after all, it's your money that is funding the policy; also remember to go by the manner in which the insurance company agent handles claim and treats customers to know how you will be treated in future.
You may want to reconsider your present choice of boat insurance company in lieu of the above factors once you get to evaluating them closely.
Allow the boat insurance company a fair amount of time (say, a year or so) to prove themselves worthy of the premium you pay them and see if they are sufficiently familiar with various aspects of your boat and have given satisfactory customer service responses to your queries put forth during this time; quick, valuable and informed responses from the agents is a way to determine their sincerity and the company's ethical values, so pick wisely.
Another popular way to pick a boat insurance company that many boat owners follow is to compare different quotations given on the premium value and come up with the one that offers a low, but adequate coverage of upkeep, transporting, servicing, change of parts, accidentals, etc. At times, a good agent will help you analyze all these elements of a valuable policy in a day's times, so do consult your chosen one soon.
Experts are quick to add though, that going on cost of the policy alone is not enough to judge its worth by, so checking for level of coverage offered by different companies after a year is over, may be a good idea to switch to a reduced premium policy after consulting an agent at the insurance company. Owners typically consider switching insurance companies when a claim filed by them has been poorly handled it poorly or if they've been diddled out of good money with a worthless policy or instances of the company raising the amount of premium the customer pays.
Slackness on part of the agent in not completing the paperwork in a timely manner, delaying a customer's information request or giving half-baked information are all signs of poor customer service and a good enough reason to encourage a policy holder to look elsewhere for their boat insurance company needs. Friends and family members who are boat-owners too, are usually good guides and minimize the time you'd otherwise spend in scouting a reliable boat insurance company of repute, so ask around.
Abhishek has a passion for Boating since the last 30 years! Visit his website http://www.Boating-Guru.com and download his FREE Boating Report and learn some amazing Boating tips and tricks for FREE! Also discover some excellent ways to finance your Boat. But hurry, only limited Free copies available!
Quickoffice Symbian Crack / KeygenVitamin D plays a major role in the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, it's essential for normal growth and development in children, and bone and teeth maintenance in adults. A deficiency of vitamin D may result in rickets for children, and osteomalacia for adults. Both conditions lead to the softening and deformity of bones.
Many Americans are not meeting the recommended daily intake of vitamin D. Populations who are at especially high risk for low vitamin D levels are teenage girls, women, and older adults. Also, individuals with lactose intolerance who do not consume lactose-free milk fortified with vitamin D, or do not take a supplement, are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency.
Emerging research suggested that vitamin D might play a crucial role in prevention of serious health problems. According to scientists, vitamin D deficiency is linked to chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Research showed that women taking calcium and vitamin D supplements had fewer breast, colon, lung, leukemia, and uterine cancers than women taking calcium supplements only. Inadequate intake of vitamin D is also associated with weak muscles and increased risk for hip fractures among older adults.
Unfortunately, there are very few foods that contain vitamin D naturally. Those that do are liver, fish liver oils, and eggs. But more and more foods are being fortified with vitamin D--the best source being fortified milk.
Vitamin D is one of few vitamins that are produced by the human body. Its synthesis is triggered by sun exposure. Most likely, exposing uncovered skin to sunlight three times a week should be sufficient. However, keep in mind that high altitude and dark skin tone do not allow for optimal exposure.
Dr. Hillary is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree in health promotion and risk reduction. She works as a pediatric clinician and writes for Plugged in Parents. Plugged In Parents provides up-to-date info on pediatric health, safety and nutrition along with movie reviews, recipes, tech-savvy tips, and a parent's only forum. You can also contact Dr. Hillary for personal questions related to health and nutrition.
Please visit http://www.pluggedinparents.com
Free online coupon codes, promo codes & free shipping at your favorite merchants