The flu pandemic has left many concerned especially with talk of a vaccine shortage.  But that doesn’t mean there is a shortage on ways to prevent you from getting sick.  Here are three simple steps that will protect your health not just now but all year long.

Step 1  Be sure you regularly disinfect the kitchen sink, the trash can, the bathroom faucet and the tub. These places harbor a lot of germs. The champion of the contamination? The kitchen sponge. Clean it in the dishwasher weekly.

Step 2  Lace up your sneakers and take a brisk walk five times a week. Regular exercise can help reduce chances of catching a cold.

Step 3  Include probiotics in your daily diet to help your immune system ward off bad bacteria. Try yogurt, fortified drinks, or a tasty treat like the 90-calorie Attune Milk Chocolate Crip Probiotic Bar.

There is more proof to convince smokers that if they want to kick their habit they need to hit the gym. A new study uses images to show how getting your blood moving by exercising for even 15 minutes minimizes your cravings to smoke. Here is a look at how the study was performed.

• The study – published in the journal Addiction, looked at 20 moderately heavy smokers. The smokers abstained from smoking for 15 hours before the trial.
• All participants were shown smoking-related as well as neutral images before either 15 minutes of sitting or exercising at a moderate intensity on a stationary bike.
• Afterwards, they were again shown the images. The research team used the latest eye tracking technology to measure and record their precise eye movements. They were able to show not only the length of time people looked at smoking-related images but also how quickly pictures of cigarettes could grab their attention, compared with non-smoking matched images.
• The study showed an 11% difference in how long the exercises vs. non-exercisers looked at the smoking related images.
• Also, after exercise, participants took longer to look at smoking-related images.
• Exercise, therefore, appears to reduce the power of the smoking-related images to grab visual attention.

Lenneice A. Drew is an experienced journalist currently focused on healthcare reform. She is working to help others achieve better lives by finding affordable health insurance alternatives and reporting stories related to the healthcare industry. She lives in Miami, Florida.

Kellogg’s was doing its part to keep kids healthy during the flu season or at least that’s what they led consumers to believe. A bright yellow label displayed over the cereal box said their Cocoa Krispies cereal were now offering immunity support. With the flu season in full swing parents were grabbing it off the grocery store shelves to help keep their kids healthy. It turns out the labeling may have been a trick.

Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics, said “The idea that eating Cocoa Krispies will keep a kid from getting swine flu, or from catching a cold, doesn’t make sense.”She points out that all nutrients bolster immunity, and not just the Cocoa Krispies. Marion sent a letter to the FDA about this, months ago.  Other skeptics are also convinced the cereal company was just trying to make additional revenue in the wake of the swine flu hysteria.

The cereal giants have agreed to pull the label.  But Kellogg’s, is still standing behind their claims and have plead not guilty.

You can’t believe everything you read no matter how good it sounds or how good it tastes for that matter.

Lenneice A. Drew is an experienced journalist currently focused on healthcare reform. She is working to help others achieve better lives by finding affordable health insurance alternatives and reporting stories related to the healthcare industry. She lives in Miami, Florida.

It was recently reported that Drinking is tied, somehow, in some ungodly fashion, to alcoholic drinking habits. It seems those who party all night drinking get more exercise than those that dont, by a whopping 7 minutes a week? I don’t know about you, but the last time i forgot to do 7 more minutes of exericse in a week it didnt make a difference in the world to me. Just another example of misinformation or minute information turned big for a headline or increased sales of alcohol.

Please be careful if or when you drink, it has many health detriments no matter how many benefits people tell you it has. Its good for your heart, it makes you exercise more, however anything in excess is ultimatly bad even the most vital of all fluids; water. Keep a look out for your health! Oh and…if you decide not too theres always Health Insurance to help pay for your “mistakes”, call VitalOne Health at 1-866-488-5200

Fighting for food, water and shelter are the basic reasons why people work. The next is for things such as healthcare, insurances, transporation, etc. Afterwards are luxuries and the augmentation of the first two sets of things people fight for. The circle goes on and on and the wealth trickles further down as we modify our lives based upon the wealth we have gathered.

Debt does us no good, free rides do us no good either. Debt, in a way, is like a free ride. Most people are not taking responsibility for the debt they have and live day by day without paying a dime. Some of course have been forced into this position, and they should be helped. Health Insurance is one of those things you fight for. Motivate yourself to stay healthy! Through the sweat of your brow and own efforts you insure the likelihood of your good health.

It makes one wonder though, even though all the opportunity in the world could be presented to someone, would it really be opportunity if they didn’t have the skill or natural aptitude to take it??? Are all men really created equal?

Think that bottled water is good for your health? Guess again! Tap water is more regulated that bottled water. 33% of bottled water manufacturers, examined during a 4 year study did not even follow those standards. Why does that water taste “better”, “cleaner”, “fresher”? Maybe we are just crazy. We want to believe beacuse it comes in a clear bottle so we can see it’s contents that its less filled with bacteria than hose water. We want to believe gimmicks like reverse osmisos water, etc just so we can have some peace of mind and feel “right” while drinking it.

Its a social thing really. We can afford to pay 1000% more for a glass of water than others because we are affluent and intelligent. Being concerned for ones sanitary nature is of course number one in a high class society. What better way than showing you care about the simplest things such as the type of water you drink!

Businesses are worried about two things often, and sadly, especially so in consumable markets such as food and drugs. These two things are, lower costs and increased sales. The less they have to regulate their product, the less cost to their company. The more they get you to believe their product is clean and safe and a necessary part of life, the more sales they get! Imagine, we are paying $1.00+ everyday for a simple plastic bottle…are we nuts?

Don’t believe me? Ask Penn and Teller. Besides, who can we trust now besides comedians that create satires out of the mundane nonsense that is our life and psyche. Look at Colbert and Stewart, two of the best newscasters I’ve ever seen. I get more informative news from them in 30 minutes than any CNN/Fox News/MSNBC representative trying to be serious and knowledgeable with their uhm’s and ah’s, trying to fill up their 8 hour time slots. Experts they are not, yet we listen intently and watch them drink bottled water on national television.

A new procedure to turn blocks of wood into artificial bones has been developed by Italian scientists, who plan to implant them into large animals, and eventually humans.

It is amazing how innovative advances in medical technology are. Imagine, just a few years ago we were hacking off peoples legs with handsaws and only gin and tonic as an anesthetic. Look at how this new process works:

To create the bone substitute, the scientists start with a block of wood — red oak, rattan and sipo work best — and heat it until all that remains is pure carbon, which is basically charcoal.

The scientists then spray calcium over the carbon, creating calcium carbide. Additional chemical and physical steps convert the calcium carbide into carbonated hydroxyapatite, which can then be implanted and serves as the artificial bone.

The entire process takes about one week and costs about $850 for a single block. One block translates to about one bone implant.

One week for a new limb. The procedure itself is even relatively inexpensive and could save lots of money for patients and Health Insurance companies. I am looking forward to this type of technology, imagine if people could have complex limbs such as hands restructured out of wood. This is one step closer to cybernetics. We need more efficient metals to be used for these purposes, that way we could even move into mechanical augmentation of human beings allowing us to surpass our physical limitations. My biggest request is for a heads up display inside the human eye. I can’t wait!

Is Chemothepary the only treatment for Cancer? New studies show that alternative treatments are being used on certain cancer patients. Alternative is a term used to refer to non-traditional methods of diagnosing or treating cancer. Some cancer patients believe that the chemotherapy is “poison” to their system and would like another option. New drugs made in research labs sometimes turn out to be useless for treating cancer in humans even though doctors focus on the results of carefully conducted clinical studies. Some alternative treatments for cancer would include detoxification such as colon cleansing, fasting and water therapy.

In a related case Daniel Hauser, who fled with his mother to avoid chemotherapy is angry that he has to continue his chemotherapy. He and his family initially rejected the treatment for religious reasons, saying it harms the body. Daniel says he gets a headache and dizziness after every treatment and he still has approximately six months left of chemo. Even though his condition is improving he believes it has to due to the vitamin supplements, ionized water and organic foods he has been taking.

Is it possible that the Lifestyle changes, lowered appetite, and general concern for ones care that they adopt after chemotherapy has begun is the actual cause of recovery? If it did it would reflect that our ignorance toward out own bodies, and the way we consume food and drink could be the cause of cancer itself. It would be interesting to see studies conducted on the effects of diet and healthcare for chemotherapy patients, without having chemotherapy.

Or maybe its the attention that we get from being in such a sickly state after chemotherapy sessions. Maybe it gives people the time to think about themselves, their own mortality, and their relationships with others. Often in hard times people become closer, and as a whole grow healthier. Why do we have to resort to disasters or something like Cancer to realize the importance of our lives and those around us?

An article in Time states that calorie counts may be required to be shown in direct view of the consumer at fast food restaurants in an effort to spur a change in American Health habits. This is in part to help with the American Health Insurance and Healthcare problems. It is an effort to reduce the amount of Death, medical complications and disease caused by dietary imbalance. There are so many different meals at these fast food restaurants that have over a staggering 1000 calorie count. Many restaurants have been rushing to change this sad fact. It makes me wonder if they are doing it for the benefit of the consumer or because the consumer may start to look twice if they see high caloric food on their menu all he sudden, due to a passing law.

Notice KFC now has Kentucky Grilled Chicken. This is a most healthy alternative to the grease ridden friend chicken they have been serving for years! All of the sudden grilled chicken is being promoted and sold. Also, Remember when Kentucky Friend Chicken changed its name to KFC? This was done because of the bad rap fried foods received recently, making them sound less and less tempting. Branding and psychology is so interesting, its almost as if advertisers feel that people buy fried or fatty food based on its label…that’s not true is it?

In reality, there is a secret, more diabolical agenda. The calorie labels are not for the consumer at all, they are for the marketers, advertisers and businessmen. They are for those who worry at every single details, comparing it with consumers psychology, and projecting % increase and decrease of sales based on these assumptions. They are to trick these people into forcing their stores into producing healthier, less fatty foods. It is ingenious. It is amazing how exposure can make companies do an almost complete about face.

It can’t get any stranger than stores selling primarily all fried chicken products start selling grilled. But this strangeness is great. It will help the American Consumer overall, by creating a healthy and tasty alternative to the garbage that has been being fed to us with “Nutrition” values hidden from sight. When people realize there is no nutrition behind those nutrition values, they are going to wonder what, indeed, have they been feeding us the last half century? More importantly…what have we been feeding ourselves? And why?!