Healthcare - A Word from the Swine ...

Healthcare or sick care ... and if we aren't sick maybe we can stand in line and get an injection to make us sick. Am I missing something here?

I'm with the pig on this one ... don't inject me!

 

Healthcare - Tooth Fairy Gives Sight!

Healthcare or sickcare ... some times we have to chalk one up for the good guy. Who would have thought that implantation of someones "eyetooth" , also called a canine tooth could bring back sight to a woman that had been blind for over nine years? You have to check this one out ...

A woman who has been blind for nearly nine years underwent a first-of-its-kind surgery that allowed her to regain sight... and doctors used her tooth to make it happen.

Miami Tooth Fairy Grants Blind Woman Sight
University of Miami performs the nation's first eye-tooth surgery to restore a woman's sight

Usually when you lose a tooth, the Tooth Fairy will put a quarter or some chocolate under your pillow. If you have rich parents, you might even get a dollar.

But for 60-year-old Sharron Thornton, losing a tooth meant gaining vision. That's some trade off.

Thornton, who has been blind for nearly nine years, underwent a first-of-its-kind surgery at the University of Miami recently that allowed her to regain useful vision in her eyes, and doctors used her tooth to make it all happen.
The procedure, called modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, implants the patient's tooth in the eye to securely hold a prosthetic lens. The surgery is usually recommended in only the most extreme cases when the eye is not a candidate for cornea replacement or some other type of corrective surgery.
"We take sight for granted, not realizing that it can be lost at any moment," Thornton said. "This truly is a miracle."

UM said Wednesday the procedure has never been performed in the United States. It was performed at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

The name of the tooth that's selected is called the eyetooth because it's located directly under the eye.

Doctors said you can't see the tooth in the eye because it is covered by other layers, but the tooth keeps the lens stable and bonds it with the rest of the healthy parts of the eye.

Science fiction to us, but a miracle to Thornton and her family.

Thornton now has 20/70 vision and can recognize people and read tiny newspaper and magazine print with a magnifying glass. She will wear glasses the rest of her life, doctors said. Thornton said her greatest thrill so far has been seeing her three children and nine grand children for the first time in almost a decade.

And to think she almost wasn't able to have the surgery because she was going to have all her teeth removed a few years ago.

"When they told me I was like, 'Do What? You're going to put it where?'" Thornton said.

Thornton underwent the surgery around Labor Day. She had tried stem cell surgery and other procedures to restore some vision, which she lost because of an allergic reaction to medication. But all of the efforts failed until now.

"Being blind was horrible after seeing for 51 years," Thornton said

As I did further research on this I also found some Doctors that bash this procedure ...

However, not all surgeons feel positive about MOOKP.

A member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr Ivan Schwab, told CNN that they've known about MOOKP since the 1980s and view it with skepticism. It needs a large team and several operations, and although it seems to be reasonably successful on the small numbers of patients that have received it, it results in disfigurement.

Schwab said the procedure was just an "extreme variation on techniques we're already doing" and that the alternatives were nearly as good. But in defense of Perez and his team he said "they are working on the worst of the worst, people with no other alternatives".

Another doctor who brought MOOKP to England from Italy, Dr Christopher Liu from the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, told CNN that he didn't think the procedure would take off in the US because it was too lengthy.

"Each stage takes hours to perform," said Liu , adding that although the person can see again, the eye does not look natural.

Well, I guess this is just another way of saying that if it doesn't make a physician a ton of money and "look" good it has no benefit ... LOL ... but just ask Mrs. Thornton ...


"I'm so thankful that the doctors at Bascom Palmer never gave up on me -- they kept searching."

Thornton said she was excited about seeing her three grown children and nine grandchildren, and rediscovering simple joys like playing cards and watching clouds go by.

"Without sight, life is really hard. I'm hoping this surgery will help countless people," she said.

Source: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, CNN.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today

Healthcare - I want FREE care, too!

I am puzzled ... why do we treat the illegal aliens better than our American citizen's as far as healthcare is concerned ... why do they have more "rights" than I have?

I can't afford health insurance anymore, no I am not a sickly person, I do not have tons of pre-existing conditions, but I do not seek medical help because I can't afford it.

Am I missing something, here? Could someone please explain?



Healthcare, healthcare reform how about FREE care?

Healthcare ... Socialized Medicine ... Listen UP

Healthcare, health insurance ... socialized medicine? This is from the 50's, why doesn't this country listen and take action? Where are we going?

Listen to the late Ronald Reagan ...



Is this where the Obama health care reform taking us?

Healthcare ... Health Insurance is a JOKE!

Healthcare in the US is supposed to be the best in the world ... how does the average citizen benefit from this? The answer to this is that they don't!

If they do have health insurance ... will it cover these treatments that are available?

Healthcare, sick care, forever care?

I just read this at Jems.com and it really opens your eyes to where our tax dollars go. I'm not making any political statements here, or maybe I am. As a retired Paramedic, I am too young to receive medicare, but am unable to pay the high cost of healthcare insurance .. so I hope I will stay healthy.

The $1.5 million paid for this illegal aliens medical care would go a long way in paying for medical insurance for people in my situation. Something to think about, huh?

What do YOU think ... please leave your comments

Florida Hospital Secretly Deports Patient
by Laura Wides-Munoz
2009 Jul 23

AP) STUART, Fla. - During the early hours of a steamy July 2003 morning, Martin Memorial Medical Center chartered a private plane and sent 37-year-old Luis Jimenez back to the Central American country without telling his relatives in the U.S. or Guatemala - even as his legal guardian frantically sought to stop the move.
There, things get murky. The man's guardian, also his cousin, is suing the hospital for essentially deporting Jimenez, who was an illegal immigrant. The hospital, which spent more than $1.5 million on his care over three years, says Jimenez wanted to go home.

Underlying the dispute is the broader question of what's a hospital to do with a patient who requires long-term care, is unable to pay and doesn't qualify for federal or state aid because of his immigration status. Health care and immigration experts across the country are watching the case, which could go to a jury Thursday, and which could set precedent in Florida and possibly beyond. Lawyers for Jimenez said this appears to be the first time a lawsuit has been filed in such a case.

"Regardless of the decision, it will heighten the awareness of hospitals nationwide. The next time they debate shipping a patient overseas, they're going to have to do their homework because it's going to leave them open to a lot of legal challenges and questions," said Steve Larson, an assistant dean at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine and medical director of a nonprofit clinic for Latino immigrants.

But Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association, says hospitals may become even more wary about providing extended care to uninsured immigrants.

Hospitals are already struggling under the staggering costs of treating the nation's roughly 47 million uninsured. Illegal immigrants make up an estimated 15 percent of this group, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

"I think they'll do what's required according to physician orders," she said, "but I think they will be more pro-active and aggressive in finding a discharge plan."

Like millions of others, Jimenez came the U.S to work as a day laborer, sending money home to his wife and small children. In 2000, a drunk driver crashed into the van he was riding in, leaving the robust soccer player a paraplegic. For more than a year he lingered in a vegetative state before he began to recuperate, eventually reaching a fourth grade level in cognitive ability. The hospital sent him to a long-term care facility for a brief stint, but eventually he was returned to the hospital for care. Armed with a letter from the Guatemalan minister of health stating the poverty-ridden country could care for him, the hospital sent him home.

Because Jimenez has diminished capacity to make decisions, his cousin, Montejo Gaspar, was named as his legal guardian. Gaspar appealed a judge's order approving the move. The appellate court later reversed that order, ruling a state court lacks the authority to decide immigration cases. But by then, Jimenez had been released from the Guatemalan hospital and was living with his mother in a one-room home in the mountainous state of Huehuetenango, 12 hours from the Guatemalan capital. There is no road to the house, making it nearly impossible for his mother to get help for him in an emergency.

A South Florida Roman Catholic priest described a visit to Jimenez in an e-mail to The Associated Press: "He was clean, glad of the visit and occasionally made apparently good sense comments," wrote the Rev. Frank O'Laughlin. "It seemed that he was cooperating with his caregiver and would survive, I guessed, until his first pneumonia."

O'Laughlin said he wasn't sure that Jimenez should be returned to "medical care in an alien Florida institution."

But he maintains the lawsuit is important because hospitals should not be allowed to deport people.

He and Larson also say a country that relies on cheap, immigrant labor for everything from agriculture, to clothing to construction, should factor in the cost of catastrophic injuries to those providing these essential services - whether it means requiring employers to offer coverage even for day laborers or ensuring public and nonprofit hospitals can care for them.

Carla Luggiero, a senior associate director for American Hospital Association, stressed that cases such as Jimenez's are rare. Most of the time, hospitals are able to work with the families to find alternative and acceptable care. And most of the time families don't have pro bono lawyers working for them as Jimenez does.

But she also warned the issue is serious, and it is one Congress has yet to address in its health care reform proposals.

"There is absolutely no discussion about it," Luggiero said. And yet, hospitals that receive Medicare reimbursements are required to provide emergency care to all patients and must provide an acceptable discharge plan once the patient is stabilized.

"It's a complicated, huge issue. Without repatriation, the issue of undocumented immigrants is already a hand grenade and so is health care," Larson said. "So together, you're really walking a tightrope."

Personally I don't see anything wrong with returning Mr Jimenez to his Mother's care in Guatemala. So what if they don't have a paved road ... I have traveled the world and many countries don't have paved roads ... BIG DEAL! It is only some ethnocentric Americans that feel the American way is the only way.

Healthcare, sick care ... Daschle wants NO CARE!

Healthcare Reform ... sick care ... how about no care!

Most of you know by now that the Senate version of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens.. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg with the following statement.

Bloomberg: Daschle says "health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead o f treating them." If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that Senators and Congressmen have their own health care plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes.


Doesn't this kind of thinking just light a fire under your butt?

Talk it up at the grassroots level .... We have an election coming up in one year and nine months. We have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration.

Send this post to a friend ... this is serious!

Healthcare ... Update Dr. Keller ... God Speed

A brief update to an earlier post regarding medical pioneer Dr. Robert Keller ... I received this email from a friend this morning:

Dear Max Family

This last weekend time stood still as we learned that Dr. Keller’s fight with a serious illness had ended when he peacefully passed away late Friday evening. As you all know, for the past year Dr. Keller discussed his fight with his illness on conference calls and repeatedly thanked the field for its support and prayers.

Words cannot express the mix of emotions that we all feel as a result of this news—disbelief, shock, emptiness, sadness, love, appreciation, renewed dedication, and reflection. As we come to terms with this news, one thing stands out: all of us are extremely appreciative of Dr. Keller’s profound legacy. We are grateful for his friendship, his partnership, and for the thousands of hours of sacrifice he made in and out of the lab which resulted in the creation of MaxGXL™. Countless Associates in the field have told us their incredible stories of improved health and renewed hope that were the direct result of his education and formulations. These stories are moving tributes to his work.

Dr. Keller will be remembered by the world as a brilliant scientist, compassionate physician, consummate educator, and a dedicated friend. To all of us at Max, he has been even more—an amazing partner, mentor, teacher and a father?figure to our Max family.

It is important for all of us to remember that Dr. Keller never felt that his discoveries were an end in themselves, but rather only the beginning of what we could ultimately take to the world. In fact, on conference calls and in private meetings, Dr. Keller repeatedly stated his commitment to continually perfect the Max product line. He truly loved the work Max Associates were doing and always wanted them to have the best possible product.

It is unfortunate that Dr. Keller will no longer be with us to see all of his work come to fruition, but Max is committed to carrying out his vision. In the near future all of you will see the demonstration of our commitment to Dr. Keller when we complete a project that we started with his involvement eight months ago.

With Dr. Keller’s enthusiastic support, we have been working with a specialized group of scientists who are considered to be among the world’s best in glutathione research and its vital role in cellular function. This collaboration resulted in a breakthrough discovery that put us all in awe. Dr. Keller was extremely excited about this discovery and how it would further his mission and passion of increasing the health of millions across the globe. As a tribute to Dr. Keller, we are honored to finish this endeavor and help further his legacy.

Dr. Keller has been a teacher, a friend, and a business partner to all of us at Max for more than three years. We will miss him terribly. We will miss his talks, his conference calls, his smile, his never?ending optimism and his phenomenal knowledge, wisdom and direction.

On behalf of all of us at Max, we promise you that we will not let him down. We cordially ask each of you to work with us in unwavering commitment to advance his vision and all of its benefits to as many people as possible, as fast as possible. His vision went far beyond North America. He longed to see this work bless the entire world, including those in Third World countries who suffer the most. With his passing we are more determined than ever to diligently pursue the fulfillment of his vision, hopes and dreams. On behalf of the Max corporate team, we want to express our gratitude for Dr. Keller and to thank each of you for all you have done and are doing to help us fulfill his mission.

With sad—yet grateful—hearts,

The Max International Corporate Team


Memorial Service: We thank you for joining us in praying on behalf of Dr. Keller’s family at this time of need. While this news has deeply saddened all of us at Max, we can tell you with confidence that Dr. Keller loved God and gave Him all of the credit for everything he had. His fight may have ended but his legacy is just beginning. Dr. Keller’s memorial service will be on Monday, June 15th, from 2 to 4 p.m., with a prayer service at 3:30 p.m.

A wonderful man and a medical visionary ... may you rest in peace

Healthcare just went up again...

The healthcare issue in the United States is reaching critical perportions and my "health" insurance just went up again .... almost $1,000 a month.  This entitles my husband and myself ... who have no preexisting conditions, to have a $5,000 deductable if we become desperately ill and have enter the health care system ... is it any wonder why we need to have a bit of comic relief?

I just read this and it makes perfect sense to me:

1. The Japanese eat  very little fat

       and suffer  fewer heart attacks than  Americans.

2. The Mexicans  eat a lot of  fat

       and suffer fewer heart attacks than  Americans. 

3. The Chinese  drink very little  red wine 

       and  suffer fewer heart attacks than  Americans.

4. The  Italians drink a lot of red  wine

       and suffer fewer heart attacks than  Americans.  

5. The Germans  drink a lot of beers and eat lots of  sausages and fats  

       and suffer fewer heart attacks than   Americans. 

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking  English is apparently what kills  you. 

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called   The Present.'

Healthcare Info ... Watch what you READ!

Healthcare, sick care ...why should we care????

I find it extremely interesting that when I GOOGLE the keyword "health," that WebMD comes up number one in my search. WebMD looks good, sounds good, but wait ... is it really good advice?

I did a search for treatment options for Fibromyalgia and this is what came up ... my only choice of treatment for this devastating disease is a drug named Cymbalta ... this was the only option ... now I don't know about you, but a "trusted" site like WebMD only gives me one treatment choice ... hmmm ... sounds kind of fishy to me and then I put on my magnified reading glasses and read the following disclaimer:

The following is a sponsored resource The sponsor of this content has sole editorial control

Here I thought that WebMD was my trusted source of information ... after all it says so on the home page ... see below ...

WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information. You can trust that our content is timely and credible.

About WebMD

The WebMD content staff blends award-winning expertise in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation to bring you the best health information possible. Our esteemed colleagues at MedicineNet.com are frequent contributors to WebMD and comprise our Medical Editorial Board. Our Independent Medical Review Board continuously reviews the site for accuracy and timeliness.

What we do for our users

We are dedicated to providing quality health information and to upholding the integrity of our editorial process. See What We Do For Our Users.

Awards and Recognition

WebMD offers credible and in-depth medical news, features, reference material, and online community programs. We are proud that others in the fields of media and health have recognized our efforts over the years.

I am pretty Internet savvy and I actually thought that WebMD was a non-biased source of medical information until I really looked the site over critically ... what do other consumers think?

When you are looking for appropriate healthcare information on the Internet, due diligence should be the order of the day. Don't trust any source with just a pretty page and a great name ... or you may just get stuck in the sick care system ...

Health care, sick care ... I CARE!!!!!!

Obama Healthcare Laughter Reform Bill ...

Healthcare or sick care?

Sometimes the best medicine is free ... !

An active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to a recent study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

"The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine,' definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Michael Miller, M.D., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We don't know yet why laughing protects the heart, but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack."

In the study, researchers compared the humor responses of 300 people. Half of the participants had either suffered a heart attack or undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The other 150 did not have heart disease. One questionnaire had a series of multiple-choice answers to find out how much or how little people laughed in certain situations, and the second one used true or false answers to measure anger and hostility.

Miller said that the most significant study finding was that "people with heart disease responded less humorously to everyday life situations." They generally laughed less, even in positive situations, and they displayed more anger and hostility.


"The ability to laugh, either naturally or as learned behavior, may have important implications in societies such as the U.S. where heart disease remains the number one killer," says Miller. "We know that exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease. Perhaps regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list."

Miller says it may be possible to incorporate laughter into our daily activities, just as we do with other heart-healthy activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. "We could perhaps read something humorous or watch a funny video and try to find ways to take ourselves less seriously," Miller says. "The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day."


PS. for a big belly laugh, just visualize the US Senate passing the Obama Healthcare Laughter Reform Bill ...

LOL .... :-))))

Healthcare for Swine Flu ...

I just came across this on youtube ... what do YOU think? Take a listen ...


Swine flu ... is it a big deal or just a way to take the heat off other issues in the world?

Healthcare, sick care or just crazy care ????

Avoid the Sick Care System ... Stay Healthy!

Let’s face it … most of us really want to be healthy …. No one really wants to be in the healthcare or “sick care” system if we can help it. It is ironic that so many of us do the absolute WRONG things to stay healthy … here are a few examples:

Foods and drinks with “natural flavors” … The cute name “natural flavors” is a spin doctor term for MSG, monosodium glutamate, a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause brain cells to explode. Avoid products with “natural flavors” listed in the ingredients; there is nothing “natural” about MSG!

Foods and drinks with aspartame. Aspartame is a toxic chemical sweetener. Thousands of adverse reactions to aspartame, such as headaches, digestive problems, allergic reactions, etc. are reported to the FDA every month. Avoid this hazardous chemical.

Soft drinks … They contain a variety of harmful chemicals such as phosphoric acid, aspartame, natural flavors, caffeine and artificial coloring … YIKES!

Hybrid foods. Hybrid fruits and vegetables are missing many nutrients. Get back to organically grown foods raised from open pollinated seeds for highest stamina and vitality. Avoid hybrid produce and its high levels of contaminants

Refined foods Devitalized foods that contain white flour, white rice, white sugar or toxic food chemicals are associated with poor health and early death. Instead eat whole or fresh foods

Red meat … Red meat contains a whopping 44 times more phosphorus than calcium. A person eating red meat on a regular basis can become very calcium deficient. Calcium is the mineral that keeps the body in the healthy alkaline zone. Without sufficient calcium, hundreds of physiological bodily processes simply cannot take place. Low calcium levels, mean poor health, instead, switch to protein sources which are easier to digest.

Toxic personal care and household products are in the market place everywhere. Most personal care items currently on the market like shampoos, deodorants, moisturizers, facial cleansers and cleaning agents contain chemicals which are potentially toxic. These chemicals are absorbed through your skin into your body and can create ill health. Consider going green with all of these products.

With just a few changes in your lifestyle you will notice after a while that you and your family are healthier and feel better!

Healthcare and the aging issue ...

The following post is a response to a comment yesterday made by Alfred...

I would like to see a real HEALTH care system to create health and wellness, the older people need supplements NOT drugs all the time.

Read about Dr. Keller and his findings with
Glutathion ...

I like it very much !

As we age, we tend to be faced with more sick care issues. Of course, these issues require us to go in to the healthcare system .... or do they? What if we could do something about the whole aging process? I mean ... do something to slow that process down!

There is a little known, naturally occurring antioxidant called glutathione, in the body. It plays a major role in how our bodies age. The only kicker is that as we age our levels of this terrific antioxidant begin to decrease.

Glutathione is highly active in the human lungs as well as many other organ systems and tissues. It has many reported uses and it plays a critical role in protecting cells from oxidative stress and maintaining our immune systems. Higher blood levels of glutathione have been associated with better health in elderly people, but the exact association between glutathione and the aging process has not been determined.
Glutathione has many uses:

• treatment of heavy metal poisons
• treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• treating Parkinson's disease
• lowering the blood pressure in diabetic patients
• increasing male sperm counts in humans and animals
• liver cancer treatment
• treatment of sickle cell anemia

Many say that glutathione will increase energy, improve concentration, slow aging, and protect the skin.
One of the foremost researchers on the subject of Glutathione and anti-aging is Dr. Robert Keller

Robert H. Keller, MD, MS, FACP

Dr. Keller has served on the scientific review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the VA. The Consumers’ Research Council has named him one of America’s Top Physicians in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 in the fields of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Hematology. Dr. Keller has served on the faculties of the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin (Marquette Univ.) He has published more than 100 original articles in various scientific and medical journals and has been awarded several patents. Dr. Keller was elected to The Board of Governors of the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

I will be attending the 17th Annual Congress of Anti-Aging next week in Orlando, Florida and I am looking forward to meeting Dr. Keller. Hopefully I will be able to get a short interview with him to share!

OK, so what will it be for you? Health care, sick care ... or do YOU really care?

Healthcare or Sick Care - What about PEMF?

When it comes to healthcare, education is the first and largest step. President Obama loved to talk about health care in the presidential race, but right now, I know more about "Bo", the girls new puppy, than I do about how I will meet my health and wellness needs in the immediate future.

Take a listen to this video .. who is the FDA and are they just about the MONEY?



I have experienced the powerful energy of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy or PEMF. It baffles me why this is still considered "alternative medicine" ...

What do YOU think?

Healthcare versus sick care ... where do you stand on the issues?

Let's Drink Water for Healthcare!

Water, Water Everywhere … Let’s Start Drinking It for Healthcare!

Water, it is as close as the kitchen sink so why aren’t we drinking it? Are we all just victims of slick advertising? It looks like so much “fun” to drink soda out of a can with attractive labels … or what about all the happy people drinking the latest artificially sweetened beverage? They are dancing and prancing about having a great time. Would we be having a terrific time if we drank beverages like that, also? I guess it isn’t nearly as “cool” to open up the cupboard and take out your favorite glass and filler’ up with plain old water!

Well, the plain old facts are …

Our bodies are made up of 70 percent water and this makes it essential for all life on the planet Earth. While the exact amount of water that we should drink a day has changed over the years, we have known for quite some time that our bodies need to be well hydrated to keep us in peak condition.

We obviously need to drink water so that our bodies don’t dry up, but there are many health reasons that we need to consider, also. Large amounts of water are needed for our organs to perform properly. Our livers filter blood and need generous amounts of water to keep us healthy and give us energy throughout the day.

Water flushes the toxins and wastes from our systems and this in turn keeps our energy levels at their peak.

Loss of energy is usually the first sign of dehydration because the cells of the body are the first to lose water. Water is the driving force of energy production inside the cells, so even the slightest water loss causes a big drop in energy. For every one percent drop of water inside your cells, energy production is cut by 10 percent.

Digestive problems are another early symptom. All the substances that break down food in the digestive tract are water-based. Acid reflux is thought to be causes by the production of too much stomach acid. However, too little stomach acid due to chronic dehydration is often the real cause. When the stomach doesn't have enough acid for digestion, food stays in your stomach too long and gets pushed back up, along with some acid.

Constipation may also a symptom of dehydration. Your intestinal tract uses a great deal of water to break down your food so that all the nutrients can be extracted. The body will then reabsorb most of that water.

The body signals us in many ways telling you that it is thirsty. Often, feelings of hunger are a thirst signal, since food is a natural source of water for the body. With one or two glasses of water your feelings of hunger might be satisfied. You will notice an hour or two later your body's actual request for food energy will occur. Cravings for sugar and carbohydrates can also signal dehydration. The brain has a very high demand for water, which it only can get from blood flow. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar which increases blood flow to the brain.

You never want to wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Once you notice that thirsty feeling you have already lost at least 1 percent of the water in your body. To keep your body at its peak you don’t want to get in the habit of the “thirst and hydrate” cycle. To keep your body in its best condition and your immune system in tip top shape, water should be consumed all during the day.

With all of this information in mind and knowing that we function best when we are well hydrated, it is important to drink the best water available. You can filter your water if it is impure from the tap and to remove chlorine or you can use an under the counter reverse osmosis unit. It is always a terrific idea if you can make your own water at home and leave all the plastic bottles out of the landfills. With all of the filtering options in the marketplace, there is no longer any reason not to have plenty of pure, healthy water available.

So, when you think about it, perhaps we could prevent a lot of our sick care issues by simply preventing them with a simple glass of H2O.

Take responsibility for your own healthcare … prevention is the key!

William A Buhrman, Chiropractor of the Peak Performance Health and Wellness Center in Safety Harbor, Florida is all about prevention. Healthcare doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process of good nutrition, clean water, exercise and good habits.

Ask Doctor Will your healthcare questions … he will be glad to offer you guidance.

Healthcare or Sick Care - It's Your Choice!

We Use it when We’re Sick ... Why call it Healthcare?

I have often wondered why, in America we use the words healthcare and health insurance when the only time they are needed is when you are sick. Does anybody else find this odd, or is it just me?

In the German language the word kranken means sick or ill. In the German speaking countries they call the hospital the krankenhaus … translated, that means “sick” house. Krankenversicherung translated means sick insurance, versicherung meaning insurance. Well, at least they are calling a spade a spade.

We are painting a picture of glowing health by using these words that actually misrepresent the facts. We are a nation of sick people and we are spending billions of tax payer dollars on drug and medical research hoping to cure ourselves. What if we used a portion of those funds earmarked to research a cure for ailments on how to stay healthy to begin with? Kind of like closing the barn door after the horse got out! Could it be that the fat cats and lobbyists don’t represent the “let’s stay healthy” population? Maybe, there is no big money in actively seeking health!

The American public is lulled into believing it is so much easier to just take a pill to feel better versus actively taking a role in our destiny …

Have you noticed that anything in the healing professions that is not sanctioned by the drug companies or the AMA is called Alternative medicine? When someone says alternative to me, I get the feeling that it means somehow it just isn’t as good, but you might try anyway. The word alternative suggests to me that it is second class. Why is that?

Why are we led to believe that mainstream medicine is the only way? Drug companies bombard us on television commercials with the pills that we need to “pop” if we have certain symptoms. Patients even go to their doctor with lists of the “miracle” drugs that they have been programmed to believe that they need. These commercials all show happy, smiling people that look like they never missed a day of work due to the sniffles. The funny part is that many health insurance programs will pay for these medications whether they are really needed or not, but most insurance companies won’t pay for you to purchase an herbal supplement or to have an acupuncture treatment. What is this world coming to?

The Chinese have an interesting system with their herbalists. The patient pays the practitioner to keep them healthy. Yes, that’s right … if you do get sick then they treat you for free. What a terrific incentive … and if you die … well … they tie a black ribbon above the door … YIKES!

What is better for relaxation and health than a massage or a dip in a hot, swirling Jacuzzi? Bet your doctor wouldn’t prescribe that and if he did, would your healthcare pay for it? I doubt it, but a prescription for valium or xanax … coming right up!

Perhaps we all need to dig our heels in and demand that a portion of the ridiculous sum of $50,000,000 to $65,000,000 that President Obama has slated for healthcare reform be spent on wellness care. I know that I personally would rather skip the whole “sick” step and stay right on the healthy path!

It is time to explore our wellness options and demand that we be heard. That is what this blog is all about. Mark this blog as a favorite, subscribe to it and be sure to leave your comments. This is your call to ACTION!