Category: Life and Health

Did you get at least seven hours of quality sleep last night? If your answer is no, you’re not alone. According to one national survey, 30 percent of adults sleep an average of 6 hours or less. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have even declared insufficient sleep an important public health concern, with lack of sleep contributing to the prevalence of chronic disease as well as reduced productivity and quality of life for millions of Americans. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to improve both the quantity and quality of sleep you regularly enjoy.

Get outside more often. One sleep insufficiency study found that the more access to nature its subjects had, the less likely they were to report insufficient sleep. Spend some time each weekend in your city’s parks or walk your neighborhood after dinner instead of watching television on the couch. The fresh air and activity will improve your sleep quality even if you’re only able to get out into nature a few times each week.

Establish a regular routine. Spontaneity can be exciting, but it’s not a friend of great sleep. Researchers have found that the regularity of one’s daytime activities—from when you get up, to when you exercise and eat, to when you go to bed—greatly influence one’s ability to sleep. They hypothesize that sticking to a routine can help program your body’s biological rhythms. This means it will be ready for sleep when you are.

Make time for a workout. Whether your only time for exercise is first thing in the morning, on your lunch break, or after you’ve put the kids to bed for the evening, getting a workout in is more important than what time you choose to do so. Studies have shown that vigorous evening exercise won’t reduce your sleep quality. In one, 97 percent of the subjects slept better on days they hit the gym than on days they didn’t—regardless of the time of day they went.

Seek out natural sunlight. Many of us spend our days at desks in windowless offices or cramped cubicles away from natural daylight. However, research suggests that exposure to sunlight is necessary to establish and maintain a normal circadian rhythm. If you start work before the sun comes up and don’t leave until it goes down, or spend much of the day in a dark office, make a point of stepping outside to enjoy some natural light during your breaks and/or at lunchtime.

Zika is a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, a species that is common throughout the world. It may also be transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusions. First identified in the Zika Valley of Africa in 1947, there have been several outbreaks in locations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands since 2007. Most recently, reported cases in Brazil have risen sharply since May 2015.

In most cases, the Zika virus causes few signs or symptoms, though an estimated one in five people may develop a mild fever, rash, muscle pain, headache or conjunctivitis two to seven days after contracting the virus.Treatment for the flu-like symptoms is limited to plenty of rest and fluids along with acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve any joint pain or fever. Most people fully recover within a week.

There is evidence that the Zika virus can cause microcephaly in newborn infants if an infected mosquito bites a women during her pregnancy. Microcephaly is a congenital brain condition in which the baby’s head is significantly smaller than normal. It is potentially fatal. The Zika virus has also been connected to eye defects, hearing loss and impaired growth in infants when contracted during pregnancy.

It’s also possible that the Zika virus can lead to other neurological disorders in children and adults such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes the body’s immune system to attack its nerves.A vaccine to prevent the Zika virus is not currently available. However, if you’re not pregnant or currently trying to get pregnant, there is little reason to worry about it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women avoid travelling to areas where Zika transmissions are ongoing, including Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

If you must travel to these areas, experts suggest taking precautions such as using insect repellent that contains DEET or picaridin, wearing long sleeves and pants, and staying indoors or behind screens whenever possible.

Exposure to the Zika virus should not have an effect on future pregnancies, although the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that couples wait at least six months before attempting to become pregnant if the male partner has experienced Zika symptoms and at least eight weeks if either partner has traveled to an area where Zika infection is possible.

If you’ve traveled to an area where there is a Zika virus outbreak and develop any symptoms, see your physician. Blood tests are available to identify the virus as well as other similar diseases transmitted by mosquitos.

You just spent an hour on the elliptical with your heart pounding and your body sweating up a storm. A quick glance at the machine’s display shows you burned an impressive 600 calories. “Wow, I deserve a post-workout donut,” you think to yourself. Unfortunately, your assessment could be wrong.

According to experts, while exercise equipment measurements of heart rate, distance and pace are usually pretty accurate, calorie counts can be off by as much as 30 percent—on the high side. That means if you rely on the machine’s calculations of your calories burned, you may think you’ve worked off 30 percent more than you actually have.

There are many reasons for these inaccuracies. These three are most common:

1. The manufacturer’s algorithm.

Manufacturers use different algorithms in the calorie burn calculations. If your health stats vary from the average the manufacturer used, the calorie count is not going to be accurate for you. Some machines compensate for this—at least to some degree—by allowing you to enter your weight and age. Few, however, allow you to specify your gender and fitness level—two factors which also significantly affect caloric expenditure.

2. Wear and tear on the equipment.

The older the machine you’re using, the more likely it is to be inaccurate. Treadmill belts stretch and slip as they age, reducing resistance. Elliptical, stair climber and rowing machines also have parts that can break down. And if you’re using the equipment at a gym—especially one that gets heavy use—even machines that look new may have resistance issues that contribute to calorie expenditure miscalculations.

3. Operator error.

Maybe you’re a perfectly average human, of average weight, height and fitness. Your stats could be exactly those used in the manufacturer’s algorithm and you could still get an inaccurate calorie calculation if you’re not practicing proper form. This includes leaning on the handrails while using the treadmill, elliptical or stair climber. In essence, you’re reducing the amount of bodyweight you’re moving, so you’re burning fewer calories than the machine says you are.

If you must know how many calories you are burning with each workout—perhaps to stay motivated or because you want a better estimate of calories in versus calories out for weight loss—you may want to invest in a wearable monitor. Those that directly measure heart rate (though a strap around your chest) and have settings for gender, age, height, weight and fitness level are going to be best.

According to the most recent National Health Interview Survey, more than 33 percent of U.S. adults and nearly 12 percent of U.S. children use complementary health approaches including natural products, yoga, meditation, massage therapy and chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation. Most of them pay for these tools out of their own pockets because they do not realize that their insurer will cover all or a portion of their alternative care costs.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits insurers from discriminating against any licensed healthcare provider, whether they practice traditional or alternative medicine. Though health insurers can still deny coverage for treatments they consider experimental or not medically essential, some are beginning to cover well-established alternative tools like biofeedback, acupuncture and chiropractic care.

If you regularly visit a naturalist, chiropractor or massage therapist, it may be time to take a closer look at your health insurance plan. Start by calling your insurance company and asking them these questions about the alternative medicine coverage they provide:

• Is alternative medicine treatment covered under my plan?
• Must I get a referral from my general practitioner before seeing a chiropractor / acupuncturist / massage therapist for treatment?
• Will I have to meet my deductible or do I have a copay for the treatment?
• Is there a limit to the number of times I can visit my alternative healthcare provider?
• Do I have to go to a provider in my policy network?

If you find out that your policy does indeed cover all or a portion of your alternative medicine treatments, you’ll now need to check with your providers to ensure they will bill your insurance company.  If this is the first time you’re visiting a chiropractor, acupuncturist or other alternative medicine practitioner, ask about costs for initial visits and follow-up appointments as well.

Check with your insurer before purchasing any supplements from your provider or scheduling other treatments he or she recommends. If you don’t do so beforehand, coverage limitations may result in additional costs for which you did not budget.

If your health insurance policy does not cover alternative medical care at all—or does not cover the specific services you want or need—you may still be able to reduce your treatment costs. Ask your provider if they offer a discount to patients who pay cash. Some may also have payment plans available.

Still unsure what your insurance plan covers? Want to explore other options before the next open enrollment period? Give us a call today for an insurance plan review.

Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head andfever are more than just the list of common cold symptomsrattled off in every NyQuil commercial. They’re also often the start of many serious ailments. If you’ve been suffering from them without improvement, consider these signs you may need to put down the cold medicine and see a medical professional STAT.

1. You have a high fever.

Running a fever while you’re fighting a cold is pretty common. Most of the bacteria and viruses that cause colds multiply best at 98.6°F, so raising your temperature is one of your body’s best defenses against them. However, if you’re an adult with a fever higher than 102°F, it could be a sign that the invader your body is working against is a serious one.

2. You got sick, got better, but then got sick again.

Rebound illnesses can be signs of superinfections—serious secondary infections that take hold when your immune system has been weakened by the common cold or flu. A trip to see the doctor can ensure there’s nothing dangerous going on.

3. You have a severe headache.

We’re not talking sinus pain associated with congestion or a tension headache after a long day at work, but continuous head pain so intense it affects your ability to think clearly or even function. It could indicate your central nervous system has been compromised by a bacteria or virus. Known as meningitis, early symptoms of such an infection often mimic the flu.

4. You’re too weak to get out of bed.

Muscle aches and extreme fatigue often accompany the flu. Though flu is caused by a virus, and antibiotics will not make it go away, your doctor may be able to prescribe an antiviral medication that will shorten the duration of your symptoms and prevent your flu from causing secondary infections.

5. You have a chronic health condition.

While most healthy adults can survive a cold otherwise unscathed, those with serious conditions—such as kidney disorders, heart problems or diabetes—should see their doctor anyways. He or she can help you prevent your cold from causing any potentially dangerous complications.

6. Your heartbeat feels irregular.

Arrhythmia is a problem with your heartbeat. It may feel as though it is beating too quickly, too slowly, or occasionally missing a beat. This may cause a fluttering feeling, dizziness or even fainting. Minor, brief arrhythmias are generally not life threatening. However, when accompanied by cold symptoms, they may indicate you are becoming severely dehydrated or a virus is attacking your heart.

Six in ten people—or as many as 132 million Americans—have a life insurance plan in place to safeguard their financial security. From covering final expenses to replacing lost income, these individuals understand that such policies can have a dramatic positive impact on their families’ lives during otherwise dark times. If you’d like to join them, make sure you ask your agent these essential questions while evaluating available life insurance products.

1. What is the company’s rating?

Whether your agent sells policies from one insurance company or multiple firms, it’s wise to read up on the organization before selecting a product. Your agent should be able to tell you how long the insurer has been in business, how large it is, and how well it’s doing financially. Standard and Poor’s, Weiss Ratings and A.M. Best Company all rate the fiscal strength of insurance companies.

2. How are you determining how much insurance I need?

How much money your family will need to pay off debts and maintain their lifestyle after you’re gone are the two major considerations that must be made when choosing the size of your life insurance policy. While all agents factor these figures into their calculations, the actual formula they use may vary. Understanding exactly how your need is determined is essential if you want a policy that will fit your family both now and in the future.

3. How much am I guaranteed?

If you’re purchasing a permanent life insurance policy—one which accumulates cash value on a tax-deferred basis—the guaranteed figure is more important than the projections the company makes on how much your family could wind up with when you’re gone. While fluctuations in the market may result in a larger payout, the guaranteed amount represents the minimum your heirs can expect.

4. How long do I need to wait to see returns?

This is another essential question if you’re purchasing a permanent life insurance policy. These are long-term savings vehicles, and it may be five to 10 years before yours begins to yield positive returns. If you were planning on borrowing against the growing cash value of your permanent policy in the very near future—say to fund your child’s college education or make other investments—you may be disappointed.

5. How will health changes affect my policy?

If you have a health risk—such as smoking, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes—when you have your medical evaluation, you’re life insurance premium is going to be higher as a result. However, some policies allow you to repeat the medical underwriting evaluation after a certain amount of time. If you are able to eliminate some or all of your previous health risks in the future, you may be able to reduce your premium significantly.

6. Does the death benefit adjust with inflation?

If your family has to cash in your policy within a few years, they may not lose much to inflation. However, if you pass away a decade or more from now, your current death benefit could be worth a lot less. Inflation increases approximately 3 percent each year, eroding life insurance policies over time. Unless, that is, you’re buying one that automatically adjusts to keep pace with those inflation increases over time.
Buying life insurance can be a confusing process. Fortunately, our agents have the expertise required to explain your options as simply as possible. Whether you’re ready to buy your first policy or have a few unanswered questions about your current insurance, we’re here to help.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2,596,993 deaths in the U.S. in 2015. Leading end-of-life causes included diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and accidents—most of which can strike at any age.

This means we can all benefit from life insurance, whether we use it to pay for our funeral expenses, as an investment vehicle, or to protect our family from financial hardship in the event of our death. Consider the following life stages and reasons to purchase this valuable form of insurance for each.

Young Adulthood

When you’re young and single, life insurance is unlikely to be a priority. You may have a career and earn a decent wage, but you probably don’t have anyone other than yourself who relies on that income. However, if your parents or grandparents have cosigned a loan for you—perhaps for college or a home purchase—you’ll want to make sure that those debts don’t become a burden to them in the event of your death. You can do this with life insurance. Bonus: your premiums will be lower if you buy your policy while you’re young and in good health.

Marriage

If you purchased life insurance as a young single, now’s the time to adjust your policy to account for your increased financial responsibility. And if you’ve yet to purchase life insurance, there’s no better time than the present. Even if your partner earns a good income and believes he or she can manage financially once you are gone, life insurance can provide the peace of mind of knowing that you’ve done everything you can to provide for his or her future.

Babies

If you have young children and no life insurance, you’re jeopardizing your family’s well-being. Whether you’re a single- or double-income couple, insuring both partners is essential. Death of a breadwinner or a domestic partner can wreak havoc on one’s finances. You can use life insurance to make sure your spouse and children can keep your home, pay off debts, afford childcare and eventually finance college educations.

Retirement

Your mortgage may be paid off, and your children grown and raising families of their own, but this doesn’t mean you should cancel your life insurance policy. Life expectancy is increasing, and the volatile economy has made it difficult for Americans to amass the wealth they need to sustain themselves in retirement. A life insurance policy will give you the freedom to tap into your home equity if you need to supplement your retirement income, knowing the proceeds can pay off the mortgage. And if you don’t have much in the way of savings or financial assets, the payout can serve as an inheritance for your family.

If you’d like to explore more reasons for purchasing life insurance at your life stage, or want to review your current policy, contact your insurance professional.

 

American author John Steinbeck once wrote, “A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.” While certainly a poetic statement, and even somewhat true, those pesky germs—found everywhere and on everything—can still make you sick. Fortunately, washing your hands is one of the best defenses against the infections and illnesses they induce. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handwashing can reduce respiratory illnesses—such as the common cold—in the general population by 21 percent. Other U.S. public health authorities have stated that bad hand hygiene cause nearly 50 percent of food-borne illness outbreaks.

When to Wash Your Hands

While it may seem like common sense to wash your hands whenever you do something that might cause you to come into contact with—or spread—germs, many people don’t do it. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health by researchers from Michigan State University revealed that only 5 percent of their subjects washed their hands properly after using the restroom. Thirty-three percent used water without soap, and 10 percent didn’t bother to wash their hands at all.

Other situations that require handwashing include:

• Before, during and after food preparation
• Before eating a meal or snack
• Before and after caring for someone who is ill
• Before and after treating a wound
• After assisting a child in using the restroom or changing a diaper
• After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing
• Before touching your eyes (as when inserting or removing contact lenses)
• After touching an animal or animal waste
• After touching garbage

How to Wash Your Hands

We all learned how to wash our hands as children, but we may not have learned to do so correctly. It takes 15 to 20 seconds of vigorous handwashing with soap and water to kill of all the germs according to the CDC. However, the Michigan State University study found that most people who bothered to wash their hands only spent about six seconds. Make sure you—and your family—are handwashing correctly by following these steps from the CDC:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (any temperature will do).
2.  Apply soap generously.
3.  Rub your hands together vigorously to create a lather. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under the tips of your nails.
4. Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
5.  Rinse your hands thoroughly under clean, running water.
6. Dry your hands with a clean towel or allow them to air dry.

If you don’t have access to soap and water, you can utilize an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Look for one that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Studies have found that non-alcohol hand sanitizers do not work well on all classes of germs, can cause germs to develop a resistance to the sanitizing chemical, and are more likely to irritate the skin than alcohol-based hand sanitizers are.

Because even alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been found less effective against certain types of germs, it’s best to wash your hands with soap and clean, running water whenever possible. And remember: the fewer doctor visits you make each year, the lower your overall healthcare costs, even with insurance.

 

Americans consume dangerous quantities of sugar every day, and according The American Heart Association,  it’s increasing their risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). While the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to less than 100 to 150 calories daily, most U.S. adults consume two to three times as much—usually in the form of refined sugars and corn syrups added to processed foods such as sugar-sweetened beverages and baked goods.

 

The Study

In a recent study, Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined national health survey data in search of a connection between added sugar consumption and CVD risk factors. In the process, they determined that 71.4 percent of adults consume 10 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar. Ten percent consume 25 percent or more of their daily calories in added sugar. This means that if subjects are consuming 2,000 calories each day, 500 of those are in the form of added sugar. That’s equivalent to 31 teaspoons of the sweet stuff.

The researchers found the connection they were looking for, as the data showed a direct correlation between risk of death from CVD and percentage of added sugar calories in subjects’ diets. In fact, as few as seven servings of sugar-sweetened beverages each week doubled a subject’s risk of CVD death.

 

The Guidelines

Recommendations for added sugar consumption vary. The American Heart Association suggests women limit their intake of added sugars to 100 calories a day. Men can have 150 calories each day from added sugars. That’s equivalent to six and nine teaspoons respectively. The World Health Organization is a bit more generous to those with a sweet tooth. They advise that no more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from added sugars. If you’re on a 1,500-calorie diet that means limiting your consumption to 150 sugar calories—about that found in one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda.

 

Reducing Your Added Sugar Consumption

The first step for reducing your consumption of added sugars is to read the labels on any processed foods you eat—and that includes everything from condiments to canned soups to cookies to lunch meats. Keep in mind, sugar has many names. You’ll want to limit your use of foods that include maltose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar or fruit juice concentrates in their list of ingredients. You’ll also want to consider the total grams of sugar contained in one serving. Four grams is equivalent to one teaspoon.

Once you’ve learned to identify sugar by its many names, and calculate the number of teaspoons a serving contains, do the following to reduce the number of sugar calories you ingest each day:

• Whenever possible, limit the number of processed foods you eat, especially those that are high in sugar such as baked goods and desserts, candy, soda and fruit juice drinks.
• When you must consume processed foods, choose a brand with lower added sugar.
• When cooking or baking, reduce the quantity of sugar in your recipe by half or replace it with an artificial sweetener. You can substitute unsweetened applesauce for sugar in many recipes.
• Swap sugar-sweetened sodas for low-calorie or sugar-free drinks.
• For breakfast, try unsweetened cereal, oatmeal and yogurt with fresh fruit or fruit canned in water. Avoid fruit canned or frozen in syrup.

 

Cardiovascular disease—also known as heart disease—is the leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the CDC. About 600,000 people die of CVD every year. While the study cited above found a direct correlation between excessive added sugar consumption and the risk factors for heart disease, sugar contributes to other health issues—like poor nutrition and tooth decay—as well. Think about the dangers before you take a bite of your next donut or sip of sugar-sweetened soda—it might (eventually) kill you.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Today he might add “health insurance confusion” to his list of certainties, for despite the government’s best reform efforts, choosing a new healthcare plan is still proving to be a difficult process for many. While monthly premium and plan deductible are often top-of-mind considerations, consumers should give other less obvious details equal thought when making a selection. If you are considering new insurance coverage, scrutinize the following particulars and take the guesswork out of enrolling in the right plan for your situation.

 

Your Prescription Drugs

Health insurance plans cover prescriptions in different ways. While some may charge you a fixed amount (or co-pay) for a prescribed medication, others will ask you to pay a portion of the drug’s cost in the form of co-insurance. Brand name medications may be covered (usually at a higher cost) through some plans and not at all under others. And if you purchase lower cost coverage, you may have to satisfy a prescription drug deductible before you receive any medication benefits at all.

If you regularly take medications, verifying coverage under the programs you are considering is a worthwhile step. Contact a plan pharmacist and provide him with a list of the drugs and dosages. Then look for an insurance product that covers the medications you need.

 

Your Doctors and Specialists

Many insurers reduced the number of doctors within their new healthcare plan networks. Before you select coverage, you’ll want to make sure your doctors—and any specialists you regularly see—are part of that plan’s network. You can do this by visiting the insurer’s website and searching for doctors within the program you are considering. You can also call the offices of your medical professionals and ask if they accept a particular plan.

Be specific when making enquiries. While a doctor may be part of the “Preferred Platinum Plan” network under Insurance XYZ, he may not be included in the network for XYZ’s “Premier Gold Plan.” Additionally, a doctor with multiple office locations may be in-network at some and out of network at others.

 

Doctors and Specialists in General

Maybe you don’t currently have a preferred doctor or see any specialists. You should still examine the number of professionals within each plan network. If you choose a health insurer with a small network—and very few doctors or specialists—you will find yourself waiting longer to schedule appointments. Instead, look for a program that has a larger number of providers. And remember: inclusion on the network list doesn’t necessarily mean a doctor is accepting new patients. You may want to call a few of the professionals to verify that they will.

 

Hospitals

Health insurance plans also have network hospitals. You’ll pay less if you go to one in-network and more if you receive treatment out of network. Because time is of the essence in the case of an emergency, you may want to consider the location of in-network hospitals when selecting insurance coverage. Hospitals near your home or place of business are ideal; those further away are not.

Cost is also a factor. Some plans will charge you daily in-patient co-pays, while others will ask you to pay co-insurance towards the room charge. To determine which deal is better, you may want to call a network hospital and ask about room rates.

If you’d prefer to choose your next health insurance program with the assistance of a professional, consider contacting your insurance broker or agent.