The Healthy Blogger

Richard Florida Introduces the Philips Livable Cities Award

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:49:51 +0000

The Philips Livable Cities Award is an initiative designed to generate practical, achievable ideas for improving the health and well-being of people living in cities. Individuals, community or non-governmental organizations and businesses are eligible to participate in the Award program that comprises a total prize fund amounting to 125,000 Euros.
With the aim of developing simple solutions to the complex challenges faced by the residents of cities today, the program consists of three distinct award categories:

Well-being Outdoors: initiatives that will help citizens feel safe in public spaces or help create city identity and foster a sense of belonging
Independent Living: initiatives that will help the growing number of elderly people living alone to feel secure and comfortable in a city, with appropriate access to healthcare
Healthy Lifestyle at Work and Home: initiatives that will support a healthy body and mind, whether through a person’s surroundings or via other essentials such as exercise, sleep and diet.

An overall award of 75,000 Euros will be granted for the best idea submitted in any of the three categories. There will also be two additional awards of 25,000 Euros each for the best submissions in the two categories not covered in the overall award. The award criteria will be developed by an international panel of experts chaired by Richard Florida, author of The Great Reset, Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and Professor of Business and Creativity at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Find out more about the Award and how to enter at www.philips.com/because

Fitness is always First

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:13:36 +0000

Fitness First is a chain of UK based fitness gyms, that specialize in superior customer service and a quality product that will help you on your quest to get into shape. Fitness First is one of the best fitness gym chains in the UK, and with good reason, because their gyms are very intuitive and there is really every type of fitness equipment that you could ever want to use. If you are interested in pursuing weight lifting, Fitness First has a stellar selection of exercise machines as well as free weights that are available to its gym members. Unlike many gyms which are dirty often times, and where infections such as staph are prevalent, Fitness First is kept immaculate in every aspect down to the free weights and exercise machines.

Fitness First also has a beautifully designed corporate website, where you can sign up for memberships, get Fitness First vouchers, classes, and view a map of the closest fitness club to your location. The Fitness First website also gives potential members a glance into what a Fitness First health club is like, and what benefits you will receive by being a part of the Fitness First family. If you are looking to get physically fit, then Fitness First is a stellar fitness club that is definitely worth checking out. With a stellar selection of exercise equipment in their gym, you simply cannot go wrong by working out at Fitness First.

Best Electronic Cigarette: What You Get

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:50:16 +0000

It is very easy to spot the best electronic cigarette to purchase. Simply look into the electronic cigarette kits offered by different manufacturers and choose the one that offers more benefits. You can also check with the online seller or manufacturer to see if there are bonuses included as part of the sales package. When you buy e-cigarettes online, the first thing you should look into is the included electronic cigarette kit. You will get at least one battery, one vaporizer, and 5 or 6 refill cartridges to get you started right away. Wall or USB charger is also included. A better electronic cigarette kit will include both chargers, while the best one offers you additional battery as a spare and elegant carrying case. The content of the kit is certainly not the only thing you should look into.

You also need to see the system used in order to see if you are indeed buying the best electronic cigarette. High quality product includes new atomizer or vaporizer with every cartridge. You don’t have to clean the atomizer every time you change cartridges because the atomizer is built into the cartridge for easier refill. Price and shipping cost are the two other factors you should compare when searching for the best electronic cigarette to purchase. Make sure the seller or online store offers lowest price possible for the same electronic cigarette kit, while shipping should be included as bonus. This way, you can get the electronic cigarette without spending too much money in the process.

Last but certainly not least, make sure you have money back guarantee so that you can return the purchased electronic cigarette within 30 days of purchase should you need to. You can try the electronic cigarette safely and discover the benefits it has to offer within this period. Now that you know how to find the best electronic cigarette to purchase, start your search right away and have the best electronic cigarette delivered to you today. In no time at all, you will be able to start experiencing the benefits that come with using an electronic cigarette.

New rules for mental health Care

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:55:48 +0000

According to federal regulations issued on Friday, employer-provided group health plans must now offer the same coverage for drug abuse and mental illness as for other ailments. Known as mental health parity, these new measures will ban group health plans from offering different coverage standards for mental health disorders. Substance abuse treatment also and those for surgery or general medical treatment.
Today, employer-provided group health insurance plans cover some 150 million Americans. A bill passed by Congress in 2008, the new rules, exempt group plans covering 50 or fewer workers. Group plans that offer mental health and substance abuse treatment cannot charge higher deductibles under the parity system. They also cannot place different limits on frequency of treatment than they would for medical and surgical care.
After federal agencies review comments from the public, industry and other interested parties, the rules cold take effect as early as July 1st. A Washington-based advocacy group, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, said the regulations begin the final chapter in an effort to ensure that Americans with mental illness have equal access to health care.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:53:43 +0000

A surgery that including shrinking the size of the stomach, Gastric bypass surgery, sometimes recommended for obese people, involves re-routing the path that food takes. The possibility of post-surgical infection, blood clots or developing gallstones are a few risks with this procedure. So who as candidates for this bypass surgery?
The U.S. nations Library of Medicine says the following people may be: people who are obese and not able to lose weight by exercising and dieting, people who are committed to a diet and exercise regimen, people who are not mentally ill, people who do not have drug or alcohol dependency problems, people who have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher; typically at least 100 pounds overweight, and people who have a BMI of 35 or greater, in addition to a serious health problem that could get better with weight loss — for instance, type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
If you feel you are in need of this surgery and you think you fit one of the criteria on this list, speak with your doctor and find out all the details. Understand the risks you will take and the benefits also and they you can decide which is right for you.

Fake Drugs Bought on the Web

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:30:22 +0000

People who are buying drugs purporting to treat erectile dysfunction over the Internet, are playing Russian roulette with their lives. At the very best, the drugs won’t help you and at the very worst, they can kill you. Dr. Margaret E. Wierman, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado at Denver feels you will waste your money and can possibly hurt yourself.
A mushrooming problem these days is counterfeit Internet drugs. Between 2005 and 2007 it was seen that seizures because of fake drugs sold in Europe quadrupled. According to the study, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, And the number of investigations undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration increased by a factor of eight between 2000 and 2006. Study authors stated that as many as 2.5 million men in Europe have taken counterfeit Viagra. The only way to avoid this growing problem is to not buy any medications over the Internet.
These Internet sales allow buyers to avoid that shame-factor that accompanies asking for this type of drug but the Viagra-like pills bought online are not really cheaper than the real thing. Men find in embarrassing to ask for this from their doctor and likewise to go to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription.

New rules for mental health Care

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:33:39 +0000

Marijuana Vendors

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:37:53 +0000

Growing to almost 1,000 since sale of the drug for medicinal use was approved in 1996, Los Angeles Tuesday gave final approval to an ordinance slashing the number of medical marijuana dispensaries. The Los Angeles City Council said 187 dispensaries would remain open for now, by a vote of 9-3, but it intends to reduce the number to no more than 70 over time.
With the possibility of raising the issue in a referendum, business owners and people taking marijuana by prescription vowed to take legal action against the ordinance. The ordinance, which will take effect after being signed by the mayor, also includes a series of new restrictions on the sale of marijuana. Between 800 and 1,000 shops have sprung up since 1996, hundreds of dispensaries in the city will close. These all sprung up thanks to legal loopholes in the sale and distribution of marijuana.
The new rules say that marijuana dispensaries will now be over 1,000 feet from libraries, public parks and schools and will now be made to close by 8pm. Allowing patients to apply for a license to purchase and sell the drug, California law stipulates physicians must have no relation with dispensaries. They can only prescribe marijuana as a therapy.