Health YW

Archive for May, 2011

Did you know that a recent consumer safety study showed that 4 out of 5 sunscreens on the market contains harmful chemicals? And that up to 70% of sunscreens contained questionable or misleading claims on the bottle? What if the very sunscreen you are putting on your body to protect yourself from cancer contains carcinogenic compounds?

Why Naturopathic Doctors Believe Healthy Skin Care Affects Holistic Medicine

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. The skin not only protects the muscles, ligaments, organs and bones, but also guards the rest of the body from microorganisms, eliminates toxins, insulates the body, regulates temperature, and synthesizes Vitamin D. In order to maintain good health, proper skin care is essential since the health of the skin reflects the health of the body.

Sunshine can be very healthy for our skin, as well as our mood.  But what about the dangers that comes along with too much sunshine?  Sunburn, skin cancer, wrinkles, premature aging…we’ve all been taught to protect our skin from the harsh rays of the sun or else suffer the consequences.  So for the past years, many of us have heeded these warning and have been lathering up, head to toe, with minimum SPF 970 sunscreen to stay safe from the dangers lurking from above.

Avoid Common Allergies and Symptoms of Toxicity with Natural and Organic Skin Care

In today’s modern world many people suffer from sensitivities to the harsh chemicals and preservatives found in lotions, make up, cleansers and other skin care products. Common allergies and symptoms of skin toxicity include acne, excessive dryness, rosascea, rashes, itchiness and more.  These kinds of skin problems can be treated with herbal medicine, homeopathy and a body detox program. Naturopathic medical physicians and alternative health practitioners also recommend the use of chemical-free, organic skin care products.

A Naturopathic Doctor’s Opinion on the Importance of Wearing Healthy Sunscreen

The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org), the same excellent organization responsible for researching and publishing resources such as The Shopper’s Guide to Organic Produce, has now created The Shopper’s Guide to Sunscreen. EWG has carefully studied more then 1100 sunscreens currently on the market and evaluated the products based on three major criteria:

1. How much protection the sunscreen offers against UVA and UVB rays

2. How quickly the sunscreen breaks down

3. How many toxic ingredients or harsh chemicals it contains.

According to EWG’s study, featured on www.cosmeticdatabase.com, four out of five sunscreens on the market fail to properly protect the skin or contain harmful chemicals. Popular brands such as Banana Boat and Coppertone received poor ratings from EWG, as did brands like Almay and Neutrogena, which are advertised specifically for people with sensitive skin.

Most sunscreens fail to achieve high ratings from EWG for the following reasons:

1. The sunscreen does not provide UVA and UVB protection.  (The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is designed to measure UVB protection only).

2. The sunscreen breaks down too quickly and skin is not protected.

3. The sunscreen contains harsh chemicals that are absorbed into the blood and can lead to other health problems.

Naturopathic doctors and alternative health practitioners are concerned about problems with popular sunscreens because they do not do what they are supposed to: protect the skin from damage or aging.

UVA and UVB Rays

UVB rays, the ones that are considered for an SPF rating, are dangerous because they are absorbed by the superficial layer of skin and can cause sunburn and potentially skin cancer. UVA rays, the ones not considered for SPF, affect the deeper layers of skin but can also cause skin aging and skin cancer.  According to the EWG, 7% of sunscreens do not prevent UVA.

Rapid Breakdown and Limited Coverage

Additionally, 44% of analyzed sunscreens experience partial or total breakdown within minutes or hours, which means although the sunscreen offers some protection, the protection is not guaranteed over time.

Naturopathic Medicine Concerns About Sunscreen Chemicals

Naturopathic doctors and other professionals in the holistic health care field have many safety concerns in particular about the chemicals used in sunscreen. Some common ingredients have been linked to hormone disruption and the onset of allergic reactions. In addition there are no safety studies that evaluate the interaction of these chemicals and their effects when combined with many other chemicals we are exposed to in our environment like pesticides, herbicides and plastics.

Questionable Product Claims about Sunscreens

Due to the possible side effects of chemicals it is important to be aware of questionable product claims regarding sunscreen.  FDA regulations currently are not complete, therefore there is no oversight about common claims.  Statements like “All Day Protection,” “Broad Spectrum Protection,” “Waterproof,” “All Natural,” and “Chemical Free” must be carefully investigated.  According to EWG, 70% of the sunscreens studied contained a questionable or misleading claim on the bottle!

Nothing is more precious to us than having good health. Everyday people are getting more aware of the importance of having good health in order to be able to l8ive life to the fullest. But as the saying goes nothing is certain in this world, we will always have uncertainties and surprises good or bad in our life. We do get sick once in a while flu or even some major illness, or get ourselves involve in accidents. What ever the case may be these events when they happen to us could deplete our savings or even push us to bankruptcy. With the rising cost of hospital fees, laboratories and doctors’ fees it is now expensive and complicated. This is where health insurance could benefit us all. Yes, health insurance may cost a lot but having no health insurance at all cost more. Medical bills incurred from an accident could burn a hole in your savings. And in cases of cancer treatments, with all the doctors’ check ups, laboratory tests, and chemotherapy that one has to go through it could ruin you financially.

Health insurance could help you pay for the cost of a regular medical check ups, surgeries, contact lenses and glasses and even emergency treatments. There are two basic kinds of health insurance plan, the indemnity plan and the managed care plan. Indemnity plan is also called the fee for service plan. It has wider freedom and flexibility in the choices of the insured. He gets to pick the doctor, hospital and laboratory and other medical service provider of his choice. As long as the medical service is included in the health contract. But, the catch is the plan doesn’t pay for the entire charges, instead the insured shoulders the 20 % of the payment. This kind of plan covers only illnesses and accidents but preventive care like flu shots and birth control are not included. And coverage of the cost of prescription drugs and psychotherapy will depend on the policy and the company.

Managed Care Health insurance differs from the indemnity plan in a lot of ways. First, choice of doctors, hospitals, laboratories and other medical service provider is

limited to only those who have contracts with the HMO –Health Maintenance Organization–.Medical services is received only if authorized by the plan. If you insist on engaging on non authorized medical service provider then the cost of service or care provided will not be paid by the company. Preventive care and mental health treatment are covered by the plan.

Due to the rising demands for better and wider health insurance coverage, the health insurance is offering hybrid plans. Wherein, they combine the benefits of HMOs and indemnity coverage. The method is you can use the network of medical service providers that have contracts with the HMO but you are allow to choose someone outside of the network and pay for  a higher percentage in the  fee.. Managed Care plan also allows open access theory, where one can see a network medical specialist without any referrals from HMO.

You need to decide carefully in choosing the right health insurance plan for you and your family needs.  You need to have a careful evaluation on what your family needs and extensive research for the right health insurance company that will provide for those needs. Keep in mind that the lowest premiums don’t really mean it’s the cheapest plan.  Remember the cheapest plan is the policy that will give you the best benefits that your family really needs in case of emergencies and illnesses.

Everybody faces the risk of the unpredictable mishap, illness, accident, disability and death or some others. These unwanted tragedies may result in heavy medical bills to pay, loss of income, financial crisis and bring hardship to the family. Family life insurance is designed to provide security for families if this should happen.

New parents have more burdens and responsibilities, if you were to take care and continue to support your growing family, family life insurance is the ideal plan, and it is a financial resource that you can provide your loved ones in the event of your death.

Looking after a family is not an easy thing to do, it brings hardship, but any how everybody hopes for a sweet home. We want to keep the sweet home to be safe and out of harm, and family life insurance is here to be.

Provide coverage for your family

Family life insurance provides coverage for your spouse and children. With this policy all your family members are covered, this include your spouse, your dependent children under age 22, (dependent children also include adopted children and stepchildren), or if older than 22 incapable of self-support.

What a sweet home needs?

 A growing family needs a bigger house, some comfortable furniture, cars and many necessities in daily life, which mean the bread winner has very large responsibility to maintain the standard of living.

Would you be here with your family until they are self-support?

If something happened to you family life insurance can help to pay off your car loans, house loan, your children’s educational fees and other expenses. In order to provide your family security it is important for a bread winner to own a policy. Moreover funeral expenses can incur a prodigious sum too.

Singles also can purchase this policy

Someone who is single can take up this policy too. When he gets married he can include his spouse and his children into the policy. The insured children can transfer their insurance to their own personal policy when they grow older.

In order to know more about this policy please visit the relevant sites, compare the advantages and disadvantages, and make sure it is the policy that is suitable to you, and you can obtain free quote from many of the life insurance companies. There are many policies available in the market; choose carefully and buy the one that is most suitable for you, log on affordable life insurance policy or accidental death or accidental insurance to know more, please visit us at http://www.indianapolislifeinsurance.net