Minimize bad skin nutrition through guava

Lead-rich foods or mental problems, possibly bad skin or seeds that produce ugly scars on the facial skin. One way to handle particularly large in a natural way is definitely creating a formula decoction of guava. Cut one to two cups of guava leaves. H2o boil only for a maximum of 5 minutes. They tend not to walk away not to mention other activities during this period of time. Let the cold h2o and then apply as their own cosmetic skin cream. Make use of a cotton swab and apply the liquid on the facial skin. This is useful for getting rid of acne, pimples, blisters, rashes and itchy skin.            

 An additional tactic may be to create a self-made guava cream. This unique all-natural solution for home use only 500 grams of guava clean and / or 250 g of dried fruit of the guava. Cover fruit with water and then simmer it until it finally observes the liquid is thick indeed. Let cool and then use a new 100% cotton ball to the points of the parts of the face of those who were bothered by pimples, acne, eczema, or output prickly heat may break. Use this guava cream at least 2-3 times a day.

Cleansing your facial skin is essential to avoid any problem of grain or extra skin. You can also make a household cleaner if the value of guava and sense of smell also the fruits of guava. Fifty gram mixture of a 100% pure honey, along with five ml guava vinegar, 1 teaspoon grated citrus zest and a teaspoon of guava. Massage the cleanser completely natural facial skin. Note that this will require a skin moist throughout the application. You can do this immediately after taking his bath. Rinse among pure water. Use facial cleanser at least twice a day.

Bullitt County health board will appeal judge's ruling against smoking ban, with financial help from Clark County

The Bullitt County Board of Health will appeal a local judge's ruling that it lacks the authority to impose a smoking ban, and it will get some help from the board in Clark County, one of four where bans have been enacted by health boards instead of county fiscal courts.

The $5,000 will come not from tax dollars, but from "money received from the University of Kentucky for consulting services provided by Health Department Director Scott Lockard," Rachel Parsons of The Winchester Sun reports. UK "contracted with the Clark County Health Department so Lockard could work with the university and other local public health directors on smoke-free issues."

If the Bullitt County ruling is upheld, the decision could invalidate regulations enacted by health departments in Clark, Madison, Woodford and Hopkins counties. At the Court of Appeals, “If they uphold the lower court’s ruling, then we will have an injunction against our ruling until it goes to the Supreme Court, so we will suspend the enforcement of it until we get a final determination,” Lockard said. “We fully anticipate that the ruling will be in favor of the boards of health, because this is just a very narrow interpretation.” (Read more)

Now is the time to get flu vaccine, state health officials warn

State public health officials are encouraging Kentuckians to be vaccinated for flu now to reduce the spread of the illness. Steve Davis, M.D., acting commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said in a news release, “Getting the flu vaccine each year is the best way to protect against the flu’s spread and severity.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends flu vaccine for anyone older than 6 months. People who should especially receive the flu vaccine, because they may be at higher risk for complications or negative consequences, include:
• Children age 6 months to 19 years;
• Pregnant women;
• People 50 years old or older;
• People of any age with chronic health problems;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• Health care workers;
• Caregivers of or people who live with a person at high risk for complications from the flu; and
• Out-of-home caregivers of or people who live with children less than 6 months old.

Healthy, non-pregnant people age 2-49 years can get either the flu shot or the nasal vaccine spray. Children younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against flu for the first time should receive a second dose four or more weeks after their first vaccination.

Flu is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. About 23,000 Americans die from seasonal flu and its complications in an average year, but actual numbers vary from year to year.

In addition to the flu vaccine, officials encourage all adults 65 or older and others in high-risk groups to ask their health care provider about the pneumococcal vaccine. This vaccine can help prevent a type of pneumonia, one of the flu’s most serious and potentially deadly complications.

For more information on influenza or the availability of flu vaccine, please contact your local health department or visit www.healthalerts.ky.gov.

New survey shows dramatic increase in employer-sponsored health insurance rates

The average cost of employer-sponsored health insurance has increased 9 percent for family coverage and 8 percent for individual coverage since last year, a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Education Trust shows. "Both increases are the largest since 2005," Tony Pugh of McClatchy Newspapers writes, surpassing the national 2 percent increase in wages and 3.2 percent increase in inflation.

Since 2001, family coverage premiums have escalated 113 percent while workers' wages have only risen 34 percent and inflation – 27 percent, Pugh reports. Researchers are unclear if the increase in premiums is temporary or whether higher increases will continue. "We really don't know, and we won't know until next year," Drew Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation told Pugh.

Employers pay on average about 72 percent toward family coverage and 82 percent for single coverage, Pugh reports, leaving workers paying 28 percent for family and 18 percent for single coverage. Of those surveyed, about 31 percent of covered workers were in high-deductible plans, a 10 percent increase from 2006.

Increasing costs in medical care is "the main culprit behind the rate increases," Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans told Pugh. "Insurers' expectation of stronger economic recovery" and insurers' fears of increased costs from the 2010 Affordable Care Act may be driving higher premiums, Pugh reports.

Despite insurers' fears, an analysis by Kaiser and the federal government suggest that the 2010 Affordable Care Act accounts for only 1 to 2 percentage points of the increase. Only two measures, coverage of adult children to age 26 and no patient cost-sharing coverage on certain preventive medical services, were implemented thus far with the remaining provisions taking effect in 2014, Pugh reports. This month, insurers will be required to publicly disclose information about rate increases of 10 percent or more for review by state or federal officials to determine if the increase is warranted. (Read more)

Caregivers of wounded soldiers find their lives are also changed; getting compensation

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan disproportionately affect rural areas, which provide more than the average number of recruits. The soldiers who make it home alive come back changed, with traumatic brain damage, post-traumatic stress syndrome or other injuries that require full-time care. Mostly wives and older parents are left bearing the burden.

Catrin Einhorn of The New York Times reports that many caregivers have to quit their jobs and are forced to spend their savings and retirement funds to pay for treatment. A growing number of caregivers suffer from anxiety, depression and exhaustion as a result of their new routines. Rosie Babin, 51-year-old mother of a severely wounded 22-year-old son, was managing an accounting office before her son's injury. Though she's happy to have her son home alive, she now has to take blood-pressure medicine and sleeping pills. "I felt like I went from this high-energy, force-to-be-reckoned-with businesswoman to a casualty of war," Babin told Einhorn. "And I was working furiously at not feeling like a victim of war."

According to research by Joan Griffin, a research investigator with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, most of the injured are in their 20s and 30s, making this the first time since Vietnam the V.A. has seen such an influx of youth, which extending the length of care to years and sometimes decades. On average, Griffin found that family members spend more than 40 hours a week providing care, making it nearly impossible for them to keep a job.

Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project have tried to ease the financial burden on these families by lobbying Congress to provide direct compensation and other benefits to caregivers and their families. In 2010, the veteran's agency approved 1,222 applications and awarded monthly stipends of $1,600 to $1,800 to caregivers. Along with the money, they can receive health insurance and counseling, Einhorn reports. This law only applies to caregivers of service members injured after Sept. 11, 2001, and it's uncertain who will qualify and how compensation will be determined.
(Read more)

Experts Estimate 90% of Americans suffer mineral imbalance or deficiency

JES Organics now carries Trace Minerals:

ConcenTrace TraceMineral Drops
Your body is an intricate circuit board of electric charges and impulses. In order for it to stay balanced and perform at optimum efficiency, you need to constantly replenish yourself with the minerals and trace elements found in ConcenTrace®.*  If you are one of the 90% of Americans experts estimate suffer mineral imbalance or deficiency, your body is lacking these essential elements, causing your body to misfire so you feel rundown and tired.*

Power up with ConcenTrace® from Trace Minerals Research. It’s highly concentrated and contains over 72 ionically charged trace minerals that have been extracted from the world’s oldest inland sea, the Great Salt Lake. ConcenTrace® is the perfect solution for replenishing your body with the nutrients you need to maintain optimum health.*

ConcenTrace® is extracted directly from a natural source that took thousands of years to create. Over these thousands of years, the minerals in ConcenTrace® have been broken down to their most natural state where they have become naturally charged, living minerals that are bioavailable and soluble in water.* In addition, the solution is in precisely the same proportion as healthy human fluids without synthetically produced compounds or deadly heavy metals.
The ionic minerals in ConcenTrace® also have the power to maintain and even improve the pH balance in your body.* By preventing excessive fluctuations in acid-base balance, the body may be more apt to heal itself from chronic forms of illness.*

ConcenTrace® is so essential to human health that you’ll find it in every one of our quality products. ConcenTrace® is the perfect way to replenish your body with all the elements you need to plug in and recharge.*

An All-Natural Solution of Living Minerals

Uses  and Applications
1.      Bone - Joint & Health–Taken as directed, many people have experienced dramatic results in improving and strengthening bones, joints and teeth, and eliminating unwanted calcium deposits.*

2.      Re-Mineralize Distilled Water–1/4-1/2 teaspoon per gallon for fresh spring water taste.

3.      Electrolyte Replacement–Increased energy, vitality, and improved health by replacing and balancing soluble minerals in the body fluids. Soluble minerals are the electrolytes which conduct the body’s electrical energies.

4.      Maintain pH Balance in the Body–The most important nutrients in our bodies for maintaining acid-base balance are minerals like those found in ConcenTrace®.*

5.      Hair and Skin–Use internally to nourish from within, externally as a rub (Very concentrated. Must be diluted. Keep out of eyes or areas of broken skin unless highly diluted).*

6.      Helps Normalize Bowel Functions–Cleansing.*

7.      Calcium Assimilation–Reports show that calcium assimilates much better when taken with magnesium. ConcenTrace® is high in magnesium.*

8.      Circulatory Health–Minerals play important roles in decalcification, antioxidant and cleansing functions in the body. The heart requires magnesium with every beat. Potassium is used to contract the heart muscle.*

9.      Vitamin Enhancement–Complete nutrition is more power nutrition. Vitamins without minerals DO NOT work. Trace minerals help assimilate vitamins.*

10.   Gardens and Plants–A study done by Rutgers University and other studies done by the USDA noted the severe mineral imbalance and depletion in American soil. For years many avid gardeners have used ConcenTrace® on their gardens as well as in the flower beds. It is also very beneficial to house plants when diluted with water. See the difference in your plants.

11.   Pets–Ever noticed your pet eating grass or dirt? More than likely your pet is lacking essential minerals. For years, pet owners have added ConcenTrace® to their pet’s food and water.

12.   Athletic performance–There are many examples of improved athletic performance including improved cardiovascular performance to improved blood serum nutrients.*

13.   Body Building–A study of a number of international body builders using ConcenTrace® reported excellent results.*

14.   Add to Carbonated Beverages–A recent study has shown that a few drops per glass balances soda pop to greatly reduce the potentially harmful effects of carbonation.

15.   Magnesium Supplement–One of the highest quality, least expensive, most assimilable magnesium supplements on the market.*

16.   Cooking–Studies show mineral depletion in our soils. We frankly are not getting the minerals in the foods we eat. ConcenTrace® remineralizes these foods and adds flavor.*

17.  Magnetize your water (Reverse Osmosis, Distilled water cannot be magnetized without adding in minerals).  Purchase Ceramic Magnet and set you water on this magnet.  The water with minerals will hold the magnetic charge for up to 48 hours. 

Vegan, Kosher, Gluten Free

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Hospitals merging to shore up finances and, as federal health-reform law encourages, improve patient outcomes

With one expert calling it "merger mania," Robert Hadley of The Lane Report looks at how Kentucky hospitals and hospital systems are banding together as they brace for reimbursement changes mandated in the new health care law.

The most discussed merger is that of Louisville's Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare, Lexington-based St. Joseph Health System and University Medical Center at the University of Louisville. "At stake in the plan is not only the sale of a physical asset (University Hospital) that belongs to the commonwealth, but also potential changes in delivery of care that ceding control to a faith-based organization might bring," Hadley writes. Saint Joseph is owned by Catholic Health Initiatives, which follows the Catholic directives that prohibits abortion, sterilization and euthanasia.

Baptist Hospital East has since stepped in and said University of Louisville Medical School physicians are welcome to perform needed procedures at its facility.

Though complicated issues need to be addressed, hospitals are eager to merge regardless. Why? Financial viability, especially in the face of change as a result of the federal health-care reform law, sometimes called "Obamacare." Starting in 2013, hospitals will be reimbursed for Medicare and Medicaid procedures differently. Rather than be paid using a fee-for-service model, in which facilities are paid for each procedure performed, they will be paid based on quality and outcomes. If the outcomes are good, the facility will get paid more. The goal is to encourage care with good outcomes, rather than just pay for treatment, in which the incentive might be to over-treat in order to get more reimbursement.

"More and more of the reimbursements we receive in the future are going to be tied to performance, our quality and satisfaction scores," said Andy Sears, vice president of planning and system development for Baptist Healthcare System, which is looking to merge with Madisonville-based Trover Health System. "That's what the value-based purchasing coming out of Obamacare is all about. It's going to cause Baptist, Trover (Health System) and any other health-care organizations to begin to address how we're going to provide more value for the care we deliver."

"Pressure to leverage cost savings as reimbursement declines while being able to afford facility expansion are the two primary reasons" for the Baptist-Trover merger, Hadley reports. "As a single hospital in a rural community, Trover is finding it difficult to attract capital investment, much like University Hospital."

The Jewish-St. Joseph-University Hospital merger will mean at least a $200 million cash infusion for University Hospital alone, and nearly $1 billion of capital investment, including information technology, over the next five years, said Dr. Dan Varga, chief medical officer at St. Joseph Health System.

Essentially, with new changes coming, there is power in numbers. "Trover is a big organization and clinic," Sears said. "But they're facing the same situation a lot of stand-alone facilities are facing. Business is declining, reimbursements are declining, and when you don't have payments in, you can't take care of capital needs." (Read more)

Milk is the Best Source of Vitamin D

The benefits of milk not only for baby and toddler. Milk is really good for all of age, adolescent and for elderly, The latest research show that milk is one of the prime source of vitamin D, and and supplying almost half of all vitamins that needed by the body.

According to researchers, there is no other foods that contribute to vitamin D as milk accounted for. In fact, for children aged 2 to 18 years, milk provides almost 2/3 of all the vitamin D in foods.

"There are only a few foods that can replace the package of essential nutrients found in a glass of fat-free milk, or low-fat," said Keith Ayoob, a pediatric expert food and nutrition. "Without milk, it is difficult to meet the needs of a number of nutrients, especially vitamin D," he said.

Besides widely known for its role in keeping bones strong, the presence of vitamin D in milk at this time, has also been believed to provide many health benefits.

Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D can also help a person is protected from dangerous diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and certain cancers. It also, helped support a healthy immune system.

The experts from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) recommends 400 IU of vitamin D every day, which is equivalent to four cups fat-free milk or low fat.

Porridge Harisah, Enhancer Stamina and Male Vitality

Porridge Harisah, is the popular cooking in Middle Eastern societies. Many people believe that is a typical aromatic pulp that can add stamina and vitality of men.



Hj Anisah Sutrisno, the owner of Porridge Harisah food disclose a key ingredient in porridge Harisah. Start mutton, wheat, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, garlic, pepper, ginger, cloves, kapulogo, shortening and oils.

"Manufacture, goat meat cooked on the stove and banana leaf-covered ground plate large saucepan for about five hours. After cooked the goat meat, then add oats and mix up to separate goat meat from the bone, after the dough is quite tough. Only later on add and glutinous rice flour and other ingredients mix evenly into one, "said Anisah.

Avoiding Artificial Sweeteners? This Study Will Surprise You...

By Dr. Mercola

For those of you who are aware of the health dangers posed by artificial sweeteners and dutifully avoid them, the featured study findings may come as a shocking surprise...

Researchers have found that the artificial sweetener sucralose (Splenda) is a widespread contaminant in waste water, surface water, and ground water. In a recent test, water samples from 19 U.S. drinking water treatment plants serving more than 28 million people were analyzed for sucralose. The sweetener was found to be present in:

• The source water of 15 out of 19 of drinking water treatment plants tested
• The finished water of 13 out of 17 plants, and
• In 8 out of 12 water distribution systems

The average amounts of sucralose in source water and finished water was 440 ng/L and 350 ng/L respectively.
According to the study:

"Further, in the subset of [drinking water treatment plants] with distribution system water sampled, the compound was found to persist regardless of the presence of residual chlorine or chloramines ... The results of this study confirm that sucralose [is] an indicator compound ... for the presence of other recalcitrant compounds in finished drinking water".

Recalcitrant compounds are organic or synthetic compounds that resist being broken down by chemical processes, such as those employed by water treatment facilities. This is troublesome, particularly as sucralose can be quite detrimental to human health, and the contamination appears to be very widespread in US water supplies.

Sucralose Destroys Healthy Bacteria

Three years ago, an animal study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health reported that sucralose:

• Reduced the amount of good bacteria in the animals' intestines by 50 percent
• Increased the pH level in the intestines
• Contributed to increases in body weight, and
• Affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected. In terms of human health, this P-gp effect could result in medications used in chemotherapy, AIDS treatment and treatments for heart conditions being shunted back into your intestines, rather than being absorbed
• Is absorbed by fat cells (contrary to previous claims)

The fact that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria is truly disturbing as these help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly micro-organisms, and support your overall immunity and general health. Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to choosing highly processed foods, which is why a high-quality probiotic is one of the very few supplements I recommend for nearly everyone. And now we discover that this artificial sweetener also contaminates a majority of US municipal water supplies as well...

Splenda has NEVER Been Proven Safe for Human Consumption

Did you know that only two human trials on sucralose were completed and published prior to the FDA approving Splenda for human consumption? And these two trials included a total of 36 human subjects. Worse yet, the longest running trial lasted only four days, and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance. As for determining the absorption of Splenda into the human body, a mere eight men were studied. Based on that singular human study, the FDA allowed the findings to be generalized as being representative of and regarded as "safe" for the entire human population!

This is a potentially devastating mistake, as some groups are far more susceptible to adverse effects than others, such as infants, the elderly, and the chronically ill.
You've probably heard the claims that the FDA has reviewed over 100 studies on Splenda and are satisfied that it's a safe product, but what you don't hear is that most of those studies were on animals, and that they actually revealed plenty of problems! For example, some of these studies revealed:

• Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
• Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
• Enlarged and calcified kidneys
• Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
• A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a six percent death rate in the control group

It May be Made from Sugar, But it's Nothing Like it...

Don't let the name fool you. Sucralose is NOT some magical calorie-free sugar, despite Splenda's famous slogan, "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." It is in fact a chlorinated artificial sweetener cooked up in a factory, and scores of consumers have testified to its devastating effects. It does start off as a sugar molecule—to which three chlorine molecules are added. At the end of the patented process, the chemical composition of the sugar has been altered to the point that it's actually closer to DDT and Agent Orange than sugar.

This type of "sugar" molecule does not occur anywhere in nature, and therefore your body cannot properly metabolize it. This is why Splenda is advertised as having "zero calories"—because your body cannot digest or metabolize it. Essentially, it passes right through you. Or at least that's the claim. However, according to the available research, between 11-27 percent of sucralose is in fact absorbed into your digestive system, and according to the study mentioned above, it is also absorbed into your fat cells.
The question then becomes, just what kind of impact might a DDT- or Agent Orange-like molecule have on your health?

Furthermore, few people realize that only about one percent of that packet of Splenda is actually sucralose. The remaining 99 percent is maltodextrin—a type of sugar! Each packet actually has four calories, but because the amount of sugar is less than one gram, they get away with saying it has "no calories" due to a loophole in the labeling law.

Common Side Effects of Sucralose

Just like other artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), sucralose can wreak havoc on your health. The personal testimonials on my site alone, submitted by people who have suffered adverse reactions to Splenda, surpass the number of people that were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval. The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com also lists consumer complaints from Splenda consumption.
Some of the most common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products, include:

Gastrointestinal problems: bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea	Seizures	Blurred vision	Blood sugar increases
Headaches and migraines	Dizziness	Allergic reactions, including swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat	Weight gain
Allergic skin reactions: Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives	Breathing problems: wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath	Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing	Heart palpitations or fluttering
Joint pains and aches	Bloodshot, itchy, swollen, or watery eyes	Anxiety or sensation of being "spaced-out"	Depression

How is Splenda Ending up in Drinking Water?

Well, its presence in water supplies may very well be a sign of just how prevalent its use is, because as revealed in that one absorption study, sucralose is expelled in urine and feces pretty much unaltered... I'm not sure which is more concerning, the thought that so many people use and excrete Splenda that it's becoming a drinking water contamination hazard, or that sucralose is so persistent—so difficult to break down that it can pass right through your body, and go through chemical water treatment, and STILL be present to have another go through the system of another unsuspecting person having a drink of water!

The other issue to remember is that many researchers believe sucralose has an element of fat solubility so you wind up storing some of it in your fat; certainly more if you are drinking ever increasing concentrations in your tap water. Remember this chemical is in the same class as DDT and Agent Orange, and we have NO long term toxicity studies done on this as they were not required.

Avoiding sugar is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, but, instead of consuming a naturally low-sugar diet based on whole foods, some people are still trying to have their cake and eat it too. Unfortunately, the belief that artificial sweeteners can allow you to have the best of both worlds is a carefully orchestrated deception. So if you're still consuming artificially sweetened foods, snacks and beverages because you think it'll help you manage your weight, please understand that you've been sorely misled.
In reality, "diet" foods and drinks destroy your body's ability to count calories and actually promote weight gain. For example, drinking diet sodas has been found to double your risk of obesity! Complicating matters further, artificial sweeteners also appear to be highly addictive. It's important to understand that sugar cravings is typically a sign that your body needs fuel. Using artificial sweeteners will NOT trick your body into thinking it has had its fill. Instead, artificial sweeteners can increase sweet cravings because your body didn't get the energy boost it was expecting from that sweet taste.

If you're determined to sweeten your foods and beverages, I urge you to consider using stevia extract—a safe and natural sweet herb. Avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia however, as these do not contain the whole stevia plant, which may compromise its safety.

How to Remove Splenda From Your Drinking Water

Remember that Splenda is not the only contaminant in your water supply. There are loads of drugs in your water that wind up there the same way Splenda does. A reverse osmosis system will not only remove Splenda but nearly every other drug and contaminant from your water. A carbon filter will also work to remove Splenda and other contaminants but it is not quite as effective and will require you to reduce the rate of flow through the filter media. The more carbon you have that contacts the water, the more effective it will be.

Source: Environmental Science and Technology August 31, 2011

Source: Green Med Info

Funds awarded to educate East End Lexingtonians about food, health

Getting community elders to talk to youth about gardening and cooking is one of the missions to be accomplished in Lexington's East End neighborhood from a $52,000 grant.

The funds will create a virtual center where community members can go to learn about food and health. "Our goal is to improve decision making about food through information," said Steve Austin, vice president of the Blue Grass Community Foundation, which was awarded the money by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

"Residents will have the opportunity to talk about what they need to make better food choices," the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. "A digital food information center will then be created so people can go online and learn about all things related to food." Printed information will also be available.

Adults and children living in the neighborhood will interview older members of the community about gardening, food preparation, cooking methods and entrepreneurship. "If we succeed here, we can do it across the city," Austin said. "We can transform Lexington, no matter where people live, to make better decisions about food." (Read more)

The Beauty profit of Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits have always been considered beneficial for the skin healthy because it contains essential vitamin. Citrus fruits are not only delicious, they are very healthy, and because they contain large amounts of vitamins necessary for our body. Because there are a variety of citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruit, etc., people can have diversity in taste to get the same essential vitamins needed. They are great for the consumer and skin care.

Three of the most popular citrus fruits are oranges, lemons and grapefruit. They taste great and can be found at each station. Organic fruits are the best fruits to eat organic food because it contains no chemicals to accelerate the growth process. They are all natural products, perfect health and full of essential vitamins. These are the benefits of citrus fruits:

Oranges

They are of great use in skin care since oranges have a very good smell too. Oranges help quality the skin if used in skin care, aid detoxification, digestion and blood circulation. They are highly recommended for daily consumption, shelled or in the form of freshly squeezed juice. Oranges contain antioxidants which are a big help against premature aging.

Lemons

Lemons have a very strong and powerful flavor. They are high in vitamin C, A, B and therefore are ideal to streamline and strengthen the body. Lemons are better choice drugs because of the great taste and intake of vitamins and food for the ocean. To boost the immune system and help protect against colds and flu. Lemons are also great in the weight loss so if you're a fan of lemons on the diet of lemon.

Grapefruits

Grapefruit has a very specific bitter taste bitter, a flavor that does not appeal to everyone. One of the most preferred eating grapefruit is to peel the skin of each individual piece. This is the shell that contains the most bitter people to love fruit but do not live to eat something bitter, can benefit from essential vitamins contained in the grapefruit by peeling the skin off. Grapefruit is also used in skin care because they contain antioxidants and help tone the skin. Grapefruit also helps digestion, protect against flu, colds and strengthen blood vessels.

Child abuse rates have risen significantly since the economy went into recession, survey in Ky. and 3 other states shows

Child abuse rose as the economy went into recession, shows a study of reported abuse to children under 5 in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.

From 2004 to December 2007, before the financial meltdown, the rate of abusive head trauma in the four states was 8.9 per 100,000 children. During 2008 and 2009, the number jumped to 14.7 per 100,000. Though the study established no cause-and-effect relationship between financial difficulties and an increase in abuse, "earlier research has tied parental stress to child maltreatment," Frederik Joelving of Reuters Health reports.

The study "showed that from 2004 to 2009, there were 422 children diagnosed with what doctors call 'abusive head trauma.' The majority ended up in intensive care units, and 16 percent died of their injuries," Joelving reports. The average child examined in the study was 9 months old.

"The number-one perpetrators are fathers and male caretakers; very few perpetrators are mothers," said Rachel Berger, a child-abuse expert at nationally recognized Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh and co-author of the study. "It's the people that mothers give their kids to that end up being the perpetrator(s)." (Read more)

Lexington council turns to wellness center to cut insurance costs

Following a national trend to improve employee health so companies can cut health-insurance costs, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council agreed Tuesday to set up a wellness center for city employees.

The center will "be voluntary and free for employees, retirees and dependents covered by the city's health insurance plan," reports Beverly Fortune of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Acute and primary care, chronic-disease management and preventive screenings will be among the services provided at the center, the location of which has not yet been chosen. It is estimated to cost $1.3 million.

Chattanooga opened a similar center in 2006. Its health insurance costs were increasing about 20 percent annually, with health benefits costing the city $16 million that year. Today, the city is saving about $5 million a year, said Madeline Green, director of risk management and incentives for the city. (Read more)

A million more young adults have health coverage; law cited

One million more young adults ages 19 to 25 had health insurance in the first quarter of 2011 than in the same period a year ago, data from the National Health Interview Survey show.

The increase is largely due to the federal health-reform law, which allows children to remain on their parents' health insurance plans until age 26, a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. No other age group had a significant increase in coverage. (Read more)

Feds give Ky. $3 million to hold health insurers accountable

Kentucky will receive more than $3.2 million in federal grants to help state officials track health-insurance premium increases and make insurers more accountable.

The funds are part of guidelines set forth in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal health reform law. It requires makes rate increases of 10 percent or more in the individual and small-group market subject to approval by experts who will determine if the increases are reasonable. The law also requires insurers to to justify to the public rates that are considered unreasonable.

The Kentucky Department of Insurance will use the federal funds to expand the scope of its rate reviews; improve transparency by establishing a tool on its website that will give consumers access to rate filings without an open records request; hire new staff, and improve its technology. (Read more)

Some worry that patient care will get shortchanged as Kentucky Medicaid moves to managed care

While moving Kentucky's Medicaid patients to managed care for will likely reduce costs to the taxpayers, patient care shouldn't be shortchaged in the effort to save a buck, Deb McGrath writes in an op-ed piece in The Courier-Journal.

"It is critical for quality patient care to always remain a priority," writes McGrath, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana. "All citizens, including the 540,000 Kentuckians under the new managed care plans, deserve access to the best possible care recommended by their doctors."

McGrath is concerned about the "fail first" policy, also known as step therapy. "In this practice, the insurer will initially cover only the least costly medication in any drug class, forcing doctors to prescribe these medications first," she writes. "This is problematic because many times there are different medications that the physician feels would be the most effective treatment."

The policy can adversely affect Kentucky's 90,000 patients who have epilepsy, a disease that comprises 40 different seizure types and epileptic syndromes. "Fail first is not something a person with epilepsy wants to hear, especially when this policy can compromise their well-being and even their life," McGrath writes. "I urge Gov. Steve Beshear, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, our state legislators and the new managed care organizations to keep patient care in mind as they get ready to implement this new system on Nov. 1." (Read more)

Resveratrol and vitamin D synergistically team to boost metabolism and prevent obesity

Monday, September 19, 2011 by: John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Resveratrol has been on the nutritional radar of researchers because of its proven ability to mimic some of the life-extending characteristics provided by calorie restriction as seen in animals and humans alike. Scientists publishing in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research draw a solid link between resveratrol, vitamin D and other phytonutrients as agents that may lend a helping hand in the life-threatening battle against overweight and obesity.

Researchers document the newly discovered effect of the nature-derived nutrient on lipid metabolism, and they demonstrate that supplementation along with the sunshine vitamin and quercetin synergistically decreases the formation of new fat cells in the body. This finding is significant because it may provide a critical metabolic aid to children and adults that suffer the health-damaging effects of obesity every day. Further evidence exists to hail the trio in the genesis of osteoblasts in bone marrow that may offer a new therapy for osteoporosis that affects the mobility of millions of aging adults.

Scientists studying metabolism in aging adults have found that stem cells differentiate in favor of adipocytes (fat cells) and to the exclusion of osteoblasts (cells necessary for the formation of new bone). This means that as we age, our body has evolved to store fat as an aid to our survival. As metabolism slows, we continue to eat the same number of calories that helps to fill the newly acquired adipocytes. While building and maintaining bone structure may sound like a good idea to us, it is not pre-programmed into our genetic matrix.

Development of new fat cells has evolved as a protective mechanism, although the vast majority of older adults really don't need this genetic advantage. Researchers found that supplemented resveratrol, vitamin D and quercetin work together to regulate our genes and down regulate the production of fat cells while boosting the production of osteoblasts. Naturally it is important to practice caloric restriction as we age. Many aging adults will be able to utilize this phytonutrient trio to prevent excess weight gain and the debilitating effects of osteoporosis.

In addition to the well documented anti-cancer and longevity benefits previously ascribed to supplemented resveratrol, health-minded individuals will want to include resveratrol and other phytonutrients as an aid in the fight against abdominal fat accumulation. Researchers concluded: "It should be noted that combining resveratrol with other phytochemicals may provide an extraordinary potential for preventing obesity and osteoporosis. These phytochemical synergies may make possible novel safe, potent and efficacious therapies." Be sure to include resveratrol (25 to 50 mg per day) in your dietary arsenal to assist weight loss and boost metabolism and to prevent bone loss.

Article References:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...
http://www.wellnessresources.com/we...
http://www.wellnessresources.com/st...

More evidence Alzheimer's and other dementia can be prevented: save your brain by preventing diabetes

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) Currently, an estimated 24 million people world-wide are living with Alzheimer's disease or some other type of the mind and personality-robbing affliction known as dementia. And the numbers keep climbing. But why? Mainstream medicine puts the blame on the fact people are living longer and genetics offers little hope to stop dementia unless Big Pharma comes up with some miracle pill - an approach that so far has failed miserably.

However, now there's evidence much dementia could be triggered by another disease that is often preventable and even reversible with natural health strategies.

A new study just published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, reveals diabetes significantly increases the risk of developing dementia. And type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease which has reached epidemic proportions, is due primarily to obesity and inactivity. That suggests that by taking control of your health with good nutrition and exercise, you may be able to not only prevent diabetes but also dementia.

"Our findings emphasize the need to consider diabetes as a potential risk factor for dementia," said study author Yutaka Kiyohara, MD, PhD, of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, in a media statement. "Diabetes is a common disorder, and the number of people with it has been growing in recent years all over the world. Controlling diabetes is now more important than ever."

The research found people with diabetes were more likely to develop both Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia. Vascular dementia results when blood vessels become damaged and interrupt oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain.

In all, the scientists studied 1,017 people age 60 and older who were given a glucose (sugar) tolerance test after fasting overnight in order to test for diabetes. Then, over the course of about 11 years, the research subjects were followed and tested for dementia. During this time, 232 people developed the memory destroying disease. People with diabetes had double the risk for dementia when compared to those with normal blood sugar levels.

These findings remained consistent even after the researchers accounted for other factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol and smoking. The risk of dementia was also higher in people who did not have diabetes, but had impaired glucose tolerance. This "pre-diabetes" condition is also part of a cluster of symptoms (including being overweight, having high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels) known as metabolic syndrome which has become widespread and is already known to raise the risk for heart disease as well as diabetes - and now dementia can be added to this list.

The new study findings are actually positive because, as NaturalNews as previously covered, there are numerous ways to reduce and sometimes even reverse type 2 diabetes -- by keeping weight under control, exercise and adding specific foods to a healthy diet.

For example, last summer Harvard School of Public Health investigators discovered eating two or more servings of brown rice per week slashed the risk of type 2 diabetes (http://www.naturalnews.com/029143_b...).

In addition, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that adding a daily serving of mixed nuts to the traditional Mediterranean diet (which consists of whole grain cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, a moderate intake of fish and alcohol and a low intake of dairy, meats and sweets) is a delicious, natural and effective way to treat metabolic syndrome (http://www.naturalnews.com/025098_n...).

For more information:

http://www.aan.com

Medicaid's move to managed care delayed until Nov. 1; hospitals need more time to sign contracts

The move to managed care, which the state has touted as the answer to improve the quality of its Medicaid system and solve a budget deficit, has been delayed by a month in response to the Kentucky Hospital Association saying hospitals need more time to sign contracts and prepare for implementation.

"We have made great progress in Medicaid managed care since we first announced the contract awards in July," said Janie Miller, secretary for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. "Thousands of providers have signed up with the managed care organizations ... but we still need the hospitals to sign contracts before we can implement managed care across the commonwealth."

Mike Rust, president of the KHA, said of about 100 hospitals that will be affected by the changes, only about 20 have signed contracts so far, reports Deborah Yetter of The Courier-Journal.

Four managed-care organizations, including the previously established Passport Health Plan in Jefferson and surrounding counties, will take over health-care management of the state's 730,000 Medicaid recipients. The companies will be paid a per-patient, per-month amount set by contract negotiations. Because they won't be paid using a fee-for-service model — believed to be more costly — and will try to streamline care, the move is expected to save $1.3 billion in the next three years, Miller has said.

Earlier this month, Kentucky got the green light from the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to proceed with the transition to managed care. (Read more)

Law enforcement and allies getting ducks in row in 2nd bid to pass bill to require a prescription to buy pseudoephedrine

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

With police finding 20 percent more meth labs in Kentucky than a year ago, they and others are again encouraging state legislators to make pseudoephedrine less available by requiring a prescription for it. And the senator who tried that last year says he is talking with his colleagues to see what can pass in the 2012 General Assembly.

Supporters of the bill to quash "meds for meth" met in Laurel County last week, where the incidence of meth labs recently became the state's highest, Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. They unveiled an educational campaign intended to teach people about the dangers and costs of the deadly drug. Their campaign includes a video produced by the Kentucky State Police, Operation UNITE, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program and the Kentucky National Guard.

"They're going to try to show that video as often as they can between now and January across the state to try to get a grassroots effort behind this bill," Estep said on KET's "Comment on Kentucky" Friday night. "They didn't start off early enough last time to get that to happen." Meanwhile, the number of reported meth labs in the state climbed to nearly 1,100 in 2010 and is on track to exceed 1,400 in 2011.

Pseudoephedrine is the key ingredient in manufacturing methamphetamine, which can be made by combining a few ingredients in a pop bottle. Last year, Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, sponsored a bill to make "pseudo" available only by prescription. Jensen told Kentucky Health News Monday he is planning on introducing a bill in the upcoming session that "deals with pseudoephedrine and how to control that." "The details of that are not ready to be sent out yet," he said. "I'm negotiating with some other members to see if we can get support."

Pseudoephedrine is also a main ingredient in cold and allergy medicine. Opponents say making it a prescription-only medicine is unnecessarily inconvenient and could be costly. In a legislative brief, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce said the proposed law would drive up insurance premiums for Kentucky employers and the taxpayers' cost of Medicaid. Their estimates show the new law would result in 17,000 more doctor visits per year. The chamber and other opponents are backed by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which was the top-spending lobby against Jensen's bill.

Only Oregon and Mississippi have passed laws making pseudoephedrine available only by prescription; both have seen the number of meth labs fall sharply. Mississippi, where a ban took effect in 2010, has seen a 66 percent drop, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Oregon has seen a 96 percent drop in meth labs in the five years since its law passed, said Jackie Steele, commonwealth's attorney for Laurel and Knox counties and a proponent of limiting pseudoephedrine access.

Opponents say the drops in Oregon and Mississippi have led to surges in adjoining states, and Steele said "They're probably correct. But I'm looking out for Laurel and Knox and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I hope that everybody else gets on board so we don't have to worry about shuffling problems to another county or another state."

Though several individual municipalities in Missouri have made pseudoephedrine available only by prescription, Steele said that is not likely to happen in Kentucky counties since there would be "constitutional issues."

At the meeting in Laurel County last week, Abby Hale, co-director of the Laurel County Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, said cleanup of a meth lab can cost up to $2,100 just in manpower and disposal, reports Nita Johnson of The Sentinel-Echo in London. If meth labs are inside a home, homeowners have to get the building decontaminated at their own expense, which can cost up to $3,000.

Statewide, Steele said the cost of meth is in the millions because of the expense of corrections; local health departments dealing with skin irritations and rashes; loss of learning time for kids in school; and putting children in foster care. "The Kentucky State Police spent $2 million in meth lab cleanups, not to prosecute them, just to clean the toxic dumps up," Steele said. "So you can see that the cost per year is staggering."

Funding available to help communities fight cervical cancer

For the second year, agencies, coalitions and community groups are invited to apply for funding to improve cervical cancer screening rates and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations in their areas. Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky, housed in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, has funding available and will be awarding mini-grants in the coming year, Ann Blackford of the UK news service reports.

In August, 13 agencies received CCFKy funding ranging from $7,000 to 20,000 for projects that will help residents in 19 Kentucky counties.

"CCFKy saw great results from the first year of funded projects," said Dr. Baretta R. Casey, director of CCFKy. "The projects' outcomes convinced our team that increasing the number of funded agencies in the second year will move our mission of a cervical cancer-free Kentucky forward. Let's stop the deaths of women in Kentucky from this preventable and curable disease."

About 391 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in Kentucky and 66 Kentucky women die. (Read more)

Laughter The Best Medicine

Laughter The Best Medicine - Laughter is the best medicine to reduce pain. Moreover, if carried to laugh out loud, the effect is much larger than the laughs are on hold.

When we laugh, the body will release hormones that affect pain signals caused by physical illness or psychological stress to the brain so the pain will be reduced. This substance will also cause feelings of pleasure.

Hormones are involved in this case is especially endorphins. The same hormone released when we do sports like running, swimming, yoga, and so on.

Scientists from the UK conducted a study to determine the reaction of the body when we laugh. They recruited participants for the following two types of tests.

The first test is to watch a comedy show from the movie of "Mr. Bean", the series "Friends", or non-humorous impressions like a documentary about animals and the game of golf.

The second test is: watch the direct action of the comedian (stand up comody) or theatrical drama. In this second test, before watching them asked to do a hard workout, like sitting on a hard bench, or standing in a certain position, which essentially causes pain or soreness.

The result, within 15 minutes after watching the action of the comedian to laughter, the participants claimed that the perceived pain was reduced to 10 percent.

According to Robin Dunbar, one of the researchers, not all comedy impressions produce the same effect. "When watching a comedy, a situation they laugh three times more often than the smart comedy," he said.

Bullitt judge strikes down health board's smoking ban; could lead to decision with statewide impact, if appealed

A Bullitt County judge has extinguished a countywide smoking ban that was supposed to go into effect Monday, saying the county health board overstepped its authority. The ruling could lead to a decision with statewide impact, determining whether county health boards have such power; a judge in another county approved a ban there and the ruling was not appealed.

Circuit Judge Rodney Burress called the ban void and unlawful, Charlie White of The Courier-Journal reports. "This court does not believe that type of 'Big Brother' conduct was anticipated by the Kentucky state legislature in its grant of power and authority to boards of health," Burress wrote.

"It's a win for business and a win for choice in Bullitt County," said Harlen Compton, one of the founders of Bullitt County Choice, a group of area business owners and residents.

The ban would have prohibited smoking in bars, restaurants and all public places. But even before the Bullitt County Board of Health passed the ban, the county's eight cities and its Fiscal Court sued the board, White reports.

Swannie Jett, the county's health director, said health officials were "very disappointed" and will decide in the coming weeks if they will appeal the decision.

Burress wrote that Bullitt County residents "are entitled to be governed by their elected representatives and should not be subjected to additional laws enacted by an administrative agency without an express grant of authority."

The health board passed the ban under Kentucky Revised Statute 212.230, which says health boards "shall" adopt, implement and enforce regulations necessary to protect public health. Opponents said such a far-reaching regulation as a smoking ban can only be legally passed by city councils or fiscal courts, White reports.

However, the Bullitt County board is not the first in Kentucky to enact such a ban. Health boards in Woodford, Hopkins, Madison and Clark counties have done likewise. The move in Hopkins County did result in a legal battle, but the judge sided with the health department. (Read more)

Last year, 17.4 percent of Kentuckians lived in poverty and 17.5 percent did not have health insurance

More than one in six Kentuckians lived in poverty last year and almost exactly the same number didn't have health insurance, preliminary U.S. Census numbers show.

The state's poverty rate was 17.4 percent and the uninsured rate was 17.5 percent. Nationwide, 15.1 percent of Americans lived in poverty and 16.3 percent were without health insurance in 2010, reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

To be considered to be living below the poverty line, a family of four must earn less than $22,314 each year.

About 640,000 Kentuckians do not have health insurance. Those numbers have risen as employers have stopped offering coverage to employees, said Jason Bailey, director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. In 2000, 65 percent of Kentuckians had employer-based insurance, but in 2010 only 57 percent did.

Medicaid, which provides coverage for the country's poor and disabled, covered almost 1 in 5 Kentuckians in 2010, up from 1 in 10 in 2000, Bailey said. "The percent of children covered by Medicaid in Kentucky rose 6 percentage points since 2007-08, to 40 percent, keeping the number of uninsured children low," Spears reports. (Read more)

Regulations allowing optometrists to use lasers pass; opponents may sue for violation of Open Meetings Act

Though ophthalmologists and the Kentucky Medical Association strongly objected, a legislative committee passed regulations Tuesday that will allow optometrists to perform some eye surgeries using lasers. In answer, opponents says "they might file legal action against the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, which drafted the regulations, for failing to comply with the state's Open Meetings Act," reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The regulations, authorized by Senate Bill 110 in this year's General Assembly, now go to another legislative panel for final approval. The bill has been cause for controversy, in large part because it passed through the legislature in a swift 12 days. Oklahoma is the only other state that gives similar operating privileges to optometrists.

Ophtalmologists said Tuesday the optometric board "used a task force appointed by the state optometric association, a trade group, to develop the regulations, and those meetings were held in secret with no public input," Musgrave reports. Legislators and optometrists disagreed, saying public comment was allowed at an open meeting in July, and the regulations were altered after task force members took the comments into consideration.

Dr. Woodford Van Meter, president of the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, said patient safety is at risk of optometrists are allowed to perform the procedures, in part because the bill states they only have to receive 32 hours of training and show they can do the procedure once before they can use lasers. By contrast, Van Meter said ophthalmologists have 17,000 hours of surgical training and perform surgeries hundreds of times before being allowed to do them on their own.

If the regulations pass, optometrists may be allowed to perform the surgeries by year's end. (Read more)

Work locally for health care solutions, experts say at annual policy forum; contrasting Medicaid approaches seen

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

After hearing experts say communities should take the lead in improving the quality of health care and lowering its cost — especially because there are so many unknowns about the new federal health care law — McCreary County mother and health activist Susan Taylor stepped up to the microphone Tuesday in Somerset.

"I hear what you're saying, but how do you go about getting our leaders motivated?" she asked a panel at the 2011 Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum.

"That has sort of been my challenge," replied William Hazel, health and human resources secretary in Virginia. "It's an education process."

There were no simple answers, but experts, medical professionals and community members were willing to ask the tough questions and offer their views at the forum, sponsored by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and named for a Kentuckian who played a major role in writing the Medicare law.

Again and again, experts said solutions can be found by going local, rather than focusing on goings-on in Washington or Frankfort. "My whole point is this: Make it work where you live and work and the whole country will want to be like that," said Len Nichols, left, professor of health policy and director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University.

Nichols, the forum's keynoter, advised state legislators and rural Americans to stay calm about health care, focus on what can be measured and change accordingly. "Forget politics," he said. "Forget Obama. Don't watch TV at all. Focus on where you live."

He acknowledged that is easier said than done, because politicians can't talk about health reform "without making half the population mad and half the population scared." "People are scared, and why wouldn't they be scared?" he asked. "It looked and felt and still feels like the Great Depression."

But federal health reform is necessary, Nichols said, because the current system is unsustainable: 7 percent of the average family's income went toward paying health insurance premiums in 1987. By 2006, it had risen to 17 percent and by 2016, withough reform, it is projected to be 34 to 45 percent. Medicare is likewise unsustainable, Nichols said, with a projected 7.3 percent of the gross domestic product being spent on paying for Medicare alone by 2035.

While the majority of the new health law won't be implemented until 2014, and with repeal still a possibility if Obama loses the 2012 presidential election, community-based changes can contain health care costs.

In West Tennessee, businesses have banded together and formed the Memphis Business Group on Health, which represents 350,000 employers, employees and their families. The group chooses its providers based on value and performance and, because its numbers are significant, providers are willing to comply with the group's requirements. CEO Cristie Upshaw Travis said the private sector can "transform the market" by banding together in this way. "They've had absolutely no choice but to change how they do their benefits," she said.

Hospitals, physicians and health plans are all assessed using survey reporting instruments, whether that means an administrator answering questions about the number of pressure ulcers in a hospital or an insurance agent evaluating a plan on consumer engagement or chronic disease management. "Having this public report in our community has had an impact on the improvement, quality and efficiency of care," Travis said. "In one way, it gave them something to focus on."

In North Carolina, the state has turned to patient-centered medical homes for Medicaid patients. In this model, a family doctor's office becomes the hub of a patient's care. With the help of physician assistants and nurse practitioners, doctors use electronic health records to track patients between visits, communicate with specialists, monitor blood sugar and blood pressure and are actively involved in whether patients are getting enough exercise or taking their medicine.

There are 1,400 medical homes in North Carolina, the first of which was developed in a rural county in the late 1980s. "There was a huge access problem, the emergency room was overrun," said Tork Wade, executive director of Community Care of North Carolina. But by increasing access points, linking patients with a primary care physician and engaging community leaders — "That was another key thing," Wade said — the effort worked. "We got money to go to another 12 counties," Wade said. "(The model) responded to a real need, it wasn't just top down."

The state's embrace of Wade's non-profit program, which is effectively a managed-care plan for Medicaid, struck a contrast with Kentucky's current shift to a managed-care system run by competing, for-profit companies. "My problem with a competing system is that it doesn't lift all boats," Wade said at a breakout session, where advocates said the Kentucky plan seems more concerned with saving money than ensuring quality.

Kentucky Health and Human Services Secretary Janie Miller, left, a McCreary County native who gave openign remarks, said Medicaid should provide what patients need, "but there hasn't really been a strong, deliberate, structured method . . . to really assure we're getting the best bang for the buck."

Though the North Carolina program is now statewide, the key was that the answers came from the communities, Wade said: "It has to be local. If it doesn't work in the community, it's not going to work. So you might as well start there." Getting buy-in from rural communities was easier than in urban centers because "in urban areas there are competing health systems," Wade said. "In rural areas, there is a single system of care and a history of people working together."

Susan Taylor is going the local route by focusing on prevention with Get Healthy McCreary County, which the health department there formed in 2007. The mission is to create awareness about healthy living in the community and promote any events that relate to it.

Though the group has hosted a few events, including a cooking class for kids and an educational session on the health reform law, Taylor says she is having trouble generating interest. "I just think they haven't really realized how important our health is," she said. "Once we get sick, then we'll go to the doctor and worry about it. They don't understand prevention."

Taylor went to Tuesday's forum to find answers, but came away with more questions. As for the federal health care law fixing community problems, Taylor — whose personal interest even prompted her to get a copy of the 1,200-page health care law from her congressman — admitted she doesn't know if that will happen. "I think we saw that" at the forum, she said. "Even amongst the people who seem aware, still no one really know how it's going to play out."

Journey with Chronic Illness

By Janis Uquillas, R.N.
9/12/11

The last time I remember sleeping well without a natural or medicinal sleep aid is when I was a teenager.  Now, I am 59+ years old.  I have lived with Chronic Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple disc herniations, chronic nerve pain and arthritis to name a few for many years.  I think that I got infected with Lyme disease as a teenager and have been sick since.  The Lyme wasn't diagnosed until approximately 3-4 years ago.  I believe that the Lyme disease is the root cause of many of my symptoms.  Treating chronic long term Lyme disease is not only extremely expensive but difficult to put it mildly.  I long go lost optimistism for beating this illness and settled into a quiet reserve of life with pain, fatigue and many other issues.  JES Organics has been such a blessing for me, I can't imagine life without my mission.  At times, I wondered given the poor quality of life, how I could manage to live into old age not sleeping and living with pain all the time. 

Sleep had always been a big problem for me along with a host of many other symptoms.  I try to be as alternative as possible in any treatment approaches as I believe that medicines while they sometimes have their places in our lives and in our health, generally cause more problems and should be avoided as much as possible.  If there is a natural approach, try that first in my opinion.   

Approximately 3 months ago, my holistic doctor recommended North Pole magnetic therapy for me as treatment for my Lyme disease.  Initially, I took this information lightly because after all, I have been an alternative medical researcher for years and I hadn't heard much on this topic before.  Then he asked me to read a book on the subject which I slowly got around to doing.   The book certainly peaked my interest enough to want to learn more on the subject, to be honest, it sounded too good to be true!  So I went to the library and checked out every single book available on magnetic therapy and also did a lot of research on the Internet reading as many articles as I could find.  Every single book and article I have read has indicated that north pole magnetic therapy is beneficial for so many symptoms and illnesses.  I also learned that the reason it may not be widely known is because clinical trials are extremely costly to conduct and often require private funds unless it is a drug backed by a big pharmaceutical company.  Let's face it, do you really think that 'Big Pharma' wants to do clinical trials on magnets that would eliminate the need for many drugs. 

So after months of researching and trying to find out the correct protocols for me, I am excited to say that my magnetics are on the way here, due to arrive this week.  I feel like I have been waiting forever for them to arrive.  In the meantime, 3 weeks ago, I ordered 2 magnetic pads.  Today I can report that I haven't taken any sleep aids for almost 2 weeks now and sleeping very well.  The north pole negative polarity magnets stimulate the pineal gland and melatonin production.  I never liked taking the melatonin supplement because the sleep wasn't great and it gave me nightmares but I have no problem with natural production of the melantonin.  This is just the tip of the iceberg for me.

In the books and articles that I have read, I am very optimistic that the magnetic protocols will change my life.  This is highly unusual for me, a natural skeptic and someone that has tried many things.  My doctor did warn me and this was confirmed in all of my reading that not all magnetics are created equally.  It is crucial to get the right type, right size, correct protocol and good quality.   

As my journey continues, I will be excited to share my progress with you.  It is possible that I will experience some detox reactions during treatment and that is to be expected, I don't fear that like I did with taking medications in the past for Lyme as I don't also have to worry about the damage that the treatment is doing to my body because the magnets will not harm me. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail Janis at jes@jescollection.com.

Fruit juice that cause the face Fair

We have so many gifts of nature that if proper use is made of them which can increase your beauty and maintain our own health. If you are healthy there is an improvement in brightness and beauty of your face. There are few natural gifts of nature that have certain qualities. Use them and see what effectiveness is.

Apple

It is a kind of astringent and tonic. Take a little apple juice in a bowl and clean your face with it, will the fair of face, clean the skin and close pores. It eliminates the problem of constipation, removes toxins from the body and lowers cholesterol.

Sweet Melon

It is an especially good quality cleaner. Take a little juice from it and wipe your face with the help of cotton. It removes the unsoiled. It has a good amount of water in it, it works as a moisturizer.

Avocado

It removes the blood deficiency (anemia) in the body. Reduce the level of bleeding during menstruation. It stops hair loss. That will make your face right.

Banana

That has anti fungal elements. Reduces cholesterol and removes toxins from the body.

Cucumber

Reduces important blood pressure. Works as a high-quality astringent. This makes the body cool and ads shine to the face. Clean your face with the help of cotton with cucumber juice.

Papaya 

 That improves the digestion method. Controls the gas and acidity helps remove toxic elements from the body. It's good for oily skin. Take a tablespoon of sandalwood powder. Mash two papayas spoon in it. Apply this paste on your face for 10-15 minutes. Wash your face with clean water. Do this two or three times a week. Take the excess oil from your face and remove the black spots on the face.

Mango

It has a good amount of vitamin A, C and E. ripe mango reduces acidity and helps to increase the weight. Eating handle every day, but it will make the fair of face.

Orange

It has the ability to provide energy immediately. It's great for the skin. It's a good way of cleaning. Has vitamin C, A, B and potassium. Make powder dried orange peel and apply on the pimples. Put a few drops of rose water in your dust. Apply this paste on the face. Black points are deleted from the face.