Affordable health care is often determined by your health. If you are overweight, have diabetes or other weight-related issues, insurance will likely be more expensive.

So what can you do to control your costs?

In two words: Get Healthy.

Here are a few ways that you can make health a priority again and get your healthcare costs under control.

1.  Skip the drive thru. Even though Health Affairs reported that people would downsize instead of supersize a meal, it’s the quality of the food you are eating, not just the quantity. Processed foods are higher in preservatives, additives, and sodium. This leaves your body running on empty calories. However, if you make your meals at home and carry your own snacks, you will fuel your body on whole, hearty calories that your body can use, rather than store.

a.  Fast food ideas from home: sandwiches made with tasty spreads, such as hummus, yogurt, or cheese. Veggies and dips made from the same aforementioned spreads, nuts, seeds, cheeses, fruits, boiled eggs, homemade granola and trail mix snacks.

b.  Homemade alternatives to processed foods: Tacos, soups, pizzas

c.  Cooking Tips: Make ahead and store. Cook once or twice a week and keep the fridge stocked with wholesome goodness that your family will turn to instead of chips, crackers, or canned pastas.

2.  Keep it whole at home and outside. If you eat out, eat at restaurants where the food is whole and fresh, not premade or from a steam table. Italian, Greek, and Mediterranean restaurants and cafes offer fast choice alternatives that are healthier and more flavorful than processed or fast food.

3.  Exercise daily. You know the adage, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, 15 minutes of moving  a day is just as healthy. In today’s world, you have to seek out exercise, just as back in the time of the ancients, they had to seek out food. They had bountiful exercise,  but little food. We have bountiful “food” and little exercise. This has created a severe deficit in our health balance.

4.  Control your temper. Chronic stress affects the body and health in ways that were never understood until recently. Now, it is known what constant exposure to stressors does to the mind, the body, and the body systems. One way to control those stressors is to be aware. When you feel anger and stress creeping up on you, stop and focus: What is really upsetting you? Is it a perceived threat or a true threat? If it is just you overreacting to an office incident, reframe it and move on. There is little good in the way of persuing anger triggers that is beneficial to your health. Forget it and move on.

5.  Sleep well. Most Americans these days are operating on longer work days, less sleep, and poor nutrition. All of these factors are contributing to an overall decrease in health. Sleeping a sufficient amount of time each night (7-9 hours) can help bring your appetite back into check. It can help correct hormone imbalances that affect diseases in your body. It can also prepare you to better handle stress. Proper sleeping habits are as essential to your health as proper nutrition.

If you can bring balance and whole foods to your life, you can take control of your health. If you can take those steps to becoming healthier, you can control your health care costs. Not only will you have to visit the doctor less, but you will be able to find more affordable health insurance coverage.

A family’s dream achieved.

What steps will be the easiest for you to incorporate today to get on the road to lower health care costs?

Life is beautiful.

You and your family are in perfect health.

Then, one afternoon, your son falls at school and breaks his arm. Now he needs surgery to put a pin in it.

And you don’t have insurance.

You thought about it a million times, but didn’t think you could afford it. You thought it was too time consuming searching for quotes and plans. You didn’t think you needed it.

Now, you have ER visits, X-rays, surgery, and follow-up visits to pay for.

How will you do it?

You’ve just incurred a medical debt that could take years to repay.

Don’t become a victim of the healthcare industry because you don’t have insurance. Doctors and hospitals often charge 2-3 times more for the same care they give insured patients. You could spend years paying off what you could have had covered from the start.

Preventative Care Pays Off

How many doctor visits have you avoided because you didn’t think you could afford the visit without insurance? You know the costs add up. But by not having your checkups you could end up spending even more in the long run.

Diseases and issues gone untreated worsen over time and often require more treatments to cure or control.

More treatments equal more money out of your pocket.

With a few moments it takes to fill out a few short questions, you could have found quotes and compared plans to help you decide which one is right for you and your family. And avoided more financial strain.

Don’t live in fear another moment.

Your family needs their checkups and so do you. If you’re not healthy, you can’t take care of them or help keep them healthy.

Pre-existing or Chronic Conditions Mean Higher Medical Bills

Pre-existing or chronic conditions means you may already know the pain of medical bills without coverage. Getting insurance when you already have a condition is difficult.

But it’s not impossible.

All you need is the focus to know what you can afford and the little time it takes to get the quotes and plan specifics to fit your budget. Paying a little each month for insurance will ease your financial burdens from health care in the long run…for you and your family.

Play it smart.

Find affordable health coverage today and rest easy knowing that your family’s covered and your finances are safe.

Buying individual health insurance can seem like a scary process, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a little patience and organization and before you know it, you’ll have the medical coverage that you need.

Before you start the process, sit down and figure out how much you can afford to spend on health care costs each month. Be sure to account for how much of a cash reserve you typically have in savings. You will also want to think back over the past year or so and figure out how much you’ve averaged in health care costs. These figures will help you make the best choice when buying individual health insurance.

You can either use the services of a health insurance broker or agent to buy health insurance or use a health insurance comparison website to get instant health insurance quotes from different carriers. Both are good options and you should choose the one that makes you feel most comfortable. Don’t worry, if you go with using the website, you will still be able to get human assistance via an 800 number if you have questions or need guidance.

Once you know which plans are available to you, it’s time to make the choice. No one plan is the right fit for everyone. In general, you can get the lowest premiums by choosing a plan with a high deductible. This means that you will pay less each month, but if you need health care, you’ll pay quite a bit out of pocket before insurance kicks in. These plans can work well for healthy, young people especially when combined with a health savings account (HSA).

If you go to the doctor a lot and have ongoing health needs or are uncomfortable with the risks of a high deductible plan, you can opt for a plan with a lower deductible but with higher premiums. It will cost you more out of pocket, but you won’t have to worry about coming up with a couple or more thousand dollars should you become gravely ill or injured.

Once you choose the plan that is the best fit for you, the next step is to fill out an application and wait to see if you are accepted and get your plan ids in the mail.

Buying individual health insurance will give you peace of mind and more financial security, so don’t be intimidated, start the process today.

photo credit: ©istock/peepo

The costs of medical services are rising at an alarming rate, making medical insurance more necessary than ever before. Unfortunately, the costs for health insurance are also going up, making it more and more difficult for many families to find affordable medical insurance. Luckily, there are many ways to get affordable health insurance.

Many trade associations, professional organizations, and labor unions all offer affordable medical insurance options to their members. Some of these groups will offer insurance directly as a benefit of membership. Others will merely make deals with insurance providers to give their members better deals on policies that the members will have to buy themselves. Either way, you will be able to get a medical insurance quote at a lower, and hopefully more affordable, rate.

There are many different government agencies which offer health insurance plans and policies. These policies are designed to provide affordable health insurance options for the economically disadvantaged, recently unemployed, and the disabled. Most government provided plans are among the least expensive options available, and many are totally free. Unfortunately, many of these options are only available for the short term. Also, most government sponsored plans have stringent eligibility requirements which can be hard to meet.

Finally, many different private health insurance providers have policies which are specifically designed to be affordable. Affordable health insurance plans come in many forms. Some of the most common are high deductible plans. High deductible plans require you to pay more money on your own before they will contribute. However, they also have lower monthly premiums. Another type of affordable health insurance is a catastrophic injury only plan. These plans will only cover major medical emergencies, but they are also among the lowest cost plans available. While most affordable health insurance plans have some drawbacks, they do provide you with the protection that you and your family need.

With the economy in a downturn and the costs of most everyday expenses rising, you may be feeling a fair amount of financial heat. You may be struggling to pay your bills as it is, and you may believe that affordable medical insurance policies are not a reality for you. Luckily, you are very much mistaken as affordable medical insurance policies really are out there; you just need to know where to look for them.

There are literally thousands of health and medical insurance policies available from hundreds of different providers. Many of these policies are designed with an eye towards keeping them as low cost as possible. Health insurance policies can be less expensive. Many of them do so by reducing the coverage available from more costly monthly plans.  While reduced coverage is generally not a good thing, reduced coverage is definitely better than no coverage at all.

One common type of affordable medical insurance policy is known as a high deductible health insurance policy. High deductible policies require you to pay more money out of your own pocket before the policy will contribute anything. However, to make up for it, they also charge you lower monthly premiums, sometimes substantially so. This can work to your advantage. If you and your family do not regularly go to the doctor or require other medical services, a high deductible policy can save you money every month, money that you can use for other things.

Another type of affordable medical insurance policy is known as a catastrophic injury only policy. These policies have extremely reduced coverage. In fact, they only will cover damage and medical expenses caused by severe injury. These plans also tend to have very high deductibles. On the other hand, these plans are among the least expensive medical insurance plans available one the market. If you are truly unable to pay for most plans, a catastrophic injury only policy may be the best available option available to you.

Affordable Health Insurance is in Your Reach. Here’s How to Get It

Finding affordable health insurance is comparable to scaling the peak of Everest these days; not many achieve the goal. Of course, government’s health care reform can only do so much, which is why many people decide to take obtaining cheap health insurance into their own hands to make sure they have the best coverage and to ensure their family is protected. Health insurance doesn’t have to be out of your reach, there are plenty of options. Let’s take a look at a few ideas for finding affordable health insurance, effectively reducing the peak of Everest to the height of a hike-able hill.

4 Steps to an Affordable Health Insurance Plan

If your current premiums seem a bit high or you think it will be impossible to afford health insurance due to your health history and family history, think again. There are a number of ways to help bring down the cost of health insurance premiums and lower the monthly payment amount. While all of these options might not be possible for you, knowing your options can help you make an informed decision.

Step One – Increase Your Deductible

Your deductible is the amount of money you will need to pay before your insurance company will begin paying for your medical expenses. Raising your deductible let’s your insurance company know that you are serious about health coverage and since you are willing to take on more of the financial burden if something were to happen, they help you out by lowering your monthly payments to a more reasonable rate. The only key to this decision is making sure that you will be able to afford the increased out-of-pocket expense when those charges actually do come through.

Step Two – Choose a Different Plan Option

There are different plan options, such as PPOs, HMOs, traditional indemnity, or pay-as-you-go plans. Each plan is different and offers a different amount of flexibility in terms of choosing a provider and how they get paid. The fewer choices you have the lower your rates will be. If you don’t mind giving up a few options, this is a great way to reduce your monthly premium.

If none of these options seem like they will work, you can always go for the Uni-plan. Basically this plan is based on taking advantage of the medical schools located in your general vicinity. The great thing about these schools is that you are actually helping to build the doctors of the future while getting a significant discount on your medical expenses.

Step Three – Clean Living

What is good health worth to you? Did you know that you could actually buy your way into a lower premium and more affordable health insurance by making lifestyle changes like losing weight, joining a health club and even quitting smoking? While this is a personally challenging way to lower your health insurance premiums, it is also the one that will make the biggest difference in both your checkbook and in your life. Quitting smoking, maintaining healthy sugar levels, losing weight, and even lowering your FICO score can help improve the cost of insurance.

Step Four – Shop Around

The health insurance field is highly competitive and there are more health insurance providers and plans than you can shake a stick at. Taking the time to compare options and prices is bound to save you money. It often takes a lot of legwork to find health insurance but these days using a comparison site like HealthCompare can let you view multiple health insurance quotes in a matter of minutes.

In addition to finding a lower price, chances are you will find a plan that suites your needs better too. The best way to get the lowest rate on health insurance premiums is to take your time from the beginning. If you are already in a plan and are looking for ways to reduce your monthly premiums, you can always increase your deductible, choose a different plan option, make a lifestyle change or take the time to shop around correctly. An affordable health insurance plan is great, but ultimately, a policy that keeps you in good health is the real goal.

If you find yourself with the need to get your own individual health insurance policy, either because you don’t have access to an employer plan or because the employer plan you have access to simply isn’t good for you, don’t fret. There is a lot of media attention focused on how unaffordable individual plans can be. It is entirely true that some plans are outrageously priced. But for most people who need such a plan, there is a plan available that will save them money in the long run based on how they use their coverage. So how do you go about finding affordable individual health insurance?

Associations

You may think that you have to get an affordable health insurance plan all on your own, but is that the only option available to you? You should first start looking at the various trade associations that you may already belong to or that you can join easily. Many trade associations offer a group plan that you may be able to join, and these rates might be the most affordable plan for you. Keep in mind that most working professionals will have numerous trade associations that they may fall under or qualify for.

Shopping

If you determine that you do indeed need to find an affordable individual health insurance plan, first and foremost understand what exactly your needs are. You should know whether you want a high deductible and low co-pay option or vice versa. Sometimes you may find that the best option is a plan that offers a mid-range deductible with a mid-range co-pay. You should also try to understand what basic coverage is with such a plan and to determine if you need a coverage that is not normally included on an individual plan, such as maternity coverage. This can really narrow down your options and simplify the shopping process.

Brokers

If you decide that shopping around to company after company just isn’t for you, by all means, outsource that job. Brokers are chomping at the bit to get the chance to help you. Their services are free to you, and they are paid by the insurer that you ultimately decide to go with. They can steer you to several of the top affordable individual health insurance plans. Once you have quotes from them, do your shopping to determine not just which plan is the best in terms of price but also which company is the most reputable and trustworthy. You don’t want to find a great price on coverage and then run into hassles and headaches when you actually try to use your coverage.

Being tasked with shopping for affordable medical coverage may seem like a headache from the outset, but a large part of this perception is due to the negative media attention this topic has gotten recently. It isn’t impossible by any means to find coverage that you can afford under an individual plan, and using some of these tips can help you to make the shopping process far easier and end up with better results in the long run, too.

Buying personal health insurance can seem intimidating, especially if you’ve always been covered under an employer’s group health plan or a parent or spouse’s policy. The good news is that while it will take time and research, it’s not nearly as complicated as it seems on the outside.

Step One: Get a Quote

Where to Get a Health Insurance Personal Quote

One of the easiest way to start your search is to look for companies on the internet that offer health insurance quotes from a variety of providers. Quote comparison sites such as Health Compare also have tools to make it easy to compare the pros and cons of various plans.

The process is very easy, you only have to fill out a simple web form that asks for basic information such as your zip code, the ages of the parties to be insured and details about tobacco use and if any applicants are full time students. The website will then give you a list of insurers that could offer you coverage and the details of every plan that suits your needs. The quotes offered will be for a variety of plans and it is important to compare the details of each insurer’s offer to make sure the insurance will be suitable for your needs and budget.

Next you will be asked to fill out a more detailed online application and then you will be notified shortly if you are eligible for the plan and what additional steps you must take to obtain the health insurance coverage.

Of course, you could also visit the individual health insurance company sites and request a quote directly. The process is similar and many of the websites offer tools and calculators to help you determine what your needs are for health insurance to help you to find a policy that is a best fit for your circumstances. Most companies will also provide a toll free number that you can call with any questions about your quote or to find out other specific details.

If you prefer to work with a local insurance agent you will find that there are many that specialize and are licensed to sell private health insurance policies and will be glad to work with you to get the best coverage at an affordable price. Begin your search for a reputable agent by asking your current agent if they are qualified to write health insurance policies. If they are not licensed, they will be glad to  give you a referral to a colleague who is. Make sure that the agent gives you written details of all the potential plans and explains anything you do not understand or are unsure about. Don’t let yourself feel pressured and don’t feel obligated to buy until you are certain it’s a good policy for you.

Do some research to find out about any consumer complaints and check that your preferred doctor and hospital are in their network before you commit to any policy. Be careful to ask about any exclusions and be certain that you fully understand any and all potential out of pocket expenses and what the proper procedures are for filing a claim. After you’ve compared all the details the cheapest health insurance quote might not turn out to be the best deal.

What to Consider  Beyond the Premium

Premiums are but a small part of the price of health insurance, deductibles vary widely by policy and a high deductible can leave you with sky high bills in the future. As you are shopping for health care insurance or trying to decide between employer sponsored plans, be certain to not only look at the  premium but other potential costs such as the deductible, coinsurance and co-pays. These can make a huge difference in what you ultimately pay for health care.

Policies with a high deductible and lower premiums can be a choice that makes sense for those not anticipating needing very much in the way of health care and who have plentiful cash reserves if they experience an unexpected serious illness or accident. Tax-free health savings accounts are used by many people to set aside money each year to be on hand for larger costs such as a devastating illness or childbirth. Savings on premiums can be rather large but some risk-averse people will find that a policy like this might not suit their temperment.

For those with chronic conditions or who are in poor health, deductible costs can be a barrier to receiving the treatment that they require. If you have significant medical care costs and are eligible for employer sponsored health care, a plan with higher premiums which offers a lower, or no deductible and smaller co-pays and coinsurance amounts will most likely be your best bet. Private plans for those in poor health are unfortunately generally only available with a very high deductible and exclusions for coverage of the pre-existing condition. Some states have plans that guarantee coverage to individuals who are considered uninsurable, but they are often extremely expensive and thus out of reach.

Besides the deductible, coinsurance costs and co-pays will factor into how much your out of pocket health care costs will be. The coinsurance is the percentage of the bill you pay after you’ve reached your deductible. A co-pay is a flat fee that you pay each time you are  seen by a doctor or for specific medical procedures. As before, the lower these amounts, the higher your premium is likely to be.

For those  in a plan that has a high deductible, they should discuss the cost of procedures with their doctor and about lower priced alternatives. Some physician’s offices and other medical facilities will be able to offer discounts for those who can pay upfront or might be able to work out payment plans to spread out the cost of your care over time. Even for those in good health, deductible costs can make health care a bigger bite out of your budget than you’d expected.

The Difference Between PPOs, HMOs and POS Plans Explained

You will find that there are many varieties of managed care coverage for health: PPO (preferred provider organization), HMO (health maintenance organization), and POS (point of service) plans are the ones you’ll find most often.

Managed care systems contract for their members with care providers in a network. When shopping for a policy, consumers must make certain that there are adequate primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals within the organization’s network. It is also important to understand the similarities and differences between the kinds of managed care plans. The network usually includes hospitals, primary care physicians, specialists, and sometimes even pharmacies. The network care providers have agreed to provide services at a rate negotiated with the insurer.

A point of service plan, or POS, is a cross between a health maintenance organization and a preferred provider organization. Policyholders can choose care providers in or out of the network referrals to specialists go through the primary care physician just as within a health maintenance organization, While policyholders can choose to go out of network; deductibles and higher copays/lower reimbursement rates are likely to apply. There are usually no deductibles and only very low co-pays within the network.

Members of a PPO or preferred provider organization can choose care providers both in or out of the network. If they choose other than the preferred (in-network) providers, copays and deductibles are likely to be higher and rates of reimbursement lower. They can self-refer to specialists without involving the primary care physician. There is a strong financial incentive to remain with the preferred providers in the network even with having the freedom to choose from outside the network.

Policyholders who have health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are restricted to care providers that are in their network: in extraordinary circumstances it might be possible for an exception to be made, but they are few and far between. There are usually no deductibles to be met and very low, if any, copays. Members must designate a primary care physician and referrals to specialists must be made through that primary care physician.

Managed care plans for health – PPO, HMO, and POS –  do have a lot of similarities, there are also important differences between the kinds of plans. People planning their health care coverage should have a good think and decide what is most important to them: if they expect to choose out of network providers frequently, then perhaps a preferred provider organization would be the best choice. If controlling expenses and avoiding deductibles is the primary goal, a health maintenance organization is most likely to do that. If both are equally important, then a point of service plan may be just what the doctor ordered.

When you are making decision about your coverage for health, PPO, HMOs and POS are all very valid choices.

It’s normal to feel a dip in energy levels as autumn turns into winter and the days grow shorter while the mercury dips. Instead of giving in, why not take action this week to recharge your life batteries so that you can enjoy the season? Here are some of our best tips that anyone can do and best of all most of them are completely free and require no special equipment!

First, Try These Six Things to Help You Slow Down and Enjoy Life More

Do you feel like you not only lack the time to relax but that you wouldn’t know how to even if somebody plopped you in a beach chair and stuck a coconut-umbrella drink in your hand? You can slow down and enjoy more of life; here are six ways.

1. Eat your meals at a table, preferably on a plate. Make it a rule that you won’t eat in front of you computer or in your car and instead carve out times during the day where you can pause and concentrate on nourishing your body. Not only are you likely to make healthier choices and eat more reasonable portions if you pay attention to what you are eating, you’ll be making sure that you have times during the day to unwind and take a breather.

Note: this will not work if you just decide not to eat at all instead of eating at a table. The point is to understand that taking care of your body’s needs is one of your highest priorities and that you deserve to spend time taking care of yourself, not shoehorning it in wherever you can while taking care of other things.

2. Walk instead of driving. Whenever it’s feasible, leave the car at home and walk. You’ll not only get fresh air and exercise but you will save yourself a lot of driving related stress. When you’re walking, you really get to concentrate on what is going on in the world around you, instead of having mere fractions of seconds to see what’s going on outside your car windows.

Although obviously you can’t walk as fast as a car can drive, you might be surprised how little extra time walking takes than driving over short distances and how effectively you can use those extra minutes to think, daydream and relax.

3. Leave the phones and laptops at home. I’m as addicted to my iPhone and laptop as the next person but I find that I enjoy myself a lot more when I accidently leave them at home and have no choice but to interact with the world around me. There is something about constantly pulling out a phone to check messages that puts us in a sort of high alert, stressed state. Even if there is nothing urgent we are waiting for, I believe the act of constantly checking tricks our minds into thinking that we’re in a stressful situation and we tense up accordingly.

Although it’s not possible to always leave the phone or laptops at home, train yourself not to keep checking and keep it put away until you have a real need to use it. Let yourself get bored, you’ll find that once you give in, your mind will wander and you’ll either find something interesting to do or have a nice, productive daydreaming session.

4. Be nice to kids and animals. If you have a child or animal in your life that you can spend time with, make the effort to do so. Children and animals are absolute genuises at throwing themselves in the moment and enjoying life as it comes. Even a half hour throwing a frisbee around with a dog or twenty minutes of coloring and making up stories as you go along with a preschooler can take you back to a simpler time in your own life and remind you what it’s like to be completely absorbed in having fun.

5. Learn something new, preferably by taking a class. There is nothing like learning a new skill or applying ourselves to a new field of study to get our minds engaged. It might not seem like slowing down to make the commitment to learn something new, but giving your brain a workout is one of the best ways to enjoy life. Too often we’re on autopilot, doing the same things over and over again.

When we approach something unfamiliar, we not only need to slow down in order to take it all in and fully incorporate it into our repetoire, but we are also doing the most effective thing to keep our minds young and supple and maximise the enjoyment we can get from life.

6. Realize you don’t have to do everything. Take a look at your to do list and ask yourself what will happen if each item doesn’t get done. The very worst thing, go big, really reach for the worst possible scenario. It will probably make you realize how unimportant a lot of the items really are!

Of course, there are some things that will need to be done by you in a timely manner, for everything else, decide if you can:

• Completely eliminate from you list
• Outsource it
• Delay it

If you can’t let go of the feeling that everything needs to be done in a certain way by you, it will be worthwhile to examine why you feel this way and explore ways that you can become comfortable being less than perfect and relinquishing some control. It’s okay to be ambitious and to have high standards, but if you want to slow down and can’t find a way to make that happen, something has go to give.

Next, Discover How You Can Wake Up Feeling Refreshed, Not Groggy

Have you ever woken up in the morning only to find that you’re even more tired than you were the night before?

If your sleep isn’t leaving you refreshed or re-energized, then not only will it be difficult to get your morning started off right, it will also be difficult for you to feel the genuine enthusiasm for life that can keep you happy and performing at your peak all throughout the day.

Getting the best rest possible isn’t just about getting the hours of sleep you need. You must also establish an environment and create the effective habits that are most conducive to eliminating the fatigue from your life.

Here are a few hints that will help you get the kind of sleep that will have you leaping from your bed with a smile on your face, each and every morning.

Make Sure Your Sleep Problems Are on the Surface

If your difficulties with sleep are clinical, then even the best sleep habits will do little to help you get the rest you really need. If you are suffering from a sleeping disorder such as Sleep Apnea, it’s critical you get the attention you need from a medical professional.

One of the most easily recognized symptoms of Sleep Apnea is excessive, loud snoring combined with overwhelming daytime fatigue. If you have these symptoms, please consult your physician.

Make Room For Yourself

If there are no physical reasons for your early morning lack of energy, take a look around your immediate environment and you just might find the problem is scattered all around you.

It’s a poorly disguised secret that many of us tend to let clutter crawl toward every corner of our bedrooms even when the more visible rooms in our house are all neat and tidy.

Not only do cluttered environments dim your spirits and drain your ability to concentrate, piles of clothing and bric-a-brac can collect dust that irritates your nasal passages and causes sinus headaches.

Make the time to de-clutter your bedroom. Make sure that everything either has a home, is thrown in the trash, or is stowed inside a single junk drawer. Do all you can to avoid even small piles of miscellaneous items, as they can quickly become multiplying mini-mountains strewn across every flat surface.

If you have too much stuff to store in closets and dressers, use that as a sign to ditch the excess. This will keep your environment tidy and organized while helping to elevate your spirit. 

It is all too easy for our attachments to material possessions to anchor us in place and dull our momentum.

Create a Peaceful Environment

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary. That doesn’t mean you need to furnish your space with Egyptian cotton or elegant furniture, but you will rest better and wake up happier in the morning if your bedding is frequently changed and stays smelling fresh and free of grime and grit.

Imagine opening your eyes in the morning and only seeing cleanliness and serenity instead of cluttered piles that stir your inner anxiety. You’ll have a calmer start to your day and find sleep easier to achieve at night.

Hygiene Isn’t Just For the Bathroom

Sleep hygiene are those best practices that set the stage for proper rest. Effective sleep hygiene helps you to get the deep sleep your body needs to march through each day staring it in the eye.

It might take a little trial and error before you can determine your optimum sleep schedule, but once you find it, you should adhere to it as much as you possibly can.

Whatever habits you establish, keep them consistent. Sleeping in on the weekends might seem like a great way to catch up on sleep, but Monday comes too fast and you’ll feel worse than before if you let the patterns you establish fall to far out of whack.

Calm Yourself

Let your days wind down peacefully. Rather than watching television or getting on the computer to check your email one last time, declare the final hour of your day as screen-free.

Do something relaxing such as reading or spending quiet time with your spouse. Do something to take care of yourself that will help ease your body and mind into a restful state. A warm bath, for example, makes an excellent pre-bedtime transition as it provides an environment where your body can finally relax and allow the stress of your day to melt away.

If your morning’s first thoughts are regularly filled with stress, a bit of guided meditation before bed time might help to rid your mind of anxiety and allow your brain to work on your problems rather than helplessly fretting.

There are many books, CD’s and DVD’s that can help to guide you through meditation. Try several, then find one that works for you.

By taking the time to massage your sleep environment into a clean and healthy space, you will be practicing good sleep hygiene. By using meditation to help your mind release anxiety, you will fall to sleep faster and wake up happier in the morning.

The effort you put into improving your sleep and getting better rest will pay dividends each day. You will wake up happier and more ready to live the life that you deserve.

If You’re Not Already Exercising, Now is the Time to Start

Getting in shape, and staying there, is an essential ingredient to a well lived life.

Yet it isn’t always easy, and anyone who says it is probably doesn’t have kids or a hectic home life, a busy work schedule, or perhaps, the ability to tell the truth!

Sometimes, simply starting a new routine is the best thing you can possibly do. Soon enough, your routines will become habit and your habit will lead to a dramatic improvement in your overall lifestyle.

The best way to turn your routine into a habit isn’t just to start, it’s to start off right.

6 Tips to Get Your Next Fitness Routine Started Off on the Right Foot

1) Don’t be a gym junkie. Too many people start out with a new workout program under the incorrect assumption that more work means faster results. Yet it is always better to take things one step at a time. You’ve trained your body for a certain amount of work, and though you can gradually increase that workload, you cannot expect to multiply your body’s ability to deliver overnight. If you want to increase your chances of success, you must first moderate your expectations.

2) Eat right. Three reasonable meals alongside a couple of sensible snacks spaced throughout the day is optimum. It’s easy to think the best way to lose weight or stay in shape is to workout more and eat less. But as you work out, your body actually requires more energy. It isn’t about how much you eat, but how and what you are putting into your body. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, and always after you workout. This will help to prevent your body from running on fumes, while also keeping you refueled when you need it most. The ideal meal morning and after workout meal consists of moderate carbohydrates for energy with a bit of protein to help your muscles rebuild.

3) Save the cardio. Most people start with cardio, then move on to their weight training or other exercises. But if cardio isn’t the primary focus of your workout, you should always save it for last. When you perform aerobic-type exercises first, your body will become more fatigued and less able to get the milage you are wanting from the rest of your workout. As a general rule, strength training has less impact on cardio, than cardio on strength training.

4) Mix it up. If you do the same routine each day, your body will never have the chance to adapt. This will minimize your ability to improve. The human body is remarkably quick when adapting to new stimuli, but it can only evolve when prompted. Repeating the same routine will increase your body’s ability to handle that particular workout, but it will do little to produce an adaptive response. Many people never realize that this is the primary reason why their workout efforts plateau.

5) Stretch. You should start every workout with warm-up and stretching exercises. If you jump right into your workout, you could end up pulling a muscle or unnecessarily fatiguing a tendon. By gradually elevating your body temperature before moving to the more intense part of your workout, you will be able to significantly reduce the chance of premature exhaustion or unnecessary injury. Once your tissues are warm, you can stretch them for five to 10 minutes, focusing your effort on those body parts you plan to work the hardest.

6) Recover. Though recovery is every bit as important as the workout itself, few people give it the attention it deserves. An intense workout tears the body’s muscle fibers. But only after you’ve completed your workout can those muscle tissues start to rebuild, and that can only happen if your body is given adequate downtime between workouts. Make sure you are getting the sleep you need at night to balance the workouts you get during the day. Eight hours is best. Adequate rest will help to keep you mentally and physically equipped to make the most of your workouts. Sleep itself will help to release the growth-inducing hormones your body needs to make the most of the time you spend in the gym.

The right fitness routine can help make all the difference in a well lived and balanced life. Just make sure you’re making the most of each workout and giving your body all the attention it deserves.

You might think that you are doing everything in your power to raise a healthy family, but many of us are doing things that are putting our family’s health at risk without even knowing it. From the foods we eat to the examples we are setting, here are some of the ways that we are jeopardizing the future health of our families.

Bad Foods You Think Are Good

You probably have a few of these health food masqueraders in your pantry or refrigerator right now.

While almost every food is okay in moderation, make sure you aren’t fooled into thinking you can consume these foods with abandon.

The best policy for a healthy diet? Pack as many unprocessed fruits, vegetables and lean protein into your meals and snacks as possible and save packaged and processed foods for an occasional treat or time-saver.

1. Granola bars – These treats seem so wholesome; many of them advertising that they are made with good for you ingredients like oats, dried fruit and nuts. Many brands are extremely high in sugar and some contain saturated fat, making them more like candy bars than a health food. In fact, many varieties contain chocolate chips, marshmallows or M & M brand candies!

Be sure to read the labels before you buy and look for brands with low added sugar and no trans fats and less than one gram of saturated fats.

2.Flavored yogurts – Yogurt has a great reputation for being the secret to health and longevity. The live cultures it contains contribute to digestive health and it’s a rich source of calcium and protein.

Most brands of flavored yogurt, however are extraordinarily high in sugar and contain artificial colors. There are varieties that use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar or corn syrup but these may not be acceptable to all consumers.

It’s even difficult to find plain yogurt that doesn’t contain stabilizers such as gelatin, which is a no-no for many vegetarians. Additionally, some yogurts do not have the number or variety of live cultures that are necessary to get the benefits of eating yogurt.

A great and economical solution is to look into making your own yogurt. You can use organic, hormone free milk and strain it to your desired thickness, then flavor and sweeten with fruits, honey or even a modest amount table sugar to taste.

3. Fruit Juice – Fruit is great for you, so shouldn’t the juice be as well? Although fruit juice does contain vitamins and other nutrients, it’s missing the fiber of whole fruit. You’ll find yourself ingesting a lot of sugar and calories when consuming the juice of the fruit far more than you would if you’d eaten the fruit whole.

Fiber is important for a healthy life as well as giving a feeling of satiety, or fullness. Fruit juice is not a balanced source of nutrients but can crowd out other, more nutrient dense food in the diet, especially for children.

There is no need to cut out fruit juice completely, but be sure to watch portion sizes, an 8 ounce cup of juice is more than enough. Try cutting your juice with water or seltzer to make it go further and consider buying or making juice that contains the pulp.

4. Bagels – Bagels became wildly popular during the low fat craze and have remained a part of our diets in America ever since. While there is nothing wrong with the occasional bagel with a schmear and some lox, having one every day can pack on the pounds.

Bagels have become supersized over the years – a 4.5” diameter bagel can have over 300 calories and that’s a plain bagel before any toppings have been added. Flavored bagels can have well over that, with some varieties approaching 500 calories.

Add in sandwich toppings like meat, cheese, butter, cream cheese, eggs, mayonnaise and so on and you’ve got quite a hefty dose of calories!

Additionally, bagels are usually made with white flour and don’t offer a lot of nutritional benefits for the calories. You’d be better off sticking with plain, whole grain breads or wraps for your sandwiches and saving the bagels for a special occasion.

5. Diet Soda – Without even delving into the debate surrounding the safety of artificial sweeteners, there is a lot of evidence that diet soda is not a great choice for those looking to watch their intake of sugar and/or calories.

There is some evidence, still in dispute, that the sweet taste of artificial sweeteners can cause more overeating as the body produces insulin in anticipation of a rise in blood sugars that never happens. Over time, this can lead to the body not reacting as it should to all sugars and producing obesity.

Diet sodas can also be high in caffeine and there is a concern that the phosphoric acid in diet sodas can lead to bone loss.

6. Smoothies – Just like the fruit juice mentioned above, smoothies can pack a lot of calories into one easy to drink package.

Most smoothies do contain fruit and/or vegetables which are healthy for you, but may also contain added sugar and fat from added ingredients like milk and chocolate. Because smoothies are sipped, not chewed, the body is not as efficient as registering fullness and you might find yourself hungry a lot sooner than you would if you’d had the same amount of calories as a food.

You can still enjoy smoothies, just be mindful of the portion size, added sugar and/or fat and be mindful of how many calories you are taking in over the course of the day.

7. Pretzels – Like bagels, pretzels became favorites when low-fat was the big idea in dieting. Pretzels are low in fat, but they are also pretty much devoid of nutrition and can be high in salt. If you eat them with dips, you could also be consuming far more fat, sugar and salt than is good for you.

Pretzels are lower in fat than most potato chips, however they should be considered an occasional snack and not a substitute for healthier nibbles like carrots, celery, apples and grapes.

8. Canned Soups – What could be more wholesome than a nice hot bowl of soup? Canned soups are extremely convenient and affordable, but look at the labels before you buy. Many brands have over a day’s worth of sodium in one serving (which is often half of a can of soup, not the full can that many of us would eat in one sitting).

While there are varieties of canned soups that are lower in sodium, most of them aren’t very tasty. The good news is soup is incredibly easy to make for yourself at home and can easily be frozen to provide a quick, healthy meal in minutes.

9.  Frozen vegetables – To be certain, frozen vegetables can be a great way to get affordable, easy to use produce at any time of the year. They give fresh vegetables a run for their money in terms of nutrition and there are no concerns about them going bad before they can be used.

The problem is that so many manufacturers dress up their frozen vegetable offerings with sauces and seasonings that pack on the salt and fat. When shopping for frozen vegetables, look for brands where the vegetables are the only ingredients. Season them at home while you are cooking to be able to control the amount of sodium and fat that is going in to your vegetables.

10. Healthy frozen entrees – This is another instance where you have to be vigilant about reading labels. Don’t just look at the total calorie count and percentage of fat, check to see how much salt and sugar you’re getting with your meal.

Most of these meals have a low calorie count, but be realistic about how satisfying you’ll find 350 calories worth of frozen pasta with chicken. There’s not much good in packing a frozen entrée for work at lunch if you’re ravenous by 3 pm and stuffing quarters in the vending machine.

You’ll likely be able to do better by brown bagging it with food you prepare yourself at home, in terms of nutrition, satisfaction and cost. You can even make your own frozen dinners at home to have on hand for an easy meal when you’re in a crunch.

If you choose to continue buying frozen entrees, make sure to supplement with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and be mindful of how much sodium you are consuming.

The important thing to remember is to never blindly allow a food products packaging or public relations campaigns lull you into thinking that they are a consequence-free food. Read labels and strive to make balanced choices over the course of your days and weeks. There is no need to cut any food out of your diet permanently but be mindful that most of your choices are packed with the nutrition you need to be your best.

Childhood Obesity – are you training your kids to be fat?

If you’re like most parents, you want your children to look and feel their best. You want to do all you can to provide them with the opportunity to lead an active, healthy lifestyle.

The problem is, children do as they see, not as they’re told. This means they often absorb the messages from us that we never intended, picking up the precise behaviors we wished them to avoid.

They do this by simply watching the things we do each day. Even if your children are slender and active now, you should be aware of the subtle ways you could be teaching your child poor habits.

 Here are some warning signs that you’re setting your child up for a lifetime of bad habits that could eventually lead to obesity.

Warning sign #1:

• Do you routinely skip breakfast?

• Do you wolf down toaster pastries or fast food breakfast sandwiches in the car?

• Do you make time to eat together as a family?

• Do you eat your meals a flurry, with everyone grabbing what they can whenever they can and eating it anywhere but at the table?

Children need to know that it’s important for them to provide their bodies with the fuel and nutrition it needs to properly function. Your child should see regular mealtimes as part of a consistent lifestyle, rather than something that’s crammed into the cluttered corners of a hectic life.

People tend to eat larger portions and make poorer eating choices when they are constantly grabbing food on the go or eating in front of the television.

 If your schedule is so packed that you can’t make the time for healthy eating, it’s time to do a serious evaluation to see where you can trim your schedule and make time for regular family meals.

There are plenty of reasons to avoid over-scheduling your family life, but setting a good example for your children about making their health and fitness a priority is one of the most important.

Warning sign #2:

• Do you sign your children up for soccer or dance to make sure they remain active , while only standing on the sidelines yourself?

• Are all your children’s fitness activities organized and scheduled with little free time left to simply run around?

• How often do you walk places as a family or do strenuous activities such as yard work together?

When you send children the message that physical activity is something that must be organized, involve special equipment, or require a trip to the gym, then you are teaching them to segment their lives in a way that can be detrimental to their future health.

If your child shows a genuine interest (and it fits neatly into your family’s budget and lifestyle), by all means enroll them in sports and dance, or any other enrichment activities you see fit. However, you should also be aware that this is not an apt substitute for modeling fitness as a fully integrated part of your daily lifestyle.

 Do as many errands as you can by foot or bike. Have your children help you in gardening or doing the spring cleaning. Make sure you give your children plenty of free time to play outdoors and explore.

Even if they aren’t running around like puppies, this sort of open-ended play is great for their developing minds and bodies.

 Children need to know that fitness isn’t something you do for an hour a day, three days a week. They should see it as a series of choices we make all day, every day.

Warning sign #3:

• Is television on by default in your house?

• If your family was unable to watch television or movies, use the computer or play video games, would they be able to think of something to do?

• When you are out in public, are you able to keep your cell phone in your pocket, or are you constantly fiddling around, looking for something to do?

It’s okay to turn to electronic devices for entertainment some of the time, but it’s a definite problem when parents and children don’t know how to communicate or keep themselves amused without them.

Screen time not only crowds out time that could be used for physical activity, it also tends to make people more withdrawn and can make what might make other worthwhile pursuits seem slow or boring in comparison.

 The good news is, the less screen time you and your children have, the less you’ll crave it. It’s not enough to limit your children’s screen time, you must also set a positive example by letting them see that you don’t need to pull out your iPhone every time there is a lull in activity.

The more comfortable your children get with genuine down time, the richer their imaginations will be. Best of all, they will be far more likely to have the honest motivation and desire they need to spend their free time in active pursuits.

Warning sign #4:

• Are you constantly complaining about your own body in front of your children?

• Do they hear you disparage or mock those that are especially thin or overweight? Do they hear you talk about food as “bad,” “sinful” or “naughty?”

• Do they hear you talk about eating healthy food as though it were a burden or a chore?

• Do you discuss exercise as if it were torture?

Proper eating habits should be a matter-of-fact health issue, not a moral judgment call. Yet so many of us fall into this trap every day and worse, we do it within earshot of our children.

Our children will absorb our attitudes towards weight and food, including our perceived powerlessness against tempting foods, or that exercise is inherently difficult, unpleasant, or undesirable. 

Watch the language you use about weight, diet and exercise. Show your children that it’s possible to make better choices most of the time without feeling deprived or burdened. If you crave an occasional treat, go ahead and enjoy it with your family without going on and on about how naughty you are being or how it will show up straight on your thighs.

If you hate running, find another exercise that you enjoy and can approach with enthusiasm. 

Show your children ways they can naturally incorporate fitness into their every day lives. Teach them that nourishing their bodies is important and should be a top priority. Model healthy attitudes about weight, eating and exercise.

Doing these things will give them the tools they’ll need to live the healthiest lives possible, while also helping ensure that you will be an active presence in their lives for a whole lot longer.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who lack health insurance, filled with worry day in ad day out that something is bound to go wrong, your worry might finally be over.

You can afford health insurance premiums.

Sure, you hear it every day: health insurance premiums are rising and benefits are being slashed. But you can’t afford to go without medical coverage, even if you’re still young and in excellent health.

It only takes one serious accident or a devastating illness to start the spiral into financial ruin.

Are there Really Health Insurance Plans that Can Fit Into my Budget?

Yes, absolutely.

Catastrophic health insurance plans are one option that many choose. These plans only protect you for major medical events, so they have lower premiums and high deductibles. Certain plans offer limited coverage for routine care and annual physicals, but this isn’t especially common and most will require your payment out-of-pocket.

While you’ll still owe the deductible amount if you wind up having to use one of these policies, they can make the difference between owing a few thousand dollars and several hundred thousand.

You deserve to feel safe.

If you choose one of these plans, be proactive and make sure you have funds available to take care of routine illnesses so you can cover as much of the deductible as possible.

Catastrophic policies can often be a good stop gap solution if you’re between jobs or working towards a superior plan.

Don’t feel like a catastrophic plan is your only option. Despite what others may say, you might be able to afford a more comprehensive policy, especially if you are young, don’t smoke and have no pre-existing conditions.

You owe it to yourself to get some quotes and know what the prices really are before you write off having health insurance (you can get a FREE health insurance quote at the top or bottom of this page).

You might have heard about or been offered a discount medical plan. Though these aren’t true health insurance policies, they can offer a way to trim your out-of-pocket costs for minor or routine medical visits.

Discount medical plans sell you a membership that qualifies you for discounted services from a pre-selected group of health care providers. Before you sign up for this type of plan, carefully research and make sure the plan is legitimate.

Even legitimate plans aren’t worth the money if you can’t see any of the providers or the reduced prices aren’t enough to offset the cost of the plan.

How Much Can I Expect To Pay Gor Health Insurance?

It is difficult to give a precise dollar amount on the average cost of health insurance, as it varies widely based on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

●Is the insured in what is known as a high risk group?
●Is it a private plan or sponsored by an employer?
●Is this a family policy or for an individual?
●How old is the insured?
●What percentage is the coinsurance?
●What is the amount of the deductible?
●Where is the policy being written?
●What are the limitations of coverage?
●What kind of insurance is being offered, for example, PPO, POS or HMO?

One published analysis reported that the average monthly premium for an individual health insurance plan was $161 and $383 for a family policy in the year 2009, with average annual deductibles of $2,326 for an individual plan and $3,128 for families.

Location played a large part in determining health insurance costs, with individual plans averaging $103 in Iowa and $339 in New York State, and family plans in the same states averaging $233 in Iowa and $841 in New York.

If you are researching buying a health insurance policy, it is important to take into consideration your monthly premium, along with any additional out-of-pocket expenses. Typica out-of-pocket expenses include the deductible, which is what you must pay your health providers each year before your insurance will start to pay. A higher deductible usually results in a plan with lower monthly premiums.

The percentage of the bill that the insurance company expects you to cover even after the deductible is met is known as coinsurance, most hover around 20-30%. Many policies will have caps on how much you’ll be required to pay out of pocket for coinsurance.

To encourage you to only see providers that they’ve negotiated a discount with, many insurers will also charge a higher coinsurance rate when you visit an out-of-network provider.

A copay is a flat fee some plans have you pay each time for appointments, urgent or emergency care, and any other medical services or prescription medication.

Some plans will also have a yearly and/or lifetime limit to what they will pay for a family or individual, and will only cover a predetermined number of visits for treatment of various conditions.

It is critical to compare plans closely and not make a decision based solely on how much you will pay in premiums. While it helps to know the average cost, health insurance plans are not all created equal and it pays to do your research (you can get a FREE health insurance quote at the top or bottom of this page).

What Other Steps Can I Take To Save Money On My Health Care Costs?

Unexpected health care expenses can throw a wrench into even the most careful budget. It seems as though big bills are inevitable when it comes to medical care, but here are a few ideas that can help you save a lot of money on health care costs.

1. Do a health audit on yourself and your family to find out where your health care dollars have been going before you shop for a new insurance policy. The policy with the cheapest premiums won’t be a bargain if it leaves you spending hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket each month. If you have a healthy savings and don’t anticipate major health care costs, a deluxe policy that covers everything with sky high premiums might be a waste.
2. Comparison shop for health care. Sites like healthcompare.com make it easy for you to compare a variety of policies from different providers and compare them head-to-head.

3. Catastrophic health coverage might be sufficient for your needs or at least a stop gap solution until you can get a more comprehensive plan. This will protect you from financial disaster if you experience a major illness or injury, though you will have to pay out-of-pocket for routine care and minor medical procedures.

3. Some people find that catastrophic coverage is sufficient for their needs. Though you will have to pay out-of-pocket for minor medical expenses, you are protected from financial disaster should you experience a major illness or injury.

4. If you have children, find out if you qualify to have them covered under health insurance plans run by your state. Families who quality will pay either a small premium, or nothing at all, to get coverage for their children and will only need to purchase coverage for the parents. You might even be eligible if your employer offers health insurance depending on your household income and what it would cost to add your children to your employee plan.

5. If you have a family member with a pre-existing condition, your total expenses might be lower if you insure them separately rather than putting everyone on the same plan. Run the numbers from a variety of plans and see what makes the most sense.

6. After a job loss, COBRA isn’t your only option, and might not be the best choice. Do some comparison shopping to see if there are other policies that fit your needs and are also more affordable.

7. Make sure you are taking full advantage of any possible deductions related to medical expenses on your tax returns, particularly if you are self-employed.

8. Even if you have health benefits through your employer, it might not be the most affordable choice, especially if your employer doesn’t heavily subsidize the cost of premiums. It’s possible to get coverage for only the employee and purchase a private policy for the spouse and children, or even for the whole family to purchase a private plan. Again, make sure to account for any possible tax benefits when calculating the total cost.

9. If you belong to a professional organization or similar group, check to see if they offer group rate health insurance. Be sure to do some comparison shopping before buying into such a plan to make sure it’s really a good deal.

10. Do your best to get into a lower risk group by quitting smoking and losing weight if you are obese. This isn’t a quick fix, but it will not only lower your health insurance premiums, it will most likely save you money while helping you to remain in good health.

Take the time to make sure that you have a workable plan that will insure that an accident or illness won’t ruin your financial picture. Health insurance can be crucial to keeping you safe, no matter what happens. These days, you can’t afford to go without it.

Enter your zipcode in the box below, then hit submit to get FREE health insurance quotes in seconds.