MAGIC HELP For Staying on Your Eating Program

Have you ever had a small object, maybe a smooth pebble or marble, that you carried to remind you of something - like a worry stone, or a 'cross in my pocket'? This is what a touchstone is: a standard (make it a positive standard) to help you make choices which help you reach your goal. With this in mind, I purchased some elastic, black beads, and alphabet beads. I went home and made a string of beads to put in my pocket that spells out MAGIC HELP. Each of these letters is a 'touchstone' to help me to reach my goal. Here is what they stand for:

M - Meal plan. Have a meal plan (breakfast, lunch, supper, two snacks and a desert). Take time to write down a meal plan, shop for the foods on the list, and prepare what you can ahead of time. Remember that you have a meal plan and stick with it.

A - Awareness. Eat consciously - be aware of what you are eating. Take the time to chew your food. Feel the texture, enjoy the taste, and be aware of what your body is feeling as you eat. Notice your hunger being satisfied. If you are not aware of eating, you won't remember eating, and your mind will tell you that you should be hungry.

Be aware of what your body and mind really want when you feel 'hungry'. Are you hungry, thirsty, sad, stressed, nervous, lonely, just what is it that you really want? Lots of 'diets' say only eat when you are hungry. That is a good rule, but you need to first realize when you body is hungry versus using food to satisfy other 'hungers', usually emotional.

G - Goals. Notice that Goals is plural. This touchstone is to remind you not only of your ultimate goal, and the reasons for the goal, but also for your more immediate goals. To this end, I encourage you to record your performance daily, the food you eat, the activities you did, your thoughts and feelings, and your goals for the week. As you reflect on the past week, you see what patterns evolve. Determine if the actions were your choice or if the situation caused it. Think of alternative ways of dealing with any obstacles you had the next time you encounter them.

Make your goals obtainable. Celebrate each milestone - such as moving down another 10 pounds. Remember you have other goals such as becoming healthier, fitter, and stronger. Don't lose sight of these goals. They are the ones which will keep your motivation up. One of the most important factors is - do not put yourself down for missing your goal. Look for the things you did 'correctly' and give yourself a pat on the back, like you remembered to write everything down or your off plan eating diminished. Nothing will be gained by being hard on yourself - actually, it could push you into giving up. The only way you won't reach the ultimate goal is if you give up.

I - Image/self-image. Change your way of thinking about yourself and about your eating. Admit you deserve to be fit and healthy. Give yourself the luxury of not being perfect. You were made to be healthy and fit - therefore you deserve to be healthy and fit. There are a multitude of health conditions you can avoid or delay just by losing 10% of your body weight. This is motivation you can hang on to.

If your self-image is bad, it is very hard to succeed. In fact, you will work hard at proving that you can't succeed. Bottom lines, ladies: be good to yourself, give yourself a break, and always remember (and remind yourself at least once a day): "I DESERVE TO BE A SLIMMER, HEALTHIER ME."

C - Choices. Diet (noun) means the usual food and drink of a person or animal. Your Diet is formed by the CHOICES you make. In going through your day, you chose to when eat, what to eat, how it will be cooked, and how much to eat. You choose to stop eating when your plate is empty, when you get full, when your second plateful is empty, etc, etc, etc.

One day, you are quite happily skipping along down the road of life when you come to a bump in the road. Maybe you look in the mirror, or you have a health problem, or you can't play with the kids like you used to. Whatever it was, you make the choice to lose weight. What is the first thing you do? . In going through your day, you chose to when eat, what to eat, how it will be cooked, and how much to eat. See the pattern??? Our DIET is more about the CHOICES we make, rather more than the food we eat. The food we eat depends on our choices.

Can you ever eat anything off your diet plan? If you choose to eat that marvelous pie that Aunt Dotty makes, it is your choice. Is it wrong or bad to choose to eat the pie? Neither. There are no GOOD or BAD CHOICES, but there are choices that will help you reach your goal, and there are other choices which will turn you in another direction. It is up to you, it is your choice.

H - Health. Did you know that Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death? Being overweight can lead to heart problems (high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, etc), diabetes, arthritis, gout, asthma, and some types of cancer. If you lose even 10% of your weight, or even 10 pounds, your risk of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol is lessened. The loss of weight plus increased activity lessens the risk of diabetes. Remember H as a motivator and priority.

E - Exercise. We all have heard eating right and exercising are necessary to lose weight and to succeed in reaching our goal and maintaining our goal - which should be a healthy relationship with food and a healthy, fitter body. Do you every have trouble getting your exercise in? You realize that a couple days have gone by - you missed going for that walk or getting to the gym? This is where the 'C' touchstone affects the 'E' touchstone. You have the choice, to exercise (increase your activity) or not to exercise. It is my CHOICE - and it is your CHOICE.

L - Language. The word we use when talking and thinking about ourselves and our lifestyle affects us tremendously. Be kind to yourself. Sadly, we tend to be hard on ourselves. What names do you call yourself? Do you honestly believe that you can achieve your goal and change? How do you think about your diet program? Do you think of in terms of 'have to' or 'should'? Or even 'shouldn't', 'can't', or 'I don't have time'? Do you think - it would be nice 'if' I could obtain my goal? Notice how your thinking changes you use 'choose', 'decide to' and 'will'. These make it your choice.

As with all habits, the change in your language will not come overnight. You have to consciously change a negative word to a positive word. As your language changes, so will your thinking. As your thinking about yourself and your eating program changes, it becomes easier to change your eating and activity habits. You are on the road to success!

P - Priorities. Our priorities are what we choose to do instead of something else. We may think we don't have a choice, but we always do. Have you ever wanted something so much you could almost 'taste' it? I wanted a new vehicle - I found the reasons and the financing to get one. What we really want, we find a way to do it.

What if someone you loved was in an accident or was sick, you would find the time and resources to do whatever you could to help them. If you are overweight, your health is at risk - you are at risk. Are you going to put yourself as a priority? If you were in an airplane and the oxygen masks dropped down do you remember what you are to do? You are to put your mask on FIRST before taking care of anyone else. If you don't, you may pass out before you are able to help anyone else. Think of your health like that. If you don't stay healthy, how are you going to accomplish all of those priorities in your life?

Remember: You are worth it, you deserve it, and you are going to become a healthier, happier you. Now, decide are you going to Be the Weight You Want (or not).

Know Your Health Coverage Needs

There are ways to avoid harmful surprises associated sudden illness, first of all you will need to get your health insurance policy up and running. It is very important that you give your health the necessary coverage it requires.

Health insurance policies are of different types, so are the options for you to choose from.

Before insuring your health you must have a self review to know what you need. You must determine the kind of insurance you want, if it will require you to pay lower or higher premiums. Having that at the back of your mind, you should note that a lower premium up front carries a higher deductible while a lower deductible means a higher premium.

Hospitalization and coverage for severe illness will attract high premiums so when you shop for a policy using FREE health insurance quote services, you will be given guidelines to follow by a qualified agent. This will help you decide which area you need coverage.

For your health insurance policy set up, self examination is very important, check yourself properly and see how often you get ill. This will enable you to know how to save and note the necessary areas where you need coverage. Not doing this might affect you in the future and you will end up paying more.

When seeking for coverage, do not forget the pharmaceutical coverage. Why? Drugs can be quite expensive depending on the illness. You can share these expenses with your insurance provider.

After getting your FREE health Insurance quotes and deciding on the coverage you need, go ahead and purchase the policy that is ideal for you.

by NDIMELE IKECHUKWU PHELIM. QUALITY SERVICE PROVIDERS. LOANS. INSURANCE. QUOTES. Get your health Insurance right

Health Insurance - Women Pay Higher Rates

In most other cases of Insurance, women get the better deal. But Health insurance decides otherwise. Why Women get higher rates than Men when it comes to health insurance is exactly what I would Examine here.

Consider the following.

There is a general consensus that Women tend to require more health attention than men. Why? Lets try to find out.

Every normal female experiences menstrual cycle. This of course involves blood flow and some psychological effects. From a particular age to menopause, this cycle continues apart from during pregnancy. So how many years of blood flow are we talking about? Does this have any implication on the health needs of women generally? This is one issue.

As if this is not enough, women also give birth to children. The period of gestation has its health needs but more than this, the after effect of the different pregnancies must have some kind of effect on their bodies resulting in a higher need for health care.

If we keep constantly in mind the fact that Insurance companies are not charitable organizations but businesses out to make profit, we would see why they need to take a lot of factors into consideration.

The major factor they take into consideration is what percentage of any group of insureds would likely make claims, the amount claimed and the consequences to their business.

Look at it this way. If a certain percentage of a group of insureds make a claim, their overall rate must be such that the insurance company would still make profit. For example, 1 out of 100 insureds make a claim of $1000 and the the insureds pay a rate of $100, the company would still make profit and can even afford to lower the rates.

Following the above, we would see that since women are known to generally claim on their health insurance more than men, they would necessarily be required to pay higher rates than men.

Am I saying women can't get lower rates? No!

Just follow the the tips listed below and you would be sure to get a lower rate.

Give up tobacco and smoking.

Dangerous games and sports should be avoided.

Any jobs that are hazardous should be avoided.

Lower your rates and increase your attraction by staying in shape.

A regular exercise routine is also necessary.

Engage in things that make you happy as happy people are less likely to fall ill.

Very importantly, get and compare quotes extensively before taking up a policy. you wuld be able to determine which is best for your situation.

With over 2,000 companies providing health insurance, you would surely have varying rates. So take your time and get the best.

Whether you pay more or less would be determined by the number of quotes you get. The more quotes you get, the more options you have.

Get your FREE quotes NOW Let trusted hands help you make the right choices. Chimerenka Odimba is the publisher of http://insurance.getting-ahead-in-life.com visit and never again worry about Insurance issues.

3 Things That Are Important For an Inexpensive Health Insurance Plan

Why are there inexpensive and why are there costly ones? How come health insurance premiums don't go along with a general pricing system?

There are a number of things that can push the price of a health insurance premium. These are 3 of the more influential forces that make or break an inexpensive health insurance plan.

1. A healthy individual. A young, entirely fit individual will pay a lower health insurance premium than, say, a 40 somewhat focus who has developed an account of recurring diseases. The cause? It's all about the hazards involved. When the person gets ill, the insurance institution will have to provide money for his needs. It is to the insurance institution's benefit that the insured need to stay fit as much as possible. Younger subjects who have no account of any severe diseases are more fitting to the positive situations that health insurance companies desire for their companies.

2. A safe lifestyle. Working in a hazardous location? Does your life compel you to move a lot? Are you staying in a place where wrongdoings, no matter how insignificant, and other dangers are dominant? These are reasons that can make the price of the premium way over the anticipated cost for an inexpensive health insurance plan. These are risks that puts in danger the life of the person, after all. The health insurance company needs their insured affliates to stay fit as long as possible, and the aforesaid hazards are detrimental to this advantageous situation for the insurer.

3. A score. What does one's credit rating have to do with the amount of the health insurance premium, you might wonder? One of the risks that health insurance companies have to face is the inability of the insured to settle the entirety of the premium. Such an improbabilty can force the price of the premium to countless elevation. If the person has a nice credit score, then the health insurance institution will see him as a financially accountable deal. So, he can be offered the premium at a significantly lower price.

Please visit my blog if you are seeking an inexpensive health insurance plan, where you can find this article and products relating to an inexpensive health insurance plan.

10 Questions to Ask When Considering a Health Insurance Quote

When you are considering health insurance it is essential that you ask a number of specific questions about a health insurance plan quote to ensure that you get the right cover at the right price. Here we look at 10 questions that you need to ask:

Question 1. What out of pocket expenses and deductible will you have to pay? No medical insurance plan is going to meet all of your medical bills and you will usually have to meet a deductible before your insurer will pay out at all and will also ask you to meet certain other expenses.

Question 2. What health screenings and examinations does the plan include?Health plans vary considerably when it comes to preventative care and you will have to look to see what screening tests are covered. For example, does the plan cover all family members including babies, children and adults and provide such things as breast examinations, mammograms and pap smears?

Question 3. Is specialist care and referrals covered? When you require a referral to a specialist this might or might not be covered and, if it is covered, might have restrictions placed upon that cover.

Question 4. How is emergency care and hospitalization treated? Sometimes you will find that emergency care and hospitalization are only be covered if pre-approved and you must fully understand the circumstances under which such treatment is covered.

Question 5. What prescriptions costs does the plan cover? You will have to examine any accompanying prescription plan with care to determine what drugs are permitted and the extent to which you may have to meet part of the cost of any prescription drugs.

Question 6. Are both dental and vision care covered? In many cases medical plans will not cover dental and vision care and these then have to be covered under a separate plan.

Question 7. Does the plan cover psychotherapy, psychiatric services or mental health services? Although many health plans will cover mental illness in various different forms such cover is frequently limited and you will normally find that there is a cap on the amount of cover provided.

Question 8. Is hospital, home health and nursing home care covered? While most plans will offer fairly good hospital cover you will have to look at just what cover is provided for home health and nursing home care.

Question 9. Is physiotherapy and rehabilitative care covered? Plans will frequently separate out initial treatment and follow-up rehabilitative care and physiotherapy and so it is vital to discover exactly what is and what is not covered.

Question 10. Does the plan cover alternative care? As an increasing number of people are turning to alternative treatments like acupuncture or holistic treatments health insurance companies are increasingly including cover for such treatments. It is however still early days for alternative treatment and, if this is something that you want to take advantage of, you will need to look to see to what extent it is covered.

The ten questions here should form the basis on which you consider any medical insurance quote but you may want to include other items to your own list like how much paperwork is required when it comes to making a claim under the plan and how wide is your choice when it comes to hospitals, doctors and other treatment facilities. The main thing however is to make sure that you completely understand exactly what cover you are being provided with and how much it will cost before committing yourself to a plan.

MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com will help you find private medical insurance and also provides the opportunity to get a free and no obligation online discount health insurance quote

Is HIPAA Compliance in Your Medical Practice a Problem?

In 1996, the United States Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, most commonly known as HIPAA. This law was enacted to protect an individual's health information, while at the same time allowing the appropriate exchange of such information between covered entities, such as pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals, to name but a few. Healthcare providers and those in the allied health fields now have access to HIPAA medical software that has been developed to assure compliance with the act.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services issued the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (commonly known as the Privacy Rule) to implement the requirements of HIPAA. This marks the first time in United States history that a set of national standards has been enacted to protect the privacy of an individual's medical information. As with any government document, it is very difficult to understand the language of the Privacy Rule, and even harder to fully comprehend all of HIPAA.

So what does that have to do with HIPAA medical software? Well, as stated previously, the health care provider or allied health professional needs to be fully compliant with HIPAA. A wise man once said that ignorance of the law is no excuse.

To help those in the field of medicine protect the patient's rights while at the same time allowing (as needed) access to that information, HIPAA medical software does the following:

• Implements changes in how information management is handled.
• Addresses issues such as coding.
• Addresses issues regarding security of information technology systems.
• Changes in-patient record management.
• Streamlines insurance reimbursement.
• Handles patient care management issues.

Because most medical practices are switching from a paper based office management system to a computer (and therefore digital or electronic) based office management system, the wise medical professional will want to purchase HIPAA medical software to facilitate the switch over from paper to digital. It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, after all, and if a software program means that your practice is HIPAA compliant, you are ahead of the game.

Using a good HIPAA medical software program means that your practice is in compliance with the 1996 act passed by Congress, at least as far as the Act has been implemented to date. Many rules relating to HIPAA have yet to be written, and keeping your HIPAA medical software updated is also a wise move.

For more information on medical software take a look at this Medical Software site. It covers a wide range of software programs suitable for the medical field.

Software from well-known and lesser-known companies is reviewed including Lytec's Medical Billing Software, IDX systems, Medisoft and many more.

Vista Health Care Florida Health Insurance Company Review

Vista Health Care is a Florida insurance company and a subsidiary of Coventry Health Inc. Vista Health Care Company provides health benefits to its over 300,000 individual members and over 10,000 large and small business group plan members. The company employs over 950 employees, all of whom assist Vista in meeting its mission to provide health coverage that offers the best overall value for their customers.

The company which has its headquarters in Hollywood boasts annual revenue of one billion dollars. Vista Health Care also has offices in Miami, Tallahassee, Lake Worth, and Sunrise. Members of Vista Health Care are presented with a large range of independent health care providers to choose from- over 6000 in fact. You can rest assured that you will be able to get prompt customer service as this department is open ten hours a day, 5 days a week. Currently Vista only offers coverage in the South and North Florida areas.

Vista Florida Health Insurance Coverage Overview

Vista Health Care Company offers a wide variety of plans to its members. Plans offered include HMO, POS, PPO, Medicare, Medicaid, and Florida Healthy Kids. Vista is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), which means that the company has undergone and passed various nationally set standards (i.e. how it communicates with members, grievance resolution, etc.) for quality and access to health care.

No matter your group or individual selection of insurance you will be pleased with the wide variety of services and coverage options these plans offer. Most plans offer a selection of over 6000 physicians and include dental and vision coverage. Your co-payments are fixed and customers have the almost unheard luxury of coverage of preventative health care such as yoga classes and massage therapy.

As an example of the innovation of this company, as part of almost all of their Florida health insurance plans, you are eligible to receive a discount at the 500 different health clubs throughout the state that participate in the discount program. Members also have access to an e-program that assist them with important health concerns such as quitting smoking, and wealth of online and personal wellness tools to ensure that you achieve the best health possible.

The Medicare plan offers benefit options that are not available under original Medicare. Participants will pay nothing for visits to the doctor or for generic prescriptions. There is also no limit to the amount of generic prescriptions that are available for purchase.

Vista's Florida Customer Service Record

Vista Health Care Company offers its individual and group members unparalleled insurance selection and customer service. Their commitment to your family's overall well being and health along with the health and well being of their surrounding community makes them a leading choice in Florida health insurance.

If your are in the market for FL health insurance then be sure that you shop around and compare Vista and other top companies. Get started comparing health insurance companies today!