Archive for exercise
The Healthy Diet Manifesto
Posted by: | Comments1. Everyone is on a diet. Healthy dieters choose a diet that will bring them closer to their life goals.
Diet is a not dirty word. You are on a diet every day, and making it a healthy diet is not as challenging as you may think. It is not about starvation. It is not about being deprived. It is about being able to breathe in your jeans. Even more than that, it is about living your best life. It is about having integrity in your actions.
2. Healthy dieters intentionally plan their diets.
Without intention and planning, most people will eat what they’ve always eaten; whatever is convenient; whatever is marketed to them—just like the rest of society. Unless you want to look like the rest of society looks and want the body you currently have (or the one you’ll have after the next five pounds, or the next . . .), then you can’t continue to eat like the rest of society eats, and you certainly can’t continue to eat what you’ve always eaten. Instead, you must deliberately plan and pursue a healthy diet.
3. Healthy dieters don’t make excuses.
There is no one-size-fits-all diet. There are untold ways to cut calories, get more exercise, and improve the healthfulness of our diet. It is important not to argue for what you can’t do, but instead search for what you are willing to do to achieve a healthy diet that fits your life and goals.
4. Healthy dieters don’t whine about the effort it takes to eat a healthful diet and are willing to spend time planning and preparing.
Dieting is hard. Dieting is easy. Either of these could be true, depending on your attitude. The truth of the matter is, dieting just is. Ever since Eve plucked the apple from the tree, the cavewoman rubbed sticks together to roast the bear, grandma strung a string bean, the Irish boiled the potato, or the Koreans pickled a cabbage, we’ve had to put effort into having a healthy diet. Modern, successful hipsters that you are—you do not escape this reality just because you can order Chinese takeout.
5. Healthy dieters base their diets around a weekly planning routine.
Diets are not a one-time decision. Just as soon as you get comfortable in your routine, you’ll remodel your kitchen, go on vacation, sprain an ankle, hit hormone hell, or simply get bored. Part of having a healthy diet means having the flexibility to roll with life’s changes.
6. Healthy dieters embrace dieting from the top down, expressing curiosity about the whys and wherefores of eating habits.
As babies, the first comfort you received was at the breast or bottle. You are hardwired to eat for comfort. You also eat to socialize, to procrastinate, and out of pure habit. There are a myriad of reasons for eating that go far beyond nutrition. Sorting those out, exploring alternatives, and finding ways to enjoy a healthy diet for any of these reasons—without sabotaging your health and well-being—is an interesting process.
7. Healthy dieters combine the top-down approach with the bottom-up approach to dieting and understand they have to impose some structure to change their deeply ingrained habits and learn new behaviors.
Calories in/calories out, keeping a food diary, making a meal plan, devising a strategy for getting to the gym, or going grocery shopping with a list are just some of the practical, bottom-up approaches that might be used for diet accountability and information gathering, all of which are necessary for healthy dieting.
8. Healthy dieters use the inside-out approach to dieting—using diet as a means for self-inquiry and as a catalyst for personal development and spiritual and emotional growth.
Life lessons are learned through difficulty. No one would choose to have a rocky marriage, credit card debt, or an illness, but savvy men and women learn valuable lessons from the curves life throws them, and that includes the need to diet. Healthy dieting is one of the easier curves through which you get an opportunity to learn life lessons—at least it is something you can control.
9. Healthy dieters spend five minutes each day setting their intentions and planning their diet direction. They commit five more minutes to reviewing their day, noting their accomplishments and opportunities to self-correct.
Demanding perfection will give you an excuse not to “diet” at all. The truth is that you’ll sometimes stray off of your ideal course, but part of healthy dieting is learning to make those detours less drastic and frequent.
10. Healthy dieters get the support and motivation they need to succeed—and understand this support goes beyond “getting to goal weight.”
Changing something so ingrained in your own personal psyche, society, families, and workplaces can be a major undertaking. Healthy dieting requires a support system to help you when the challenge seems particularly daunting.
11. Healthy Dieters learn to normalize their relationship with food and their body so they can spend their time and energy being more present in the world around them.
The healthy dieter understands that there is more to life than dieting—much more!
Question and Answer
healthy diet?
can someone please help me construct a healthy diet? not like a lose weight diet, but one to get me to eat healthy food.
i eat way too much junk and im wayyyyy too skinny, so i want to be a healthy weight but i want to gain it the HEALTHY way. please help me?
Sandra Ahten -
About the Author:
Sandra Ahten, CEO of http://www.reasonablediet.com, is a professional motivation expert and diet and wellness coach. She is an internationally recognized host for two top-rated diet podcasts: Reasonable Diet Radio and Six Minutes of Sanity. Sandra’s clients most often lead very successful lives, yet they still battle with their weight. If this sounds like you, register now for your own free e-course ==> “Five Fact You Absolutely Must Know Before Starting Any Diet,” at http://www.reasonablediet.com. Her specially designed programs, for the “I know what to do, I just don’t do it” crowd, will bring you weight loss success and peace of mind with regard to diet, food, your body, and your overall well being.
Psst, Want to Burn Fat Fast?
Posted by: | CommentsHey you. Yea you. Do you want to burn fat fast? I bet you’ve like to do it without having to exercise or having to change your diet. Well let me let you in on a well kept secret. Are you ready?
It ain’t gonna happen. You can hope all you want, but unless you change what you’re doing that got you over weight to begin with, you’ll be “wishing on a star”.
Why am I being so harsh? Actually, I prefer to call it tough love. Whatever you decide to call it, you need to realize that to lose those pounds, it’s all up to you to make the necessary changes in your life.
But you say it’s so hard!
I’m not going to tell you that it’s easy to break old habits and start new ones. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be a billion dollar industry built around just weight loss. That figure alone should suggest to you that something is afoot. (What can I say? I like Sherlock Holmes.)
What I am going to suggest to you is that you stop taking losing weight so seriously. I’m sure that it’s a safe bet that if you look back at most of the changes you made in your life, you’ll see that you didn’t make a big deal out of them.
The change could have been something as simple as choosing another route to go to work or maybe changing your brand of toothpaste. Nothing life changing about those decisions. And even though the benefits from losing that extra weight may be life changing, the decision to make the change doesn’t have to be.
Truth be told, everything in life is simple. It’s when we try to live life that we make it hard.
So what should you do about trying to lose weight? The answer to that is simple. Simply keep it simple. The harder you try, the harder it becomes. When you stop stressing over every little aspect of losing weight you are going to find that something marvelous starts to happen.
Bit by bit, you’ll actually find yourself doing the things necessary for you to lose weight. You may start out by just drinking more water. You may decide to go for a long walk. You may decide to go with a salad instead of a burger for lunch. You may even find yourself following that diet and exercise plan you laid out your hard earned cash for.
Whenever it happens, it is going to be because the fate of the world no longer rest on you following every minute aspect of your weight loss plan. Just like a seed sprouting from the soil, you’ll gradually grow into doing all the things that stressed you out before. And when that happens, you’ll wonder what the whole fuss was about anyway.
Question and Answer
What is the easiest way to burn fat?
Basically I want to know an easy way to burn fat, with excersising and maybe healthy foods?
Are there any foods that burn fat or help you burn fat?
And what is the most effective way to burn fat excersising?
To learn more about how to burn fat and keep it off, go to http://www.How-to-Burn-Fat.com It’s your one-stop source for fat burning information. Check out information on some of the hottest selling weight loss plans and learn the right way to set fitness goals.
77 tips for natural weight loss
Posted by: | CommentsIn the twenty years from 1979-1991 the hospital costs for children and youth have risen from 35 million in 1979-1981 to 127 million from 1997-1991 (Preventing childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, 2005, Institute of Medicine).
The number of obese people is ever increasing. Here are some tips that may help people lose weight.
Weight Loss Tip #1 Eat in a small plate, this will allow you control the amount of food you eat.
Weight Loss Tip #2 Eat less, more often. Not only will it increase you metabolism through the day, but it will also help you control your diet. I suggest the following pattern:
8 a.m. BREAKFAST
11 a.m. SNACK
1 p.m. LUNCH
4 p.m. SNACK
6 p.m. DINNER
9 p.m. SNACK
Weight Loss Tip #3 Before you for for seconds always wait for at least 10 minutes you might not actually need them.
Weight Loss Tip #4 Use vegetable oil instead of butter for cook and baking.
Weight Loss Tip #5 Set realistic goals. It’s okay if you plan to lose 2 pounds a week, but the main thing is you will accomplish it. If you accomplish your goals from the beginning you will be motivated to continue till the end.
Weight Loss Tip #6 Eat early and never miss a breakfast. Eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early gives your body time to work those calories off, so it’s best so it’s best to have a healthy breakfast.
Weight Loss Tip #7 Take time to chew your food. Digestion begins with the mouth, when you chew your food it’s mixed with your saliva which contain digestion enzymes . You can keep your body healthy if you achieve thorough digestion, so chew your food properly and savor the food.
Weight Loss Tip #8 Avoid stress. Stress causes weight gain due to chemical reactions, listen to so calm music and take deep breathes before eating.
Weight Loss Tip #9 Try salad as a main lunch.
Weight Loss Tip #10 Change your lifestyle. Adapt a new healthy lifestyle. Occassional fad diets will lead you only to gain more weight rather than lose weight.
Weight Loss Tip #11 Tell your friends and family that you want to lose weight. It’s good to know that people around you are rooting for you and gives you a boost.
Weight Loss Tip #12 Focus elsewhere while exercise. When you workout make sure you have your iPOD or are listening to music. Divert your focus elsewhere. If you focus on your own body while working out, it will make the work out really boring.
Weight Loss Tip #13 If you want to really lose weight do it properly and join a good weight loss program. Here you can find the top weight loss programs.
Weight Loss Tip #14 Keep record of how much weight you lose, take pictures or keep a diary, to motivate yourself lose weight further.
Weight Loss Tip #15 Eat slowly. It tales time for the brain to send signals of fullness, so it may take some time before you know you’re full. It helps you control your diet and lose weight.
Weight Loss Tip #16 Concentrate on more burning calories than you consume, rather than low carb and low fat diets, to lose weight.
Weight Loss Tip #17 Cut out all the negativity. People will try to discourage you when you’re trying to lose weight, not necessarily because they don’t want you to succeed, but you need to succeed in the goals you set until you are satisfied.
Weight Loss Tip #18 It’s okay to compare yourself to others and use that positively, however, don’t do everything exactly the same way. Everyone is different and do the workouts that suit your body and keep your own goal in mind.
Weight Loss Tip #19 Women are naturally supposed to lose weight slower the men… ladies don’t feel that I’m prejudiced, but the matter of the fact is that biologically as women are the birthing sex therefore they have more fat on their bodies and lose wieght slower then men. Therefore, ladies separate your weight loss goals from that of men.
Weight Loss Tip #20 Avoid weight loss pills. Period. Why? Because it is dangerous both physically and psychologically. So if want to lose weight do it naturally.
Weight Loss Tip #21 Don’t go for weight loss surgeries either, because these too can have fatal side effects on the body.
Weight Loss Tip #22 Vitamins are good. Even though vitamin pills are good for you, never ever, use them without consulting a professional.
Weight Loss Tip #23 Have dessert! Don’t cut off dessert, your body needs fat. Being healthy means that your body gets all the nutrients it needs, so have dessert, but control at the same time.
Weight Loss Tip #24 Walk a lot. Try walking distances, if you want to go somewhere, try leaving the car home and walk, it makes a difference and helps in the process of weight loss.
Weight Loss Tip #25 There is no way to force weight to come off your stomach (or any other worrisome spots). The good news is cardio exercise is great for peeling off the pounds all over, whether your trouble spot is your tummy or your thighs!
Weight Loss Tip #26 Go for a walk after a meal. It helps in complete digestion.
Weight Loss Tip #27 Think before you eat. Am I really hungry?
Weight Loss Tip #28 Sugar is not good for your body. The more refined it is, the more damage it will do your body.
Weight Loss Tip #29 Don’t have white bread, research proves that people who eat white bread are more likely to have bigger bellies. Instead try having whole grain white bread, it will help you in your weight loss plans.
Weight Loss Tip #30 Pasta ain’t going to do you any favors if you want to lose weight either. Refined pasta prevents your body from weight loss. Instead of pasta you could try barilla, which is a good substitute which are high in fiber and protein.
Weight Loss Tip #31 Try having a burger with just lettuce, tomato and onion.
Weight Loss Tip #32 Drink LOTS of water. Some people think, not drinking water will help them lose weight. They could be further from the truth. If you don’t drink water, whatever little water you do drink the body will store that and you will gain weight.
Drink more of water and you’ll lose excess weight and your system will cleaner.
Weight Loss Tip #33 If you go out one night with friends and break your healthy diet. Don’t grieve the next morning and start eating junk again. Get right back on track the next day. One night ain’t going to make all the difference.
Weight Loss Tip #34 Keep a balanced diet. I suggest the following diet during the day:
Almonds (and other nuts)
Beans (and other legumes)
Spinach (and other green vegetables)
Dairy
Instant oatmeal
Eggs
Turkey (and other lean meats)
Peanut butter
Olive oil
Whole grains (breads and cereals)
Extra-protein powder (whey)
Raspberries (and other berries)
Weight Loss Tip #35 Sleep your weight away! Sleeping will help you burn fat, I suggest at least 8 hours a day. It will help you in you weight loss process.
Weight Loss Tip #36 Workout in patterns. I don’t think many people can workout for 2 hours straight everyday. I would suggest that you would workout in sets every four or five days max a week.
Weight Loss Tip #35 Don’t overdo yourself working out. Start off doing as much as you can, then slowly increase the work out.
If you can do only 10 reps of an exercise, do only 10 and then slowly increase. You can’t lose weight overnight.
Weight Loss Tip #36 Having more of fiber at breakfast will make you feel fuller through the day.
Weight Loss Tip #37 When your feeling down talk to a close friend rather than turning to food. It will cause weight gain.
Weight Loss Tip #38 When you reach a even a small goal reward yourself and stay motivated.
Weight Loss Tip #39 If you know walking around in the kitchen is going to make you want to eat, then try avoiding staying in the kitchen or any other place where may feel like eating unnecessarily.
Weight Loss Tip #40 Having an organized refrigerator or kitchen will help you make better decisions as to what eat.
Weight Loss Tip #41 Try making better decisions to breaking bad older habits.
Weight Loss Tip #42 Just because you’re getting something to eat for free doesn’t mean you have to eat it. It ain’t going to cost your wallet, but it’s going to cost your waist, so be careful .
Weight Loss Tip #43 Don’t wear oversized clothes cause they make you look heavier.
Weight Loss Tip #44 Try high fiber appetizers, it helps you prevent overeating and helps control diet.
Weight Loss Tip #45 Another reason not to skip breakfast is, because after eight hours of sleep, our bodies have consumed no food and in order to increase your metabolism and burn them calories, you need to have breakfast.
Weight Loss Tip #46 Talk to yourself positively, say ” I can lose weight!”. Motivate yourself. It will help 100%.
Weight Loss Tip #47 Instead of putting mayo in your sandwich try putting mustard, ketchup, horseradish, salsa or pickle relish in your sandwiches.
Weight Loss Tip #48 While baking and pouring milk use the powdered kind instead. It will help you put off calories and lose weight.
Weight Loss Tip #49 Make each meal a well balanced meal.
Weight Loss Tip #50 Make on day of the week vegetable day, not only will you decrease your fat intake and increase fiber intake, but you might also realize that you actually like vegetables.
Weight Loss Tip #51 Try to be more active in your everyday life. Try to walk unto people’s desks at work rather than e-mailing them.
Weight Loss Tip #52 Don’t avoid nuts as a snack, because they have fat, they also have protein and other nutrients. I suggest a pack of nuts, instead a pack of chips any day.
Weight Loss Tip #53 Sugar-free doesn’t mean calorie-free.
Weight Loss Tip #54 Instead of having a soda at the restaurant have normal water, it will save you around 1000 calories per meal.
Weight Loss Tip #55 Skipping meals will help you take off a few pounds at first, but after a while your body will start banking calories and after a while your body won’t lose any weight at all.
Weight Loss Tip #56 Always pack a snack with you to work, you don’t when you might feel hungry at the office. Rather than eating junk from outside, keep a healthy snack with you.
Weight Loss Tip #57 Whenever you don’t feel like working out, think about how good it feels after the work out, the feel of accomplishment and the energy flowing through your body.
Weight Loss Tip #58 Putting on your exercise clothes when you don’t feel like it helps motivate you and puts you in the mood for a workout.
Weight Loss Tip #59 If you’re feeling down before a working out, have a soda or coffee, caffeine will speed up your metabolism for a while.
Weight Loss Tip #60 If you walk a lot talk things up a notch, try walking faster, jogging or even adding ankle weights.
Weight Loss Tip #61 There comes a time when diet and exercise stops helping lose weight, in that case increase physical activity. Not only will that add muscle, but also help in fat burning.
Weight Loss Tip #62 Let there be at least a three hour gap between your sleep and workout.
Weight Loss Tip #63 Make sure the exercises your doing are not only popular, but you enjoy doing them as well. Here is a weight loss program with good cardio exercises, people seem to really enjoy doing them.
Weight Loss Tip #64 You can take some sort of strength training, provided the doctor gives the OK. Being stronger will help you lose weight sooner.
Weight Loss Tip #65 Sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups are part of strength training. I usually like to do modified versions, like doing push-ups on my finger tips.
Weight Loss Tip #66 Aerobic exercise is recommended to be done five days a week, however strength training needs to be done only two or three times a week.
Weight Loss Tip #67 Take a day of rest between strength exercise because your muscles need rest.
Weight Loss Tip #68 Keep your goal realistic, but don’t keep the timeframe of the goal so far off that you may lose focus. For example you may plan to lose weight by the end of two years, after one year you may get tired and stop trying.
Weight Loss Tip #69 Make small changes to your daily routine and become more active. Small changes overtime will make a big difference in the future.
Weight Loss Tip #70 Checking your BMI (Body Mass Index) can help determine how close you are to reaching your goals.
Weight Loss Tip #71 Don’t make a drastic cut in your calorie intake. People make the mistake of doing so, however, it will only cause your weight to stall.
Weight Loss Tip #72 Research has shown that snacking on peanut butter is an effective way to control hunger without leading to weight gain.
Weight Loss Tip #73 You should ask yourself these questions as you begin: Why do you want to lose weight? Are you truly committed?
Weight Loss Tip #74 If you want to lose weight your BAWH must change:
Behavior
Activity
What you eat
How you eat
Weight Loss Tip #75 No matter which way you look at it, 3,500 calories is one pound lost. Whether you take in 500 fewer or burn 500 more calories a day, by the end of the week you’ll be one pound lighter!
Weight Loss Tip #76 Your weight will fluctuate from day to day. Resist the urge to weigh yourself on a daily basis, as doing so will discourage you. Weigh in the same time and day once a week.
Weight Loss Tip #77 Building muscle through strength training brings many benefits, including: increased endurance; flexibility; reduced risk for injury; increased energy; and boosted metabolism.
Question and Answer
Weight loss?
I want to lose 20 – 30 pound by the beginning of November. I need to know what foods to eat. I will be going and walking/running everyday after school as well.
I'm 5'9 i have a large body frame. I weigh somewhere around 190.
The healthy weight range for my height is 150 – 170.
Any tips on how to maximize my weight loss in that amount of time. Thanks.
Aneel “Rob” Samuel is the creator of RobReviews.com where he reviews natural weight loss programs found online.
http://www.robreviews.com/health-and-fitness.html
Healthcare Plan Savings Discussed
Posted by: | CommentsDuring these times when hospital bills and professional doctors fee are high, medicines are expensive, and temptations for foods, drinks and vices are everywhere, staying healthy is a must. While some are gifted with good and healthy body, others struggle to maintain a healthy body. And with the price of healthcare plan contributing to the expenses we already have, there is a great need and knowledge on how to somehow cut the cost of healthcare plan.
Although you cannot do anything to bring down the price of your healthcare plan, you can manage to acquire significant saving by following these steps.
Stay Healthy – Yep! The golden rule if you want to live longer. Skeptical? Well, nobody blames you but if you would like to give you body a great chance of living beyond your life expectancy, staying healthy is worth the shot. If you aim to get a cheaper healthcare plan, then this is also a great way to achieve it. Since healthcare plan companies base the price of their plan on the status of the health of the individual, don’t be surprised if some might get higher rate than others. If you are conscious about it, then maintaining a healthy life could spare you from high healthcare plan rate.
Quit Smoking – Now that’s difficult! But if you are a kind of person who will do anything just to keep the healthcare plan rate to the minimum, you can always start by kicking the habit away. So what does it have to do with low healthcare plan? A person who smokes is more prone to healthcare claims than those who do not. And if you understand the business, you would realize that healthcare plan companies receive more claims from smoking plan holders. The tendency is to sanction higher healthcare plan rates to those who smoke. Think about it! If you quite smoking, you save from healthcare plan bills, spare you from the cost of your everyday cigarette consumption, and give you a better chance to live cleaner and longer life.
Exercise and Lose Weight- If you are part of the growing number of Americans who can either be classified as overweight or obese, then expect to have a higher healthcare plan price. It is wise to keep a normal body size and maintain it with regular exercise so you can get a desired healthcare plan rate.
Good healthcare plan selection – If it’s cheap, it does not necessarily mean it’s really “cheap.” Never let the price be your basis in taking a healthcare plan. As much as possible look for plan that gives you more benefits at the price advantageous to you.
Maximize other existing plan – If you presently have health insurance plan, make sure that you avoid getting another one with an identical coverage. This would surely drain your pockets by having unnecessary benefits you can never use. Also avoid buying unnecessary healthcare plan if you already have enough plan.
Know the type of plan you are buying – If you are buying healthcare plan for the first time, you should identify first the type of coverage you want. In this way, you can eliminate those unnecessary coverage you think you can never use. Remember that every coverage is paid so making sure that you can the healthcare plan that fits your need.
Question and Answer
Healthcare becomes universal then what happens to people like me that work in healthcare?
If healthcare gets revamped will I get CUT IN PAY? I am a X-ray tech. When everybody can afford healthcare, will I loose money?
I am confused if revamping healthcare is bad or good for me. I am for everybody getting great healthcare, but not for a pay cut that I worked hard for!
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides healthcare plan resources on www.your-healthcare-plan.info.
Must Do Tips to Burn Fat Fast
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re serious about losing weight, these are the must do tips to burn fat fast. If you follow these steps, you are guaranteed to lose weight.
Eat 6 meals a day
This is by far the most important thing that you must do if you want to burn fat quickly and efficiently. Keeping you body supplied with food requires your body to burn calories to digest it. This continuous work by your body starts to add up quickly, which allows you to burn more calories than you normally would.
Exercise 4 times a week
I know many of you still cringe when you think about exercising, but whether you like it or not, you got to work up a sweat. Thirty to forty minutes is all you need, but if you have the time, pushing it to an hour is even better. Cardio exercises are great, but it you want to look nice and tone with tight look muscles, you need to resistance train as well. Free weights are the best, but rubber bands are also a good alternative if you can’t get to the gym or you just want to do something at home.
Keep a Positive Attitude
Unfortunately, it’s easy to get discourage when it comes to losing weight and getting into shape, especially at the beginning. That is why it is very important to keep a positive attitude. If you’re 50 pounds or more overweight, don’t expect to lose all of it in a day or even a week. After all, you didn’t put on that amount of weight in a day. Be patient and positive that your routine will get you to your goal. Regrettably, to many of you guys just give up when, if you would have just persisted, you would have eventually reached your goals.
In short, follow these tips and you will burn fat fast.
Question and Answer
Burn fat….?
I am 5'4 and 115lbs I have two kids and I have been going to the gym everyday to tone my body. I am at the right weight for my height but i have no muscle. So all the weight is fat. I am afraid that I will build muscle under my fat. Can this happen? What are good ways to burn fat and in the right areas such as stomach and thighs?
Are you tired of searching all over the web for information and advice on what you need to do to lose weight quickly and easily? Then check out http://www.How-to-Burn-Fat.com Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive your free report on Fat Burning Foods and while you’re there, calculate your target heart rate zone to get the most out of your workouts.
Power of Lean Healthcare
Posted by: | CommentsAs healthcare costs increase at a faster rate than other products or services, healthcare providers, in particular hospitals, are under continuous pressure to dramatically improve service, reduce costs, improve patient safety, reduce waiting times, and reduce errors and associated litigation.
However, hospitals are not making the necessary improvements in cost, quality, and safety. A report by the U.S. HHS Office of the Inspector General finds that 20% of consecutive inpatient stay sequences were associated with poor quality care, unnecessary fragmentation of care, or both. The current organization and management of hospitals is an imperfect system that cannot effectively address these issues. Major projects to restructure hospitals, dramatically reduce cost, and improve customer care have had little impact on quality or cost.
In simplistic terms, current healthcare systems are not designed to make the process or ‘value stream’ of care flow smoothly. Healthcare services are often ‘batch and queue’, with patients spending most of their time waiting until the Healthcare Professional is ready i.e. push versus pull. As the population matures, patient cycle times in the hospitals, post-care facilities, and laboratories become key measurements that need to improve.
Our belief is that Lean Healthcare can provide a solution to successfully address some of these concerns with minimal cost but maximum benefit.
Lean in Healthcare
The essence of Lean Thinking is to eliminate waste through understanding how the patient defines value and how to deliver that value. Lean Thinking focuses on creating an efficient, waste-free continuous flow built on a pull vs. ‘batch and queue’ approach aligned with the continual pursuit of a perfect system.
Examples of Healthcare Waste:
o Redundant capture of information on admission
o Multiple recording of patient information
o Excess supplies stored in multiple locations
o Excess time spent looking for charts
o Patient waiting rooms
o Excess time spent waiting for equipment, lab results, x-rays etc.
o Excess time spent dealing with service complaints
Hospitals are made up of a series of processes with diverse lines of business. As a consequence, they need to build their delivery systems with these lines of business in mind. Hospitals need to know the businesses that drive 80% of their value proposition. They need to streamline their organization systems and processes to fully support the process required to deliver high quality care.
Commitment and support for any lean initiative needs to not only come from top healthcare management but, even more critically, from the ‘bottom up’ for implementation. Decision making and system development need to be pushed down to the lowest levels of any healthcare organization.
Management consultants are normally engaged as Lean change agents rather than as Lean facilitators. Healthcare staff should lead any Lean implementation program. These people are best equipped to understand the work environment, issues, challenges, what will work and what won’t. An empowered and knowledgeable team is therefore essential to achieve sustainable improvements and long-term success in any Lean initiative. Put simply, Lean will not work without an educated workforce.
Examples of Lean Healthcare Performance Metrics
o Improved patient satisfaction
o Increased operating room utilization
o Reduced time between procedures
o Lower tools and supplies inventory
o Reduced laboratory space
o Improved cost effectiveness
Lean Healthcare Accreditation
A new Lean Healthcare Green Belt Certification program (www.leanhealthcareservices.com) was recently developed to enable effective staff empowerment.
The on-line program represents the first International Healthcare Certification of its kind, and provides an essential ‘first step’ to not only understanding the theory but also the application of Lean tools and practices through detailed work assignments, in-line assessments, and final examination.
The program has been designed in association with the Irish Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Canadian Professional Logistics Institute, Lean Experts, and Healthcare Consultants in conjunction with the Leading Edge Group. It is open to personnel involved in any organization within the healthcare field, particularly those associated with hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, blood banks, laboratories, and pharmacies. Once these people have the ‘appropriate’ knowledge, they will be able to envisage and achieve results and, most importantly, meet the needs of patients now and in the future.
Please contact Joe Aherne CPA, Chief Executive Officer, Leading Edge Group, jaherne@leadingedge.ie; www.leanscm.com; www.leanhealthcareservices.com
Question and Answer
healthcare?
can i ask about the american healthcare system for my culture project.
1) do you have free universal healthcare, if not how much is it for an individual.
2)what is the most you would pay for a prescription.
3)what is the average life expectancy.
4)are you happy with the healthcare system.
5)what would you change about it.
6)are you afraid universal healthcare would bring socilism.
thank you.
Joe Aherne is a Certified Public Accountant, with over 25 years experience in the multinational sector. He also has attained qualifications from the Marketing Institute of Ireland and from CITY Bank in the U.S.
Joe established the Leading Edge Group in 1995 a niche boutique consulting company supporting the US multinational and SME sectors. The company is now recognized as one of the largest independent Lean consultancies in Europe with over 600 projects completed successfully since its inception.
Joe launched in April 2005 the new International Standard in Lean comprising 4 levels of certification and leading to a Masters Degree in Quality Management: Lean Master Black Belt. (www.leanscm.com & www.leanhealthcareservices.com ) He is currently leading a major international drive promoting the adoption of Lean healthcare philosophies and practices
Joe Aherne CPA, Charter House, Cobh, County Cork, Ireland +353 21 4855863
Ana’s New Weight Loss Secret – B12 Injections
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1. They could not follow the program.
2. They lost some weight but could not maintain it.
These two problems are the biggest ones that most people face but this does not mean that they are the only ones. Both of these problems are related to the human mind and not human body. Your exercise plan or diet has got nothing to do with the failure. The main cause of this failure is the mind state of a human being; he is expected to follow the program with consistency which for some people is not possible. Another reason for this failure is the conflict between a person’s unconscious and conscious state of mind. These two are the reasons due to which a person fails to lose his or her weight. If you are not prepared then nothing can help you get the required results.
The only solution to this problem is to change the entire life style of a person. This will help his sub-conscious mind to accept it and he will be able to follow the plan with more consistency. This shift will solve all the problems and the person will adapt to the new settings. Now this will be more of an adopted life style than a forced on. Now the person will follow the whole diet and exercise program without any trouble. There are numerous advance mind trainings that can help you achieve this state of mind, magically slim being one of them. With the required mind state in place a person will easily follow all the weight loss programs and will be able to maintain it for a long period of time.
With the mind state in place you will need to find yourself a good diet and exercise plan. You can only lose your weight if you are able to burn more calories than you take in. For this reason you need to have a good diet plan. You can ask a doctor to tell you about healthy foods with low calories or you can ask your friends who are already following a plan. You can also use the internet yourself and then evaluate the food items. This way you can eat what you want and you will know how much calories it contains. With your diet plan in place it’s time to get yourself a good exercise plan. You can go for some basic exercises or advanced exercise but this depends on your level of experience. You can buy the necessary equipment or join a gym for this reason. You also have another option! If you don’t want to follow exercises then you can go out for walking, cycling, swimming or running. They don’t require any specialized equipment so they are much easier to adopt.
Question and Answer
What weight loss program helps you detoxify and loss weight at a good rate?
I want to detoxify my body and loss weight healthily and rapidly. I want to lose 40 lbs by the end of the year.
Marketsmonitor Releases Report on Saudi Arabian Healthcare Market Forecast to 2012
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According to a new report, “Saudi Arabian Healthcare Market Forecast to 2012”, the Saudi Arabian healthcare market is witnessing rapid growth and will continue to expand exponentially in future. The country’s rapidly increasing population, due to which demand is outpacing supply, can be regarded as the main push for the market. And as the incidences of a number of lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, in the country amongst the highest in the world, these will significantly boost the healthcare spending in future.
Government plays a central role in providing healthcare services in the kingdom, accounting for around 75% of the total healthcare spending in the country. The government accounted for 67% of the total hospitals and 77% of the total hospital beds in the country in 2006. The government expenditure on healthcare, however, is increasing faster than its total income; as a result, government may resort to cost cutting measures in future.
The report says that due to increasing pressure on the public healthcare system, the government is rapidly promoting the involvement of private healthcare in the country. So big investment will be seen from the private sector in the forecasted period, and according to our estimates, the private sector will account for 62% for all new beds installed during 2006-2012.
However, slump in crude oil prices due to economic recession can hit the nation’s economy. But the fast diversification of the country’s economy into other sectors will provide it a buffer against the severe impact of economic turmoil. Despite some challenges such as shortage of skilled workers, dependency on oil and bureaucratic issues, the market’s future will remain bright with all three sectors – hospital services, pharmaceuticals and medicals devices – expected to show sustained growth.
“Saudi Arabian Healthcare Market Forecast to 2012” gives an extensive and objective analysis on the Saudi Arabian healthcare market. It has segmented the healthcare industry into hospital services, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It provides analytical and statistical information on these segments, including their market size, demand, supply, segmentation and key players. It also features an analysis on the future directions, supplemented with facts and figures. Thus, the report serves as a useful guide for healthcare companies, government officials, consultants and investors who are planning to enter the Saudi Arab healthcare market.
Our report provides forecast on
- Macroeconomic indicators
- Demographic and healthcare indicators
- Healthcare spending
- Demand for hospital beds
- Pharmaceutical market
- Medical devices market
Key questions answered in the report
- Which factors are driving the Saudi Arabia healthcare market?
- What is the past and present size of the healthcare market?
- What is the role of public and private sectors in providing healthcare?
- What is the total supply and demand for hospital services in Saudi Arab?
- What will be the demand, investment and infrastructure scenario in the hospital services market?
- What is the total size and future outlook of the pharmaceutical market?
- Who are the key players operating in the pharmaceutical market?
- What is the total size and future outlook of the medical devices market?
- What are the key challenges faced by the Saudi Arabia healthcare market?
For More detail Please Visit :- http://www.marketsmonitor.com/Report/IM173.htm
Question and Answer
Healthcare becomes universal then what happens to people like me that work in healthcare?
If healthcare gets revamped will I get CUT IN PAY? I am a X-ray tech. When everybody can afford healthcare, will I loose money?
I am confused if revamping healthcare is bad or good for me. I am for everybody getting great healthcare, but not for a pay cut that I worked hard for!
Paraprofessional Healthcare – Wide Range of Career Choices
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A healthcare paraprofessional performs specific medical tasks after clearing an institutional certificate exam. They do not require an occupational license to provide professional service. Healthcare paraprofessionals work directly under doctors and surgeons. An increase in aging population in the developed nations has pushed up the needs for the long term care.
There is a great demand of healthcare paraprofessionals in order to provide long-term care. Medical training programs are organized to constantly update medical skills for providing quality care. Healthcare programs provide adequate training for paraprofessionals in various medical fields. They can be trained in various fields like ophthalmology, mental health, dentistry and so on. Medical schools offer paraprofessional training to delegate functions of a medical professional. Medical programs at the graduate level for healthcare paraprofessionals offer externship and job exposure opportunities.
Most medical training programs have open enrollment policy for course initiation any time of the year. The minimum applicant eligibility criteria do not vary largely among healthcare schools. A high school diploma or equivalent is the primary eligibility for most paraprofessional medical training program. Nursing assistant programs require the passing grades in the qualifying examinations. All sectors of the healthcare industry are said to grow rapidly over the next decade. Paraprofessional medical training program can work best for a career in healthcare.
Medical programs for paraprofessionals train them to actively participate in treatment plans. They are trained to handle medical equipments, participate in major surgeries and offer diagnosis. A lot of technicians constitute medical paraprofessionals. Healthcare schools provide paraprofessional career options like medical record specialists and dental hygienists. Medical technician and health information officer positions can be obtained after passing the paraprofessional healthcare training programs. Medical technicians can perform multiple functions in different fields. Radiology and scan technicians perform CAT scans and ultrasound procedures. Cardiovascular technicians are paraprofessionals who perform primary scans for the medical review. Emergency medical technicians work on emergency care with the ambulances. Surgical medical paraprofessionals work in the operating room providing essential services with surgeries. Most medical paraprofessionals are paid according to the hourly basis.
Medical training programs for paraprofessionals can be pursued in a minimum of four years. An additional specialized healthcare program can be taken up for one or two years after that. Medical programs that offer paraprofessional training can help you to pursue advanced healthcare education. Medical undergraduates while training to be doctors can earn with the paraprofessional certificate. There has been a significant rise in the demand for medical paraprofessionals around the world. The increase in employment opportunity is as high as thirty five percent in certain industry sectors.
Medical healthcare programs which offer paraprofessional certificate courses will also provide a career break for many of their students in the healthcare industry. The global healthcare market is considered as the cure-pill for the current financial turmoil.
Question and Answer
Healthcare becomes universal then what happens to people like me that work in healthcare?
If healthcare gets revamped will I get CUT IN PAY? I am a X-ray tech. When everybody can afford healthcare, will I loose money?
I am confused if revamping healthcare is bad or good for me. I am for everybody getting great healthcare, but not for a pay cut that I worked hard for!
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is healthcare school offers extensive healthcare training and healthcare programs in California.
8 Health Tips to Get in Shape for the New Year!
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With the new year approaching, the first resolution most people think about going for is a gym membership. Year after year the same thing happens. They really want to get into shape, and they know for sure that this year will be different. They sign up for a year membership and start their new goal with clear focus and determination.
Most people never make it past the first week. Why? Mostly because they quit when they realize how much work goes into getting back into the shape they once had. The fact of the matter is that it really is not as difficult as they think. They are just focusing on one aspect of overall wellness and burning themselves out on it.
In order to lose weight and keep it off for good, a person must develop the mindset necessary for living a healthy lifestyle. There is much more to being healthy than showing up to the gym every day. In fact, exercise is only one-eighth of the total equation. If you really want to achieve personal wellness in 2009, forget the gym and focus instead on improving the following 8 categories of health.
Health Tips #1: Diet & Nutrition
You already know the main reason you gained weight. Too many trips through the McDonalds drive-thru, late night snacking on junk food and poor dinner choices. You do not have to eat a diet of bland salads and yogurt, but you do need to limit the amount of trigger foods that you caused your weight gain. Replace your current American diet of high sugar, high-fat processed foods with those found in the produce and lean meat department as often as you can.
Health Tips #2: Nutritional Supplements
Now that our soils are more depleted of minerals than ever, and our farm animals are not fed properly, living a healthy lifestyle requires nutritional supplementation. I lost 70 pounds in 4 months and kept it off for over 15 years simply by drinking a soy-based protein shake for breakfast every morning and taking a few targeted vitamins. Why does this work? Because greasy bacon and runny eggs do not provide proper nutrition.
Health Tips #3: Fun & Recreation
What makes you happy? Going to the movies? Ice Skating? Playing the guitar? Whatever it is, you must find time for it on a weekly basis (if not daily) in order to maintain good mental stability. Your activities and hobbies should not include junk food or alcohol. Going to the movies is watching the movie, not eating a tub of fatty buttered popcorn. Be happy with what you are doing without the unnecessary evils.
Health Tips #4: Hydration
Drinking enough water throughout the day is the part of the equation that gets overlooked. People do not consider drinking as important as eating and it is! You should not be drinking soda or processed juices every day. Why? Because they deplete your body of vitamins and minerals while loading you up on sugar. Alcohol is even worse. Do yourself a favor and keep a water bottle with you at all times. Drink, drink, drink. I cannot stress this enough.
Health Tips #5: Stress
And speaking of stress, this is what happens when you do not allow yourself to have any fun in your life. This is just as important to living a healthy lifestyle as eating and drinking properly. Too much stress can cause major problems for your body. You only live once, so do not allow other people and events to get you so bothered and worried that you cannot live the lifestyle you deserve for yourself.
Health Tips #6: Unhealthy Habits
Not eating the wrong foods is just as important as eating the right foods. But unhealthy habits are not just about food, are they? Smoking and the use of other drugs, prescription or not, is probably the worst thing a person can do to their body. This is the only one you have! Take care of it. Alcohol is OK on occasion but not recommended on a daily basis to anyone interested in living a healthy lifestyle.
Health Tips #7: Weight Management
Have you ever noticed that weight loss really is not the issue that people struggle with? Most everyone has lost weight at one point in their life. Keeping that weight off is the obstacle that most people can not overcome. Think about it logically. If you gained weight by eating twinkies, then lost weight when you stopped eating twinkies, do not go back to eating twinkies. The person who eats twinkies on occasion (not every day) does not struggle with weight fluctuation.
Health Tips #8: Exercise
You knew this one was coming! It is totally possible to lose weight without exercising. I am living proof because my severe asthma prohibited me from doing it. The reason I can exercise now is because I got my body healthy through focusing on the other 7 categories. Once I began exercising, it only accelerated my weight loss and now helps to keep me lean. The key to exercise is not quantity but quality. A little bit every day will give you the best health benefits overall.
So there you have it! The 8 health tips to kick off the new year for a new you. Focus on improving each of these simultaneously as your one and only New Years Resolution and you will be on a successful path to overall wellness. Weight loss and poor health can be things of the past if you are just willing to make small changes on a daily basis.
Question and Answer
How can I get healthy? -Health tips?
This year, I made it a point to become healthy. I have lost some weight and got rid of some acne.
I really want to be healthy, and make sure that I look healthy.
Can you give me some all over health tips?
Im a teen girl by the way.
Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report “9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed” visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.