Tip Tuesday! Good Nutrition Can Help Your Eyes

When Mom told you to eat your broccoli, she was also promoting good eye health. Recent studies have shown that certain nutrients found in foods can help the wellness of of your eyes. 

Three Key Nutrients For Focused Vision A 2012 report says three nutrients help to promote healthy eyes and vision. The three nutrients are:

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What ObamCare Means for Your Taxes

By Bill Bischoff

President Obama's Affordable Care Act, which was deemed constitutional Thursday by the Supreme Court, includes some major tax changes that will take effect next year. Here's a refresher course on how sweeping health-care reform will impact individual taxpayers like you.

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A 4-week plan to recharge your energy

By Arleen Fitzgerald, L.I.C.S.W., and Karis Gabrielson, R.N.

Do you feel like a 25-watt bulb in your 150-watt life? If so, maybe it's time to shed some light on your personal energy crisis — and create a plan for recharging. 

Here are some simple — but powerful — ideas to give you a boost. Try adding one or two strategies a week to your routine to keep your energy building.


Week 1: Food — the juice that runs you
Make sure you're getting premium fuel. This week, take steps toward eating for more energy — and better health.  


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5 requirements you probably don’t know are in Obamacare

July 18, 2012 by Christian Schappel

Two thousand-plus pages … that’s a lot of law. So no one would blame you for not reading the healthcare reform law word for word. And if you didn’t, here are some things you probably don’t know it requires.

After poring over the reform law, Kaiser Health News recently posted a list of 10 provisions it says have flown under the public’s radar.

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Tip Tuesday! Check is in the Mail: How to Distribute MLR Rebates

Last in a Series of Two Articles

The date of August 1, 2012, represents the starting line with the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebate requirements. Many benefits and insurance professionals want to know how to reach the finish line for this Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate.

Recently, HHS announced in a June news release that almost 13 million Americans are entitled to a share of more than $1 billion in MLR rebates. These rebates relate to the 2011 MLR reporting year. Employers must distribute a proportionate share of the rebates to all enrollees.

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A secret ingredient for hydration: Food!

By Melanie Polk, M.M.Sc., R.D., F.A.D.A.

Think hydration — and you probably think water, the body's essential fluid. But, did you know you can eat your H₂O, too?

That's when you choose foods that are high in water content.

For example, some varieties of fruit and veggies are more than 85 percent water. On hot days, these foods — along with other fluids — can help you stay hydrated. And, there's a bonus: Water-rich fruits and veggies can also help replace key minerals (electrolytes) — which your body sheds when you sweat. 


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Finding relief for fibromyalgia

By Karis Gabrielson, R.N.

Fibromyalgia. Some people may actually feel relief when they hear this diagnosis. Maybe they've struggled with troubling symptoms for a long time — with no answers.

This condition can be difficult to diagnose. There's no specific lab test for it. And, its main symptoms — muscle pain and fatigue — are also common with other conditions.

So, a proper diagnosis can be a relief — and a turning point. While there's no cure, doctors have learned a lot about how to help people feel their best.

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Get workers moving and add 2 years to their lives

Time to get employees out from behind their desks and moving around the workplace. A recent study predicts the health gains from anti-sitting policies.

OK. So truth be told, the study, published in the online medical journal BMJ Open, doesn’t go so far as to suggest companies implement policies to keep employees on their feet at work. But it did say limiting sitting time to three hours or less per day could add two extra years to a person’s life.

In addition, if individuals cut their TV viewing down to two hours or less per day it can add 1.4 years to their lives.

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July 12, 2012 by Christian Schappel

Tip Tuesday: Eat, move and be happy! 4 steps for families

By Michael W. Rosen, M.D.

Are you committed to achieving a healthy weight? If so, bravo! And, if you have children, you should be proud that you're setting such a great example.
Even better: By involving your entire family in new-and-improved food and activity habits, everyone benefits. It will make it easier for all of you to maintain healthier lifestyles — and can bring you all closer, too.

Come together with these four family-friendly solutions. And, help those you love most join you on a path to a healthier life.  


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Medication poisoning: Keep kids SAFE

By Tanise Edwards, M.D.

Something you may depend on to help keep your kids well might also threaten their safety. It's medicine.

It becomes a problem — a poisonous one — when children get too much or take something they shouldn't. That includes prescriptions and over-the-counter products, such as pain relievers, cold medicines and even vitamins.

Some kids get into medicine when no one's looking. Others may be given too much by their caregivers. 


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Florida will opt out on two PPACA provisions

By Charles Abbott

July 5, 2012

Florida will not implement two provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act involving creation of a private insurance exchange and an expansion of Medicaid for the poor, according to Governor Rick Scott.

Two other states with Republican governors, Wisconsin and Louisiana, opted out of the two provisions last month following the Supreme Court decision upholding PPACA.

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