Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.

Many people prefer to remain indoors in the winter, but staying inside is no guarantee of safety. Take these steps to keep your home safe and warm during the winter months.

Winterize your home.

Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.

Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.

Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.

Check your heating systems.

Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly and ventilated to the outside.

Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys.

Install a smoke detector. Test batteries monthly.

Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available.

Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies.

Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check batteries regularly.

Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.

Get your car ready for cold weather use before winter arrives.

Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze level; check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires

Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.

Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.

Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. Include

blankets;

food and water;

booster cables, flares, tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction);

compass and maps;

flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries;

first-aid kit; and

plastic bags (for sanitation).

Be prepared for weather-related emergencies, including power outages.

Stock food that needs no cooking or refrigeration and water stored in clean containers.

Keep an up-to-date emergency kit, including:

Battery-operated devices, such as a flashlight, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, and lamps;

extra batteries;

first-aid kit and extra medicine;

baby items; and

cat litter or sand for icy walkways.

Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them:

Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.

Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.

Learn safety precautions to follow when outdoors.

Be aware of the wind chill factor.

Work slowly when doing outside chores.

Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation.

Carry a cell phone.

Protect your family from carbon monoxide.

Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage.

Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house.

Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds, and call 911.

When planning travel, be aware of current and forecast weather conditions.

Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories.

If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival.

Follow these safety rules if you become stranded in your car.

Stay with your car unless safety is no more than 100 yards away, but continue to move arms and legs.

Stay visible by putting bright cloth on the antenna, turning on the inside overhead light (when engine is running), and raising the hood when snow stops falling.

Run the engine and heater only 10 minutes every hour.

Keep a downwind window open.

Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked.

Above all, be prepared to check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. If you have pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and unfrozen water to drink.

No one can stop the onset of winter. However, if you follow these suggestions, you will be ready for it when it comes.

Also regarding health lets look at what most people do in the WINTER as opposed to the SUMMER (hot weather):

Winter weight gain isn’t just an urban myth. Research has shown that most of us could gain around a pound (half a kilo) during the winter months. That may not sound like much, but over the course of a decade, it can add up.

“There’s good evidence that people put on weight over the winter,” says dietitian Sian Porter. “The more overweight you are, the more you tend to put on. And the most worrying aspect of this seasonal weight gain is that the pounds tend to stay on. People don’t seem to lose the extra weight.”

The three main reasons that people put on weight in the winter are lack of physical activity, comfort eating and over-indulging at Christmas.

Cold weather and shorter days make it　harder to exercise outdoors, so it’s　easy not to　do any exercise over winter. If you’re not outside as much, there’s more time and temptation to reach into the kitchen cupboard for　high-calorie sweet snacks, such as biscuits and cakes.

Then of course there are　the festivities that surround Christmas. “What used to be a couple of days of parties and over-eating now seems, for some, to be　six weeks of over-doing it,” says Porter.

So what’s the solution? Here are　four simple ways to avoid winter weight gain.

1. Stock up your kitchen cupboards.  Keep your store cupboard stocked with staples such as cans of tomatoes, spices, beans and pulses, dried wholewheat pasta, wholewheat cereals, noodles, couscous and dried fruit. Keep some extra bread in the freezer if there’s space. That way, you’ll be able to　create a　quick and nutritious evening meal, such as a lentil or vegetable soup or stew, at short notice. You’ll save money and avoid the temptation to order a high-calorie takeaway.

2.　Exercise more

When the outside temperature drops, it’s easy to give up on outdoor exercise.　In winter, we　stop doing　calorie-burning outdoor activities like short walks and gardening. But reducing the amount of physical activity you do is one of the biggest contributors to winter weight gain.

Cold weather and shorter days don’t mean you have to abandon exercise completely. Instead, rearrange your schedule to fit in what you can. You don’t need formal exercise to burn calories.

A brisk walk can be revitalising after being indoors with the central heating on, and it’ll also help boost your　circulation. Put on some warm clothes and jog around the neighbourhood or start a snowball fight with the kids. Most leisure centres have heated swimming pools and indoor tennis and badminton courts. If you’d rather stay at home, buy some dance or workout DVDs, and always walk up the stairs at work rather than using the lift. “These little things can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding that pound of weight gain over winter,” says Porter.

3. Drink smart

It’s important to consume hot drinks throughout winter as it will help you keep warm. However, some hot beverages are high in calories. Milky, syrupy coffee shop drinks and hot chocolate with whipped cream　can add a lot of calories to your diet. A Starbucks　medium caffe mocha, for instance,　contains more than 360 calories. Stick to regular coffee or tea, or ask for your drink to be “skinny” (made with skimmed milk). Also, limit your alcohol intake as much as possible.

4. Get your winter greens

Eating a wide variety of foods ensures you get a range of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Don’t get stuck eating the same food every day.

Look out for root vegetables,　such as　swedes, parsnips and turnips, and winter veggies such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and artichokes. They’re filling as well as nutritious so will help you to resist a second helping of trifle.

Ways you can create a winter wellness plan that works for you:

1. Bring out the crock pot! Emphasis slow cooked, warm, moist meals this season. Soups are a perfect match for the cold, dry days.

2. We gravitate toward richer foods in the winter for good reason — we need to stay warm, lubricated and healthy.　 Allow yourself to indulge in high quality dairy, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, organic meats, and healthy fats — you can feel satisfied without jumping on the sugar train.

3. With the increase in heavier foods, be sure to increase spices and foods that help keep digestion lively. Many of these foods and spices have the added benefit of boosting your immune system because they are antibacterial. Try adding dark leafy greens, berries, garlic, onions, ginger, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon to your recipes whenever you can.

4. Pay attention if your skin feels tighter these days; you may need to switch to a hardier natural moisturizer like cocoa butter.

5. Use humidifiers to keep the air you are breathing moist.

6. If you use a neti pot to help keep your sinuses clear,　 swab your inner noise with a q-tip dabbed in coconut oil or olive oil when you are done to be sure you don’t over dry that area.

7.　 Be proactive about preventing ear infections.　 Warm up garlic oil (sold in natural health food stores) to body temperature and put a dropper full into each ear canal.

8. We breathe a lot more indoor air in the winter, so be especially careful to keep it clean and free of toxins. Rotate an air purifier into different rooms.

9. Let indoor green plants help keep your air clean and fresh.

10. Diffuse essential oils to increase the negative ion count in your air (shown to help mitigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder).

11. Prioritize sleep and follow the sun’s lead. As the days get shorter, shift your sleep routine toward going to bed earlier and to allow your body more hours to rest and repair.

12. Keep physically active during the winter to bolster mental health and physical immunity.

13. If you are a walker or runner, invest in a set of cold weather workout clothes so your can keep up your routine as the temperature dips.

14. Shift to indoor activities : yoga, stretching, dance, toning and aerobics can all be done via a DVD in your living room.

15. Join a gym or group workout class to keep connected and accountable to getting your workout in.

16. Get social! Stay connected to others, even as your activities shift more and more indoors. Join a moms’ group or book club that meets regularly.

17. Replace outdoor kid’s outings with indoor ones, like book time at the library or trips to the museum.

18. Strengthen your body’s defenses by keeping your gut healthy.　 Consume foods that have natural probiotics (like yogurt, kefir, miso soup, cultured vegetables, sauerkraut), or take a high quality supplement.

19. If you take fish oil supplements, shift to cod liver oil supplements for the winter. These have the added benefit of vitamin A and D (great for months when our access to vitamin D producing sunshine is limited).

20. Finally, make a Feel Good menu specifically for winter. Take a moment to brainstorm all the things you can do in winter that you enjoy, that feel indulgent, and that make you happy. Keep this list posted and draw from it to make your days more special and when you need a little extra pampering

Understanding what GERD is, its causes, its symptoms, the effects it has on your body and the way your body responds to specific treatments is necessary to help you devise a plan in your activities of daily living, including diet, to manage the condition.  If you haven’t seen my Part 1 just click on it on my page than read this.   All you can do is apply your own GERD diet experimentation to the suggestions of others and try available treatments until you find what works for you. Also, there are foods that have a reputation for being ‘safe’ (foods to avoid acid reflux) in most cases, as well as others that are known for being main contributors to acid reflux.

I recommend you go tohttp://www.gerd-diet.com which helps explain about foods and how they work with GERD.  They do state the following:                                       

Armoring Yourself with Patience and Willingness to Experiment (meaning this takes time in finding out what exacerbates your GERD and what helps it heal—Like an open wound, it takes time.)                                                                                                                                              Sorry,There Is No One-Size-To-Fit-All With-A-GERD Diet  (for relief or resolution)

Your Own Trigger Foods.

Given the complex nature of GERD, this one has to be added. I know it is repetitive, but everyone has certain foods that irritate their condition and causes severe symptoms. Make a list of these foods and avoid them in the future.  This means make a journal for the next 2 weeks or more and see what caused your GERD symptoms to remember them with not eating fast which can cause GERD also (habit change).

GERD Diet FoodsA List of Food Groups and What Is Safe and Best to Avoid

The following lists are comprised of foods that are typically known to be ‘safe’ or to ‘trigger’ symptoms.

Again, just because something is on the “avoid” list does not mean that you cannot eat it. Similarly, something appearing on the “safe” list does not guarantee that it will not cause a problem for you. This is simply provided as a guideline to give you a place to start and to make it easier for you design your own personal GERD diet.

At this point, there is no alternative medicine therapies that have been accepted as proof for treatment(s) or 100% resolution for GERD.

However, like every other aspect of the disease, it really is an individual decision. Some people have reported natural remedies that have given amazing results with their GERD diet (healthier approach) while others find that prescription medications have little effect (meds can cause side effects temporary or permanently, depending on what it is).

GERD can be due to obesity, lifestyle (unhealthy habits) and diet.  It is recommended to see an MD first before making this decision on your own in treatment with meds, diet or even health habit changes, especially for those people with disease/illness (s) present (Ex. Diabetes, cardiac disease, etc…).  If you need help with your GERD in prevention or treatment, that is primary or secondary care, than stay on this webpage.

**We can show you many healthy habits to use in your daily  life regarding what foods are healthy in eating (using all 4 food groups), how to properly eat your meals, how to lose weight effectively because of obesity, how to maintain an ideal weight, know what healthy activity/exercise is for you (non-strenuous to work out) and lastly knowing how you control or increase your metabolism with how it works with the different food groups and size of meals you eat.  You make the choices of what foods you want in your body.  You will be able to treat yourself to foods high in fats, carbohydrates or sugars occasionally when you reach your therapeutic ratio of your body mass index=BMI (ideal weight).  I hope you join me like so many others that were so happy with our results and how it financially keeps you within your budget (not unreachable).

**You take a look for yourself and I think you may just like what you see.  No gimmick, No hacking, No contract, No fee, and No donations it’s just a look at the website healthyusa.tsfl.com.                                                                                                                                                       **I have been a RN a quarter of a century, have seen disease from oncology units to cardiac units (telemetry, ICU, Pulmonary care units), to all types of med surg., to rehab facilities, to spinal cord injuries and amputee units & could go on with my experience.  I have worked from sea to shining sea, NY to California.  I saw what unhealthy habits have done to many people regarding their bodies, of all ages, in the U.S.  I will try every attempt not to end up like that but be healthier in living my life with staying out of facilities within my ability.  I’m not just a sales person with a pitch.  I even have GERD due to eating too fast over the years as a RN and did learn and practice healthier habits.  Join me and so many others where you can make yourself healthier and then even possibly others with just passing on what you have learned.  You may even get this urge to pass this knowledge on to others, like I did.  Spreading this kind of lifestyle all over can only help our country with decreasing many numbers of diseases that we have inflicted on ourselves regarding certain diseases (Ex. Obesity, Diabetes II, Cardiac, Lung Cancer, GERD etc…) due to living unhealthy lifestyles with poor diets.   Let us make a healthier USA for us now and in the future generations to come.   I hope you have found this article educational and useful in learning about understanding how the disease GERD works with knowing the symptoms that can arise when it’s active with some of the treatments.

****If you would like to know more about these healthy habits in getting to your ideal weight through your diet, activity/exercise and food groups with knowing how and when to eat healthy foods than go take a peek at .  I hope you come aboard where Dr. Anderson with his book, myself as a free health coach and our foods (in your choosing only) can get you in the right direction to help you stay healthy and overall feel better with having high odds of living a life longer.****

For so many years America has been warned about being overweight/unhealthy but still today the majority of Americans (all age groups) are obese, up to 2/3 of our country.

To the point it affects so many people in the U.S. that even our politicians have to ban certain drinks or foods to the public since many can’t make the better choice on their own for the healthier decision but instead too many people are taking foods/drinks that are high in sugar/calories or fat or carbohydrates not in moderation which in time, in large amounts, causes preventable diseases like cardiac (blockages in the vessels), endocrine (Diabetes II) with many other diseases as a ending result, in time. 

No matter if you are in a high or low income bracket, there are affordable foods that you can have in your diet while gradually increasing to 30 minutes of exercise daily or every other day in your life, of course in time.  It’s just like watching TV, you just have to fit it in your life and in time it will become a regular part of your activities of daily living with not making you feel as if this is a burden.  If you want to live a longer life, help decrease disease in our country then make a move whether young, mid-age or even older.  It is like a wound that our society over generations allowed to happen, in time (in particular the food industry creating the choice for you).  At first America didn’t know any better but now in this era we have the knowledge and know what is right and wrong.  The ending result is 2/3 of our country is obese now,  do we want to continue making this wound larger to a point that disease overtakes our mental awareness in allowing us to become healthier?  We already have caused a large number of obesity but like all wounds, time heals most wounds (If not completely than to a degree, referring primarily to the older age group, either age group it would show improvement, and in America the wound is a large one).  We are now in a technology that knows what foods high in fat, high in sugar, high in carbohydrates, high in calories on a daily basis-in large amounts-for yours meals and snacks can cause. The ending result is obesity but we are a stronger nation in all colors, races, ages, and sexes with knowing the key in what to do.   Do you want a better fit body, family, and even country? Then take the action NOW for the healthier choice.  Be a part in playing a role not just for yourself but the next decade & generation to be healthier by being a mentor in the right direction for health, which will help Americans in their lives all around (including our health care system, decreasing the people in it=patients).  I and so many others want the ending result of living healthier; which will only decrease the spread of disease caused by being obese to reach a lower percentile which is gradual but would impact all in a positive path, only if our society takes action with better eating and routine exercise by everybody.  The people making up America are so vitally important in helping to decide where the health of the present and future is going for our people in America.  Should it take our government to make the move (finally after so many years)?  Slowing down the obesity epidemic by performing preventative measures, getting into physical activity and preparing time to make healthy meals, can improve your life with contributing to the effort to improve our society overall.  You can even involve family, friends, colleagues, and join the outcome in time to a community of people with a health conscience, making our home a healthier America: less disease/more quality to life.  I hope you take part with me and take a peek at my website healthy usa.tsfl.com.  I lost 22lbs already and I’m not obese by the body mass index.  Join me and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.  No charge, no fee, no gimmick, no donations and no hacker.  It’s just you obtaining information about how to live your life healthier, even your family or friends, if their interested.  You can get involved in being healthier with you possibly spreading this great news to make a healthier USA for all age groups.  Thank you for your time and I hope I have spread some light on someone.  When I made this a routine in my life it got so EASY. 

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.“

Gail Devers(born November 19, 1966) is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team.

Like all organs if your diet is not healthy you’ll effect their functioning, including your eyes.  Take for example the ingredients you include in the foods & fluids you eat.  Just like how some drink from one up to three thousand cc’s of water a day to help prevent dehydration in their tissues if they work out daily from a gym to running miles outside OR take someone who simply includes calcium in their diet for their bones.  Well what is good for the eyes and what can you do to help both your eyes?

Get an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam, know your families eye history since many eye diseases are through heredity, eat an eye healthy & well-balanced diet rich in salmon, tuna, dark leafy greens, colored vegetables and fruits, wear sunglasses with UV protection and avoid smoking (which effects the body everywhere, including the eyes).

What ingredients do we need in our dieting that is so vital for the eyes to stay at their healthiest level?  Well Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Pronounced loo’teen and Zee’-a-zan-thin)-Powerful antioxidants naturally present in the macula (the part of the retina that is responsible for central vision).  Remember damage to the retina causes some degree of lack of vision to 100% blind.  Lutein and Zeaxanthin are critical for helping to filter out harmful blue light, which can damage the macula.  These vital antioxidants cannot be produced by our bodies on their own, so they must be obtained through diet and/or supplements (ex. Ocuvite Supplements in the store).   Another ingredient we need in our diet is Omega 3 Fatty Acids which is a family of fatty acids that help protect our eyes by keeping them healthy.  Omega 3 is an important structural lipid in the retina and helps support proper function; and is vital for the health of your eyes as you age.  Lastly it helps promote healthy tear production necessary for healthy and comfortableeyes.                                                                                                                                              Other Nutrients Antioxidants Vitamins C and E, Zinc and beta carotene. They help protect eyes from oxidative stress (Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen speciesand a biological system’s ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage and oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling.  It is thought to be involved in the development of many diseases.)

What Your Diet or Daily Health Habits May Be Missing:

–Many dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables (including orange foods) are rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin.  We all heard about carrots (to get Beta-carotene)                             

–Oil-rich fish such as tuna and salmon along with nuts and fortified eggs are an excellent source of omega-3s.  Omega-3s:  A family of fatty acids that help protect the eye to keep it healthy, another important nutrient for your eyes

Unfortunately, many of us do not consume enough of these eye-healthy foods in our daily diets. What should you have in your diet to eat per day to equal the amount of Lutein and Zeaxanthin you should have daily:   5 cups of  broccoli, 6 cups of corn, 1 ounce of salmon or 4 ounces of tuna.  A lot of vegetables in cups but if you mix your foods in the 4 food groups that are healthy for the eye or just simply take supplements that your doctor recommends for eye health you won’t be eating cups and cups of vegetables if you don’t like the taste.

*Other foods high in omega 3 are halibut, spinach, collard and kale.

VITAL NUTRIENTS FOR GETTING THE EYES HEALTHY.                      

Related Macular Degeneration, Cataracts, Dry Eye Syndrome and more. *

Factors that also influence how our eyes turn out are:

–Being overweight or obese is a factor that increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease (macular degeneration) or even glaucoma.  If  you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor or go to my website with Dr. Anderson available to help you understand how the body works with calories/sugars, carbohydrates, starches, fats, and sugars; with understanding how portions of meals work with digestion and how it can put weight on the body.

–If you do a lot of work daily on a computer or on any one thing, your eyes may forget to blink or get very fatigued, so attempt to do every 20 minutes looking away from the computer or one thing your focused on for hours (like at work) for 20 seconds.  This helps your eyes in reducing eyestrain (it is an actually an exercise for the eye).                                                                                     –Clean your hands and your contact lenses properly.  This is to avoid local infection in the eye.  Always wash your hands before putting in and taking out the contact lenses.  Follow your doctors and contact lenses website in keeping your eyes healthy and safe with using their service for your lenses.                                                                                                                                       –Practice workplace eye safety as their organization policy and procedure states but also use common sense with wearing eye goggles when doing work around the house that puts you at risk for eye damage (like weed whacking, painting, using saws etc…)

How do you go about this if you need help in knowing what good foods of all the 4 food groups are, with knowing how to lose weight permanently without going on diets for 3 or 6 or 24 months than gaining it all back again including knowing how the body works with 3 meals a day as opposed to 6 small meals a day (one of them being a meat and vegetable meal that is lean in fat and green in vegetables with other colorful veggies added to it if you want) and understanding how the average American eats (especially with fast foods on a regular basis) with disease?  Did you know you get a physician (Dr. Anderson) and a health coach (me a RN 25 years plus) for FREE?

Go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and there you will learn the answers to all these questions you have and if you decide to become a member after viewing over what we have to offer to you with the viewing for no charge, no prescription, no obligation, and no hacking site!  Our country needs to live healthier and you can get started through this site and eventually become independent or even stay with us but you make all the choices, no one else.  You might be so happy with what you see you’ll even spread the good cheer and pass on the knowledge to family and friends making our country healthier.  We have to start somewhere.  Our health care system is in a disaster but gradually improving and lets add to improving it for us now and ten years from now and for future generations to decrease the amount of disease and illness in our country with giving our government a reason to decrease the price in our health care system (including insurances).  I hope you take a peek at healthyusa.tsfl.com and come aboard with me and so many others in trying to get healthier for themselves including helping others in America and far.  By the way I have lost 22 pounds and love the food.  Take a look, it doesn’t cost you anything. Why not?  Please if you have any diseases or illnesses on your mind with questions that you have let me know in my comment section and I will personally try to make it the next article if not sometime that week.  Thank you for reading my post.

Let’s get healthier in America!  We need to decrease disease and illness with decreasing our expenditure in the health care system (including insurance prices).  One way in doing that is getting healthy, if we all took part it would decrease or lower our disease and illness percentage more in America.  To do that we have to become better in our diets and health habits for us now, our children later and future generations who will have a harder economy to live in then.  Let us all learn about diseases and illnesses and how to prevent them.  Go to my blog striveforgoodhealth.com and for free learn each day about the ones I discuss.  Today’s article is on the EYES.  Take a peek daily;)

References:  1.)

http://www.ocuvite.com

“Every citizen who stops smoking, or loses a few pounds, or starts managing his chronic disease with real diligence, is caulking a crack for the benefit of us all.” 

Mitch Daniels (born April 7, 1949) is an American politician who is the president of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana. A member of the Republican Party, he served two terms as governor from 2005 to 2013.)

The crisis is clear. Chronic diseases are crushing healthcare.

Our healthcare system is good at treating short-term problems, such as broken bones and infections. Medical advances are helping people live longer. But obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. The population is aging. We need to do a much better job managing chronic diseases.

Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s disease take a heavy toll on health. Chronic conditions also cost vast amounts of money. The trends are going in the wrong direction:

Obesity increases the risk of developing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The rate of obesity in adults has doubled in the last 20 years. It has almost tripled in kids ages 2-11. It has more than tripled in children ages 12-19.

Without big changes, 1 in 3 babies born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

Average healthcare costs for someone who has one or more chronic conditions is 5 times greater than for someone without any chronic conditions.

Chronic diseases account for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare. That’s nearly $7,900 for every American with a chronic disease.

These chronic diseases drive healthcare costs at an alarming annual rate:

Diabetes: $174 billion/year.

Lung Disease: $154 billion/year.

Alzheimer’s Disease: $148 billion/year.

The Human Cost

The human cost of chronic diseases cannot be ignored:

Chronic diseases cause 7 out of every 10 deaths.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are the leading causes of disability and death in the US.

About 25% of people with chronic diseases have some type of activity limitation. This includes difficulty or needing help with personal tasks such as dressing or bathing. It may also mean being restricted from work or attending school.

Today, Americans suffering from chronic diseases face rising healthcare costs. They also receive lower quality care and have fewer options.

Health insurance co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses continue to rise. In many cases, choices and care are limited.

The disabling and long-term symptoms that often come with chronic diseases add to extended pain and suffering. This decreases the overall quality of life.

We must face the epidemic of chronic diseases. If we don’t, the human costs will continue to soar. We might even face a lack of available or affordable care when it is needed most.

The financial and human costs of chronic diseases can no longer be ignored.

There is a way we can prevent this and it would be keeping your weight ideal for your height within the therapeutic　body mass index range (calculate it for free online).　 If you need to lose weight you’ve come to the right blog.　 Do it through diet, exercise balanced with rest and practicing routine healthy habits that prone you to having a healthy body overall which prevents disease.　 So many diseases are due to these factors not practiced daily =　 good diet with exercise, healthy habits and a therapeutic weight for your height.　 If we had most of American citizens living this way certain diseases would be decreased terribly helping our country out with this economy of ours　with　the health care　system.　 If you need assistance in reaching these　healthy　practices 　 Do you want a better fit body or even an overall healthier family including grandchildren　to　even our country than take the action NOW.　 For your goal in playing a part in living healthier and spreading the good news would benefit you and all around us.　 Also, for the next decade & generation to be healthier will help Americans holistically in their lives all around (including our health care showing a spread of disease in lower percentage due to healthier dieting and activity choices by our people, who are so important in helping to decide where the health of the present and future of the US citizens lies.　 Should it take our government to make a move (finally after so many years)?　　 I know I wouldn’t want them making the last move in our society and if you want to take part in joining me (at almost 50 y/o) than go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and be a part of making our home a healthy USA.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Disease Overview: Costs of Chronic Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm. Accessed July 24, 2007. 

American Diabetes Association. The Dangerous Toll of Diabetes. American Diabetes Association Web site. Available at http://diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/dangerous-toll.jsp. Accessed May 18, 2007.

Partnership for Solutions. Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care, September 2004 Update. Partnership for Solutions Web site. Available at http://www.partnershipforsolutions.org/DMS/files/ chronicbook2004.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2007. 

Mensah G, Brown D. An overview of cardiovascular disease burden in the United States. Health Aff 2007; 26:38-48.American Diabetes Association. Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes in the United States. American Diabetes Association Web site. Available at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/ cost-of-diabetes-in-HYPERLINK “http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/cost-of-diabetes-in-us.jsp”us.jsp. Accessed September 20, 2007.

Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2007. Alzheimer’s Association Web site. Available http://www.alz.org/national/documents/ Report_2007FactsAndFigures.pdf.