The Day “Live Fast Die Young” started to lose its appeal

The Day “Live Fast Die Young” started to lose its appeal
by: Stephen Morgan

Somehow the youthful notion of “live fast, die young!” becomes less appealing as the days go by. Funny that, isn’t it?

I remember the day well, it all started in May 1997 with a routine (or so I thought) Doctors appointment in the morning and then the usual rounds of trying to keep clients and staff happy. It was the day of my thirty ninth birthday and so I was looking forward to the celebratory dinner engagement later that evening. I had been feeling slightly “run down”, a euphemism here for “exhausted” but had put it down to slightly busy times in the office and so had finally relented to my wife’s pleas to “go and see the Doc and get everything checked out”.

Upon my return to the office in mid afternoon, I received a message from one of my colleagues “your doctor called and you are to call him back straight away”. “Ah, get the multivitamins ready and get ready to cut back on the alcohol time” I thought but alas not so.

"How are things Doc?”

“I’m fine but you’re not. I have a hospital bed set aside (he gave me the details of the hospital in question) and you are to get there straight away. I will see you there shortly.”

OK, a little bit harsh and to the point I thought. “Is there any particular reason?” I asked rather glibly.

“Yes, you need a blood transfusion straight away and we will take it from there. I’ll explain more when I see you there”

Things were starting to get a little too serious for my liking. Feeling slightly like a child who had been playing Monopoly and had just received the “Go straight to jail. Do not pass Go and do not collect £200 (or whatever your currency is depending on where you are reading this article)” I put the telephone down, stared at the blank wall in front of me and tried not to go into major panic mode.

The day was definitely not going to plan. The next thing was to inform my wife of exactly what had happened (to the best of my knowledge), put the birthday celebrations on hold; cancel the restaurant reservation and trying not to drive into anyone or anything else I headed home to pack some “overnight things” for my short stay in hospital.

“Overnight things!” I had prepared myself for overnight business trips before but somehow I wasn’t too sure whether the hospital would appreciate me arriving with laptop, mobile and modem et al in tow and so things were a little different this time.

The problem as it turned out had been that I had an abnormally low haemoglobin level that had surfaced as part of a routine Blood Test that had been carried out that morning.

The haemoglobin test is normally ordered as a part of the complete blood count (CBC) (which is ordered for many different reasons, including as a general health screening, further information can be found at http://www.bloodpressureinformation.info/whatisabloodtestpt1.html ). The test is also repeated in patients who have ongoing bleeding problems or chronic anaemia’s or polycythemias.

Normal values in an adult are 12 to 18 grams per decilitre (100 millilitres) of blood. Above-normal haemoglobin levels may be the result of:

• Dehydration,
• Excess production of red blood cells in the bone marrow,
• Severe lung disease, or
• Several other conditions.

Below-normal haemoglobin levels may lead to anaemia that can be the result of:

• iron deficiency or deficiencies in essential vitamins of other elements, such as B12, foliate, B6,
• inherited haemoglobin defects, such as sickle cell anaemia or thalassemias,
• Other inherited defects affecting the red blood cells,
• Cirrhosis of the liver (during which the liver becomes scarred),
• Excessive bleeding,
• Excessive destruction of red blood cells,
• Kidney disease,
• Other chronic illnesses,
• Bone marrow failure or aplastic anaemia, or
• Cancers that affect the bone marrow.

In my case, my haemoglobin count was 5.9 which as my doctor later cheerfully commented “I’ve never seen someone with a blood count that low, still standing!” Just what I wanted to hear I thought as I lay in the hospital bed strapped to a drip getting my transfusion. “Don’t worry, you’ll feel so much better with a few more pints in you and these are the sort that won’t give you a hangover in the morning either!”

Somehow, though grateful for their concern, I found it rather difficult to share their enthusiasm. You see, dear reader, the real problem in the whole proceedings had been with my own rather stupid (it’s a “guy” thing) concept in ignoring the warning signs that had been building up over the years and signing up for a lifetimes course in the “heal thyself” school of medicine.

As a Consultant pointed out rather bluntly at a later stage I had almost killed myself with my own stupidity. I had been losing rather large amounts (at times) of blood during regular bodily functions (I won’t dwell on this too much but you get the drift) but because I had been young and fit had managed to overcome these losses without too much in the way of inconvenience. Also because of my extremely low blood count, to compensate, my blood pressure (though normal at the time) had been kept artificially low.

The moral of the story so far is don’t be stupid, don’t ignore the warning signs and if confronted with anything slightly out of the norm then get it checked out and don’t die of ignorance and shame.

So having received my “Get out of jail free card”, most normal individuals with more than a half functioning brain would have then proceeded through life with caution but sadly it appeared that I was destined to “go for broke next time”.



About The Author
Steve Morgan’s Background is in marketing but through a number of experiences both direct and involving relatives, has developed a more than passing interest in Health Matters and thus acts as a Consultant for Blood Pressure Information (www.bloodpressureinformation.info) an independent information resource in Healthcare Matters. He also has an involvement with two other organisations http://www.stressrelief.ws and http://www.highbloodpressure.name.

Medical Insurance Policy

Medical Insurance Policy
by: Jody Taylor

A Medical Insurance policy is a contract between an insurance company and an individual or a group which promises to pay for medical care reasonably required by the insured policy holder for treatment in case of any injury or illness. Even now a day’s medical insurance policy is provided for disease like obesity.

If an individual has taken up a medical policy then he pays the premium according to a specific time frame as decided between the two groups. Usually, the policy takes care for the health & medical acre of an individual but if the premiums value is higher the insurance covers the family members also. In the case when the policy is taken by a group or an association, then all the individuals under the association receive the certificate of insurance. Some key points like payment of premiums, deductibles and co-pays are decided at the beginning and both the parties have to abide by these rules.

Searching a Medical Insurance Plan?

The terms in the policy may be hard to understand at times and the person may stand confused. So here is list of some terms commonly used up in an insurance plan:

Deductible-The deductible refers to the yearly amount of money that the insured would need to pay before any benefits from the health insurance policy can be used.

1. Co-insurance / Co-payments- This is the amount that would need to be paid by the insured before the insurance pays and in addition to the deductible.

2. Out-of- pocket- An out of pocket expense can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is.

3. Waiting Period- This is the time one would have to wait until certain health insurance overages are available.

4. Grace Period- This is the amount of time one has to pay their health insurance premium after the original due date and before insurance coverage would be canceled.

5. Lifetime Maximum-This is the most amount of money the health insurance policy will pay for the entire life. Pay attention to individual lifetime maximums and family lifetime maximums as they can be different.

6. Out-of-Pocket - This is the cost one would pay out of their own pocket. An out of pocket expense can refer to how much the co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible is.

Is Medical Insurance Necessary?

Man saves money for a better & safe future. But life is a string of surprises. A serious medical situation can strain one’s pocket, thereby emptying all the lifetime savings. The best option to save oneself from this situation is to secure your future with the help of a medical insurance policy


About The Author
Jody Taylor, an associated as well as a contributing editor the Hateweight.com for distinct article sites/journals. Please feel free to visit the website Hateweight.com for more information on Obesity, Weight Loss methods diet pills exercise or any Fitness related issues. Or write to him AT editorjodytaylor@gmail.com. Any comments and /or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice.

Shop Smart Secrets For A Healthy Lifestyle

Shop Smart Secrets For A Healthy Lifestyle
by: Christos Varsamis

A big part of enjoying healthier eating is buying healthier foods, and that means making smart choices where it matters most – at the supermarket. Choosing the freshest, healthiest foods is an important first step toward making healthy and delicious meals your whole family will love.
In general, most supermarkets are laid out with the healthiest, most nutritious foods around the perimeter of the store. That is where most stores locate their produce section, their dairy section, their meat counter, and the like. Of course, the middle aisles of the grocery store also contain nutritious foods, such as canned and frozen vegetables, whole grain cereals and more.
And of course each shelf of the grocery store also contains both good and bad choices for healthy eating. For instance, the cereal aisle is home to both the healthy, home grain cereal, and those cereals that contain more sugar than corn. In many cases, the difference will be obvious from the packaging, while at other times you will need to read the nutritional information carefully to ensure the food is healthy for your family.

As a matter of fact, learning to read nutritional labels is one of the most important skills any health oriented shopper must learn. This government mandated labels contain a wealth of information if you know what to look for. Not only do nutritional labels contain vital information on calorie counts, fat grams and sodium content, but they contain detailed information on the percentage of each vitamin an mineral a serving contains.

When looking at nutritional labels, however, pay careful attention to the portion size listed. This is particularly important when looking at calories, fat grams and the amount of sodium. For instance, a serving of juice is generally 8 ounces, while the average juice glass at your home may be 12 or even 16 ounces. It is important to carefully look at serving size, and to do the mental calculation necessary to reflect how much of each product will actually be consumed at one sitting.

When shopping for healthy foods, it is usually better to opt for les processed foods. For instance, 100% fruit juice would be better than a fruit juice blend that may contain as little as 5% or 10% fruit juice. And plain frozen vegetables would be healthier than vegetables in a butter sauce. When shopping for meat, try to buy fresh meat whenever possible. Frozen meat products, or those already seasoned, heat and eat products, often contain unhealthy ingredients as well as preservatives.

When it comes to dairy products, it is best to buy low fat and non fat varieties when at all possible. The one exception to this rule is feeding babies and young children. Their growing bodies need the fat and calories contained in whole milk products, but adults and older children are better served by low fat alternatives.

When choosing canned soups, there are a number of fat free and low sodium varieties. Try to choose these soups for a healthier lifestyle. Other high protein, low calorie soup choices include black bean soup, lentil soup and split pea soup. These healthy soups are good sources of protein, fiber and folate.

Ethnic foods, such as Mexican and Chinese, can be excellent sources of healthy meals, and the traditional ways of preparing such foods are generally very healthy. It is important to stay as authentic as possible when choosing and preparing Mexican, Asian, Middle Eastern and Italian food. This will help guarantee both great taste and healthy eating. For instance, traditional salsa is an excellent, low calorie, and nutritious dip, and the traditional Mexican black bean dip is usually fat free.

Seasonings can be an excellent way to spice up healthy cooking without adding additional fat and calories. Herbs and spices are a great way to add zest to any meal, and starting an herb garden of your own is a great way to save both time and money while providing fresh tasting, healthy meals for your family. When buying spices in the grocery store, be especially careful about sodium content. Read the label carefully, since the first ingredient on many bottled spices is actually salt (another great reason to start that herb garden).


About The Author
Christos Varsamis is a Marketing Consultant at http://www.settinglifegoals.com. Get your Free E-courses “How to Create Minisites That Make Money in Just 24 Hours + Secrets of Internet Millionaires” at http://www.cbmallclickbank.com & http://www.cbmallgr.com.

Fruits Secrets

Fruits Secrets
by: Sharon Hopkins

Fruits, goldmine of vitamins, minerals and fibre are ideal to consume at least 4-5 servings in a day. Since they are in the natural form, account for largest part of water and 100% bad cholesterol free, it's much easier for the body to process and absorb the vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit.

Apple – Round fruit with lots of fibre, vitamins A, C, E and folate. Available in green, red or yellow skin when ripe. Apples reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. They also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol.

Bananas – Long thick skinned fruit yellow in colour when ripe. Good source of fibre, potassium, vitamins A, C, B6, E & folate. Unripe or green bananas are used in cooking.

Cherries – small round fruit with a seed, red or black in colour when ripened. Cherries always have to be ripe to eat. Cherries contain anthocyanins that reduce pain & inflammation.

Figs – Eaten either dried or fresh, figs contain vitamin A, C, folate and niacin. A small sweet fruit full of small seeds.

Kiwi – A rich source of vitamins A, C, E, B - complex, calcium, iron and folic acid, kiwi is a small oval fruit with thin brown skin, soft green flesh and black seeds. The skin is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants.

Lime – Lime or lemon is the most cultivated citrus fruit with green to yellow colour loaded with vitamins A, C and folate. Juice of lime is good for detoxification and has antioxidant properties.

Peach - Round juicy fruit with a yellowish red skin & flesh having a taste of acidic tang and sweetness contains a rough stone. Always to be picked and eaten ripe.

Orange - A round thick-skinned juicy edible fruit that is a reddish-yellow colour when ripe with sweet to sour flavour. Peeled and eaten fresh or squeezed to make juice. Contain vitamin C, flavanoids, provides pectin and rich in sodium when ripened in sunshine.

Plum - soft round smooth-skinned fruit with sweet flesh and a flattish pointed stone. It is high in carbohydrates, low in fat and calories. An excellent source of vitamin A, C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre and free of sodium and cholesterol.

Papaya - A melon like fruit with yellow- orange flesh with dozens of small black seeds enclosed in skin that ranges in colour from green to orange. Either round, pear-shaped, or long like a banana. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, and D; calcium, phosphorous and iron. It is high in digestive properties and has a direct tonic effect on the stomach.

Pear - A sweet juicy yellow or green fruit with a rounded shape narrow towards the stalk. Best eaten at room temperature, pear contains kalium and riboflavine. It is good for skin and contains plenty of fibres.

Strawberry - A triangular shaped red colour fruit. It is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C and fibre. It has high content of sodium and iron. It helps in whitening of the teeth. Used to relieve rheumatism.

Watermelon - a type of melon with smooth exterior rind and juicy sweet red interior flesh. Extraordinarily refreshing to drink as juice or eaten when ripe and fresh. Valuable for minerals, vitamins and sugar with useful amount of fibre and iron.


About The Author
Sharon Hopkins manages websites on nutrition, diet such as http://www.diethealthclub.com. A nutritious diet ensures well being, helps to maintain a healthy BMI, reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Lifestyle Changes That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
by: Robert Thatcher

High blood pressure or what is medically known as hypertension affect millions of Americans. In fact, about 80 million people in the US have high blood pressure and what is more terrifying is the fact that some of these people are not even aware that they have high blood pressures. This is why hypertension has become known as the silent killer because unless you have your blood pressures checked regularly, you have no way of knowing that you already have it until it is already much too high up the scale.

High blood pressure will often manifests itself through headaches, dizziness and nose bleeds. Some people will also feel pain at the back of their necks when they wake up in the morning. Hypertension is not really life-threatening per se as it is not a disease. The level of blood pressure, however, is a risk factor to heart disease and will increase one’s predisposition to heart attacks. This is especially true with people who are over 35 years old and those who are much much older.

Because it is a condition and not a disease, people can do a lot to prevent hypertension from settling in. Most doctors recommend a change in the diet and a major lifestyle change.
Diet is perhaps the primary lifestyle change that people should look into when dealing with high blood pressure. Excessive eating of fatty foods that cannot be easily digested can cause a lot of problems. Obese individuals are also more likely to develop hypertension not only because of the fat content in their bodies but also the constriction that these fats produce in the body. This constriction can affect blood circulation and heart function, which may lead to a full-blown heart attack.

Another advice that doctors give to individuals concerned with their blood pressure is to have regular exercise regimen that would help lower their blood pressure. Activities such as running and jogging, cycling and swimming as well as other sports can decrease blood pressure. Doctors recommend that people exercise and do these sports activities for about 30 to 45 minutes a day and they will find their blood pressures significantly lowered.

Alcohol, for instance, increase the prevalence of hypertension when it is taken in excess. The term excess here will refer to over two drinks per day. Studies have actually shown a direct relationship between these two factors when the drinking exceeds five glasses each day. A drink here refers to a can of beer, a glass of wine or a jigger of liquor. There are people however who have low tolerance with alcohol. It is best to stop drinking if you find your blood pressure going up or if you feel nauseous already.

Smoking is also one of the things that a person should avoid when trying to either lower blood pressure or to prevent it from going up. Besides the complications that it poses to the lungs and the vascular system, smoking also increases the risk for heart disease. This is because the nicotine in cigarettes and tobaccos can constrict one’s blood vessels, causing the heart to beat faster.

Elderly people are also asked to avoid excessive coffee drinking. In a study conducted, it was found that five cups of coffee per day can mildly increase the blood pressure. The combination of coffee drinking with smoking increases the risk all the more.


About The Author
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides blood pressure information on http://www.blood-pressure-facts.info.