Princess Health and How To Increase Your Fruit And Vegetable Intake?. Princessiccia

Princess Health and How To Increase Your Fruit And Vegetable Intake?. Princessiccia

Gusty 07:38 Add Comment

How to get easily even more than your recommended  '5-a-day'?

Is this term familiar to you? I'm sure it is, we can see now on the packages of fruits, vegetables, and unfortunately even on processed food such as commercial fruit juices.

Few facts:

1. The human body needs plenty of plant based food.

2. Scientists still haven't found the 'secret' of plant foods, they only agree on the fact that people eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, or exclusively a plant based diet, are much healthier, have more energy and less health problems.

3. During the last century, the food industry started to rocket, more and more processed, unhealthy (but very tasty and addictive) 'food-like-products' appeared in stores, and people started to eat less and less real food, fruits, vegetables.

4. About 10 years ago even the World Health Organization realized, that the number of diseases increased despite of the modern medical technologies. Most people eat very little, or no fruit and veg at all. So they started the '5-a-day' campaign, mainly to get people eat more of the healthy food.

5. Unfortunately, the food industry managed to label their not-so-healthy products with '1 of your 5 a day' claim, even though the processed food will never actually meet the requirement.

The most important fact: We need much more than 5 portions of fruit and veg a day!

How to make sure you have at least 5 portions of fruit and veg easily, and achieve a better overall health?

The answer: fruit/veg smoothies! They are so tasty, and healthy at the same time!

If you start your day with a tasty fruit+veg smoothie, you can actually kick-start your day having all the 5 portions to breakfast! And believe me: once you start eating more fruit and veg, your body will start to crave more fruit and veg. Isn't it amazing?

Since I started to have a smoothie for breakfast, incredible changes started in my body: I have more energy, my skin looks better, my hair is shiny and has volume, my eyes are glowing, and I know it benefits many of the invisible parts of my body as well.

What do my smoothies contain? 

Only fruit + veg (optional: raw, cold pressed hemp protein powder)

What's the trick?

I always add two big handfuls of raw spinach to my smoothies. Unbelievably enough you won't taste the spinach at all! It will color your smoothie green of course, so adding it to the smoothie you will always get a green looking smoothie regardless of the fruits added.

Step 1: Buy a high speed blender.

Step 2: Always have at hand one of the base fruits: banana, apple, pear, mango or peach. These will give the creamy texture to the smoothie.

Step 3: Add any other fruits you prefer.

Step 4: Add the spinach (or experiment with other green leafy vegetables)

Step 5: Always have agave nectar at hand, in case you feel the need for some extra sweetness.

Enjoy!

The correct order for an easy-blending is:

Add some water first (usually 1/2-1 cup), then the soft fruits, then the hard fruits. Pulse these until they get almost creamy, then add the leafy greens and blend the whole thing on high for about 30 seconds.

And finally here are three of my favorite smoothies:

1./

1 banana

1 cup raspberry

2 big handful spinach

1 cup water

You can choose any other berries, strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.

You can also double the portion, if you are very hungry.

2./

2 pear

1 cup blueberry

2 handful spinach

1 cup water

3./ 

1 mango

1 cup strawberries

2 handful spinach

1 cup water

You can add less or more water, depending how creamy you like your smoothie.

You can add raw protein powder to any of these in case you feel the need. 

As I said, your body will reward your choice in many ways. And you will soon notice the changes in your habits too!

Don't forget the exercise though in the meantime. Join one of our ZUMBA classes in Dublin 2, Dublin 6 or Dublin 8. For details, CLICK HERE

Princess Health and U of L's Trover medical campus ranked among best for rural medicine education and addresing rural physician shortage.Princessiccia

Princess Health and U of L's Trover medical campus ranked among best for rural medicine education and addresing rural physician shortage.Princessiccia

medical education physician recruitment physicians rural health rural medicine rural-urban disparities University of Louisville

Gusty 12:54 Add Comment

The University of Louisville School of Medicine Trover Rural Campus in Madisonville was rated third best in the nation for preparing medical students to practice in rural areas, which is critical to the state since most of Kentucky's rural counties are considered to be short of health professionals.

�From the president and the deans to the individual faculty and staff, our team has proven the value of a collaboration of a rural campus and an urban university. The beneficiaries are our students and the rural Kentucky communities who receive these new doctors who are well prepared to care for them,� Dr. Bill Crump, right, associate dean for the Trover campus, said in a UofL press release.
  
The study by researchers at the University of Colorado, which will be published in Academic Medicine in August, ranked 35 programs across the nation and found that 62 percent of Trover graduates practice medicine in rural areas, says the release.

�This national recognition is the fulfillment of Dr. Loman Trover�s vision outlined almost 60 years ago of providing first class medical education in a small town with the goal of producing more physicians for rural Kentucky, and is a testament to the strong support we�ve had from the Louisville Campus over the past 15 years,� said Crump.

Nationally, there is a physician shortage in rural areas because only 3 percent of medical students report want to practice rural medicine, while 16 percent of Americans live in rural areas. This problem is especially large in Kentucky, says the release, since a majority of the state's 59 counties classified as rural are considered to be short of medical professionals..

�Our Trover campus is vital to fulfilling this mission and especially critical now because our state faces such a significant shortage of physicians, especially in rural areas. Dr. Crump�s leadership of the program is one of the reasons for its success. We view the program as a model that has the potential to be implemented in other areas of Kentucky,� said School of Medicine Dean Dr. Toni Ganzel.

Princess Health and At least one in eight teens, and perhaps one in five, have a mental-health issue; ADHD tops, substance abuse also high.Princessiccia

Princess Health and At least one in eight teens, and perhaps one in five, have a mental-health issue; ADHD tops, substance abuse also high.Princessiccia

ADHD alcohol abuse Centers for Disease Control children children's health depression drug abuse drugs mental health mental illness substance abuse

Gusty 11:55 Add Comment

The most comprehensive report yet on mental disorders in children shows attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed problem in those aged 3-17, and the most common health issues for teenagers include addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

An estimated 13 to 20 percent of U.S. children experience a mental disorder in a given year, says a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and children are increasingly suffering from and being hospitalized for mood disorders like depression; that hospitalization rate has increased 80 percent from 1997 to 2010, says the report. And, while 3.5 percent of children under 18 have behavioral problems, almost 7 percent of them are diagnosed with ADHD.

About 4.7 percent of teens, or 1.7 million children aged 12�17, have disorders involving abuse and dependence upon alcohol, drugs or tobacco, says the report. Alarmingly, two-thirds of teenagers had an illicit drug use disorder, one million teenagers abused drugs or alcohol, and more than 695,000 were addicted to tobacco.

�This first report of its kind documents that millions of children are living with depression, substance use disorders, ADHD and other mental health conditions,� CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said. �No parent, grandparent, teacher or friend wants to see a child struggle with these issues. It concerns us all. We are working to both increase our understanding of these disorders and help scale up programs and strategies to prevent mental illness so that our children grow to lead productive, healthy lives.�

Princess Health and Knox County converting ambulance tax, taking 3/8 of health tax and asking library for same in order to save hospital.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Knox County converting ambulance tax, taking 3/8 of health tax and asking library for same in order to save hospital.Princessiccia

county health departments critical access hospitals health departments hospitals rural health taxes

Gusty 13:55 Add Comment

The Knox County Fiscal Court and the Knox County Board of Health reached a deal Monday to aid its debt-laden county hospital's recovery from bankruptcy by diverting, at least temporarily, 37.5 percent of local health tax revenue to the hospital, asking the local library to do likewise and converting an ambulance tax into a hospital tax.

The proposed agreement is "revenue neutral" and would not create any additional tax for Knox County residents while allowing the Knox County Hospital in Barbourville to stay open, writes Jeff Noble of The Times-Tribune in Corbin.

To save the hospital, the hospital board needs a tax of about 8 cents per $100 worth of property, County Judge-Executive J.M. Hall said. The deal would convert a 5-cent ambulance tax to a hospital tax, and the county health board has agreed to shift 1.5 cents of its 4-cent tax to the hospital. The library board is considering similar action, which would make up the total 8 cents, Hall told Noble.

Health Department Director Susan Liford said the two-year deal with the health board will begin in January 2014 and will be re-evaluated at the end of that period. The health department will be diverting $300,000 to $400,000 a year to the hospital, Noble reports.

"The board felt like we needed to help the hospital, and they were very adamant they did not want to put the health department in jeopardy and have no one here lose their jobs," Liford told Noble. "I think it�s the moral thing to do. And we need our hospital."

The hospital has a debt estimated at $23 million, though the Knox County Fiscal Court purchased it out of bankruptcy by in 2004 for just $7.2 million, according to documents analyzed by the Barbourville Mountain Advocate, Knox County's weekly newspaper. Last July, the fiscal court took over hospital operations of the hospital, borrowing $6 million to fund them, after the former owners filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Mountain Advocate graphic; click on it for larger version)

Princess Health and UK HealthCare hosts 'Women, It's About You' conference June 1.Princessiccia

Princess Health and UK HealthCare hosts 'Women, It's About You' conference June 1.Princessiccia

conferences health education University of Kentucky women women's health

Gusty 13:10 Add Comment

On June 1 UK HealthCare will present its fifth annual "Women, It�s About You" conference, which is designed to educate women with the most up-to-date information about health topics ranging from mammograms to nutrition to financial abuse.

This year's conference will feature 15 presentations on the following women's health topics:

Menopause, presented by Dr. Kathy Dillon 

Memory and aging, presented by Dr. Gregory Jicha 

Women's heart health, presented by Dr. Susan Smyth 

Eye health, presented by Dr. Eric Higgins 

Physical fitness, presented by Richard Watson 

Gynecologic cancer, presented by Dr. Lauren Baldwin 

Financial abuse of women, presented by Susan Lawrence 

Weight loss, presented by Dr. Stephanie Rose 

Skin care and cosmetic procedures, presented by Dr. Amit Patel 

Stroke, presented by Lisa Bellamy 

Diabetes, presented by Sheri Legg and Beth Holden 

Nutrition, presented by Rachel Miller 

Mammography, presented by Dr. Margaret Szabunio

Pelvic Prolapse, presented by Drs. Rudy Tovar and Mark Hoffman.

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of health screenings, including blood pressure and stroke-risk assessment, says a UK HealthCare press release. The event, which will take place at the Embassy Suites hotel on Newtown Pike in north Lexington, costs $10 and also includes a continental breakfast, a luncheon with entertainment, giveaways and an exhibitor fair. Click here for more information or to register by the Friday, May 17 deadline.

Princess Health and Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky seeks nominations for its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky seeks nominations for its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.Princessiccia

Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky philanthropy

Gusty 11:58 Add Comment

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is accepting nominations for qualified persons to join its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.

The 15 directors are responsible for preserving the foundation�s endowment and upholding its charitable mission of addressing the unmet health care needs of Kentuckians. Nominations are being accepted for three seats, including one to be selected by the directors and one by the governor.

The third seat will represent Supreme Court District 6: Bath, Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Fleming, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties. This director will be chosen by a Community Advisory Committee subcommittee, comprising five members who help run organizations addressing the unmet health care needs of Kentuckians.

The foundation is also accepting Community Advisory Committee nominations in anticipation of electing two new committee members. The 31 members provide advice and recommendations to the board, serve as community liaisons, serve on foundation committees, take part in the annual policy forum and appoint or nominate directors.

Please complete the nomination form and attach a resume or bio. Self-nominations are allowed.  The deadline for receipt of nominations is July 15. Mail to Mary Jo Dike, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, 1640 Lyndon Farm Court, Suite 100, Louisville, KY 40223, or email to mdike@healthy-ky.org. For more information call 502-326-2583 (toll-free 1-877-326-2584).

Princess Health and Could Medicare Part D be an inadvertent enabler of prescription drug abuse?.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Could Medicare Part D be an inadvertent enabler of prescription drug abuse?.Princessiccia

controlled substances drug abuse Medicare prescription drug abuse prescription drugs substance abuse

Gusty 20:50 Add Comment

UPDATE, Jan. 7: Medicare proposes giving itself authority to ban abusive prescribers, ProPublica reports.

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

An examination of the Medicare Part D program that Congress established a decade ago, dedicating billions of dollars to subsidizing prescription drug purchases for 35 million elderly and disabled Americans, uncovers the program's risky lack of oversight -- and suggests that it might be contributing to Kentucky's prescription-drug abuse epidemic.

An analysis of Medicare prescription records by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom, found that the program has failed to properly monitor safety, ProPublica's Tracy Weber, Charles Ornstein and Jennifer LaFleur write in The Washington Post. And despite their findings that many providers prescribe antipsychotics, narcotics and other drugs known to be dangerous for older adults, Medicare officials told them it's not their job to monitor for unsafe prescribing or to stop doctors with criminal histories.

The largely unchecked prescribing habits of Medicare providers and the increased availability of prescription drugs suggests that Part D has inadvertently enabled prescription drug abuse, by making drugs available for abuse by Medicare patients, their friends, acquaintances and family members, particularly teenagers. A 2010 national survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that 65 percent of teens who report that they have abused prescription medicine got them from friends, family and acquaintances rather than illegal drug dealers.

In Kentucky, drug overdose, mostly from prescription drugs, is the leading cause of death, and the widespread availability of drugs and easy access to drugs are some reasons for this trend, says the 2012 combined report from the Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet. In addition to taking the lives of loved ones, drug overdose takes a huge financial toll on the state, and a recent study shows that the Medicare program bankrolls the single largest percentage of drug overdose inpatient hospitalizations.

Inpatient hospitalizations for drug overdoses by percentage of total charges,
among Kentucky residents treated in Kentucky acute-care hospitals, 2010

Medicare alone was billed for 30 percent of all inpatient hospitalizations for drug overdoses in Kentucky from 2000 through 2010, totaling over $440.7 million, says a report by the Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center. During those 11 years, the number of unintentional drug-overdose hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries increased 222 percent.

The fact that almost a third of overdose hospitalizations involve Medicare patients is concerning, said Van Ingram, executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. In addition to these alarming statistics, Medicare and Medicaid incurred nearly $4 million worth of charges for drug-overdose visits to emergency rooms in 2010, which represents 41 percent of the total charges, says the KIPRC report. Also, during the period from 2008 to 2010, the number of unintentional Medicare drug-overdose emergency visits increased almost 44 percent.

Among prescription drugs, opiates and similar narcotics are most likely to be abused and most likely to lead to death. Since Medicare Part D began covering prescription drugs in 2006, drug overdose deaths involving opiates have increased almost 80 percent in Kentucky, says the KIPRC report.

ProPublica's Prescriber Checkup database shows that 30 percent of Medicare Part D patients have filled at least one narcotic prescription. The most common drug provided by Part D in Kentucky is hydrocodone-aceteminophen, which is an opiate painkiller known commercially as Lortab, Lorcet or Vicodin. Part D paid more than $12.6 million on 958,933 claims for hydrocodone-aceteminophen from 2007 to 2010.

Medicare officials told ProPublica that the government isn't responsible for monitoring these types of prescriptions because that is the duty of private health plans administering the program. Yet, health plans aren't given the tools to do so, the reporters write, and no one party has been slated the task of ensuring safe medication-use. This complacent mentality suggests Medicare officials, who also say it's not the providers' duty to "prevent inappropriate prescribing for individual patients," could be passively contributing to the drug-safety issue of prescription medications covered by Part D.

In addition to indicating that providers should not industriously discourage dangerous prescription drug usage, ProPublica�s examination of Part D data showcases numerous examples of Medicare officials failing to act against providers with troubled prescribing backgrounds. Such examination initiates a worthwhile discussion about the program's role in encouraging, or well, at least not actively combating, prescription drug abuse. Click here to visit Kentucky's Medicare Part D Prescriber Checkup. Individual doctors can be looked up.