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Sunday, 29 May 2016

Princess Health and May 29th, 2016 A Great Day. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 29th, 2016 A Great Day. Princessiccia

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May 29th, 2016 A Great Day

Today was simply a great day. It's days like these that remind me of how much I have to be grateful for in my life. I spent time with Noah and mom for lunch and a visit to the cemetery. We placed flowers on the graves of loved ones. Noah may not have fully understood what we were doing, but at one point, as he crouched down over the marble, gazing down at the name of his Uncle Shane--it appeared he understood we were doing something special. 

I made it back home this evening, then over to prepare dinner with Kristin at her place. We made shrimp alfredo with mushrooms using Joy Bauer's alfredo sauce recipe. It was fabulous!

Several wonderful people have found my book since my appearance on the Today Show. Lately, I've heard from many of them with positive reviews. I do things differently today than I did back then, namely my abstinence from refined sugar and my accountability and support measures have been turned up much higher. But even though my personal plan has evolved from the time Transformation Road was written, I still stand behind the book all the way. Clearly all things in moderation doesn't work for me, although my initial weight loss happened with this approach. For some, it's still workable that way.

The mental and emotional dynamics do not change and truly, that's the area where the book most resonates with readers. I'm proud of the book. If you're interested in receiving a signed copy directly from me, simply click the book cover on the left hand side bar of this blog. It'll take you to the order page. It's also available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and if you prefer to listen to books, there's even an Audible version.

I received a fantastic book review today from Kathy B. on my Facebook page.

Kathy writes:
"I've been anxiously awaiting a book and it came on Thursday, just in time to have for the weekend! TRANSFORMATION ROAD by Sean Anderson. Sean travels the same roads that many of us do. Has he figured out what everyone else seems to be overlooking? Quite possibly! Is it magic? No! Do you have to work at it? Absolutely! 

I picked up his book and literally couldn't put it down until I finished it! He started his weight loss journey at 505 lbs! I feel guilty complaining about the 25-30 pounds more that I want to lose! This man needed to lose 275 lbs! 

So, what did we have in common? Everything! He ate when he was happy, sad, stressed, to celebrate, as a reward. Me? Guilty!!! The reasons were different but the comfort that food brought was the same. We were addicted to food! His story hit home in so many areas for me. Almost as if it was written for ME to read! If you or someone you know is struggling with food addiction this book is written to give hope! This is the most positive book about losing weight I have ever read. Thank you for writing it, Sean! Check out his blog The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser, too!"

Kathy, thank you! The excess weight is relative to the individual--one person's 25-30 is another's 150. As you discovered, regardless of the weight, the mental/emotional elements are remarkably similar for all of us. I sincerely appreciate your amazing review!

I shared a story in my reply to Kathy that I don't remember sharing publicly in these pages. Maybe I did-- but I don't recall.

Before it was published, the publisher hired a literary critic to thoroughly review the manuscript and suggest changes that, in her professional opinion, the book needed. She obviously didn't relate because she tore it up from start to finish--and basically advised a complete rewrite of the book--especially the first ten chapters. In a meeting I'll never forget, I stood behind my work and refused to change a single thing. In my opinion, there wasn't a 'right or wrong,' only on honest depiction of the story. 

Every time I read a review like yours and I read one of the most common phrases used time and time again, "I couldn't put it down," and I read of how different people connect and relate in deeply resonating ways--I think of that meeting--and how it brought the publishing process to a grinding halt for some time. 

I sometimes wonder if that literary critic even knows of how this book, still in the form she reviewed, has connected with people? Probably not. It was a strong lesson in standing up for what you believe in and if your passionate pursuit is in line with your most sincere and genuine heart, it's really hard to go wrong. Again, thank you! Your support is a gift. 
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Have you registered for the Wednesday night event hosted by Life Coach Gerri, Life Coach Kathleen and me? It's all about the exclusive weight loss support groups we three co-facilitate. You'll be able to simply dial in and listen to the presentation. It'll be fantastic! I hope you can make it at 7pm Eastern-6pm Central-5pm Mountain-4pm Pacific, Wednesday June 1st.

To register for this free, special conference call "open house," simply click this link and fill out the form: http://totalkathy.com/?event=dont-diet-live-it When you do, you'll receive an email giving you the special call-in number and access code.

Today, I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar and I exceeded my daily water goal. I will aim for the same, tomorrow!

I hope you're having a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:
































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Princess Health and State Medicaid boss says program won't charge premiums but may have fewer benefits; Bevin's office says all is still on the table. Princessiccia

Princess Health and State Medicaid boss says program won't charge premiums but may have fewer benefits; Bevin's office says all is still on the table. Princessiccia

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The state's revised Medicaid program won't require any beneficiaries to pay premiums, but it may offer fewer benefits, Medicaid Commissioner Stephen Miller told Adam Beam of The Associated Press.

But Gov. Matt Bevin's office told Beam that Miller's comments were preliminary: "Everything is on the table and no decisions have been finalized," spokeswoman Jessica Ditto told him.

Bevin has said Medicaid recipients should have some "skin in the game" and has pointed to Indiana, which received a federal waiver allowing it to charge premiums based on income levels to people who want benefits beyond the basic Medicaid program.

The idea drew strong opposition from health-care providers, consumer advocates, public-health professionals and representatives of higher education in a May 12 meeting, according to the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which convened the gathering.

"Miller said negotiations with officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicate they will not approve a plan that requires Kentucky's expanded Medicaid population to pay for a portion of their health insurance," Beam reports.

Miller told him, "That, today, is not part of the plan. That is something that's going to be a tough sell."

Bevin is seeking changes that will save the state money. Starting Jan. 1, it will have to pay 5 percent of the costs of those who have joined Medicaid under the expanded eligibility created by the federal health-reform law. Its share will rise in annual steps to the law's limit of 10 percent in 2020. The state's expected bill for 2017 and the first half of 2018 is $257 million.

Now it seems that savings are likely to come by cutting benefits. "Miller said some Medicaid recipients could see fewer benefits under the new plan," Beam reports. "He said the health insurance plan for the state's Medicaid recipients is better than the basic plan offered to state employees. He said the new plan will likely bring the Medicaid plan more in line with the health plan offered to state workers." Miller said, "That would be a reduction in some benefit levels, such as in vision, dental."

Also, Miller said the program could encourage healthier behaviors by funding health savings accounts if they did such things as participating in smoking-cessation and weight-loss programs. "It may sound like we are rewarding them for that, but the long-term effect is it makes their health care coverage less expensive,"  Miller told Beam.

He said the state hopes to submit its waiver application in September. HHS spokesman Ben Wakana, told Beam that any changes "should maintain or build on the historic improvements Kentucky has seen in access to coverage, access to care, and financial security." Before the expansion; 20 percent of Kentuckians had no health coverage; now the figure is 7.5 percent.
Princess Health and Clark County schools to provide mental health services via contract with agency that can bill Medicaid or private insurance. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Clark County schools to provide mental health services via contract with agency that can bill Medicaid or private insurance. Princessiccia

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Facing a surge in behavioral health cases among students, the Clark County Board of Education has contracted with a mental-health agency services for all preschool through high school students in the district.

Mountain Comprehensive Care will place a mental health therapist in every school to address issues immediately, at no cost to the district, Whitney Leggett reports for The Winchester Sun: "In the past three years, the district has seen the number of students in the home-hospital program because of mental-health issues surpass those with physical ailments."

Greg Hollon, director of pupil personnel and support services, told Leggett, �Previously, about 80 percent of home-hospital students were for physical ailments and 20 percent for mental. Fast forward a couple of years later, and that has switched to 65 percent mental, 35 percent physical.�

Hollon said the therapists at each school will help the district stay on top of problems. �This puts someone in the buildings full time to be there to address issues as they occur,� rather than requiring staff to call Mountain or some other agency.

Mountain, based in Prestonsburg, is able to provide the service without charge because it can bill Medicaid or private insurance.

Saturday, 28 May 2016

Princess Health and May 28th, 2016 Rest And More Rest. Princessiccia

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May 28th, 2016 Rest And More Rest

No alarm. No place to be, too early. I slept in like a champion. It felt really awesome. I did have some work to do today, and I did it all--then grabbed an early evening nap. Yep, rest and more rest. No weather coverage to worry about today---awe...fantastic!

I'm picking up Noah tomorrow afternoon and we're making our way to Stillwater to visit mom and make a trip to our family's little section of Sunset Memorial Gardens. We'll be remembering those we've lost--then, we'll enjoy a meal with mom.

My dinner tonight included wild caught salmon. Jon, a good friend of mine, told me about the difference between wild caught and farm raised salmon. The calorie difference is huge! Farm raised contains almost 50% more calories. I still invest the calories in the higher fat-higher calorie farm raised, most of the time--but since my local seafood counter is out of salmon and will be for a couple weeks, it was time to take the wild caught pink salmon out of the freezer. It was really good! It's a much leaner salmon. See the dinner Tweets below!







Click the poster image to enlarge!
Occasionally I'll mention the small, private and "exclusive weight loss teleconference support groups" I co-facilitate with Life Coach Gerri and Kathleen Miles. We're grateful for members from all over the United States, Canada and as far away as Australia! We limit the number of members to ten for each group--twenty total. We do have some spots available for the next eight week sessions. But before you decide whether or not to sign-up, you have a special opportunity to find out what it's all about!

We're presenting a very special one hour teleconference Wednesday night June 1st starting at 7pm Eastern, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain and 4pm Pacific. You can be on the line--listen in and if you think this brand of accountability and support might work well for you, you can sign up for one of our next 8 week sessions! The new sessions start June 6th and 7th (links for registration in the next session will be made public on Monday).

To register for this free, special conference call "open house," simply click this link and fill out the form: http://totalkathy.com/?event=dont-diet-live-it When you do, you'll receive an email giving you the special call-in number and access code.

I hope you're having a fantastic holiday weekend!

I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I made a few good support connections, I prepared some great food, I exceeded my #watergoal by 40oz and I had a great workout late tonight. Time wise, thanks to my extra sleep, it was a slightly tilted Saturday--but a really good one.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:













































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Princess Health and Pediatricians' national group calls for at least one nurse in every school; Ky.'s schools have a long way to go to meet that goal. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Pediatricians' national group calls for at least one nurse in every school; Ky.'s schools have a long way to go to meet that goal. Princessiccia

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By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky's high schools fall far short of new recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics that call for every school in the United States to have at least one nurse on site.

Only 42.2 percent of Kentucky's high schools have a full-time nurse, 37.4 percent have a part-time nurse and 20.4 percent do not have one at all, according to research led by Teena Darnell, assistant professor of nursing at Bellarmine University.

"School nurses improve school attendance and decrease the dropout rate which leads to better academic outcomes. . . . Most importantly, they help keep the nearly 680,000 children attending public school in Kentucky safe, healthy and ready to learn," Eva Stone and Mary Burch said in an e-mail to Kentucky Health News.

Stone, an advanced-practice registered nurse, is the director of student support services for Lincoln County Schools. Burch is the health coordinator for Erlanger-Elsmere Schools.

The pediatrics academy's policy statement, published in its journal Pediatrics, replaces a previous recommendation that districts have one nurse for every 750 healthy students, and one for every 225 students who need daily professional nursing assistance.

"The use of a ratio for workload determination in school nursing is inadequate to fill the increasingly complex health needs of students," says the policy statement.

School nurses today monitor more children with special needs, help with medical management in areas such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, life-threatening allergies, asthma and seizures and also provide immunizations, work on obesity prevention efforts and provide substance abuse assessments, among other things, says the statement.

As school nurses have been eliminated from school budgets, school-based health centers, which provide health care to students through a public-private partnership, have become popular. This model allows schools to bill private insurance or Medicaid for services to offset some of the costs.

Most recently, the Carter County Board of Education unanimously approved a one-year contract with Kings Daughters Medical Center of Ashland to provide its school health services, Joe Lewis reports for the Grayson Journal Times. The hospital will provide a nurse practitioner who will rotate throughout the district's schools.

That doesn't comply with the new guidelines to have one nurse in every school, but the program plans to use telemedicine to keep the nurse practitioner connected to the schools throughout the day.

"Unfortunately, Kentucky has no requirement to have a registered nurse in every school," Stone and Burch write. "Every school needs a nurse. What we see in the schools is a reflection of the health of the community. Kentucky is missing an incredible opportunity to not only keep children safe at school but also to implement a system of improving long term health in the commonwealth."

Friday, 27 May 2016

Princess Health and May 27th, 2016 Very Well. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 27th, 2016 Very Well. Princessiccia

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May 27th, 2016 Very Well

Last night was pretty much a carbon copy of the night before. Shortly after posting last night's edition, I was off to the studio for severe weather coverage. This is part of my job duties. I'm also the morning personality--and when these two responsibilities collide, it makes for a really long next day. Once again, it was about three and a half hours sleep--and a big schedule today. I didn't realize how consuming today would become--but it's over now, and I made it through very well.

I did my morning show followed by production work, then a three hour location broadcast. I planned some good mid-morning food right before the 11am-2pm broadcast with the idea that it would carry me through to a later lunch. It did, very well.

I made it back to the studio and by 2:45, I was eating a late lunch and hoping to leave soon. Then, Mother Nature decided it was a great time for round three. At least today's rash of storms didn't wait until I was home and napping--nope. I barely finished lunch when the first storm warning was issued. I ran downstairs to the studio and started what I hoped would be a quick severe weather coverage. The more I studied the dry line and how it was set and moving east--and how slow the storms were moving, I quickly realized it was going to be a very very long day. I made it through, very well. 

The keys for me remaining consistent in the face of exhaustion and frustration started with making sure I had food in place. I packed and brought some extra things from work. If I hadn't done this--and I left my options thin, then I would have had to make some tougher decisions. When I'm tired is not the time to make food selection a difficult process. I simply make sure what I need is available. I made those choices really easy by making the options within reach.

I also reached out for spot support text exchanges with a few support friends. I did this, not because I was struggling--I really wasn't, I did it because sharing the circumstance and the challenge before it becomes a major issue, lessens its potential impact. We're not alone in this unless we isolate and make it that way. By sharing the potential struggle and my plan to overcome, I avoided the real struggle. It works, I promise you! Excellent accountability and support measures are powerful tools along this road.

I also enjoyed a good amount of coffee. That certainly helped in the energy department.

I left the studio at almost 9:30pm, completing a fifteen hour day on little sleep. My first thought was to dine out for the second night in a row. But the more I thought about it, the more I remembered some of the things in the fridge that needed cooked--and really, I keep it simple in the kitchen, so it's not like it would take me too long to prepare something nice. And honestly, I prefer the certainty of preparing my food with proper and precise weights and measures. Had I not dined out last night, I likely would have driven straight to Ground Round Grill and Bar and ordered something--but since I did--and considering the groceries needing cooked in my fridge--and how it wouldn't take forever to do it-- I made the decision to come home and cook. I'm glad I did. It was a very late and very delicious dinner.

The reward I get is hitting the pillow tonight knowing that I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar and I exceeded my water goal. I'm having mercy on myself in the workout department. Not that it's a major thing--but I do complete my short #morningdeal routine every single morning--but I really don't count that as a workout. I suppose my struggle over the past few days and this insane schedule--has been allowing myself to be okay without the trips to the gym. Instead of identifying places I could have squeezed it in, I'll focus on this weekend and the best times I will squeeze a great workout into my schedule.

I'm sleeping in tomorrow morning without an alarm. I'll be sleeping until I'm done sleeping.

Big thank yous to everyone expressing wonderful words to me about the interview on WPG-Atlantic City. Michelle Dawn Mooney's show was a wonderful experience. The audio link to the interview is posted within last night's edition.

If you're a touch curious why I put forth this level of effort in maintenance mode--I'll tell you why--Because if I didn't, I could--and would most likely return to over 500 pounds. The key for me--is making what I do and what I eat, enjoyable. Because when it's truly enjoyable, the effort is enthusiastically given instead of reluctantly approached with resentment and dread . It's not forced. It's natural. Developing and allowing our plan to evolve in harmony with where we are, today--gives us the best chance at amazing tomorrows.

Goodnight!

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:




































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Study says if Ky. cut its smoking rate to the national average, it could save $1.7 billion in health-care costs the very next year . Princessiccia

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Illustration from University of California-San Francisco
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

If Kentucky could cut its smoking rate to the national average, it would save an estimated $1.7 billion on healthcare the following year, a study says.

Kentucky's smoking rate is 26 percent, and the national average is 18 percent.

The study at the University of California-San Francisco estimates that a 10 percent decline in the national rate would save $63 billion the next year in health-care costs.

"What it adds to our knowledge is that we can save money quickly," Ellen Hahn, University of Kentucky nursing professor and director of its smoke-free policy center, told Kentucky Health News. "We are not talking 18 to 20 years down the road. ... If we reduced our smoking rate at least 10 percent, we would see dramatic reductions in health-care cost in just one year."

The study also found that smoking makes Kentucky spend $399 more per person per year on health care than it would if the state's rate equaled the national rate. That was the highest figure of any state.

Conversely, low rates of smoking save Utah and California, respectively, $465 and $416 per person per year compared to what they would spend if their smoking rates were the national rate.

�Regions that have implemented public policies to reduce smoking have substantially lower medical costs,� the study's authors said in a news release. �Likewise, those that have failed to implement tobacco control policies have higher medical costs.�

Lexington's smoking rates dropped 32 percent in just one year after it enacted its smoking ban, which amounted to an estimated $21 million in smoking-related healthcare costs savings, according to a University of Kentucky study led by Hahn and published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

The UCSF study, published in PLOS Medicine, looked at health-care spending in each state and the District of Columbia from 1992 to 2009, and measured the year-to-year relationship between changes in smoking behavior and changes in medical costs.

Many studies have shown that smoking bans and other smoke-free policies decrease smoking rates, reduce smoking prevalence among workers and the general population, and keep youth from starting to smoke.

These have been some of the arguments for a statewide smoking ban, but efforts to pass one have stalled because new Republican Gov. Matt Bevin opposes a statewide ban and says smoke-free policies should be a local decision.

Bevin won big budget cuts from the legislature to set aside hundreds of millions of dollars for shoring up the state's pension systems, but the study hasn't made the administration look at a smoking ban as a source of savings. A ban passed the House last year but died in the Senate.

Asked how this study might affect the administration's position on a statewide smoking ban, Doug Hogan, acting communications director for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an e-mail, "Smoking bans are a local issue, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution." Bevin's office and Senate President Robert Stivers did not respond to requests for comment.

Hogan said the cabinet is committed to helping people quit smoking: "Education and proper policy incentives are critical tools that the state can use and as our commonwealth crafts its Medicaid wavier, it is looking very closely at ways to best incentivize smoking cessation to improve health and decrease cost to the commonwealth."

Dr. Ellen Hahn
Hahn said, "Kentucky has the dubious honor of leading the nation in cigarette smoking, and we have for many years. ... it is a major driver of health-care cost. And in a climate where we are trying to save every dollar ... I think that we should pay attention to this study because what it really says is that we can save a boatload of money if we help people quit and we can save it quickly."

Other possible tobacco-control measures include raising cigarette taxes, anti-smoking advertising campaigns and better access to smoking-cessation programs. Hahn said the state gets some money from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the tobacco master settlement agreement for prevention and cessation efforts, but the state needs to do more.

"We spend very little on the things that we know work, like helping people quit smoking, like doing widespread media campaigns on television, radio and print," she said. "We just don't do that in our state. We never have. In fact, we spend very little, about 8 percent of what the CDC say we should."

The study says significant health-care savings could occur so quickly because the risks for smoke-related diseases decreases rapidly once a smoker quits.

"For example, the risk of heart attack and stroke drop by approximately half in the first year after the smoker quits, and the risk of having a low-birth-weight infant due to smoking almost entirely disappears if a pregnant woman quits smoking during the first trimester," says the report.

"These findings show that state and national policies that reduce smoking not only will improve health, but can be a key part of health care cost containment even in the short run," co-author Stanton Glantz, director of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said in the release.

Hahn said, "People don't realize how effective quitting smoking really is, how much money it really saves. So that is the value of this paper. It is a wake-up call for those of us doing this tobacco control work and for elected officials who are trying to save money and redirect funds and shore up the economic health of Kentucky. ... Doing all we can to reduce smoking saves lives and money. What's better than that?"

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