Grab A Bunch For Your Kidneys

Tue, 13 May 2008 02:11:29 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Bananas Everywhere
A fresh, whole banana makes a great snack. But why stop there with this versatile fruit?
For a healthy (and satisfying) snack, top rice cakes with bananas and natural peanut butter. Here's how it looks.

Clip Source: www.realage.com

Grab a Bunch for Your Kidneys

Eating four of these a week can cut your kidney-cancer risk in half.

Yep, we're talking bananas. They're bursting with phenolic compounds that appear to thwart renal-cancer cells. And that's not all the monkey's favorite fruit brings to your body

Phenols, Potassium, and More

Phenols -- plant-based substances linked to all sorts of health benefits, from cancer prevention to heart health -- aren't the only goodies that bananas have to offer. No doubt you already know about the super potassium stores in the yellow-skinned fruit (450 milligrams in one banana!). But they're also a good source of B vitamins like B6 and folate, plus calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C. (Learn how the B vitamins in bananas could help you get happy.)

Skip the Frappuccino. Make this EatingWell smoothie instead: Blueberry-Banana Batido.

Add flavor to fish or pork with a Banana-Orange Relish.

Go ahead: Enjoy this delicious, guilt-free dessert: Cocoa-Nut Bananas.

Find healthy recipes.

Tags: bananas, potassium, phenols, b6, folate, calcium, magnesium, vitamin c, banana recipes

Straight Talk About Universal Healthcare

Sun, 11 May 2008 05:35:01 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: I'm all about personal freedom and the rights of individuals. Universal healthcare is not only impractical, but costly - and not just for your pocketbook. It's handing over yet another right to the government, and allowing the government to decide and rule your fate.

I'm not compassionless-I'm just sensible. And universal healthcare as it's being proposed by both Clinton and Obama still doesn't make much sense to me.

The disaster of the Massachusetts universal healthcare system should give you a preview of what life under a universal healthcare scheme could be like.

Even more shocking is the manner in which Massachusetts state officials have decided to deal with the out-of-control costs of their broken system: they've ordered the insurance companies to cut payments to doctors and hospitals, reduce choices for payments, and possibly increase how much patients will have to pay.

Clip Source: www.douglassreport.com

A better way to describe the program would be to call it "universal heath insurance." The idea is that by compelling everyone in the nation to participate in the insurance market, you'd cut down on what's known as the "free rider" syndrome. As the term suggests, this would be people getting a "free ride" from the healthcare system by deciding not to get their own health insurance because they've been assured that in the case of an emergency or personal health catastrophe, inexpensive care will be guaranteed to them by the government. The theory is that mandated participation would help to drive down insurance costs.

But any mandate requires an enforcement component. My fear is that a government branch with the kind of power to actually identify and penalize those seeking to avoid the insurance mandates of universal healthcare would be vast and all-powerful. The new healthcare arm of the government would likely have the same kind of power (and loathsome reputation) as the IRS.

Tags: clinton, obama, government, healthcare, mandate

Clipmarks | merrie's HEALTH collection

Grab A Bunch For Your Kidneys

Straight Talk About Universal Healthcare