What is EYEROBIX^TM?

EYEROBIX^TM is a proprietary program of eyerobics (eye exercises) that deploy the basic principles of kinesiology and physical enhancement designed to improve health, strength, and performance of eyes, just as physical exercise programs improves the health, strength, and performance of the body.

Why EYEROBIX^TM?

EYEROBIX^TM is an engaging, entertaining and experiential approach to mastering the art of seeing. It is EASY, EXCITING, SAFE, FUN and it is for EVERYONE, regardless of age, vocation or the extent of refractive error.

EYEROBIX^TM eye workouts are valuable for maintaining good vision and preventing vision problems for STUDENTS, ATHLETES, PILOTS, FIREMEN, POLICEMEN, or any profession where a clear alert mind is necessary for job performance. Most importantly it is a boon for COMPUTER JUNKIES and GAMERS.

For more information visit Eyerobix.com

The Solution: Glasses? Lenses? Lasik? OR…Eyerobics!!

• Anatomy and working of the eye
• How refractive errors occur
• The Science behind eyerobics
• Suggested Exercises
• Frequently Asked Questions

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn’t about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You might eat too much or not enough, consume foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious. However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert.

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Stop eating Processed junk food and do your grocery shopping on your own, because your children and sometimes your spouse are usually the ones requesting Processed junk food. Shopping alone will ensure that you only buy the foods that you need.

Drink pure Filtered Water and unsweating herb tea instead of coffee, milk, juice and soft drinks. If you need milk or milk products on a daily basis for your Children, then buy organic milk or milk products with 2% or less fat, low sugar and salt.

Buy fruits in quantity, When they are in season, buy fruits in quantity and freeze any extras. You can buy several pounds this way, and freeze extras to have them when the fruit goes out of season. Wash the fruit well, remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, then freeze in plastic zipper bags.

Lean Meats and beans are a good sources for protein, but lean meat is more expensive than meats with a lot of fat, so limit your meats to once or twice a month. All beans are a healthier chose for protein then meats, as they give you protein at a great price.

You should use beans as a substitute for meat on a frequent occasion. There are several varieties, so you can prepare them in a crock pot, when you return home they are ready to  consume.

The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times per week.  If you experience gas after eating beans you should try washing them, covering them with water and put half a raw potato into the pot of beans, bringing the water to a boil, then draining it off and remove the cooked potato, leaving the pot with just beans.

If you live in a coastal area or an area where fish are around, make that an integral part of your diet. You can catch them from the lakes or rivers, saving money in the process.

Peanut butter is great for those with low income, as it’s popular with almost everyone. You can use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot dogs. Read the label on the jar as sum Peanut butter jars need to be refrigerated and sum does not, although bigger jars can last you for weeks or months.

You should buy foods that have a high content of water.  Watermelon, salads, and even sugar free gelatin are all great examples.

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day.  Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group.

You should always remember that restricting food in any way is always a bad thing.  Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle.  If you’ve thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start.  You’ll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat, you’ll help control your lifestyle.  Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle.  No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years – even help you and your health in the long run as well.

Eating healthy is always something you can’t go wrong with.  You can eat healthy for just a few bucks, which makes it perfect for those with low income. Now, you don’t need a lot of money to have the lifestyle and health you’ve always wanted.

Federal

The House Committee on Ways & Means held a hearing last week on “The Health Care Law’s Impact on Medicare and Its Beneficiaries,” featuring testimony from CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D., and CMS Chief Actuary Richard Foster. Berwick testified that the PPACA has had a positive impact on Medicare beneficiaries, noting that beneficiaries now have first-dollar coverage of key preventive benefits, additional assistance with prescription drug costs, and an annual wellness visit with the physician of their choice. In response to concerns noted by several committee members about the impact of funding cuts on Medicare Advantage, Berwick indicated that Medicare Advantage enrollment increased by 6 percent from 2010 to 2011. He suggested that the program is healthy and offers robust choices. Foster’s testimony reiterated his prior projection that the PPACA will cause Medicare Advantage enrollment to decline by about 50 percent by 2017 — from a projected 14.5 million under the pre-PPACA law to 7.3 million under the new law.  His testimony further explained that Medicare Advantage enrollees will experience “a large increase in out-of-pocket costs” and “less generous benefit packages” because PPACA will reduce rebates to Medicare Advantage plans, with the reduction in rebates reaching ,500 per beneficiary by 2019.

The Administration last week issued favorable guidance with respect to student health coverage that will result in little disruption, if any, to this business until at least the 2012-2013 academic year. This guidance was announced in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (rather than as an interim final regulation), which fortunately means that the rule is not effective immediately as has been the case with most regulations relating to PPACA reforms. The proposed student health rule would create a special class of individual coverage for student health pursuant to a set of factors, e.g., written contract between school and insurer, coverage only for students and dependents, health status may not be used as a condition of eligibility.  As Aetna has advocated, the impact would be delayed, as the rule (whenever finalized) would not be effective until policy years beginning on or after January 2012. Until then, student health is not subject to PPACA reforms.  And, when effective, student health would be excepted from the current guaranteed issue and renewability provisions of PPACA.  While it will be unclear for a while whether and how student health will be subject to the medical loss ratio (MLR) provisions of PPACA, we are encouraged by the fact that the proposed rule invites comments on whether student health should receive some sort of special accommodation (akin to the special rule for limited benefit plans) with respect to MLR, owing to the unique characteristics of the student health market.

States

ARIZONA:  The industry-supported exchange bill was introduced last week under the sponsorship of the House Health Committee Chairman and the respective chairmen of the House and Senate Banking and Insurance Committees. The bill provides for a market-based mechanism; governance by a board with insurer representation; no dual regulation; and a conditional repeal provision. The first hearing will be held this week. In other news, Governor Jan Brewer appointed Don Hughes, former AHIP retained counsel, as Special Advisor for Health Care Innovation. Hughes will help direct state efforts to improve the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of health care. He will engage in strategic planning with a focus encompassing both public health care and Arizona’s large private health insurance industry.

CONNECTICUT:  A jointly held public hearing of the Public Health and Insurance and Real Estate Committees was scheduled for this week on two new health care bills. The first bill would establish the SustiNet Plan Authority, a quasi-public agency empowered to implement a public health care option. The SustiNet Plan is a health insurance program that consists of coordinated individual health insurance plans that provide health insurance products to state employees, Medicaid enrollees, HUSKY Plan, Part A and Part B enrollees, HUSKY Plus enrollees, municipalities, municipal-related employers, nonprofit employers, small employers, other employers, and individuals in Connecticut. The Authority is authorized, but not required, to begin offering SustiNet coverage to employees and retirees of non-state public employers, municipal-related employers, small employers, and nonprofit employers after January 1, 2012.  Beginning on January 1, 2014, SustiNet will offer coverage to individuals and employers.  Among other things, the bill directs the Authority to implement primary care case management and patient-centered medical homes for all SustiNet Plan members, establish a pay-for-performance system, and establish procedures to prevent adverse selection.

The Committees also will hear testimony on a bill to establish the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange pursuant to PPACA.  The exchange would be a quasi-public agency offering qualified health plans to individuals and qualified employers by January 1, 2014.  The bill would establish a 13-member board of directors to manage the exchange. The exchange would have the authority to review the rate of premium growth within and outside the exchange in order to develop recommendations on whether to continue limiting qualified employer status to small employers. It also would have the authority to charge assessments or user fees to health carriers to generate funding necessary to support the operations of the exchange. The bill directs the exchange board to report to the legislature by January 1, 2012 on whether to establish two separate exchanges, one for the individual market and one for the small employer market, or to establish a single exchange; whether to merge the individual and small employer health insurance markets; whether to revise the definition of “small employer” from not more than 50 employees to not more than 100; and whether to allow large employers to participate in the exchange beginning in 2017.

Aetna will submit comments on both bills through the Connecticut Association of Health Plans.

IDAHO: Draft legislation is circulating that would prohibit insurance companies and managed care organizations from refusing to contract with qualified providers solely because the provider: is not a member of a group, network or any other organization of providers contracting with the insurance company; or does not offer all of the services obtained through the group, network or organization of providers contracting with the insurance company. However, the provider may be required to comply with the practice standards and quality requirements of the contract specific to the services contracted. The bill generally is intended to impact insurers and managed care organizations. It does not contain an exclusion or exception for HIPAA-excepted benefits. As yet, the bill has not found a sponsor and has not been “introduced.”  While there remains a possibility that the bill could be introduced before the deadline for committee bill introductions, it is considered unlikely.

MINNESOTA: When the legislature convened the first half of its 2011-2012 biennium last month, Republicans controlled both legislative chambers for the first time since 1972. And, Republican lawmakers wasted little time introducing bills to repeal measures passed by the 2010 legislature to fund state medical assistance, general assistance medical care, and MinnesotaCare. In his first official act as Governor, Mark Dayton signed an executive order implementing early Medicaid expansion (to 133 percent of the federal poverty level) for Minnesota, which is expected to make 95,000 more state residents eligible. Minnesota’s 8 million investment is expected to bring about .2 billion in matching federal funds. Governor Dayton also signed an executive order removing the ban on applications for federal PPACA-related grants. Minnesota is expected to receive an exchange planning grant soon. While Governor Dayton cleared the way for the state to seek grants for implementing federal health reform, it is unlikely that state legislators will be passing bills to implement the federal health reform law unless absolutely necessary. Other pending bills of interest include anti-PPACA legislation, a bill requiring guaranteed issue in the individual market, creation of a defined contribution program for childless adults with incomes at or above 133 percent of FPL (reduction from current level of 250 percent), the prohibition of dental plan fee schedules for non-covered services, and an autism coverage mandate. In addition, Governor Dayton named a new Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Minneapolis attorney Michael Rothman.

NEVADA: The legislature convened on February 7 with a scheduled adjournment date of June 6. Governor Brian Sandoval will sponsor an exchange bill, although he opposes federal health care reform. His reasons include not wanting the federal government to take action in the state and the fact that the legislature will not meet in 2012. The Division of Insurance (DOI) has indicated that it will pursue federal reform measures, including external review. Other legislation of interest includes the establishment of a statewide health information exchange system and amending the requirements for reimbursement of out-of network services to comply with the PPACA.

TEXAS: Governor Rick Perry delivered his State of the State speech last week, which included plans to suspend the State Historical Commission and the Commission on the Arts in addressing the state’s billion budget deficit. Speaking to a joint session of the legislature, Perry said the time has finally come to streamline state government. Perry’s speech focused heavily on how strong the state’s economy is, despite the deficit. According to Perry, Texas added more jobs in 2010 than any other state in the nation. That state-wide job growth occurred in the sectors of business, health care, manufacturing, hospitality, construction and energy. Perry’s speech was highly critical of national politics, and he threatened to push back when Washington encroaches on states’ rights. His budget proposal calls for cutting more than billion in state spending on public education and another billion in higher education, plus more than billion in health and human services programs. Those cuts would come with much larger reductions in federal dollars, because states draw federal funding for programs such as Medicaid by spending state money.

VERMONT: Newly-elected Governor Peter Shumlin’s focus has been on reducing the state’s projected 0 million budget deficit. Proposals to deal with the deficit include changes to the administration of the state’s Catamount program, changes to Catamount reimbursement, imposing an assessment on managed care organizations, increasing the provider tax on hospitals, and imposing an assessment on dentists. The legislature is also considering a number of bills that would create a single-payer, government-run health care plan and require rate reviews. The bills include:

Supported by the governor, H.B. 202 would establish Green Mountain Care and the Vermont Health Benefit Exchange, through which all state residents would be eligible for health benefits. After implementation of the Green Mountain single-payer system, private insurance companies would be prohibited from selling health insurance policies in that cover services also covered by Green Mountain Care.

H.B. 80 would create a single-payer health care system called Ethan Allen Health. If the secretary of Human Services obtains a waiver from the exchange requirement, private insurance companies will be prohibited from selling insurance policies in the state for coverage of services covered by Ethan Allen Health. But it would not prohibit individuals from purchasing supplemental health insurance covering services not already covered by Ethan Allen Health.

S.B. 57 would establish Green Mountain Care as a single-payer health care system, which will include coverage provided under a health benefit exchange, Medicaid, and Medicare.

H.B. 146 would establish a public health care coverage option called Green Mountain Care that would require Vermont residents to have health care coverage at least equivalent to the actuarial value of Green Mountain Care and would assess a financial penalty against those who fail to maintain such coverage. The bill would institute a candy and soft drink tax as well as a 10 percent payroll tax on all employers with more than four employees to fund Green Mountain Care.

S.B. 56 and H.B. 165 would amend current rate review procedures to require written approval from the commissioner before a health insurance policy can be issued and to require that all rate and form filings be filed electronically.  Rate changes would require approval by the commissioner prior to implementation and notice to plan members of rate changes and a 30-day comment period.

H.B. 82 would require health insurers to disclose to the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities, and Health Care Administration the fee schedules they negotiate with providers, and directs the department to post the information on its website.

More Health Articles

You can contribute too! Create your own DIY guide at http://www.howcast.com/videos/new or produce your own Howcast spots with the Howcast Filmmakers Program at http://www.howcast.com/filmmakers/apply.

Good health is just a matter of taking a new approach to eating and making simple changes.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Cooking facilities
A shopping list
Healthy foods
Breakfast
Healthy snacks
Water
Books (optional)
Internet access (optional)

Step 1: Cook your own meals

Cook and prepare your own meals as often as you can. This will help you avoid eating processed and fast foods, which are higher in sodium and fat.

Tip: Healthy, low-fat recipes and guidance are available in bookstores and on the internet.

Step 2: Make a shopping list

Plan healthy meals and make a shopping list. Fill your cart with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, and lean meats.

Step 3: Read nutrition labels

Read nutrition labels. Pay attention to saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. The higher their numbers, the unhealthier they are.

Step 4: Eat breakfast

Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast helps to rev up your metabolism. Make it a habit to eat something within the first hour after you wake up.

Step 5: Eat every three to four hours

Try to eat small meals every three to four hours. Aim for three small, balanced meals and two snacks.

Step 6: Drink plenty of water

Drink plenty of water every day. Water hydrates the body and aids the digestive system. And it’s calorie-free!

Step 7: Feel the difference

Feel the difference in your body — more energy and stamina — as well as sharper thinking as you feed your body healthy foods.

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