Category: Health

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Health

What Your Daily Stretching Routine Should Look Like

Daily Stretching Routine

Best Daily Stretch Routine

Stretching is beneficial in several ways. Post-workout, stretching improves blood flow and relieves inflammation around the muscles, leading to faster recovery and fewer aches. A good pre-workout warmup includes dynamic stretches that reduce the chance of muscle strain and similar injuries.

But what if you’re not working out regularly?

Regardless, daily stretching helps by keeping your muscles healthy and increasing your range of motion. With that in mind, here is what a recommended stretching routine should look like if you want to keep your body healthy.

Recommended Routine Stretch Exercises

Full Body Daily Stretching Routine

 

The Basics of Stretching

Before getting into the specific stretches, it’s important to understand the basics of effective stretching. Ideally, you should engage in exercises that work the major muscle-tendon groups in your body. These include your neck, chest, hips, legs, ankles, shoulders, lower back, and trunk.

Time is also a crucial factor when stretching. Aim to spend 60 seconds on each stretch. If you can’t hold a stretch for that long, use repetitions. For example, if you can only hold the stretch for 10 seconds, repeat it six times to get the full effects.

With the basics covered, let’s move into some effective stretches for your daily routine.

Best Daily Stretch Routine

Stretch No. 1 – The Runner’s Stretch

This simple stretch works your lower body, including your back, ankles, and legs. It’s also great for working your hip flexor muscles.

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Step your left leg back while placing both hands on the floor at each side of your right foot. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and lower your hips. You should feel the stretch in your leg and left hip.

Hold this position for 30 seconds before straightening your right leg while keeping your hands on the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds before repeating the stretch for the other side of your body.

Routine Exercise for Flexibility

Stretch No. 2 – Chest Opener

This simple stretch works your chest, shoulders, and trunk.

Face a corner of your room and raise your arms while bending your elbows so your elbows are at shoulder height. Press each palm into the wall and stagger your feet backward.

Lean slowly into the wall until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold this position for up to 60 seconds. Again, repeat if you’re unable to get up to 60 seconds the first time.

Stretch No. 3 – The Slouch Overcorrect

The final stretch works your neck and also has benefits for your lower back.

Sit in a chair and allow your body to slouch. Relax in this position for a couple of seconds before drawing yourself upright. Accentuate your back’s natural curve and hold this exaggerated position for a couple more seconds.

Return to the slouch and repeat 10 times.

Routine Stretch Exercises

Proper Stretching Is Vital

Without a daily stretching routine, your muscles lose their flexibility and range of motion. This can lead to injuries, such as muscle strains, when you need to call on your muscles for something strenuous. With these three exercises, which take less than 10 minutes per day, you keep your body prepared and prevent muscle strain and similar injuries.

Daily Stretches for Flexibility

If wanting to take stretching further, Google search these additional stretches; neck roll, shoulder roll, single leg lunges, standing quad stretch, and calf stretch.

 

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Health Insurance

How Long Can You Stay on Long Term Disability – Long Term Disability Examples

How Long Can You Stay on Long Term Disability

As you all know, opting for health insurance is a great way to tackle unexpected problems. There are many types of insurance policies available to help you in the bad times and one of the most popular among them is long term disability. So today we will be going over how long can you stay on long term disability.

How Long Can You Stay on Long Term Disability

When it comes to disability insurance for physicians, or any occupation, it’s important to have the right type of coverage for your needs. Whether you have any occupation, own occupation, or any other type of insurance plan, you’re going to want to know the coverage you have and how long it can be used.

Long Term Disability Insurance

How Long Can You Stay on Long Term Disability
How Long Can You Stay on Long Term Disability

The main thing that long term disability insurance does is that it balances your finances after you experience an accident or disability. It makes sure that you get your income even if you become unable to work. So the right answer to the question how long you can stay on long term disability is that it depends on your policy. The benefits of long term disability insurance depend on your selected policy. This insurance doesn’t provide all the money at once instead it gives monthly benefits. To help you understand better, here is a brief explanation of how this insurance works.

To make the long term disability claim better in the future, it is very important to opt for the right options while filling the long term disability form. You must know about the available features and riders properly. You can speak with a disability insurance expert to ensure you’re receiving the right coverage for you. After that, you should decide the benefits period and the elimination length.

How to Choose the Right Elimination Period?

Choosing the right elimination period is very important because you won’t be able to get any benefits until you have passed your elimination period. To claim your insurance, you must be in the disabled state after the completion of your elimination period. So what’s the correct length? Well if you can manage your finances after your accident or disability, then you can choose longer periods like 3 months. On the other hand, if you are financially unstable, then a short elimination period is good for you.

If you choose the short elimination period, then you will start getting benefits early but the premiums for a shorter period are high. If you choose a longer elimination period, then you will have to pay fewer premiums. Apart from this, if you have been dealing with medical problems and have an adverse medical history, then you won’t be able to get the benefit period for more than 5 years. That’s why you should choose the benefit period carefully.

Bottom Line

Having coverage is important. From health insurance, to disability insurance, you need to be covered if anything happens. If you are unclear about how long can you stay on long term disability, then in simple words, it depends on the insurance policy you have. There are many types of policies in which you will get benefits for months, years, or even after retirement. That’s why it is recommended to read all the insurance documents carefully. 

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Health Medicare

What are the 4 Types of Medicare – Medicare Coverage

What are the 4 Types of Medicare

What are 4 types of Medicare? This is a question you may come across when you have to decide what you want covered. In actual sense, they are not types but rather parts of Medicare. Each of them covers a specific area but they are somehow tied to the original Medicare. 

What are the 4 Types of Medicare

Health insurance is necessary because it helps relieve the stress when unexpected medical costs occur. When you find yourself in the dark about the Medicare types, this post has the help you need. It will detail the various parts of Medicare and what is covered in each. It will also explore the Original Medicare and tell you when you need it. 

Parts of Medicare

Medicare is subdivided into 4 parts as follows;

  • Part A: It is dedicated to cover inpatient costs or what is called hospital expenses in some quarters. You sign up for Part A when you enroll for Medicare. 
  • Part B: In general, Part B covers medically necessary services, as well as preventive services.

    What are the 4 Types of Medicare
    What are the 4 Types of Medicare
  • Part C: This is an option you can add to Parts A and B to enjoy your Medicare benefits and have additional coverage..
  • Part D: is for prescription drugs, not Part F which is a separate plan to cover cost sharing with patients. 

As you can see, each part/type of Medicare covers a specific area in the health circles. Generally, Part A and B are the most popular types partly because they offer a comprehensive cover for both inpatient and outpatient services. Again, it is because both can be accessed collectively through the original Medicare. Another thing that makes the original Medicare quite popular is the fact that it is under the custodian of the federal government. With it, you can walk into any hospital in the country, receive treatment, and the federal government pays for that service directly. 

The Components of the Original Medicare

You can quality for Medicare Part A and B once you are 65, and reach other requirements. In some quarters, original Medicare is referred to as the fee-for-service Medicare. Actually, this is the actual description of how it works. Here are some of the features of the original Medicare as drafted in the act;

  • You do not require permission or authorization beforehand to go to hospital or see a doctor. You can see a doctor any time and any day without any problem at all and have your expenses covered by Medicare.
  • You will be paying premiums for part B each month. Some cases also have to pay premiums for Part A. Confirm if you fall into that category before you run into any inconvenience. 
  • For each service you get, you are typically supposed to pay a copay for it.
  • Hospitals and doctors have a capping to how much they should charge you. 

With original Medicare, as you may have already noticed, you are not getting any cover for prescription drugs. You will have to get a separate cover for such from your pocket. Just you know; there are several government-initiated programs that can help you cut down the costs of prescription drugs. 

Bottom Line

You should now know the answer to what are the 4 types of Medicare? With this, you can make a decision on what suits your needs. Typically, part A and B come as a package in the traditional Medicare. However, you should make private arrangements for prescribed drugs.

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Health

How to Remove Blood Odor

how to remove blood odor

The smell of blood is rather distinct and extremely unpleasant. It does not matter if the blood is fresh or dried up, the odor will make you uncomfortable. If you want to know how to remove blood odor quickly — even after effectively removing the stain, you can try the following tricks below:

Removing Blood Odor

You should start by inspecting both the inside and outside of your vehicle to find the source. Check thoroughly through the seats, under the seats, floor mats, or any other possible areas. The same applies for the smell of blood in your home. Be sure to check in all nooks and crannies to ensure that you’re not forgetting any traces of blood. Once you find the source, clean the area and dry it up. Now, you can get rid of the smell using the following methods:

Pet Odor Enzyme SprayHow To Prevent Infectious Diseases From Spreading

 

You can buy a heavy duty pet odor enzyme spray to remove the blood odors from your upholstery.  Some sprays are used to deodorize body bags. These are helpful to remove blood smells. Follow the instructions carefully while using these sprays.  These sprays are made to kill the odor-causing bacteria. However, you should not inhale the spray in a closed space.

White Vinegar

You can use this method when you are ready to park your vehicle overnight.  It is simple to use. You just need to pour the solution into a dish and then keep the dish in the vehicle. Alternatively, soak a white bread piece in white vinegar and then keep it in your car for several hours to absorb the odor. Throw it out in the morning.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is effective to absorb blood smells. Before applying this solution, dry the surface. Sprinkle the soda on the affected area liberally and then leave it as it is for several hours and then vacuum it up.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds can help to get rid of the blood odors. These are effective deodorizers. You can place a bowl of coffee grounds in your vehicle for a few hours to absorb the smell. For better results, add a few drops of vanilla in coffee grounds.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal pellets have the ability to absorb different types of odors including blood.  Keep the pellets in a bowl and place it in your vehicle to remove blood odors.

Cat Litter

You can use a non-clumping type of litter to get rid of the blood odors. These products have great smell absorbing properties. The process is simple. You can pour some cat litter into a bowl and then keep it in your vehicle or anywhere in your home for a night.  Remove the bowl the next morning.

Lemon Tree Tea Oil

Take a spray bottle with water and dilute a few drops of lemon tree tea oil. Spay the solution on the stinky areas. It is will work as an effective deodorizer. Also, it will help to ease the anxiety and stress. You can use this solution to get rid of odor-related stress and odor itself.

In Conclusion

These are the solutions of how to remove blood odor from public transportation seats, as well as home furniture. Some included: using a pet odor enzyme spray, white vinegar, baking soda, coffee grounds, activated charcoal, cat litter, or lemon tea tree oil.

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Health

How To Prevent Infectious Diseases From Spreading

disease,diseases,germs,infection,infectious disease

Do you know of anyone who was healthy but then was infected by a disease and become critically ill? We probably all know at least one person who has encountered such a situation. The body operates in a way that it acts as a barrier to diseases and infection through the immune system. However, this should make you believe that the body can fight diseases for itself because the disease will always find a new way of attacking the immune system. In recent days, there have been concerns on the precautions that people can take to prevent infections, and a number of practitioners have come up with solutions to this issue. This article will shed light on these simple solutions you can implement into your everyday life, and how to prevent infectious diseases from spreading.

Preventing Infectious Diseases From Spreading

Wash Your Hands Well and Frequently

Microbes can live anywhere whether that be on your hands or on everyday items that you come into contact with. As much as you may keep your home safe, you are not always certain how safe it is outside your home. It is proven that most microbes are transmitted through fomites – an intermediary between you and an infected person. You should ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly with running water and soap, and in case of the absence of running water, you can use an alcohol-based gel.

Avoid Sharing Personal Items

Items like toothbrushes, handkerchiefs, razors, and nail clippers can be sources of some infectious diseases. When you share such items, you will be at high chances of getting an infection if the person who used them prior to you was sick, since viruses always require a complete transmission which can happen to be from someone blood into yours.

Get Vaccinated

Although this might sound obvious, it is still one of the best controls against traditional infections. The immune system works in a way that it has the memory of previous infections and when you get infected again, it enhances the production of white blood cells to fight the disease. Vaccination is tricking the body that a particular microbe has infected it and this, therefore, improves its defense against an infection caused by the microbe.

Use Safe Cooking Practices

Poor food preparation and dining habits can lead to an infection and more significantly, cost you much more. One of the good things you can do is to make sure that your kitchen and dining area are all clean. You can do so by actively cleaning your kitchen area with commercial cleaners or homemade solutions with vinegar. Also, you can refrigerate your food at least two hours before it is prepared to stop the growth of microbes. Lastly, always make sure that you have a separate chopping board for slicing your meat and cutting your vegetables.

Travel Smart

When traveling, it is very significant to take caution. You can, for instance, do background research on the place you are going to and make sure that you carry everything you need. If you are not certain of the water you will drink, carry your own. In addition, it is always advisable to eat food that has been cooked and to avoid uncooked vegetables unless you prepare them by yourself or are certain of the preparation.

Exercise Caution with AnimalsHow To Prevent Infectious Diseases From Spreading

Zoonotic infection are infections that can be spread from animals to humans. They are common, and if you have animals in your home including your pets, you should carry out regular checks and make sure that they are vaccinated.

Bottom Line

Preventing infections is easier than treating them. You can imagine how much money you can save by only preventing diseases. So, don’t know how to prevent infectious diseases from spreading? By practicing all of the items on the list, you should be able to keep yourself safe from infectious diseases. You should also be updated and watch the news regularly on developments of infections.

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Health

The Importance of Water Filtration

the importance of water filtration

Water filtration has quickly become one of the hottest discussions among homeowners. People have started seeing the benefits of water filtration, and the demand for water filtration systems has increasingly grown. If you’re yet to adopt this addition, you may be asking what you’ll gain by filtering your water at home. What you need to know is that this process has various benefits, ranging from preventing health issues to improving water taste. Another thing you should note is that a filtration system is not a luxury, but rather, it’s a necessity that should be adopted in every home since the importance of water filtration is very high.

The Importance of Water FiltrationIs Hard Water Bad for Your Skin

To Stay Away From Diseases

One vital benefit of filtering your water is that it helps to prevent various diseases such as typhoid, cancer, and cholera. Did you know that the water supply coming into your home may be carrying harmful contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, pesticides, drugs, arsenic, etc.? Even though these contaminants may not show any effects in the short-term, the long-term effects of drinking such water may be dangerous. Increased levels of chlorine can lead to rectal and bladder cancer. Presence of high levels of lead can lead to brain damage and even nervous disorders. You also run the risk of getting typhoid and cholera from contaminated water.

 

By using an effective water filtration system, you’ll remove the contaminants and save yourself from serious health issues.

An Overall Improved Body Health

We need water for various body functions such as secretion, excretion, detoxification, lubrication, respiration, etc. 70% of our bodies is made up of water, and that’s why organs such as the liver, brain, and kidney depend on water for their proper functioning.

Water is an essential element that maintains the right balance of fluidity and pressure in the body and also provides flexibility and strength to bones and cartilage. However, the water has to be clean and free of any contaminants. Impure water can have a serious adverse effect on these crucial body functions. Water filtration gives us enough pure and clean water to help in the normal functioning of the body. Besides water filtration, water softeners are able to help improve overall body help through your water as well. If you’re keen on improving your overall health, an effective water filtration system can help you accomplish it.

A Healthy Good Looking Skin

When we shower, particularly with warm water, we open our skin’s pores. If you’re showering with contaminated water, then your skin may absorb these harmful pollutants through the opened pores and result in a dry, rough and itchy skin. Showering using water that comes from a water filtration system will help you keep these pollutants away. Since they will be completely removed from the water you use to shower, there will be no chance of you inhaling or absorbing them. Thus, you’ll be able to achieve a healthier, younger, cleaner and good looking skin.

To Achieve Strong and Healthier Hair

You may be wondering what is making your hair weak. You use all types of hair products to make your hair healthier, but it is still dull and unhealthy. What you may not know is that your unhealthy hair is as a result of washing with contaminated water. Pollutants in your tap water can break the protection layer present around your hair, making it look dull, weak and rough. By washing your hair using clean water from a filtration system, you’ll stop hair fall and achieve strong, healthy and lustrous hair.

Filtered Water Aids in Natural Weight Loss

For those who may be struggling with weight loss, filtered water can be an effective element to help you out. Water is a very important component in weight loss because it helps in the process of metabolism. Also, it assists in the absorption of food nutrients in the body. However, even though tap water can do the job, filtered clean is important to prevent any contaminants that can hinder the process of metabolism. This will help in natural weight loss which is healthy too.

Bottom Line

Water filtration systems have seen a spike in popularity recently, and with good reason. Since there are various benefits to consuming filtered water, the importance of water filtration has also grabbed the attention of many people. Some benefits include: keeping your body from diseases, improved overall body health, stronger and healthier hair, and more.

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Health

Is Hard Water Bad For Your Skin?

There has been much speculation over whether hard water is bad for your hair, appliances, and other items; but, is hard water bad for your skin? Hard water consists of minerals which dry out the skin, block pores and result in stubborn skin issues such as eczema, or acne. Therefore, hard water is relatively bad for your skin. Below are some reasons why it is bad on your skin, and some remedies on how to neutralize your water.

Hard WaterIs Hard Water Bad for Your Skin

Hard water is water that has an elevated concentration of minerals such as magnesium, manganese, aluminium, and calcium, depending on where it runs through. There are no critical health risks caused by frequently drinking water with an elevated mineral concentration. Although, hard water leads to other issues such as dry skin or increased energy bills.

Is Hard Water Bad For Your Skin?

The significant impact of hard water on one’s skin is dryness. Hard water results in your skin looking dry, and it can also lead to other skin issues such as acne and blemishes. When water has increased amounts of calcium, it doesn’t dissolve detergent, soap or any other cleaning products — which means the soap residue remains on your skin, dishes, hair or clothes. This results in blocked pores as well as sensitive peeling skin.

How to Neutralize

To begin with, consider using a water softener in the house. If not, you can consider installing a water softening shower head which can filter the hardening minerals for less than having to install a whole-home water softening system.

Moreover, utilizing a gentle cleanser for cleaning the skin can also help. Water quality and temperature are also crucial considerations when you want to have healthy skin.

By avoiding hot water, you are not fully shielding your skin against drying, since hard water results in soap build upon one’s skin regardless of the temperature. Hot water cannot aggravate dryness and exacerbate conditions such as eczema, dermatitis. Also, showering for a long time can deprive the skin of its natural and protective oils, which lead to irritation.

Recommended Products

People suffering from dermatitis and other conditions of the skin will need to take special care of it to make sure that their skin remains hydrated properly after cleansing.

Dermatologists recommend dabbing the skin when you get out the shower other than briskly drying. Avoiding some soaps and using a solid moisturizer can aid you to achieve healthy skin even when you shower using hard water. When you are picking a face or body wash for hard water, it is essential to pick a non-soap based detergent that is safe for the body.

Nutrient-Rich Products

Vitamin C can aid to restore a dull appearance, and vitamin A aids to get rid of fine lines as well as wrinkles that appear when the skin is not hydrated appropriately. Also, exfoliation will assist to remove dead skin cells and promote the faster turnover rate of cells.

Bottom Line

So, is hard water bad for your skin? It does have some negative effects on one’s skin, but those issues can be addressed with simple solutions. Hard water contains certain minerals that tend to dry skin out. Dry skin can thus lead to irritation and/or break outs. Some simple remedies to this issue is to install a water softening system, replacing shower heads with water softening ones, and taking care of your skin with the right products.

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Health

Is Drinking Softened Water Bad for You? – What to Know

Is Hard Water Bad for Your Skin

Water is, in many ways, life itself. Every being on the planet needs water to survive. For us, water works to regulate body temperatures, to lubricate our joints, to transport nutrients in our bodies and support immunity. Vital organs like kidneys and the liver depend on water for their function of blood purification and detoxification. But does soft drinking water interfere with these processes and is drinking softened water bad for you? This article will go into detail about how hard and soft water differ and what the pros and cons of each are.

Hard Wateris-drinking-softened-water-bad-for-you

Water from the many parts of the world is naturally hard. Hard water is super-packed with minerals that serve as electrolytes in cell function in our bodies. Such ions include potassium, magnesium, and sodium among others.

Without these essential minerals, no matter how much water you drink you will be at risk of dehydration. The electrolytes help in water retention in cells. We always lose water when we breathe out, when we sweat and when we use the washrooms. When there is no water retention mechanism in our bodies, there is an excessive loss that upsets the natural balance leading to dehydration.

The Geological Survey of the United States estimates that 85% of the nation has hard water sources. Lately, however, many people are using water softeners to achieve desirable benefits with water. There have been concerns that drinking softened water might be bad for health. Are these allegations true in any way?

Softened Water

During water softening, calcium and magnesium get replaced with sodium ions. If the hard water contained lots of magnesium, then it would take more sodium to soften the water.

Why is water softened?

• In order to prevent damage to water pipes – hard water clogs pipes

• For easy washing – hard water forms scum with soap and damages the fibers in our clothes

• For bathing – hard water can be irritating to the skin and damage our hair

 

So, what happens when you drink soft water? Despite popular belief, softened water is not salty. During water softening, sodium bicarbonate is formed, as opposed to the table-salt compound sodium chloride.

Sodium in Food vs. In Softened Water

The quantity of sodium in softened water is quite low, compared to sodium found in natural food. An 8-ounce glass of softened water contains less than 12 mg of sodium. The same glass of milk contains approximately 120 mg of sodium and a glass of orange juice packs about 25 mg of sodium.

Doctors recommend that we not exceed 2,400 mg daily consumption of sodium. Drinking soft water in a day generally adds about 160 mg of sodium to your natural diet. If you are concerned about the effects of softened water, it is prudent to talk to a doctor about diet changes. In rare cases, doctors have discouraged anyone from drinking softened water.

People watching their sodium intake can consider water purification. That is water softening that uses potassium instead of sodium. The systems achieve the best water for your health and cleaning.

So, is drinking softened water bad for you? Drinking softened water is not bad for your health. Most of the sodium in our bodies comes from processed foods. Even when using softened water for drinking you can maintain the right sodium levels in your body by eating fresh foods and using less table salt.