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Health Facts

Rumen PH Monitoring to Detect SARA in the Dairy Cattle Sector

Up to 20% of dairy cows develop acidosis after calving. A condition known as sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) may also be present in larger numbers of cows. This will reduce milk fat and milk output and in some cows to cause more serious disease such as lameness, mastitis and sub-fertility which can cost hundreds of dollars per affected animal.
Sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) is an increasing health problem in most dairy herds in the US and has been estimated to cost the US dairy industry between $500m and $1 billion per annum. Results from field studies indicate a high prevalence of SARA in high-producing dairy herds as producers respond to the demands for increased milk production with higher grain, low fibre diets to maximize energy intake during early lactation. SARA poses a challenge for dairy farmers and dairy nutritionists to implement feed management practices to prevent or reduce the incidence of this disease.
Monitoring rumen pH levels in sentinel cows within a herd would provide farmers with important information indicative of the state of dietary health of the herd. When the sentinel cows exhibit increasing acidosis, this allows a farmer to adjust feeding to prevent major problems developing.
Methods for monitoring the rumen pH in cows are currently limited to either invasive veterinary techniques for off-line analysis or pH sensors inserted through a cannula and connected by a wire to a data collection device outside the animal.
What is required is a radio transmitter based device which can be inserted into the rumen and send data remotely to farm information systems to alert the farmer to the potential onset of problems. Such devices are available with a short lifetime and have been used to validate the approach of remotely monitoring rumen pH. Long lifetime sensors which will last for 100 days and which transmit data remotely to farm information systems are under development and are currently being used in trials.…

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General Article

Herbal Diet – Skip the Diet Pills and Go Herbal

Herbal Diet – Skip the Diet Pills and Go Herbal

Generally, when people are looking to lose weight, the first thing they grab for are the over the counter diet pills. Although these pills can be effective in losing weight, they come with some serious side effects that are just not worth it. The alternative, however, is to go on an herbal diet.

Herbal supplements help support any diet and fitness program. Taken alone, they can help one to lose weight; however, if added with a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet, it can expedite the weight loss process dramatically. Herbal diet remedies work as a natural weight loss solution by using plant extract. Therefore, the only ingredients you will find in these supplements are all natural ingredients straight from the plants themselves. Below you will find three popular herbal diet supplements used by many people with success.

Green Tea

This is by far one of the most widely used herbal supplements because it just plain works. Its main ingredient is EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) and has been shown to increase the metabolism and provide powerful antioxidants that the body needs to flush out toxins. Whether taken as a supplement or straight from the kettle, Green tea can be a great addition to any diet. Not only is it effective in weight loss, it is also used to help lower heart disease, cancer and other ailments.

Acai Berry

The acai berry is a special fruit picked from the Acai palm tree and has been harvested for over a hundred years by Native Americans. Yet another popular herbal diet supplement, it offers a number of different benefits. This is because it contains large amounts of antioxidants that help to increase the metabolic rate, fight fatigue, increase energy levels and work as a detoxification remedy. Also, if that is not enough, this wonderful berry helps the aging process as well.

Flaxseed

Typically, the flaxseed supplement is prescribed as a natural and gentle laxative. This is because it is high in fiber and fatty acids. Not only does it aid in weight loss, but it can also be used to fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.

Dandelion

Both the leaf and the root can help with weight loss. This is because it controls water weight gain. Many women use this to stop bloating from water retention. Dandelions do not deplete your body of potassium like most of the other diuretics and the root itself is an incredible liver detoxifier which if allowed to clog up will result in weight gain.

These are but a few of the many different herbal diet remedies available for successful weight loss. Used in combination of a healthy diet and exercise, one can expect to reach their weight loss goals in record time.…

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General Article

Magic Pill For All Health Problems – Walking

Magic Pill For All Health Problems – Walking

Does the heading sound cliched? Does it seem like an exaggerated statement? Perhaps you are thinking ‘I know it all’. If yes, WALK up to the mirror and if it reflects the truth, come back and continue reading.

Congratulations! You have taken the first step to stay fit forever. Before we take the step ahead, it may interest you to know that brisk walking for 90 to 120 minutes a week can cure type 2 diabetes, reduces the risk of heart attack, strengthens the leg bones, keeps depression at a distance, decreases the risk of breast cancer, and frees you from many other illnesses.

Today we will only discuss how we get started with walking. Let me leave the benefits of walking for the next you doubt your abilities or you have a feeling of being left out while walking with seasoned walkers in the park, you can start with strolling on the pavement for a distance of five minutes from your home and then turn back. Repeat this exercise three to four times and even before you have realized it, you would have completed 30 to 40 minutes of walking. The next step would be to increase the distance and speed and gradually join the power walkers in the park.

Exercising in any form is an addiction and walking is no different. We humans tend to adopt the harmful addictions and leave the good ones (exercising). Now the question is – how do you motivate yourself? One of my very good friends generally buys new walking gear of well known brands to motivate herself to walk every morning. When asked the reason, she quickly prompted, “Walking gear makes me look fit and the new walking gear every month gives me the motivation to walk everyday.”

With or without gear, walking is a pleasurable exercise. It neither demands a specific time of the day nor is it mandatory to have breakfast before morning walks. If you are travelling to a new city, you can walk and explore the city or discover small lanes that lead you to your house. If you are in a place where it rains frequently, I will advise mall walking; my women readers may benefit from this advice, but their partners would curse me for this! During rains the architecture lovers would find immense pleasure in exploring architectural arenas or forts while completing their daily dose of walking.

In case you are residing near the forests or mountains, hiking or walking in the woods can have a calming effect while you complete your walking exercise. An ancient, but most effective, way to exercise is talking and walking with a partner. You would never want to be the first one to slow down and the results cannot be hidden. I understand that in today’s time it is a little difficult to find a partner, so you can walk with a pedometer instead. The device can display your exact number of steps and the distance covered in a certain time. Talking about partners, your pet dog can be your best walking companion. Health experts believe that dog walking for two to three times a day for 20 minutes each is better than working out in the gym.

Walking is no different from any other aerobic workout, but it does require a lot of dedication and can be a major contributor to your weight loss program. A well-known research did prove that walking briskly for 20 minutes a day can help you lose around 14 pounds a year. Since weight loss requires burning of calories, you need to keep a check on your eating habits in order to lose weight while you continue the good habit of walking daily.…

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Healthy Nutrition

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

January 1 of this year we had to change the electronic transmission protocols for filing electronic medical claims. As a medical billing service, we were proactive throughout 2011 getting the protocols in place. As the January 1 deadline approached it became apparent that not everyone was quite so proactive.
We are now well into over a month of transmitting claims and the process seems to becoming more fraught with disaster. The new protocols are referred to as 5010 and the old ones were 4010A. The 4010s worked great and all the bugs were out of it but again the statisticians simply want more data, most likely data that could be held over physicians heads as a tool to coerce them into doing things not necessarily in the best interest of the physician and most assuredly not in the best interest of American medicine.
Today as I was reviewing the transmission reports it struck me as to the absurdity of some of the rejections. From a claim standpoint, we still refer to a lot of the data as if we are looking at what was once called a paper form a HCFA1500 and now called CMS1500. Basically the same piece of paper with two major exceptions, each provider had a spot for two numbers, his NPI and his legacy number and one column in section 24 disappeared and the rendering physician NPI and/or legacy number no longer was in 24K but was now in 24J, but I have digressed. The absurdity is in box 32.
The bottom three boxes on a CMS1500 are 31,32, and 33. Box 31 is the physician of record taking responsibility for the claim. Box 32 is the name and location of where the service was performed and box 33 is the entity and address of where payment is to be made. Here is the absurdity. For Medicare, if the service is performed anywhere but the provider’s office, the data must be filled in. But if it is in the providers office the box must be left blank or the claim will be rejected. Now wouldn’t it be simple to just ignore that info if it is unnecessary? But apparently they are too incalcitrant into a format that they can’t! And to compound the issue, United Health Care will reject the claim if the service is performed in the office and box 32 is not populated. Besides, why have the box if you don’t want it populated.
The rules should be uniform but apparently they are not. One will reject the claim if it is populated while another rejects it if it is not populated. From the standpoint of attempting to keep them all happy it can be a nightmare.
So seriously folks, if the 4010A worked why change it just to gather more statistical information that will only serve to drive up the cost of health care.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.…

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General Article

Childhood Obesity A Growing Concern

Childhood Obesity A Growing Concern

Weight problems in children is really a morality concern — each of our options we choose in everyday life. Childhood obesity is actually a really serious problem that everyone, as parents, need to deal with. Obesity is actually a significant public health problem. It is a big health worry in the USA. Childhood weight problems are now accepted as a public health disaster in the USA. Childhood obesity is a situation stealing youngsters of health and fitness, and in some cases leading to children to pass away ahead of time.

Childhood obesity is really a worldwide health issue with no one cause and with out a single answer. It is the root cause of numerous symptoms and illnesses. It is linked to the enhanced threat of heart diseases in grownup life. Childhood obesity is often triggered by numerous distinct factors. Childhood obesity is caused by kids consuming way too many additional unhealthy calories but not engaging in sufficient physical exercise.

Childhood obesity is usually brought on by different things like shortage of physical exercise or inadequate diet. It isn’t the only new problem to originate from the present day child’s eating habits of soft drinks and sweet snack foods. Consuming sweet beverages, watching television, and enjoying sugared drinks are among the behavioral variables that give rise to weight problems in children. Physical exercise is essential for all those kids to support burning off surplus calorie consumption.

Childhood obesity is associated to elevated blood pressure levels, elevated overall cholesterol levels, raised levels of insulin resistance, and sleep apnea. It can also be an element related to orthopedic problems and emotional health issues.

Parents can assist in avoiding non-active kids from turning into lazy grown ups by stimulating health and fitness. Parents will be important in the genesis of early on weight problems in children prenatally, genetically, and throughout family impacts.

In the USA, approximatelyA�20% of youngsters between the age range of 6-11 are believed to be obese. Do not forget that obesity is a lot more than simply being a very little over weight, it really is being considerably over weight, and can result in serious health issues. Recent surveys show that 25 % of kids aged Two to five years are actually over weight and that over weight toddlers and infants have an elevated threat of obesity and connected health issues in later life. Understanding about the issue and prospective solutions is the first task to help combat this issue in your own home. Lastly, the occurrence of diabetic issues ought to be regarded in all of the dangerously obese kids. Whilst overt diabetes type 2 mellitus is uncommon in early childhood, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia are almost universal in dangerously obese youngsters.…

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General Article

A Smart And Healthy Diet For Cellulite Prevention

A Smart And Healthy Diet For Cellulite Prevention

There are many cellulite treatments available today, many of which can be invasive or expensive. Before you commit to one of these methods, try switching over to a smart, healthy diet. Along with improving your overall health, a sensible diet is good for reducing cellulite. Here are some things to consider when putting together your new healthy diet.

Detoxify your diet. Toxins trapped in the body allow the creation of cellulite. Go clean and healthy with fruits and vegetables. Cut out caffeine and alcohol.

Reduce water retention, which prevents the body from flushing the toxins away. Foods high in sodium cause water retention, so reduce your intake of salt, soy sauce, and canned foods. Lactose is another cause of water retention, so opt for reduced-lactose dairy foods.

Drink lots of water. Strangely enough, drinking more water actually reduces water retention. When your body has plenty of water, it helps the kidneys flush the toxins out of your body. Try for eight glasses a day. This will also help you eat less by filling your stomach and making your body think you have just had a meal.

Cut down on fats. A diet high in fatty foods causes weight gain and cellulite. Instead, choose foods that are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You’ll absorb less fat and your body will start to repair the tissues that cause cellulite to show under the skin.

Have a lot of small meals during the day. This makes digestion easier and keeps your fullness level constant. This makes you less likely to overeat. When you’re eating, chew slowly to spread out the meal. Your body needs about twenty minutes to get the message that it’s full, and when you eat slowly you will get this message and stop eating before you’ve had too much.

Here are some additional healthy-eating tips for preventing cellulite:

– Choose lean protein instead of fattier ones. Good options are egg whites, fish, chicken, and lean red meat like filet mignon. Instead of having these fried, try them grilled or baked.

– Avoid fatty foods. Cut down or cut out rich or greasy foods like pizza, gravy, cheese, breads and cookies with fillings, butter, and ice cream.

– Cut down on refined sugars. Foods high in complex carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are smart choices because their sugars require breaking down before the body can use them.

– Avoid using excessive oil when preparing meals.

– Increase your fiber intake. Fiber keeps you from overeating by making you feel satisfied for a longer period of time after your meal and by requiring a longer time to consume.

– Reduce the salt you use in cooking and at meals.

– Hydrate with water or juice. Cut down on high-calorie drinks like alcohol and soda, which have little or no nutritional value.

By using these natural tips, you can fight cellulite. These healthy ideas are simple to implement and are also good for your body as a whole.…

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Health Store

Older Women Like Home Care More

Survey says why insurance with home care benefit is popular
More older women get home-based care for chronic health issues than men, reveals an American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) study.
According to the study, 60 percent of home care recipients were women. In the same group, over 80 percent were 75 years or more than that. The survey, which was conducted by the association through a one-week period in March, had 1,000 men and women respondents.
“The large majority of both men and women home care recipients were over the age of 71 and most received care for three days a week or less,” according to Jesse Slome, executive director of AALTCI. 66 percent (two-thirds) of women received care at home for three days a week or less, while less men (49 percent) made use of the same service in the same frequency.
The AALTCI study also found the cost of home care services to be around $20 per hour. However, this varied depending on the type of service required and the location. “Someone requiring care three days a week for six hours a day is looking at a cost between @20,000 and $25,000 annually, which is why individuals increasingly buy long-term care insurance with a home care benefit,” says Slome.
“Most people wrongly associate long-term health care with skilled nursing facility when the vast majority of care takes place at home,” pointed out Slome in an earlier interview. Today more and more people prefer getting treatment for chronic and age-related conditions right in the comfort of their own homes, added Slome.
“People do require long-term care services at younger ages typically as a result of accidents or illnesses,” noted Slone. As a matter of fact, a large majority (90.7 percent) of long-term care insurance claims start at age 70. Among women below 64 years, about 20 percent received care for seven days a week, while 40 percent required care five days each week. A mere 25.3 percent of women aged 82 required care for five days a week or even more.
According to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, about 7.6 m people are recipients of home-based care today, usually as a consequence of an acute illness, long-term health condition, permanent disability or terminal illness. Annually, the federal government spends $60 billion for home health care.…