MyInsuranceExpert would like to introduce our newest blogger. An award-winning Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Spencer Baron is a health, sports fitness, and medical expert with specialty certification as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (currently there are only 211 in the world.)

Upbeat, informed, and energetic, Dr. Baron has years of television experience and a charismatic personality audience’s love.

Pigs and birds and children, OH MY! Instead of vaccinating …

Answer to your #1 question!
“I don’t want to be vaccinated, what can I do?”

Read the full post on Pigs and birds and children, OH MY!.

Besides the discomfort that high heels can create, the American Pediatric Medical Association has determined that two inch heels create 57% greater pressure on the balls of the feet. In addition, they can cause bunions, and ankle, knee, and back problems.

At any age, getting enough sleep boosts your overall health. Likewise, too little sleep can leave you drowsy and unable to concentrate, increase your risk for diabetes and heart problems, impair your memory and limit physical performance.

With that being said, how much sleep do you need? Research varies, but a “rule of thumb” consensus has developed based upon age groups. In general:

Read the full post on How Many Hours of Sleep You Need.

According to a 2008 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance premiums, overall, have almost doubled in the last decade. However, the rate of income increase lags way behind. Overall healthcare costs have increased so rapidly that many American families become financially devastated following just a single catastrophic health event whether they have health insurance or not.

A 2006 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality survey reported that in close to 3 million households, nearly 20 percent of their income is applied toward healthcare related expenses, not including payment of insurance premiums. A number of these households have health insurance coverage; however the benefits do not adequately cover the healthcare needs of these families.

Read the full post on Health Care Costs Trends.

Chances are you, like many Americans, are working harder than ever. And with that hard work it’s paramount that you be able to restore with a restful night’s slumber. With this in mind, The Better Sleep Council has provided these tips to help you achieve a good night’s sleep.

• Avoid regular exercise just before bed. You want to prepare your body for slumber, not action.
• Minimize your stimulants. Even when consumed hours ago, many caffeinated beverages can still cause sleeplessness. And recent research adds nicotine to that list.
• Keep a regular schedule. Changing the time you go to bed can disrupt your body’s biological rhythms and lead to the common “Sunday Night Insomnia.”
• Avoid late meals. The extra digestive processes can keep you awake. Conversely, don’t go to bed hungry; have a light snack.
• Don’t take problems to bed. If you have to, make a list and set it aside until morning.
• Avoid alcohol. You may feel relaxed, but chances are you won’t reach the deepest stages of sleep and restoration, and you’ll awake dehydrated.
• Keep a standard bedtime routine. Even simple things like brushing your teeth can signal your body that it’s time to go to bed.

My Insurance Expert would like to introduce a special guest blogger named Aleah Oelmann. Aleah is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) – International Sports Sciences Association. Athletics have been a part of Aleah’s life since she was young. Aleah played competitively in volleyball, basketball, and track for eight years. Currently she competes in several 5K events, sprint triathlons, and plays sand and indoor volleyball.

As a successful business owner of a health and wellness company and a personal trainer, Aleah’s objective is to give her clients the knowledge and necessary tools to live a healthy lifestyle. She will not only help you understand how exercise and nutrition can greatly improve your overall quality of life, but also how mental preparation will play a lasting role with your personal goals.

Read the full post on Introducing Our New Health and Wellness Blogger.

As many of us well know, COBRA requires employers to offer a continuation of insurance coverage for laid-off employees. The continuation of benefits lasts for a period of 18 months, and typically employees would be responsible for the entirety of its cost. However, the COBRA subsidy program, which pays 65% of the cost for a period of 9 months, was introduced this last year to ease the financial burden of maintaining health care. For many, this subsidy will be expiring, and a new bill has been introduced into the Senate and House to expand the benefit period to 15 months.

Read the full post on COBRA Extension.

When cleaning your contact lenses, use only sterilized cleaning solutions or heat-processing sterilization. Don’t put contacts in your mouth, as bacteria can get into your eyes. Also, make sure your hands are clean when touching your contacts.

It seems like every day more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon to help improve our country’s health care system. Recently, GE announced that they will be launching a $6 billion health care initiative intended to improve health care for people, and reduce cost. They call it “healthyimagination.”

To do this, GE is not only reanalyzing what products they are developing, but also the manner in which they are made. According to reports, GE has stated that they will supply 100 new innovations that will lower cost, and improve access to health care by 2015.

Read the full post on General Electric & Health Care.

If you are using eye drops for an eye condition, try keeping your lids shut for one minute after inserting the drops. This will increase the drug’s effectiveness and reduce side effects.