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Discover 8 Health Benefits of Consistent Exercise

You may have heard that exercise is the key to a long a healthy life, but you might not be aware what a good amount of exercise can do for your body. 

4 Ways to Save Major Money on Healthcare Costs

Taking care of your health certainly isn't cheap! Even routine tests and everyday care can add up to a significant amount of money. When health costs start to stack up, where do you look? You probably already shop around for cheaper prescriptions, grocery store discounts and economical gym memberships. You might have even used online discounters, like Groupon or LivingSocial, to source deals on services from massage and acupuncture, to laser eye surgery and varicose vein treatments.
But what else can you do to cut even more costs? Follow these tips to start saving big time on all your personal healthcare needs! 

How to Travel Smart

Do you love traveling? If you love a great vacation, a good place to start is to learn to travel smart and travel safe. With the world literally at your fingertips, you can educate yourself and be your own travel consultant. 

Why Breakfast Is Key to a Healthier Lifestyle

You may have heard the phrase "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" numerous times before. Unfortunately, not everyone has breakfast in the morning and inevitably, this damages their health in the process. Even if you live a busy lifestyle, having breakfast in the morning can contribute to healthier living. Below are some useful tips that can help you enjoy breakfast despite a busy lifestyle and can show you how vital breakfast really is. 

Your Own Personal Nurse Is a Phone Call Away

Your doctor can be a great resource to help guide you toward a healthier life. But every so often, you might need professional health advice immediately--advice that you can't necessarily get from a quick Google search. Maybe you're dealing with a chronic condition and don't have the time, energy or money to make an appointment with your physician for every little question. Dealing with a chronic illness can be confusing and challenging, and it might seem like you need a go-to person who can address all your concerns as they come up. The good news is, those people do exist! They are called Personal Nurses, and they may be available at no cost through your insurance provider. We interviewed Jessica, a Personal Nurse at Humana, to find out what these professionals can do for you. She also gave us some great tips on how to get the most out of your doctor's visits, how to effectively cope with a chronic illness, and more--so take notes! 

Easy Prevention & Treatment Strategies for Headaches

Headaches are a common problem in our society, but that does not mean they are easy to deal with. The cause of headaches is not always clear for health professionals, since it is such a general symptom. Having a headache can also have a negative impact on your daily activities. Read our tips and hints below on how to prevent and reduce chronic headaches.

What Are Common Triggers for Headaches?

Please note that people with chronic headaches should always visit their physician to ensure there is not an underlying condition that causes your headaches. If you have suffered from chronic headaches for a while and no underlying medical conditions were found, the following physical or psychological symptoms could be a cause of your headache problem: stress, dehydration, sleeping problems, hormonal changes, smoking, eyestrain, food additives or caffeine. These are some of the most common triggers that may set off a headache.

How Do I Determine the Cause of My Headaches?

Considering the fact that headaches can be caused by many things, you may need to keep a dairy to find the cause of your headaches. In this dairy, you can write important information that may lead you to the exact cause.

Important information that should be recorded in your headache dairy includes the foods you eat, drinks you consume, medicine you take, and your sleeping and exercise times. When you do get a headache, write it down in your dairy with its exact time. If you cannot determine the cause of your headaches over the course of time, take your dairy to the doctor.

How Can I Avoid Certain Headache Triggers?

There are certain things you can do to prevent headaches or stop them from occurring too often. Below, you will find an overview of common headache triggers and how to prevent them.

Mind Your Posture

Bad posture can cause headaches, especially if you spend your day on a desk. If you do desk work on a daily basis, make sure you stand up from time to time and stretch the shoulders. Also make sure you loosen up your neck from time to time.

Someone who does computer work can also suffer from eyestrain, considering they stare at a computer screen for a long period of time. When you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk, make sure you look away from the computer screen from time to time.

Check Your Pillows

Having a bad pillow can cause headaches and make your neck feel stiff and uncomfortable. Do not hesitate to spend a little extra money on an extra comfortable pillow, or a pillow that gives your neck added support.

People who are prone to headaches should always take their own high-quality pillow when they travel somewhere. It may not be as practical as stepping into a hotel and simply using the bed linen that is available, but it can prevent you from getting a bad headache because of a poor quality pillow.

Stick to a Routine

Changes in your routine may cause headaches as well, for example when you have irregular sleep or eating times. Make sure your body gets used to a routine and stick to that routine as much as you can.

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

Many people can get a headache because of a lack of sleep. According to Frank Health Insurance, in most cases, people simply do not give themselves enough time to rest. However, there are cases where sleeping problems are caused by a physical problem. For example, people who are overweight may suffer from sleep apnoea. If you believe a sleeping problem may cause headaches, be sure to report this to your doctor for the right treatment. If you suffer from sleep apnoea because of being overweight, contact your physician and a nutritionist to reach your goal weight and to receive immediate treatment.

Make Smart Lifestyle Choices

Eating unhealthy and not getting the right amount of exercise can cause physical discomfort, including headaches. Therefore, make sure you do not skip any meals and never let yourself get too hungry.

People who have been struggling with their eating and exercise habits for many years can find the appropriate help from a dietician or a personal trainer. If you believe headaches are caused by poor lifestyle choices, then you must be willing to make the changes needed to prevent your chronic headache problem.

Drink Plenty of Water

Even though drinking plenty of water is considered a healthy lifestyle choice, this tip is so important it genuinely deserves its own paragraph. When you do not drink the right amount of fluids during the day, you could get dehydrated. Dehydration is also a main cause of headaches, so be sure to keep your fluid levels up with plenty of water.

Monitor Your Stress Levels

Stress can cause headaches as well, so monitoring your stress levels will be necessary to keep headaches at bay. Unfortunately, stress is something we face on a daily basis because of the world we live in. However, there are small changes you can make to your daily routine to reduce your stress levels.

First of all, notice the signs your body is giving you. If your neck feels stiff or if you feel stressed in general, be sure to take a small break just to get your breath back. Doing some exercise can also help you feel better and reduce your stress levels. Of course, each person is different when it comes to relaxing, so find an activity that feels relaxing to you.

Make Sure You’re Covered for Chronic Health Conditions

Having to go to the doctor frequently and trying to determine the cause of your headaches can be quite costly where medical expenses are concerned. Therefore, it can be a good idea to get the right coverage for chronic health conditions or your headache-related problems. If your headache problem needs a certain treatment, for example physiotherapy, you could get the right coverage through your health insurance.

Discover the Benefits of Whey Protein

Beginning fitness fanatics looking to build muscle will come across whey protein, a supplement used by athletes all over the world. If you are not that familiar with whey protein and its benefits, this article will be a great learning tool for you. Read on to find out what whey protein is and the effect the supplement can have on your body.

How Does Protein Make You Gain Muscle?

Protein has numerous functions in the human body. According to Nutrients Direct, one of the most important of these functions is the support of structural tissues; this includes building tissue, cells and muscle. The specific function of protein means that muscle growth relies on the availability of an adequate amount of protein.

A good example of how protein affects your muscle growth can be found during heavy weight training. During this training, your muscles are forced to break down protein and acquire amino acids to provide the energy you need. The body also needs to synthesize new protein in order to continue with the training and get your muscles bigger and stronger.

The use of proteins after training is also beneficial, because the body needs that protein to promote muscle growth when you are done training; this is also done through the protein breakdown process.

Still, the most important denominator for muscle growth as well as fat loss is a healthy diet and good exercise routine. Athletes who take a protein supplement, but do not exercise or eat healthy otherwise, will not get the results they are after.

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is a substance that is obtained during the cheese making process, because whey protein is a by-product of this process. Whey protein is rich in essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids, which have an important contribution to make for muscle growth.

Most people are not aware they actually have been using whey protein since childhood, because whey is actually a protein that is naturally present in milk. Of course, whey needs to be extracted before it can be used as a supplement. Before whey protein is offered as a supplement, the manufacturer removes the fat and the carbohydrates through a filtering process.

Are There Different Types of Whey Protein?

There are three different forms of whey protein available in the form of a supplement. The type of whey protein is determined by the filtering process and other manufacturing processes used to make a whey supplement. The form of whey protein that has been the least processed is whey protein concentrate, while whey protein hydrolysate is the most processed. Whey Protein Isolate is the third type of whey protein and lies between hydrolysate and concentrate where processing is concerned.

Due to the fact that whey protein concentrate does not require that much processing, it is often the cheapest whey protein supplement. Athletes who cannot afford to purchase some of the more expensive whey protein supplements on a regular basis will therefore choose whey protein concentrate.

Whey protein concentrate undergoes minimal processing and goes through the so-called filtration processes, more specifically micro- and ultra-filtration. Thanks to these processes, whey protein concentrate can hold on to 80 percent protein. The unique processes used to create whey protein concentrate also enables manufacturers to maintain beneficial peptide fractions in their formula. These peptide fractions provide additional benefits, including numerous antioxidant benefits and supporting the function of the immune system.

WPH (whey protein hydrolysate) is processed the most, but also the most expensive form of protein. The supplement is created through a process called hydrolysis, a process that breaks down whey protein chains into smaller peptide fragments; this makes the proteins easier to absorb.

Why Is Whey Protein Often Better Than Other Protein Supplements?

Whey protein is an amazing muscle builder for numerous reasons. One of the biggest benefits for athletes is its fast absorption rate; this means that the amino acids in the formula are absorbed into the bloodstream quite rapidly, giving benefits such as faster muscle growth and muscle repair.

Certain branched chain amino acids, more specifically leucine, isoleucine and valine, boost protein synthesis in the body. Protein synthesis is a fundamental biological process used by cells to build their own protein. It is this protein the muscle needs to grow and to heal.

Studies have shown that whey protein is not only good to gain muscle mass, it is also used as an aid in weight loss. A study executed by the USDA showed that both men and women drinking two shakes of whey protein over a course of twelve weeks lost a total amount of five pounds of body fat and dropped an inch of their waist.

When to Use Whey for Maximum Results?

Experts and supplement manufacturers recommend taking whey protein right before or right after your training, ideally 30 minutes before or after. The reason why it should be taken so shortly before and after training is due to the fast absorption rate of whey protein. Once an athlete has consumed a whey protein supplement, muscle is provided with a steady stream of amino acids.

Athletes focused on gaining both strength and muscle mass should consume approximately 10 to 20 grams of whey protein before their weight training. By doing so, they will gain more endurance and decrease muscle breakdown at the same time.

Some athletes will consume 20 grams of whey protein between meals to support muscle growth or weight loss. In order to determine the best time to take your whey protein supplement, it is advised to look at your specific training goals.

Can Whey Supplements Be More Effective Than Protein Rich Foods?

Having plenty of protein in your diet can be extremely beneficial for muscle growth, but in some instances, having protein-rich food does not give you quick access to these nutrients during training. Proteins from chicken breast, eggs, fish and beef will not digest quickly enough, which is why a protein supplement can be better to consume just before training.

Get a Team of Personal Health Professionals

When you’re not feeling like yourself, it’s good to have a team of friends and family to help. But where do you turn when you need support and expertise? Many people don't know that some health insurance plans offer up personal health professionals to help you navigate the healthcare space and design a plan to become your healthiest, happiest self. These experts are available to work one-on-one with you to establish a baseline and set realistic goals. They can provide personalized guidance, education and resources. Additionally, they will follow up with you based on your personal needs and preferences--all included in your health insurance package.

The Best Ways to Stay Motivated for Good

You can read hundreds of nutrition articles and talk about getting healthier until you're blue in the face, but all the knowledge in the world won't do you any good unless you've got the motivation to go with it. And even though getting motivated might sound like the easy part, it's actually the trickiest! In our world of instant gratification and convenience, it can be all too easy to plop down on the couch instead of hitting the gym, or to grab takeout in favor of cooking a healthy dinner. To help us answer the million-dollar question of how to get and stay motivated, we asked two Humana Health Coaches to give us their top ten tips for setting—and reaching—any goal you set your mind to. 

Memphis and Meta Take Small Steps for Big Health Changes

Here at SparkPeople, we love seeing other companies help communities reach healthy, positive goals—and Meta is doing just that! This summer, Metamucil® underwent an evolution to become part of a full line of wellness products called Meta, which aims to give people simple solutions to help them live their best, healthiest lives. The folks at Meta believe that making small, everyday changes can lead to long-term health and wellness results (a philosophy that mirrors our own). Now, Meta is challenging Americans in Memphis, TN—which is currently ranked as the unhealthiest city in the United States*--to make strides toward more healthful living, one step at a time. Memphis is up for the challenge, and the city is making better health more attainable for everyone with a year-long partnership with Meta and national sweepstakes** hosted on the Meta Facebook page. 

Posted 10/16/2014  12:00:00 AM By:   : 6,825 views

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Peek Inside the Mind of a Health Coach

These days, getting and staying healthy is becoming a bigger concern with diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease on the rise. But it can be hard to know where to start or who to ask for help beyond your primary care physician. Where do you turn when you just want someone to help you put together a plan to help you reach basic healthy lifestyle goals?

This is where Health Coaches come in! These professionals are fairly new faces in the healthcare world, but their impact has been growing rapidly. Health Coaches can help tailor a plan specific to your goals, whether you would like to lose weight or simply start building healthier habits. We've interviewed two Humana Health Coaches, Melina and Kristina, to give you a peek into the world of these professionals--and why you should consider giving Health Coaching a try to take your healthy lifestyle commitment to the next level. 

Posted 10/10/2014  12:00:00 AM By:   : 19,180 views

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5 Ways Health Insurance Companies Can Reward Your Healthy Habits

You know how health insurance works: You pay a premium, you pay a deductible and sometimes you also pay a copay. It can feel like a lot of paying, all told. But health insurance doesn’t just have to cost you money. Health insurance companies have an interest in you staying healthy and preventing chronic illness, too. After all, someone who is healthy will end up living a longer, happier life--and spending much less on medical expenses.
 
While yesterday’s insurers took a here-and-now approach, today’s companies are offering a host of health-promoting incentive programs to help their members prevent and manage health conditions. These programs are painless and powerful motivators to keep up healthy habits. Every insurance company is different, but most of the time, all it takes is a quick, baseline assessment in which you create personal, measurable goals (like getting a check-up or tracking workouts), and you’ll soon be earning rewards. These rewards most often consist of discounts or points toward the purchase of items or services (like exercise equipment, movie tickets, hotel stays and more) simply for doing basic health-related tasks. Here are some of the ways you could reap rewards from your insurance company (many of which you would probably do anyway!). 

Posted 9/22/2014  12:00:00 AM By:   : 31,831 views

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