Monthly Archives: September 2015

5 Ways to Keep Your Desk From Killing You

Sitting at a desk all day might literally be killing you. A study in Diabetologia shows that sedentary time in adults can actually lead to increased chance of death, even if you exercise regularly after work. Sitting at a desk all day at work can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Even worse, sitting still for six or more hours makes you 40% likelier to die within 15 yearsthan someone who sits less than three.

While everyone would love to leave their desk job and pursue something outside of the office, sometimes that’s not feasible. And unless you quit office jobs altogether and go a different route, you’re going to spend a lot of time sitting in a chair at a coffee shop crafting your master plan. So here’s what to do:

1. Adjust Your Workspace

Evaluate your surroundings. Is your back hunched? Is your head straight when you look at your monitor? You might need to adjust your chair or move your monitor. Nerd Fitness recommends some great ways to move your monitor and chair around to get the right heights for your neck, back, and shoulders. You can also check out Ergotron’s online evaluation. You enter in your height and the system generates exactly how high your chair and monitor should be. You might also need a new chair altogether, so talk to your HR department to see if there is one in storage.

2. Move Around

Experts recommend five minutes of standing for every 30 minutes of sitting. In fact, most say you should do something every 30 minutes to improve your concentration and your muscles. Instead of sending an email to a coworker, go talk to them. Go for a walk outside while contemplating your next steps. The Focus Booster app can give you reminders every 20 minutes to take a break! There is a small monthly fee, but there is a free (no credit card required!) trial you can do to see if it works for you.

3. Deskercise

I was so excited when I thought of the word “deskercise,” only to realize it wasn’t original at all. Isometric squats are a good place to start: just place your feet firmly on the floor and push down like you are standing up without actually standing up. Also check out these 33 work exercise moves from Greatist, and these stretch techniques from Fit Body HQ to loosen up.

4. Stand at Your Desk

…But don’t stand all day. While standing is better than sitting, standing still is not the answer. Be sure to walk around and stretch your legs every once in awhile. While studies show that standing can increase blood flow, it can also cause joint or muscle pain. In a June study conducted by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, respondents who worked at a sit/stand desk showed a happier mood and increased energy. For more information, check out Get Up!: Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It.

5. Exercise Daily Outside of the Office

Although exercising daily doesn’t decrease your chances of premature death if you’re sitting all day, don’t stop exercising! Make sure to walk, run, or do cardio at least 30 minutes every day on top of using the tips above. By doing all of these things, you’ll combat most of the negative effects of sitting all day.

7 Places to Get Vaccinated for Cheap or Free

Less than half of Americans werevaccinated against the flu during the 2013–2014 season.

The statistics for other types of immunizations are even more discouraging:

  • 21% of adults with high-risk conditions have received a pneumococcal vaccination;
  • 24% of adults over age 60 have received a shingles vaccination; and
  • 17% of adults have received a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine in the last 8 years.

While there may be many reasons why people aren’t getting vaccinated, cost shouldn’t be one of them. Here are seven places to get immunized for cheap or free.

1. “Stop Flu at School” Programs

During the fall, most state Departments of Health in the country offer free flu vaccine programs at participating public, private, and parochial schools. For example, the Hawaii State Department of Health provides flu shots to over 65,000 students statewide every year through its Stop Flu at School program.

Participation in school vaccinations is voluntary and requires permission of a child’s parent or legal guardian. Check with your school whether or not it’s participating in a flu vaccination program and inquire about more details, such as necessary consent forms and available methods of vaccine delivery.

2. Your Workplace

Every year, nearly 111 million U.S. workers get sick with the flu, costing about $7 billion per year in sick days and lost productivity. Even more troubling is that adults ages 18 to 64 account for about 35% to 40% of flu hospitalizations. If you’re the main breadwinner at your home, you need to take action to protect yourself and your loved ones against preventable diseases and potential financial strains.

This is why many businesses are offering free flu shots and other types of immunizations to their employees. The larger the organization that you work for, the higher the chances that your workplace offers at least one type of immunization for free. Check with your HR department for more details.

3. County Health Department Programs

Many county health departments offer immunization services that have lower prices than private pharmacy service providers.

For example, the cost of a hepatitis A/B (Twinrix) vaccine at the Washoe County Health District is $63, while the cost of the same vaccine at Costcois $109.97. Another example is the State of Hawaii, Department of Health, which offers free or low cost vaccinations for persons without health insurance.

Keep in mind that most county health departments require an appointment and walk-ins often result in long waiting times. Check with your local county health department for more details.

4. Participating Locations Through the Health Insurance Marketplace

Thanks, Obama.

Per the Affordable Care Act, all health care plans sold through the health insurance marketplaces must cover certain preventative services, such as immunizations, without charging you a copayment or coinsurance.

Here is a list of the covered immunization vaccines for children and adults:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Herpes zoster
  • Human papillomavirus
  • Influenza (flu shot)
  • Measles, mumps, rubella
  • Meningococcal
  • Pneumococcal
  • Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis
  • Varicella

Check with your insurance provider for details about where you can receive immunizations for free. To get a list of locations near your zip code that may accept your insurance plan, you can also use the vaccine finderoffered by Vaccines.gov.

5. Costco

Assuming that you have no health insurance, you need a flu shot right this minute, and are ready to pay out-of-pocket, your best bet is to visit a Costco Pharmacy. At $14.99, Costco offers the most affordable flu shot(influenza) to anybody that doesn’t have insurance and is ready to pay out-of-pocket. Costco also offers types of vaccines, such as pneumonia and shingles.

No Costco membership? No problem. Immunization services are one of the seven things non-members can get at Costco.

6. Target

If a Target offering flu shots happens to be more convenient for you than the nearest Costco warehouse, then you can take advantage of Target’s price match guarantee to lower the cost of your immunization.

Bring proof of the listed price for a flu shot at a nearby Costco and Target will lower the price of its original flu shot from $23.99 to $14.99. Call your nearby Target location for more details and a list of available immunizations for children and adults. (Note: Target stores in Hawaii and Alaska are excluded from the price match program.)

7. Sam’s Club

Neither a Costco or Target nearby? Head to the nearest Sam’s Club that offers pharmacy services. Non-members don’t need a Sam’s Club membership to buy pharmaceuticals and Sam’s Club doesn’t charge extra for those purchases.

If you do have an insurance plan, it may entitle you to a free flu shot at qualifying Sam’s Club locations. The cost of a flu shot is at Sam’s Club is $15. The big box retailer also offers other types of immunizations.

 

7 Diet Trends That Can Hurt You

We’re surrounded by friends, coworkers, and celebrities who swear by Paleo, juice cleanses, “nothing white,” and gluten-free diets. Do they work? Maybe. But are they safe? Maybe not.

Below are descriptions of some popular eating trends, and what experts have to say about them.

1. Gluten-Free

Gluten-free has become so popular that most grocery stores now have entire sections devoted to the products, and avoiding gluten is a must if you have celiac disease or some version of sensitivity to gluten. But how many people actually have celiac disease? Only about one in 133.

And there are dangers associated with eating a gluten-free diet. If you have self-diagnosed as needing a gluten-free diet absent a medical diagnosis, you may be assuming you have celiac disease where there may be another medical cause. Secondly, by eating gluten-free, you may be missing out on important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Think you have gluten sensitivity? This study may be eye-opening. Unconvinced? See your doctor.

2. Paleo

Paleolithic man existed before agriculture, when we assume they survived as hunter-gatherers. They probably would have eaten berries, tubers, mammals, and fish. They would not have had access to dairy or processed foods. Proponents of this diet claim that we would be healthier if we had stuck to this menu, rather than eating grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. By following a Paleo diet, it is claimed, we would not be obese, have diabetes, or heart disease.

Maybe. I think we can all agree that cutting down on processed foods is a good idea. I know I have concerns about refined foods, sodium, and preservatives. However, consider that humans have greatly evolved since Paleo man.

According to William Leonard of Northwestern University, “We now know that humans have evolved not to subsist on a single, Paleolithic diet but to be flexible eaters, an insight that has important implications for the current debate over what people today should eat in order to be healthy.”

Areas of concern? The amount of red meat the Paleo diet recommends (which may lead to bowel cancer) and eliminating whole grains and legumes, which have proven health value.

Also, as the Mayo Clinic reports, “There is little clinical research on the benefits of paleo diets…. Researchers have argued that the underlying hypothesis of the paleo diet may oversimplify the story of how humans adapted to changes in diet.”

James Hamblin, in his March 24, 2024 article for The Atlantic, writes about a study conducted by Dr. David Katz of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center:

“If Paleolithic eating is loosely interpreted to mean a diet based mostly on meat, no meaningful interpretation of health effects is possible…. The composition of most meat in today’s food supply is not similar to that of mammoth meat, and that most plants available during the Stone Age are today extinct.”

3. “Nothing White”

Pretty much just the way it sounds, the “nothing white” diet has you avoid refined white flour, white sugar, potatoes, pasta, bread, white beans, etc. Carbohydrates are not eliminated, but rather, replaced with healthier alternatives. This is a method of lowering your glycemic index (a measurement of carbohydrates and their impact on blood sugar).

It may indeed help you lose weight, and eating more of the colorful fruits and vegetables recommended may help you decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

So what are its issues? It’s pretty difficult for Joe Regular Person to eliminate all white bread, pasta, potatoes, and white sugar from your diet. Secondly, you need to be mindful of this information from WebMd:

“Keep in mind that not all whole grains are a good source of fiber. For example, brown rice is more nutritious than white rice because it contains the whole kernel of rice, but it’s not necessarily a good source of fiber.”

4. Juice Cleanse

Another popular trend, the juice cleanse, purports to help you lose weight, detox, and have more energy. You can concoct your own, or purchase from a (staggering) number of sources.

Sure, you will probably lose weight, but it will mostly be water weight. Also, fruit sugar is still sugar, so you might actually gain weight if you’re drinking lots of fruity cleanses.

5. The Alkaline Diet

Avoidance of high-fat animal products, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, plus eating lots of nuts, some soy, avocados, and produce are the hallmarks of the alkaline diet. Like the “no-white” diet, it has been popularized by great-looking celebrities. As the theory goes, avoiding acid-promoting foods and beverages promote a “neutral” blood pH, promoting health and weight loss. A list of specific foods supposedly helps keep your body more “alkaline.”

But the thing is: your body is already taking care of this for you, unless you have kidney problems. Our stomachs are acidic, so that they can break down food; your urine changes depending upon what you eat. So, your body is already taking on this job. Nothing you eat is going to substantially change the pH in your blood.

However, unless you overdo the avocados, nuts, and seeds, which are full of calories, the diet is pretty good for you, although I personally think the list is pretty restrictive. As an experiment, I tried it for a while. I missed dairy, coffee, and alcohol. It did get me eating more fruits and vegetables, although the recommended choices were sort of expensive. While there is some promising data, a study from the National Institute of Health concludes, “At this time, there are limited studies…”

6. Vegan

Vegans do not eat meat, fish, poultry, or animal products such as eggs, dairy, or honey. Being a vegan, though, is not just about weight loss. People often choose to become vegans for ethical reasons, their health, or environmental reasons.

A vegan diet may help with weight loss, heart health, and diabetes prevention and control. But there are also some things you’ll need to watch for:

“As a vegan, you need to spend a large part of your life planning what to eat,” warns Dr. Michael D. Gershon, chairman of the department of anatomy and cell biology at New York’s Columbia University. “While it is possible to get the nutrients you need, it’s difficult…. Vegans are more vulnerable to certain nutritional deficiencies,” he says, referring to vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin D — all critical for energy and mood.

7. The Raw Diet

Proponents of a raw diet claim that cooking food destroys nutrients and natural enzymes. Some even believe cooking makes the food toxic. Food is either uncooked or unprocessed. You can eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains; some eat unpasteurized dairy, meat, or fish. I love to cook, so this isn’t at all appealing to me, but the list of foods to use is very nutritious, high in vitamins, minerals, etc.

So, any big red flags on the raw food diet? Much like other diets listed above, you need to make sure you are getting enough protein, iron, and calcium. In tropical areas, eating raw foods can be dangerous due to the presence of rat-lungworm disease.

9 Ways to Save on Prescriptions

If you look at the hard facts on prescription drug use in the U.S., almost half of Americans are taking one pill a day, while 10% of the population pops a staggering five or more pills daily. Meanwhile, health care costscontinue to rise.

So, what can you do to cut the costs of your prescription drugs? Here are nine ways to slash the bills and save money on your medicines.

1. Double the Dosage

Asking your doctor for a higher dosage can turn a 90-day supply into a 180-day stash. It does involve a little extra work on your part, and you’ll need to invest in a pill splitter to do the job properly. (These are usually under $10.) However, you must make sure that you can safely and effectively split the pill. The simplest way to check is to look for the line down the center. If it has that, it is designed to be split. Capsules absolutely will not work, so don’t ask.

2. Get Generic Whenever You Can

Some people are sticklers for buying brand names, and in some cases they have every right to be. From foods and electronics, to jewelry and shoes, name brands are often more favorable. But when it comes to prescription drugs, it makes little sense to pay for a brand name when a generic is available. As MedicineNet.com explains, “Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug. In other words, their pharmacological effects are exactly the same as those of their brand-name counterparts.”

As you don’t wear prescription drugs, or taste any difference, there is no reason to pay extra for a brand name. The only exception, of course, is if the generic version of the drug is not yet available. In that case, you really do have to pay through the nose.

3. Ask Your Doctor for Alternatives

When your doctor fills out a prescription, make sure and ask about alternatives to the medication they have recommended. There may be several different types of medication that will do the job, but some could differ vastly in price — especially if one is available as a generic, and the other one isn’t. Don’t leave the doctor’s office until you know that you have options to work with. The difference could be hundreds of dollars a year.

4. Use a Discount Program

There are many different discount programs available nationwide, for people with and without health insurance. Many stores and pharmacies have discount and loyalty programs that you should definitely take advantage of, and they’re usually free to join. There are also other ways

5. Order in Bulk

One of the best ways to save money on your regular prescriptions (those you take month after month, year after year) is to buy in bulk and take advantage of big savings. For instance, Cigna’s online pharmacy Tel-Drugis a very handy resource that can save you a lot of money. Most of the 90-day supplies are charged at a 60-day supply rate, saving you 33% every time you place an order. Shipping is usually free, unless you need the drugs at a rush speed.

6. Use Coupons

There are coupons for almost everything these days, and prescription drugs are no exception. You will find coupons at your doctor’s office, the weekly circulars, and of course, online. Do not underestimate the efficacy of these coupons; although some are for only a few dollars, they can add up over the course of the year. And if you take multiple prescription drugs, the savings can really start to snowball.

7. Get Samples

This is a tricky one. On the one hand, samples are great because they’re free. However, samples are also readily handed out by doctors as a way to get you started on a brand new drug that you may, or may not, want to take. It’s common practice for drug companies to slightly change the formulation of a drug that is about to go generic, give it a new name, and charge a brand fee. But, they will give out free samples to get people to try it. So, talk to your doctor about the differences between the new drug, and the one that’s similar (or almost identical) at a fraction of the cost. However, if you plan on taking that pill, the samples can sometimes add up to weeks, or even months, of free drugs.

8. Look Into “Extra Help”

If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you should definitely look into the government’s Extra Help program. Applicants who qualify can look forward to around $4,000 of assistance every year, but you must fall below a certain income threshold, have limited resources, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. If you do qualify, it could be of enormous help.

9. Finally, You Could Try Canada, But…

It’s illegal. For the moment. Yes, although it can save you a lot of money, buying any kind of prescription drugs from a pharmacy outside of the United States is against federal law. However, Congress is considering new legislation to allow Americans with valid prescriptions to purchase their medications from licensed Canadian pharmacies. Of course, this could all depend on the power and persuasion, not to mention the vast amount of money, that lobbyists for the U.S. drug companies will bring to the table.