June 2012 Newsletter
What´s New at Savon
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Quote Of The Month: “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” (James F. Dent 1928 - 1992)
Congratulations To:
T. Niemira of Phoenix, AZ Winner of our May early payment drawing for 1 free additional year of membership.
Congratulations to our winner and thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.
Keeping Fit With Jourdin Hendershot:
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Choosing Between Home Exercise Or Gym Membership
Exercise is a important factor in a person‘s health. Exercise can help improve your mental and physical health. Some people think the only way to get in a good work out is by going to a gym but in this economy, for many affording a gym membership is out of the question. Even if you can‘t afford a gym membership, you can always work out at home.
If you are unsure about what will work best for you, here are some pros and cons about both.
The Advantages of home exercise:
• Convenience - Trying to find time to get to the gym can be exhausting by itself. Most of us can always find some free time at home so why not exercise during these times. A good routine would be to pick a time, maybe during a T.V. show and exercise. No matter what kind of a routine you start with, if you stick with it, it will become a habit.
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• Privacy - This is great for people who are not happy with their body image or just plain uncomfortable working out around other people. In the comfort of your own home, you can put on your work out gear or whatever you want to wear and workout to your hearts content any way you want to.
• Cost Friendly - You don't have to pay a membership fee every month just to work out at home. You can buy some work out videos from your local store if you feel that you need instructions or guidance. You also do not need all that expensive work out equipment. Doing some yoga, pilates, aerobics and other activities will take place of the equipment and give you the same results.
The Disadvantages home exercise:
• Distractions - Everyday life at home may distract your workout such as having to answer the door, phone or having to cook dinner for the family. This makes it imperative that you set a certain time aside for yourself to exercise or better yet, make working out a family affair.
• Self Discipline -This is a major struggle for most people. You may find that you are not pushing yourself as much as you would in a gym or find that you are skipping days because it's not costing you any money.
• Space –Space can be a big disadvantage for home exercises. Most people do not have enough floor space to be able to do exercises such as yoga or high movement aerobics. If the desire is strong enough you can probably work out the space issues just by moving some furniture out of the way while you excerise.
The Advantages of choosing a gym:
• Equipment -Gyms have a variety of machines to choose from. They have stationary bikes, treadmills and elliptical machines. These machines usually have the digital read outs that show your time, heart rate, and calories burned. They also have a variety of universal weight sets as well as free weight.
• Personal trainers -Trainers are great; they will teach you all about the proper technique and form to having a successful and safe workout. If you have a goal that you are trying to accomplish, a trainer is there to keep you on track, whether its losing weight or just toning up. Be careful though because most personal trainers charge for their services.
• Social Interaction -This is a great way to meet new people! Once you find a workout partner working out can be a breeze. A good partner makes a workout easier because you not only have someone to talk to, you will tend to motivate each other.
The Disadvantages of choosing a gym:
• Cost -Some monthly membership fees can be pricey and you will have to pay it even if you don't go the gym. If you want any extras such as a personal trainer expect another fee. Some gyms may charge an extra fee for their lockers and in rare cases using the parking lot. These hidden fees can add up very quickly.
• Schedule -Time can be a difficult situation. If you are a working person you have to schedule gym time around work hours. If you have a family, you have to schedule your gym time around your families needs. Some of the nationwide gym chains are open 24 hours so while getting there routinely may be difficult, it's not impossible.
• Lacks of privacy -Gyms are usually crowded so you will probably have very little, if any, personal space. A gym is definitely not a place for people who like to work in private or in silence. If you are self conscious about your body it may be difficult for you to handle because it's very likely you will be changing in front of others in the locker room and working out with a crowd.
So you decide what works the best for you always remember, a little exercise is better than no exercise.
If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.
Grandma's Kitchen With Grandma C.:
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Old Fashioned Summer Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups (dry measurement) Instant Rice, cooked and cooled completely
- ¾ cup sliced radishes
- ¾ cup diced cucumber, peeled
- ¾ cup sliced celery
- ¾ cup, diced tomato**
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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Cook Instant Rice according to package directions and set aside to cool. Slice radishes and celery, dice cucumber and tomato. Mix vegetable oil and lemon in a shaker until well blended. Add vegetables to rice and toss, add salt and pepper to taste and mix in the oil/lemon mixture with a wooden spoon. Let sit at least 2 hours and stir one more time before serving. Better overnight!
Variations: Add Chicken, Summer Squash or Raisins for a different flavor.
**Tomato should be slightly under ripe… or firm. It works best this way.
If you have a recipe that you would like to share with Grandma C., drop her an email by clicking here.
To Your Health: with Meri Osborne
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Prescription Foods That Can Cure Illness
There are thousands of home remedies and variations of food and other natural products to cure or treat almost any ailment known to man… Many of which actually work. But for particular illnesses, doctors actually prescribe certain foods as a cure or remedy. Honestly, I was surprised to learn how some of the most common illnesses are treated successfully with what most of us would consider a daily snack! See how some of these delicious treats could be helping you!!
Cherries - One cup of tart cherries or two glasses of juice a day can ease muscle aches! Cherries contain an anti-inflammatory enzyme similar to that found in ibuprofen, only it‘s natural and not as harmful over long periods of time!
Eggs - One a day can keep your mind in focus! Eggs are packed choline, a nutrient that is great for brain health.
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Chicken - 4 oz. daily can get rid of insomnia! Chicken contains an amino acid that helps your body produce melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.
Peanuts - ¾ cup daily can keep anxiety at bay! Peanuts contain glutamine, an amino acid which produces gamma-amino butyric acid or (GABA). If your body doesn‘t produce enough GABA, anxiety is the result.
Peppermint - A candy, a cup of peppermint tea or sometimes even smelling peppermint almost immediately soothes an upset stomach!
Apples - An apple a day will build up weak muscles! Particularly the peel, which contains ursolic acid which aides in producing the two most important hormones needed to build muscle.
Oranges - One a day or 6 oz. of juice can help keep you looking young! Vitamin C helps you produce collagen, which aids in the elasticity of your skin.
Bananas - One a day as nature‘s own energy bar! Not only are they loaded with potassium, they contain magnesium, a nutrient our bodies need to produce and store energy.
Green Tea - A glass a day will keep the water retention away! It‘s a natural diuretic.
Brown Rice - A cup a day can help manage depression! Carbohydrates help regulate the production of serotonin, the hormone that controls our mood. Brown rice is packed with complex carbs which help to keep you on an even keel.
So eat, drink, and be healthy!
The above health material is provided as an information service. It should not be used for diagnostic purposes nor is it intended to take the place of the important relationship between you and your doctor.
Fun Facts:
Crazy, Zany Facts We Bet You Didn't Know
- The average American eats around 5 ½ gallons of ice cream a year. July is the National Ice Cream month because it is the month the most ice cream is sold.
- Mosquitoes have been around for 30 million years. They can detect mammals from 100 feet away especially warm-blooded creatures (that‘s why they love human!!) And they have visual sensors that detect movement and contrast in colors.
- Watermelon is actually a vegetable, not a fruit! It is most closely related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. The watermelon is composed of 92% water and early explorers often used hollowed out watermelons as canteens.
- Popsicle was invented by accident by an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson in 1905. He accidentally left a mixture of powdered soda and water, with a stirring stick, on his porch, and awoke the next morning to find a frozen pop! Cherry flavor popsicle is the number one favorite flavor.
- The word solstice's Latin roots mean "sun stands still," an apt description of how the astronomical event appears from Earth.
- The "summer solstice" should be called the "June solstice," because it is actually the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite the reversed seasons, the event has long been observed south of the Equator as well.
- Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children–particularly children at high risk of obesity–gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break.
Come back for more in next months issue!
Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:
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Come blog with us! Dental Talk with Savon is a fun forum to post your interesting topics! Your comments are welcome, it‘s free to use and no membership is required.
Some of the topics include;
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These are just a few of the topics. Our blog site contains many other interesting topics. Please join us!!
Insurance Insight: - With June Shaffer
from Arizona Life Lines
Understanding Insurance Language - Part Five Of An Eight Part Series
This is a continuation of our May 2012 series dealing with breaking down of some of the more commonly misunderstood phrases and definitions encountered in the search for adequate health coverage. You may already be familiar with several, but please read on - some of these definitions go beyond the written word.
- MATERNITY BENEFITS: Ask the agent to detail for you what the maternity benefit actually provides, and in what dollar amount. Most of them contribute a certain amount to the maternity costs related to prenatal visits and delivery. All policies cover "well baby care", and complications of pregnancy are covered by most plans under their "complications of pregnancy" clause which is basic to the policy without a maternity benefit. Some policies have very excellent maternity programs - but the majority of carriers do not offer maternity benefits (exception: group policies through an employer). Also, keep in mind, once you are already pregnant, you cannot get insurance nor can you add a maternity option to the plan you already have. And, most carriers today do not offer maternity benefits.
- PRESCRIPTIONS: Ironic that complications of pregnancy, which can run into five digits, are covered under an insurance policy but Birth Control pills usually aren't. Someone in the Birds, Bees and Benefits department didn't do their math. Many carriers pick up prescriptions already in existence (true of most PPOs or HMOs offering prescription coverage) – some, even for pre-existing conditions they won't cover.
- PRE-CERTIFICATION: Many policies require that you "pre-certify" prior to entering a hospital for any reason related to surgery or confinement. This is not unusual. Pre-certification gives the carrier a chance to say, "Hey, wait a minute - let's get a second opinion" (which they should pay for) or to make suggestions as to admission dates (carriers don't like Friday or Saturday hospital admission dates unless it's a life-threatening situation). Note: pre-certification is never a guarantee of payment.
- HMO, PPO, MCP, SO-SO… An HMO is a Health Maintenance Organization (such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield), and not necessarily a "licensed" insurance carrier; an MCP is a Managed Care Plan, with features which sort of mix an HMO and PPO; a PPO is a Preferred Provider Organization, usually backed (or underwritten) by a licensed insurance carrier. How much better one is over the other depends on what your coverage provides and where you live. Bottom line: more providers and more flexibility with a PPO.
- EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: To date, no one pays for true experimental procedures or drugs. HMO's generally don't pay for procedures not approved by the AMA, but there are many procedures which other carriers will pay for provided they are in wide-spread use and have as high a recovery rate as the more conservative (read: "expensive") procedures.
Few licensed insurance carrier pays for homeopathy, holistic or naturopathic medicine, or for experimental drugs (laetrile is still banned from public use in this country). No carrier. Beware agents who toss out, "And we pay for experimental procedures." Ask to see it in writing - the insurance policy's print, not an agent's self-created worksheet. I have yet, in nearly 20 years, to see any carrier pay for experimental anything.
Join us next month when we cover Spinal Subluxation • Group vs Individual Policy • Dues, Enrollment or Initiation Fees • and Rate Increases
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