Should Insurance Companies Pay For Preventive Care?

I'm a huge advocate for a proactive approach to healthcare, and given how costly our tertiary care system has become - which is why it so badly needs a top/down overhaul - it makes perfect sense for insurance companies to pay for preventative care. People who work hard on wellness get sick less frequently (which means fewer trips to the doctor) and take fewer prescription medicines. THAT saves money.

I think it's wonderful that the studio referenced in this piece offers a free class once per week and, yes, I think we should allocate our personal resources toward activities that help us stay well (and yoga is ideal for that).

But I'd argue that most people can enjoy an amazing, transformative (and free!) yoga practice every day at home. A home practice complements the once or twice per week experience of being in a class and feeding off others' energy. Check out www.yogajournal.com for ideas or pick up some instructive DVDs at Target or at your library to get started. Yoga's perfect for everyone and it doesn't have to be expensive.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Rory Freedman on why yoga matters

I love this new Web series, Posers, which documents a wide array of vibrant LA area personalities (actors, celebs, etc.).  This is a great Webisode featuring Skinny Bitch author and vegan extraordinaire Rory Freedman.  Enjoy!

Eat like an Iron Man!

Ever wonder how an elite amateur triathlete fuels up for the Iron Man Triathlon, arguably one of the most grueling endurance events on the planet?

Rich Roll, vegan triathlete extraordinaire, posted his typical daily food intake on his blog, so I opted to include it here. I've been talking for months about getting a Vita Mix and now I think it's finally time to invest. They're pricey but it's clear that juicing tons of fresh organic vegetables - thereby rendering the full bioavailability of all of the foods - is a key strategy that keeps Rich Roll rolling.

I'll post some Vita Mix recipes of my own once I get a machine and take it for a test spin! Meantime, here's Rich Roll on how to eat like a triathlon:

BREAKFAST:

I usually have some variation or combination of the below ingredients in a Vita-Mix blended drink, which I vary day to day. All produce is organic.

Carrot, beet, kale, spinach, orange, apple, blueberry, banana, lemon, avocado, coconut oil, coconut milk, flax seed, chia seed, macca, VEGA EFA Oil, VEGA Whole Food Optimizer, blueberries.

Gluten free toast with peanut or almond butterGluten free cereal (corn flakes or corn or rice based cereals); Almond milk or coconut milk; Hemp protein powder; Coconut water.

SNACK:

Organic energy bars, Almonds, Raisins, Kombucha, Gluten free crackers, blueberries, walnuts, coconut water, kale chips (baked until crunchy with small amount of olive oil and sea salt).

LUNCH:

Brown rice & beans (green, black or kidney), Veggie Burritos (preferably with a gluten free tortilla, but this can be a tall order); various veggie broth based soups, Veggie Sushi, Salads of all kinds (just no dairy based dressing); I use Bragg’s AminosAvocados, Juice (carrot / beet / kale / wheatgrass / orange / berry) – preferably organic, Kombucha.

DINNER:

Rice, Beans (all types of green, red & black),Lentils (black & red), big salads with assortment of veggies, Vegan nachos (see Real Food Daily Cookbook — cashew cheese), Veggie Burgers (prefer homemade but if store bought, I make sure gluten free — most of them are not — its the gluten that makes them stick together), Gluten free pasta (with tomato or vegan pesto sauce), Veggie chili, Soups (non-dairy), Cauliflower (with cashew cheese), Greens of all kinds — broccoli, spinach, green beans, brussel sprouts, etc. The more the better. Organic greens are always the focus.

More juicing!Potatos — salad, baked, broiled; potato salad made with vegenaise & sea saltWater — lots of water!

CONDIMENTS:

Bragg’s Aminos

Vegan Ceaser dressing

Sea saltOlive oil

Coconut oil

Flax seed oil

Mustards

Veganaise

Peanut / almond butter

Jellies

Earth’s Balance buttery spread

Rich Roll: inspirational vegan athlete

I just read this profile of vegan triathlete (and "normal" working husband and father) Rich Roll and feel it perfectly showcases the benefits associated with rockin' the vegan lifestyle.

Two years ago at age 40 Rich took stock of his life and pronounced himself unhappy with the middle-age weight gain that'd crept up and, with it, very low energy levels.  So he carved out a specific plan of attack to get his life and his health back on track - and he spells it all out in the article.

After a two week veggie/fruit cleanse - and a weaning off of caffeine - Rich went vegan and never looked back.  This led to a dramatic weight loss and a huge spike in energy levels.  Rich used this energy to transform himself into an accomplished (and hugely buff!) vegan athlete. And he hasn't had a cold in two years!

As someone who's passionate - really, really passionate - about sport and about pushing boundaries and asking the most of oneself - I just can't think of a more inspirational athlete. And the fact that he's accomplished this on a vegan diet makes this story the perfect antidote to false claims that vegans are "soft," "weak," or unable to post big-time athletic performances.

Rock on, Rich!

Kathy Freston shatters the meat-eating myth: we're born vegans

Vegan extraordinaire and Quantum Wellness author Kathy Freston has a front-page column on The Huffington Post's "Living" section that lays out the unique physiological characteristics that overwhelmingly suggest humans are born vegans. From our herbivore teeth to our long, windy gut to our hands that are perfect for plucking food from trees (but totally inadequate for catching and tearing apart "prey"), Kathy lays out a smart and convincing case for living a veg lifestyle: it's in keeping with our true selves.

Kathy also cites The China Study as some of the most conclusive evidence to date linking a vegetarian diet with sustained good health and longevity (note: unfortunately, the rise of the middle class in China - and by extension an increase in meat consumption - is causing heart disease, cancer and diabetes to soar in the East).

While it's great to see this level of exposure for the veg movement I've got to wonder how much more effective an article like this would be on USAToday.com, or in BusinessWeek or Time. I love The Huffington Post but its audience is comprised largely of bleeding heart liberals (like me!) who are already well-informed on the connection between diet and health. The challenge is reaching those outside the "blue states" to take a hard look at what they're eating and how it's affecting their health, the environment and the animals raised solely for human consumption.

Here's hoping that more mainstream media/blogs will invite Kathy to contribute editorial!

Landmark legislation to curb smoking in America!

Today the Senate passed historic legislation designed to curb the tobacco industry from getting kids hooked on their poison. the bill also gives regulators more power to limit nicotine levels in cigarettes. President Obama - himself someone who struggles to quit smoking - is eager to sign the legislation, and the House plans a vote tomorrow.

Voting overwhelmingly to approve the measure, the Senate sent a strong message today that the industry's days of explicitly and purposely targeting kids with their advertising is over!

The soon-to-be new law is expected to cut deaths tied to smoking and save an astounding $100 billion in annual health care costs. Awesome!

Fox News and Monsanto: two monsters who deserve each other

Above: an anti-Monsanto crop circle made by farmers and volunteers in the Philippines.

Below: eye-opening video exposing Fox News' successful firing of two investigative journalists who had the nerve to cover Monsanto's negligence.

Regulate CAFOs, says Paula Crossfield for The Huffington Post

Great editorial in The Huffington Post on how growing awareness of the health, environmental and animal welfare abuses perpetrated by confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is translating into a call for increased regulation.

Paula Crossfield, managing editor of Civileats.com, maintains that government subsidies of grain - used to feed and fatten livestock - allow CAFOs to continue their monstrous assault on the environment, workers and animals.  

Crossfield argues that grain subsidies should end -- and vegetable subsidies should begin.  This would gradually draw down the amount of meat consumed and increase the amount of veggies we eat.  This simple step would improve the environment, bolster human health (and reduce our nation's spiraling healthcare costs) and reduce worker and animal abuses.  She cites other CAFO-based problems, as well, such as the crazy overuse of antibiotics that jeapordizes the effectiveness of the very drugs humans rely on to fight infections.

If only stricter regulations were easier to come by.  Big Ag funnels just a small percentage of its massive profits into lobbying efforts in a fight to block change.  

Fortunately, we the people are getting smart to the many woes of CAFOs.  European group Avazz.org presented a petition demanding the UN World Health Organization in Geneva to investigate and regulate CAFOs.  The petition secured 200,000 signatures in 6 days.  People are increasingly concerned about the total amount of meat consumed in the first world, and the drastic effects of such wanton consumption.  And the recent swine flu outbreak only advances that awareness and concern.

Reductions of grain subsidies and stricter regulations for CAFOs was a clear Obama campaign promise.  We need to hold him to those promises!

Coming soon to a theater near you: Food Inc.

Most people don't know just how centralized our food system has become. The manufacturing of food is controlled by just a handful of large "agribusiness" giants, with the full blessing and an easy regulatory environment courtesy of our own FDA and USDA.

Food Inc. promises to lift the veil on the unimaginable environmental, human and animal welfare abuses perpetrated by agribusiness. I'm so glad these bastards will be exposed.

Click here to find out where the movie is playing near you.

From a talking pig's mouth to our ears: cut out the meat!

Pretty entertaining video that summarizes our unique physiological characteristics that make us ill-suited for meat-eating.  If you can get past the narrating pig's creepy voice the content is quite good.

No, lard is not good for you (and never will be)

Ugh, so the good folks at Slate.com - an outlet whose political news and analysis I love - appealed to the "real man" in all of us with a story extolling the many health benefits of - get ready for it - lard. 

Yes, lard. Rendered fat from pigs.

Writer Regina Schrambling claims that lard has "clearly won the health debate" because unlike shortening it contains no trans fat. Um, I'm no expert but I'd imagine that the absence of trans fat alone does not a health food make.

Fortunately Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, of The Vegan Dietician, is on the case. Messina fired back at Schrambling, pointing out that saturated fats (of which lard is one) are known contributors to heart disease. And she points to other studies that constantly show what we all know to be true (even, I suspect, Ms. Schrambling): veggies, nuts and vegan monounsaturated oils protect against heart disease. Foods with high transfatty acids (e.g., lard, meat and eggs) are shown time and again to increase risk of heart disease. And cancer.

So there you have it. Lard is no more a "health food" than turpentine. Let's do like PETA and leave pork (including lard) off the fork!

World Cancer Research Fund: Processed meats cause cancer

Big shocker here. According to an analysis of 7,000 clinical studies covering the link between meat consumption and cancer, the World Cancer Research Fund has proclaimed that processed meats are "too dangerous for human consumption" and that consumers should stop buying and eating this stuff as soon as possible.

Duh!

The WCRF confirms that the very high levels of sodium nitrate in processed meats is dangerous because the chemical is a known carcinogen. The WCRF warns against consuming all processed meats including bacon, sausage, sandwich meats, canned soups with meat, etc., etc. As if meat weren't unhealthy enough!

With all of the delicious, vegan alternatives to meat now available, why would anyone still risk eating this stuff?