It may prove to be more than a laughing matter. It is good for your heart, and can boost your immune system too.

Although April is National Humor Month, I want to share some fun medicine during these trying times in 2010. I know the economy is struggling, you may have lost your job, like I did in this “worst recession since the great depression”, or feel the threat of losing your job. But there is a low cost / no cost way to help stay healthy. It is Laughter.

Much has already been written about the value of laughter’s ability to improve health, boost morale and enrich life so one more may not change the world but if it can improve one life, it will be worth the investment. So here goes…

Scientific research shows that laughter does have curative powers. It can reduce stress and that can delay or avoid burnout. Back in 1979, Professor, Norman Cousins sited its powers in his book, “Anatomy of an Illness.” He developed a recovery program that included 10 minutes of laughter daily induced by watching the Marx Brother films. For anyone younger that 45 you may never seen them.

Personally, my dad gave me his sense of humor as well as exposing me to the Marx Brother at an early age. This 10 minute treatment would give Professor Cousins at least two hours of pain free sleep. Try it, it is free.

But there is more than just this one man’s account. According to helpguide.org, a non-profit website providing health information, laughter leaves muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after a good belly laugh. It can boost your immunity, decrease stress hormone levels, and increase your immune cell count that fights or protects us from infectious disease.

A good laugh can set off the release of your endorphins, that gives you a natural pain reliever and promote a feeling of well-being.  As for your heart, current research suggests that laughter increases the function of your blood vessels and increases blood flow.  This could protect you from a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems.

As of me, laughter is part if my everyday life. For some you may need to retrain your sense of humor to see the funny side of life. It is like any new habit, you will need to practice it daily until you find your funny bone.

Here is some suggested tips.

1. Try too smile more. A smile is the first step to laughter. You cannot laugh with out a smile on your face. Give a smile to someone as you pass and they will most likely smile back. And you will both feel better.
2. Make a list of the good things in your life. Learn to be grateful for what you have and worry less about what you do not have today. In short, try and let go of the negative things in your life.
3. When you see or hear laughter join in. Laughter is always better when shared. Have you ever sat in a room and not laughed when someone else in the room starts to laugh.
4. Spend more time with the fun and happy people you know. Arrange a comedy night out or have them over just watching comedians or funny movies.
5. Try sharing jokes. Keep it clean and tasteful, but one good joke always leads to another.

Don’t believe me. Watch this video report from Dr. Mike Rosen, he reports about a study from the University of Maryland. They believe there is a heart (cardiovascular) mind connection.  So add laughter to your good health diet.

True or False: Eating at Night is the Cause of Weight Gain.

False. Although the time of day that you eat does not affect how your body processes food, people who eat late at night tend to choose high-calorie foods. It is the total amount of calories you eat and the amount of exercise you exert each day that does affect your weight.

If you are going to miss your regular healthy dinner at 6:00 p.m., there is no reason not to eat it at 9:00 p.m.  I would avoid eating high-calorie processed foods at any time. When you start the habit of eating processed food snacks, etc each night, you may need to plan a big workout before bed. Some people can even lose some extra pounds just by not eating after dinner. To read more healthy eating tips.

True or False: Applying Butter to a Burn Aids Healing.

False. Excessive exposure to heat causes the tissue to be injured or burned. The common sense solution is to cool the injury with water, not ice, to stop the burning process, numb the pain and reduce swelling. Applying butter or other greasy ointments directly on the injury will seal in the heat.

After the initial cleaning and cooling of the burn, it is recommended to apply antibiotics to protect against infection. Daily cleaning and dressing are also recommended for continued treatment until healing is complete. It is also thought that butter may promote infection by discouraging cleansing and cooling with water therefore trapping in contaminants.

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Never heard of the ESRD? Read on….

ESRD stands for End Stage Renal Disease. Why should Plan Sponsors pay attention? Their insurance plan are typically paying for the first 30 months of care. That exposes the employer’s health care plan to additional costs up to $1 Million in claims and charges against the plan’s experience. Even with stop loss insurance limits it could lead to “lazering”  of your policy, or premium increases for many years going forward. These cases are a perfect example how 2-4% of participants can incur 45% of a plan’s claim cost. The problem is most plan managers are not aware of al the actions available to them to control this expense when there are solution.

Large claims require proactive management. Don’t sit back and let the stop loss carrier and their large case management (“LCM”) team, or the government control your cost. Since the Plan Sponsor (the employer) ultimately pays for both the Stop Loss Insurance, and the government programs, sponsors should learn how to control cost while they can.

As stated earlier, since the Medicare ultimately pays all providers for ESRD, they set the standards for treatment, such as tests. Like most government programs, they pay for process not outcomes. This lets political political considerations to enter the system. Not surprising since medicare pays (controls) 50% of the hospital bills for Americans(1). Medicare set the cookbook formula providers must follow for ESRD.

Here is how it goes.

Medicare stipulates the required levels of hematocrit (the level of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) among dialysis patients for example. This one rule may have contributed to increasing expenditures from $5.1 billion in 1991 to $18.4 billion in 2004(2), while death rates, hospital admissions and lengths of stay, in year one, have not improved. Hematocrit levels impacts the dosage of Epoetin. An increase of the hematocrit level from 33% to 36% increased spending of Epoetin by about $500 million annually because a 3% increase in hematocrit requires up to a 50% increase in Epoetin dosage with no identifiable improvements in survival, hospitalization or cardiac outcomes. No wonder the biotechnology firms that manufacture Epoetin spent $5.7 million lobbying Congress in 2005.(3)

Where treatment is provided is also important. Unfortunately the government would rather pay more to hospitals than stand-alone clinics. Because a hospitals cost structure is higher, this makes taxpayers pay more for this inefficiency.

What can be done?

1. Authorize the patience to receive preventive care to slow the progression of the disease
2. Manage related diseases such as diabetes that frequently accompany ESRD
3. Review and redesign your plan to control risk and cost
   • amend Rx benefits to reduce Epoetin purchase costs
   • review dialysis providers to avoid higher cost and lower quality providers
   • shift cost when and where possible
   • put the patient first, not the provider, the pharmaceutical company or the government

To learn how to control your medical plan or employee benefit plan cost, contact me at fdgiff@gmail.com, or call 1-203-79-4-help.  Rules are changing that may impact what options are available to you in the future so don’t delay.

¹ The Economist, America’s hospital industry Taking a scalpel to cost, July 2009.

² Employee Benefit Advisor, CECorner by Gary Fradin, April 2010.

³ ibid

Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

Not sure about you but I find it difficult to start and stick with my fitness routine. OK, I can start them but the trouble is I cannot  stick with it long enough to stay fit for life. All too often, my enthusiasm and energy wanes, I get distracted by other things. Next thing I know, I don’t see the results quickly enough and I give up.

For some reason many other people do manage to hang in there, What do they know that I don’t?

Here is what I found. Current research shed some light on the subject of long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years). They were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their program.

Their answers might surprise you. The exercisers were not as concerned with powerful muscles and awesome abs as they were with feeling good and being healthier.

Here’s how the study participants ranked their motivators:

• Fitness
• Feelings of well-being
• Pep and energy
• Enjoyment of the exercise
• Making exercise a priority
• Sleeping better
• Feeling alert
• Being relaxed
• Weight management
• Appearance

So, how can you set your priorities and become fit?

WebMD has compiled 10 tips for making fitness a habit in your life.

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy. And remember, there’s no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy equipment.

Focus on a variety of physical activities — weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, and aerobic classes. Be sure to do things regardless of the weather or time of day.

2. Commit to another person. The social aspect of exercise is very important. Share the fun! Walk with a friend after dinner, before work, with the kids to school, with a dog. Maybe you can take a class together.

3. Make exercise a priority. Remember this is non-negotiable. Find the time to set it into your schedule and treat it like any other appointment you keep each day.  Make it part of you identity.

4. Exercise first thing in the morning. When you wake up, you are rested and ready to start the day. Experts agree that a morning schedule is best. If decide to you go to a gym, try and find one located between your home and work. Exercise, take a shower, and you’re energized for the day.”

5. Or, exercise on your way home from work. The next best thing to exercising first thing in the morning is on your way home from work.

6. Exercise even when you’re “too tired.” Chances are, you’ll feel better after exercising.

7. Log your activity. Record your results. It could be how much time you exercise each day, how many steps you walked, how far you ran or cycled, what you weighed, etc.

Try making a game of it. You will be a winner in your own book.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It’s great when your clothes fit better and you can lift heavier weights or work out longer without getting exhausted.

But there are a slew of other progress indicators, such as:

• Getting a good night’s sleep.
• Thinking more clearly.
• Having more energy.
• Realizing your muscles aren’t screaming after you’ve helped a friend move furniture.
• Seeing your resting heart rate drop over time.
• Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

9. Walk — with a pedometer (or a dog). Experts say, “If you enjoy walking and haven’t exercised for awhile, 10 minutes three times a day will give you 30 minutes.”

Use a pedometer, and work up to at least 10,000 steps a day. Find out what your daily average is, and, the next week, strive to walk 300 extra steps each day. Increase your steps each week.

10. Reward yourself. Experts say that making behavior changes is hard, and rewards motivate. So decide on a goal and a reward, and work toward it. You might buy yourself a video you’ve wanted after you stick to your fitness plan for one month, or buy new walking shoes when you achieve 5,000 steps a day. Do whatever works for you.

Related Wellness & Health Sites

• Customizing Your Home Gym Exercise Routine – Home Fitness Gym @SoundFitnessGym.Com
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