|
Welcome from Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
As an added benefit to our customers and associates VANTAGE is publishing a semimonthly newsletter with information, interactive tools, podcasts and other resources to help you live healthier. We will explore topics on total health and resources for you and your family, including fitness, nutrition, mental and physical health, weight management and more.
Thank you for being part of the VANTAGE family.
|
|
Please view our products list in the right sidebar.
This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
|
|
9 Things You Did not Know About Your Bones
 You can't see your bones - but you can take steps to keep them healthy. Here's the naked truth about your skeleton.
"The knee bone's connected to the ... thigh bone, and the thigh bone's connected to the ... hip bone. The hip bone's connected to the ..."
Okay, you may already know what attaches where, but there are plenty of things about human bones that you may not be aware of. For example, did you know that our bodies stop building bone around the age of 30 - and that certain sicknesses can increase your risk of osteoporosis? In fact, small things you do every day - beginning as a youngster - impact the strength and health of your bones over time. "Awareness of your bone health should start from birth," says osteoporosis researcher Joan Lappe, PhD, of Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.
How much do you know about your osseous matter?
Got Sunlight? Vitamin D Is Good for Your Bones You've probably heard that calcium builds bones, but did you know that sunlight does, too? Though bones don't get direct exposure to sunlight, vitamin D, which the body creates when exposed to the sun, is essential to the health of your bones (this supervitamin can also be found in vitamin D supplements and foods, such as salmon, eggs, and vitamin D-enriched cereal and orange juice).
"Vitamin D enhances the action of your bone cells," explains Lappe. To best prevent osteoporosis, getting vitamin D should begin in infancy, but it's never too late to start.
We Start Preventing Osteoporosis as Kids "There's a window of opportunity until the age of 18 or 19 when you can really maximize the health of your bones," says Lappe. Our bodies build bone until we're about 30 - after that, we simply maintain bone, replacing cells that are lost, until our fifties. Bone loss speeds up rapidly during menopause, and then it slows down.
What does this mean exactly? The more we build strong bones in adolescence - by filling up on calcium and vitamin D - the less likely we are to end up with osteoporosis one day.
Strong Muscles Mean Strong Bones Most people know that exercise builds muscle, but studies have shown that weight-bearing exercise in particular - workouts like lifting weights, walking, jumping, or any activity that tugs a bit on the bone tissue - helps strengthen bones (even if you already have osteoporosis or low bone density).
So next time your kids are jumping on the bed, let them - they're building bones for life. As for you? Remember that physical activity is a key to osteoporosis prevention ... so get moving.
Being Under the Weather Wears on Your Bones When you're sick, you may feel it deep in your bones. What's more, some illnesses are actually doing damage to your bone health. These include many gastrointestinal disorders, anorexia, gluten intolerance diseases, and any condition causing problems with calcium absorption, says Lappe. Other conditions that can hurt the health of your bones are untreated hyperthyroidism and any illness that requires you to be bedridden for a long period of time. If you're facing a serious illness, particularly one that harms your diet or activity levels, talk to your doctor about taking bone health supplements.
Medications Can Be Brutal on Bones Sometimes it's an illness that's harming your bones - and sometimes it's the treatment for that illness. Medications that can undermine bone health include high doses of corticosteroid medications (such as prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone) and cancer treatments, especially aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer and some prostate cancer drugs. Older treatments for epilepsy or seizure disorders can also create problems with vitamin D utilization, explains Lappe, and that affects bone health. Lappe advises that patients facing intensive medical treatments ask their medical team how any negative effects can be managed or reversed so that you can prevent bone loss.
Most of Us Skimp on Calcium When it comes to bone-healthy diets, the trick is simple: Eat more calcium-rich foods. The trouble is, most of us just aren't doing it, says Lappe.
Unfortunately, people who need calcium the most - teens who need to build bones and pregnant women who must protect their own bone density while making sure their unborn child gets enough calcium - seem to be particularly low in calcium intake, according to research. Many young girls aged 13 to 14 only get the equivalent of two glasses of milk a day - that's about half the calcium they need.
You Can't Count on Veggies Alone Listen up, Popeye: Dark, leafy greens like spinach and broccoli are great sources of calcium - but they're not enough to build strong bones. "To get the equivalent of one cup of milk, you have to eat six cups of broccoli," points out Lappe, explaining that our bodies don't absorb calcium from veggies very well. So while calcium-rich veggies should be part of your bone-healthy diet, make sure you're getting calcium from other sources too.
Beware These Bad-for-Your-Bones Foods Salty foods, sodas, and caffeine have been shown to prevent absorption of calcium, but in reality, these foods aren't going to cause extreme calcium deficiency, says Lappe. The real threat? When people ditch the milk and drink soda instead. Caffeine, sodas, and salty foods are acceptable in moderation - as long as you're getting enough calcium in other ways. If you're a milk hater, consider getting calcium through other food sources - such as yogurt, cheese, or sardines.
Thin as a Skeleton? That's Bad for Your Skeleton Obsessed with losing weight? Beware your bone health. Weight-loss extremes, such as eating disorders and rapid weight loss, can do serious harm to your bones, putting you at risk for osteoporosis at an earlier age than usual.
Lappe's research has also shown that young girls and women often cut back on dairy products to avoid gaining weight (even though the data shows that including dairy in your diet can help with weight control). Remember: Calcium is a must for a healthy life.
SOURCE: By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
|
|
DID YOU KNOW???
Sea salt vs. table salt
 The question: As far as health goes, salt has a notoriously bad reputation. But is sea salt any better (or at least less bad) than run-of-the-mill table salt?
The expert: Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, nutritionist at Elements Behavioral Health and author of The Hunger Fix
The verdict: The answer isn't as cut-and-dry as most chefs might like, but that's because the path every salt (even if it's the same "kind") takes to reach your shaker varies.
First off, sea salt is produced by evaporating water from the ocean or saltwater lakes, whereas table salt is usually mined from underground salt deposits. While the exact body of water or deposit can influence the concentration of certain minerals, it doesn't affect sodium. However, the larger the salt crystals, the fewer that fit in a given volume-be it a pinch, teaspoon, or your entire salt cellar-which could influence how much you end up dishing out.
Rough or Refined?
What really makes the nutritional difference is how the salt is processed. Just about all table salt is put through the refinery ringer, ground up, stripped of its nutrients, and imparted with a "non-caking" additive to prevent it from clumping. "Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that helps maintain a healthy thyroid. But adding iodine can be a problem as well," Peeke says. If you eat a well-balanced diet, you probably already get enough, meaning that any excess could lead to nausea, headaches, and whacked-out hormone levels.
Sea salt, on the other hand, tends to undergo very little processing, leaving behind potentially healthful trace minerals and elements, according to Peeke. Those elements are what give some sea salts their flavor and color. Still, for some godforsaken reason, many sea-salt manufacturers try to make their product look more like table salt, sapping it of everything there is to love in the process.
It's All in the Packaging
Whether it's mined from the earth or evaporated from the sea, unrefined salt is always the best option in terms of both flavor and health. However, since boxes nowadays tend to make everything look like a health food, read through the ingredients. If the only thing listed is sodium chloride, you know that the so-called healthy natural salt is just as refined as the table-side variety. (For help decoding those mystifying food labels, look no further.)
But since the ingredient label won't list how much of each nutrient it contains, look for a pop color: "Unrefined salt is generally not the pure white color that most of us are used to; it tends to be off-white or pink," says Peeke, who recommends rose-colored Himalayan rock salt and grey Atlantic or Celtic salt. Both have picked up a good chunk of nutrients from the water as well as the clay pans in which they crystalize.
And whatever salt you decide to shake, remember to do it sparingly
SOURCE: K. Aleisha Fetters |
Here's your "QuoteAction" for this issue:
"Exert control over the variables that are within your control, and you'll improve the odds that the uncontrollable variables will work in your favor."
Executive Consultant, D.A. Benton
Your action for today is to dissect a challenge you are facing. Identify what is "in your hands" and proceed to take care of it while ignoring the rest.
Have an extraordinary day!
SOURCE: Betty Jo Waxman
Productive Learning & Leisure, LLC |
|
Disclaimer of Liability
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
|
|
|
| Health & Wellness Products |
VANTAGE has a wide range of products designed to aid in health & wellness for both your personal and business life.
These products include:
Health Insurance Exchange
Individual Medical
Individual Dental & Vision
Life
Retirement
Disability / Critical Illness
Long-term Care
AARP Sponsored Auto & Home
Homeowners
Renters / Condos
Vacant Property
Auto
Group Medical
Business Liability
Directors & Officers
Errors & Omissions
Key Person Insurance
Business Interruption
Small Business Tool Box
Workers' Compensation
Employment Practices Lia
Employee Theft
Commercial Auto
Umbrella Policy
Property
Product Liability
Start-up Assistance
Business Formation
Legal Assistance
Human Resources
Marketing
Business Planning
|
| CONTACTS |
Please contact one of our VANTAGE professionals for assistance or click on the help picture. Paul White 510-595-0904
|
|
