Did you know that feeling the burn and sweating can make you happier, healthier and more energetic?!
Not only will getting fit improve your health, but it will improve your lifestyle as well.
Continue reading to find out all the benefits of working out.
Wine gets all the credit when it comes to health benefits. But research is increasingly showing that it’s not wine but, in fact, simply alcohol that thins your blood, reduces inflammation and improves sensitivity to insulin. So it’s a great time to be a beer lover! In case you need more reasons to chug, here are a few:
- A newly developed non-alcoholic beer may reduce hot flashes in menopausal women. (Hops contain low levels of the same plant estrogens found in soy.)
- Research has shown that certain antioxidants in hops may impede the development of prostate cancer (in large quantities).
- A recent study suggests that other antioxidants found in hops may help soothe chronic inflammation. Illnesses or diseases that may be affected include cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and arthritis.
- Dark-colored beers do not contain more antioxidants than light-colored beers: the color only indicates how longer the malt was roasted.
- A study showed that people who drink a beer or two per day had higher bone density than those who didn’t. This may be linked to a mineral found in beer called silicon, which promotes healthy bones.
- Beer contains antioxidants and some B vitamins. Some even contain a bit of soluble fibre, which has been linked to reduced cholesterol.
Check out WatchMojo’s video on the history of beer:
According to a recent study done in Europe, we should be eating dark chocolate!
To be exact, we should be eating 6.7 grams of dark chocolate per day. Dark chocolate is a great example of where less is more, eating more that 6.7 grams a day can and the beneficial effects will diminish and even disappear.
Eating dark chocolate reduces the risk of of cardiovascular disease by one-third in women and one-fourth in men because it reduces the risk of chronic inflammation which can lead to a cardiovascular arrest.
The bad news for milk chocolate lovers is that the findings only apply to dark chocolate. Milk chocolate does not have the same effect, since the milk added to milk chocolate interferes with your body’s ability to absorb the beneficial antioxidants in the chocolate.
We have all heard that we should be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. I always knew I should and did my best to remember, but never realized how important it was until I started doing some research for a weight loss video.
Water actually helps you lose weight, develop muscle tone and keep your skin clear. It’s cheap and with a splash of lemon juice or frozen berries you can add some flavour to your beverage. It is really a refreshing choice for a hot summer’s day.
Read all about the healing power of water in this article.
Morning, afternoon, evening or all of the above. If you are like me you love and can’t do with out your coffee!
I like the taste, I like the choices and there’s no better atmosphere than that of a coffee shop. The only problem is the bad reputation that coffee has developed with health critiques.
Well, now there’s an article that gives you the facts so you can defend the drink you can’t do without.
BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Employers do not address mental health matters in the workplace and many employees don’t even understand their current mental health benefits, according to a survey released today by Meritain Health and the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health.
The national study of 411 full-time employees with medical benefits found that employees are keenly aware that stress negatively affects them in the workplace, with 94 percent of respondents reporting that their stress level affects job performance. However, in contrast, 52 percent of employees said their employer does not address stress, work/life balance or mental/behavioral health with employees. Moreover, 40 percent of employees said they aren’t aware of what mental/behavioral health benefits are offered by their employer. More than one-third of respondents (35.7 percent) would be more likely to use their mental/behavioral health benefits if their employer did a better job of promoting them.
“These survey results illustrate the need for employers to better make the connection between untreated mental health conditions and lost productivity, offer more comprehensive mental health benefits and better promote these benefits to their employees,” said Chief Medical Officer of Meritain Health Dr. Larry Luter. “Preventing costly medical conditions begins with education and communication, and we look forward to starting the conversation.”
Additional Survey Findings
Results from the new survey showed that employees know mental health is important to their overall health and that stress significantly affects them in the workplace. It showed that 95.6 percent think mental and behavioral health is very (75.3 percent) or somewhat (20.3 percent) important in determining overall health.
Employees are aware that stress negatively affects them in the workplace, with 94 percent believing their stress level affects job performance. Additionally:
— 55.8 percent said stress affects their general attitude;
— 39.4 percent said stress affects relationships with co-workers;
— 36.2 percent said stress affects their productivity;
— 35.5 percent said stress affects the quality of their work;
— 33.2 percent said stress affects their relationship with their
supervisor.
The national survey also discovered that workers think their employers do not place enough emphasis on mental health and do not adequately communicate their current mental health benefits to employees.
Meritain Health is making great strides toward improved access for mental and behavioral health as part of its Healthy Merits Program. Healthy Merits is a comprehensive total population management program designed to help companies manage mental and behavioral health through health risk assessments to identify and treat illness to help employees to be more productive and lead healthier lifestyles for the long term. Healthy Merits disease management program targets mental illnesses such as depression that can lead to presenteeism or absenteeism in employees. Employees have access to several communications tools to help educate them about the benefits and resources available to them as part of Healthy Merits.
“Meritain Health promotes wellness and behavior change as the only effective long-term solution to rising healthcare costs,” Dr. Luter said. “Wellness must equally address the body and mind to be successful, and we hope these survey results will influence employers to begin thinking about the importance of increasing their focus on the mental and behavioral health of their employees.”
The Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the American Psychiatric Foundation, which collaborates with employers to address mental health, applauded Meritain Health’s support of mental health and for educating employers about the increased productivity that comes from treating mental illness.
“Meritain Health’s efforts to break down stigma and create an open conversation about mental health between employers and employees represents a crucial step toward improving Americans’ health and reducing lost productivity in the workplace,” said Clare Miller, Director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health. “As employers continue to become more knowledgeable about wellness, it’s crucial that they consider not only the prevalence and cost of mental illness, but also about the availability of effective treatments.”
About Meritain Health
Meritain Health is the nation’s largest independent provider of services for self-funded health plans. Meritain Health serves over 1,400 self-funded clients and over a million members nationally. The company provides plan administration, innovative wellness, medical management, disease management, network management, and cost management services. Meritain Health is also a pioneer and now the leading independent provider of Consumer Directed Health Plans. Meritain Health employs over 1,350 people, with headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., and regional offices in 28 cities across the country. For more information, visit http://www.meritain.com
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