Take Charge of Your Health Care - October 20, 2008

Welcome to the October 20, 2008 edition of take charge of your health care. With Halloween just a few days away, it is important to give attention to safety when you send your children out trick or treating. Make sure that they only visit homes that you know to be safe. In many cities, shopping malls provide a safe place for children to trick or treat. Even better, have your children attend parties well supervised by adults. While there is nothing wrong with small amounts of candy and sweet treats, consider offering more nutritional snacks to the ghosts and goblins that ring your door bell this Halloween.

There were many good articles in this month’s carnival which I know that you will enjoy. Starting with next month’s carnival, all articles accepted must allow for comments. Also, next month we will have a special Thanksgiving issue with recipes, safety, diet, and fitness tips just for the holiday. To your continued good health!

Alternative Medicine

Dr. Jason B Richards presents Why hasn't my OB recommended chiropractic care? posted at Pregnancy and Back Pain, saying, “You don’t need anyone’s approval to seek a chiropractic opinion about health issues affecting you and your child. Consulting another health care expert is always helpful in the decision-making process.”

Shelley Duncan presents Acupuncture is Not Scary! SheSue Experience posted at SheSue Experience, saying, "Rather than using a 'band-aid' approach, acupuncture is used to locate what is wrong in the body and fix it."

Dean Moyer presents Sciatica Relapse Question posted at The Back Pain Blog, saying, "In this post we take a look at how epidural steroid injections are administered for the treatment of lower back pain in Sciatica and Epidural Injections - The Procedure. This is the final installment in a series of posts designed to answer several common questions and concerns associated with epidural injections."

Consumer Driven Health Care

Pregnancy Hut presents 1 Week Pregnant posted at Pregnancy Calendar, saying, "What to do during your first week of pregnancy" Editor’s note: This is a must read blog for any of our pregnant readers. Very informative.

Verna Morris presents 25 Awesome Virtual Worlds for Doctors, Nurses, and Patients posted at Nursing Degree Guide, saying, “The online world is full of communities, virtual playgrounds, research centers and networking corners for everyone in the medical field–including patients–to get together and swap information and support.” Editor’s note: This post is an excellent resource for both healthcare practitioners and patients.

Kristen McCarthy presents Organic is Next to Godliness posted at this-sustainable-life.com, saying, "Organic products have become the food of the bourgeois –and I’m not talking about the kind of food historically only available to the rich: calf liver pâtés, speckled Emu eggs, and ninety-nine dollar square watermelons –instead, I’m talking about the essential food groups that ensure our nutrition: vegetables, fruit, grains, and dairy."

Dental Care

NAOMI presents CHANGING FACE OF BRITISH DENTISTRY posted at Diary From England, saying, "Good luck with your next carnival. I thought you and your readers might be interested to read about the continuing saga of dental healthcare in Britain." Editor’s note: Both in Europe and the United States people are traveling to other countries to receive affordable dental care.

Helene Zemel presents Dental Discount Plans - What are Discount Dental Plans? posted at Dental Discount Plans, saying, "Dental Discount Plans provide the consumer with an excellent choice for saving money on dental care. These affordable dental plans are reasonably priced alternatives to expensive and often inadequate dental insurance coverage."

Aparna presents Bad breath posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Editor’s note: Here are some good tips on how to detect bad breath before you go out in public.

Diet & Fitness

Marjorie presents Potassium-Rich Foods Preserve Muscle Mass posted at Laurel on Health Food, saying, "A recent study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that plant foods high in potassium help preserve muscle mass as people age."

Kelly Sonora presents 20 Reasons You Should Stop Consuming Bottled Water posted at Web Design Schools Guide. Editor’s note: Drinking bottled water may pose some hazards to your health.

Fiona King presents 50 Surprising Causes of Weight Gain posted at Nursing Degree Guide. Editor’s note: You will want to be aware of these possible contributors to weight gain.

Victoria E presents Seeing the Sustainable Side of Getting Limber and Centered posted at Victoria Everman :: Sustainable, Creative, Enlightened Living :: San Francisco. Editor’s note: This is a review of the book Green Yoga. The author says, “The book covers the timely issues of all our major life systems - land, water, air - along with the overall concept of Mother Earth.”

CorporateFlyer presents Food Safety Starts At Home posted at Flight Attendant, saying, "A bit of information on food safety."

The Push Up Coach presents Pros And Cons Of A Personal Trainer posted at The 1000 Push Ups Club, saying, "Some reasons for and against a personal trainer."

Fenny presents Latest Beauty Tips posted at Fenny Lopez, saying, "We at Latest Beauty Tips look forward to provide you the best. Latest-Beauty-Tips.com is a platform to discuss about beauty tips, fashion, health care, weight loss, cosmetic surgery, makeup trick and lot of similar issues. Please feel free to post all feedback, concerns, comments & suggestions here."

Dr Martin W. Russell presents Exercise For Weight Loss posted at Dr Martin W. Russell, saying, “There is so much misinformation around about the benefits of exercise, particularly in regard to weight loss.”

Tonya presents Am I Pregnant? posted at My Pregnancy Blog, saying, "Discusses the signs that you may be pregnant."

Alan H. Wayler, PhD presents Healthy Eating - Who Says Deprivation Leads to Overeating? posted at A Weight Lifted. Editor’s note: Some good common sense about forming health eating habits.

Carol Solomon presents EFT Tips: THE 60-SECOND TECHNIQUE THAT STOPS CRAVINGS posted at EFT Tips, saying, "This 60-second technique stops food cravings and the emotions that drive them."

Health Insurance

Alvaro Fernandez presents Allstate: Can we improve Driver Safety using Posit Science InSight? posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Where insurance meets brain health, aging and driving skills."

Michelle McFarland-McDaniels presents Funding Autism Treatment with Health Insurance posted at Autism Assistance Resources and Information, saying, “Despite the well-publicized difficulties and frustrations some families have encountered while attempting to fund autism treatment through health insurance policies, it is very much worth your effort to find out which autism treatments your insurance will cover and to proactively seek payment of any eligible covered expenses by your health insurance carrier.”

Alexander presents 4 Tips For Preparing for Medical Expenses posted at Wealth Junkies, saying, "The 4 tips for preparing for medical expenses are: Get insurance; Get preventive care; Build a rainy day fund; and Know your rights!"

Visitors Insurance presents Visitors Medical & Health Insurance posted at Visitors Medical Insurance, saying, "Get quotes and the best rates for USA visitor travel, international and medical insurance for visitors."

Save Money on Health Care

Fiona King presents Obama vs McCain on Healthcare: Top 10 Issues posted at US PharmD. Editor’s note: “This is a very timely article for those of us in the U.S.”

Helene Zemel presents Discount Dental & Medical Plans – A Free Gas Certificate for You posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "If you are one of the 47 million Americans who do not have a health plan or the 7 out of 10 Americans who do not have a dental plan, our AmeriPlan team is now offering all new members to our low cost affordable benefit plans a free Gas Certificate just for signing up and trying our program."

Michelle McFarland-McDaniels presents Autism Assistance Resources and Information: Funding Autism Treatment with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) posted at Autism Assistance Resources and Information. Editor’s note: The author provides some helpful information on how to apply for SSI benefits for your disabled child.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Smart Moves To Lower Your Health Care Costs posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thank you!"

The Smarter Wallet presents How To Save Money On Generic Drugs posted at The Smarter Wallet. Editor’s note: To save money, always ask your health care provider for the generic version of a drug.

Pregnancy Hut presents How to Improve Your Chances of Conceiving posted at Pregnancy Calendar, saying, "Tips to help you conceive."

Linda W. presents Getting a Fertility Test posted at The Eclectic Female, saying, "How can you tell if you are having fertility problems?"

Joe Hayes presents Abdominal Hernia Symptoms & Treatment posted at Comments on: Abdominal Hernia Symptoms & Treatment, saying, "An abdominal hernia occurs when there is a tear or bulge in the inside layer of the abdominal wall. Surgery is the only treatment that will cure an abdominal hernia. It will not heal or "go away" on its own."

Miscellaneous

AdmirableIndia.com presents Hogenakkal Falls: Part 1 posted at AdmirableIndia.com. Editor’s note: Watching the beautiful videos of the Hogenakkal Falls had a very calming and relaxing effect on me.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of take charge of your health care using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: take charge of your health care, blog carnival.

Welcome to the October 6, 2008, edition of the Carnival of Family Life! I am honored to have been asked to be the host for this week’s Carnival. I was impressed with the quality and variety of the posted articles on a wide range of topics including education, family meals, crafts and activities the whole family can enjoy, family finance, parenting tips, family health and wellness, family spirituality, and family travel.


As you read through these excellent articles, you will find helpful tips and ideas which will definitely benefit your family life. Remember that a strong family life is essential to your health and well being.


Education

Laureen presents Geography in the School of the World posted at Life Without School. Editor's note: These are lessons about geography that your children will always remember.

Donald Latumahina presents 7 Essential Tips for Developing Skills posted at Life Optimizer, saying, "These tips will help you develop your skills and make your career more fulfilling."


Family Cooking & Recipes

Kelly from Almost Frugal presents Food and Stress: Cooking as a Working Mom posted at Almost Frugal Food. Editor's note: The author presents some great meal management tips for working moms.

SeaBirdChronicles presents Pumpkin bread in muffin form posted at SeaBird Chronicles, saying, "Pumpkin bread in muffin form!"


Family Crafts and Activities

Jocelyn presents Summer '08 Memoirs posted at A Pondering Heart. Editor's note: You'll enjoy these summer photos.

Stephanie presents The Annual Toy Clean Out posted at Stop the Ride!, reminding us that : "Cleaning out the toys is a worthwhile task."

Jen presents Get Spooked This Halloween (A Bit Like Secret Santa) posted at Jen's Genuine Life. "Secretly deliver Halloween treats to and 'spook' your neighbors, starting a fun chain reaction that will end up all over town!" writes Jen.

Katey Magill presents Wedding Tea Party posted at Having Fun at Home, describing "an inexpensive, unique and creative idea for a wedding."

Stephanie presents Make Personalized Glasses posted at Stop the Ride! Editor's note: This is a great crafts idea that your kids will enjoy.


Family Finance

The Smarter Wallet presents Freshman Fund: Save For College With A 529 Plan Registry posted at The Smarter Wallet, discussing a "novel savings tool" that you can use to save for your child's college education.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How Stressed Are You? Rating The Most Stressful Financial Events posted at The Digerati Life, emphasizing "how financial stresses affect the family."

Michael presents Consumer Debt Worst Offenders: Banks, Advertisers, and Advisors posted at Michael Emilio, saying, "There’s never been a time like the one we’re in right now when families have such a financial burden hanging over their heads."

Raymond presents Where Is The Safest Place To Save Or Invest Your Money? posted at Money Blue Book. Editor's note: The author provides a list of safe places to invest your money for today's economic climate.

Alex Blackwell presents The Price of Fueling Our Lives: 15 Abundantly Free Ideas posted at The BridgeMaker, saying, "Even though our lifestyle is changing, it’s good to know our approach to life doesn’t have to change. Yes, the cost of gas is just plain stupid right now. But, we can continue to move forward and find ways to live the life we want."

Super Saver presents A Birthday Party for Our Daughter posted at My Wealth Builder. Editor's note: The extra money involved in having a party at a children's center is worth the savings in time, stress, and cleanup, and most important of all, everyone will have a great time, even the parents.


Family Health and Wellness

Aparna presents Common cold is so very common in winter posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Editor's note: These tips should keep you healthy and help you prevent colds.

Helene Zemel presents Silver Amalgam Dental Fillings - Are They a Risk to your Health? posted at Health Plans Plus. "The use of mercury in amalgam dental fillings has come under some controversy," Helene reports. Read about the "pros and cons of amalgam 'silver' fillings vs. composite fillings, including cost differences. The United States Food and Drug Admnistration is, like agencies in other countries, considering labeling restrictions on amalgam fillings."

Matthew presents HIV Management posted at Fast Medical Information, explaining that "HIV management is very important for anyone with the virus. With proper precautions, there is no reason people suffering from HIV can not live a long life."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Allstate: Can we improve Driver Safety using Posit Science InSight? posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, discussing "where brain health meets driving safety."

Amy Vernon presents The trouble with greens posted at ice cream is not for breakfast.
"We're going to let our four-year-old start choosing his greens at the supermarket," Amy says. "Here's hoping that works." She'll keep readers updated.


Family Humor

Laura Scarborough presents spit bath posted at Adventures in Juggling, Faced with the prospect of mom washing his face," Laura's son takes matters into his own, er, hands.

Jenna684 presents A Pumpkin Patch, a Corn Silo, and a Sliced Finger posted at Beautifying The World One Clippie at a Time. Editor's note: Visiting a pumpkin patch can provide some great family time, but be careful about playing on old farm equipment.


Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

Vanessa presents A home of our Very own. And the start of a Journey posted at Our way to Happily Ever After . . ., saying, "I'll be using this blog to keep track of our life and journey to Happily Ever After...."

luvmy4sons presents The Great Communicator posted at Do You Weary Like I Do? Editor's note: Some reflections on the need for communication.

Charles H. Green presents The Guts of Trust posted at Trust Matters, describing what he has learned over the years"about being trusted and trusting."

Terence Gillespie presents Why I Live With My In-Laws! posted at Your Optimal Blog. "I can’t claim credit for the idea that my father and mother-in-law move in with us. Or that we move my mom from her nursing home into my office," Terence writes. "My wife saw the mounting nursing home bills, knew a baby was coming, and swung into action. By the time she was finished laying it all out, one night after work, she had a way to upgrade all of our lives. She was proposing we live like a family. A multi-generational family. It was outrageous!"


Family Spirituality/Belief/Worship

Minister Mamie L. Pack presents It's Football Time posted at The Life I Now Live. Editor's note: You will enjoy reading this inspirational post.

Shaun Connell presents Life Purpose 101 posted at Personal Development, opining that "the crux of a happy family is happy individual members." Shaun argues that happiness is achieved when each family member understands "their life purpose, and how they can achieve it."


Family Travel

Hilary Green presents How To Choose a Family Car posted at Cars for Girls, saying, Choosing the right vehicle for your new family or growing brood doesn’t need to be difficult if you have a good idea of what you want and a check-list to get you started off in the right direction.

Bridget Smith presents Don’t Forget Your Shoes! posted at Family Adventure Guidebooks. "This inaugural post for the Family Adventure Guidebooks blog reminds readers that, for parenting and traveling, flexibility and a sense of humor are always required," according to Bridget.

Sheila Scarborough presents Travel budget squished? How to find the best hotel deals posted at Family Travel Guide, offering "some of my best tips for saving on the checkout bill."


Parenting Tips and Advice

Suzanne presents mean mama confessions posted at adventures in daily living. Author's note: These are some good habits to teach your children.

Abel Cheng presents Parenting A Teenager: Tips On Personalizing Your Approach posted at Parent Wonder, reminding us that when dealing with teens, "remember who your child is at his core and use that information to find a way to communicate with him."

Kevin presents Long Distance/Virtual Parenting posted at More4kids, saying, "Thanks to technology it is also possible for the parent that is away to send email messages, instant message and even do a video conference online."

Thank you all for participating in the Carnival this week!

Submit a blog article for the October 13, 2008, Edition of the Carnival, hosted at On the Horizon, by clicking here!

The Carnival archive can be viewed here.

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