Carole Carson

Ten Small Changes Produce Ten Large Rewards

If the thought of reinventing a whole new persona is daunting, make these small changes to reap giant-sized rewards. Reassure yourself that you don’t have to be trapped by old habits. With a little effort and attention, you can create healthy new ones!

1. Eat an apple instead of a candy bar or a bowl of ice cream; the nutrients will nourish your body, and your pants will fit better.

2. Wake up with a plan for the day; you’ll accomplish more and be satisfied when the day is done that your time was well spent.

3. Forgive everyone as you go through the day so you don’t waste energy carrying a heavy bag weighted down with resentments.

4. Daydream a few minutes each day to unleash your creative energy and untether yourself from practical concerns.

5. Purge surplus possessions to create an uncluttered environment.

6. When you deal with individuals who live on the dark side of life (people who look for a coffin when they smell flowers), imagine yourself encased in an impenetrable clear plastic bubble and enjoy a good belly laugh. Besides being good for you, your laughter will drive them crazy.

7. Make decisions when you are in a positive, productive state and not when you are tired, hungry, angry or lonely.

8. Throughout the day, take a few moments to stand up, straighten your posture and breathe deeply.

9. Incorporate play into your lifestyle so you stay lighthearted.

10. Ride easy in the saddle so you can adjust to twists, turns and stumbles. No matter how carefully you plan, events seldom materialize as expected. Sometimes the outcome is better, sometimes worse, but rarely what you expect.

Like my life, this list is a work in progress. A few months from now, I’ll dig it out and update it simply for the fun of learning and exploring new opportunities. What’s on your list?

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."                        Mahatma Ghandhi

A Home Gym on the Cheap

At a time when many of us are constrained financially, any idea that helps us manage our budget is welcome. No doubt this reality was why I was invited to demonstrate my low-cost home gym on KGO-TV ABC Channel 7’s afternoon program The View from the Bay.

The show is taped live in San Francisco, and I live three hours north in the Sierra foothills, so it wasn’t practical to transport my entire home gym. But I brought enough items that viewers could get the idea and even expand on the list through their own ingenuity.

I demonstrated the following items:

• A luggage strap for stretching hamstrings ($6)

• Two hand weights for strengthening the upper body ($20)

• A wood pole for improving back flexibility ($3)

• A throw from my living room that doubles as a mat ($10)

The hosts of the program, Janelle Wang and Spencer Christian, were good sports as I put them through lower back and hamstring exercises. You can see them struggling through the different poses here.

Even when money is not an issue, home gyms are particularly useful for caretakers or those pressed for time. They also are a good alternative for those who find the gym an intimidating environment or who feel embarrassed about their body. Whatever one’s reason for exercising at home, in this economy, ideas that involve a low-cost approach to fitness are worth considering.

"He who will not economize will have to agonize."                         Confucius

Survival of the Fittest?

Medical care costs continue to rise. This fact has implications for all of us, but especially for persons of retirement age.

Financial experts at Fidelity Investments advise retirees to set aside nearly $250,000 to cover medical expenses during their senior years. According to Fidelity’s analysis, projected medical costs have risen 50 percent over the past seven years. Equally troubling is the observation that the trend upward shows no sign of abating, and the Medicare trust fund is expected to be insolvent by 2019.

Will these worrisome costs trigger changes in lifestyle? Will we decide to become fit to reduce medical expenses? Or will only the fittest survive?

A significant percent (some experts place the estimate at 80 percent) of the medical expenses we incur are a function of lifestyle choices such as eating too much, smoking, not exercising consistently and abusing drugs and alcohol. The implication is clear: we can prevent the majority of medical illnesses and associated costs by adopting healthful lifestyles.

If we can no longer afford expensive care or prescription drugs to deal with our medical conditions, we certainly will have a strong incentive to stay as fit as possible.

Before I decided to lose weight and get fit, my medical insurer had a file on me that was at least five inches thick. Much of what I was treated for, whether it was gallbladder surgery or chest pain, was a function of lifestyle. I ate too much, so I weighed too much. I seldom exercised, and I enjoyed nightly cocktails. One overnight stay in the hospital for chest pain cost several thousand dollars.

Today, I keep my weight in the normal range, I exercise each day and I limit alcohol to an occasional glass of wine. As a consequence, except for an occasional sinus infection, my medical expenses are minimal. I want to keep them this way, partly to preserve my good health but also to preserve my nest egg. As medical care costs continue to rise, survival of the fittest may take on a new meaning.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."                    Charles Darwin

Investing in 2009: Health is Wealth.

Consumer credit card debt climbed to approximately $8,000 in 2008 and is rising at an annual rate of 8 percent. In running up this tab, consumers have borrowed from tomorrow’s wealth to meet today’s wants and desires. As long as incomes rose, consumers could reasonably expect to keep up with the credit card payments.

But alas, conditions changed.

Jobs are disappearing, real estate is losing value and portfolios are disappearing. The economy has turned sour, and some consumers are being forced into bankruptcy. As one financial reporter noted, “If there's one truth about the current status of the economy, it's that it doesn't discriminate; it affects everyone.”

At the same time, two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. In addition, about 1 out of every 3 children is overweight or at risk for obesity. In accumulating surplus pounds, these individuals have borrowed from tomorrow’s health to meet today’s wants and desires. As long as no medical problems surfaced, these individuals could reasonably expect to maintain their lifestyle indefinitely.

But alas, conditions changed.

Medical care has become increasingly expensive. An initial visit to a doctor for treatment of a minor problem along with a follow up visit and a single prescription can cost several hundred dollars. Compounding the problem is the number of uninsured individuals who, when they lose their job, also lose their medical insurance. One major illness can bankrupt the uninsured and underinsured family.

The timing for the rise in the cost of medical care couldn’t be worse. Medical problems resulting from lifestyle choices, such as poor eating habits and inadequate exercise, are starting to show up in dramatic numbers. For example, Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels for both adults and children.

But unlike consumers who can file for bankruptcy, remove their debt and start over, there is no equivalent process when it comes to our health. There is no court that can remove a disease or medical condition and give us back the freedom that comes with good health.

Here are three tips to help you assume fiscal and physical responsibility for your wealth and health (FIT):

F: Find a way to make achieving your fitness goals fun. Find food you love to eat that won’t pack on pounds and ways to exercise that make you feel young and playful. If you create and impersonate a positive image of your new self today, you’ll shift your attitude from “I have to” to “I want to.” Flipping this switch will make you more willing to adopt and maintain your new habits.

I: Invent the future you want. Implement the changes you want to make today. Don’t wait for the perfect time because there isn’t one. Your dream today can be reality tomorrow—your imagination is your only limit. And consider making all your changes at once. Recent research confirms that people who tackle all their changes together fare better than those who take a piecemeal approach.

T: Tell everyone you can about the changes you are making. Be specific about your actions and about how you will measure your progress. As social creatures, we are profoundly influenced by the behavior of everyone around us. Use this insight to create a support team and to be a positive role model for others.

We change the oil in our cars and rotate tires to keep our automobiles functioning and prevent engine failure. That same principle holds for our bodies as well. Prevention of medical problems is far less expensive than treatment once chronic conditions have developed. Automobiles, however, can be replaced while our bodies must last a lifetime.

Invest your time and energy in maintaining your body. The investment will pay big dividends today through greater energy, vitality and a zest for living. And the return on the investment long term will be even greater. Start today before the window of opportunity closes. Your future is riding on your decision.

"Being comfortable isn't the way to learn to expand your abilities."             Thomas Perry

Three Ways to Avoid a Broken Heart

Our heart—that quiet, understated partner—will beat 36,500,000 times in 2009. To avoid a broken heart, we need to listen to its message before it’s too late.

Why do we need to listen? Because one out of every three Americans (nearly 81 million), suffers from some form of cardiovascular disease, a condition that encompasses not only heart attacks, but also strokes, aneurysms and atherosclerosis.

Over the past seven years, we’ve witnessed significant progress in the treatment of heart disease. This progress has resulted in a lowered death rate, so much so that cancer is projected to overtake heart disease in 2010 as the number one cause of death in the United States.

But cancer’s promotion to the spot of #1 killer is hardly cause for celebration since the toll from heart disease remains high. Approximately half a million individuals die each year from cardiovascular diseases. Seniors, parents, spouses and even children are its victims.

If our hearts could speak, they’d tell us to take good care of our health not only during American Heart Month, but throughout the year. If you’re ready to listen, consider these three tips (FIT):

F: Focus on maintaining a positive outlook, a grateful attitude, enriching relationships and satisfying work. Attaining and sustaining good mental health protects your physical health.

I: Invest 30-60 minutes a day in exercise. Researchers report that exercise, even for those who are only slightly overweight, can reduce the risk of heart disease. For those who are overweight or obese, exercise becomes even more essential to reduce the risk of heart disease.

T: Take off the extra weight. Even a few extra pounds increase the risk of heart disease. In one study of 21,000 men, researchers found that every pound of extra weight increased risk. The chubbier participants faced a 180 percent increase in the odds of developing the heart disease.

According to Dr. David Sabgir, Ohio-based board certified cardiologist and founder of the Walk With a Doc program, “Notwithstanding the wonderful advances in treatment, prevention remains the safest, most reliable and least expensive way to avoid cardiovascular disease. Plus, patients who adopt healthful habits to protect their heart (such as exercising regularly and losing weight) are simultaneously protecting themselves from other health problems.

As part of your prevention program, consider heart-friendly ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Instead of devouring a box of chocolates sitting in front of the television, take the hand of your loved one and go for a walk. If you give gifts, consider a pedometer or heart monitor. These are gifts that truly show how much you care.

And while you’re at it, get a one for yourself. When we take care of our health, we reduce our chances for a broken heart. Not only do we set a positive example for others, we also improve the odds that we’ll have many more future Februarys to enjoy with family and friends.

"You can create more opportunities by asking for them"                Patty Hansen

Escalating Medical Care Costs: Who Will Be Our Brother’s Keeper?

Medical care costs reached $ 2.3 trillion in 2008 and are expected to rise indefinitely at an annual rate of 9 to 10 percent.

 

In addition to the uninsured, middle-class Americans with insurance are feeling the pinch as the costs outstrip increases in income. In response to the growing financial burden, President-Elect Obama has made accessible and affordable medical care a top priority.

 

Yet 70 percent of medical care costs, or $ 1.61 trillion, is attributed to unhealthy lifestyle choices (smoking, poor eating habits and lack of exercise). This raises a compelling question: who will foot the bill?

 

A report by the Vitality Group, a provider of employer health and wellness programs, highlights the disconnect between personal responsibility for maintaining one’s health and financial responsibility for medical consequences. While 82 percent of those surveyed felt they were personally responsible for the state of their health, only 44 percent felt they had a financial responsibility for the cost of medical care.

 

Over half of those surveyed felt that employers and government should absorb the financial consequences of unhealthful lifestyle behaviors, rather than the individuals who engaged in the behaviors. Researchers also reported that the participants were reluctant to pay for wellness programs designed to teach healthful habits.

 

Spotlighting the disconnect between lifestyle choices and financial consequences provides useful insight for policymakers and employers seeking to reduce medical care costs. Even with the availability of sophisticated technological tools, social engineering is an imprecise mix of science and guesswork. Consequently, a variety of experiments are likely to be undertaken with the hope that one or more will be successful in reducing unhealthful lifestyle behaviors.

One approach is taxing unhealthful behaviors. Alabama’s fat tax falls in this category. Beginning in January 2009, obese state workers will risk a monthly increase of $25 in insurance costs if they fail to reduce their weight.

Equally controversial is the approach being proposed by New York Governor David Patterson—an 18 percent sales tax on sugary drinks and sodas. Governor Patterson estimates that this tax, if approved, would generate an estimated $400 million in revenue to offset rising medical care costs resulting from obesity.

 

His model is based on the success of the anti-tobacco campaign. Certainly anti-smoking advertisements have contributed to a decline in smoking; however, researchers have also found a clear correlation between the increased cost of cigarettes and a reduction in the number of smokers. According to statistics cited by Drs. Tom Farley and Deborah Cohen in their book, Prescription for a Healthy Nation, every 10 percent price increase on cigarettes reduced sales by about 3 percent.

 

Whether smokers connected the cost of their behavior with the cost of treating smoking-related ailments was irrelevant. Some quit smoking because of the expense. Those who continued were forced to offset some of the medical costs associated with smoking. (Even so, a $7 tax would be required to fully cover the additional costs of medical care associated with smoking.)

 

In Governor Patterson’s model, sugary drinks are the equivalent of cigarettes. Americans consume one-third of their calories from sugar; half of those come from sugary drinks that nutritionists consider empty calories—the drink is high in calories and low on nutrition. In addition, sugary drinks fail to satisfy hunger. Consequently, the surplus calories in the sugary drinks are added to the calories consumed in food. For these reasons, many experts consider sugary drinks to be the most significant factor in the rise of obesity.

 

If Governor Patterson’s tax initiative passes, public health officials believe they will see a correlation in reduction of the number of overweight or obese individuals, similar to the decline in the number of cigarette smokers.

 

According to Art Carlos, chief executive officer of the Vitality Group, “The increasing need for health care arises from the treatment of illnesses and medical problems that are preventable through more healthful lifestyle choices. Despite advances in medicine, physicians cannot undo the damage resulting from long term abuse of our bodies and are limited in their ability to reverse a lifetime of unhealthful habits. The solution will emerge when we are required to take personal accountability for the way we choose to live.”

 

We spend twice as much as other industrialized nations for medical care, yet we are losing ground on the health front. In the near future, rising medical costs will force us to answer the question: who will be our brother’s keeper?

"Am I my brother's keeper?"                    Bible, Genesis, chapter 4, verse 9

Looking for Ways to Save Money? Drink Tap Water

Test results of leading brands of bottled water reported in numerous newspaper articles on October 15, 2008, support the claim that bottled water is no purer than tap water.

Tests on 10 leading brands detected the presence of 38 contaminants ranging from bacteria, caffeine, fertilizer and solvents to the radioactive element strontium.

Overall, the level of contaminants wasn’t high enough to pose any threat to safety. All the brands met the federal requirements for safe drinking water, although a few brands contained levels of chlorine by-products nearly three times above California’s limit.

This information begs the question, why pay a premium (1,900 times more) for bottled water if it is essentially the same as tap water? Thomas Burke, one of the developers of the Safe Drinking Water Act and associate dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, says that there is little difference between the two kinds of water except the price.

Replacing bottled water with tap water might save a family of four as much as $20 per week. This choice seems to be an easy way to help make ends meet. What do you think?

"Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital."                                         Kelly

Political Promises, Healthcare and Our Big Fat American Deficit

On September 11, 2008, the U.S. budget deficit reached an all-time high of $9,682,116,996,293.84. Servicing this debt requires around $500 billion annually, give or take a few billion. And like the addict who needs another fix, we continue to spend. This year, experts estimate that an additional $410 billion will be added to the big fat American deficit. Moreover, because of the rocky economy, less revenue from taxes may cause these numbers to rise.

The United States is currently spending 16 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare. This figure will probably expand in tandem with the expanding waistlines of overweight and obese Americans, whose numbers now total two-thirds of adults and one-third of our offspring. Surplus weight results in health problems that translate into additional medical costs. Consequently, the direct and indirect economic costs of the rising numbers on the bathroom scale are sobering. Individuals, insurers, employers, government programs (including Medicaid and Medicare) and county, state and federal governments pay for direct costs. And as most individuals and employers know too well, insurance premiums are rising. The average annual premium for a family of four is over $12,000.

Indirect costs are harder to measure yet just as real. They reflect the loss of income resulting from absenteeism, sick days, restricted activity and premature death.

I wrote about this issue in an article titled "Political Promises, Healthcare And Our Big Fat American Diet" that appeared September 3, 2008 on basilandspice.com and included a summary of the solutions to the healthcare dilemma proposed by the two presidential candidates. Go here for the full article.

McCain proposes a $5,000 tax credit to help uninsured families afford coverage. He also proposes taxing employer-subsidized medical insurance. McCain believes that improved management of the healthcare system will trim costs.

In contrast, Obama’s priority is obtaining coverage for the 45 million uninsured Americans at an estimated annual cost of $65 billion. Like McCain, Obama assures voters that better management of the healthcare system and cost controls can lower the annual insurance premiums to an affordable level of $2,500 for a family of four.

Both of these candidates agree that the healthcare system needs attention. Although they disagree on the means, both want citizens to have access to affordable healthcare. Without being drawn into the merits of either candidate’s proposals, we can focus on three fixes that can help us become more fiscally and physically fit (FIT):

F: Fix the medical model. Instead of reimbursing physicians and hospitals $250,000 for a single heart surgery, fund wellness and prevention programs for 1,000 people at $250 each. That’s the perspective of Dr. Nick Yphantides, author of My Big Fat Greek Diet and the poster child for what an individual can achieve when lifestyle changes occur. Once a big man (he weighed nearly 500 pounds) with an even bigger heart, Dr. Yphantides now weighs 237 pounds. He uses his personal example with his patients and members of the community to promote healthy lifestyles even though it would be more lucrative to focus on the treatment of medical problems arising from lifestyle choices.

I: Intervene in the lives of individuals to cut through denial. Alabama is experimenting with a stick rather than a carrot. State employees will be fined $25 if they fail to make lifestyle changes that address health and weight issues. Although most of us prefer a carrot to a stick, some of us may need the sting of a stick to wake us up.

T: Tackle the issue of fitness as a community. We need to change the environmental cues that encourage us to overeat and underexercise into ones that encourage us to eat more healthfully and exercise regularly.

Communities can adopt successful group weight-loss programs such as the Nevada County Meltdown, where over 1,000 people lost nearly four tons in eight weeks. Or communities can introduce Dr. David Sabgir’s model, the Walk with a Doc program in Lewis Center, Ohio. Each Saturday at 8:30 a.m., Dr. Sabgir and other physicians and medical-care providers walk with about 175 to 200 patients, family and friends.

How I cast my ballot once inside the voting booth this November is a private matter. Publicly, however, I have no problem sharing my ideas on how we can enhance the health and well-being of friends, family and neighbors. As a by-product, we can reduce the cost of healthcare and help lower the national debt.

My own medical cost-containment program is to lead a healthful lifestyle to render expensive medical care and prescription drugs unnecessary. And my tongue-in-cheek goal is to die a natural death without the help of a doctor.

Back-to-School Tips to Trim Your Budget While Splurging on Fitness

Saving money is a high priority for many parents now that the school year is beginning. The worst food inflation in nearly two decades is placing a strain on family budgets.

The supersizing of prices at the grocery store and at the gas pump is matched by the supersizing of our bodies and weight. In the United States, two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese—a condition that alarms medical experts. And like food prices, the numbers are rising.

Families are forced to trim their expenses back to the basics. But when it comes to getting good grades, keeping our offspring physically fit isn’t a luxury. Fitness and academic achievement go hand in hand.

Today’s assignment for parents is to promote health and fitness and stay within the family budget. I wrote about this topic in an article titled “3 Back-to-School Tips to Trim Your Budget While Splurging on Fitness” that appeared on Gabby Reece’s Web site on August 13, 2008. Go here for the full article.

Although you may need to trim your budget during these uncertain times, you can confidently splurge on your efforts to promote family fitness. The reward will be seeing good grades on your children’s report cards today and watching your children develop into healthy, active and productive adults tomorrow.

"He who will not economize will have to agonize."                   Confucius

Can You Afford to Be Overweight and Out of Shape?

In the future, our wealth may depend upon our health. That’s because one of the unfortunate by-products of being overweight and out of shape is the risk of increased medical expenses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common medical problems (heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some forms of cancer) are linked with excess weight and lack of fitness.

As the numbers on the scale climb, so do the numbers of medically uninsured people. Today, experts estimate that 47 million adults out of 300 million U.S. citizens lack medical insurance. Moreover, a disproportionate number of the uninsured are young adults (aged 19 to 29). While young adults make up 17 percent of the total population, they represent 30 percent of the uninsured.

According to census data through 2006, nearly 14 million people aged 19 to 29 had no health insurance. This number represents an increase of 400,000 in one year (from 2005 to 2006). By extrapolating the trend through 2009, we can assume that the number of uninsured is approaching or has exceeded 15 million.

While seniors have their advocacy groups and others are sensitive to children’s needs, young adults have no advocates in the healthcare system or in the government. Moreover, we can’t assume that youth protects these young adults from requiring medical care; indeed, their medical needs are not inconsequential. Obesity, which has documented medical consequences, increased by 70 percent in this age group in the last 20 years. Plus, there are 3.5 million pregnancies among females in this age group each year.

Uninsured young adults are living without medical care, including doctor visits, prescriptions and needed treatments. When young adults have to choose between paying the rent and buying food or receiving medical care, medical care is bypassed. Without a regular doctor, young adults don’t receive ongoing medical supervision, and minor problems left untreated become more threatening and expensive to address.

Since I lost weight and renovated my lifestyle, I’ve voluntarily undertaken the task of encouraging everyone—independent of age—to adopt healthy habits. Sometimes I appeal to people’s vanity—I encourage individuals to think how much better they will feel and look if they lose weight and exercise regularly.

Increasingly, though, the economics of healthcare makes the most compelling argument: we can’t afford the option of not being fit. The medical costs associated with disease and illness are simply beyond the reach of millions of us. In the face of that difficult reality, to enhance our wealth, we must preserve our health.