Milk Does Your Body Good…or Does It?
Love milk? Tastes good, builds strong bones, provides Vitamin D. But what if you may happen to be one of those who can’t have milk for any number of medical reasons. Or maybe you’re one of those who believe humans shouldn’t be drinking cow’s milk in the first place. Yes, believe it or not, there are many people out there that believe this. I am not one of them, but if you look into it – there are very solid reasons to drink cow’s milk and then very solid reasons not to drink it.
Now I’m not going to ‘dive’ into that debate – all you have to do is Google “drinking cow’s milk” and you can spend hours looking at all the research back and forth. It’s really like watching a tennis match on your computer. But if you do love drinking milk, like I do, I hope your are not just buying milk from anywhere just because you see commercials like “Got Milk” and you’ve been told you need Calcium and Vitamin D somehow. If that’s the case, then you should really do some research. Our world is changing…radically…and the way we get our nutrition is going with it.
Like the many people against milk, I do believe that many companies now are using many hormones and/or steroids to produce more milk for better profit margins. I also believe that they are also treating their cows very poorly as far as how they are raised and fed. That’s why I only get milk from places like Farm Fresh and/or Oberweis and such. And as we continue on as a society, in the way that we are progressing, I think we are eventually going to see a turn-around back to the ‘way it used to be’ mindset: simple, honest straight-forward nutrition. We are living in a world of convenience…and it could be hurting us. We go to the store, grab a gallon of milk and we are none-the-wiser. With all the new ways to manipulate fruit/vegetables, and in this case milk, it would make the farmers ‘of past’ turn over in their graves.
It’s not a coincidence that places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and other more ‘natural’ grocery stores and local Farmer’s Markets are popping up all over the country. Plus, take a look at all the natural supplements that are now available. Back in the day, you just had Centrum One-a-Day multi-vitamins for Men or for Women as one of the biggest choices. Now the supplement/vitamin world has evolved into a multi-million (if not billion) dollar industry!
So why not evolve ourselves in keeping track of our daily intake of nutrients? Well, now you can. Order and have local health screenings from TestMeHealth.com set up on your own time. If you want to check your Vitamin D intake – click done! And like the men and women one-a-day vitamins, you can even schedule Essential Health Screenings – there’s one for Men and one for Women. In this day-and-age of hormones, steroids and supplements…wouldn’t it be nice to know what’s in your blood system and make sure you have the right levels of nutrients that we, as humans, definitely need from one source or another?
Sick? Check Your Wallet.
The culprit could be in there. Yep that’s right, a recent article states that if you’re carrying around good ‘ole hard cash, you could be setting yourself up to get sick. It makes ‘cents’ too (pun intended), cash and coins are about the only thing we carry with us that exchange hands very frequently…and therein lies the key word…HANDS. I’m mean, when’s the last time you broke a $10 or a $20 at the coffee shop and washed your hands before and after the exchange? And even if you did, are you really going to insist that the cashier washes his or hers right then and there too? So instead you grab your coffee and muffin or piece of fruit and start eating.
Exchanging money is cultural and humans have been doing it for century’s. And for some reason, we don’t even think twice about it. Never think twice about the dollar bill that has just been passed to you may have come from a weekend at the strip club. Never think twice about that ‘George Washington’ you just found on the sidewalk was rolled up last night doing a line of something illegal. Never think twice that the 5 dollar bill laying on the seat of the taxi has just been sneezed and coughed on. Nope. We just thank are lucking stars that we just found money and/or say thank you for getting money back and move on our marry way. So what is one to do? It’s not like there are sinks at every cash register. At it’s not like we are going to wear gloves all the time…which, by the way, if you have traveled up and down any tollways in the country and have given the toll attendants your money…guess what they are wearing? Now you know why.
Well, whatever you end up doing, to easily avoid picking up any strange bacteria…just don’t touch money and then touch your food, face, or any open wound. Then just remember to wash your hands before you do eat or have to wipe your face or take care of a wound. Oh and hand sanitizer works great too. Another thing to do (and this goes for just about anything) is to be prepared by getting your annual health screening. Maintaining your health is one of the best ways to prevent sickness whether it’s from handling currency or not.
Overall Health Checkup
Getting an annual health checkup is becoming more and more important as we age. Visiting the doctor is the first step. However, getting your blood work done is just as important. At TestMeHealth.com you can get an annual health set of blood work done that you can compare to previous years to track your baseline.
The test packages start from $59 a month. This is really the most affordable way to get tested today.
This Essential Health Screening includes the following tests:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test
- Lipid Panel
Save $125 by buying this panel compared to individual test orders.
Price $59.00
Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever – True or False?
Well, it seems the beginning of this old wives’ tale/medical folklore is indeed true – but the latter part, well…maybe not so much. Yet, that’s what the majority of us still do anyway. Why? Probably because it is somewhat comforting…listening to mom, grandma, Aunt’s, wives when we are ‘down and out’ sick to the bone looking for anything to help us get better faster. But just because that’s what they did…because someone told them and so on and so forth…doesn’t mean it is what we should be doing. Our bodies need energy to help fight off a virus, which is what a cold and the flu consist of, and eating/drinking lots of fluids helps provide that energy. That’s why chicken soup IS good for the soul. Also, sweating out the flu doesn’t really work either.
Check out the real truth, and then check out these 8 old wives’ tales that actually are true. After you have finished with those, you can click here to schedule your annual health screening to make sure your body is healthy and ready to fight off a virus when that time comes when the kids come home sick or your colleagues show up to work coughing and sneezing all over the place, which (unfortunately) will inevitably happen.
Healthy Lifestyle
What defines a healthy lifestyle? What defines good health? If you are thin does it mean you are in good health?
Most would agree that a healthy lifestyle would include: exercise, eating right, and getting adequate checkups. Good health would be thought of as not having any known ailments and being in good condition However, being thin does not necessarily make you in good health, such that being fat does not make you in necessarily poor health.
The most important thing that we are finding is that lifestyle will determine your health and getting checkups and tests will help you gauge your health. Getting health screening tests is the best way to make sure that your health is going to support you ongoing. After the age of 40, many doctors are now recommending blood work every 6 months. You should get blood work done more often if you are on a diet or making major lifestyle changes. This will apply to many people in the coming New Year. TestMeHealth.com makes it easy and affordable to get tested at your convenience. Get tested today.
Know Thy Medicine
Are you thinking about possibly taking prescription medication? Do you already have a cabinet full of prescription medication? Do you know all the side-effects? Do you know what counteracts with them – like alcohol, particular foods, current physical conditions, and/or other prescription meds?
We all know to well that the television commercials we see for prescription drugs out there can not be all the ‘wine and roses’ they claim their product to be. Yet they spend 30 seconds trying to convince us that we probably experience one of their symptoms and should ask our doctor about using it while rattling off a long list of the side-effects in the last 3 seconds as if to hurry and brush them under the rug so nobody can see them.
Then on the flip-side, dealing with print advertising, the FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) requires these same manufacturer’s to include package inserts for every prescription filled explaining everything from what the drug does to what an overdose amount is and what all the side-effects can be. So we go from 30 seconds from our TV to an hours worth of reading in print. And who reads through all of that? It’s like reading through your cell phone contract line by line or the iTunes’ Terms and Agreements every time there’s an update for us to install.
Taking prescription medicine will ultimately come down to what you are comfortable doing. If you feel one of the side-effects is too much of a risk than the symptom(s) you are dealing with is a problem, then you probably will not take that particular medicine. On the other hand, if you read the drug insert and find that only 0.6% of the thousands of people studied in their research panel only experienced that side-effect, then perhaps you will be more at ease to use that particular medication – but that’s if you have read through the complete insert.
Hopefully, sometime soon, the FDA and the drug companies will find that needed balance of information about their products versus the side-effects. In the meantime, if you are unsure about your prescription medications…ask questions. I just saw this great commercial for what I thought was another smartphone ad – it had a guy asking question after question about what features came with that particular phone. Then it cut away to that same guy in the doctors office with the doctor giving him every opportunity to ask all the questions he wanted to – he didn’t even have one.
Don’t let that be you – know thy medicine.
Here’s a great article that gave me the inspiration for this week’s blog.
Another Year
2012. Another year. We have made it to the year that ends the Mayan Calendar. Make it this year’s New Year’s Resolution to be healthier than you were last year. It is always a good idea to get your annual checkup and blood tests at the same time each year. Doing the test in the beginning of the year is beneficial because it is after the holiday eating. You can baseline your health annually at the same time each year. This helps so that you can track your health consistently in the same situation.
TestMeHealth.com allows you to affordably get your health tested quickly and confidentially. No waiting to get in to see a doctor. You can order online and get tested in as little as 24 hours. Same day tests are also available. Resolving to be health starts with knowing how health you currently are. Good luck in the New Year with all of your resolutions.
New Year’s Resolutions
One more day until New Year’s…do you have your resolutions ready? Lose weight – check, Eat healthier – check, Drive safer – check, Spend more time with friends – check, Go on a vacation – check, and your list may go on and on. So how about getting your overall health tested? Is that on this year’s list? If you are active, always on the go, and feel healthy perhaps you do not take the time to get tested annually. Perhaps then, it is time to make this part of your New Year’s commitments.
It’s almost a full 11 years into the 21st century and obesity and high blood pressure are still on the rise. More than 100 million Americans have high cholesterol (above 200 mg/dL), which can clog arteries, cause heart attacks and strokes. This means a lot of unhealthy eating and no testing and/or inhibitions and self control have gone out the window. So with another new year quickly approaching, how would you like to start?
For those of you reading that have already made annually health screenings a part of your life, I applaud you and I wish you luck with your other 2012 aspirations. For the rest of you, TestMeHealth.com makes it convenient and inexpensive to add it to your resolution list. It is a New Year after all, so go on and party like it’s 1999, but try not to forget that a healthy body will lead to many more future New Years to celebrate.
X these off your X-mas list
Trying new foods around the holidays can be fun and even feel stress relieving – but beware of the ‘con artists’ out there – companies that make food sound and look really enjoyable but in fact can bring more stress to your body than good. Check this naughty list out to make sure you can avoid them.
Stressed For the Holidays
I’ll keep this short and sweet – because we are all probably getting somewhat stressed-out as we get closer and closer to the biggest national holiday. So, if you are feeling stressed and have been, for say more than the last week or two, I would recommend that you schedule to have your Cortisol levels checked. It’s very affordable – 49 bucks – and can actually help relieve some of your holiday stress to begin with. You’ll then be able to figure out if any of these symptoms below are actually due to abnormal Cortisol levels and not just because you have no Christmas presents yet for your in-laws that are coming to stay with you for the weekend and you can’t seem to sleep. But enough about my stress, here are some of the symptoms you’ll want to keep an eye out for:
- Weight gain, particularly around your midsection and upper back
- Rounding of your face (moon face)
- Fatty pad or hump between your shoulders (buffalo hump)
- Weight loss and decreased appetite
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Facial flushing
- Slow healing of sores and infections
- Depression, anxiety, irritability, and/or loss of emotional control
- New or worsened high blood pressure
- Cravings for salt
- Irregular or absent menstrual periods in females
- Decreased sex drive
- Trouble getting or maintaining an erection in males (erectile dysfunction also known as ED)
If you have been experiencing any of these – click here and you on one step closer to relieving some of that holiday stress.
Holiday Health
During the holidays it is especially important to get tested for health concerns. One study found distinct spikes of coronary heart attacks specifically on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Some have even nicknamed it the Merry Christmas Coronary. Cardiac problems spike during the holidays due to many factors.
1. More Stress: Stress about preparation, stress about gift buying, stress about more things to do, stress about seeing the family all add to possible cardiac problems that you may not have experienced before.
2. Smoking: Some people smoke during the holidays to try and cope with added stress and anxiety.
3. Hypertension: Related to stress may also be a contributing factor.
4. Cold Weather : According to doctors the cold can also lead to heightened cardiac problems
5. Extremely Fatty Holiday dinners: If there ever was a time to cheat on that diet, the holidays seems to be the time. Some people go overboard and change their typical eating patterns to extreme over indulgence bingeing. Not the best for the ticker.
Add all of these factors together and you can see why there is a greater chance for heart attacks. If you have been putting off that test, now is the time to take it. Better to know before the holidays than to wait too late.
Check out the many tests available at Testmehealth.com.
Juicing to Lose Weight and Gain Optimal Health
Well I recently watched the video “Fat, Sick, and nearly Dead”. It was quite the wakeup call. I recently have been having health problems and am greatly overweight. So, I decided to give it a try. Well I am a month into it and down nearly 30 lbs. I would say the best diet ever. I also feel a lot more positive and alert. It really does change everything about life. Your skin clears up, body firms up, and you feel less tired. Wondering why I didn’t do this before is my only regret. But, life is a journey we all learn from.
The man that created the video, Joe Cross, had significant health problems as well. One of the key things that he did was constantly getting tested as he drove across the country. TestMeHealth.com supports standard blood tests for anyone that is about to embark on a weight loss/ health cleanse such as the “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” show. It is best to speak to your doctor before beginning any weight loss regime. However, we are an excellent supplement to your monthly check in’s. You could do weekly CBC tests very inexpensively and at your convenience on our site. Juicing is becoming more and more of a way to clean out all of the toxins we eat as well as lose weight. Wither you are juicing for a week or a 100 day juice fast, we are here to help monitor your health progress.
Good luck on the journey of re-self-discovery. It is quite exciting!
An Apple a Day…
(along with some of his buddies) CAN keep the doctor away when it comes to keeping your heart healthy. A satisfying and scrumptious list of goodies, your heart will love, came across my screen the other day…so I thought I would share them with you. They are:
Apples, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Almonds, Blueberries, Dark Chocolate (I like that one), Grapes, Figs, and Walnuts.
So the next time you hit the grocery store, farmer’s market, or local fruit-stand…grab an apple and some of his pals – your heart will thank you.
The Gerson Way to Curing Cancer and Diseases
It has long been addressed in the medical community that the way to cure disease is through killing the disease and/or cutting out parts of the body as well. Some times killing the good as well as the bad. No one seems to address the environmental concerns, pollution, poor eating habits, and lifestyle habits that have changed so drastically in the last hundred years and led to such a dramatic increase in disease. It seems that most people are ok just paying doctors to cut them open or pharmaceutical companies to drug them. We have medicine that should help prolong past a hundred years instead of just help us get to 60 or 70. There is no reason that every person should not live until they are 120 years old (barring any other type of accident).
Hidden away from the majority of Americans is a method that has been around for nearly 100 years. It was developed by a Dr. Gerson. The method takes a different approach. Instead of drugging a person beyond belief, cutting the person up into pieces, and destroying a person’s ability to heal itself, the Gerson’s meth attempts to get your body to do what it would naturally do in a good state. . . Heal itself. From Cancer to MS to Heart Disease to Obesity, the Gerson method has proven extremely effective. However, the medical community doesn’t want people to know about it. Why? Simple, it is not profitable.
The Gerson method has specific things you must eat and specific things you must do in order to heal yourself. Very few of which cost much money. Furthermore, they can’t be marketed in a way that allows doctors or big pharmaceuticals to make any money.
In Japan, the Gerson method has helped thousands of people that have been healed naturally instead of using chemo and radiation. In the United States, the special interest groups have made it illegal to even open a clinic. There are clinics opening around the world and helping people heal. Unfortunately, the U.S. once again is way behind the realities due to special interest groups that are concerned about their companies making money over national health.
If your body was in a healthy state it would heal itself. Doesn’t it make more sense to help your body heal than to destroy your body and try to survive? The Gerson method has healed thousands of patients worldwide. Check out the documentaries “The Gerson Miracle” and “Dying to Know”. It is about time that we take our health into our own hands as we are being misled by many in the media, medical industry, and pharmaceutical industry. Some doctors don’t even know that they are misleading us because they are just telling us what they have been taught. Until they see a better way that works, they may not know. Always look at all of your options when you come down with a disease so that you can make an educated decision on what you should be doing with your health.
TestMeHealth.com helps you take your health into your own hands. By monitoring your health regularly through our tests, you can keep an eye on what is going on in your body. Times are changing and the word is out. More and more people may stay alive because of this one simple blog that will help thousands.
Are You Eating Engineered Food?
Wow, talk about coincidence – my colleague Mia just posted about eating Organic Veggies and to watch out for GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms). It just so happens that my Uncle and I were having a similar conversation over the Thanksgiving holiday. You see, he is an organic farmer in Southern Missouri. He knows and sees first-hand what other farmers next to him are doing and how big pesticide companies (and the government) influence their farming techniques and how it is all starting to affect his crops.
It started off very confusing – talking to the family about GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) and GC (Genetic Contamination), run-off and share-cropping, herbicides and pesticides, and the whatnot. So I finally intervened and said, “Look Uncle Dan…can you just explain this in a simple man’s way…say, someone who has never been to a farm and just knows, that to get food, you just need to go to a grocery store.”
And then he got it. “Eric, you’ve heard of killing weeds with weed killer right?” I said yes, “and bugs with bug killer right?” Again, I shook my head in agreement. “Well, generally speaking, a farmers worst nightmare is to have weeds and insects destroy their crops. So to prevent that from happening, scientists have created pesticides/herbicides to combat weeds and insects. The problem has been, that along with killing those pests, often times the product would kill the crops as well or at least contaminate them, and the surrounding area, with the pesticide/herbicide being used. That is why Organic is now a lifestyle not just a trend anymore. So to keep profits rolling, those same scientists at the same pesticide/herbicide companies have been working on and developing genetically engineered seeds for crops that can withstand these pesticide/herbicide chemicals. In my neighbors case, they are using what is called Roundup Ready Soybeans and Roundup Ready Corn seeds. When they germinate, farmers are then able to spray the Roundup crop control on the plants/ground, therefore killing the pests and not the crops.”
“Wow!” I said, “and let me guess, there are no long-term studies done to figure out how this genetically engineered food is affecting people right!?” And with a serious stare, he just shook his head in agreement. “It’s a bold new world we are living in” he said, “technology has certainly changed everything. Now we just need the right people to monitor and control all the scientific so-called advancements before there is nothing natural left on our planet.”
And then he assured us that his corn that we had just eaten was all-natural 100% home-grown. Thank goodness, cause I could see the rest of the family (including myself) beginning to feel a bit uneasy. So yes, when you hit the grocery store next and pick up your veggies – look for the Organic seal of approval – or you may very well end up eating something that was engineered in a lab. Makes you wonder…huh? For more detailed information click: Roundup Ready.
Organic Veggies the way to go
Organic veggies are the way to go. GMOs are not. Over the past few decades more and more of our crop has been tainted by Genetically Modified Organisms. In fact it is known as genetic contamination. Crops that are GMOs are in almost everything we eat now a days and we are not even told that there are GMOs in our food. In Europe, GMOs are labeled. In fact once people understand what is in a GMO; people tend to shy away from them. Seeds that are modified to have their own insecticide may not be the way to go if you don’t want to ingest insecticide. A new corn in San Diego can actually cause sterility. Talk about population control?
The fact that the FDA pushes these toxic foods on our population and says they are the same as other non GMO food is ludicrous. The GMOs are untested and as new GMOs are created, they are immediately released into the population with no testing. The US Population is being used as Guinea Pigs to test mutated crops. Some of which have been linked to possible cancers. Yet it continues day in and day out.
Organic is the way to go as far as eating. However, with the number of GMOs cross breeding through pollen with other neighboring farms, it may not be too long before even our organic crops are contaminated.
The best hope for the future is that the FDA or the Department of Agriculture will do the right thing and start labeling these products so that consumers can make up their own mind about the products. However, this is currently unlikely as most of the people that sit on these boards are ex corporate executives from some of the largest food manufacturers in the country. Until changes occur, you will need to take care of your own health. Get tested for disease and eat the right foods. Organic Veggies are the way to go.
What If Everyone Could See Your Health Status?
Just imagine once a year you wake up to get the newspaper, see the morning news and/or look online and find your own personal health status there for the world to review. Would you change some of your habits? Would try to live differently? Would you perhaps not indulge in some of the unhealthy things you find enjoyable? And with the Thanksgiving holiday here, maybe that third helping of stuffing would be much easier to pass up then.
Being in the public eye certainly can have advantages, and of course, its disadvantages (I mean, even I like third helpings)…but what if it happened? It was just a thought of mine that came up when I saw that the White House released our President’s health status – Obama healthy.
What a different world it be – but believe it or not, we are actually indirectly getting to to a point to where this is coming true. Through the social media sites that are all the craze – many are sharing their everyday thoughts, opinions and yes, even their own health status. For example, I have a friend who posted that she was denied coverage for health insurance because she was overweight. People then started giving her advice for different kinds of diets and even other insurance options. Then I have a friend who is battling cancer and he posts updates almost everyday. Though yes, posts like these are generally made to gain support but none-the-less, 10 years ago only their closets friends/family/colleagues would have known any of that information – not all 1,152 of their so-called ‘friends’. And this weekend, I’m sure ‘post’ will be flying on the web like: “Oh, why did I eat so much!”, and “I’m out shopping on Black Friday for bigger clothes now thanks to all the turkey!”, and “I’ll never do that again – at least not until next year – lol!”
Too bad, cause if your health WAS public knowledge, then they might read more like: “Oh, that was such a delicious meal!”, and “I’m out shopping on Black Friday – got such great deals on clothes!”, and “I’ll never do that again – at least not until next year – my family IS crazy!” (well, okay…maybe that’s just my family – lol!).
Either way, I hope your Thanksgiving holiday is/was a good one this year…
Your Baby’s Health in the Womb
Congratulations! A baby is on the way! Now, comes the 9 months (give or take) of sacrifice. “Don’t eat this, you shouldn’t eat that, don’t get stressed, drink this, don’t drink that, stop smoking, keep exercising, don’t get depressed, watch out for this, don’t ever do that”…and it seems like it just never stops! I’m sure it gets to a point to where any expectant mother just wants to stop, scream, and do everything that she’s been told not to do just because of all the stress and pressure of being told not to do it! That’s probably why women get pregnant instead of men – us men wouldn’t last a week without ‘caving’ in and giving up the whole process.
So yes women, you have a tough road ahead once the decision has been made to have a child. But like a road, you want to make it as smooth of a ride as possible for your future child and doing so usually does mean sacrifice. More and more studies are being done about Fetal Origins or more simply – how your baby is affected in the womb by the things you do. It isn’t to scare, alarm, or to create more stress…but rather to instill awareness. Like driving above the speed limit, not wearing your seatbelt, or even driving after drinking alcohol – you can do it, but there may be (and usually are) consequences down that road later on. Some with lasting effects that can follow throughout one’s lifetime.
The same can be applied to having a baby. What a mother does during that 9-month ‘road trip’ will have lasting effects on her child – good and bad. Here’s a more recent article: How prenatal life may shape adult life.
Want to Feel Younger? Go Get a Flush.
Yep, that’s what we might be doing in the future…if the research continues and is successful (you can read the full story here). We will be flushing out our old cells to give our good cells room to do what they do best. It’s not that inconceivable if you stop to think about it. What do we do with our cars? If you regularly change the oil, get a radiator flush every other year or so and keep the tires properly filled with air – your car will run a lot better and more efficiently. Well, this ‘flushing’ technique someday could do the same for our bodies – keep it so that we ‘run’ a lot better, therefore allowing our good cells to work more efficiently…which in turn, would keep us healthier.
Though don’t sit around waiting for this to happen anytime soon as it’s currently only in mice trial studies. Use what’s available now to help keep yourself feeling young and healthy – dietary cleanses to help ‘flush’ out unwanted byproducts/toxins and health screenings to check for possible signs of potential health problems.
Age Is Relative – Attitude Is Key!
Ever look in the mirror and say, “Yep…I’m sure getting old!”? I would say, at some point in our lives, we all do it. But with some positive reinforced ‘younger’ thinking, you can actually add years to your life. You’ve heard it before: “It’s not how old you are – it’s how old you feel!” I’ve been saying that for years – I’m 36 and I still (a lot of time) act like I’m 18. I have a collection of toys, I watch a lot of ’80′s action movies, and I drive a sports car. Now, whether or not I’ll still be doing those things at 70 or 80 and it gives me an extra 7.6 years to my life like this article suggests well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see (I would like to think so anyway). In the meantime, something I also do (and will continue to do so) is get a yearly health screening. Yes, you can have the attitude of an 18 year-old, but if you are suffering from a health ailment or virus – you’ll need to know what it is to help fight it off so you can enjoy your new-found younger self!
Price Increase Coming
Due to increasing costs we will be increasing the cost of our tests to help combat increases. If you have been waiting to order a test, now is the time to do it. Increases will take affect on November 7th, 2011. Price will increase between 5% and 10% depending on the specific test or package.
To order now do the following:
1. Go to TestMeHealth.com/all-tests
2. Select your tests and click on Add to Cart
3. Click Checkout
4. Select a location
5. Enter your customer information and billing information
6. Print off your requisition
7. Go and Get tested
8. Check your results online
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Coffee and Our Skin?
When it comes to food and drinks, it seems there’s always going to be research done one way or the other – pro or con. I always enjoy the pro research and often take the con research with a grain of salt. And in this case, fellow coffee lovers, drink up! Once again, in moderation, coffee is good for your overall health! So unless you’re drinking a full 8-12 glass pot a day – it looks as though our morning/afternoon ritual is right on track! Who knew that drinking what we love could help us live a healthy life! So go make a cup or just grab one from your favorite coffee vendor and enjoy this great article.
Losing the Extra Weight Is Always a Good Thing
Difficult…maybe, but amidst all the studies about childhood obesity (and obesity in general) at least we know that there’s a fighting chance to stave off heart disease later ‘down the road’ no matter what age you may be. Though it seems that it’s best if you are healthy during the ‘middle years’ of your life…at least according to this study.
Aside from the studies and all the research, there’s an easy and simple way you can always know for sure if you are heading towards heart trouble or not – and that is to get a yearly health screening. You don’t need to schedule a doctor’s appointment, you don’t need any health insurance, and you don’t need a ‘fat wallet’ either – all you need is right here.
PSA Test and Cancer
Filed under: Prostate-Specific Antigen
A study finds that the PSA test is the best test to be taken to determine whether a biopsy should be done or whether a person is at risk for prostate cancer. This test is very easy to perform, very inexpensive, and can go a long way in preventative measures towards cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer affects approximately one in six American men, and is the second most common cancer among this patient group, behind skin cancer. While death from prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men and more than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with the disease this year, it can be treatable. There are more than 2 million men that have survived prostate cancer. It is crucial that all men get tested for this disease yearly.
Do You Want to Live to 100?
Ask 100 people that and you may very well get 100 yes responses, but there are a lot of contributing factors (thankfully not 100 of them in this article) that can give you some clues to whether or not you will see that day when 100 birthday candles are on your cake. And FYI; Clue #8 has to do with what my colleague just wrote about in her blog – Fat.
So if you would like to eventually join the ‘Centenarian Club’, that means keeping tabs on your overall health. And TestMeHealth.com makes it convenient and inexpensive for you to do just that.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead a Life changer
After watching the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead I have decided to juice as well. It is quite a transformational movie. It has helped thousands of people across the country and is really starting to be a movement of its own. The nice thing is that you have a place to get tested every few weeks that is affordable and easy to use. TestMeHealth.com offers the very needed Compelete Blood Count test as well as several others that will be helpful on this and other types of diets. An Essential Panel would be even better for extreme diets/fasts such as this one. It is a good idea to seek medical advice from your doctor before beginning any type of diet. If your doctor gives you the go ahead, it is advisable to still monitor yourself while on the diet.
This diet is a massive adjustment but can lead to some dramatic results. It is not really called a diet, more so a fast. However, the results have been nothing but remarkable from the people that have been on it. Yes I am going to go for the full 60 days. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out. This is a fast that is also very health for people with different types of diseases. But, make sure to talk to your doctor before beginning. Best of luck to all those that go on the fast. Wish me luck to.
The ‘Fat Tax’ Could Be Around the Corner for Us
It seems there are many different ideas coming out to put a halt to our growing obesity epidemic. The newest one around the world – the ‘Fat Tax’. Denmark has now joined in with Hungary as the second country to place a tax on foods with high amounts of saturated fat. We, here in the states, are currently battling less potatoes in the schools. Right, Wrong – who’s to say? But I guess at least something is being done and bringing attention to obesity. And if this FAT tax works over in Europe, I can see it coming soon to a local grocery store near you too.
With 1.6 billion people, according to WHO, that are eating themselves to obesity I don’t think there’s one good answer though or one particular thing that is going to stop this growing epidemic (pun intended). I’m sure the world will end up with a combination of many “solutions” to finally get results. One thing for sure…getting periodic health screenings and staying on top of your health – being proactive, is a good thing to remain healthy and help you stray from any epidemic that comes along.
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Cancer a New Perspective on Life
Life, wow, how hectic the U.S. lifestyle. Task after task, checklist after checklist, event after event, product after product, and busy for the sake of being busy. It is exhausting just thinking about all that we do in a typical day, week, month, or year. Yet who the heck cares? Does any of it have any meaning? We go through life day in and day out accomplishing tasks that for the most part don’t make us happy and are done to make everyone else around us happy. Worse yet just to get it off the task list.
In life I have noticed that most people put up with people that treat them badly just to be nice and not cause waves. We take on added stress as a result of those people. We take on added stress at work trying to live up to the “Joneses”. We take on added stress with the finances as most of the US overextends itself. We don’t exercise enough which leads to added stress. Disease occurs in a body that is not at ease. Suddenly, and without warning we are diagnosed with something like cancer or some other life threatening disease and we are forced to take a step back. We reexamine what is important in life and what is not. The trick is how to get rid of the clutter of tasks that don’t make us happy, don’t fulfill us, and don’t matter in the scheme of things but still for some reason still seem like they need done.
Isn’t it funny that we don’t ponder more deeply the meaning of life until life has a possibility of ending. Is there a way to realize a deeper purpose in life? Is there a way to clear the mental clutter, task clutter, stuff clutter, and relationship clutter? Is there an easy way to find your life’s purpose? Is there enough time? If I were to die tomorrow, would I feel fulfilled? Would my family be ok? Would anyone care? Deep stuff but the thing you think about when the “C” word is thrown out as a diagnosis.
Later, after the subtle poor me and what happens when I die questions you get to the point when you ask what happens if I live? What will it take to live? Do I have enough fight left in me? Or am I just too tired to put in the effort? It is interesting the stages that one goes through with diagnosis.
Did I catch it early enough? Only time will tell.
One thing I do know is that preventative testing catches things like cancer early. Expectations are that our current health care system will be even less of a preventative system and more of a reactive system in the coming decades with the new health care law. It is more important than ever to test early and often. Time to take control of your health and your life. The “C” word changes your perspective on everything. Sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can go back up.
Where Has America Gone?
I can’t recognize it anymore! From prosperous and good looking to debt-ridden and fat. And I only wish I could use the slang word Phat, but even that has gone by the wayside. With our current trends, this is what will be – “Fat” debt along with Fat Americans. We are quite literally…spending and eating ourselves to the death…among other things. But I guess that in itself is keeping with our American culture of: “If you’re going to do it – do it BIG or don’t do it at all!”
Unfortunately, we are only dooming ourselves like this article states and it needs to turn around quickly…. or we will end up a society portrayed in the movie WALL-E. And you know, when I first saw the movie I thought, “Wow, Disney/Pixar really has a sick and twisted mind about our future.” But then the more I see, the more I think, “Wow – they were right on!” And taking steps like providing less potatoes in schools, not allowing activities like dodgeball, tag, kickball, etc for fear of injuries and fights, and adding MORE desk time are NOT the right ways to go about this crisis…like stated here.
For us adults – we should all look into the mirror and repeat this: “Shame, shame, shame!” I don’t know what else to say – except from what I’ve already written in the past: “…for crying out loud – where are all the adults and parents now? Where has all the responsibility gone? It’s not our kids fault, (it’s not the school’s fault) and it’s not the fast food industry’s fault – its our own (the adults) fault!”
From trying to sue over the pettiest of issues, to creating “food challenges” to overspending (cause afterall, “It takes money to get money”) – just to try and gain popularity and/a buck. The kids aren’t coming up with these ideas – we (the adults) are. And until WE change, they will keep following in our footsteps and become adults just like us. We need to change…and find America again.
SPUD WARS
A long time ago…in a field far, far away…potatoes are posing a threat to our children! Really? Well, our government would like us to think so anyway. Granted that our obesity levels have gone up but is this really the right step? You take away something a kid likes and 9 times out of 10 they want it even more. So, yeah “Big Brother” might win, but then, so will McDonald’s and Wendy’s and Hardee’s and Jack-in-the-Box, and KFC – do I really need to go on? You take a trip around any school, especially a middle school and especially a high school and you’ll find a fast food place not to far away just itching to serve your kid some spuds – way to go Washington! In the meantime, this article I think hits the nail on the head.
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Fall is Here – See the “Signs”…
that change is coming. This is the time when nature proceeds to give us a spectacular array of colors and brings cooler weather for most of the country. All signs to help prepare us for change. But what about your own body’s changes? Sometimes there are real obvious ones that we can actually see, like wrinkles and/or losing hair when getting older. But some changes can go unnoticed altogether because they take place internally and don’t show any “signs” (symptoms) we can see or even feel right away. Say for instance like diabetes and/or cancer. You could have one of those for months before really noticing any significant changes because the only “signs” that anything has change, is that you may become fatigued more often and/or start losing weight faster than normal without any changes in how you eat and/or exercise. Then there are a couple of STDs like Chlamydia & Gonnerhea that may not even show any “signs” at all until it’s too late to reverse the internal damage that has already taken place.
Well, like Fall (or any of the seasons) we know they come and go every year – that will never change. But for you, an annually health screening can be the biggest change you could do to help prepare for your own body’s changes or to just make sure there are no surprising ones lurking in the shadows. We prepare for changes in weather, so why not prepare for any possible changes in your body as well. It’s convenient, inexpensive and a smart thing to do – and just a click away.
The Fountain of Youth?
Wouldn’t it be nice? Once a year…just head on down to the waters and soak your age away. Unfortunately, nice is usually not easy – but it is possible. There are many things we could be doing to help live a longer life – problem is, they take change and many of us don’t like change. So given an option between say eating nuts with our sandwich instead of potato chips – it stands to reason we pick the latter. Our (American) society is pretty much built this way – order a combo meal…and we get fries and a soda. Yes, it is slowing changing around, but it’s not going to change that much. So it’s really up to you if you want your own fountain of youth. Working out 20-30 min a day, drinking Cranberry juice and even eating Oatmeal cookies are all small things that will help improve your cholesterol which will help you stay healthy and, at least in your mind, young. Afterall…you’re as only as young as you feel…right? ; ) Here’s the full story with more excellent tips on how some small changes can lead to a longer life.
And if you would like to see where your cholesterol levels are, then look no further. Just click here. It’s convenient and inexpensive. Plus we explain what HDL and LDL stand for and why a cholesterol test is referred to as a Lipid Panel.
Super Virus Killer on the Way
What if a drug could kill all viruses? It has been thought that if you can eliminate viruses, cancer, and mental deterioration, a person could live for hundreds of years. One piece of the puzzle may be on its way. Now in development from MIT, researchers are working on a super antiviral drug of sorts that can be used to kill any virus from HIV to the common cold. Is it possible? In a paper published July 27 in the journal PLUS ONE researchers tested 15 different viruses. The drug used killed every virus. In essence it should work at all types of viruses. The virus works by attacking the RNA in cells that have been infected by a virus and kills those sells. In essence eliminating the virus. It was in essence effective at killing the viruses of the common cold, H1N1 influenza, a stomach virus, a polio virus, dengue fever and several other types of hemorrhagic fever.
The super antiviral was developed by Todd Rider, a senior staff scientist in MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Chemical, Biological, and Nanoscale Technologies Group. The antiviral treatment may be several years away from actually being used on humans but the research is very promising as it worked on standalone cells. Does this mean no need for vaccination of any kind in the future? Perhaps. One thing is for certain, if there is an antiviral for all viruses, it will have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical company’s profits.
In the meantime, it is still crucial to get tested for viral infections. Getting treatment will prevent irreversible harm done to your body and that of others.
What’s the 2nd Most Common Cancer Among Men?
Filed under: Prostate-Specific Antigen
I’ll give you a clue – it’s not Lung Cancer – and if you haven’t guessed or “Googled” it yet – its Prostate Cancer (PC). One in six American men will be diagnosed with it – and that number increases after you hit 50 years of age if not screened by then. On top of that, African-American men are at an increased risk to begin with, as well as, anyone with any family history. So what is a man to do? Get tested – detecting Prostate Cancer at an early stage is the best chance to have any kind of control and favorable treatment options. Yes, a healthy diet, moderate alcohol use, and exercising are all things to help decrease your chances of ever getting it, but if you are not ever screened for it – you may not know until it’s too late. In it’s early stages, PC usually is slow growing and may not even present any symptoms.
Symptoms that would associate with Prostate Cancer are painful urination, pain and/or discomfort in the groin, blood in your urine, a weak urine stream, and trouble getting and/or maintaining an erection. If you have been experiencing any of those, then you would be wise to consider a PSA test. It stands for Prostate-Specific Antigen and is the substance produced by your prostate gland. This test will determine the amount that is in your blood to indicate any abnormalities that could lead to prostate cancer or prostatitis.
And men, even though you may not show any of those symptoms, you should also consider having this test if you are 50 years of age or older, have a family history of prostate cancer or prostatitis, and/or are of African-American decent.
Eating on the job?
With this tight economy, many corporate workers have found it useful to multitask by eating lunch while continuing with their work while at their desk. But can you remember the last time you actually cleaned your desk and everything on it? In a recent study at the University of Arizona in 2007 – the average desktop has 100 times more bacteria on it than a kitchen table and (get this) 400 times more than the average toilet seat!
So trying to save time while eating and working may actually cost you more time away from work by having more sick days than usual – so the next time you want to multitask at your desk, do some cleaning first…oh, and don’t forget to wash your hands as well. Click here to read more.
Importance of Health Screening
As medical insurance rates go up and less and less people have coverage, some are wondering what a good way is to affordably monitor their health on an annual basis. Health screening tests are a great way to do a checkup if you don’t have the time or money to make it to your doctor. An overall health screening can give you an indication as to whether the doctor’s visit is warranted. Done annually, it is also a great way to track your body. It is recommended that everyone that is over the age of 18 get an annual health screening blood work done.
Annual health screening blood work gives indications as to whether or not something is seriously wrong. Even if you do your annual visit to the doctor 1 x per year, they may not run your blood work unless you appear to have outward signs. Taking your health into your own hands and being proactive is the best way to ensure long term longevity. Keeping healthy and finding problems early on is what preventative medicine is all about. You do this through annual health screenings.
To D or Not To D
Fall is upon us and the clouds and colder weather have already moved in (well, at least here in the Midwest anyway) and it’s decision making time – do I start going to the tanning beds again or start taking supplements to get my Vitamin D intake? Now I know there is a LOT of hype around tanning beds and skin cancer, but for many of us, who are not fortunate to live in a nice year-long sunny state, it’s about the only way to keep a tan. Plus, if done correctly they can actually benefit you by providing necessary Vitamin D our bodies need – for the full story just click here. And for you Midwestern naturalists out there, taking supplements is about the best shot we have to keep our body’s Vitamin D levels on track during the fall and winter months.
But either way (or even if you do a combination of both), you need to be monitoring your Vitamin D levels. Lack of Vitamin D is linked to some cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Even pregnant women with insufficient levels can bare children that have lower bone density than normal. So if you’re feeling like you’ve been trapped indoors all summer long and haven’t had some fun in the sun – you might want to get your Vitamin D levels checked, especially if you’re experience frequent muscle fatigue and/or dull aches and pains. And on the opposite spectrum, if you’ve been taking Vitamin D supplements knowing that you haven’t been in the sun much and are experiencing a decreased appetite, irritability and/or vomiting – you could have too much Vitamin D in your system. Getting tested will allow you to find out where your levels are now. Don’t wait too long…Vitamin D is one of the most (if not the most) important vitamin we need as humans – as stated here.
App for Your Health
Quest Diagnostics has developed Gazelle™, a mobile health app that has enables you to see, store, and share your important health information, and take control of your health at your convenience.
Benefits of using this app include the ability to see, store, and share your medical records using your mobile devise, including lab results. In addition, you can quickly access your medical records, prescription information, and share health related information via email and/or fax. The app allows you to store doctors’ and insurance information, emergency details, allergies,vital statistics, prescriptions, lab results as well as medical and immunization histories. Lab report will include an explanation of normal and abnormal values for each test.
Another equally important functions includes the ability to monitor weight and body mass wirelessly with the Withings WiFi Body Scale. It automatically tracks changes in your weight and can even upload your data to Gazelle or the web. Keeping body weight in check is one of the best ways to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Lastly, you can keep a travel log with dates which can help doctors diagnosis certain medical conditions that you may have picked up on your travels.
High Testosterone levels to get smart children
Genetics or environment? The nature vs nurture question is going to keep researchers occupied for the next 100 years if not longer. The question that is being asked by one Canadian researcher is “Does testosterone in utero enhance IQ?” While a definitive answer is definitely years away, the science seems to indicate that there is a possible link.
The more testosterone your child is exposed to at critical times during early development, the more likely that child will focus on subjects such as math and science. Will hormonal supplementation become the gold standard to produce genius children? Who knows, but at the very least, this scientist believes that parents could help determine what subjects their children will be good at by testing testosterone during pregnancy.
Your Annual Health Screening
I was having a conversation with a nurse just the other day speaking about how sometimes people find out things purely by accident. Her story involved a person who took a fall during work at her job. It wasn’t a bad fall and she didn’t get anything but a bruise on her side – but her boss wanted her to go get some tests done anyway…just in case. Turned out from the labwork and then future x-rays that she actually had a kidney stone that pretty much was the size of her fist…which is about the size of your kidney anyway! Well, after many complicated procedures and months off work – it was taken care of. But the moral of the story here is: an annual routine full health screening (blood draw, urine sample, lab work) would have found this in it’s beginning stages and could have easily been taken care of years ago – but she never did go get any screenings done because she always “felt okay”.
Well, this is a perfect example of why it’s important to get screened at least once a year. Just because you may not be experiencing any symptoms or pain (or they go come and go) doesn’t mean that there may not be a serious underlying issue just waiting to “explode” into a bigger more complicated health problem.
We make it convenient to get tested and even have an affordable Men’s and a Women’s health screening package which is just a click away.
Yes…Guys Have Estrogen Too
Guys…ever feel like you’re not gaining any more muscle. Does it seem like your breasts are growing and getting softer? Do you have more belly fat, even though your food/drinking consumption hasn’t changed? Well, this could be because your Estrogen levels are increasing. And yes, we (as guys) produce estrogen, and sometimes our estrogen levels can get out of balance. That’s why it’s important to get a screening done to find our for sure why your body is experiencing changes.
And for you ladies, it’s just as important to check your estrogen levels as well. Imbalanced levels can lead to night sweats, mood swings with irritability, depression, vaginal dryness, painful sexual intercourse, and hot flashes. So if you have been experiencing any of those symptoms frequently you should schedule a screening today. Just click here to get started.
It’s Clean Up Time
Hurricane Irene is officially over, but her aftermath is still affecting millions. It may not kill anyone, but it could affect as much as the initial hurricane did – especially if safety protocols/guidelines and warning signs that FEMA and local professionals set up to help keep everyone safe are ignored.
Well, much like a hurricane, certain health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer can take a while to build up momentum that will eventually cause a lot of damage to your internal organs. And like FEMA, we here at TestMeHealth.com provide health safety guidelines and give you the warning signs to help keep you informed and healthy.
If you haven’t been eating right, not exercising and/or you smoke or have a family health history – put your body in high alert and get tested today – unlike a hurricane, you can usually stop these health issues from quickly turning into a disaster and shut them down…but only if you first heed to the early warning signs.
C-Reactive Protein and Breast Cancer Survival
Filed under: C-Reactive Protein
Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are increased in response to acute inflammation, infection and tissue damage. Cancer also causes levels of C-reactive protein to increase. A study conducted in Denmark with 2000 breast cancer patients found that the higher the C-reactive protein, the worse the prognosis found Kristine Allin, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital, and colleagues reported in BMC’s Breast Cancer Research.
The five-year survival decreased from 90% for low CRP to 74% for high levels of CRP, disease-free survival reduced from 87% to 74%, and deaths from breast cancer increased from 11% to 20% according to the Copenhagen University Hospital Study. Survival with cancer increases with reduced CRP and survival after cancer increases with reduced CRP.
So the next question is how do you decrease your c-reactive protein naturally? Below is a list of possible ways to decrease your CRP levels and allow your body to naturally begin to heal itself.
- Mediterranean diet high in organic fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats.
- Eat more foods high in fiber in the form of fruits, vegetables and beans.
- Intake of organic flavonoid rich food.
- Take Vitamin C supplements (1000 mg recommended)
- Take Omega 3 Fatty acids and Fish Oils (300-500 mg)
- Eat more fish
- Practice relaxation techniques to decrease hypertension
- Don’t smoke
- Drink 4-6 cups of Green Tea a day
- Take Vitamin E
- Take COQ10
- Eat small amounts of dark chocolate
It is funny that the same recommendations for food keep popping up in preventing almost all types of diseases. The body is best at processing certain types of food and we are learning more about what makes our bodies sick and food plays a big part. To monitor your CRP levels regularly go to TestMeHealth.com.
Decrease Your Cardiovascular Risk Factor with Blue and Purple
The average person’s intake of blue and purple fruit is far less than other types, but now there is new reason to increase your intake of these antioxidant powerhouses!
The American journal of Lifestyle Medicine recently published a study that found people who ate one or more serving of fruits such as grapes, blackberries, plums, and blueberries had lower levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which is produced when inflammation is present in the body. Increased inflammation has been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and poor circulation.
Moderation IS key.
I’ve been saying that for years – and obviously others are out to set some records straight as well. This time it’s about alcohol consumption in middle aged and older adults. Turns out that drinking moderately can lower risks for Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Here’s the full story. But we are talking about one serving (for women) to two servings (for men). It’s easy to say moderation, but it’s sure tough to follow – how many of us really stop at just those researched limits? I mean for crying out loud have you heard the news about the Triple Double Oreo cookie yet? Yeah, sounds cool, but do you know what the suggested serving size is…well, take a guess? Okay, it’s one. One little (tall) Oreo cookie! Really? I don’t know of one person yet who can just eat one Oreo and walk away from the bag (unless of course it’s really the last one in the bag) ; ) Same thing for wine – once a bottle is open, it’s easy to just keep pouring until it’s emptied.
No one has ever said moderation is easy – we wouldn’t have an obesity issue if that were the case. Well, I could go on and on but for now, if you haven’t felt like you’ve been eating and drinking moderately, you can get an essential health screening done fairly quickly and inexpensive to make sure your overall health is still in good shape – just click here.
The Prostate Examination
The prostate is a gland that is found only in men. It makes some of the fluid that protects and nourishes sperm.
In 2010 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer was reported, while there were 32,050 deaths in the same year. Studies showed that as many as 7 to 9 out of ten men had prostate cancer by the age of 80.
So, should you have a check up with your doctor, or possibly get some blood work done? Have you been putting it off? If, yes then please by all means, go and have it checked out.
What is TSH?
Filed under: News, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
It stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Hormones that are produced by our thyroid gland which are essential for metabolism. They sometimes can be overactive or underactive – which is why it’s important to get tested especially if there’s a family history of autoimmune disease and/or symptoms of fatigue, constipation, excessive sweating and/or a rapid heart rate. We make it simple to get tested – just click here.
Breakfast is #1!
In a rush? No time to sit and eat anything for breakfast? Well, study after study suggests that you should at least eat something. So it turns out you don’t need to have two eggs, hash browns, bacon and some orange juice & coffee to make a breakfast – grabbing a piece of fruit and/or a granola bar “on the run” will certainly suffice. The main goal here (if you are in a hurry) is to switch your body into gear after a good nights rest…and eating something in the morning will take care of that. Otherwise, you are forcing your body into a fasting period it’s not prepared for.
So waking up late for work may indeed get your heart pumping…just don’t forget to eat something to replenish that energy spent rushing around to get you there – your body will thank you.