You're probably thinking, "Of course my company offers health benefits... they offer health insurance."
Unfortunately
many people in the business of processing claims or selling insurance
do not see the distinction. When large employers do an analysis of their
"health" benefits spend and try to equate expenditures to health
outcomes there is disappointment. This should not be a surprise.
First, the metrics for measuring health outcomes are either non-existent or vague at best.
Secondly, even if metrics exist, base line data is usually not available.
Third, and the most important issue is that
favorable outcomes to an organization have no bearing to what an
individual employee perceives as good health.
Most employer "health" initiatives are cost containment strategies.
They focus on averaging down the average cost of a claim. This metric
usually has no bearing on improving the health of the employee.it is
focused on maintaining the same level of health for a "sick" individual
but at a less expensive cost.
While short term financial gains may be realized by focusing on the
few individuals who meet the employer's definition of "sick", long terms
gains to improving employee health will not result using the current
"benefits" model.
Three important philosophical changes are required for employers to impact on their employee's health via the benefits program:
First is the admission that vast majority of employer funded benefits are financial benefits, not health benefits. Providing tax effective compensation to fund health care costs are important but they are not health interventions. Ironically funding poor health may make it easier for employees
to delay behavior changes that will improve their health simply because
the financial consequences of poor behavior are absorbed by employers
and not employees.
The second is that restricting financial assistance
to health conditions defined by the employer as important is
paternalistic and probably counter-productive. We know the 80% of the
claims costs are incurred by less than 20% of the population. Does this
suggest that 80% of the population is healthy and does not deserve
employer support to improve their health?
The third is the industry's focus on supporting sick
employees to be sick at a cheaper price. The industry needs to evolve
to providing a benefit program that encourages all employees (both those
currently suffering from a chronic condition and the majority of
employees who are not claiming or absent from work) to maintain or
improve their health before the consequences of poor habits decrease the
quality of their lives.
The only real solution to prevent or treat chronic disease is to make sustainable lifestyle change. In fact, if we exercise more, eat better, don't smoke and drink moderately (or not at all) we can prevent;
- 90% of type II diabetes,
- 80% of cardiovascular disease,
- 70% of stroke and colon cancer
- 40% of other cancers.
If it's that simple, why are we not doing it? Well that's simple too - Change is hard!
Perhaps providing a corporate culture that supports healthy living is
the closest employers will come to providing "health benefits".
That's where we can help! We make change fun and manageable for anyone willing who wants to see positive changes in their health. Call us today to set up a consultation - 704.770.8214. You'll be glad you did!
Notice I didn't call this post The Laundry List of Foods Americans Need to Stop Eating... that list could take forever!
I believe that adding these 5 things to your lifestyle through
supplementation can bring about significantly healthful changes in your
immune system, your mood, your weight, energy levels and a whole other
laundry list of benefits!
Micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals):
Americans are starting to get that whole "calorie" thing down pat,
which provides us with the essential carbohydrates, fats and proteins we
need for energy. Restaurants all over the country offer "healthy
calorie" options and many people think they are eating healthy. The
truth is that we are still overfed and undernourished. A lot of the food
we eat at restaurants is processed and comes from non-organic farms,
which kills essential vitamins and minerals. When nature suffers, so do
we! The best ways to get these essential micro-nutrients is to either
eat locally grown produce from organic farms or provide the body with
nutrients directly through supplementation. What to look for:
If you can contact the manufacturer of the supplement you decide to
take, find out if they know what the absorption rate is. Many advertise a
percentage on the bottle, but the truth is that only a fraction of it
is absorbed by the body.
Fiber: Let's face it - fiber is the least sexy topic... ever...
and if you can come up with a sexy line for it, I'd love to hear it!
Fiber is the non-digestible part of plant food. It performs functions
that no other organ can and plays a huge part in our health and
well-being. The average person only gets 10-15 grams of fiber per
day... and is likely to be carrying 10-15 pounds of...
sludge... in their intestinal tract! If you are carrying this...
sludge... in the organ that absorbs the nutrients in your food, it is
also being reabsorbed into your system. Fiber comes to the rescue by
sweeping this up and pushing it out of your digestive tract. Remember:
taking all the vitamins and supplements in the world won't matter if
they can't be absorbed into the body because there is... sludge... in
the way! What to Look For: Look for multiple
sources of both Soluble Fiber (traps excess sugar, fat and cholesterol)
and Insoluble Fiber (speeds the movement of food through the digestive
tract). Supplement with fiber drink mixes or bars when necessary.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The typical American diet now tends to contain 20 times more Omega-6s than Omega-3s. Research on Omega-3s
suggest that the brain actually prefers EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty
acids. However, due to the over-consumption of Omega-6s and
under-consumption of Omega-3s, our cells are not able to absorb what
little Omega-3s we get because Omega-6s block the membranes that allow
them in. Healthy doses of EPA and DHA Omega-3s (1,000 to 3,000 mg) have
been shown to improve mood, concentration and memory, promote healthy
fetal development, decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke, and
promote healthy joint mobility. What to Look For:
Supplementation of Omega-3s should come from pure, cold-water fish, and
then purified, distilled and certified to contain no contaminants.
Probiotics: It is important to remember that biotic means life.
While antibiotics certainly have their place in medicine, they also
kill a lot of essential life-giving bacteria... not all, but some. There
are more microorganisms (flora) in the intestines than there are cells
in the whole of the human body! An imbalance of good and bad flora in
the intestines can lead to occasional indigestion, constipation,
abdominal discomfort and other digestive problems. It can also lead to
acne, bad breath, sluggishness and unexplained fatigue. Other culprits
of an imbalance in intestinal flora include chlorine, stress and
processed sugar/flour. Probiotics can often be found in yogurt (watch
out for sugar/calories!), miso soup, kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut. What to Look For: If you decide to supplement your probiotic, look for Stomach-Acid-Resistant strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (which targets the small intestine) and Bifidobacterium lactis (which targets the colon). These attach themselves to the intestinal wall to counteract bad flora, but they need fiber to stay alive!
Water:
Water is essential to all of our bodily functions because hydrogen and
oxygen each play a role in the generation of energy molecules. Have you
ever noticed how the directions on every bottle of medicine we've ever
taken says to take with a full glass of water. It may just be
that our body was just crying out for water. Water makes up a large part
of many of our organ systems and when we don't replenish what it
eliminates, we unnecessarily suffer in many ways. The recommendation now
is to drink half your body weight in ounces (Ex: 150 lb person needs at
least 75 oz of water per day). Drink lots of water when taking your
supplements, when taking your fiber, when taking your Omega-3s, when
taking your probiotics and whatever else you are ingesting into your
body... because there is a very good chance that water plays a huge part
in the bodily processes that help the functions of these nutrients
succeed. You can live without food, but you can't live without water!
My
philosophy on wellness takes a holistic approach in that there isn't
just one way to achieve health and balance, but rather a combination of
many lifestyle habits working together to support each other. Our immune
system is the same way - there aren't organs specifically designated
for it, however our immunity is a result of all our other systems
working together harmoniously! 1 Corinthians 12:26 says (speaking of the human body) If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
The more we learn about the way the human body works, the more we are
able to see that our bodies have the ability to heal itself far greater
than anyone has ever permitted us to believe. While I haven't listed
everything that's needed to maintain good health, I've at least given
you an accessible and affordable head start!
I specialize in
helping businesses keep employees and their families out of the doctors
office through a simple and affordable approach to wellness. People are
waking up to the fact that there are holistic paths to health, however
they believe this approach to be too expensive. My job is to educate
employees and consumers where our American culture has failed us and
what safe, effective and affordable options are available to them in the
marketplace today. I do this by partnering with a United States based manufacturer
that combines the best of science and nature to provide solutions to
common health challenges and deliver them right to our clients'
doorstep! The first 4 recommendations I made are very accessible and
affordable... I would know - I use them all myself!
If you or your
Charlotte, NC area company is open to taking a look at what I have to
offer, give us a call today to set up a consultation - 704.770.8214.
There is no obligation and you will be guaranteed to learn something
new!
If I was told that I could only do one thing to plan for my
retirement, it would be to invest in my health. And the following are 3
reasons why I say that health is the best thing you can invest in for
retirement.
1.)
If you are in good health you are more likely to miss fewer days of
work, to be more focused, effective and “present” at work and thus to do
a better job and improve your chances of a pay raise and / or a
promotion. Plus, considering that many of the chronic diseases retirees face can be
eliminated or delayed though better health choices earlier in life, it
goes to reason that investing in your investment in health now has a
very real probability of lowering your healthcare expenses in
retirement. You don't want to spend your health to build your wealth only to spend your wealth only to get your health back! This leads to reason #2...
2.) If you are healthy, you will have the choice to
work later into your life. Nearly half of current retirees retired
sooner than they expected to and the number one reason was health -
either their own deteriorating health or to be a care-giver for a loved
one.
3.) Your health will determine what activities you are
able to enjoy in retirement. Will you be able to play with grandchildren,
travel and enjoy other leisure activities; or will you be immobile and
in pain? A large determinant of which scenario will be your reality will
be determined by how seriously you invest in your health during your
working years.
So what do you think is the #1 retirement investment
and why? If you also choose health, are there reasons other than the
ones I gave that stand out to you?
