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Patt Carpenter - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

Patt Carpenter is a writer for Precedent Insurance Company. Prededent puts a new spin on health insurance.

[View Patt Carpenter's Extended Author Bio]

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  • The Appendix Has A Better Sense of Purpose Than A Lot of Us
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] It turns out the appendix has something a lot of us wish we had a better sense of: purpose. A study published online this month in the Journal of Theoretical Biology revealed that the organ once thought useless in adults may, in fact, play an important, life-long role in the immune system.


  • Your Boss Really Is Killing You - Women May Be More Vulnerable To The Detriments of Stress In Texas
    [Womens-Interests] "You know, I can handle my job. It's my boss that's killing me." Well, it turns out Christine, an administrative assistant for a large Midwestern city government office, may not be far from the truth. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Americans are more likely to suffer a second heart attack if they work a stressful job.


  • Panic Attacks May Be More Dangerous For Women - Texas Universities Could Find Answers
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Suffering a panic attack may increase a woman's risk of heart attack and stroke by as much as three hundred percent. Previous studies have linked depression with heart disease and other medical conditions, according to the University of Texas Medical Branch, but a recent analysis published in the Archives of General Psychiatry is one of the first to independently link anxiety-related disorders with cardiovascular problems.


  • As If We Didn't Know - Harvard and The University of Texas Recognize Complementary Practices
    [Health-and-Fitness:Alternative] So it's finally official. Some have been waiting years for it, for simple words giving validity to their professions and recognition for their lives' work. Some of their predecessors have been waiting centuries. Harvard researchers admit it now; so do the ever-increasing number of once-skeptical, now-surprised patients. "It works," they say. "By god, it works."


  • The Greatest Rip-Off In Texas - Oil Companies Haven't Paid Their Taxes In Years
    [Legal:National-State-Local] It would seem casual jokes around the water cooler aren't so casual anymore: oil companies really aren't paying their billions in taxes, and the federal government may be involved in letting them get away with it. Recent New York Times reporting reveals that the Interior Department's program to collect money from oil and gas companies that drill on federal lands has been a dismal failure. The corporations owe billions, yet very little of it is actually being turned over.


  • Texas Women Are Drinkers - They May Also Be At Higher Risk for Breast Cancer
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Texas women may be at higher risk for breast cancer, according to recent studies. Lead researcher Dr. Yan Li, an Oakland, California oncologist at Kaiser Permanente, and colleagues discovered that three or more alcoholic beverages a day - whatever the form - increase risk of the disease by thirty percent. Considering that the Texas Department of State Health Services classifies an overwhelming ninety-six percent of women in Texas as moderate drinkers, our Lone Star ladies may be particularly vulnerable.


  • Come on, Salt? Texans Have Better Ways To Die
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] So it's not heart disease or cancer that's killing so many of us -- it's salt. More Americans are dying a slow, sodium-based death than from other, more infamous diseases combined, according to experts.


  • Governments Should Buy The Supply of Opium - Texas Shares The Pain
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] The Senlis Council has an idea for dealing with the vast quantity of poppies grown in Afghanistan: buy it, of course. Opium harvests have been on the rise in the war-torn, near-lawless country since conflicts began with the United States, and despite strong eradication efforts by American and British forces, there's no end in site. In fact, the country is currently producing ninety-three percent of the world's supply. Yet, 6.2 million individuals are dying of cancer, AIDS, burns and wounds without adequate pain relief, according to the World Health Organization.


  • Where Did You Get That Texan Accent?
    [Communications] Many individuals who live and work in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas have a distinct way of speaking. The Texan accent, in every way, is unique to other Southern accents. In fact, the manner in which Texans talk holds a special place in the ongoing history of American language.


  • Texans Have Many Reasons To Work Out More
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Exercise may provide healthier and longer lives for individuals in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas. Indeed, a fitness routine may be the "silver bullet" responsible for a host of rewards.


  • Texas Children May Be Taking An Unapproved Prescription Opoid
    [Kids-and-Teens] It looks like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in hot water yet again. Recent revelations that over one hundred manufacturers are making potentially harmful, unapproved prescription opoid-containing medications, and that these drugs are being freely distributed in the United States, has many wary of the administration's ability to oversee drug safety.


  • Texas Cancer Patients May Be At Higher Risk For Divorce
    [Relationships:Divorce] Developing certain types of cancers may increase your chances of getting a divorce, says a recent Norwegian study. Presented this month at the European Cancer Organization conference in Barcelona, Spain, the study's results surprised the international community. As Norway's divorce rates are comparable to most other developed countries, the results are considered applicable to similar nations, including the United States.


  • Tiny Needles In Texas Equal Pain Sufferers' Best Friends
    [Health-and-Fitness:Healing-Arts] Yet another study confirms that acupuncture works better than conventional treatments alone for pain relief. On September 24th, the Archives of Internal Medicine published the results of the longest and most extensive study of acupuncture to treat back pain, a German collaboration sponsored by health insurance companies and involving more than 1,200 patients.


  • Study Says Vaccine Preservative Is Harmless - Texas Parents Will Have To Decide For Themselves
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] A study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine backs up previous reports that a mercury-containing preservative in some children's vaccines is harmless.


  • Cookies Are Calling In Texas - What You See Is What You Eat
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Stop fighting it! You know you're going to do it. Don't you see that luscious, Macadamia-nut-chocolate-chip-brownie-fudge-topped ooey, gooey cookie right there? I know you do. Yep, it's just a matter of time before that little sugar-packed morsel pops in your mouth and fluffs out your belly.


  • For Texans Exercise Can Have Gender Differences
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] While men and women may prefer different types of fitness and exercise regimens, each gender can learn from one other. Individuals living in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, are among those who can benefit from shared ideas.


  • The Clock Is Ticking For Texans
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] If you're a busy individual who lives in Austin, Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas, you probably feel that you never have enough time to do everything you want to do. If you feel this describes your life, maybe instilling some time management techniques can help to reduce the amount of stress in your life.


  • Knowing The Right People In Texas - Making Networking Upwardly Mobile
    [Business:Networking] Knowing the right individuals in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other great places in Texas really can make your world go around. If you want to go up to the next rung on your career ladder, networking can be an incredible tool to help you reach your goals. It was held to be number one among "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," a self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey in 1989.


  • More Texans Need To Learn How To Say No
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Everyone hates hearing it, but many individuals have problems saying it: the word "no." Just two letters - one syllable, but it is one of the more difficult words for people to say to others. Sure, you do it for your peace of mind, but saying "no" may also be a healthier option for stress relief for those of you who live in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other places in Texas.


  • Freefall Abseiling And Rap Running In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Freefall abseiling (or rappelling) and rap running are great land activities suitable for all abilities and levels of expertise. They're also starting to take off in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, with individuals gathering their equipment and heading off into nearby hills and cliffs.


  • Friendships in Texas Can Improve Your Life and Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] Ask any individual who's got them, friends, whether you live in Austin, Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas, are good for you. They are good for health as well as for your life in general. The proof? During down times, friends are a source of comfort and strength.


  • Playing Competitive Checkers in Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Youth in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other locations in Texas play checkers more often than chess. If you're an individual who's a serious checker player, you sometimes have to defend your position that checkers is better than chess! Of course, both games have merit, but here are some of checkers finer points.


  • Getting Married In Texas Could Mean Getting Fit First
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Walking down the aisle in Texas might mean finding the perfect dress, the best hair stylist, and the right makeup. But today's brides are adding another item to their list before saying "I do" - getting in the best shape of their lives.


  • Spirituality Helps Texans With Stress Relief
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] There are certain activities that can reduce stress which are very tangible, including exercise, eating healthier and developing and nurturing friendships. But many individuals in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas also find that looking within themselves can help them manage the difficult times.


  • Texans Need To Stop Their Denial
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] Denial isn't a river that runs through Egypt. It's an emotional state that many individuals in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas put themselves through on a daily basis. For many individuals, denial is an unconscious coping mechanism which grants a person time to adjust to a distressing situation.


  • Texans Need To Add Balance To Their Work Lives
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Many individuals who work and live in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, may find that their work lives and personal lives are out of balance, with their stress levels running high. If that's the case with you, it's important to reclaim control of your life.


  • Drinking May Reduce The Risk Of Certain Diseases, But Don't Get Too Excited, Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Heavy drinking may lead to more than alcoholism, according to recent studies. A report appearing online, to be published later in a print version of The International Journal of Cancer, revealed that women who drink an average of more than two alcoholic beverages a day double their chances of being diagnosed with endometrial cancer, compared with those who drink less.


  • Free Treatment For Diabetics In Texas - Exercise
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] Well, well, well. I do believe we finally have a winner: free therapy for the growing number of those with diabetes. It turns out there are few excuses for diabetics -- or any of us, for that matter -- not to exercise. According to recent reports, nearly any form of exercise benefits the long-term control of blood sugar levels, be it aerobic, weight/resistance training, or both. Both forms in conjunction worked better than either one alone. This is great news for Texas, with more than 1.8 million estimated diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetics.


  • Minority Children In Texas More Likely To Die of Asthma
    [Health-and-Fitness:Asthma] Minority children in Texas are at higher risk for asthma, according to recent reports. One million children in Texas are considered asthmatic - more than ten percent of all children in the country diagnosed with the disease - and African-American and Puerto Rican kids are six times as likely to die from it as their counterparts, says a report from the National Center for Health Statistics.


  • A Link Between Oral Health and Nutrition in Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] According to the latest medical research, there is a correlation between a healthy mouth and a healthy body. Most Texans understand the popular link between healthy eating to prevent heart disease and keeping a normal body weight. Now individuals in Dallas, Houston, Austin and the rest of Texas need to think about food decisions to benefit the health of their mouths.


  • Fat Build Up Increases Risk Of Insulin Resistance For Texans
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] As a young individual who lives in Dallas, Houston, Austin or other locations in Texas, you try to stay in shape. But maybe you're still carrying a few extra pounds. Medical professionals have already linked your spare tire to the increased risk of diabetes. Now doctors are saying that upper trunk fat, which are deposits of fat on your chest and back, is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance.


  • There, There, Texans - Breakin' Up May Not Be So Hard to Do, After All
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] I distinctly remember my first real breakup, experienced during that adventurous, turbulent, and notorious freshman year of college. I had just moved away from my tiny, Midwestern hometown to seek my degree at a large university out of state. My partner and I had pledged our undying commitment to each other before I left and vowed to marry under the moonlit prairie: Shakespeare himself would have been proud. Soon, he said, he would move to live with me, and everything would be as it should.


  • Hang Up! Developing Cell Phone Etiquette In Texas
    [Relationships:Communication] You've got one, you use it all the time and it's become an integral part of your life. You are a "call-a-holic", as some individuals in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in signal-free parts of Texas might tag you.


  • Recent Discovery A Breakthrough For Texans Concerned About Diabetes?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] British researchers believe they may have found a molecule that can "taste sweets." This breakthrough could lead to better lines of treatment for the hundreds of thousands of diabetics who live in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in the state of Texas.


  • Texans Are Falling In Love With Yodeling
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] For some individuals who live in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in Texas, yodeling is just a bunch of yelling. For others, yodeling or jodeling is a form of singing that is starting to sweep Texas. In fact, several semi-famous Texan singers, like Arthur Miles and Don Wasler, incorporated yodeling as part of their distinctive vocal styles.


  • Pollution May Increase Asthma and Cholesterol Risks for Texans
    [Health-and-Fitness:Asthma] This new pronouncement from medical researchers is a tough one, especially if you are an individual who lives in heavy traffic cities. Pollution may contribute not only to asthma, but also to higher cholesterol.


  • Shop Around, Savvy Capitalists - Texas Could Save Big On Healthcare
    [Insurance:Health] Texans could save up to eighty percent on certain medical bills if they play their cards right, according to several publications released over the past few years. A typical American family of four is expected to receive $14,500 worth of medical care this year, and an insured family will pay an average of over a third of that - $5,100 - on their own.


  • Drugstore Clinics Widespread, Despite Criticisms - Texas May See More Walk-In Options
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Basic healthcare may have just gotten easier, albeit controversially. The number of walk-in clinics at drugstores like Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, and Duane Reade has been increasing over the last two years, and very little is slowing down plans to add hundreds more across the country.


  • Texas Braces For More Protestors - The Creation of Artificial Life Expected In Three To Ten Years
    [News-and-Society:Politics] In three to ten years, expect the major announcement this country has been waiting for - that artificial life has been officially created. Whether one is vehemently opposed to such technology, or believes it the greatest scientific breakthrough of the modern era, get ready.


  • Texas Ranks Above Average on National Credit Scores
    [Finance:Credit] Credit card usage is on the rise, according to a report released this week by the well-known credit-tracking company, Experian. More Americans have more cards, and heavy users are just getting heavier.


  • Texas Children In Danger Again - Bush's Restrictions On The Children's Health Insurance Program
    [News-and-Society:Politics] In what seems like an overt effort to enrage Congress, President Bush has undermined the implementation of a bill expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program by issuing a set of guidelines virtually impossible for most states to meet.


  • Should Texans Be Taking Multivitamins?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Individuals in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in Texas have probably heard that a multivitamin every day might help you live longer. Unfortunately, many industry supplement industry watchdogs have recently found that more than half of the 21 multivitamins tested had too much, or too few, of certain vitamins. Or worse yet, had been contaminated with dangerous substances like lead. In addition, a recent, yet controversial paper from European researchers, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, made the claim that taking vitamins may actually shorten your life. So what’s the real story about multivitamins?


  • Warning On Eating Raw Oysters Has Been Expanded For Texans
    [Food-and-Drink] For those individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas who enjoy eating raw seafood such as oysters, the federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has a warning for you. Basically, know where you are getting your favorite aphrodisiac from.


  • Texas Runners Find Many Benefits From The Activity
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Why do runners run? For those who haven't taken up the activity, the question may seem to be imponderable, given the pain, boredom and exhausting nature that seem to be part and parcel of the activity.


  • Texas Employers Likely To Face Shortages Of Workers
    [Insurance:Health] Every business needs capital to survive, but an even more important need is that of people to run a business and keep it growing. For companies in Texas and especially high growth areas like Dallas, Houston and Austin, any problems that exist now are likely to increase. The reason? An aging workforce and a projected high percentage of people moving to Texas will mean more demand for workers. With classic supply and demand rules, that is likely to mean competition.


  • Texas Finds Hope For Treating Depression - A Genetic Link to Medication's Effectiveness
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] Genetic testing may help determine the most effective medications for depressed patients in the future. This month, the American Journal of Psychiatry published research citing patients' responses to the anti-depressant medication, Celexa, in association with certain genetic variations.


  • COBRA Problems Can Hurt Texas Residents
    [Insurance:Health] Texas residents faced with a job loss in Dallas, Houston, Austin, or throughout the state, once had a big problem when it came to healthcare. Before the advent of federal legislation commonly referred to by its acronym - COBRA (short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) - leaving one job typically meant losing the coverage altogether, whether the employee left for another job or they were terminated for reasons other than "gross misconduct."


  • Texas Job Hunters Can Do Better Without Health Insurance Worries
    [Insurance:Health] Residents of Texas - particularly in the big cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin - and especially those with skills in demand, may be among the most marketable employees in the country. Yet, for some, moving to another job gives cause for pause, for reasons that may be unrelated to the job they're eying.


  • Some Medical Tests Could Save Lives Of Texans
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] With the great advances in medical care in recent years, many of them related to early detection of disease, it makes more and more sense for residents of Dallas, Houston, Austin and throughout Texas to take advantage of what is available, Those who do so are more likely to live longer, some experts say.


  • Backpacking Remains Of Interest To Texans
    [Recreation-and-Sports] For Texans, including those in the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, backpacking remains one of those sports that retains its popularity, even in a world where technology reigns. Indeed, the lure may have something to do with a "back to the earth" culture, in which people find they need a break from being online.


  • Understanding Health Insurance For Texans Easier Than One Might Think
    [Insurance:Health] For some people, mention the words "health insurance" and the eyes begin to glaze over. If you're living in Texas, the state with the largest percentage of residents (25%) without health insurance coverage, it's probably the same. For those living in Dallas, Houston or Austin, which traditionally have some of the highest numbers of residents without health insurance, the confusion may have at least something to do with the complexity of health insurance.


  • Texas Residents Finding Options For Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] Companies looking for ways to cut costs in a competitive marketplace are increasingly looking to health insurance as a source of savings. While that's not good news for employees, it does represent something of a trend - employees purchasing their own health insurance or filling in the gaps left by workplace budget cuts.


  • Texans Deal With Medications That May Kill Them
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] It's becoming increasingly difficult for diabetics to know which is worse - having the disease, or realizing the treatment for it just might be fatal, too. Late last month, a federal drug advisory board voted overwhelmingly in favor of keeping Avandia, a medication for Type 2 diabetes, on the market, despite findings that it raised the risk of heart attacks and angina.


  • American Hospitals Kill 100,000 A Year
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] If you've ever had the sneaking suspicion hospitals aren't doing all they can to prevent infections, you may be right. According to three studies published in the American Journal of Medical Quality, most hospital-acquired, or nosocomial infections...


  • What You Think Could Be More Important Than You Think
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] What you think could be more important than you think... That is, what you unconsciously think could play a more crucial role in your conscious thoughts and actions than previously believed, according to recent research.


  • The Misery of Pfizer Could Be The Joy Of Texas - Generic Drugs Are On The Rise
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Pfizer can't be happy. Its patent on the best-selling drug in the world, Lipitor, expires in 2011, which doesn't give the pharmaceutical giant much time to figure out how to compensate for the billions of dollars in sales that will be lost when it happens, courtesy of generic companies reproducing the medicine's active ingredients. The United States alone buys $5 billion worth of the brand-name drug every year.


  • Dying? No Risky Drugs For You! Texas Faces The Reality Of Inaccessible Experimental Drugs
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Apparently, one's schedule of death is more of the court's business than most would believe. On August 7th, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against terminally ill patients' right to try experimental drugs in an effort to save their own lives.


  • Another Heart Attack Waiting To Happen - Texas Healthcare Deals With Questionable Drugs
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] As if there weren't enough things giving us chest pain, new studies reveal that Prilosec and Nexium, made by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, increase the risk of fatal heart attacks after years of use.


  • Breathe, Child, Breathe - Texas Learns To Relax After New Studies Link Hostility and Disease
    [Health-and-Fitness] We should listen to our grandparents more. Really. As a young adult, I am often criticized for my arrogant and wanton ways, for my blatant disregard of my elders' advice - wisdom gained only through the tumultuous experience of aging. In the health insurance industry, I am called one of the "young invincibles" for my underlying, if denied, belief that, "Hey, I'm young. Nothing will happen to me. I don't need health insurance."


  • More Young Adults Lack Health Insurance Than Any Other Group - Texas Ranks The Lowest In The Country
    [Insurance:Health] For many of the 13.3 million uninsured young adults in America, it comes as no surprise that their demographic leads those going without health coverage. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a private, non-partisan foundation supporting independent research on health and social issues, in 2005, thirty percent of the forty-five million people in the U.S. who lacked health insurance were between the ages of nineteen and twenty-nine. Texas had the worst record overall, with twenty-five percent of its total population going unprotected. The state actually failed to insure even more of its young adults - twenty-seven percent.


  • Our Moment Has Come! Texas Women of Coffee, Unite!
    [Food-and-Drink:Coffee] All hail, ye women of coffee! Yes, I'm talking to you - you late-night freelancers, you hard-studying (or hard-partying) Texas A & M students, you business executives! You, yoga master, sneaking delicious cups of bitter decadence. (I know you're out there)! You, mother of five who laughs at doctors' orders to get her "eight hours"! Haha! Yes, it is our time to shine. A new study, published in this month's edition of Neurology, states that women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day in old age are more likely to have a sharper mind.


  • United States Still Not Prepared For A Pandemic Flu Outbreak - Texas May Be At Particular Risk
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] A year after President Bush's plan to track and treat a pandemic flu outbreak was unveiled, it still has not been fully implemented. In the next few weeks, the White House will release the priority list of who will receive the first flu shots...


  • Doctors Suggest Cutting Their Own Pay To Save Healthcare
    [Insurance:Health] In the midst of an exploding national healthcare crisis, there's much talk about slashing drug prices and cutting health insurance company profits. Many physicians are actually offering an equally controversial solution: cut their pay.


  • Hey Texas - Get Some Saltlicks For Yourselves
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] My grandmother slipped into a coma about seven years ago after suffering from a stroke. I wouldn't say it was surprising - her health had been up and down over the several years previous, and this was her third "event," shall we say...


  • Saving Money Can Be Enjoyable For Those In Texas
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Money and fun aren't necessarily words that people automatically put together. But for people in the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, and throughout Texas, there are more than enough ways of dealing with the stuff to make the world go around...


  • Rock Climbing Provides New Levels Of Adventure
    [Recreation-and-Sports] For the adventuresome in Texas, one of the most exciting sports going is rock climbing. Regardless of where someone lives, including the cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston, the opportunities for getting a natural shot of adrenaline abound.


  • Kiteboarding - A Great Way To Enjoy Life In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports] One of the "up and coming" sports people are enjoying has its roots in the simple joys of sailing a kite. Toss in a skateboard and turn on the virtual blender and you have kiteboarding, an extreme sport that's taking off...


  • Getting Proper Sleep - Important For Busy Texans
    [Health-and-Fitness] Experts agree that getting a good night's sleep is important at any age, whether someone's young, older or in between. People who live in Houston, Dallas, or Austin may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation, since the stresses of city life can put undue pressure on the human body.


  • Reducing Stress For Texas Residents - Not As Difficult As It Might Seem
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Let's face it: life can be a stressful existence. But it's life, after all, so learning to manage the levels of stress we all seem to be subject to is the goal.


  • Walking Can Be Healthy For Those In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] Fancy gyms and workouts can be an attractive way to get and keep in shape, but sometimes simpler really is better. That's what some residents of Dallas, Houston and Austin have discovered as the residents of Texas step up to walking...


  • Texas May Be Handing Out More Death Sentences - The US Is Infecting Mexico With HIV
    [News-and-Society] The United States may be infecting Mexico with H.I.V., not the other way around. According to 2006 United Nations' statistics, Mexico's AIDS rate is about half of the U.S.'s, and a high percentage of new HIV infections in Mexico are traced back to migrant workers returning home from America. Twenty-two percent of patients with HIV at Puebla General Hospital (Puebla, Mexico) can trace their infections back to the U.S.


  • Asians In Texas May Be Seven Times More Likely to Develop Cancer
    [Cancer] Asian-Americans may be seven times as likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers, according to the American Cancer Society and Melissa McCracken, first author of a study focusing on cancer rates in the U.S.'s Asian population, released earlier this week in CA, a Cancer Journal for Clinicians. While Asian-Americans have a lower overall incidence rate of cancer than other ethnic populations in the U.S., the disease is still a main cause of death for the group and accounts for more fatalities than heart disease. Stomach and liver cancers, for instance, are much more likely to occur in the United States' Asian population.


  • Impact Of Uninsured Workers In Texas Is High
    [Insurance:Health] While Texas remains the state with the highest percentage of uninsured residents in the nation, a key question is what is the impact of that, from a human and pure economic standpoint. A December 2006 report by the Texas Health Institute, sponsored by Methodist Healthcare Ministries, indicated that the costs are substantial, both from a social and economic perspective. A summary of the issue indicates that a higher than national average of people living in Texas, including those living in Houston, Dallas and Austin, remain without health insurance. Compared with the national average of 18% uninsured (in 2005), some 27% of Texas residents did not have health insurance, about 5.5 million people. Of that number, 20% of children 18 years of age or under were without health insurance and 31% of adults aged 19-65 were uninsured.


  • Eating Healthy In Texas Means Paying Attention To Fat
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Fat is bad, right? Actually, it all depends on the type of fat that's being consumed. In reality, there are "good fats" (omega 3 fatty acids) and not so good ones (omega 6s), but scientists now have a better understanding of where the good and the bad are found, which means residents of Houston, Dallas and Austin, and throughout Texas have the information they need to make better eating decisions, increasing their likelihood of living longer and healthier.


  • Scuba Diving In Texas Can Open A Whole New World
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Scuba-Diving] While some might say there's quite enough excitement above the surface of the water, Texas residents might want to consider a whole new world that beckons. It's the world of scuba diving - strapping on a tank and equipping yourself with the proper diving equipment to explore all that the world of underwater has to offer. For those living in the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, exploring the world of scuba diving may mean traveling to the coast of Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. But there are also numerous opportunities inland, with training facilities, including one in Athens, southeast of Dallas, available for training and recreation.


  • In Texas, Lack Of Healthcare Coverage Affects Parents
    [Insurance:Health] Health coverage for the family helps to assist those families in obtaining more affordable healthcare services, says a report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Foundation, which based the report on its 2005 Low-Income Coverage and Access Survey, makes the argument that not having health insurance affects not just a parent's health, but also the well-being of the entire family. The vast majority of low-income uninsured parents, according to the report, are without access to health coverage. At the same time, their children are also much more likely to be without health insurance. Indeed, four out of 10 low-income parents, defined as those with income below 200% of the federal poverty level (about $40,000 for a family of four in 2007) do not have health insurance coverage.


  • Volunteer Opportunities Appeal To Next Generation of Texas Residents
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Humanities] Volunteerism - always an important part of life in cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, and throughout Texas and the rest of America - is continuing to evolve as a new generation looks to make a difference in society. What are young adults expecting from a volunteer experience? Certainly there are key reasons for young Texans to choose volunteering, among them the desire to give back to a cause that may have helped them in the past, to say "thank you," to meet new people, to support a specific cause, or to gain experience.


  • Texas Women Can Achieve And Maintain Health Step By Step
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Staying healthy in this modern world might seem like a full time job in itself, but there are steps, especially for women, that can be taken to make the challenge at least manageable. For women in Texas, and especially those living in the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be broken down into manageable steps taken on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.


  • Texas Ups Its Calcium and Downs Its Antacids
    [Health-and-Fitness:Supplements] New studies reveal that one's source of calcium may be just as important, or more so, as the total amount of calcium ingested. In fact, women who consumed less calcium, but got it from food sources, had a higher bone density than those who received at least 70% of their calcium from supplements. This came as news to many in Texas, with high levels of chronic disease, and who have been told for years that a quality calcium supplement worked just as well as food sources - sometimes better. Spinach, for instance, while containing calcium, exhibits certain properties that inhibit the absorption of the nutrient. It's difficult for patients to know which foods do, and do not, deliver calcium effectively; such a guessing game is not an issue with quality supplements.


  • Texas Relates To Import Safety Issues As China Executes Its Top Food and Drug Administrator
    [News-and-Society] China's official Xinhua news agency announced yesterday the execution of Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of its State Food and Drug Administration, in an attempt to show the country's seriousness about cleaning up obvious problems with exporting contaminated food and drugs. Xiaoyu was convicted of accepting bribes totaling the equivalent of one million USD to approve untested drugs. The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court carried out the sentence after denying appeals from Xiaoyu, who argued the punishment was too harsh for the crime, and that he had confessed to his wrongdoings. Evidently, it wasn't enough. Xiaoyu was the first ministerial-level official executed in China in seven years, and only the fourth within the past thirty.


  • Medications in Texas May Soon Be Given With Money-Back Guarantees
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Pharmaceutical companies are starting to act like a lot of other for-profit organizations by offering money-back guarantees on their drugs. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson and United Healthcare are presenting "risk-sharing" programs to governments with single-payer, universal health care systems, as well as to private health insurance companies in the United States.


  • The Return of Sci-Fi - Texas Hospital Patients May Soon Be Talking To Robots
    [Health-and-Fitness] Your doctor may soon be a robot, or so the whispers warn. Sound like something out of a bad science-fiction movie? Well, maybe you should ask whichever physician shows up on-screen of the RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System by InTouch Technologies, a maneuverable robotic system designed to allow physicians to videoconference with their patients from remote locations.


  • Bush's Veto Threats Ignored - Bill Increasing Health Insurance Coverage to Texas Children Passed
    [Insurance:Health] President Bush's threat to veto a bipartisan-supported bill to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program was ignored this week by Congress, who passed the measure. Drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee, the bill is intended to cover the millions of children who will go uninsured if no action is taken when the program expires on September 30th. Eight million children in the U.S. currently lack healthcare coverage, including more than 1.3 million in Texas alone, and 7.4 million are insured under the present program. If not vetoed, the new plan would reduce the number of uninsured children by half - 4.1 million - over the next five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.


  • Fruits and Veggies No Match For Breast Cancer - Texas Survivors Analyze The Data
    [Cancer:Breast-Cancer] Diets low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables apparently have no effect on the return of breast cancer, according to a seven-year government study released earlier this month. The study is of particular importance to the 2.4 million breast cancer survivors, and to states like Texas, where over 12,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year and over 25% of the population is going without health insurance.


  • Obesity Is A Social Contagion, Say Experts - Could Texas Be Spreading The Disease Of Fat?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Obesity] Obesity is spreading like a virus - literally. According to recent analyses of thousands of participants over three decades, you're more likely to get fat if your friends do. Looking at obesity as a sort of social contagion may even help explain why the weight of America's residents has suddenly ballooned over the last generation.


  • Women In Texas Eye Extreme Sports As New Option
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Extreme] The world of extreme sports, traditionally a man's world, is slowly opening up to women. In Texas, and the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, women are becoming increasingly interested in three of the six X-Game categories: speed climbing, wakeboarding and in-line skating. A group of women was also invited to demonstrate their talent in freestyle motocross and both vertical (or "vert") and street skateboarding.


  • Junk In The Trunk In Texas Is Caused By Caloric Imbalances
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] The fat surplus linked to excess weight and obesity is caused by an imbalance between the amount of calories we consume and the amount of calories we burn during physical activity. So, in order to avoid putting on weight, which strategy should be adopted?


  • Keeping Cool In The Texas Heat
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Cycling] If you love to ride your bike in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas, you'll ride in any weather - in the wind; in the rain; and, for your diehards, even in the snow. But it's certain that most of you have a really hard time riding in the heat.


  • For Women In Texas, Heart Health Means Taking Action
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] For women in Texas, notably but not exclusively in the larger cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, health is an ongoing concern, as it is in other areas of the country. One of the biggest health issues is one that's closest to the heart. Quite literally. The fact is, heart disease is responsible for the death of more American women under the age of 45 than any other single disease, including breast cancer. Whether someone has health insurance or not, more than half a million women a year die from heart disease. And more than 60% of those had no previous symptoms.


  • Dealing With Work-Related Stress In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] Individuals who work in Dallas, Houston and other places in Texas, as well as throughout the rest of America, occasionally have a bad day or two at work; some more than others. It's estimated that work-related stress is responsible for millions of sick days annually, with stress linked to many minor and major illnesses. Work stress is different for every individual. Some are affected more than others. It may depend on your personality type and on how you have learned to respond to pressure. These are just some of the issues associated with work-related stress:


  • Protecting Your Peepers in Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] Your eyes. You've only got two. And if you lose even one, you lose your ability to see in "stereo." An estimated 1.1 to 2.4 million individuals in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas and the rest of the country, fall prey to eye injuries each year. Approximately 42,000 of these injuries require hospitalization. The workplace accounts for 1,000 eye injuries daily, but more injuries to the eye result from use or misuse of household, garden or home workshop products. According to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, nearly 60% of all product-related eye injuries occur in and around the home.


  • It Is Tick Time In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] The woods and fields in Houston, Dallas and the rest of Texas are beautiful this time of year. But they also harbor a hidden danger -- ticks. Ticks are part of the spider family, with more than 800 species around the world. The three species mentioned here are found in Texas and surrounding states.


  • That Fizzy Goodness In Texas May Be Linked To Cancer
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] It's sweet, refreshing and fizzy, but soda pop may be doing more damage to individuals who drink it in Houston, Dallas and elsewhere in Texas, than they may think. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that it had found a high level of cancer-causing benzene in five of the 100 soft drinks and beverages that were tested. The levels of benzene were more than the recommended five-parts-per-billion limit for drinking water.


  • The Craziest Fad Diets In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Popular-Diets] Many individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas most probably need to lose a few pounds. The solution for many is to go on a diet. What kind of diet they choose may be a problem. According to a recent Consumer Report Survey, approximately 41% of American adults are trying to lose weight. These individuals are hoping to loose an average of 37 pounds. Unfortunately, many individuals are confused, or are just in denial, about how to go about losing the weight. Just take a look at these goofy fad diets:


  • Ten Symptoms Texans Should Not Ignore
    [Health-and-Fitness] Everyone in Dallas, Houston and throughout the rest of Texas feels an occasional symptom or two from flu, cold, allergy or whatever is going around. But, when the symptoms become persistent, they could even become life threatening. Individuals who feel chest or abdominal pain, or experience unexplained bleeding, should seek immediate medical care. There are other symptoms that are less well known which, if you develop them, you should seek immediate medical care. Here are 10 symptoms that you should not ignore:


  • Nine Surprising Diabetes Risks For Texans
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] Many individuals in Dallas, Houston and other places around Texas don't know that they may be slowly working toward a permanent, chronic disease -- diabetes. Untreated, diabetes can lead to heart and blood pressure problems, dependence on insulin shots, blindness, neuropathy and an early death. Here are nine risks for you to evaluate:


  • Experts Say Music Brings More Than Good Listening To Young Texas Ears
    [Reference-and-Education:College-University] For decades, educators in general, and those with specific training in music in particular, have been touting the values of the experience. As research continues on the intrinsic value of having students exposed to formal music education, more and more people are understanding how the functioning of the human brain is enhanced by training in music. In cities throughout Texas, including the larger cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, music educators, supported by the Texas Music Educators Association, have been touting the value of making music an integral part of a well-rounded educational experience.


  • Losing Weight For Texas Women An Ongoing Challenge
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] It's not that women in Texas have any greater a challenge than those living elsewhere in the U.S. But when you consider its sheer size -- with cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston the Lone Star State is one of the most populous in the country -- trends on issues like dieting emerge. Like it or not, perhaps because of society's near-obsession with how people look, there's a continuing focus on losing unwanted pounds. With that focus comes a plethora of "suggestions" that typically take the form of diets, fad or otherwise, that typically promise wondrous results in no time at all.


  • Not All In Texas Understand The Nature Of Their Benefit Plans
    [Insurance:Health] So you have benefits. But what does that really mean? For people living in Texas, and especially in cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, the question deserves some attention. It's especially the case when considering that a good number of people may not fully understand what either their employer is delivering as part of a comprehensive benefits package, or, in the case of someone who is paying at least a portion of their own benefits coverage, what they are getting for their hard-earned dollars.


  • Texans Wanting To Quit Smoking Have Reason To Hope
    [Health-and-Fitness:Quit-Smoking] hen it comes to smoking, there's little doubt as to the health effects. Smoking is unhealthy. The real issue for people in Texas, and particularly in the urban areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin, is how to quit and keep from starting again. Connected to the issue are concerns related to smoking, among them the issue of weight gain that sometimes occurs when people quit.


  • In Texas And Elsewhere Music And Sports Are Closely Linked
    [Recreation-and-Sports] While music and sport are not generally talked about in the same sentence, there are historic connections between two of modern culture's biggest realms of influence. Even as modern day basketball stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Alan Iverson record their rap albums in an attempt to formalize a crossover between sport and music, it's hardly a first for mixing the two.


  • Texas Workers Find Getting Health Insurance A Problem
    [Insurance:Health] Many employees throughout Texas, but especially in the larger cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston, are finding it a challenge nearing on the impossible to find the affordable health insurance they and their families need. As an entire state, Texas already has the highest percentage of its population without health insurance, just over 25% (compared with a national average of 15.3%, according to the 2005 U.S. Census). Indeed, every major city in Texas, including Dallas, Houston and Austin, have a higher percentage of uninsured than the national average.


  • Young People In Texas Struggle With Money Issues
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] In some respects, every generation has its own unique challenges. But young people reaching adulthood in Texas, especially in larger cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston, are waking up to the financial realities that come as part of life. One part of that reality comes for those who have finished a college education and face thousands of dollars in student loan debt.


  • Texas Invests In Its Future - The Young See Hope For Retirement
    [Investing:Retirement-Planning] No wonder so many of us run from discussions on financial matters, ignore our bills, and spend too much money, as if in rebellion. It's scary out there. Last year, the Employee Benefits Research Institute released the results of a study concluding that the majority of Americans are unprepared for retirement, are not saving enough for it, and have unrealistic expectations about how much they will need to live comfortably in their golden years.


  • Drug Used To Treat Diabetes In Texas May Kill Patients
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] Another drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may increase the risk of heart attacks and deaths. Avandia, a medication that has been used to treat diabetes for eight years now, and has been prescribed for six million people worldwide, has come under attack in light of recent reports. The implications for the healthcare and health insurance industries are huge, particularly in Texas, where the rate of diabetes is high.


  • Texas Could Be At Greater Risk For Food Contamination
    [Health-and-Fitness] The United States' food and vitamin supply may not be as safe as we think, according to recent reports. This year's pet food scare spurred intensive investigations into national regulations regarding human food and vitamin safety, and the findings were not good.


  • Texas Agricultural Workers May Be At A Higher Risk For Brain Cancer
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] Brain cancer risks increase with heavy exposure to pesticides, recent reports say. That's troubling news for states with large agricultural industries, like Texas, which not only employs millions of legal and illegal workers every year, but also has over 25% of its population going without health insurance.


  • Texas Patients, Families May Be Unwitting Victims Of Federal Privacy Laws
    [Legal:National-State-Local] While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law enacted in 1996, is primarily designed to allow Americans, including those in Texas cities of Dallas, Austin and Houston, the right to take health insurance coverage with them, some provisions of the law that protect the confidentiality of information are causing confusion.


  • Done Safely Parachuting In Texas Can Be All Thrills
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Jumping out of a plane? No, it's not crazy. Not even a little bit. The fact is, the sport of skydiving is one of those activities that produces a genuine adrenaline rush in most who try it.


  • Popping Pills May Slow Down In Texas - Industries Report Most Vitamins Are Manufactured In China
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] The next time you reach for a vitamin C tablet, you may want to rethink it. According to recent industry reports, 90% of all vitamin C sold in the U.S. is manufactured in China. China also produces half of all aspirin, 70% of penicillin, 35% of acetaminophen (most commonly known as Tylenol), and the majority of vitamins A, C, E, and B-12.


  • Antioxidants May Prevent Bone Loss - Texas Sees New Treatments For Osteoporosis
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] New research suggests that taking antioxidants may prevent bone loss in menopausal women, one of the primary health concerns associated with this condition.


  • Texas Troops Among Those Who May Suffer Psychological Disorders After Iraq
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] General David Patraeus, the U.S.'s top military commander in Iraq, stated he was "very concerned" about the trend of ethical behavior displayed by troops in the region. Perhaps this admittance was influenced by reports that as many as one-third of troops employed torture techniques, and that the majority of military surveyed would not turn in a colleague for doing so.


  • New Research Methods May Lead to Integrative Treatments In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Steve Mister, President and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, called upon scientific colleagues during this May's symposium to consider alternative methods for studying nutrition and the effects of dietary supplements.


  • Treatments Focusing on Sugars May Help Cure Cancer - New Hope for Texas
    [Cancer] It turns out that the key to defeating cancer just may found in sugar...well, at least in the polysaccarides, or "sugar molecules," surrounding tumors. That's good news for developed countries like the U.S., in which cancer is a leading cause of death.


  • Exposing (and Evading) Grocery Store Fat Traps in Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] My wife recently pigged out on beef jerky. What was supposed to be light, healthy snacking turned into an all-out eating binge. Her ravenous consumption of the stuff made me think it must be an especially good brand. I was in a hurry when I bought it at my local health food store - and that's where I messed up big time. Ignoring the label, I was caught by the number one grocery store fat trap - which was the cause of my wife’s abnormal appetite.


  • Health Is Up For Sale in Texas - Nutrient Content of Crops Has Decreased In Recent Years
    [Health-and-Fitness] If you've ever been told by your elders that food "just doesn't taste like it used to," you might want to listen. According to recent reports, of the thirteen major nutrients present in fruits and vegetables, six have declined significantly, some up to 38%. Preliminary studies on grain crops show similar results.


  • Texas Ranks In The Bottom Quarter Of The Nation For Healthcare
    [Health-and-Fitness] Texas ranks in the bottom quarter of the nation for healthcare, according to recent reports. As a state with one of the highest rates of uninsured -- just over 25% - this comes as no surprise to many. Just over 15% of all Americans go without health insurance, totaling nearly 48 million. This unfortunate statistic comes at a time when Medicare is experiencing historical funding cuts under the Bush administration. The concern is not so much how many lack insurance, but what kind of healthcare those uninsured receive.


  • America's Healthcare System Ranks The Lowest Among Industrialized Nations
    [Health-and-Fitness:Healthcare-Systems] The U.S. doesn't get its money's worth when it comes to healthcare, according to recent statistics. The Commonwealth Fund released a report earlier this month on America's ranking in the world healthcare system -- and it wasn't good.


  • Texas Considers Alternative Fuels In The Face of Oil Prices - A Run-Down of Choices
    [Finance] The dramatic rise in oil prices over the past few years has generated a lot of attention for alternative fuels and alternatively powered vehicles. Environmentalists hail it as the beginning of a revolution and a natural consequence of using non-renewable resources with abandon. The public health benefits that would result from a major increase in those using alternative fuels is almost immeasurable. Even Texas, second only to Alaska in the amount of oil produced per year, has biodiesel stations in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and many other parts of the state.


  • The Canyon of Incumbrance - Young Texas And I Crawl Out of Debt
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] I'm not going to lie. Sure, I'll admit it. I've been pushed past the point of shame, and have fallen straight into the abyss prominently named, "The Lonely Canyon Of Incumbrance." I'm one of those people. Yes, in my youth, I made some financial blunders and managed to sink myself into a molehill of debt. I refuse to call it a "mountain" -- I refuse! It would only discourage me. But, between student loans and credit cards that got me through tough times (and a few luxurious ones), my "molehill" has added up to more than I want to mumble out loud. Let's just say that at this point, I skim over the "account summary" section of my bills and go straight to "minimum due."


  • An Apple Juice A Day May Keep Asthma Away In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Asthma] Researchers have discovered that kids in Dallas, Houston and the rest of Texas who drink lots of apple juice may be less likely to develop asthma symptoms. The National Heart and Lung Institute research is the latest to issue a study linking apples and individual human health. The study found that children who drank apple juice daily were half as likely to suffer from wheezing as those who drank it less than once a month. The study concluded that eating fresh apples themselves gave no apparent benefits to children.


  • Free Drug Samples in Texas A Bad Idea?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] "Free" is a great thing. It costs you nothing if you get something for free, right? Or does it? It the world of medicine, drug company sales reps in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas try keep sample cabinets in healthcare providers' offices well stocked with the latest medications for doctors to give out when needed.


  • Health Insurance Options for College Students
    [Insurance:Health] By the time graduation caps are tossed into the air, high school students will probably have been accepted to a college, picked a dorm and signed up for their courses. But is their health insurance securely in place? Most parents’ employee-sponsored group health insurance plans will cover their children up until they're between 20 to 24 years of age, whether they live at home or away at school. The employer, however, may charge a substantial extra premium to cover the college age student.


  • Eating Cherries In Texas May Be Good For You
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Cherries. Sweet, tart and oh so good. Individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas can find them in pies, drinks, pitted, not pitted, juiced, au naturel, maraschinoed, covered with chocolate, sitting on top of whipped cream or blended into special sauces. They've become part of our nation's folklore with George Washington cutting down a cherry tree. Even cherried rats, in research, have proven that cherries can do more that add a sweet-tart taste to your dessert or fruit gum. Researchers have recently discovered that cherries might support a healthy cardiovascular system and more in individuals.


  • Texas Is The Best - Farmers' Market Season Begins
    [Food-and-Drink] 'Tis the season to be jolly, indeed. Sound like "Christmas in the Springtime"? Well, it certainly is to chefs and amateur cooks alike throughout Texas. Produce is coming into season all across the Northern Hemisphere, and there's simply nothing like cooking with fresh ingredients, or having that amazing blackberry-based fruit salad first thing in the morning. Doctors and health insurance companies alike recommend diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, and now is the time to maximize on that healthy produce.


  • Which Is The Healthier Choice For Texans? Margarine Or Butter?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Both are yellowish and taste great on fresh baked bread. But for individuals who live in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, both butter and margarine have their health pluses and minuses.


  • Texas Goes To The Dogs - Basic Pet Care For A Summer of Fun
    [Pets:Dogs] It's here. It's finally here. After a rough winter in Texas, the shorts are coming out, and white legs are flashing underneath. Yes, Texans from Austin, to Dallas, to Houston, to the tiny towns on the Eastern border are already working on their tans. Somewhere amidst the beckoning calls of the Gulf, however, there is an equally important call for safety. Summer brings great times -- trips to the water, barbecues with the neighbors, long walks in the park, vacations across the country, and, for certain patients with conditions like Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD), even relief. But with those pleasures and privileges come risks, not just for ourselves, but for our pets as well.


  • Now We've Done It - Texas Fights The Overuse of Antibiotics
    [Health-and-Fitness:Medicine] Most of us have done it: at some point, we caught a bad cold or flu and, feeling miserable, dragged (or, if you prefer, drug) our shaking bodies into the doctor's office to beg for a prescription, believing a few pills will somehow make it all better. "Come on, Doc," we said, "Give me something. I'm under a deadline, here. My health insurance will cover it."


  • Water, Water Everywhere - Bottled Water Choices In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink," or so the saying goes. Texas knows this well, with large swaths subject to extreme heat and drought inland, and non-potable salt water down in the Gulf. There may be water, but no one can drink it without treating it first.


  • Pain, Pain Go Away - Texas Seeks A Choice Of Treatments For Chronic Pain Sufferers Part 2
    [Health-and-Fitness:Pain-Management] Texas is one of many states with thousands, possibly millions, of its residents suffering from chronic pain. Overall, chronic pain will affect between 15% and 33% of the U.S. population every year, and cost the nation $70 billion in medical charges, lost working days, and workers' compensation -- more than cancer and heart disease combined.


  • Pain, Pain Go Away - Texas Seeks A Choice Of Treatments For Chronic Pain Sufferers Part 3
    [Health-and-Fitness:Pain-Management] Chronic pain will disable more people in the U.S. than cancer and heart disease combined this year. Between 75 and 90 million Americans deal with chronic pain, and approximately 25 million from acute pain that requires treatment. What is worse, perhaps, is that many pain sufferers never receive adequate relief: 40% of cancer patients don't, and neither do 50% of post-surgery patients. Texas is no exception. Prospering pain management clinics in every major city in the state, from Houston, to Austin, to Dallas reflect this reality.


  • Texas Expands Its View Of An International Favorite - Coffee Basics 101
    [Food-and-Drink] When most of us picture our morning routine, a good deal of it is the overhead view of a coffee cup. How many people can you honestly say you know that don't drink at least one cup of coffee a day? The beverage is so popular, in fact, that Americans consume 400 million cups every day, adding up to146 billion per year. And there's no end in sight to the obsession over it. In 2001, Brazil went so far as to produce a government-issued, coffee-scented stamp. Coffee accounts for 75% of the caffeine drinks consumed in the U.S., is the second most widely used product next to oil, and brings in over $30 billion to producing countries every year. America, of course, is their biggest buyer.


  • Texas Loves Its Chocolate - An Ancient Treat From The Mayans Just Gets Better
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Very few of us don't have at least one good memory of chocolate. Remember warm chocolate chip cookies after school, or brownies pulled straight from the oven on a cool, fall day? Hot chocolate is still the beverage of choice for many children, and few of any age can resist a scoop of chocolate ice cream. With a hot Texas summer approaching, and cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin already getting a hint of the heat to come, a hot fudge sundae just might be the cooling cure for a lot of maladies. Not even health insurance can provide a sweet cookie and fresh glass of milk when it's really needed, after all.


  • Texas Turns Green - Super Green Foods Becoming More Popular Among the Health Conscious
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Green foods have recently become a focus of modern natural health practices across Texas and the United States. Juice bars and natural health food markets in Austin, Dallas, and Houston boast smoothies with spirulina, vegetable juices with chlorella, and power shots of wheatgrass. Naturopaths have been known to prescribe super green foods to aid in the treatment of diseases ranging from asthma, to HIV, to lupus. While the incredibly rich mossy color of these supplements don't always look appealing, most of us think, "Well, it's probably good for me anyway." But just how good may prove surprising. Better yet, you don't even need a health insurance policy to cover it.


  • Changing How You Eat
    [Food-and-Drink] Changes can be difficult, especially changes in your diet and nutrition. If you're a young healthy individual who lives in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas, it's easier to change your diet now and reap the benefits, than to change later on when you're older, because of health problems.


  • More Small Business Health Insurance Basics In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Because premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance levels for small business group health insurance policies in Texas can vary widely from plan to plan, it pays to shop around. Have a good understanding of your employees’ healthcare needs before you start shopping. Do they require frequent medical care or do they rarely see the doctor? Are they more concerned about preventive checkups or coverage in case of emergency? Are prescription or maternity benefits important to them? This is an essential first step. You want to purchase a plan that offers the medical benefits your employees need, without a bunch of “extras" your employees won’t take advantage of. You’ll pay for these “extras" in the form of higher premiums.


  • Study Finds Parents In Texas Pass Whooping Cough To Babies
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] The New York Times reported, in an April 2007 article, that the rates of pertussis, or whooping cough, have been steadily increasing since the 1980s, and a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that infants most often catch the disease from older household members, especially infected parents. Adults in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, as well as throughout the rest of the country, can transmit the illness without having any symptoms themselves.


  • More Young Adults Developing Cancer In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] According to the American Cancer Society, cancers such as colorectal, thyroid, and testicular are rising in individuals under 40 years of age in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas, and in the rest of the nation. In addition, the National Cancer institute and the Lance Armstrong Foundation reports that cancer survival rates among that specific age group have not significantly improved in twenty years.


  • Flying On A Wave – The Basics Of Kite Surfing In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] It looks easy on TV. A kite, instead of a boat, pulling you across vast expanses of water. Kite surfing, also known as fly surfing or kiteboarding, uses the power of a kite to pull the rider through the water on a small surfboard, a wakeboard, or a kiteboard. A kitesurfer uses a board with foot-straps or bindings, combined with the power of a large controllable kite to propel himself or herself and the board across the water. However, this simplicity also makes kitesurfing challenging. A kitesurfer's body is the only connection between the kite and the board. The surfer pilots the kite while he or she steers the board on the water.


  • Small Business Health Insurance Basics In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Finding the right group health plan for your business can be downright intimidating: sorting through lists of insurance companies and plans; checking and re-checking the dollars and totals for deductibles and co-pays; making sense of plan limitations and exclusions; deciphering a dictionary's worth of insurance-speak. It's enough to make anyone feel like a high-school freshman again.


  • Searching For The Shovel In Texas - The Young Are Digging Themselves Out Of The Healthcare Crisis
    [Health-and-Fitness] Perhaps it shouldn't feel like suffering a personal wound when learning about the state of healthcare coverage in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas, or anywhere else in this country – but it does. In fact, for most of us, it really does. It tends to shatter the ideals we were taught as American children-that everyone is equal, no one suffers unwillingly, and working hard will get you somewhere-when we learn that approximately 18,000 uninsured individuals ages 25 to 64 suffer "excess" deaths annually.


  • Burning The Midnight Oil Hits Night Owls In Texas Harder
    [Health-and-Fitness] Some individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas need less sleep to function normally than others. So insomnia's effects may depend on just when a person prefers to hit the sack. According to a new Stanford University research study, "night owls" suffer more from insomnia than those who try to get their z's earlier on.


  • Asthma Causes In Texas Still A Mystery - But Young Practitioners May Offer Hope
    [Health-and-Fitness:Asthma] Diana, a young mother in Dallas, was devastated when she discovered her four-year-old son had asthma. She kept thinking she could have done something—maybe even while she was pregnant—to have prevented it. "I've heard drinking cow's milk and eating eggs while you're pregnant can cause it. I don't know. You always wonder."


  • Coming Full Circle In Texas - Integrating Natural Health Principles Into Everyday Life
    [Health-and-Fitness] The nineteenth century may not have been so kind to natural healers. Western medicine was witnessing the dawn of many fascinating achievements, after all, and commandeering the spotlight: antibiotics, sion—or an extract prepared by steeping or soaking certain parts of (an) herb(s)—and since there are thousands upon thousands of edible herbs, the possibilities are endless. Sweetened, black, iced tea, of course, is popular in Texas and the Southwest, but the United States is really just getting in on the amazing variety this ancient tradition offers.


  • Everything Is Climbable - The Art Of Buildering In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports] While it's thought of more as a daredevil event than a sport, buildering - also known as urban climbing, structuring, or stegophily - is the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. The word "buildering" combines the word "building" with the climbing term "bouldering".


  • An Aspirin A Day In Texas May Keep Cancer Away
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] Individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas who take an aspirin a day may lower the odds of colon, prostate and breast cancer if you are at high risk for those malignancies, researchers at the American Cancer Society report. Men and women who used adult-strength aspirin daily for five or more years had about a 15 percent lower overall rate of developing cancer, particularly colon, prostate and possibly breast cancer, researchers reported. However, they also said that there's not enough evidence that aspirin's value as a cancer preventive outweighs its potential toxic side effects, which include a higher risk for bleeding.


  • The Power Of A Good Diet In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] A series of recent studies seems to confirm that the foods individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas put in their mouths has a substantial impact on their health. Oatmeal is Heart Smart. It’s not the first time oats have been touted as heart healthy, but a new review of recent studies on oats and heart disease risk now back up some of those claims. The studies stopped short of showing a direct effect of eating oatmeal on reducing heart disease risk or heart-related death, but researchers say they found oatmeal-based foods did produce an overall cholesterol-lowering effect.


  • Stopping Trouble In Texas Before It Starts - Getting Four Prediseases Under Control
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] It may just sound like a broken record, but there’s a lot of truth to the saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Especially when it comes to preventing diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and obesity. Yet there are far too few individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas who take that well-worn advice to heart. Unfortunately, too many individuals are eventually diagnosed with one or more of these life-threatening conditions.


  • One Out Of Five At Risk In Texas For Developing Diabetes
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] Diabetes is becoming the greatest public health crisis of the next quarter century. In a new report from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), one in five individuals in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas and in the rest of the country is either at high risk for developing Type-2 diabetes or are unaware that they already have diabetes.


  • Heavy Drinking During College In Texas May Harm Heart
    [Health-and-Fitness] Research suggests that heavy drinking during the college years, in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, takes its toll on the heart. In a 2007 study, college students who regularly drank to excess had above-normal levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker for systemic inflammation long linked to cardiovascular illness.


  • The Value Of Play In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] A report in the Journal Pediatrics in January of 2007 by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg and two committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics summed up the importance of free play in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere else in Texas to a child's development. The report made these points: • Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength.


  • Five Hundred Million Dollars Pledged To Fight Childhood Obesity Nationally, Including Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Childhood-Obesity-Prevention] The New York Times reported, in an April 2007 article, that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation plans to spend more than $500 million over the next five years to reverse the increase in childhood obesity nationally, including Texas. It is one of the largest public health initiatives ever tried by a private philanthropy. "This is an epidemic that is going to cost the country in terms of morbidity and mortality and economically," said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, the foundation's president and chief executive.


  • The History Of TexMex Cuisine
    [Food-and-Drink] You live in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio or elsewhere in Texas and you love TexMex cuisine. That makes you a bona fide "chile head." TexMex food is the specialty in these here parts and it's got quite a history! History of the word "TexMex" The term "TexMex" first entered the common lexicon as a nickname for the Texas-Mexican Railway, chartered in 1875.


  • Uninsured Are Charged More
    [Insurance:Health] If you've ever felt aghast looking over a hospital bill - somehow sure the numbers couldn't possibly be right - you're not the only one. According to a 2004 study, published by the journal Health Affairs, those lacking health insurance are charged an average of 2.57 times more by U.S. hospitals than those with insurance, a discrepancy that has been steadily increasing since 1984.


  • Get Turned On To The Benefits Of Tea
    [Food-and-Drink:Tea] We've all been there, at least in some form - that complex and mystifying land of too many beverage choices and their accoutrements. While office jokes of the five-minute coffee order ("I'd like a double half-caff, three-fourths-skinny, dry mocha Rocha hazelnut, light whipped cream latte") may be the first thing that comes to mind, the possibilities of tea variety and preparation are almost endless. Dallas, Houston, and the rest of Texas are the most familiar with black tea, demonstrated by their strong tradition of the sweetened, iced variety.


  • Relief From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Non-Surgical Options Prove Promising
    [Health-and-Fitness:Hand-Wrist-Pain] Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most commonly reported work-related disorders in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas, and across the United States. Although studies are still out, those most affected seem to be employees with jobs that require long-term repetitive movements, particularly those working with small hand tools or using computer keyboards on a regular basis.


  • Texas Chows Down - How Decreasing Food Intake May Increase Life Span
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] "Eat less and exercise" is traditional advice dispensed to those wanting to lose weight, improve health, and reduce susceptibility to certain diseases. With the national obesity epidemic growing by the day, particularly in Texas, this is sound advice. But recent studies show the first part alone of that classic line may be sufficient to lengthen one's lifespan by up to 40%.


  • Seven Newly - Identified Diabetes Genes
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diabetes] Recent research findings may offer some new hope to 20.8 million individuals in Dallas, Houston, elsewhere in Texas and throughout the rest of the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unfortunately unaware that they have the disease.


  • A Spray A Day May Keep Sinus Trouble Away
    [Health-and-Fitness:Allergies] Each year, nearly 37 million individuals in Dallas, Houston, elsewhere in Texas and around the country suffer from debilitating symptoms, including sinus pressure, nasal congestion, cough and postnasal drip that accompany sinusitis.


  • Gardening 101 For Arid Climates
    [Home-and-Family:Gardening] Now, now. Before I hear the seasonal sighs and woeful mumblings of secret New England jealousy, let me offer a word of encouragement. You can do it. This is not an unattainable goal. There are no insurmountable obstacles here. Apply the power of creativity and a little resourcefulness, like any good student, and it will be easier than you think. Yes, even Texans in Dallas, Houston or the most arid spaces can grow a beautiful herb garden.


  • Young Women Are Learning To Fight Back - What You Can Do To Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] The American Cancer Society predicts 34,170 new cancer cases in Texas this year. Of those, 2, 480 are expected to be breast-in third place, following lung (9,920 cases expected), and colon/rectum (3,220). Nationally, 26% of new cancer diagnoses-178,480-will be breast, accounting for one-third of all cancers in women. Warnings about environmental toxins, the dangers of inadequate diet and nutrition, and risk factors associated with family history abound.


  • Aromatherapy Grows - Not Just For The Girls Anymore
    [Health-and-Fitness] Aromatherapy, like many other natural treatments, is growing more powerful in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas. Once thought of as just so many pretty scents, the populace is becoming more aware of how powerful this therapy can be in changing mood, relaxing muscles, even relieving migraines.


  • Where There's Smoke In Texas - There's The Increased Risk Of Dementia
    [Health-and-Fitness] It used to be, "If you got 'em, smoke 'em." But these days, medical professionals in Dallas , Houston and elsewhere in Texas , seriously frown on tobacco use. In fact, more studies and research are pointing out that even secondhand smoke can cause many serious ailments including cancer. Now, according to a recent study, exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing dementia in individuals.


  • Traveling Long Distance In Texas? Get Up And Move Around!
    [Insurance:Health] If you're an individual who lives in Dallas , Houston or elsewhere in Texas , and you like to travel long distances, you might want to seriously think about what that kind of travel can do to your body. Specifically sitting in a stationary position for long car ride, extended flights or train rides.


  • Texas May Be Getting Smart About Health Insurance Cards
    [Insurance:Health] Every individual who has health insurance in Dallas , Houston and elsewhere in Texas probably has an insurance card that he/she carries in his/her wallet. Politicians in Texas are considering taking this concept one step further by requiring health insurance companies to electronically embed coverage information into health insurance “smart" cards.


  • Smaller Employers In Texas Opt Out Of Insuring Individuals
    [Insurance:Health] The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently reported that fewer employers in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas and the rest of the U.S. are offering health benefits. This is mostly because many new small employers have chosen not to pay for group health insurance due to rising costs and administrative headaches.


  • How To Begin Your Yoga Practice In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Yoga] When you begin your first Yoga class in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas , you will probably hear your teacher, or yogi, refer to it as "your practice." This refers to your individual experience with Yoga over time. And, with Yoga, your practice should always be evolving and changing, so it will never get boring.


  • Getting Bent Into Shape In Texas - Or Yoga For Beginners
    [Health-and-Fitness] Yoga has become a very popular form of physical activity for many individuals in Dallas , Houston and elsewhere in Texas . It involves both physical and mental balance and is good for strengthening your "inner core." It's an activity that individuals can take at their own pace. In other words, it can be as light or as vigorous as you want to make it.


  • Exercise Keeps The Brains Of Texans Fit As They Age
    [Health-and-Fitness] Your brain is like a muscle. That's right. Now you've got something else that needs to be exercised. And no matter whether you're a young or old individual who lives in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas, you should exercise your brain daily. Researchers have found that one of the reasons people easily forget things is because they memorize too many unimportant things. So keeping mentally fit increases the chances of staying mentally fit as you get older.


  • Every Breath You Take In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] Breathing is as natural as - well - breathing. But many individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas don't know that proper breathing, especially deep breathing, is important to good mental and physical, as well as healthy spiritual development. Breathing increases your vitality and promotes relaxation.


  • Controversy In Texas! Yoga Or Pilates?
    [Health-and-Fitness] Yoga or Pilates. Pilates or Yoga. You've seen the late night/early morning infomercials for both. Bookstores in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas have the latest books on these two activities. Exercise and health magazines devote a growing number of articles to both. Even the rich and famous have made their choices and divided into camps. So what's the big deal about Pilates and Yoga?


  • Texans Find Qigong as a Response to the Obesity Epidemic
    [Health-and-Fitness:Obesity] It wasn't long ago that workout programs were limited to variations on the basics: jogging, hiking, team sports, like basketball or soccer, and, if one was lucky enough to have a home or fitness club swimming pool, a few good laps. Even exercise machines tended to only simulate the same activities. Treadmills, stair climbers, stationary bikes, and elliptical trainers were a bit like the hamster-wheel version of trying to enjoy the great outdoors, indoors.


  • Code Red: Crisis Over Number Of Uninsured
    [Insurance:Health] The American populace has been sufficiently bombarded by information on the "health insurance crisis," the "healthcare crisis," the "community crisis." Despite living in a country where everyone is supposedly entitled to equal access, another horrifying and dismal piece of information seems to be released almost everyday on the declining state of healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured,


  • Urban Exploration - Exploring Cityscapes
    [Recreation-and-Sports] If you like dark, confined spaces but hate nature, perhaps the sport called urban exploration, urbex or UE, might be the activity for you. To participate in urbex, individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas spend hours examining the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban landscapes. Urban exploration may also be referred to as "draining" (when exploring drains) "urban spelunking” or “urban caving," "vadding," "building hacking," "reality hacking" or "roof and tunnel hacking."


  • The Royal Sport Of Finger Jousting
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Although it hasn't taken off as quickly as other extreme sports, finger jousting is on the rise in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas. Individuals can often be found finger jousting in living rooms and open air malls throughout the state and around the country. Finger jousting begins when two participants clasp their right hands together, with the index finger extended.


  • Hospitals Ask For Help To Make Health Insurance More Affordable And Accessible
    [Insurance:Health] The Texas Hospital Association (THA) is urging lawmakers in Dallas, Houston and throughout the rest of the state to take the right steps to make health insurance more affordable and accessible to individuals in Texas. The state ranks first in the country in the percentage of uninsured residents (24.6%).


  • Taking Charge Of Your Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] You're a young, healthy individual who lives in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas, now's the time to take charge of your health. Everything you do to, and take into, your body may come back to haunt you when you get older. So, it's time to take some responsibility, become disciplined and take care of yourself, starting today!


  • Speed Still Kills
    [Health-and-Fitness:Drug-Abuse] A 2007 study, conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, provides researchers with additional evidence of a correlation between frequent amphetamine and cocaine usage among young individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas and the occurrence of strokes.


  • Riding The High Roads
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Extreme] Imagine soaring down a road in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas at 70+ mph while lying on your back, just inches from the asphalt. That’s the sport of street luge, an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a street luge board, or sled, down a paved road or prepared course. Street luge is also known as land luge or road luge and, like skateboarding, street luge takes balance and lightening quick reactions.


  • Reducing Salt Use Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease
    [Health-and-Fitness:Heart-Disease] Researchers from the American Dietetic Association report that reducing the amount of salt in your diet can lower your risk of developing heart disease by 25 percent, and the risk of dying from heart disease by 20 percent. Salt or sodium has long been known for its adverse effects on blood pressure levels, particularly among people with high blood pressure.


  • Putting On The Pounds May Mean Added Asthma Risk
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] The more you weigh, the less you may be able to breathe. New research suggests that overweight and obese individuals in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas are 50 percent more likely to develop asthma than normal-weight men and women. Public health efforts to control asthma should therefore emphasize the importance of healthy weight management, the study researchers reported.


  • Putting It All On Your Back - Backpacking
    [Recreation-and-Sports] Backpacking and hiking are activities that provide individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas good, solid exercise in some of the beautiful, most natural settings in the country. It may appear that you might need a lot of gear to go backpacking or hiking, but that’s not necessarily the case. There are some things you can buy when you start and add more over time.


  • Perma-Lancing Without A Health Insurance Net
    [Insurance] For many self-employed individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, health insurance is the last thing they can afford. Those who work for themselves often say, "I can't afford to get sick. Period." The term "sick days" isn't even something that crosses their minds, let alone enters their vocabularies.


  • Mountain Biking Is The King Of Biking Sports
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Cycling] Texas is a large wide-open state with a lot of exciting and beautiful spaces and places. There are a variety of terrains available, providing individuals who enjoy mountain biking numerous trails and roads to travel on for hundreds of miles. This variety also caters to the sport's five different categories: cross country, downhill, freeride, dirt jump and trials/street riding Cross-Country (XC) is the most common form of mountain biking.


  • Mountain Biking - King Of Biking Sports
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Cycling] Any place where the terrain is rough and the sky is blue in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas is a place you'll probably find mountain bikers. The sport of mountain biking usually refers to riding bicycles, which possess particular design characteristics, off-road, although sometimes the term simply refers to riding a mountain bike.


  • Just What In The Heck Is Parkour, And How Can I Do It?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Parkour. You may have seen it performed in the latest James Bond movie, "Casino Royale," and in the futuristic French movie, "District B-13." Young, athletic men moving from rooftop to rooftop, room-to-room, sidewalk to balcony, using a variety of fantastic leaps, bounds and landings.


  • Boosting The Good And Lowering The Bad
    [Health-and-Fitness:Heart-Disease] Although it's been suspected, researchers have shown for the first time that raising "good" cholesterol levels is almost as important as lowering levels of "bad" cholesterol to help individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas reduce heart-threatening plaque in arteries.


  • Tips For Bouldering Beginners In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Climbing] If you're a beginning boulderer in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas, here are some bouldering basics you can incorporate into your newly adopted sport.


  • Triathlon Basics - Train All Of Your Body Systems In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Triathlon] A triathlon is a grueling competition that includes running, biking and swimming distances. The races can vary in distances, with the shorter Tinman, which includes a .62 mile swim, 28.6 mile bike race and a 6.2 mile run, to the aptly named Ironman, which includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike race and running a marathon - approximately 26 miles.


  • Who Wants To Climb A Rock In Texas?
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Climbing] More and more people from all walks of life in Dallas, Houston and all parts of Texas are becoming enthusiastic about rock climbing. Climbing techniques are evolving, and rock-climbing gear is being redeveloped as this sport continues to gain in popularity.


  • Let's Go Bouldering!
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Climbing] Bouldering is a type of rock climbing that's undertaken without a rope and is normally limited in respect to the height the climber ascends the route so that any fall won't risk significant injury.


  • Riding The Waves - A Guide To Water Skiing In Texas
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Skiing] Water skiing is a popular summer activity throughout Texas, with people flocking to lakes and beaches with skis and boat in tow. For a beginner, the thought of being towed behind a boat on a pair of skis can seem extremely intimidating, if not downright frightening. Once the boat gets started up, how will the individual even know how to stand up?


  • Mastering The Basics Of Inline Skating In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness] Inline skating is a great way for individuals in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas to get and keep in shape. But before attempting this sport, you should know some of the basics, as well as take safety precautions, such as wearing a helmet and pads.


  • Keeping An Eye Out For Health Insurance Fraud In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Insurance fraud. It happens daily. There are a number of bogus health insurance companies and agents in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas who will take your money and run. So, before you purchase health insurance for your employees or your business, make sure the insurance company you're dealing with is legitimate.


  • Why Health Insurance Is Important To Young Individuals In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Young individuals in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas are a pretty healthy group in general, but going without health insurance interferes with their access to the health care system, introduces barriers to care when it’s needed, and leaves young individuals and their families at risk for high out-of-pocket costs in the face of severe illness or injury.


  • On Your Own - Self-Employment And Health Insurance In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] There are more than a million individual or family-owned businesses in Texas, and more people are contemplating opening their own business every day. For the small business owner, the same subject always comes up - self-employed health insurance. Take a look at what you are up against. As a self-employed individual in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas and you are not afforded any of the 'breaks'' the big companies receive.


  • Chinese Food In Texas May Taste Good - But Is It Good For You?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Allergies] A recent AP newswire story reported the consumer group, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), has found that the typical Chinese restaurant menu is full of bad nutritional properties.


  • CFL Light Bulbs In Texas - Not The Brightest Idea?
    [News-and-Society:Environmental] Mercury is poisonous, yet it's a critical part of most compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), the kind that environmentalists and some governments are pushing as a new way to cut energy consumption. Mercury is probably best known for its effects on the nervous system. It can also damage the kidneys and liver, and in sufficient quantities can cause death.


  • Alcohol And Tobacco Make The List In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Drug-Abuse] According to a recent British study published in the March 2007 issue of Lancet magazine, it's been determined that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than illegal drugs such as marijuana or ecstasy.


  • Out On The Edge - The Lack of Health Insurance Benefits For Nonstandard Workers In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] A 2005 Commonwealth Fund white paper reported on two important trends in the U.S. workforce - the increasing prevalence of workers in part-time, temporary, contract or non-standard positions, and the decline in access to employer-provided health insurance.


  • Mom-And-Pop Shops In Texas Encounter Hurdles When Buying Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] The results of an April 2004 Commonwealth Fund white paper* show that the economics of small business group insurance makes offering health benefits to employees is risky. The current lack of health insurance for individuals in Texas, as well as the rest of the country, is closely associated with the inadequacies of the small employer market.


  • Do Drink The Water In Texas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] You may watch what you eat in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas. But do you watch what you drink? A number of health problems, including tooth decay, thinning bones, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, cancer and obesity are linked to the beverages you drink.


  • And The Survey Says - New Numbers Regarding Small Biz And Health Insurance In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] A 2006 survey, released by the health insurance trade group America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), offers a snapshot look at small group health insurance plans throughout Texas and nationwide. The survey has once again stirred up debates over whether health insurance is affordable enough to allow small businesses to cover their workers, or if sweeping changes are needed.


  • Keeping The Best In Texas By Offering Health Insurance Benefits
    [Insurance:Health] Every small business in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas wants to attract high quality individual employees who will contribute to the growth and success of the company. In order to recruit and retain these people, many larger business owners offer health insurance coverage, specifically group health, as an employee benefit.


  • How To Apply For Health Insurance For Your Business In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] If you own a small business in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas and are looking for a health insurance provider for your employees, here's a standard list of business data you'll need to provide.


  • Coverage That Keeps Your Business Healthy In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] As with many other things, when it comes to buying group health insurance, there is strength in numbers. And big numbers have traditionally gotten the best deals. Currently, a large number of individuals in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas obtain coverage through their employers. Many of those employers are large companies with strong-arm power at the insurance bargaining table. If you're a small-business owner, however, there is no reason to feel left out.


  • The Ball's In Your Court - Consumer - Driven Health Insurance On The Rise In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] If you were given just $1,500 to purchase groceries annually, you'd be a lot more careful about how you spend your money. You'd peruse the supermarket flyers, shop around for the best deals, and forgo the more expensive items, like lobster and steak. This is exactly the kind of "consumer-driven" behavior some employers in Dallas, Houston and all around Texas are hoping to spark in you and your co-workers by offering "consumer-driven" and defined-contribution health insurance plans.


  • Binge Drinking In Texas Is Not Responsible
    [Health-and-Fitness:Drug-Abuse] Even though alcohol consumption is legal for individuals in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas who are 21 or over, it should be remembered that alcohol is still a harmful, dangerous drug. Sure, it seems like "everyone" drinks, and sometimes it even seems like everyone drinks a lot. But that's not really the truth. There are a lot of people who don’t drink at all, and the vast majority of adults don’t drink at all heavily.


  • Aaaccchhooo! Getting A Handle On Allergies In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] As the weather warms for springtime, the plants, trees and grass start to grow and get greener. What also warms up for many people in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas is the start of allergy season. For many allergy sufferers, officially designated as allergic rhinitis, springtime isn't always something to look forward to. Flowers bloom, grass and weeds rise from their dormancy, and, unfortunately, allergy season kicks into high gear.


  • Pediatricians In Texas Concerned About HDHPs
    [Insurance:Health] According to a March 5, 2007, Reuters newswire story, pediatricians throughout Texas and the U.S. are warning that new high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are compromising patient care, especially among poorer children, with the unintended consequence of increasing medical costs.


  • Personal Health Information - Keeping Tabs On Your Health In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Your personal health information - do you know who has it or where to find it in Dallas, Houston or in the other Texas cities where you have lived? Do you have it? In most cases, a complete record of all of your personal health information can't be found at any single location or in any consistent format. Each one of your healthcare providers (family practitioner, allergist, OB-GYN, etc.) compiles a separate medical record on you.


  • Everything You Wanted To Know About Alternative Medicine In Texas But Were Afraid To Ask
    [Insurance:Health] Many people in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas are increasingly looking for ways to improve their health and well-being. If you're a young and healthy individual, you may consider your mental and spiritual health to be equally as important as your physical health. Alternative medicine - or non-traditional health care - may meet your needs by taking care of both the physical and spiritual aspects of your life.


  • Reconciling Your Past In Texas - Or What You Should Know About Your Medical History
    [Insurance:Medical-Billing] Your family's medical history can provide insight into the diseases and conditions that are common to you and your relatives. Use this history for clues about your risk for certain diseases and conditions. Family gatherings in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas can be fun and memorable. They are also an ideal time to catch up on family news and information, including your family's health history.


  • A Spoon Full of Sugar - How to Save on Prescription Drugs in Texas
    [Insurance:Health] With the cost of prescription drugs continuing to skyrocket, you need to stay savvy regarding the use of money-saving strategies. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, prescription drug expenditures, in Texas as well as throughout the U.S., grew at double-digit rates during almost every year since 1980. Senior citizens who depend on Medicare, which doesn't cover outpatient prescriptions, shell out the most.


  • The Hidden Sting of COBRA In Texas Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] If you lose your job anywhere in the US, including Texas, one of the many questions you'll have is: "Will I lose my health coverage, too?" If you're an employee at a company that has 20 or more employees, and you leave your group plan for reasons other than gross negligence, you'll be offered COBRA continuation coverage. The question is, should you take COBRA or look for another plan?


  • Getting The Most From Your Individual Health Plan In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] How can you effectively utilize your individual health insurance plan? It starts by becoming an active participant in your own health and healthcare. Remember - the best offense is a great defense. In other words, learn the importance of preventive care while you're young and healthy.


  • Covering Your Smile And Eyes In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] Paying out-of-pocket for yearly dental checkups probably won't break the bank. But what happens if you need more serious dental work? Whether you live in Texas or anywhere else in the country, a root canal or crown can easily cost more than $1,000. If you're working, and your employer-sponsored group health insurance plan includes dental coverage as part of its benefits package, the financial blow will be less severe.


  • Finding Out "What's Up With Your Doc" In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] It's your body, your health and your comfort level. So, when you're looking for individual health insurance in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas, choosing the right doctor as your primary care physician, or even a specialist, should take a little homework.


  • How Does a PPO Work In Texas?
    [Insurance:Health] Many Texans shopping for individual health insurance do not understand what a Preferred Provider Organization (or PPO) is all about. A PPO negotiates discount arrangements with doctors, hospitals and other providers who accept lower fees from the insurer for their services.


  • What is Catastrophic Health Insurance?
    [Insurance:Health] So your employer in Dallas, Houston or any place in Texas doesn't offer health insurance. Perhaps you can't afford to pay for a health plan. Or maybe you just don't want pay for health coverage because you're healthy enough that you feel "you don't need it." If you fall into any of these categories, you may be a candidate for a "catastrophic" health insurance plan, or what is sometimes called a "high deductible" health plan (HDHP).


  • New Health Insurance Bill Introduced To Help Cover Catastrophic Medical Costs
    [Insurance:Medical-Billing] Senators Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) recently introduced a bill (S 3701) at the national level that would create several pilot programs allowing states, including Texas, to offer uninsured residents health plans that provide basic coverage paired with catastrophic coverage for individuals who have high out-of-pocket health costs.


  • Short-Term Health Insurance - What are the Benefits?
    [Insurance:Health] So you've just graduated from college, don't yet have a job and have just found out that you're no longer covered under your parents' health insurance plan. Maybe you've decided to leave your current job and look for a new one. Or perhaps you've found that perfect new job, but your new employer's group health insurance plan is making you wait for three months before you're eligible to use it.


  • Auto Insurance Principles Should Apply to Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first.


  • Getting Engaged? How Should You Handle Health Insurance?
    [Insurance:Health] When preparing for marriage, many happy Texan couples spend months planning for their special day to make sure it takes place without a hitch. But how many engaged couples put that kind of preparation into sharing a life together, especially when it comes to making sure their existing health insurance policies will adequately cover them both?


  • Health Insurance In An Unmarried Relationship
    [Insurance:Health] Thanks to the gay rights movement and the increase of both unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples living together throughout Texas and the United States, the workplace trend toward domestic-partner benefits is improving the lives of many committed couples, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status.


  • You Are What You Eat And How It Affects Your Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] Growing waistlines equal growing healthcare costs. At least that's how it seems regarding health and health insurance. A famous documentary has already shown the short-term impact of too many super-sized meals. But did you know that there's another price you're paying now - in health insurance dollars - for our nation's weight problem?


  • Could President Bush's Healthcare Tax Plan Help Individuals?
    [Insurance:Health] The healthcare insurance tax plan proposed by President Bush is designed to reduce the number of people who do not presently have health insurance - reported by the Census Bureau to be 47 million in 2005, or 15.9 percent of the population. According to some healthcare experts, however, it could either increase or decrease the number of uninsured Americans by as much as 10 million, with much of the outcome determined by the proposal's impact on the individual insurance market.


  • Tax Considerations Of Texas Health Savings Accounts
    [Insurance:Health] Since Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill signed into law in 2003 they are being considered by more and more Texans as a health insurance option. Anyone under age 65 who buys a qualified high-deductible health insurance policy can open an HSA. Here is a quick overview on the important tax considerations of HSAs.


  • How You Can Reduce Medical Expenses For Texas Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Medical-Billing] Healthcare costs on the rise, but there are a number of ways to lower your medical expenses.


  • Pre-Existing Conditions And How They Can Affect Your Individual Texas Health Insurance
    [Insurance:Health] There are nearly four million Texans with some type of "pre-existing medical condition." Besides having difficulty obtaining health insurance, these Texans may experience other insurance-related problems, including claim denials, higher premiums, cancellations, or refusals to renew their policies.


  • Medical Bankruptcies - The Growing Reality
    [Finance:Bankruptcy-Medical] Catastrophic illnesses are claimed to have triggered approximately half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States. According to recent findings from a Harvard University study, most people who go bankrupt because of medical problems also have health insurance. Researchers found that many private insurance plans that offer limited catastrophic coverage were inadequate and offer little financial security for less severe illnesses.


  • Limited Benefit Health Insurance - Is It A Good Deal?
    [Insurance:Health] These days, everyone is looking for ways to save money. Some have found that buying cheap health insurance is one way to go. And while this has its upside, you should be careful, because you may end up with a health crisis.


  • Is Your Health Club Healthy?
    [Insurance:Health] More and more insurance companies are offering discounts on health and fitness club memberships in the Dallas and Houston areas and throughout Texas, so it may be a good time to join a health club to stay in shape and continue to improve upon your overall health. But be careful.


  • The High Deductible Health Plan - What Is It And How Does It Benefit Me?
    [Insurance:Health] Benefits experts are stating that conventional coverage, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs), are still the main types of healthcare plans. But more health insurance companies and Texas employers will begin to offer High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHP), with a Health Savings Account (HSA) attached, during upcoming open-enrollment periods.


  • Health Coverage Keeping You In A Bad Job?
    [Insurance:Health] More and more Texans are staying in their jobs because of the healthcare benefits. And it's this fear of losing health coverage that unfortunately keeps most individuals in jobs where they're not their most productive. Economists and employment experts call this phenomenon "job lock." Various studies claim it could reduce job mobility by up to 25 percent.


  • Considering Health Savings Accounts
    [Insurance:Health] Since Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill signed into law in 2003 they are being considered by more and more Texans as a health insurance option. Here is a quick overview on a complicated subject.


  • Ensuring COBRA Doesn't Take A Bite Out Of Your Wallet
    [Insurance:Health] If you lose your job in Dallas, one of the many questions you'll have is: "Will I lose my health coverage, too?" If you're an employee at a company that has 20 or more employees, and you leave your group plan for reasons other than gross negligence, then you'll be offered COBRA continuation coverage.


  • Insuring Yourself In Texas
    [Insurance:Health] It began with phasing company funded retirements out and phasing 401ks in. Now the new trend in corporate America is for employees to purchase their own health insurance benefits. In fact, there are some businesses in Dallas and Houston that have begun replacing employer paid healthcare benefits with "voluntary" individual coverage.




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