Save Your Eyes!

Infographics News, Videos, Reviews and Gossip - Lifehacker:

"Staring at screens for three hours (or more) a day or having our necks flexed down for extended periods of time while texting surely can't be good for us. Just as a reminder, the "Are Mobile Devices Destroying Your Body?" infographic points out these and other health implications when using mobile devices and things we can do to minimize them.
Some stats may seem alarmist or still unproven (e.g., regarding cellphone radiation and cancer studies—cellphones are neither officially safe nor unsafe to use)."

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs Important information

Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak in Shell Eggs:

Important information regarding the the recalled eggs:

"Don’t eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers' homes. Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund. Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.

Keep shell eggs refrigerated at ≤45˚ F (≤7˚ C) at all times.

Discard cracked or dirty eggs.

Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.

Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.

Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.

Avoid eating raw eggs.

Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.

Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and person with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness."

This is a great page for consumer education  Egg safety .   

The CDC also has information regarding Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak in Shell Eggs as well as general consumer information.

New rules issued on electronic health records

New rules issued on electronic health records | Health Tech - CNET News: "Through its new and long-awaited rules on electronic health records, the government is hoping to clarify the conditions under which doctors and hospitals can collect incentive payments by investing in electronic health records, or EHR, over the new few years.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the new rules on Tuesday in an effort to support and expand the use of electronic health records. The rules are being targeted as a specific response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 , which outlined the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments medical providers can receive by using EHR technology."

Secretary Sebelius Announces Final Rules To Support ‘Meaningful Use’ of Electronic Health Records: "“For years, health policy leaders on both sides of the aisle have urged adoption of electronic health records throughout our health care system to improve quality of care and ultimately lower costs,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Today, with the leadership of the President and the Congress, we are making that goal a reality.”"

A New Life Path

Today, I have started on a new path.  I hope that you will follow my tracks on this long, one day at a time, journey to improved health and fitness.  My hope is to keep myself motivated, while sharing my baby steps towards progress.  As a “physically challenged” woman, on an absurdly limited income, I hope to also include tips and suggestions.  When you toss a wrench, such as being disabled, into the dieting works, I tend to think it may change the suggestions, as it does change the circumstances.

The "New Frontier"

"Physical fitness is often in the news today, but it has long been a national concern, and the government's response to it was shaped significantly during the Kennedy administration.

In the years just after World War II, concerns about the fitness of U.S. citizens, especially the young, attracted national attention. Several trends and developments in the country lay at the root of this anxiety. The nation's economy had changed dramatically since the beginning of the century, and with it changed the nature of work and recreation. Mechanization had taken many farmers out of the fields and allowed the ones who remained to do much of their work with far less effort. The factories, which had long been highly mechanized, were becoming even more so, and fewer and fewer factory jobs required heavy labor. Outside of work, new forms of entertainment emphasized watching rather than doing. But these changes may not have been as important as people's awareness that they were occurring. People were beginning to have to confront a new image of themselves and their country, and they did not always like what they saw. Worrying about physical fitness channeled and expressed these doubts."

The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation Fact Sheet

Today’s epidemic of overweight and obesity threatens the historic progress we have made in increasing American’s quality and years of healthy life. The hard facts:

• Two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese.
• 70% of American Indian/Alaskan Native adults are overweight or obese.
• The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. more than doubled (from 15% to 34%) among adults and more than tripled (from 5% to 17%) among children and adolescents from 1980 to 2008.
• An obese teenager has over a 70% greater risk of becoming an obese adult.
• Obesity is more common among non-Hispanic black teenagers (29%) than Hispanic teenagers (17.5%) or non-Hispanic white teenagers (14.5%)."

Its the shape
Photo credit: didbygraham