3 Reasons Why You Wouldn’t Want to Receive Healthcare in Medieval Europe

Healthcare plays an increasingly important role in our lives. Most people across the globe have interacted in some way with some form of healthcare system. Trips to the hospital, navigating insurance, and visits to your local doctor, medicine man, apothecary or what have you. Sometimes it works out pretty well and things sail smoothly; successful operations, helpful brokers, or your local witch-doctor gives you the right poultice for your sprained ankle. Other times, not so much. Accidental amputations due to hospital mix-ups, insurers try to weasel out of paying claims, or your GP misdiagnoses your cancer. We all have bad days. But with the rising cost of health care eating away more and more of your paycheck, and the financial world crashing down, it seems like every day is becoming a struggle, especially for those with serious medical problems. But, regardless of the situation you find yourself, now is the time to take a load off, lighten up and remember; at least you’re not stuck in Medieval Europe or a bad Michael Crichton story.

Medical Theory
While many historians would argue that the ‘Dark Ages’ were nowhere near as ‘dark’ as they may seem, Europe was not a paragon of technological and scientific advancement. While the Middle East enjoyed a Golden Age, Europe had built off an ancient Greek and Roman theory of medicine, called Humorism. The theory was that our bodies were comprised of a balance of four different humors; black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. The idea being that each humor is linked to: a season of the year, an element (think of the Planeteers’ power minus the chump with Heart), a human organ and temperament, and also possesses its own qualities by being a combination of either warm or cold and moist or dry.
These four humors were created within the body and illness struck when the humors were out of balance. The procession of treatment usually started at checking dietary intake, then moving on to the use of drugs. If all that failed, then in order to right the balance, the doctor would often employ treatments to induce bleeding, vomiting, and evacuating your bowels in a most urgent manner. This is due to the time honored belief that expunging bodily fluids in horrible ways is, in fact, humorous. For others. Especially if your face looked like the ones below.


The four Temperaments and their humors (Clockwise from top right): choleric (yellow bile); melancholic (black bile); sanguine (blood); phlegmatic (phlegm).

So this is what our medical systems and theory was based on, pretty much right up until the 19th century, when we finally decided that medical science based on incorrect concepts of anatomy were just not doing us much good. Not, of course, that we didn’t know any better. In fact, this is in spite of the fact that humorism was disproved on at least three occasions between the 9th century and 13th century by Arabian scholars, who found that both treatments and illnesses (i.e. parasites like scabies) defied the theory. One of these individuals went so far as to discovered pulmonary and coronary circulation out of protest.
So why is this so bad? Surgery for bodily trauma was actually not too shabby, all things considered, as there is evidence people of the time had survived through both head trauma surgeries and operations to remove cataracts. Not half bad for the Middle Ages. However, from poorly informed theory comes poor practice, just look at US foreign policy. The problem with humorism as a disease theory is that you diagnose and treat symptoms according to their supposed humoral properties. Unfortunately, many things that diversely affect human health are not endemic to the human body and therefore can’t be remedied by balancing bodily processes and fluids. Without a doubt, there were medicines at the time that were indeed beneficial for some ailments, more than likely found through trial and error than scholarly study. But without the appropriate framework of medical theory to understand them, you’re never going to be able to understand the effect of parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Your 100% organic, holistic potion may help with that overabundance of black bile, but the deadly nightshade, a hallucinogenic poison, in there may cause side effects ranging from bad dreams to death.

Sub-par diet
Now, while it’s awesome to think that your doctor will automatically look at your diet to see if there’s any quick and easy fix to why you feel under the weather, let’s be honest about the situation we’re supposing here. While village life was probably not as bad as could be imagined, the constant availability of nutritious food was an issue during the times. Most people were agrarians and survived by growing staple cereal crops within the village for both food and trade, but these were also supplemented with other crops grown by individuals for sustenance. In larger villages the inhabitants would rear pigs if they could afford it but were not allowed to hunt animals from forests, as they were reserved for royalty to hunt in. Although, some historians contend that pig rearing was done as much for sale as it was for eating the little porkers. It is quite apparent that there was a large schism between the diets of nobles and clergymen, which had an overabundant level of protein, and peasants who subsisted mostly on cereals.
It’s not all bread and bacon though, as there were some major health problems that stemmed from food intake at the time. Judging from forensic data obtained from skeletons alongside historical documentation of the time, some of the main problems of times were nutritional issues. While there is evidence of multiple famines and starvation, some of the most continual issues were iron deficiency, rickets and scurvy. The lack of readily available trace minerals resulted in numerous long lasting implications for the population, especially for children. Iron deficiency was also a widespread issue for menstruating women and women giving birth as they tended to lose a lot of iron through blood discharge. Considering around 20% of pre-menopausal women today suffer from iron deficiencies, which develop over time, it was probably enormously widespread during the Middle Ages. Odds are, you had one of these three problems, if not more than one, and they all make life pretty miserable. Iron deficiency can make you feel fatigued, weak and irritable, and if you upgrade to anemia you get bonus symptoms ranging from constipation, depression, breathlessness, muscle twitches, tingling and or burning sensations. If that doesn’t make you want to go eat a loaf of fortified bread I don’t know what will.
Rickets is equally as awesome as it usually strikes children, leaving them with reduced bone density. This can lead to general bone tenderness and pain, increased likelihood you’ll break bones, constantly, skeletal deformities of the legs, pelvis and spine and muscle weakness.
What Rickets does to your skeleton, scurvy is to your flesh. But worse, so much worse. The lack of vitamin C causes you to bleed from every mucous membrane you have. Care to venture a guess about what your mucous membranes are? Pretty much any cavity on your body that is exposed to both the external environment and internal organs. So yeah, you’re going to be spending a lot of time bleeding from your nostrils, lips, ears, genitals and anus. On top of that, your gums will go spongy leading to loss of teeth, your healed scars will open up and start bleeding again, any healed bone fractures would separate, and you will lose your nails and enjoy constant diarrhea. Don’t forget to hop back on the vitamin C bandwagon after this wild ride, because failure to do so invariably results in death.
Let’s not forget tuberculosis, which spreads like wildfire through the ranks of the malnourished masses. Interestingly enough, it’s thought that tuberculosis may have been one source of vampirism in folklore. The fact that you get red, swollen eyes that can be sensitive to bright light, pallid skin color, low body heat and coughing blood just screamed ‘blood sucker’ to the people of yore. Tell every vampire infatuated goth you know to go get TB today!
Oh, and before I forget, your plates were going to give you lead poisoning. Any food you didn’t get locally would have also probably been contaminated during transport.

Leprosy
This only recently understood disease still carries with it a certain stigma. We know now that it is nowhere near as contagious as we once thought. In fact, due to genetics, approximately 5 percent of the human population is susceptible to the bacterium that causes it. Unfortunately, due to the fact that we were treating things due to their humors, any illness, infection or parasite that presented itself in a remotely similar way, i.e. you had something on your skin. Pretty much everything from fungal infections and parasites to non-microorganism causes like psoriasis or eczema were classified as ‘leprosy’ as late as the 17th century. Even things that modernity has rendered quite mundane such as ringworm, which isn’t really a worm but the fungus that causes athletes foot, would have been lumped under ‘leprosy’.
Now, granted, you don’t want any of these things even now, as some of them are just plain old untreatable and really, really grotesquely disfiguring in some of the more serious cases. While, unfortunately, being incredibly ugly does still carry some social stigmas, I guarantee you it’s nothing compared to the scorn and hardships poured upon the sorry suckers who suffered these diseases during the Middle Ages. Not only were they looked upon with disgust and often ostracized and forced to live in leper colonies. While the colonies, or hospitals as they were also know, were often run along the same lines that monasteries of the time were, it was mostly to keep them quarantined and away from the general populace. In the 13th century a Benedictine monk estimated there were up to 19,000 leper hospitals across Europe. That’s a lot of people with skin problems.
Apparently, being ugly and an outcast was not enough, and as religion was very strong at the time, lepers were thought to be living through purgatory on earth. Purgatory being a state of purification of the soul for sins not bad enough to get you sent to hell, but bad enough to keep you out of heaven. At first, lepers were seen as a sort of holy half-dead, to steal a turn of phrase from The Chronicles of Riddick (good movie if you enjoy Vin Diesel and ridiculousness, as I do), which meant that they were declared dead by civil leaders, their property would be taken away and their spouse was expected to serve them until death, as per your sacramental wedding vows. They were however, sometimes looked after by the church as they were in a special religious group of their own.
This of course devolved into open hatred of ‘lepers’ as the ‘disease’ grew more prevalent and maybe due in large part to increased rhetoric from the church linking uncleanliness to sin. The obvious link was made between leprosy, uncleanliness and sin, and for eons afterwards the lepers were seen as having this unclean disease bestowed upon them by God for their wicked ways. Oddly enough the same language of uncleanliness and sin was also used in relation to homosexuals, witches and Jews. Of course, if you were rich and had leprosy you were considered a hero and a martyr if you succumbed to the disease. If you were poor? No, God just hated you, and everyone else simply followed suit.

And yes, I left out the Black Death and its outbreaks because we’ve already covered how miserable it was, all you need to know is that it happened a lot. As in, more than 100 epidemics up to the 1700s before it seemed to vanish like a fart in the wind in the 19th century. Rehashing it would just be a cheap shot.

October 24, 2008 | Filed Under Health Care | Leave a Comment 

How Healthy Is Your Religion? - A Checklist.

Your body is a temple- but what kind of temple may well depend on your religion: is that incense coming out of your mouth or are you just smoking a cigarette? Religion can have a big impact on lifestyle, what with religious traditions, customs, laws, and practices, but do these have a positive or negative effect on your health? At Pacific Prime we think of this kind of thing. Here is a checklist, alphabetized for your convenience, of things to bear in mind when considering whether your religion is beneficial to your overall health.

Afterlife

Why worry too much about the health of your mortal body if there is the prospect of eternal life? Most religions take a stand against this sort of attitude by emphasizing that mortal life is sacred. Something to bear in mind though, eh?

Alcohol, Cigarettes, Caffeine, Drugs

Some religions don’t allow one or all of these substances. Many forms of Islam forbid alcohol, and many Christian groups also avoid drinking, such as Seventh Day Adventists. Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, are supposed to avoid more or less all of these things: many think Joseph Smith meant caffeinated drinks such as Tea and Coffee when he advised against ‘Hot Drinks’: Could this be why Mormons have such a high life expectancy? More on that later.
On the other hand, some religions positively encourage the use of certain substances- Marijuana is an important component of Rastafarianism. Peyote is used in the ceremonies of some Native Americans, as well as having medicinal properties. And don’t forget the altar wine- grape alcohol/blood is an important component of the Catholic mass. With so many people sharing a cup, you have to hope that the alcohol is having a sterilizing effect- though some services don’t give everybody wine. Priests may risk becoming addicted to alcohol because of the amounts of altar wine they are called upon to drink. (All that kneeling can’t be good for the old knees either.)
Is giving up these substances a good or bad thing? We often hear about studies into the health benefits of a glass of red wine a day, or drinking tea, and how these may contain ‘anti-oxidants’. This book - ‘Mon Docteur Le Vin’ - goes a little further, saying that wine is good for more or less everything, including making you stronger, curing diseases, and increasing longevity.

Armageddon

Is your religion looking forward to the imminent end of the world? If so, you should make sure you are not in a cult (don’t drink the fruit punch!) as these groups frequently mistime the end of the world, and can be fatal.

Cannibalism.

If your religion leads you to practice cannibalism, you are at a greatly increased risk of catching certain brain diseases. Some are spread by contact with uncooked brain products - don’t let your children lick the bowl – but, cooked or uncooked, say no to religions that involve the eating of human brains, or you will end up with Creutzfeld Jakob’s Disease or Kuru.

Circumcision

Is it more hygienic for men to be circumcised? Perhaps- certainly when the idea was first introduced it probably had an impact on reducing infections. Does it lead to a reduction in, er, stimulation? Who knows. When it comes to male circumcision, nowadays it is more a question of taste than health. As for female circumcision, that is a definite no-no. Avoid any religion that involves female circumcision as this is a barbaric practice as well as being extremely medically unsound.

Clothing

“What? How can clothing affect your health?” you may ask. Well, some have argued that certain forms of Hijab worn by Muslim women, such as the Burqa, can lead to Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can be obtained from certain foods, but normally your body can produce sufficient if you expose some of your skin to sunlight for a little while every day. This can be difficult for Muslim women in some countries. Darker skin and weaker sunlight meands you need more time in the sun; could Muslim dress be a factor in rickets cases among Muslim communities in England?
Other headgear which now has a religious connotation, such as the Turban, may have originally come about to keep cool in hot weather. Today it can entail serious health risks- there is some evidence that in the post 9/11 world a turban can be a magnet for physical violence against the wearer, whatever their religion.

Dietary Rules

Man cannot live on bread alone. But what does your religion allow you to eat? Kosher/Kashrut; Halal – does following religious dietary rules make you any healthier? People have tried to look for medical reasons behind some rules of Kashrut- for example the use of separate utensils for cooking dairy and meat makes sense from a hygiene perspective, as do the requirements if you want to ‘sterilize’ any utensils.
Is it because pigs don’t redigest their food (chew cud) that they are seen as slipshod meat producers, or does the fact that they roll around in mud and poo- making them prone to parasites- and eat more or less anything- suggest that they are not the healthy choice? Shellfish are also notorious for absorbing all kinds of chemicals- e.g. mercury and heavy metals – thought they are not the only ones – and so you should probably avoid them if you are pregnant. However many of the rules are somewhat obscure. It seems the compilers of the rules took a ‘better safe than sorry’ approach.
One major benefit of following such rules is that you will look closely of the ingredients of processed foods, for example those that use pork gelatin or enzymes derived from pigs. It’s always good to know what you are eating. Unfortunately even Halal or Kosher standards will not protect adherents from the dangers of junk food for long, with McDonalds introducing Kosher or Halal meals in different countries.
Are Halal and Kosher slaughtering techniques healthy? If an animal is stressed when it dies it will release toxins, and as such an animal that was unhappy when it died may not be Kosher. Traditional slaughtering methods, namely slitting a conscious animal’s throat with a knife, quick as you like, and draining its blood, are tried and tested and probably do not cause any more suffering to an animal than more convoluted industrial methods- they may even be more humane. Let’s face it, there’s no particularly friendly way to kill things. Kosher and Halal slaughering rules share many similarities- avoid the spinal chord, check the animal didn’t have any health problems or defects before certifying it, and, tellingly, the slaughter should be performed by an adult who is not insane.
In general you are better off eating foods that humans have been eating for a long time, as the body has become more accustomed to eating these and offsetting their risks. As such, perhaps, the older the religious dietary laws you are following the better.

Fasting

Does fasting have health benefits? Some would argue yes- at least for mice. Certainly fasting or a constricted diet of some form features in a great many religions. Just think of Ramadan, Lent, Passover, or even fasting before Mass, or the special diet of the Jewish Sabbath. Fasting can be bad for some groups of people, such as pregnant women or diabetics- who are therefore exempt from fasting during Ramadan. (Just to clarify, you don’t stop eating altogether; you just only eat at certain times and eat less - stopping eating altogether can lead to death). Non-religious fasting is sometimes termed ‘dieting’ or ‘detox’.

Festivals

There’s nothing like a holiday to perk up the spirits- and refresh the body. Try choosing a religion with plenty of days off. A weekly rest day is always good, if you don’t mind following certain rules, for example for a Jewish or Christian Sabbath, but if you want a religion with plenty of festivals, try something polytheistic like Hinduism.

Human Sacrifice

Not so common nowadays, human sacrifice was a showstopping component of ancient religions in several parts of the world, from the temples of Central America to the marshes of Northern Germany to the Colosseum at Rome. While the sacrificee would of course not benefit, the successful harvests that followed were good for the overall health of the population.

In-breeding

Inbreeding is always a risk when a religious population is small, isolated, or opposed to intermarriage with non-adherents. As such, genetic pecularities which may lead to hereditary diseases are more common in certain religious groups, such as the Amish. The Druze in the Middle East also have distinctive genetic features. If you want to avoid this kind of thing, then choose a more missionary or more accessible religion.

Incense

Some recent studies have indicated that over-exposure to burning incense can put you at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer. Make sure that if your religion involves lots of incense it also involves good ventilation.

Insurance

“Jesus is my health insurance” is, one would hope, not too common a sentiment, although with health insurance costs in the US nowadays, you never know. If you are Amish you are unlikely to have private medical insurance. The Amish also don’t usually take part in schemes like Medicare or Medicaid, instead relying on community support and the church in order to pay for expensive medical treatment. Hospitals in Mexico are therefore often preferred, but there are some US hospitals with special arrangements for the Amish.

Life Expectancy

Most religions are spread over such a wide area and range of people that it is hard to tell what effect they have on life expectancy. Not so with the Mormons, who have longest life expectancy of any religious group in the US- in fact, a higher life expectancy than Japan. So there’s your answer right there. Become a Mormon.

Medical Care

Does your religion allow blood transfusions? Jehovah’s Witnesses are opposed to most, if not all, forms of blood transfusion. This can be a problem if you lose a lot of blood suddenly.
The Amish avoid excessive use of modern technology, but they are not against seeking modern healthcare if necessary- and a higher than usual frequency of some genetic diseases can make it necessary. They often do choose to receive vaccinations, but on the other hand there have been cases of Rubella, and other diseases that are easily vaccinated against, breaking out in Amish communities.
The rules of Kosher do not prohibit Jews from using insulin made out of pork- though of course nowadays you can get synthesised human insulin.

Meditation

The regular practice of meditation is widely believed to have health benefits, and this has occasioned scientific studies on Buddhist monks. Certainly, meditation is a good way to relax the body, lower the heart rate, and help the brain to chillax, and that can’t be bad for you. Of course, much greater claims have been made for meditation’s health benefits- mind over matter. Whether this is more than an elaborate placebo effect is a topic of hot debate.

Miracles

Some religions have more miracles than others. Catholicism is well known for them. There are many reports of miracles curing terminal or incurable diseases after prayers for intercession by a saint or a respected Christian who has passed away- in fact, miracles are an important factor in becoming a saint, and John Paul II canonized a record number of saints (in the hundreds). That’s a lot of miracles. It may depend somewhat on the definition of a miracle, but the promise of something is a big draw.
It is estimated that 200 million people have visited Lourdes since 1858, during which time 67 miracle healings have been officially recognised by the Catholic Church, as well as around 7,000 other inexplicable happenings. Some American Pentecostal movements may claim a higher success rate for ‘faith healings’, but without such strict standards of certification.

Reincarnation

You may come back as another animal, or even a person. This is the message of religions that believe in re-incarnation. So you don’t need to worry about your health too much, right? Wrong! You usually have to live a good life so as not to be reincarnated as some sort of slug, which means you shouldn’t just fling your body around willy-nilly. Also bear in mind that if you are a Buddhist in China you may need permission to reincarnate.
A religion that is overly into reincarnation may have adverse effects on the health of some adherents, especially in Hinduism, where it arguably helps to perpetuate the caste system. You may only be a lowly labourer in this life but if you live a good life you may be lucky and come back as… a priest.
However, Hindu scholars argue that the caste system is an anachronistic social practice, not an integral part of the Hindu religion- and in fact, it is also a feature among other religious groups in India and nearby regions, not just Hindus.

Sex

Not allowed to use barrier contraception? This puts you at a vastly greater risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Not being allowed to use contraception at all also greatly increases the risk of the other major sexually transmitted disease- ‘life’. Not naming any names *cough Catholicism *cough. The health benefits of sex should not be underestimated - perhaps choose a religion accordingly.

Spiritual Wellbeing

For many, this is in fact the most important factor when choosing a religion. It is hard to say which religion offers the most spiritual wellbeing, as a prerequisite of its being effective is that usually you have to believe in the religion- as such it is usually difficult to try more than one religion in a life-time. In other words, consider which religion will be best for your spiritual as well as physical health.

Sport

Regular exercise is important for your health. Is your religion associated with any sports? If not, you might want to consider Taoism or Buddhism – think tai-chi in the park, or kung fu at your local Shaolin monastery. Also, Hinduism: Yoga anybody?
Shinto might be one to avoid; while there are plenty of sports in Japan that do benefit the health, Sumo wrestling is not one of them. It can often lead to health issues such as Diabetes or Arthritis, and the life expectancy of a Sumo wrestler is less than 60.

Thetan related issues

As a Scientologist, you may encounter the worrying revelation that your body is covered with alien souls known as body thetans which are leeching off your energy and suppressing your potential. These little buggers can only be dissuaded by following a strict regimen of, well, scientology. This can be expensive, but if you are lucky enough to reach the third ‘operating thetan’ level then you may well have the opportunity to telepathically communicate with them and tell them to go away. However, exorcism of imaginary demons or space creatures is often cheaper and easier in other religions.

Vegetarianism

Hindus don’t eat beef. In fact, they sometimes don’t eat meat at all. The health benefits/disadvantages of a vegetarian diet are very debatable, and, Hindus would probably say, irrelevant, compared to the sanctity of life. Vegetarianism is not for everybody - I guess I’ll just have to hope I don’t get reincarnated as a tasty animal.

This checklist is not exhaustive, but hopefully it will give you some points to bear in mind when weighing up how healthy is your religion. See you next time!

September 29, 2008 | Filed Under Health Care, Health Issues, Religion | Leave a Comment 

10 States Where People Die Young(er)

One of the most surprising things about the USA is the fact that there is a huge disparity in the average life expectancy from state to state. As a country the USA has an average life expectancy of 78.2 years from birth. This ranks the US as the country with the 38th highest life expectancy in the world, falling just behind Cuba (78.3) and just above Portugal (78.1). This does not mean, however, that every one in the USA will live to an age of 78.2 years, and depending on the state that you live in, you may be living for a much shorter time.

The 10 US states with the lowest life expectancy are:

Rank

State

Life Expectancy

10

Georgia

75.3 years

9

Oklahoma

75.2 years

8

Kentucky

75.2 years

7

Arkansas

75.2 years

6

West Virginia

75.1 years

5

Tennessee

75.1 years

4

South Carolina

74.8 years

3

Alabama

74.4 years

Even though it is not a state Washington DC tops the list with and average life expectancy of 72.6 years fewer than the federal average.

Life expectancy in the USA cannot be solely attributed to income disparity or social gaps, but rather the prevalence of chronic diseases in middle-aged and young adults. Factors such as drug use, infant mortality, income disparity, and violence, which were previously thought to be much more important, have come to play less of a role in determining life expectancies.

Researchers have classified 8 social or ethnic groups in the USA in terms of their life expectancy, and found that Asian Americans are expected to live 6.8 years longer than the national average, or until 85 years of age. This is a 32% longer life span than is associated with Native Americans living in South Dakota, and may say something about the lifestyle choices of the Asian population that lead them to avoid suffering from serious chronic conditions.

The second group with the highest average life expectancies in the USA is made up of an estimated 3.6 million, low income Caucasians, living in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Montana; proving that it is not always a large income that creates a long life. This group, which researchers have dubbed “America 2” are, on average, expected to live for 79 years, still well above the federal average.

Groups 7 and 8, comprising low income rural Southern Blacks and high-risk urban Blacks respectively, are only expected to live until the age of 71. This may be due to a number of factors including the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, high HIV/Aids rates, and violence. However, researchers point out that there is still no definitive criteria for determining exactly what will contribute to a longer lifespan, and that their understanding of this topic is still growing.

What they are sure of is, that much of the variation between different states and different ‘groups’ comes down to diet, exercise, and smoking, rather than healthcare, meaning that in order to live longer, you should take care of your self.

November 12, 2007 | Filed Under Health Care | Leave a Comment 

8 ways to prevent an early death

In today’s world everyone is trying to lead healthier lifestyles and live longer, but many people aren’t really sure where to start. With that in mind here are 8 easy ways for you to live longer.

1. Don’t oversleep, but make sure you rest up.

This may seem rather confusing, but bear with us. Scientists have found that people who sleep for more that 8 hours a night have a significantly lower life expectancy than the rest of the population, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. This does not mean, however, that you are allowed to stay up all night drinking! Scientists also discovered that individuals who got 4 hours or less sleep a night also had reduced life expectancies. The optimal amount of sleep for a normal, healthy adult is between 6 -7 hours a night, and if you can do that consistently then you may live to be a grand old age.

2. Have Sex, and if you’re already doing it, have more.

We all like sex, it is hard wired into our genes, but according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, sex may be more than just a pleasurable reproductive activity. In men, it has been found, that higher rates of ejaculation lead to a lower risk of prostate cancer; and in addition to this, ejaculating causes the body to relax meaning that at the end of the day you will be more rested. Let’s not forget the obvious though, sex makes people happy, and in conjunction with the removal of stress and relaxation factors, this can help lower the risk of a stroke or heart disease, and keep your blood pressure down, leaving you a healthy and balanced person.

3. Get A Vertical Auto Profile Test

Get a what? Yes, that was our initial reaction as well, however a Vertical Auto Profile, or VAP, Test is the most accurate cholesterol test being used in medicine today. It is estimated that approximately 50% of people with heart disease where found to have normal cholesterol levels when using conventional testing methods. Remember that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the USA, and that it is usually caused by high cholesterol, and that 50% becomes pretty scary. What it boils down to is the fact that a VAP has been proven to detect 90% of the people with heart disease that undergo the exam. A VAP is a simple blood test and can let you know, almost immediately, if you need to change your lifestyle. Get a VAP and know whether you’re at risk.

4. Money; get it.

Everyone wants to get rich, but if you want to live longer then having money may actually serve a higher purpose. It’s all about income disparity! A study preformed by the American National Center for Health Statistics essentially tells us that poorer people are more likely to suffer from severe chronic illnesses than their wealthier compatriots. 24% of American who earn under US$ 20,000 a year suffer from a chronic condition, as opposed to the 6% who earn US$ 75,000. There may be a myriad of reasons for this, and researchers often site the fact that richer people can afford better healthcare, however there is no doubt that those in the upper income brackets live much longer than those at the bottom.

5. Stop Smoking

In this day and age it hardly constitutes a revelation when someone tells you that smoking is bad for your health. Emphysema, lung cancer, mouth cancer, constricted blood vessels, rapid aging of the skin, aggressive prostate cancer in men, and impotence (see point 2) won’t do anything for your prospects of a long life. Generally, smokers have a 50% chance of dying younger than non smokers; enough said.

6. Chill Out

Stress can cause the development of heart diseases and lead to severe strokes and as a study by Johns Hopkins University found, individuals with high stress levels where 6 times more likely to have a heart attack before they were 55. Basically what this means is that it is good to kick back and smell the roses every once in a while and let the stress/anger/extreme rage melt away. Go to a masseuse, lay off the caffeine, step out of the board room, and take the time to truly enjoy life. Not only will you live longer, but you will have enjoyed and experienced more at the same time.

7. Relocate…. To Japan.

That may seem like a fairly odd way for you to extend your life, but at 82.6 years, Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world; well above the global average of 67.2. But what is the crucial factor that helps the Japanese live longer? A better diet and lots of green tea, Japan tends to eat more fresh produce than the USA or UK, and Japanese nationals tend to shop at markets everyday; relying less on preservative packed and sugar coated foods than the west has helped Japan crush the competition when it comes to living longer. Maybe this point could have been “eat better food”, but we think that moving to Japan would be a lot cooler.

8. Exercise

This one is a no-brainer, exercising releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy, being happy helps you relax, relaxing helps you live longer; ergo exercise makes you live longer. In addition to the release of endorphins exercise also helps to create muscle, strengthen bones, strengthen your heart, and build up the immune system. People who exercise will always live longer than those who don’t, it’s that simple.

So there you go, these are our tips for living longer, no go out and do it!

November 9, 2007 | Filed Under Health Care | Leave a Comment 

Health Care a Factor in Race for the White House

Health care in the USA is a subject that, over the years, has inspired numerous debates, ideas, and controversies in regards to the correct method with which to better protect the health and safety of American citizens. Since the start of the 2008 election campaigns, the issue of health care in the USA has become a pivotal point that has the potential to make or break the progress of various candidates’ journeys towards the white house. Since the release of filmmaker Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO, the American public has become even more aware of the options, or lack thereof, provided by the health care system, leaving many taxpayers and voters calling for a solution.

The controversies are all based on the fact that, although the US can lay claim to having one of the best medical service industry in the world, they also have the highest costs associated with medical treatment and care. With critical operations such as heart bypass surgeries costing as much as US$130,000, many Americans are finding themselves unable to bear this heavy financial burden. This is contributing to the fact that medical treatment has become the number one reason for declaring personal bankruptcy in the USA. In no uncertain terms, the choice that many Americans are facing is to receive necessary treatment and suffer extreme financial consequences, or not receive treatment and suffer severe illness and possibly death.

In conjunction with the already high costs of treatment experienced throughout the United States comes the issue of rapid medical inflation across all sectors of the health care industry. Intensive government regulation, inflated drug costs, and rising equipment expenses are all leading to rapid prices hikes and having hard hitting impacts on the American public.

As mentioned above, since the start of the Republican and Democratic debates, candidates on both sides of the political divide have been asked what they would do to address the causes of skyrocketing health care costs. As you would expect from such a diverse field of candidates, there have been a number of solutions.

1. Unilateral Universal Health Care (similar to Britain’s NHS)

    • Universal health care is a position that has taken hold primarily in the Democratic camp. The main sponsors of this solution to America’s health care crisis are Clinton, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama and Richardson.

Universal health care is the idea that every one should have equal access to quality health care services. While in theory this idea seems to work, many nations that have universal health care coverage (the UK, for example), have seen that, in reality, it can take a patient an extremely long time to receive the care that they need. In addition, facilities are limited and doctors and health care professionals are overburdened by their patient load. This all leads to the rejection of such a reform in the USA.

Critics cite that any such universal health care system would have to be regulated extensively by the government, leading to slowdowns in the patient treatment process. They also stress that America currently has one of the most highly-regulated health care industries in the world and that the regulation of the health care industry provides benefits to health care providers of up to US$170 billion. In actuality, this costs taxpayers approximately US$340 billion. However, there are a number of benefits to universal health care. One of the major profits is fact that, no matter what happens, an individual will always be assured of the help and care that they need.

The second major option that is being suggested by candidates is:

2. Mandatory purchase of health insurance

    • Mandatory health insurance was initially proposed and instituted in Massachusetts by Republican candidate Governor Mitt Romney. It has since gained credence with a number of state legislatures including that of California.

Mandatory health insurance requires that every citizen in the USA would have to purchase a health insurance plan to guarantee themselves health care. The big issue that proponents of mandatory health insurance have faced is the fact that this proposal is not very different from the legislation currently in place in the form of HMOs Medicare and Medicaid. The only real variation is that Americans would not have the choice to opt out of coverage. Opponents have responded to the plan by asking whether the coverage would be the same as the low protection offered by current programs, and have cited the fact that individuals could purchase a plan with virtually no protection to remain inside the law. One favorable aspect of mandatory health insurance is the fact that there would be no tax increases, while there would be with a universal health care scheme.

The last major suggestion on the table is:

3. Insurance Tax Credit

    • Originally offered as a viable option to the health care issue by Republican candidate Dr. Ron Paul, this option has gained support from fellow candidates Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain.

Insurance for tax credit is remarkably similar to the mandatory health insurance suggestion but with a few significant changes. With this option, no one would be forced to purchase health insurance, however, the individuals that do will be given a tax credit (or rebate) for the costs of their health insurance premiums. Dr. Paul states that many families are currently spending close to US$1000 in annual insurance premiums, without being rewarded for not being independent of government support or the health care industry. This option means limited government involvement in an individual’s health care choices, and that people will only gain credit for what they pay. In Dr. Paul’s plan there are no forced insurance policies, benefits are given to families with children and those with terminally ill dependents, and social security fees are waived for individuals suffering from a terminal or oncological illness.

When all of the above are compared, in terms of realistic, short-term legislation, the insurance for tax credit option seems like the most viable option. By leaving choices in the hands of the individual citizen and the open market, consumers are able to make informed decisions about the type of coverage that they want. By giving individuals that have purchased health insurance a rebate at tax time, the government recognizes that protection is, indeed, necessary.

Programs like Medicare and Medicaid are responsible for roughly two thirds of all public health spending, and the United States currently has the highest per-capita health care expenditure in the world. Looking at that, it is clear that universal coverage is not an option that will correct the inflation inherent in the health care industry, but rather create higher taxes and close up the market.

These are just some of the major options that have been suggested in recent months during the campaigns. Ultimately, it is up to the American voters to decide which position they desire. However, there are solutions that have more credibility than others, and throwing money at the problem will not make it go away. Take some time and research the positions, it may have more effect on you than you know.

July 26, 2007 | Filed Under Health Care | Leave a Comment