“Obama Plan in Four Minutes” – An edited version of President’s Speech
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Category Archives: Health
38 minutes to understanding why their healthcare is better than ours
I don’t often get to listen to Terry Gross’ Fresh Air on NPR these days, but fortunately on Monday I had a chance listen to Terry’s guest T.R.Reid, author of the book The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Healthcare.
Mr. Reid is a journalist who has worked on three continent and has had an up close look at healthcare across the world. Mr. Reid starts the interview explaining how the term “socialized medicine” was created by a PR firm in the 1940′s. He can a really interesting quote after that.
The amazing thing is it’s still a powerful argument. I don’t know that anybody can define socialize medicine, but nobody seems to like it, except, Terry, when Americans get government-run medicine, they really like it.
The VA, the Native American Health Service and Medicare are the three most popular health care systems in America, all run by government.
Another great quote from the interview , “All over the world, people say that. If you complain about health care, they say ‘well, you want to move to America? You think that’s better?’”
This conversation (as most are with Terry) is fascinating. Reid easily breaks down the myths associated with foreign healthcare, and how America is behind all other “rich democracies” when it comes to health. Listen to the audio above or check out the transcript of Reid and Gross’ discussion for easy compare/contrast.
Video: Rep. Pete Sessions speaks to press after healthcare forum
DeathPanels.org helping to shed light on misinformation in healthcare “debate”
Matt Thompson has started a new website called deathpanels.org which is devoted to clearing up the lies, distortions, misinformation being spread in the healthcare debate. Matt is a fellow participant in the Poynter Institutes Sense Making project.
He lays out the facts just like the President and Congress should: We are spending too much on healthcare and we are getting too little. We as a nation are already more generous than any other when it comes to dollars spent. But much of that money is spent in the wrong places and going into the pockets of the wrong people.
Matt clearly lays out how bad our system really is when looking at outcomes:
On almost every objective measure, the US health care system falls far behind other developed countries.
- The most exhaustive non-partisan study of health care outcomes to date found that the US health care system is dead last in stopping preventable deaths.
- Babies are more than twice as likely to die in the US than in Japan — we have a worse infant mortality rate than Cuba.
- We’re ranked 30th in the world for life expectancy, lower than Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- And US patients say they’re less satisfied with their health care than almost any other industrialized nation.
I would urge members of the Dallas South Family to visit DeathPanels.org, check through a few pages, and spread the information to as many people as possible. We need to have the best information possible in order that we all are part of an informed process. At least those of us who choose “hope over fear” and “unity of purpose of conflict and discord.” (President Obama’s Inauguration speech).
Video: Shawn P on CNN’s Bloggers Bunch
Didn’t have a lot of time today as I got the call from CNN this morning to discuss Town Hall behavior. I was already working on a Rant for Inside Texas Politics so it was an easy transition. For once I’m happy with the light and the setup and feel decent about how I was able to get my point across.
I think this was my 3rd of 4th time to be on with Lenny, and I like his points, but I couldn’t believe he said that the Obama administration was considering raising taxes on the middle class. Anyway, let me know what you think.
Top Foods For Endurance Athletes
BY JASON JOHNSON
While training for the Navy SEAL Fitness challenge back in May, I researched a few of the top foods to fuel endurance athletes. If you’re currently doing intense training, or just need a little extra to get you through your workouts, consider these power foods for endurance and high intensity training. I have kept all these in my food rotation:
1) Quinoa: (pronounced Keen-wah) It’s an ancient high-energy grain from South America. The Incas used it to increase the stamina of their warriors and allow them to run longer distances at high altitudes. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids, making it a perfect meal for vegetarians concerned with their protein intake.
2) Kale: Kale contains high levels of vitamins A, B6, C and K, iron, calcium and loaded with antioxidants. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Low-grade inflammation resulting from exercise-induced muscle damage is a daily nuisance for many endurance athletes.
3) Oatmeal: This is a great source of complex carbs. It’s easily digested, high in fiber, and is a low-glycemic index food which provides long-lasting energy. This is the ideal breakfast before an endurance event. I like adding cinnamon, walnuts or pecans, honey and raisins.
4) Green Tea: A University of Birmingham, England study suggested a strong possibility that green tea extract could delay fatigue during prolonged moderate-intensity efforts.
5) Cherries: Loaded with antioxidants, cherries have also been shown to enhance athletic performance. In a study conducted at the University of Vermont, competitive rowers who added cherry juice to their diets experienced significantly less muscle soreness and strength loss after taking a test designed to cause muscle damage than did a group of fellow rowers who received a placebo.
6) Bananas: Bananas are a perfect compliment to your bowl of pre-competition oatmeal. A banana delivers 2 important things for athletes: carbs and potassium. More than 30 g of carbs and about 400 mg of potassium. Athletes lose potassium through sweat during exercise
Until next time, stay healthy and stay active,
Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT
JMJ Fitness
Are you having trouble starting your exercise program?
BY JASON JOHNSON
Are you having trouble starting your exercise program?
Just get started. Don’t put it off. It doesn’t matter if you start on a Thursday after work or on a Sunday morning after church. Just get started. Mark it down on a calendar. Schedule it with yourself as you would a doctor’s appointment or a meeting at work.
Put it on your Microsoft Outlook calendar or make a cell phone “exercise appointment” reminder. The hardest part is getting started. But if you schedule an “exercise appointment” with yourself, you’re much more likely to get out there and get started.
Would you miss your scheduled doctor’s appointment or your scheduled work
meeting? No, so make an “exercise appointment” with yourself and don’t miss
it.
The next week schedule two “exercise appointments” the next week try 3 “exercise appointments.” Get in the exercise habit. Experts say it takes about 30 days for an activity to become a habit.
Over time, you’ll automatically know that Tuesdays and Thursdays are your exercise days. It
becomes habit. Your body will thank you. Here is a great quote that is applicable:
“When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no ‘I’ll start tomorrow.’ Tomorrow is the disease.”
-unknown
Until next time.
Stay healthy and stay active,
Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT
JMJ Fitness
www.jmjfitness.com
Jason Johnson: Choose this, NOT that
In a nod to my favorite magazine (Men’s Health) Jason Johnson gives us 5 easy tips for healthier living.
BY JASON JOHNSON
Living a healthier nutritional lifestyle is all about making gradual changes to your diet and making the right choices.
Here are 5 quick and simple health tips you’ve heard before, but are worth reading again.
1. CHOOSE THIS: Turkey bacon or Canadian bacon
NOT THAT: bacon
NOT THAT: bacon
2. CHOOSE THIS: Fish, turkey or chicken
NOT THAT: Red Meat
NOT THAT: Red Meat
3. CHOOSE THIS: When preparing food, always opt for steamed, grilled, broiled or baked
NOT THAT: fried
NOT THAT: fried
4. CHOOSE THIS: Whole grain pasta and brown rice
NOT THAT: White or processed
NOT THAT: White or processed
5. CHOOSE THIS: Low-fat or non-fat salad dressings
NOT THAT: Creamy salad dressings
Until next time.
Stay healthy and stay active,
Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT
JMJ Fitness
Jason Johnson:Top Foods For Endurance Athletes
BY JASON JOHNSON
While training for the Navy SEAL Fitness challenge I participated in last month, I researched a few of the top foods to fuel endurance athletes. If you’re currently doing intense training, or just need a few foods to get you through your workouts, consider these power foods for endurance and high intensity training. I have kept all these foods in my food rotation:
1) Quinoa: It’s an ancient high-energy grain from South America. The Incas used it to increase stamina of their warriors and allow them to run longer distances at high altitudes. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids , making it a perfect meal for vegetarians concerned with their protein intake.
2) Kale: Kale contains high levels of vitamins A, B6, C and K, iron, calcium and loaded with antioxidants. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Low-grade inflammation resulting from exercise-induced muscle damage is a daily nuisance for many endurance athletes.
3) Oatmeal: This is a great source of complex carbs. It’s easily digested, high in fiber, and as a low-glycemic index food it provides long-lasting energy. This is the ideal breakfast before an endurance event. I like adding cinnamon, walnuts or pecans, honey and raisins.
4) Green Tea: A University of Birmingham, England study suggested a strong possibility that green tea extract could delay fatigue during prolonged moderate-intensity efforts.
5) Cherries: Loaded with antioxidants, cherries have been shown to enhance athletic performance. In a study conducted at the University of Vermont, competitive rowers who added cherry juice to their diets experienced significantly less muscle soreness and strength loss after taking a test designed to cause muscle damage than did a group of fellow rowers who received a placebo.
6) Bananas: Bananas are a perfect compliment to your bowl of pre-competition oatmeal. A banana delivers 2 important things for athletes: carbs and potassium (more than 30 g of carbs and about 400 mg of potassium). Athletes lose potassium through sweat during exercise
Until next time.
Stay healthy and stay active,
Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT
JMJ Fitness
10 Questions with JMJ Fitness Superstar client, Kristin
BY JASON JOHNSON
Hi everyone. I would like you all to meet one of my JMJ Fitness Superstar clients, Kristin! You may know her from the blog Because I Said So, or as a contributor to Dallas South.
She just completed an awesome personal fitness goal. I asked her 10 questions so you could get to know her and see why she is a superstar client!
1) JMJ: Kristin, you just completed a goal you set way back in February. Can you tell everyone what you just accomplished?
K: I finished my first 10k in 1:27:40:55 in Boulder, Colorado.
2) JMJ: Have you always been a runner? Do you have a running background?
K: I used to run every now and then but nothing like I have done recently.
3) JMJ: You also had a temporary injury set-back during your training. Can you tell us what happened and how it affected your training for the 10K?
K: Training was going really well then I started experiencing knee problems which felt as if my leg was going to give out. I consulted with an Orthopedic and he diagnosed me with having Patellar Tracking Disorder. For roughly 4 weeks I was limited to upper body weights only and no cardio.
4) JMJ: How did you feel immediately after the 10K? At some point, did you experience the “runner’s high”?
K: Tired! By mile four I don’t know if that was the runners high I was experiencing or gratitude that only two miles were left.
5) JMJ: We’ve been working together since February. Through your training and nutrition experience thus far, what are some of the changes you’ve noticed in your health and fitness levels?
K: I have a lot more energy and endurance. I actually look forward to most of my workouts and a good sweat. And of course noticing that I fit into smaller clothes.
6) JMJ: Have you set any other running goals or fitness goals? You know I’m all about clients setting goals!
K: I want to run a half-marathon before I turn 30 next year. There is the White Rock Lake race (this fall) or the Half-Marathon in Austin next year in February that I plan on checking off my must do before I turn 30 list.
7) JMJ: What has been the #1 thing or motivator that has helped you achieve
your fitness goals?
your fitness goals?
K: First it was weight loss then it gradual became the goal itself.
JMJ: What has been the toughest part about your new fitness lifestyle?K: Sugar! I don’t mind the workouts but the limitations on my sugar consumption has been a hard transition. I do find when I load up on fruit I don’t have refined sugar cravings.
9) JMJ: Kristin, how would you complete this sentence. Even on my worst days, when I’m not motivated, I still __________as a part of my new fitness lifestyle.
K: I do as you always say, I put on my clothes and just see what happens
10) JMJ: How does it feel to say to yourself, “I ran a 10K!”????
K: I feel very proud of myself. My mom is too she called all of my aunts after wards.
JMJ: Awesome, awesome job Kristin! It’s definitely a great feeling to accomplish a personal goal and cross it off your list. And it’s amazing how you start looking for the next challenge or goal you can accomplish. It’s a great domino effect, the “fitness bug” is very contagious.
Until next time.
Stay healthy and stay active,
Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT
JMJ Fitness
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