Expression GreenExpressing the need for a healthy green lifestyle

With several health care reform bills making their way through congressional committees, many Valley employers are worried how the outcome will affect their financial future.

Already facing increased health insurance premiums, businesses also are concerned about being required to provide health coverage for all workers and how a government-run option might affect their costs. One proposal that has benefits consultants wringing their hands is an excise tax on insurance plans that cost a family more than $21,000 a year.

Kathryn Bakich, national director of health care compliance at the Segal Co. in Washington, said lawmakers must be careful not to do something that will create bad consequences for employer plans.

Most plans cost $15,000 to $18,000 a year, she said, including both the employer and employee portions. With a couple of years of inflation, some of those plans will hit the $21,000 cap and be open to additional taxes on employers.

“Many times they call it a Cadillac tax, but these are not Cadillac plans they are taxing,” Bakich said. “That’s a big problem.”

She said she hasn’t seen any consensus from employers about which plans seem to be most employer-friendly. She said some employer groups don’t like any of the proposals, while others might like a single aspect of a complex plan.

“Everyone is looking to see what the Senate Finance Committee comes up with, which will combine with the Senate Health Committee bill,” she said.
Employer-based coverage

Dennis Hoffman, professor of economics at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, said the U.S. is one of the only countries that relies on employers to provide the bulk of health insurance. That practice originated after World War II, when the government imposed wage and price controls on companies. As a result, employers — beginning with the auto industry — offered health benefits to entice high-quality employees.

“In terms of basic economics, the labor market would be much more efficient if people were free to seek jobs and they could separate insurance coverage from employment,” Hoffman said. “Businesses could feel free to hire and fire people without concerns about insurance implications, pre-existing conditions and lawsuits around health insurance.”

Hoffman, who receives comprehensive benefits from the state, said he is satisfied with his coverage. The state of Arizona recently awarded $750 million in contracts to several health plans, all of which compete to sign up an estimated 135,000 members. Hoffman chose the Boise, Idaho-based AmeriBen plan, which is using the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona provider network.

“I don’t have any complaints about my particular benefits package per se, but it still does cost the state and myself a lot of money,” he said.

Hoffman would rather have the state exclude health benefits and put that money in his paycheck so he can buy his own health coverage.

Jack Lunsford, president and CEO of Westmarc, a West Valley economic development coalition, said a government plan could destroy the employer-based coverage system that works for many Americans. Yet he also said a tax on small businesses for not offering insurance to employees would hurt them.

Lunsford is grateful for Westmarc’s coverage through Health Care Group, which provides a safety net for small businesses that have trouble finding affordable health plans in the commercial sector.

“We were not able to offer health insurance to our staff until we qualified under Health Care Group,” Lunsford said.
Businesses fear mandates

Employers such as Marwan Madanat, who hire independent contractors and don’t provide health insurance, say an employer mandate would be “devastating” to his company, Alphamed Solutions Inc. in Chandler.

Alphamed has four workers in Arizona and 16 across the U.S. who provide medical transcription and billing services for doctors’ offices. All are home-based independent contractors, which means they are responsible for their own insurance.

Madanat hopes to expand his business into the growing electronic medical records segment, which many say ultimately will help lower medical costs.

“In my opinion, we have got the best medical treatment in the whole world,” said Madanat, who was born in Jordan and became a U.S. citizen in 1994. “This is where I’m coming in with the technology. At the end of the day, we can help reduce the cost of providing services and hope the doctor will reduce their fees. This would have a ripple effect.”

Scott Harkey, a partner in Phoenix-based marketing firm Owens Harkey & Associates, said he recently had to cut health insurance benefits for five full-time and four part-time employees.

Let’s face it, we seem to hear more and more now about the green tea antioxidant and maybe we have become a little blasé about it. But they could truly help save your life.

The green tea antioxidant is over 100 times more powerful than vitamin C and 25 times more potent than vitamin E.

Green tea itself is being hailed as one of the most promising anticancer substances ever discovered. Quite an amazing statement!

So what is it that makes it tick?

The main antioxidant responsible is a polyphenol called EGCG, and has been proven to protect the body’s cells and stop cancer cells from duplicating, therefore stopping the cancer.

The green tea antioxidants also help protect the heart and can help lower your bad cholesterol levels, helping to prevent as stroke and warding off heart disease. I told you it could save your life!

Other benefits include boosting your immune system and metabolism which will lead to better health and fewer colds and as an aid to losing weight, respectively.

The list is endless! No wonder the Chinese have been using it their medicine for over 4000 years, and why, despite high levels of smoking, they have a comparatively low level of heart disease.

So quite an astonishing list of qualities for green tea antioxidants, and one important factor to bear in mind is that green tea will work even better when combined with other synergetic ingredients, for example in the form of a supplement.

Supplements are the most popular and effective way to take vital nutrients and herbs today, and green tea for example when combined with turmeric and ginger, will react and provide even greater benefits than if taken alone.

So look for a supplement that has many ingredients in it that work synergistically together giving you the highest possible health benefits.

In conclusion, I hope this compact article has given you some insight on what you wanted to know, and that you now understand how to attain the greatest life-saving benefits through the green tea antioxidant in combination with other natural ingredients.

If you would like to learn more about the natural products which I personally take, including green tea extract, why not visit my website.

rinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV, research suggests.

rinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV, research suggests.

Scientists found a component called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells by getting there first.

Once EGCG has bound to immune system cells there is no room for HIV to take hold in its usual fashion.

However, experts said the joint UK and US work, which appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, was at a very preliminary stage.

Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: “Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV.

“It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

“Future research is also currently under way in order to determine how much effect can be expected from different amounts of tea.”

More work needed

Keith Alcorn, senior editor of the Aidsmap web service, said tests on animals would be needed before any conclusions could be safely drawn on the potential protective effect of drinking green tea.

“This study only looks at the ability of a chemical in green tea to block HIV binding to human CD4 immune cells in the test tube.

“Many substances shown to prevent HIV infection in the test tube turn out to have little or no effect in real life, so I think there’s a long way to go before anyone should rely on green tea to protect against HIV infection.”

Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: “Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can’t be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques.”

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s

For more information about Green Tea cllick here

Cancer is a complex, devastating illness which is responsible for the deaths of millions of people each year. For decades, scientists have been attempting to uncover some of the secrets of cancer in order to find a cure. While, so far, a cure has been out of reach, there appear to be some natural remedies which can prevent or slow cancer growth. One of those remedies is a beverage which is commonplace in many Asian households-tea.

The History of an Anti-Cancer Tool

Tea has been a dietary staple for 500,000 years. People in India and China appear to be among the first to have enjoyed this beloved beverage. But it’s one variety in particular-Camellia sinensis-which appears to have a number of health benefits associated with it. That variety is also known as green tea.

What Makes Green Tea Special

Green tea is unique in that it is produced from unfermented leaves and it contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which are chemicals that can serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are essentially on a search-and-destroy mission against free radicals, compounds which compromise DNA and destroy cells. Free radicals are often to blame for the development of cancer as well as heart disease. The antioxidants immobilize free radicals and inhibit the damage often associated with them.

Medicinal Uses of Green Tea

For years, Asians have used green tea to promote a healthy lifestyle. It helps to promote good digestion, improve concentration, and promote the excretion of urine. In addition, a number of studies in human beings, animals, and in laboratories suggest that green tea can be effective in combating a number of ailments.

Green Tea’s Effect on Cancer of the Pancreas and Colon

In an article entitled, “Green Tea Consumption and the Risk of Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancers,” researchers B.T. Ji, W.H. Chow, A.W. Hsing, J.K. McLaughlin, Q. Dai, Y.T. Gao, W.J. Blot, and J.F. Fraumeni, Jr. examined the question of green tea’s effectiveness as an antidote to certain types of cancers.

The Columbia University researchers conceded that the effect of green tea on cancer risk is uncertain, although a number of animal studies seem to indicate a positive effect.

In order to test the hypothesis that drinking green tea can, in fact, lessen cancer risk, the researchers conducted an extensive study in Shanghai, China in order to see whether green tea consumption had any impact on cancers of the colon, rectum, and pancreas.

The research team found that the greater the consumption of green tea, the lesser the risk of cancer. As a result, it appears that green tea may, in fact, lower the incidence of both colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Yet, it should be noted that other similar studies have produced conflicting results. As a result, scientists recommend additional research before a definitive statement can be made about green tea as a colorectal cancer prevention tool.

As far as pancreatic cancer is concerned, another study showed that those individuals who consumed the most green tea were far less likely to develop the disease. It appears that the reduced risk is most pronounced in women, who cut their pancreatic cancer rate in half by drinking large amounts of green tea.

In contrast, male green tea drinkers were 37 percent less likely to develop the disease. However, it should be noted that it is impossible to tell from this particular study whether green tea was solely responsible for cutting pancreatic cancer risk.

Green Tea and Other Cancers

But what about other cancers? How effective has green tea been in preventing other forms of the disease? To begin with, cancer rates are often lower in Japan and other nations where green tea consumption is high. Animal studies also indicate that the polyphenols in green tea are effective antioxidants which kill cancerous cells, stopping them in their tracks.

A study of bladder cancer patients found that those who consumed green tea had a much better five-year survival rate than cancer patients who did not drink the beverage. In addition, animal studies appear to confirm that the chemicals in green tea stop the growth of breast cancer cells.

One study of nearly 500 women with breast cancer found that those who drank green tea did not see their cancer spread as much as those who did not consume green tea. Yet, those who were in the later stages of breast cancer who drank green tea saw little or no improvement in their condition.

Animal studies also indicate that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus. But studies in human beings have yielded mixed results. For instance, one study showed that green tea could help prevent esophageal cancer-especially in women, while another indicated that the tea could actually increase the incidence of such cancer.

Consequently, additional research is needed before scientists can determine conclusively whether green tea can act as a cancer preventative.

The effects of green tea on lung and prostate cancer remain unclear. However, the beverage does seem to prevent the onset of skin cancer. There is also some evidence to suggest that it can inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells.

It appears that green tea may be effective in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease. This is significant because people who suffer from this disease are at a greater risk for colon cancer. Specifically, green tea appears to reduce the inflammation characteristic of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Green Tea and Chemotherapy

There have been lab tests to indicate that green tea can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and tamoxifen. But the positive effect has not yet been demonstrated in studies of human beings. In fact, green tea and green tea extracts are not recommended for prostate cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.

The Final Word

Although scientific studies at this point are not altogether conclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that green tea can be effective in preventing cancer. That may be particularly true for colorectal and pancreatic cancers. At this point, a number of doctors agree that, for most people, the health benefits of drinking green tea far outweigh the risks.