Tag: United States

Healthcare Law Means Changes for Nurse Management Jobs

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Would it surprise you to know that President Obama’s health care law goes well beyond simply providing insurance to those who don’t have it? Indeed, the Affordable Care Act (affectionately known as ObamaCare) contains an entire litany of new regulations that will affect everything from who receives care to how services are bought and paid for.

A good example of the burdensome regulations applies directly to nurse management jobs. There is a provision in the law requiring medical facilities to allow breaks for employees who are also nursing mothers, in order to allow them time to express milk. For a nurse manager this presents a whole new set of problems.

For instance, the law states breaks must be “reasonable” in terms of length. But who decides what “reasonable” is? If one nursing mother can express her milk in 15 minutes while another takes 30, there will be questions about fairness and equal time. Then there’s the question of workers who have babies brought to the workplace to nurse rather than expressing milk and putting it in the refrigerator.

Just this one little regulation is already causing a lot of headaches for nurse managers. It provides further evidence that the health care overhaul is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Nurse Management Jobs Still Worthwhile

Despite the changes in the healthcare regulations, don’t be discouraged if you want to get into the healthcare field. Nurse management jobs are still very attractive for a variety of reasons. They offer excellent pay, a good working environment, and room for professional advancement.

Furthermore, working as a nurse manager brings with it a measure of personal satisfaction by being able to help make the lives of patients better. By your willingness to put your best foot forward your nursing staff will be encouraged to do the same and your patients will benefit.

You and Your Staff

To excel as a nurse manager requires a way of thinking that’s slightly different from what you did as an active floor nurse. In other words, before moving into management your primary focus was your patients. As a nurse manager you’re still focused on patient care, but you’re more focused on your staff as the vehicle to provide that care.

Nurse management jobs are therefore more about encouraging the success of your staff. When you’re nurses are doing well, so will your patients. When your nurses are not performing up to standards patient care will suffer.

Nurse Managers also have the added responsibility of representing their staff before upper management and other members of the healthcare team. This requires a certain amount advocacy which some nurse managers find difficult. Nonetheless, it’s part of building a solid team.

In the United States there is currently a significant shortage of nurses and nurse managers. There are nurse management jobs available in big cities, small towns, and through temporary staffing agencies. If you’re qualified and want to work, it’s out there for the taking.

Health Care Reform – Seen through the eyes of the typical American Citizen

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The health care we receive here in the U.S. is bar none, among the best in the world. So why do we insist on calling this recent government attempt at takeover of our health care system a “Health Care Reform”. In fact what is reform? Well, most dictionary definitions are as follows: “To change to a better state, form, etc.; to improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc.”

Health care here in the United States, as we just stated, is without question among the best in the world, and this is easily identifiable simply be examining how many people from countries where there is government controlled health care, flee to the United States to receive better, more comprehensive. and more expeditious health care or treatments than they otherwise have access to in their home countries. These include Canada and European countries, where socialized medicine is the norm.

So, while the talk may be about health care reform, we submit that what the debate should be about is health care cost reform. Additionally, to insinuate that insurance companies are solely at fault for the rising health care costs is just absurd. Insurance is expensive because health care costs have spiraled out of control. Insurance companies make the payments, and in many cases they get the discounts, because of their pooled purchasing power.

Consequently, if we are to focus our discussions on healthcare costs, where the discussion should rightfully be focused, then we should fully examine and realize why the costs are constantly increasing, and doing so at a pace that exceeds inflation or income growth.

One major reason for these ever increasing healthcare costs is the ridiculous prices doctors must pay for their required malpractice insurance. Many want to blame the insurance companies for the high prices. However, before we persist in this line of thinking, we would do well to consider the law, and the frequency with which doctors are sued in court with nonsensical and or frivolous lawsuits. Most importantly, with these frivilous lawsuits comes a high price tag for their defense.

Defense costs for lawsuits are borne by the insurance companies providing medical malpractice insurance. Many people are believers in the need for legal or tort reform, so too does the author of this article believe in this need. Many people truly believe this tort reform would significantly reduce medical malpractice insurance costs, as well as overall medical costs.

Let us open up legal action against any lawyer who brings to bare a frivolous lawsuit and then let us see the real and legitimate claims which are made in courts, while frivilous suits and claims are opem to counter claims and counter suits. Were this the case, then the number of cases would likely drop significantly and the cost of malpractice insurance would likely plummet, as would health care costs, were these frivilous suits reduced.

For a minute, let us take a look at but one example of how this comes into play. Not long ago a man had an accident. While reaching down to remove a stick from near his lawn mower he lost two finger to the blade. He received many (nearly 30) calls from legal professionals urging him to sue the doctors for the loss of his fingers. The silly thing is, the doctors and hospital did their best to save his fingers from his own stupidity. Yet even after re-attachment they were unable to help or to save the fingers. Still, even if the case is completely frivolous, legal professionals were urging him to sue the doctors and hospital for not saving his fingers. It was absolutely crazy, I know, the man was my father in law.

Healthcare Compliance Understanding Hipaahitech Regulatory Controls

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Security is a major cause of concern in today”s techno savvy global corporate environment. With organizations and healthcare facilities going towards a paperless environment, most of the information transfer and storage is in digital formats. Organizations, healthcare institutions and hospitals are faced with security challenges of their records and personnel. The need to protect the privacy of employees or patients involves a critical issue of the access to the electronic information.

Through a forward looking approach with view to address the current problems of IT compliance and security requirements of the healthcare industry and corporate sectors, various regulatory controls were put in place. This includes healthcare compliance in the form of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, signed as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Act, besides adding requirements for security breaches, has also laid down security standards for maintaining electronic health records. This Act also expands the privacy provisions beyond the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act.

Tthe HIPAA act was enacted in 1996 in the United States among other things to protect the health insurance coverage for employees and their next of kin in case of change of workplace or retrenchment. With the widespread use of electronic data exchange, HIPAA also made provisions for health care providers, insurance companies and employers to confirm to national standards in electronic health care transactions, so as to maintain high level of security. However, since the integrity of data is at risk by technological enhancements, the HIPAA healthcare act has transaction and code rules besides a number of standards and guidelines for the organizations to maintain the privacy and security of sensitive health information.

Though considered a boon to the security of healthcare information, these regulatory systems offer the entities a number of challenges too. The use of compliance management software developed by experts in the field will help organizations streamline and automate compliance initiatives. Further organizations have also made use of smart cards to identify access to the electronic documents. Such holistic enterprise-wide approach is needed for effective controls

Conformance to HIPPA/HITECH regulatory controls ensure Information security and healthcare regulatory compliance. These Acts address the security and privacy issues in healthcare industry. HITECH applies to the business associates too. Under such provisions, the business associates are also accountable for any data breaches and face penalties for non-compliance.

Cigarette Smoking and the Respiratory Ailment of COPD

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Cigarette smoking has been strongly linked to health conditions like heart disease and lung cancer. Other than these two dreaded disease, heavy smoking may also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition causes inflammation and damages the small airways of the lung tissue and may cause breathing difficulties. COPD is usually a combination of two similar conditions: chronic bronchitis and chronic emphysema. Because cigarette smoking is the major cause of these two conditions, they often occur together in the same person. COPD damage is progressive and permanent and has become one of the fastest-growing health problems. It has become the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for more than 96,000 deaths annually. Because of these health conditions the need to quit smoking has become more important than ever. Understanding COPD is essential in encouraging smokers to quit this dreaded and potentially fatal habit.

Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is caused by inhaling bronchial irritants like cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, air pollution, and environmental irritants like mold or dust. Cigarette smoke may increase the risk for infection because it damages the cilia or the small hair-like projections that protect the lungs from bacteria and other foreign particles out of the lungs. This disease develops slowly, middle aged and older individuals have heightened risks of getting diagnosed with bronchitis. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis may include wheezing, expectorating cough, chest pains, and persistent fatigue.

Emphysema

Emphysema is a chronic respiratory disease that is characterized by the enlargement of the alveoli or air sacks. Emphysema may reduce the elasticity of the lungs and may result in the collapse of the bronchioles, the first airway that no longer contain cartilage. As this happens, air cannot leave the alveoli therefore hampering the function of the lungs. The lungs may lose their ability to shrink during exhalation. Reduced exhalation may also reduce the amount of air that is inhaled. Because of this condition, waste air is not easily removed from the lungs and oxygen-rich air is not restored. Individuals with emphysema may have a hard time breathing and oftentimes gasp for air. Emphysema is most common on individuals aged 50 and older and may occur with other respiratory disease like bronchitis.

Causes and symptoms of COPD may include the following:

Lifestyle. Cigarette smoking is by far the most important risk factor for COPD and accounts for at least 80% of all COPD cases. Cigar and pipe smoking can also cause COPD. Air pollution and industrial dust and fumes are the known air pollutants that worsen the ailment. Age. Chronic bronchitis is more common in people over 40 years old; emphysema occurs more often in people 65 years of age and older. Socioeconomic class. COPD-related deaths are about twice as high among unskilled and semi-skilled laborers as among professionals. Family clustering. It is thought that heredity predisposes people in certain families to the development of COPD when other causes, such as smoking and air pollution, are present. Lung infections that can either be viral or bacterial.

Treatment for COPD is dependent on the patient’s condition and the severity of the disease. With a health program that involves respiratory care, disability and other symptoms can be prevented and therefore reducing the occurrence of early deaths. However, no treatments are proven to cure this disease. Certain treatments are only designed to alleviate symptoms and increase survival rate.

Rather than focusing on the cure, lifestyle changes that may prevent the development of COPD should be emphasized. The occurrence of COPD may be prevented if individuals who smoke quit smoking, maintain good nutrition, drink lots of fluids, maintain proper weight, and exercise. Understanding the health risks of of COPD are essential in making smokers quit smoking.

Buy Respiratory Therapy Supplies from Online Medical Stores

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In todays World breathing problems are very familiar, but it is encouraging to know that you can find huge range of respiratory supplies on the internet. You will not believe it but a survey says that there are more than thirty to forty million people having asthma problem in United States only. The number of people who are suffering from breathing problems is entire world is almost near to three-hundred million.

If you are not able to breathe appropriately then it can be really frightening and this is something really very serious issues that you have to look out. These symptoms can really dangerous if you are taking serious care about it. If you are or anyone from your family who is suffering from asthma or sleep apnea, then there is a huge selections of respiratory equipments available that can ease your situation and also provides a huge comfort to you.

There so many contemporary respiratory supplies that one will come across have had a huge pact of though put in their designs. Respiratory equipments are of various types, whether you looking for oxygen analyzers, pulse oxmieters, nebulizers or humidifiers all them are sturdy and durable with excellent useful features. Consider an example of nebulizer, than it must have good design so it can be easily assembled, strong plastic material which reduces the risk of any breakages and many more features like these.

If you are looking for nebulizer on online medical stores and find that some of the features are missing, then you can switch to another online store where you can find far better models of such respiratory supplies and equipments.

The next thing you must look out is CPAP machine. Continuous positive airways pressure equipment (CPAP) machine is usually associated with people who suffers from sleep apnea. These machines are considered as one of the most useful source of ventilation to have in hospitals. In many countries they have a constant use in intensive are unit. People suffering from sleep apnea are required to deliver air at a certain pressure. Generally the pressure range is between 6 to 14cm H2O and CPAP machines provide pressure from 4 to 20cm H2O, hence they are ultimate portion of respiratory equipment to use.

Online medical stores providing respiratory products supplies and equipments has not only huge stocks of instruments, but if you already have a piece and looking for their replacement or additional parts than also they can help you in several ways. An online medical store also provides you therapy supplies like nasal cannuals, mouthpieces, peak flow meter and many more. Online stores are the best ways to get most replacements parts for you which can be done within few quick.

Buying respiratory supplies and equipments from online medical store is extremely useful. The products are well organized due to which you can find your item very easily. Not only that they also provides special discounts on varieties of respiratory supplies with Free shipping. Online shopping will not only save your time but also provides the opportunity to buy life essential medical supplies form your doorsteps.

The Franchise Advantage

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Some people are more comfortable not starting their own business from scratch They would rather join a business with a proven track record through a franchise agreement. A franchise can be formed as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. Some of the best-know franchises are McDonald’s Jiffy Lube, 7-Eleven, Weight Watchers, and Holiday Inn.

Over 9 million people in the United States work in a franchise. Franchised businesses now take in $1 of every $3 spent by Americans for goods or services, or 40 percent of all national retail sales (about 1 trillion). In fact, 1 out of 12 American businesses are franchises, and a new franchise opens every six and a half minutes of each business day. The most popular businesses for franchising are restaurants (more than 80 percent of all franchises), retail stores, hotels and motels, and automotive parts and service centers.

When you think of franchising, however, don’t confine your thoughts to the United States. Small, midsized, and large U.S. franchisors have expanded overseas, often with great success. For example, McDonald’s has over 25,000 restaurants in 117 countries serving 40 million customer. Ranked as the world’s greatest brand by the Interbrand Group, and independent branding consultant, McDonald’s plans to accelerate its global business by adding as many restaurants outside the United States in the next 4 years as it did in the last 30 years

Advantages of Franchises

1. Management and marketing assistance. A franchisee has a much greater chance of succeeding in business because he or she has an established product; help with choosing a location and promotion; and assistance in all phrases of operation. It is like having your own store with full-time consultants available when you need them. Some franchisors are helping their franchisees succeed by helping with local marketing efforts rather than having them depend solely on national advertising. You have a whole network of fellow franchisees who are facing similar problems and can share their experiences with you.

2. Personal ownership. A franchise operation is still your store, and you enjoy much of the incentives and profit of any sole proprietor. You are still your own boss, although you must follow more rules, regulations, and procedures than you would with your own privately owned store.

3. Nationally recognized name. It is one thing to open a gift shop or ice cream store. It is quite another to open a gift shop or Baskin-Robbins. With an established franchise, you get instant recognition and support from a product group with established customers from around the world.

4. Financial advice and assistance. A major problem with small businesses is arranging financing and learning to keep good records. Franchisees get valuable assistance and periodic advice from people with expertise in these areas In fact, some franchisors will even provide financing to potential franchisees they feel will be valuable parts of the franchise system. For example, SRA International Inc., an executive-recruiting franchise, eases entry for selected new franchisees by allowing $20,000 of the $35,000 initiation fee to be paid from revenue over a period of two years or more.

Historically, the failure rate for franchises has been lower than that of other business ventures. According to the International Franchise Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, franchises have a 66 percent higher success rate than independent businesses. However, franchising has grown so rapidly that many weak franchises have entered the field, so you need to be careful and invest wisely.

Sports Medicine For Outdoor Activity Injuries In Asheboro Nc

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Sports medicine is generally the answer for injuries sustained in outdoor sports and other activities in Asheboro NC. Being active, enjoying nature and participating in outdoor sports are essential to our quality of life. When something goes wrong, and we suffer pain from bending, lifting or twisting, the BLT of back injuries, sports medicine doctors are the go-to specialists for help.

Back and neck problems
Sports and other outdoor activities contribute their fair share of back and neck problems, the most frequent reasons for doctor visits in the United States. Anyone with chronic back and neck problems should be evaluated by the sports medicine doctors and professionals before participating in new outdoor activities. Preexisting conditions of the spine can become worse during outdoor recreation, or prior symptoms of back pain and neck pain could return during outdoor recreational activity.

The most common types of neck and back injuries are sprains and strains, disc herniations, and fractures.

Strains and sprains
Strains and sprains generally happen during heavy lifting, twisting and repeated bending, and cause many visits to sports medicine doctors. Yard work such as shoveling snow or chopping wood, and other outdoor activities which entail bending at the waist, can cause a painful strain or sprain to your lower back.

Overhead activities such as pruning trees, painting, even playing badminton or volleyball in the back yard, can bring neck sprains to the unsuspecting outdoor enthusiast. Back or neck sprains and strains usually mean a partial tear of muscle, tendon or ligament, causing a dull and aching pain in the low back or neck.

Sprains or strains are generally treated with ice, locally applied for the first 24 hours. Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen are given, and after the first 24 hours, local heat is applied. Bed rest is not advised, nor is there a need for surgical intervention for these injuries.

Disc injuries and herniations
Less common than strains and sprains, disc injuries can also result from the very same activities which cause sprains and strains. In addition to repetition of the BLT movements and overhead movements causing sprains and strains, repeated jarring from running or from bouncing around on outdoor recreational vehicles can also cause disc injuries and herniations. Disc structures are seated between your spinal vertebrae (bones), next to nerve structures. If a disc herniates, it can apply pressure to nerve structures, leading to serious spinal problems.

Sports medicine doctor in Asheboro NC, generally treat disc herniations as they do sprains and strains unless there are signs of more serious injury. These signs of more severe injury include difficulty emptying the bladder or controlling bowel movements, which could represent severe nerve injury. Also, sports medicine surgeons should immediately investigate weakness in arms or legs after neck or back injury.

Fractures of the neck and back
Fractures incurred during outdoor activities like falls from height or in high speed sports like skiing require immediate attention to stabilize the injury and prevent further damage to spinal structures. Sports medicine surgeons and other orthopedic specialists prefer not to perform spinal surgery for spinal fractures except under extraordinary circumstances. Recovery can be inconsistent and often depends on the severity of the injury.

Sports medicine specializes in injuries relating to the everyday activities we all enjoy, whether they happen in sporting activity, or simply while enjoying the outdoors. Although most injuries are minor and will go away with simple treatment, sometimes it is necessary for sports medicine doctors such as those in Asheboro NC to become. If you have suffered a back or neck injury, having the sports medicine specialists check you will be a wise idea.

Information Of Causes Of Heart Disease

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Within the last 100 years, Heart Disease has been recorded as the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Wales and Canada. In America heart diseases are responsible for one person every 34 seconds and more than 60 million Americans have some type of cardiovascular disfunction. There are many individuals who are uninformed about its causes, symptoms and ways of preventing it the risk of it affecting you and your family. Heart disease is not a single disease but rather a group of diseases of that spurs from different causes. These diseases cause damage to the heart and impacts the way in which it functions.
There are many different causes for developing heart disease, one such cause is smoking. Cigarettes and tobacco contain hazardous substances which include, nicotine and include carbon monoxide. These chemicals travel to the lungs and build up fatty plaque in the arteries and cause damage to the artery vessel walls. Smoking also increase the heart rate and tighten the major arteries and causes the heart rate to become abnormal all these factors cause the heart to pump more blood. When the heart becomes overworked this puts massive strain on the heart and lead to various complications.
Persons who do no physical activites also increase their risk of getting a heart attack when compared to a person who practices to exercise on a regular basis. Exercise helps to control the bodys cholesterol level by burning calories and through regular exercise, the muscles of the heart are made stronger and the arteries become even more flexible. Burning 500 3500 calories during the week can increase your mortality rate by far versus someone who does not. Exercise also helps to eliminate stress in the body. Major stress can cause your heart to work harder than usual. When you increase your hearts need for oxygen, this can bring on chest pain in person who already have a heart disease.

Persons who have a family history of being diagnosed with heart disease are more prone to become infected with it. If your parents or siblings have suffered from a heart problems before age 55, then it automatically heightens the possibility of infection over someone who does not have a family record of heart disease.
There is also information to identify that certain heart disease can be connected to certain racial and ethnic groups. For example high blood pressure is more commonly diagnosed in African American men versus their white man counterparts. The male gender also suffer a higher risk of heart attack over women until the age of 65 where the risk is equaled. Heart diseases are also connected to high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fat like substance which is produced from the food we consume and is transported within the body via the blood. Products that are produced from animals like meat, dairy products and egg are high in cholesterol, and if consumed excessively it can lead to high cholesterol levels. Other causes of heart disease include being overweight and high blood pressure. Person who suffer from obesity are more likely to experience high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and the possibility of a stroke occurring.

A Third Party Review Of Yor Health Is It A Good Business Opportunity

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If youre checking out this review, chances are youre searching for information on YOR Health. If youre truly thinking aboutgetting involved with YOR Health, its critical to do your homework so you know exactly what youre getting into. In this article, Ill go over the companys history, the product line, the business opportunity and what it takes to really have success with YOR Health (and its probably different than what your company is telling you).

First of all, YOR Health is a company that markets weight loss products through a direct marketing business model. The company is based in Irvine, CA and is expanding in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Mexico. It was started by Dennis Wong, a business man who got his start in real estate before getting involved in network marketing. Along with Wong, YOR Health has a solid scientific and athletic advisory board. Currently, the company has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is a relatively good rating.

As far as their products go, YOR Health markets a complete line of wellness and weight loss products. There are literally dozens and dozens of products that are geared towards helping people lose weight and get more healthy. Some examples of YOR Health products include meal replacement shakes, antioxidant products, various supplements and vitamins and energy products. YOR Health is involved in the manufacturing process which helps them maintain quality control. In addition, there are some clinical reports you can check out on their company site. Its also vital to note that some of their products were tested at Brunswick Labs, which is a highly credible third party laboratory.

Now, lets go over YOR Healths business opportunity. You can join YOR Health by paying a distributor fee of $50, along with an initial product purchase. After your initial purchase, youll need to keep a monthly autoship order to max out the pay plan. The comp plan operates as a binary and allows you to earn income seven ways. All in all, there seems to be a fair balance of immediate and residual income potential. Assuming you can keep your teams autoship retention high, you can potentially build a solid residual income.

In closing, YOR Health is a stable company with a potentially lucrative business opportunity. They have a good management team, high quality products and a fair pay plan. However, it will take more than that to succeed. Pitching your non-interested warm market will only take you so far, and prospecting strangers will yield you minimal results. In order to build a sizable team that will pay you a significant residual income, youll need to be able to generate leads. If you can use an effective lead generation system in conjunction with your YOR Health business, you can be on your way to building a wildly successful business.

Prostate Cancer Basics

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Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate grow out of control and they form tumors. When the prostate has many small tumors formed from these abnormal out of control cells, prostate cancer is diagnosed.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 192,280 new cases if prostate cancer and 27,360 deaths from prostate cancer in 2009 in the United States. Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer (just behind lung cancer) in men and 1 in 6 of men will be diagnosed with this type of cancer. Currently, it is estimated that 2 million men in the United States currently have prostate cancer.

Most men in the early stages of prostate cancer do not have any symptoms, however; when the disease progresses the following symptoms may appear:
A need to urinate frequently, especially at night;
Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine;
Weak or interrupted flow of urine;
Painful or burning urination;
Blood in urine or semen; or
Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
Due to the fact that these symptoms may also be signs of other diseases, a comprehensive work up from your family physician is vital.

The National Cancer Institutes has developed a chart which gives age ranges of men and the probability of a prostate cancer diagnosis.

Age Range Probability of Prostate Cancer

Under age 40 1 in 19,299
Age 40 59 1 in 45
Age 60-79 1 in 7

So what does this chart really mean? It means that the men in your lives need to be tested regularly for prostate cancer. Additionally, men of African decent have a 60% risk higher than Caucasian men which are the second highest racial group.

The Mayo Clinic says that there really is not much proven to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but recommends the following MIGHT help. 1) Don’t overeat. 2) Avoid high-fat foods. 3).Make healthy choices. 4) Drink alcohol in moderation. 5) Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. 6) Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. 7) Eat soy products and legumes. 8) Drink green tea.

In a study Harvard study the team of investigators found that men who ate more than 10 servings of tomato-based foods daily (such as cooked tomatoes and tomato sauce, V8 juice) had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

My recipe for a great source of lycopene:

Mary Favorite Pasta Sauce
1 can low-sodium (or no sodium) tomato sauce
1 can low-sodium (or no sodium) tomato paste
1 small onion (optional)
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
to tsp no sodium Cajun spice
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
tsp sugar (optional but really helps cut the acid taste)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 can/bottle regular not light beer of your choice (can substitute 1 cup wine or 3 cups water)
Dash of parmesan cheese for topping
Splash of olive oil
1 lb ground turkey, beef or Boca Crumbles (soy product)
Your choice of noodles (spaghetti, angle hair, etc)

Add a splash of olive oil to a pan, heat and add chopped onion and garlic.

Saut until onions are clear. Remove from pan and set aside. Add your ground turkey or beef to pan and saut until brown. Drain off all the fat from the pan that you can.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, spices, beer, sugar, onion/garlic to pan (add Boca Crumbles if you are making the veggie version of this recipe). Add water if sauce is too thick. Turn to low and simmer for at least one hour or longer if possible.

Boil water with a dash of salt and olive oil (I like to add the olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together, but I know a lot of people do not) add noodles and cook according to directions.

Serve noodles with sauce and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese. Serve with a side of veggies (your choice) and/or good whole grain bread.

Feel free to jazz up this recipe by adding squash, bell peppers or any other veggie to the sauce. Remember to saut your added veggies with the onion and garlic.

For dessert serve lycopene rich fruits such as watermelon, papaya, apricots, or pink guava.

Sources of lycopene

Fruits/Veggies Tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruits, apricots, pink guavas, red bell peppers, baked beans, Asparagus

Condiments Catsup, bbq sauce, salsa, tomato soup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato juice, V8 Juice, Salad dressing, Thousand Island dressing, Salad dressing, Russian dressing, Salad dressing, French dressing

Caution!!! Commercially prepared condiments may contain high amounts of sodium and sugar!! Read your labels carefully if your elder has to watch their sodium and glucose intake.

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