Want the Health Benefits of Tea without the Caffeine?
If you are looking for a healthy drink then there is almost nothing better than a cup of Green Tea. Green tea does however contain caffeine, and those of us looking to cut back on our caffeine intake might want to consider another option to get in all of the great antioxidants that can be found in tea. So if you are looking for a great tasting tea that is full of antioxidants and all the while caffeine free, let me introduce you to your new drink of choice: Rooibos.
Rooibos is high in antioxidants, while perhaps not quite as high as Green tea, and has a really wonderful flavor that some might find superior to Green tea. Still not convinced? Check out the following list of proposed health benefits from itea.com.au:
Rooibos is a good source of antioxidants and is the only known source of a potent antioxidant aspalathin, which could play a role in combating several lifestyle diseases. Unlike black and green teas, Rooibos is naturally caffeine free (not decaffeinated) and therefore suitable for children, infants and breast-feeding mothers. Rooibos has proven cancer-fighting properties in animal research studies. Rooibos contains low amounts of tannin. (Tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins and interfere with iron absorption in the body.) After centuries of use, no negative side effects of Rooibos have ever been recorded. In Japan, Rooibos is called “Long Life Tea” and considered an anti-ageing beverage. Many Japanese women also believe that Rooibos tea offer special benefits during pregnancy.
BCBSNC Moves to Improve Downtown Winston-Salem
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is going to be turning former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco warehouses into labs that will conduct research in Winston-Salem. Not only is this move good for BCBSNC but it is also good for the city of Winston-Salem, according to digtriad.com Doug Edgeton, president, Piedmont Triad Research Park (PTRP), had the following to say about the project:
“This investment by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina will enable us to preserve a former manufacturing area in the heart of downtown Winston Salem. The State Mill Tax Credit program is a very effective tool for sustainable redevelopment and provides tremendous benefits to the local economy. PTRP is very excited about Wexford’s redevelopment of the R.J. Reynolds 91 Buildings, which is the first step towards a transformation of the park’s North District.”
The buildings are slated to become medical labs and will conduct research as well. There are future plans for the sites as well, and the project area as a whole will be known as Wake Forest BioTech Place and will be occupied by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researchers.
Blue Cross/UNC Health set up new NC practice
North Carolina’s largest health insurance provider and the state owned health system based at UNC are prepared to open a new kind of health center. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and UNC are partnering to create a facility that will reach deep into the Blue Cross community and aid in the State’s healthcare according to WRAL:
“The UNC Health Care physicians working at the facility would care for 5,000 Blue Cross members with chronic conditions like coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, major depression, and asthma.
Blue Cross CEO Brad Wilson says the team approach will mean doctors and nurses will have more contact with patients and be able to educate them better about how to stay healthy and avoid complications. It should also cut costs.”
This is just another way in which BCBSNC is helping spread individual health insurance NC state wide. If you are interested in a policy please check out our homepage at carolinahealth.com.
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Is Having Individual Health Insurance NC Right for You?
Do you need health insurance? Sure the question has probably crossed your mind from time to time, but is it really for you? In short having health insurance is good for several reasons, you should not go without health insurance if you can possibly avoid it. If you’re wondering why getting health insurance is a good idea then you should continue reading the following from the Urban Institute:
“Having health insurance is important for several reasons. Uninsured people receive less medical care and less timely care, they have worse health outcomes, and lack of insurance is a fiscal burden for them and their families. Moreover, the benefits of expanding coverage outweigh the costs for added services. Safety-net care from hospitals and clinics improves access to care but does not fully substitute for health insurance. These findings are supported by much research, although some cautions are appropriate in using these results.”
Of course there are the above reasons and many more besides. Health insurance is something that you want to have no matter what. Having a quality nc health insurance provider like bcbsnc is a great way to get individual health insurance NC.
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Keep Healthy this Winter with Vitamin D
Studies suggest that vitamin D is important to maintaining your health especially during the winter. This is because many people saw for from a deficiency of vitamin D from lack of sunlight during the long winter months. Like most everything in the medical community there’s been a debate about how much vitamin D you need over the last few years, so you’ll have to do some research to find out how much is good for you but you might want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter months.
According to Wikipedia “Vitamin D insufficiency can result in thin, brittle, or misshapen bones, while sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and, together with calcium, helps to protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D also modulates neuromuscular function, reduces inflammation, and influences the action of many genes that regulate the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells”
If you suspect that you might not be getting enough vitamin D during the winter months you can always check with your doctor to see if you have a deficiency. It’s important for your health to keep your vitamin levels in proper balance. As a NC health insurance provider for bcbsnc we hope that this winter finds you happy and healthy.
What’s the Best Way to Improve your Memory?
We all know that the body is one big organism: Make one part work well and inevitably you will make another function well. This is becoming very apparent in regard to our mental health, literally the health of our brain, as recent studies would suggest that aerobic exercise is not only good for the body…but also for the brain. According to Yahoo:
[] there’s only one practice that’s been proven, without question, to preserve your memory: exercise. “Aerobic activities tend to show larger effects than non-aerobic activities,” University of Pittsburgh psychologist Kirk Erickson tells Yahoo.
Working up a sweat helps your mind stay fit better than any crossword puzzle–unless you’re doing that crossword on a treadmill.
So if you were looking for a good reason to exercise and you don’t want to appear vain, the next time you find yourself on the treadmill you can tell the person next to you that you’re exercising your brain. BCBSNC always wants you to be in your best health physically and mentally, that’s why we think it’s so important that you have quality North Carolina Health Insurance.
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Stop the Flu in it’s Tracks
It’s flu season and sometimes we feel a little defenseless against fighting this menace, but there are things that we can do to limit the spread of disease. There are common practices that can help limit the spread of the flu that if we all acted upon would go a long way towards helping to limit the spread of the disease. The CDC has listed the following steps towards preventing the spread of the flu:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu–like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
If you can follow these steps you will be doing a great service towards limiting the spread of the flu. You can also talk to your doctor if you do have the flu to see what you can do to help your symptoms. You will be happy that you have Blue Cross NC health insurance if you do get the flu because North Carolina health insurance can go a long way towards helping you get better and back on your feet!
Does a Plant hold the Key to your Allergies?
If you haven’t heard of butterbur perhaps you should begin to educate yourself. Butterbur is a plant that has been showing some amazing promise when it comes to fighting allergies. According to WebMd there have been studies that have shown the effectiveness of this plant in combating hay fever:
In one study, published recently in the British Medical Journal, a group of Swiss researchers showed how just one tablet of butterbur four times daily was as effective as a popular antihistamine drug in controlling symptoms of hay fever — without the traditional symptom of drowsiness that sometimes occurs. In a second study, presented at the 60th annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), a group of British researchers put their stamp of approval on butterbur’s effectiveness in quelling symptoms of grass allergy.
These initial results seem promising and you might want to consider checking out more information on butterbur for yourself. You can find countless resources on the web that should give you more insight as to whether this might be a good supplement for you. You can always ask your doctor about your allergies as well in which case you will be happy to have North Carolina health insurance through Blue Cross NC!
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