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HTML <html> <head> <title>How to Grow Your Health Savings Account with the Power of Prevention</title> </head> <body> <h1>How to Grow Your Health Savings Account with the Power of Prevention</h1> <div class="info">Author: <a href="author_1_83881.html">Wiley Long</a></div><div class="body">A majority of medical expenditures in this country pay for treatment of chronic conditions that are mostly preventable. Unfortunately, most people don't take their health seriously until after they get sick. Simply by eating well and exercising, you can avoid the medical conditions and expenses that affect the majority of Americans, allowing the money in your Health Savings Account (HSA) to continue growing tax-free.<br /> <br /> Only You Can Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes�<br /> <br /> Most of us go through our lives stuck in our lifestyle patterns, with no idea of the power we have to positively influence our own health. And so by the time we're in our 40's most of us are on at least one regular medication. By the time we're in our 60's over 85% of all Americans have at least one degenerative disease. And by the time we are 70 we are dead.<br /> <br /> But in fact, a majority of the diseases people suffer from as they age are almost totally preventable.<br /> <br /> - Cancer: Researchers from the National Cancer Institute believe that 80-95% of all cancer cases are due to environmental and lifestyle causes, and are thus preventable. Diet may be involved in at least half of all cancers, and one third of all cancers are linked to obesity.<br /> <br /> - Dementia: Mark Houston, M.D., Medical Director at Hypertension and Vascular Biology Institute at Saint Thomas Hospital and Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, estimates that 95% of all dementia is preventable with a lifestyle approach.<br /> <br /> - Heart disease: Most studies indicate that 90% - 99% of all heart disease may be preventable.<br /> <br /> - Diabetes: One of the nation's most renowned health researchers, Harvard University's Walter Willet, has estimated that 92% of type-2 diabetes is preventable.<br /> <br /> How to Eat<br /> <br /> Probably the very most important factor that can positively affect the health of most people is changing the way they eat. There are many, mostly conflicting theories about what kind of diet is the healthiest. In my opinion, the only one that really makes sense is to eat according to the way we evolved to eat.<br /> <br /> The idea of "Paleolithic Nutrition" was first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985 in an article by Dr. S. Boyd Eaton. Since then it has been popularized by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., in his book, The Paleo Diet, and studied by nutritional scientists all over the world. The premise is simple: Our genes determine our nutritional needs.<br /> <br /> For over 2.5 million years, humans evolved as hunter-gatherers, and the selective pressures of their lifestyle and diet determined the genes that we have today. Our genetic make-up is tuned to function best on the foods that we evolved to eat.<br /> <br /> A mere 500 generations ago the Agricultural Revolution brought sudden and dramatic change to our diets, and the changes are continuing to this day. But our genes haven't managed to keep pace with the change.<br /> <br /> Today approximately 2/3 of the foods we eat were those never encountered by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The result is high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other ills that we should not have to suffer.<br /> <br /> While most of us do not have access to large wild game and wild-harvested organic produce, the more closely we can mimic the foods that our ancestors ate the better health we will have. So base your meals around fruits and vegetables, along with lean protein.<br /> <br /> You could start by eating eggs and cantaloupe for breakfast. Lunch could consist of a large salad with grilled chicken. For dinner have some wild salmon, asparagus, and salad. Finish off the meal with a big bowl of fresh strawberries.<br /> <br /> Exercise<br /> <br /> Everyone knows that exercise is good for them, but who wants to spend an hour jogging everyday. (Some people do, but most don't have the time or desire to go out jogging for an hour every day). What does work to give you the maximum benefit for the least amount of time is exercise with intensity.<br /> <br /> So if it's okay with your doctor, go out and exercise hard. Run wind sprints, lift weights, and exert yourself. And get it done in 30 minutes or less. Combined with the right diet, this kind of exercise will get the most results for the least effort. You will gain more muscle and lose more fat than if you were going out for long slow jogs, and you'll feel great!<br /> <br /> There are of course other factors that affect your health, including stress, sleep, clean air and water, and even genetics. But there's nothing you can do that will have more impact than eating a good diet and being active.<br /> <br /> So be proactive, with both your money and your health. Take advantage of the incredible tax and wealth-building benefits of a Health Savings Account by funding it fully every year. And take the right lifestyle measures to avoid the preventable diseases that affect most people as they age. Then in your retirement, you can enjoy the good health and accumulated wealth that you so rightly deserve.<br /> <br /> <br /> ------<br /> <br /> By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America (<a href="http://www.health--savings--accounts.com" >http://www.health--savings--accounts.com</a> ) - The nation's leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a <a href="http://www.health--savings--accounts.com" >Health Savings Account</a>.</div> <div class="source">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlealley.com/article_207063_23.html">http://www.articlealley.com/article_207063_23.html</a></div> <div class="author"> <div class="authorBio">I started in the health insurance business in 1986, marketing directly to individuals and small businesses all over the state of Georgia. Over the next 11 years I built an agency from the ground up that eventually produced over $10,000,000 in business per year. During that time I personally met one-on-one with several thousand individuals and small business owners concerning their health insurance needs. In 2000 my wife Christie and I took a year off to travel around the world. The entire trip is documented on our website, www.longsstrangetrip.com. After 13 months, we finally left Bali and headed back to the “real” world. When we returned from Bali, we moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to both go back to school. Christie’s in veterinary school, and I recently completed my master’s in Nutrition and Exercise Science. In January of 2004 HSAs first became available, and HSA for America was born. In addition to running the company, I am the author of the monthly newsletter Maximize Your HSA, I have written for Agents Sales Journal, and I have been featured in American Airlines Magazine, Pregnancy Magazine, the LA Times, and numerous other publications. I am also editor of The Paleo Diet Newsletter. The introduction of Health Savings Accounts has created a tremendous opportunity for individuals and businesses to lower the cost of their health care, receive a generous tax-break, and save money for future medical expenses. By introducing market competition into the medical marketplace, HSAs will force doctors and hospitals to begin posting their prices and actually competing for their customers’ business. As anyone with a basic understanding of economics can tell you, competition leads to lower prices and higher quality for all. Too often government programs encourage dependence and discourage personal responsibility. Health savings accounts reward people for saving for their future, and further reward them for taking care of their health. The person that puts aside money in their HSA and then doesn’t use it will be rewarded with tax deductions and tax-deferred growth and a savings account that can be used to pay medical expenses during retirement. I am a big believer that individuals should take greater responsibility for their future, instead of relying on the government “nanny” to take care of them. I believe that HSAs are the best thing to happen to healthcare in a long time. They save people money, they encourage responsible behavior, and they force the medical providers to compete for our business. I started HSA for America to make it easy for people to learn about and set up these plans. Our mission is to find our clients the best plans that meet their needs, at the lowest premiums available, and to make the process easy. By helping you save money and have peace of mind, we expect to continue to earn your business for life.</div> <div class="authorUrl"><a href="http://www.health--savings--accounts.com" target="_blank">http://www.health--savings--accounts.com</a></div></author> </body> </html>
Text How to Grow Your Health Savings Account with the Power of Prevention Author: Wiley Long A majority of medical expenditures in this country pay for treatment of chronic conditions that are mostly preventable. Unfortunately, most people don't take their health seriously until after they get sick. Simply by eating well and exercising, you can avoid the medical conditions and expenses that affect the majority of Americans, allowing the money in your Health Savings Account (HSA) to continue growing tax-free. Only You Can Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes� Most of us go through our lives stuck in our lifestyle patterns, with no idea of the power we have to positively influence our own health. And so by the time we're in our 40's most of us are on at least one regular medication. By the time we're in our 60's over 85% of all Americans have at least one degenerative disease. And by the time we are 70 we are dead. But in fact, a majority of the diseases people suffer from as they age are almost totally preventable. - Cancer: Researchers from the National Cancer Institute believe that 80-95% of all cancer cases are due to environmental and lifestyle causes, and are thus preventable. Diet may be involved in at least half of all cancers, and one third of all cancers are linked to obesity. - Dementia: Mark Houston, M.D., Medical Director at Hypertension and Vascular Biology Institute at Saint Thomas Hospital and Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, estimates that 95% of all dementia is preventable with a lifestyle approach. - Heart disease: Most studies indicate that 90% - 99% of all heart disease may be preventable. - Diabetes: One of the nation's most renowned health researchers, Harvard University's Walter Willet, has estimated that 92% of type-2 diabetes is preventable. How to Eat Probably the very most important factor that can positively affect the health of most people is changing the way they eat. There are many, mostly conflicting theories about what kind of diet is the healthiest. In my opinion, the only one that really makes sense is to eat according to the way we evolved to eat. The idea of "Paleolithic Nutrition" was first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985 in an article by Dr. S. Boyd Eaton. Since then it has been popularized by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., in his book, The Paleo Diet, and studied by nutritional scientists all over the world. The premise is simple: Our genes determine our nutritional needs. For over 2.5 million years, humans evolved as hunter-gatherers, and the selective pressures of their lifestyle and diet determined the genes that we have today. Our genetic make-up is tuned to function best on the foods that we evolved to eat. A mere 500 generations ago the Agricultural Revolution brought sudden and dramatic change to our diets, and the changes are continuing to this day. But our genes haven't managed to keep pace with the change. Today approximately 2/3 of the foods we eat were those never encountered by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The result is high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other ills that we should not have to suffer. While most of us do not have access to large wild game and wild-harvested organic produce, the more closely we can mimic the foods that our ancestors ate the better health we will have. So base your meals around fruits and vegetables, along with lean protein. You could start by eating eggs and cantaloupe for breakfast. Lunch could consist of a large salad with grilled chicken. For dinner have some wild salmon, asparagus, and salad. Finish off the meal with a big bowl of fresh strawberries. Exercise Everyone knows that exercise is good for them, but who wants to spend an hour jogging everyday. (Some people do, but most don't have the time or desire to go out jogging for an hour every day). What does work to give you the maximum benefit for the least amount of time is exercise with intensity. So if it's okay with your doctor, go out and exercise hard. Run wind sprints, lift weights, and exert yourself. And get it done in 30 minutes or less. Combined with the right diet, this kind of exercise will get the most results for the least effort. You will gain more muscle and lose more fat than if you were going out for long slow jogs, and you'll feel great! There are of course other factors that affect your health, including stress, sleep, clean air and water, and even genetics. But there's nothing you can do that will have more impact than eating a good diet and being active. So be proactive, with both your money and your health. Take advantage of the incredible tax and wealth-building benefits of a Health Savings Account by funding it fully every year. And take the right lifestyle measures to avoid the preventable diseases that affect most people as they age. Then in your retirement, you can enjoy the good health and accumulated wealth that you so rightly deserve. ------ By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America (http://www.health--savings--accounts.com ) - The nation's leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a Health Savings Account. Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_207063_23.html About the Author: I started in the health insurance business in 1986, marketing directly to individuals and small businesses all over the state of Georgia. Over the next 11 years I built an agency from the ground up that eventually produced over $10,000,000 in business per year. During that time I personally met one-on-one with several thousand individuals and small business owners concerning their health insurance needs. In 2000 my wife Christie and I took a year off to travel around the world. The entire trip is documented on our website, www.longsstrangetrip.com. After 13 months, we finally left Bali and headed back to the “real” world. When we returned from Bali, we moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to both go back to school. Christie’s in veterinary school, and I recently completed my master’s in Nutrition and Exercise Science. In January of 2004 HSAs first became available, and HSA for America was born. In addition to running the company, I am the author of the monthly newsletter Maximize Your HSA, I have written for Agents Sales Journal, and I have been featured in American Airlines Magazine, Pregnancy Magazine, the LA Times, and numerous other publications. I am also editor of The Paleo Diet Newsletter. The introduction of Health Savings Accounts has created a tremendous opportunity for individuals and businesses to lower the cost of their health care, receive a generous tax-break, and save money for future medical expenses. By introducing market competition into the medical marketplace, HSAs will force doctors and hospitals to begin posting their prices and actually competing for their customers’ business. As anyone with a basic understanding of economics can tell you, competition leads to lower prices and higher quality for all. Too often government programs encourage dependence and discourage personal responsibility. Health savings accounts reward people for saving for their future, and further reward them for taking care of their health. The person that puts aside money in their HSA and then doesn’t use it will be rewarded with tax deductions and tax-deferred growth and a savings account that can be used to pay medical expenses during retirement. I am a big believer that individuals should take greater responsibility for their future, instead of relying on the government “nanny” to take care of them. I believe that HSAs are the best thing to happen to healthcare in a long time. They save people money, they encourage responsible behavior, and they force the medical providers to compete for our business. I started HSA for America to make it easy for people to learn about and set up these plans. Our mission is to find our clients the best plans that meet their needs, at the lowest premiums available, and to make the process easy. By helping you save money and have peace of mind, we expect to continue to earn your business for life. http://www.health--savings--accounts.com
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