Guest post: Hannah Taylor of MyClaimSource.com

Filing a health insurance claim is no easy task. Just the amount of work - paperwork, going back and forth with different people, long frustrating hours on the phone - will just about send anyone running for the hills. So why purchase a plan at all? Here's one reason - if you have a medical emergency, your healthcare coverage will pay some of the medical costs. The financial burden an illness or injury brings can be devastating so any help at all paying the bills would mean a lot. Having health insurance will help you lead a healthier life as well. With physicals included in your plan, you will be able to get preventive care and avoid illnesses. Yes, health coverage can be costly but not having one could cost a lot more.

Getting a health plan shouldn't be as confusing and complicated as it needs to be. If you need help finding information, check out MyClaimSource.com. You can compare plans and get free resources on popular insurance providers, their contact information, tips and tricks, and even discounts. The site also aims to be an open forum to connect those looking to file claims with people who already have, and who may be able to offer tips and advice on claim filing with a given provider.

Superfood: Moringa Leaves

Leaves of moringa trees may be the world's most nutritious food since it contains more nutrients and natural remedies than other food. Moringa gives energy, immunity, and metabolism. Moringa fresh leaves has 4 times the calcium of milk and 7 times the vitamin C of oranges. It also contains more vitamin A than carrots, more iron than spinach, and more potassium than bananas.

The tree grows in southern Florida and California and taste a bit more like spinach. You can add the leaves to a salad mix or add it on soup.

Moringa is grown in home gardens and as living fences in Tamil Nadu, Southern India and Thailand, where it is commonly sold in local markets. In the Philippines, it is commonly grown for its leaves which are used in soup, they call it "Malunggay." Moringa is also actively cultivated by the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan, a center for vegetable research with a mission to reduce poverty and malnutrition in developing countries through improved production and consumption of vegetables. Tamil Nadu, Southern India has moringa in its folk stories and use in home gardens.

It is also widely cultivated in Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Central and South America, and Sri Lanka.

Budweiser Is the Drink of Choice for People Who End Up in the ER

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a pilot study of ER patients who’d been consuming alcohol and they found out that the number one brand ER patients has been drinking was Budweiser.

Budweiser holds 9.1 percent of the national beer market in the U.S., but 15 percent of the questionably desirable demographic of people who drink and then end up in the emergency room. Also a top contender in the ER market is Steel Reserve, which only holds 0.8 percent of the U.S. beer market, but a whopping 14.7 percent of alcohol-inclined ER patients.

Bud Light, Bud Ice malt liquor and Colt 45 malt liquor also made strong showings in the hospital circuit.

The study is limited to a small Baltimore hospital where the 105 patient interviews took place.

Soda tied to behavior problems on kids

Children who drink soda tend to score slightly higher on scales that measure aggressive behavior than kids who don't drink the carbonated beverages, according to a new study.

The study's lead author cautioned, however, that the increase may not be noticeable for individual children and the researchers can't prove soda caused the bad behaviors.

"It's a little hard to interpret it. It's not quite clinically significant," Shakira Suglia, of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, told Reuters Health.

Previous work by some of the study's authors had found connections between soda drinking and violent behavior, but the link had not been studied in young children.

For the new analysis, the researchers used an existing study of mothers and their 2,929 children from 20 large U.S. cities. The mothers and children were first recruited between 1998 and 2000 to be periodically interviewed and evaluated.

READ MORE

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/16/us-soda-drinking-idUSBRE97F03J20130816

Binge eating linked to breast cancer

London - Researcher said that high calorie intake may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Research based is on around 4,000 women has found that those who had the highest energy intake were 70 percent more likely to develop the cancer, irrespective of weight and rates of physical activity.

The study from the University of California examined 1,775 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 2,529 are not affected by the condition.

The results found that eating a large number of calories increased risk of the condition.

Just why is unclear, although other research has suggested that a diet high in fat and calories increases circulating estrogen in the blood, which may fuel cancer growth. - Daily Mail

Mangoes are good for health

One of my favorite fruit is mango, I love the sweet yellow pulp. Mangoes are not only delicious but also good for the health. Mango boosts our ability to fight cancer, heart disease and eye problems.

The antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.

While Vitamin A and beta-carotene in mango keeps your eyes healthy. About a cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25% of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

vitamin B6 helps control homocysteine in the blood. The soluble fibre in mangoes slows down the release of sugar into your blood. Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood, you can boil the leaves then drink the filtered decoction. Mango fruit have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C in mangoes help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein which is the bad cholesterol.

Mangos also clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

The good amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangoes, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.

OUCH! Ingrown toenail hurts

I have very painful ingrown toenail, the pain is throbbing and my toenail is red and tender. I've tried removing it with a nipper and I have managed to remove some of it, but it still hurts. I think it's infected.

I read somewhere from a forum post that I should visit a podiatrist to have it removed. I will try to soak it in epsom salt and see if there are improvements, if none I will probably see a doctor.

I saw this on wisegeek, I hope this really work:

"If you already have an ingrown toenail, the best way to remedy the problem is to soak your foot in warm salted water at least twice a day. This will soften the toenail and reduce swelling. After soaking the nail, swab it with an antiseptic, such iodine, to prevent infection. Next, take a piece of clean cotton and gently place it under the toenail so that it is raised. Apply an antibacterial ointment to the area to prevent infection. Repeat these steps until the toenail has grown out and away from the skin."

On webmd.com, an article  suggest to wedge a small piece of wet cotton under the corner of the nail to cushion the nail, but I have already cut the edges of my toenail.