Month: December 2013

There are many reasons why consumers with the means to do so should select grass-fed over conventional beef. If the decision is based on perceived health benefits, then the studies suggest they might be right.

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As online enrollment accelerates for medical insurance under President Barack Obama’s health law, the government is relying on manual back-up systems to correct computer errors that could leave some enrollees uninsured, the top U.S. health official said on Wednesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius described the manual procedure as a temporary measure for software applications that have not yet been built, tested and incorporated into the massive system behind the HealthCare.gov website. But in the meantime, the payment system will absolutely go forward.” The admission appeared to weigh on Sebelius’ attempts to tout improvements in the website that was established under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare. The site provides access to new federal health insurance marketplaces in 36 states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With time running short, the nation's health care rolls still aren't filling up fast enough.

By David Lawder and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday were falling in line behind a two-year budget deal negotiated behind closed doors, indicating that the normally rambunctious group of lawmakers is not spoiling for a year-end fiscal fight. Despite conservative groups denouncing the $85 billion plan, the Republican-controlled House could vote as early as Thursday to lock into place a measure that would minimize chances of any further government shutdowns at least until October 2015. Representative Tom Cole told reporters that a majority of his fellow House Republicans would vote for the budget deal, which would replace some of the indiscriminate, across-the-board agency spending cuts scheduled for the next two years. "A lot of support was expressed for it" during a closed meeting of House Republicans, Cole told reporters.

By Andy Sullivan ROGERS, Arkansas (Reuters) – In an unmarked building on the outskirts of this old railroad town, hundreds of workers are going about the unglamorous work of expanding the United States' social safety net. From morning until midnight, clerks here type up the names, Social Security numbers and other personal details of those who have filled out paper applications for health insurance under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. From the outside, there's no indication that the workers in the three-story brick building are carrying out an increasingly crucial part of the healthcare overhaul known as Obamacare. But as the Obama administration tries to recover from the disastrous debut of the website that is supposed to enroll millions of Americans in health coverage, its call for frustrated Americans to enroll the old-fashioned way – on paper – have made this building in Rogers, Arkansas, one of the most important cogs in the president's signature domestic achievement.

Believe it or not, I've been asked many times if self-loving is cheating and about its potential negative impact on relationships and each time I think, "Seriously?" The question usually comes from women concerned about their boyfriends or husbands. So, the short answer. No, masturbation is not cheating. It is merely the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. He, by the way, won't go blind, break out in acne, or grow hair on his palms. While many view masturbation as a perfectly healthy, normal act, others disagree. …

The winter season may feel stark and empty, but beneath its deceptive surface, there is a rich landscape of fertility leading us towards springtime.

Where you live could say a lot about your health habits — and a new ranking reveals which states have it the best and worst. On a whole, Americans are adopting healthier behaviors, such as stopping smoking and increasing physical activity, according to the report, published by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention. The report also shows that the percentage of smokers has dropped to 19.6 percent in the U.S. from 21.2 percent in the last year. And physical inactivity has dropped on a whole to 22.9 percent in the last year, down

I know it's going to feel like detox. I'm going to yearn to reach for the remote. It's a habit, but I have to get real about what I am willing to consume and when. It all matters.

(Reuters) – An oral immunotherapy drug for treating grass pollen allergies was backed by an independent advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. The drug, Oralair, made by France’s Stallergenes SA, is a tablet to be placed under the tongue and comprises extracts from five grass pollens mixed together – Kentucky bluegrass, Orchard, Perennial rye, Sweet vernal and Timothy. The advisory panel voted 9-1 that available data supported the drug’s efficacy in treating the allergy in patients five years of age or older. While the panel voted unanimously in favor of the drug’s safety in patients of 10 years to 65 years of age, it was divided about using the medicine in children, citing side effects.

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Almost a quarter of middle-aged women report their quality of sleep is less than good, according to a new study. Sleep problems were tied to poor quality of life, chronic illness and medication use, researchers found. The new study adds to earlier research by looking at common sleep problems among women before they hit menopause, according to Dr. Päivi Polo. “Then we try to treat all menopausal insomnia symptoms with hormone replacement therapy … but because in some women the sleep problems are already evident before the menopause, the HRT may not alleviate all sleep problems and we physicians are wondering what to do next.” After menopause, hot flashes and night sweats increase sleep problems, she said.