By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

The health care reform debate is at its height, and it’s time for baby boomer to let their members of Congress know what they need for health care now and as they grow older.

Worried about how the changes will impact you? Not familiar with the proposals? Don’t know how to get information about the reforms?

Don’t be concerned. There’s lots of quality information available.

One of the best, most up-to-date Web site I’ve found is Speaker of the House of Representative Nancy Pelosi’s.

Information is offered on America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.

You’ll find this short summary of what the act means for you:

Lower costs

• No more co-pays or deductibles for preventive care.

• No more rate increases for pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation

• An annual cap on your out-of-pocket expenses.

• Group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan.

• Guaranteed, affordable oral, hearing, and vision care for your kids.

Greater choice

• Keep your doctor, and your current plan, if you like them.

• More choice, with a high-quality public health insurance option competing with private insurers.

Higher quality

• You and your doctors make health care decisions – not insurance companies.

• More family doctors and nurses will enter the workforce, helping guarantee access.

• Mental health care must be covered.

Stability and peace of mind

• No more coverage denials for pre-existing conditions.

• No more lifetime limits on how much insurance companies will pay.

• No reason to make a job or life decision again based on health care coverage.

You’ll also find a link to the bill, HR 3200, and a section-by-section analysis of it on Pelosi’s Web site.

See my article “How to Find Out About What’s Happening With Health Care Reform” for more links to information on health care reform and links to consumer organizations working on it.

At his press conference last week, I thought President Obama did an effective job laying out what he thinks is needed for health care reform. Obama made 10 points that I thought were important. See my article “Were You Reassured by President Obama’s Press Conference Today on Health Care?”

While Obama’s remarks were positive, I think one proposal needs more work.

He said the MedPAC program, a group of health care experts that makes recommends on cuts and specific changes to Medicare, should be given more authority. Currently, their suggestions don’t need to be followed.

Obama said Republican lawmakers proposed that these recommendations be sent to Congress for their approval. It would incentivize and empower important changes, he said.

I have concerns about who the experts are that would be making these recommendations. See my article “The Health Care Debate: Who Do You Trust to Decide Whether the Red Pill or the Blue Pill Is Best?”

Take action to let your members of the Senate and the House know what your views are on health care reform.

Don’t be intimidated by the powerful interests that are opposing reform.

We need health care reform, and we need it now. The proposals aren’t being rushed through. The country has been debating revamping the health care since the early 1990s.

The problem is the special interests have always defeated it.

Let’s not let it happen again. Baby boomers need health care reform now.

More than 7.1 million 50- to 64-year-olds didn’t have insurance in 2007, according to an AARP report. And those who do have insurance are likely to spend more of their income on health than younger adults.

Popularity: 5% [?]

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Throughout America, thousands of community festivals and events take place every year.

Community celebrations commemorate important historical or cultural events, regional developments, national leaders, the harvest, and the seasons. These events also can be organized as a time of thanksgiving or to honor the dead.

Community festivals draw tourists and may offer a way for cities and towns to make money.

In Olympia, Wash., where I live, Capital Lakefair is one of our biggest community festivals. This year was the 52nd celebration.

In 1957, to beat the heat and summer boredom, several Olympia businessmen sponsored a small carnival on the shores of Capitol Lake. Local non-profit service clubs ran food concession booths. Events during the carnival included a diving show, a hydroplane race, and fireworks.

A parade was added in 1959, and an arts and crafts show was added in 1986.

Today, the festival offers a way for local service organizations to raise money for their community projects.

Having not attended a Lakefair parade in years, I decided to go this year to take photos since I’m adding to my photo library for my blog.

A community custom is to begin putting folding chairs out along Capitol Way about three days in advance, often tied together with a rope so they aren’t stolen, to hold a place to watch the parade.

On Friday, I placed my chair on Capitol Way. Saturday I headed to it about 45 minutes before the parade. However, I couldn’t get near it. The road was already blocked because floats, bands, and other participants were lining up on Capitol Way.

I hiked about a half mile to reach my spot. I arrived just as the parade was beginning.

I had fun taking photos. And seeing the teenagers marching in bands and drill teams and riding on floats reminded me of my high school years.

I also took photos of fireworks on Sunday, which ended the five-day Lakefair celebration.

What festivals or events does your community offer? Do you attend? Why is it an enjoyable experience for you?

If you’re thinking of taking a trip or have one planned, here are articles and Web sites about community festivals and events to help you learn about them so you can attend one or more during your vacation.

Festivals.com

Festival Network Online

Festivals and Events

“Top 10 Festival Vacations – North America” – iExplore.com

“Festivals of Food” – Oprah.com

“Apple Festivals in the U.S., Canada, Britain, and Australia” – PickYourOwn.org

“Jazz” – Top Events USA

“Film Festivals” – filmfestivals.com

“What’s on in United States of America” – worldtravels

“World’s Wackiest Festivals” – Fodor’s

“Top 10 Bizarre Food Festivals” – Listverse

“Small Town Festivals” – National Scenic Byways Program

Popularity: 4% [?]

Summer is upon us. The plants are in full bloom, and the sun feels great on your skin. The longer days give you more energy. There are barbeques, beaches and pool parties with your name written all over them! Since you will be spending all that time soaking up the sun, there a few facts you may be happy to know about sunlight and healing powers of Vitamin D. Vitamin D has gone on for years as the single most underrated nutrient and only recently did it begin to get it’s moment in the spotlight. Research is showing that Vitamin D is known to help prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostrate and breast cancer and even affects diabetes and obesity. If that is not enough to get you to throw your bikini on, maybe these facts will help persuade you. Be sure to lather on that sunscreen after no more then 10-20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure. That’s all the direct vitamin D healing you’ll need to reap the benefits. So get out there and soak up the vitamin D this summer.

1) Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.

2) The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.

3) It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your own body.

4) A person would have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.

5) The further you live from the equator, the longer the exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most US states are far from the equator.

6) People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20-30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. This is why prostrate cancer is epidemic among black men—it is a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.

7) Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.

8 ) Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body’s bones and nervous system.

9) Even weak sunscreens, like spf 8, block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. *Be sure to not be outside with out sunscreen for more then 20 minutes at a time.*

10) It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.

11) Vitamin D is activated in your body by your kidneys and liver before it can be used.

12) Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to activate circulating vitamin D.

13) Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required.

Key points adapted from “The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D-an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick”, by Mike Adams.

Photo Credit: Superbomba at Flickr for Creative Commons

Popularity: 3% [?]

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Strawberries

My strawberry crop is waning now. I was great this year.

The amazing thing is that I didn’t plant a strawberry patch. Last year, somehow, a nice thicket of strawberries appeared in my front yard. They must have come from the container of strawberries I had in the backyard.

The strawberries are right next to a patch of wild strawberries I’ve had for years. It was amazing to gaze down at the plants and see plump strawberries instead of the cone-shaped wild strawberry shape.

It’s been a treat to eat handfuls of strawberries daily before I set out to do gardening and yard work.

Raspberries

I’m still harvesting bowls of raspberries from my raspberry patch.

About five years ago, I bought a single raspberry plant at the Olympia Food Coop. Since then, it’s turned into a raspberry patch.

I’ve frozen two quarts and nine pints of raspberries. Since I’m making it a priority this year to grow food, I’m freezing any raspberries that I don’t eat off the plants.

Mulberries

After several days of rain last week, I went out into my yard and was surprised to see my mulberry tree in full production.

Unfortunately, most of the berries this year are up high, requiring climbing a ladder to pick them. I’ve picked one colander full, and they’re freezing on trays right now. Tomorrow, I’ll put them in jars.

What do you do with mulberries? See my article “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Tree.”

I think I’ll try a mulberry pie made with stevia, a natural sweetener.

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other berries are good for your health. See my article “Blueberries, Raspberries, Other Berries Enhance Health” for details.

I’m having such joy in my yard with the sunshine, which is often lacking in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and wonderful, delicious berries. It’s especially enjoyable after working hard planting a garden this year to grow more of my own food.

Popularity: 3% [?]

By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and thrive Boomer Guide

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is fining nine children’s product manufacturers, importers, and sellers who have agreed to pay more than $500,000 in civil penalties for violating the federal lead paint ban.

The penalties settle charges that the firms knowingly manufactured, imported, or sold toys and other children’s articles with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels in violation of federal law. The commission has provisionally accepted the settlements.

Michael’s Store writing pens

These products were recalled in 2007 and 2008, and include items such as toys, children’s metal jewelry, children’s pens, metal water bottles, pencil pouches, sunglasses, and children’s Halloween pails and baskets.

Tests showed that paint or surface coatings on these children’s products contained lead in excess of 600 ppm, or 0.06 percent, by weight.

One firm’s testing revealed that its products contained surface coatings with nearly 60 percent lead.

In 1978, a federal ban was put in place that prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead by weight in paints or surface coatings.

Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause health problems.

The commission has ordered the following firms to pay civil penalties to the federal government:

• Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc., of Baltimore, Md., $100,000, Recall No. 07-157

• Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., $100,000, Recalls No. 08-007, No. 08-068, and No. 08-080

• Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Matthews, N.C., $75,000, Recall No. 08-051

• Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., $50,000, Recalls No. 08-084 and No. 08-229

• First Learning Co. Ltd., of Hong Kong, $50,000, Recalls No. 08-141 and No. 08-174

• Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, $45,000, Recall No. 08-248

• A&A Global Industries Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., $40,000, Recall No. 07-144

• Raymond Geddes & Co., of Baltimore, Md., $40,000, Recall No. 08-096

• Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, $30,000, Recall No. 08-231

Downeast Concepts metal water bottles

In agreeing to settle the matters, the firms deny the commission’s allegations that they knowingly violated the law.

The commission is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to thse product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell the agency about it by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Popularity: 3% [?]