AP9 Articles

PremierHealth PlusSM Wants Consumers to Stay Fit During This Holiday Season

Food is an essential part of the holiday festivities. Along with presents and tender family moments, though, people may take something else from these joyful days: a couple of extra pounds. PremierHealth Plus, a leading healthcare savings program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®, reminds consumers that one day of overeating won’t make or break their diet, but balance and moderation are good ideas anyway.

Temptation is always around during the last two months of the year: coworkers bring leftover brownies or cookies, party hosts offer enough food to feed an entire army, and in some cases the emotions, whether joyful or nostalgic, increase the yearning for tasty treats. Premier Health Plus advocates for a healthy approach to food during the holidays. It’s not necessary to overindulge or to deny the desire to eat —or skip a couple of invitations— but it’s important to be aware of eating patterns and to plan ahead. Consider the following tips for enjoying the holidays without gaining weight:

--Leave the diet for later. Holidays are not the right time to start a new diet. The focus during these weeks should be to maintain one’s current weight, and that can be a challenge by itself. Losing weight can be a New Year’s resolution, but even then, it might be smart to wait until the second or third week of January, when life is usually back to normal and it’s easier to focus on a new eating and exercise regimen.

--Stay active. The most common excuses people use to neglect their usual exercise routine are the cold weather and the extra activities around the holidays. Unfortunately, this is the worse time of the year to stop exercising. Even just 20 minutes of moderate physical activity a day — especially aerobic exercises such as walking or cycling — will help to release stress, regulate appetite and burn extra calories.

--Make a food journal. There is no need to jot down exact quantities or to bring a notepad and pen to every party. What’s important is to keep track of all the things eaten, for two specific reasons: one, to be consciously aware of the amount and type of food consumed; two, to know when to cut back and balance out the day in a healthy way.

--Reduce the fat in recipes. Cookbooks and online sites are excellent resources for low-fat and sugar-free holiday recipes. Use those ideas to take control over homemade treats and dishes prepared for family gatherings.

--Practice portion control. Moderation is a good rule to follow when it comes to holiday eating. Choose to be served on smaller plates, and be selective when going down the buffet line: add more vegetables than fried food, and stick with the tried, true and preferred instead of making a point of sampling a little bit of everything.

PremierHealth Plus members enjoy discounts on a wide range of healthcare needs, with access to a nationwide network of 300,000 healthcare providers. Benefits include chiropractic care services and other alternative medicine treatments. No matter what season it is, the whole family can take advantage of the benefits offered by PremierHealthPlus.

PremierHealth PlusSM Suggests Consumers Take Precautions Before Cold and Flu Season Begins

Fall has started, and with the turn of the leaves and the change of colors also come the signs of cold and flu season. Taking safety measures to keep the entire family healthy is the best thing parents can do before winter reaches its peak, recommends PremierHealth Plus, a leading healthcare savings program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®.

Some cold viruses reproduce better with the cool, drier conditions of winter, and since everyone tends to stay inside — clustered at home, school or the workplace — there are more chances for those viruses to spread from one person to the other. PremierHealthPlus encourages consumers to take a proactive approach by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and using all available resources to keep cold viruses out of their home.

PremierHealthPlus offers some anti-cold and flu tips to keep in mind:

-- Wash your hands. During winter, people spend more time together in enclosed spaces, sharing the same organisms and bacteria through surfaces such as tables, doorknobs and handles, so it’s essential to wash these bacteria off to prevent their spread. Another good tip is to use a hand sanitizer every so often while visiting places such as school, the supermarket, and the ATM, among others.

-- Get plenty of sleep. A tired body won’t fight viruses and bacteria as well as a well-rested one. People who are under stress and struggling with allergies or fatigue are more susceptible to colds, so a good night’s sleep is a great way to boost the immune system and help prevent one.

-- Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise is highly recommended during cold and flu season; it speeds up the heart, makes you breath faster and pumps more blood and oxygen through the body. Any kind of exercise, but particularly aerobic exercise, increases the body's natural virus-killing cells.

-- Go outdoors. Contrary to what one might thing, breathing fresh, cold air during winter helps the body feel stronger. Throughout cold months, people tend to stay indoors, which creates a better environment for germs to spread; central heating dries out the body and makes it more susceptible to viruses.

-- Eat healthy. Along with proper rest, good eating habits are a key to maintaining a cold-free body. Include red, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables in your diet, along with whole grains and yogurt. A more natural approach suggests increasing the consumption of vitamin C, zinc and echinacea. Although there’s no scientific proof that these elements have a protective effect against cold and flu, it has been shown that they do help decrease the symptoms of common colds. Along with a good diet, drinking a lot of fluids is highly recommended. Liquids help you flush out your system, washing out bacteria that you might have gotten from someone.

-- Stay home. Germs are everywhere, and sometimes it’s just not possible to avoid them. In case you do get the flu, stay home and take care of yourself. You don’t want to feel lousy while interacting with coworkers, and you certainly don’t want to be responsible for making everyone else in the office sick.

PremierHealthPlus members can access a nationwide network of 400,000 healthcare providers and enjoy discounts on a wide range of healthcare needs, including chiropractic care services and other alternative medicine treatments. The whole family can take advantage of the benefits offered by PremierHealth Plus.

AP9 PremierHealthPlus Offers Healthy New Year’s Resolution Tips

Soon it will be time to sing another verse of “Auld Lang Syne” — time for new beginnings, new dreams and, of course, New Year’s resolutions. With that in mind, AP9 PremierHealth Plus, a leading healthcare membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®, wants to encourage its members to keep health issues at the top of the coming year’s “I resolve to do the following” lists.

Members may access their benefits by logging on to DealPass.com, an online portal for Adaptive Marketing membership programs. AP9 Premier Health Plus members can enjoy savings on many health-related items to help ring in the new year.

New Year’s resolutions are tough enough to make, let alone keep. But AP9 PremierHealthPlus wants to help put that best foot forward in 2007 with these five health-minded resolutions that will have you eager to turn the calendar:

-- Get checked out. Yeah, we know it can be a pain, but don’t put it off. If it’s been more than a year since the last time you said “aah” for the doc, make plans to do it again.

-- Start/maintain an exercise program. If “exercising” means walking from the couch to the fridge, it might be time to make some changes. Start slow, but start — getting and staying healthy depends on some form of regular exercise.

-- File this under “must dos” this coming year. For the ladies, don’t overlook a mammogram. It’s just too important not to take a few minutes out to make sure all is well. And for the gentlemen out there — especially those over 40 — make plans for a prostate exam.

-- Eat better. Everyone knows it’s a lot easier to eat badly than to eat healthily. So why not try a little harder? There are no guarantees, but eating better might lead to feeling better. That’s something to look forward to in a new year.

-- Take a chill pill. Fact: Life is stressful. Solution? Try chilling out. Develop a hobby that makes you happy, forget about the daily grind when possible, and take a minute out to “smell the roses.” It’s cliché, but it also works. Relieve daily stress, and take what author Robert Pirsig called a “Chatauqua,” a short personal trip to anywhere the mind can go. Try it — no ticket or boarding pass required.

As thoughts of new and improved New Year’s resolutions dance around the head, remember that AP9 Premier Health Plus is not insurance. Instead, it’s a healthcare savings program that provides members access to preferred rates with a nationwide network of over 400,000 healthcare service providers and 20,000 highly qualified dental professionals. Think new beginnings and think AP9 PremierHealthPlus.

AP9 PremierHealthPlus Offers Skincare Tips for the Summer

As summer days heat up, so do the summer rays—and the need to exercise caution when out in the sun, reminds AP9 PremierHealthPlus. AP9 PremierHealthPlus, a leading discount membership programs, reminds sun-lovers that they need to use preventative skincare measures so they can enjoy a happy, healthy summer not just this summer, but for many years to come.

Skin cancer is a preventable illness whose primary culprit are ultraviolet (UV) rays. About a million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, with most types appearing after age 50. However, the harmful effects can begin much earlier in life - making it critical that everyone take precautions against the sun throughout their lifetime. AP9 PremierHealthPlus members can enjoy preferred rates on exams with dermatologists. To locate participating doctors near them, they can simply log in at DealPass.com.

AP9 PremierHealthPlus offers you these simple tips on how to protect and care for your skin the summer.

* Protect your body, face, neck, hands and arms (the areas that are most exposed to the sun) by covering up with clothing or by applying generous amounts of sunscreen.

* Stay in the shade, especially between 10 am and 3 pm, when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Remember even on overcast days, UV rays can penetrate the clouds and cause damage.

* When choosing sunscreen lotion, keep in mind that higher SPF (Sun Protection Factor) numbers offer higher protection. Even if you’re not going in the water, use a sunscreen that provides water resistance so it’ll stay on longer even if you perspire.

* Apply sunscreen to dry skin fifteen to thirty minutes before sun exposure. Reapply after swimming or sweating. Be sure to also apply sunscreen to your eyelids, ears, nose and neck.

* Wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses with UV protection are excellent defenses against the sun.

* Use a medicated lip balm handy throughout the summer to keep your lips moist and to avoid cracking and burning.

More sun care tips and information: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/index.php

After a day in the sun, take the time exfoliate your skin and apply deep moisturizing body and face creams. While these simple steps are not a guarantee that you are safe from skin cancer, they will certainly improve your chances while keeping your skin healthy and radiant, concludes AP9 PremierHealthPlus.

AP9 PremierHealthPlus Offers Tips on Dental Hygiene, for a Brighter, Healthier Smile

Dental procedures are an added but much-needed expense to the family budget, and even with insurance coverage, the amount due can still be staggering. Members of AP9 PremierHealthPlus, a leading healthcare savings program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC^®, can enjoy greater peace of mind every time they visit the dentist, because their benefits include affordable dental care for the entire family.

Whether it’s for health or cosmetic reasons, dental procedures are a priority for millions of Americans, and some have to dig very deep to afford such treatments. From braces to dental implants and teeth whitening, members of AP9 PremierHealthPlus can access these and other money-saving benefits via DealPass.com, and save up to 50% on commonly-performed dental procedures.

To help consumers save even more, AP9 PremierHealthPlus offers some tips on preventive dental care:

• Brush properly and floss at least once a day to remove plaque. Plaque is one of the biggest causes of tooth decay and tooth loss in adults because, as it creeps below the gum line, it becomes tartar, which can cause gum disease.

• Cut back on sweets. Bacteria ferment sugar in the mouth, which then becomes acids that eat away tooth enamel.

• Get a professional cleaning at least twice a year. It’s the best way to remove tartar and persistent plaque. Just remember that plaque will start to form the very next day, so proper cleaning is required every day.

• Be aware of the mouth-body health connection. Diabetes, stress, heart diseases and some other health problems affect the mouth (gums, teeth color, breath). A thorough dental checkup can help detect some silent diseases in their early stages.

• Sore or bleeding gums are often a sign that something is wrong. If your gums hurt or bleed when you brush or floss, see your dentist. These conditions may indicate gum disease.

• Do a thorough job brushing your teeth. Set aside three minutes twice a day, and use dental products with fluoride, a natural element that makes teeth stronger and helps prevent cavities.

AP9 PremierHealthPlus is not insurance, it is a healthcare savings program that provides members access to preferred rates with a nationwide network of 20,000 highly qualified dental professionals. Members have access to preferred rates on a wide range of additional healthcare needs through a nationwide network of over 400,000 healthcare service providers, including doctor’s office visits, lab work, hospital and emergency room visits, chiropractic care, alternative medicine (yoga instructors, massage therapists, personal trainers), elder/long-term care, prescription medications and much more.