We’re a little obsessed with moving fat around. And no, we’re not talking about stealing bags of liposuction leftovers to make soap.
As a society, we seem perpetually unhappy with wherever our body chooses to store its lipids. Pop music keeps telling us we should exercise enough to get "little in the middle" while maintaining, as they say, "much back." Countless workouts promise to target only “problem areas.” And then there are the more drastic means of fat reallocation: The Kardashians move it from their stomachs to their butts, while others take it from their thighs and stick it in their breasts. They turn to these surgeries because nature is just too good at stashing away our excess energy in the form of flab.
There’s a saying (often attributed to various people) which goes something like: “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
It’s true. Your thoughts, words, actions and habits do affect the quality of your life. Practice the right things over and over again, and you’ll reap the rewards and benefits. Continually engage in behaviors which are harmful and you’ll undoubtedly suffer in one way or another.
It appears Texas will get one of the strongest laws in the nation against surprise medical bills after all.
Earlier this year, lawmakers passed legislation to protect people in state-regulated health plans from getting outrageous bills for out-of-network care.
The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, wavered last month when the Texas Medical Board drafted the rules for its implementation. The board, made up of health care providers, tried to get a blanket exception to the law for virtually all nonemergency cases.
Instead, after an outcry from advocates and media coverage by KUT, NPR and Kaiser Health News, the board decided to relinquish its rule-making authority.
Thanksgiving leftovers are a distant memory, and December's extra travel, shopping and family commitments are already straining nerves, budgets and immune systems. It's officially "the holidays" — which also means we're well into a new flu season.
It's never too late to benefit from a flu shot, even into December and January, says Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville.
Just get your flu shot. It's free, easy and if keeps you from getting the flu even once it's well worth the hassle.
On day one, in my first training session, I realised to my horror that I wasn’t a very good listener at all. All the habits that I thought made me good at it, all that advice I was giving my friend, was just getting in the way. Each session brought new revelations and useful lessons. Since putting those lessons into practice with my friends and partner, I’ve seen what a difference it can make. As my trainer Pam tells me, “I have seen people in severe emotional distress, feeling like the only way is down. But they talk and cry, and I just listen. Verbalising their emotions helps them see things more clearly. Being listened to makes us feel valued.” It makes the listener feel valued, too. There are several ways to approach a difficult conversation (the general rule is, say less than the other person). Here are a few:
I do love the way they write in Chinese instruction manuals:
“This model is suitable for use in the range of minimum 6V, maximum 60V voltage and maximum expenditure level 48V, because 48V battery is full of electricity at about 60V, and then burns at a higher level. If your battery is higher than 48V, please choose another one.”