Wellness Archives | Page 7 of 14 | Hamptons Mouthpiece

In Adolecent Health

CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, but I’m Just a DAD

May 1, 2018 In Adolecent Health 5 Mins Read

Hamptons Teen: CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, but I’m Just a DAD
I have become increasingly aware and worried about the relaxed attitude of illicit drug use among teens in the Hamptons and beyond. But what are our teenagers to think? They see a more relaxed and accepting attitude regarding the use of marijuana due to the reduction of legal penalties and the sale of marijuana for recreational use in multiple states. This is in the news and has become a part of their realities.
What our teenagers do not realize is the increased documentation about the effects of marijuana on the teenage brain. We know that the development of the brain is very fluid until or between the ages of 21-25 years old. The way in which the brain is wired is open to impact by this and other drugs. I am not a prude nor am I unaware of the opportunities, interest, curiosity and pressure to smoke weed. A lot of us did it when we were young. But this isn’t our father’s (and mother’s) weed no more. Things like the juicy fruit strain are a lot different to what was being smoked back in the day. The THC (active ingredient that produces the high) content is many times more concentrated in today’s marijuana than in the weed our generation smoked. Many ‘brands’ of weed are genetically improved to the form of designer status. I’ve also recently heard that there are different ways that you can smoke weed these days, like through a helix pipe for example. Apparently it’s a cool thing to do. Consenting adults should have the option of doing whatever they want to do but it is imperative to fully inform our teenagers of the risks inherent in smoking pot. If you want to know more on marijuana from a dispensary with the opportunity to see their deals as well, you can Get info here from Rocky Mountain Blaze, who list all their pricing for you to get an idea of. I’m not saying weed is a completely bad thing. As I said, a lot of us used to smoke weed as teens and obviously there are many reported health benefits of smoking weed if it’s done responsibly. It is also doing good things for the economy; there are many new cannabis jobs saturating the employment market and it is raising millions of dollars in tax.
I have the same concerns about smoking cigarettes and underage drinking that I have towards smoking weed and I feel to some extent, these are a more insidious and risky behavior that is impacting our teenagers. I cannot tell you what is the percentage of teenagers smoking and drinking but I feel it is over 50% of the population. Maybe I’m old-fashioned but if you were to ask both of my daughters (18 and 25), I still harp on the need to show restraint and to use some forward thinking concerning their future plans and how use and abuse can derail their goals. Believe me, they get tired of ‘the talk’ but I continue just the same. Am I being successful… I don’t know but I hope so. They lead their own lives, much of the time out of my view but I do what I do anyways because I must! I have no illusions, I can’t protect them all the time, nor should I or will I try. I will tell them the real deal, give them the tools to make good decisions and pray for the best.
EVERYONE has my permission to warn me if they think my child’s behavior is a risk to them and I do not care if they don’t like it. If your kids have come to my house, they may have heard some rendition of ‘the talk’ as a natural inclination of mine to be protective and proactive towards the friends of my children. My kids have probably warned them to expect it sometimes. AGAIN, I don’t care. I will not preach or teach but this is a part of the way we conduct business in our home. I will not stop!
Now don’t get me wrong, I remember being a teenager and doing LOTS OF STUFF. I will not be a hypocrite and tell them to ‘do as I say and not as I do’. But the risks of life long impacts secondary to social media and ‘selfies’ of illicit behavior that can follow them FOREVER…there are no do-overs anymore. Society can be very unforgiving. We did not have to face these risks. Remember, the definition of a teenager is filled with doing DUMB THINGS. But it is this risk taking and feelings of invincibility that makes them so powerful and dynamic. It will be hard to convince them of the dangers because they LIKE danger!
One more trend that I am seeing; the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). The use of Human Growth Hormone and steroids among teenage athletes has increased exponentially. Kids want to look better and perform better and they are getting access to and using these drugs more and more. The lifelong effects of these PED’s and the health impacts are so pronounced and damaging that it is imperative that parents and adults of teenage athletes inform them of the risks. Encourage your school teams to educate their athletes of the dangers and make it part of their athletic curriculum.
From me to you….JUST BEING A DAD

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In Food News

Hamptons Wellness:The Benefits of Eating Ginger

April 5, 2018 In Food News 3 Mins Read

Hamptons Wellness: The Benefits of Ginger: Ginger is widely used throughout the world for treating loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting after surgery, nausea resulting from cancer treatment, flatulence,stomach upset, colic, morning sickness and motion sickness.

Some people find ginger helps them with the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, cough, menstrual cramps, arthritis and muscle pain.

In some parts of the world, ginger juice is applied to the skin to treat burns

GINGER: Nausea, upset stomach…When I was pregnant with both of my daughters I have really bad morning sickness and I was nauseous all the time, literally until they were born. This is why they are 6 1/2 years apart and why I only have 2.

Some say drink Ginerale & Saltine Crackers but the sugar from the gingerale made me feel sicker…Ginger Tea is the Best..Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that’s great for digestion. Why go out and buy old tea bags when you can easily make your own homemade ginger tea at home using fresh ginger? Here’s how to make the tastiest ginger tea you’ve ever had!

Home-made Ginger Tea

Recipe Type: Tea

Cuisine: Liquid

Author: Vanessa Leggard

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Home-made ginger Tea…piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that’s great for digestion

Ingredients

4-6 thin slices raw ginger
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
juice from 1/2 lime, or to taste
1-2 tbsp honey or agave nectar, or to taste

Instructions

Peel the ginger and slice thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.
Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger.
Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.

9 Terrific Benefits of Ginger

Eat fresh ginger just before lunch to stoke a dull appetite and fire up the digestive juices.
Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.
Ginger clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time.
Feeling airsick or nauseous? Chew on ginger, preferably tossed in a little honey.
Ginger helps reduce flatulence!
Ginger helps with Tummy moaning and groaning under cramps?
Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory properties-can bring relief. Float some ginger essential oil into your bath to help aching muscles and joints. You can combine it with CBD soap from websites like https://missionfarmscbd.com/cbd-soap/ to help with the inflammatory pain.
Chewing ginger post-operation can help overcome nausea.
Stir up some ginger tea to get rid of throat and nose congestion. And when there’s a nip in the air, the warming benefits of this tasty tea are even greater

Hamptons Wellness: The Benefits of Ginger:

In Consumer Information

Medical Billing Fraud

December 4, 2015 In Consumer Information 4 Mins Read

Medical billing fraud usually begins with a letter. Today I brought the mail in as usual, but unexpectedly Kurt opened up what was soon discovered to be a bill from a medical provider that we used. Kurt as usual handed the bill over to me and said “what is this, you take care of this.” He does not keep track of these things and as in most families I (the wife) am the record keeper and bill payer. I reviewed the bill and was SURPRISED to see that I was being charged for the entire procedure, even though I was informed that our Health Insurance company would be responsible for the claim. I immediately called the service provider to inquire why I was receiving this bill and I was told by the medical provider that our health insurance company indicated that we had not met our deductible. I told the medical provider that we do not have a deductible and that prior to the procedure being done we were informed by the medical provider that they accepted our insurance and a copay was requested and paid. The medical provider indicated that they were an In-network provider, thus the acceptance of the co-payment.
Kurt and I were outraged by getting a SURPRISE bill because we were told that this was an in-network procedure. Outrage then turned to action. I am fortunate and so are you, my readers, because one of Kurt’s areas of expertise is executive level preparation and training to detect fraudulent medical billing practices. Kurt is trained to implement complaints, appeals and grievance procedures with medical insurance companies, including HMO’s ,MCO’s and other managed long term care plans (MLTC). Luckily there are companies that can help support this for future medical billing issues as well, over at Coronis Health there is software that is protected using industry lead technology for medical centers, etc.
These are 10 steps that have been taken to date to resolve this issue of what we consider to be fraudulent medical billing.
1. Call the Medical Provider and dispute the bill (claim).
2. Call your health insurance provider complaint department:
• Their purpose is to try to resolve any complaints you have with both in-network and out-of-network providers. You as the consumer have a right to make a formal complaint and to request an appeal of any medical bill that you feel misrepresents any procedure that was done, including overbilling or any allegation of fraudulent billing. Kurt recommends that you formally request of the complaint/grievance representative that they document this encounter as a formal complaint/grievance.
3. Ask for the Complaint/Grievance Representative’s employee identification number. You have to be able to document the person, date and time you logged your complaint.
4. Clearly inform the complaint/grievance representative of your allegation of fraud and or problematic billing.
5. Documentation becomes more complete if you include these simple steps:
• Always try to complete documentation requirements by answering the following questions: Who, What, When, Where, How and Why, (the why is often the most difficult and most subjective). If you prepare your documentation to answer those questions you can be confident that 95% of your documentation requirements will be accurate and fulfilled.
6. Get the reference number for your complaint.
7. There are different levels of grievance complaints that you can request from Standard to Emergency Expedited levels. The health insurance carrier is required to respond in a specific time frame based upon the level of complaint that you have made. Anywhere between 45 days to as little as 24 hours of turn around time back to the consumer.
8. The Health Insurance carrier may recommend that you to follow the ‘Information for Members in New York Insurance Plans: Emergency Services and Surprise Bills’
Click on link for steps to follow: Info_ Mem_NY_InsurancePlans_EmergencyServices_SurpriseBills
9. DON’T PAY THE BILL! If you feel you have been fraudulently billed or have been surprised by a bill
10. ACT IMMEDIATELY, DO NOT WAIT!

Our next steps; we are going to follow the Emergency Services and Surprise Bills protocol. We may choose to contact the NYS Attorney General Office to inform them of our allegation of Medical Billing Fraud if we need to take that step. This will be contingent on whether or not this SURPRISE bill is resolved appropriately. Stay tuned!

Special thanks to Kurt H. Leggard, R.N. who helped co-write this article. Kurt is a Registered Nurse, Consultant and a specialist in Long Tem Care, Medicaid Services and Heath Care Grievances, Complaints and Appeals.

New York State Department of Health Medical Fraud Link: www.health.ny.gov

In Wellness

National Suicide Prevention Week September 7th-13th

September 9, 2015 In Wellness 2 Mins Read

National Suicide Prevention Week September 7th-13th
This week marks the 41st Annual National Suicide Prevention Week

Suicide Prevention Is Everyone’s Business!
Here are a few ways to get started for the week:
Post the 2015 Suicide Prevention Week graphic as your profile picture
Share this message on your Facebook Page and Follow us on Twitter @AASuicidology
Learn the Warning Signs and Risk Factors for Suicide
Make a donation
Host a Suicide Prevention and Awareness Event
Are you a clinician? Take a training!
Are you a school professional? Get Certified!
Contact AAS Central Office with your own creative ideas!
http://www.suicidology.org/about-aas/national-suicide-prevention-week

Know the Warning Signs of Suicide Information by:
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SUICIDOLOGY
How do you remember the Warning Signs of Suicide?
Here’s an easy-to-remember mnemonic:
IS PATH WARM?

I Ideation S Substance Abuse P Purposelessness A Anxiety T Trapped H Hopelessness W Withdrawal A Anger R Recklessness M Mood Changes

A person in acute risk for suicidal behavior most often will show:

Warning Signs of Acute Risk:
Threatening to hurt or kill him or herself, or talking of wanting to hurt or kill him/herself; and or,
Looking for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means; and/or,
Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide, when these actions are out of the ordinary.

These might be remembered as expressed or communicated ideation. If observed, seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for a referral.

Expanded Warning Signs:
Increased substance (alcohol or drug) use
No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life
Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all of the time
Feeling trapped – like there’s no way out
Hopelessness
Withdrawal from friends, family and society
Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking
Dramatic mood changes
If observed, seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for a referral.

In Hamptons Happenings

Women’s Health Hamptons Gala kicks off Run 10 Feed 10

August 4, 2015 In Hamptons Happenings 3 Mins Read

Women’s Health Hamptons Gala kicks off Run 10 Feed 10….Party under the Stars Gala to Benefit FEED FOUNDATION

As Many of you know the 2015 theme of Hamptons Mouthpiece is Journey to fitness...so when I was invited to attend Women’s Health Magazine annual Hamptons event I was excited to attend. Unfortunately I was unable to partake in the earlier activities in Montauk on Saturday, August 1st, but I was able to attend the evening event Party under the Stars in Bridgehampton a benefit for a wonderful organization FEED Foundation. The FEED Foundation is the non-profit arm of FEED that supports programs and organizations that are effectively working to fight hunger and eliminate malnutrition. It has since grown to encompass hunger relief efforts both stateside and abroad, as well as provide aid during natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide. As of January 2015, FEED has provided over 87 million meals globally. www.run10feed10.com

THE DAYTIME WELLNESS EVENT: Took place at the “Well-thy House” with Women’s Health and Domino Magazine–a co-branded event hosted at Women’s Health VP/Publisher Laura Frerer-Schmidt’s newly constructed Montauk home. The event featured top experts leading home and garden workshops, workouts, cooking demos, and nutrition consultations. So if you want to take part in a healthier new you, why not look at some exercise gear like workout leggings, you’ll be primed and ready to get fit. The lunch at the event was in support of Women’s Health’s partner, the FEED Foundation and the charity event series RUN10 FEED10.
Joining Women’s Health and Domino at the Well-thy House included:
• Mandy Ingber, celebrity yoga instructor: Yoga class
• Heidi Powell, celebrity trainer and star of ABC’s Extreme Weightloss: Workout
• Jeff Dawson: Garden Manager at Golden Door; crating a backyard herb garden
• Greg Frey Jr.: Executive Chef at Golden Door; garden-to-table lunch and demo
• Keri Glassman, registered dietitian: The Cleanse
• GLAMSQUAD Hair & Makeup
• Owl’s Brew Tea mocktails and cocktails

The annual “Party Under the Stars” event was held at the Bridgehampton Surf & Tennis club in the evening. Always a fun event,good energy,great drinks, beautiful location, great weather, amazing appetizers and fantastic music.

The star-studded event featured music by guest DJ Taryn Manning from the Netflix Series “Orange is the New Black” a live reggae band that was terrific a silent auction to benefit the FEED foundation, beach bonfire and cocktails & Hors d’Oeuvres by Robbins Wolffe.

I spotted Rosario Dawson, Taryn Manning and Laura Prep from Orange is the New Black, Anne Burrell from Worst Cook in America, Ginger Zee from GMA, TV personality Andi Dorfman, Adrienne Bailon, Molly Sims,Tashiana Washington & Eric West.

Many people from NYC came out to the Hamptons for the day with transportation provided by Hampton Jitney courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine. This is one of my favorite Hamptons events because it is a mixture of real women, not your typical Hamptons event.

For more information on how you can get involved with RUN10FEED10