Saturday, November 30, 2019

Opinion: Emergency Rooms Shouldn't Be Parking Lots For Patients

Waits for inpatient beds are an important factor in ER overcrowding.

Patients in hospital ERs can wait hours for inpatient beds to open up. The delays can be maddening. A solution for this longstanding problem has been elusive in the U.S., despite progress elsewhere.

(Image credit: UpperCut Images/Getty Images)



* This article was originally published here

Friday, November 29, 2019

Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits

Biscuits are an undeniable classic American treat and a must-have on your Thanksgiving table. Those Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits are a lot easier to make than you might think, and much healthier, too!

Biscuits are an undeniable classic American treat and a must-have on your Thanksgiving table. Those Whole Wheat Biscuits are a lot easier to make than you might think, and much healthier, too! Oh, and they are vegan, to boot!

It is my understanding that no Thanksgiving feast would be complete without some warm, fluffy biscuits on the table.

I can totally understand why: those light, puffy and airy little pastries are so crazy delicious and just so much better than your old plain rolls… Totally fit for the occasion!

Whatever you do, though, if you’re gonna serve some to your guests, don’t settle for store-bought… biscuits are so easy, and fairly quick to make at home, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you’ll want to make them all the time.

Plus, yours are gonna be so much healthier!

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The post Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.



* This article was originally published here

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Vegan Pot Pie

This Vegan Pot Pie topped with Whole Wheat Biscuits is not only a super fun variation on this great classic comfort dish, but it’s also much quicker and easier to make, too!

This Vegan Pot Pie topped with Vegan Whole Wheat biscuits is not only a super fun variation on this great classic comfort dish, but it's also much quicker and easier to make, too!

Can you think of a dish that’s more comforting than Chicken Pot Pie? Well… there might be a few, but this one certainly ranks very high on the list. Not only that, but it also happens to be a very popular addition to Thanksgiving menus!

If you’re anything like me, though, you probably tend to stay as far away as you can from any dish that requires you to make / handle pie crust. I don’t know why, but there is something about pie crust… it takes forever to make, usually will leave the entire kitchen covered in flour by the time all is said and done, and will drive you completely insane by tearing and breaking all kinds when you try and roll it down to a neat, thin circle. Argh! I’ll gladly pass, thanks!

Well, this super fun vegan version, which is topped with biscuits instead of pie crust is just as tasty as the real deal — if not more if you ask me — and so much easier to make, too! No fancy crust to roll, no flour everywhere (well, ok, maybe a little bit…) and no tears and breaks. Plus, biscuits are so much better to eat than pie crust, and much healthier, too!

For me, it’s a no-brainer. Vegan Pot Pie topped with biscuits instead of crust is totally the way to go!

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The post Vegan Pot Pie appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.



* This article was originally published here

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Life, liberty -- and access to microbes?

Poverty increases the risk for numerous diseases by limiting people's access to healthy food, environments and stress-free conditions. Researchers argue that poverty also compromises health by creating unequal access to beneficial microorganisms.

* This article was originally published here

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

After Complaints, BYU-Idaho Reverses Medicaid Decision

Brigham Young University-Idaho faced a backlash after it introduced a policy barring students from using Medicaid to meet requirements for health coverage to enroll in the school.



* This article was originally published here

Monday, November 25, 2019

Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding – The richest and creamiest!

This Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding is crazy thick and creamy and has a decadently rich and intense chocolate flavor. Yet, it’s loaded with wholesome ingredients and is actually good for you! Oh, and did I tell you it was stupid easy to make? I think I’m in love…

This Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding is crazy thick and creamy and has a decadently rich and intense chocolate flavor. Yet, it's loaded with wholesome ingredients and is actually good for you!

A quick search on Google will probably yield hundreds of results for Chocolate Chia Pudding. So why on earth would I want to add another one on top of that pile? (or well, probably at the very bottom, but hey…)

Quite simply because I like to rethink and reinvent recipes… And while there are indeed hundreds of variations on this very subject, I think that no two are the same, and none uses the ingredients that I chose to use…

Quite frankly, this combination resulted in the richest, creamiest, dreamiest chocolate chia pudding that I’ve ever eaten. It’s so heavenly, there is simply no way that while eating it, you may ever imagine, let alone realize, that this actually is healthy and good for you.

But really, it is… so much so that you could totally have it as a snack, or even as part of breakfast…

It’s most fantastic as a dessert, though, if you ask me. And one that’s so easy to whip up, you’ll want to make it all the time…

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The post Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding – The richest and creamiest! appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.



* This article was originally published here

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Don’t worry, be happy with your health plan!

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The Likes have it

Joe Biden said in a recent debate, “one hundred sixty million people like their private insurance.” I agree with Biden’s assessment that it’s foolish to advocate scrapping insurance companies as his rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want. It’s stupid politically to take such an extreme view and it’s also worth noting that other countries with nationalized health insurance (like the UK and Germany) have private insurers, too.

Still, what does it mean to say people like their private health insurance? I suppose I would be counted in that number. And, by and large I would say I do “like” my insurance, which is with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. They cover the doctors and hospitals I want to use and the drugs my family takes. Their customer service is good. Their website is ok. They’re flexible in their approach to enforcing policies.

The problem is the cost, which soared to about $2800 per month for family coverage, even for a high-deductible plan. At a colleague’s suggestion, I switched to an even higher deductible plan –which is also one where you have to pay for your own prescription drugs within that deductible instead of the first-dollar coverage I had previously. So while the premium dropped by several hundred dollars a month, I ended up with a co-pay on a generic drug of over $1000 –which would have been $100 before.

And did I mention that since it’s an HMO I needed to buy separate insurance for a dependent who’s at school out of state? And that the out-of-state insurance doesn’t cover expenses arising from participation in college sports? So I had to buy a third policy.

I don’t really blame my health insurer for the high and rising premiums. The main driver is the price of healthcare procedures, which continue to go up. I’ve been healthy, but still routinely see bills for my care in the thousands of dollars that would cost hundreds at most in other places. Some of that cost is attributable to the paperwork burdens imposed by the plans.

Warren and Sanders have a point about problems with health insurers and the lack of universal coverage. But in my view, the real way to address problems in the US healthcare system is to build on Obamacare, focusing not just on coverage (which Obamacare provides, especially if Medicaid expansion is fully implemented), but also on the cost, efficiency, and appropriateness of the care provided.

By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.

 

 

The post Don’t worry, be happy with your health plan! appeared first on Health Business Group.



* This article was originally published here

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Tiny devices made of DNA detect cancer with fewer false alarms

A new cancer-detecting tool uses tiny circuits made of DNA to identify cancer cells by the molecular signature on their surface. The circuits work by attaching to the outside of a cell and analyzing it for proteins that are more abundant on some cell types than others. The devices distinguish cell types with higher specificity than previous methods, giving researchers hope their work could improve diagnosis, or give cancer therapies better aim.

* This article was originally published here

Friday, November 22, 2019

How an AI solution can design new tuberculosis drug regimens

With a shortage of new tuberculosis drugs in the pipeline, a software tool can predict how current drugs--including unlikely candidates -- can be combined in new ways to create more effective treatments.

* This article was originally published here

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

These Vegan Mashed Potatoes are so good, creamy and buttery, no one will ever guess that they’re not “the real deal”. No need to tell them… that’ll be your little secret!

These Vegan Mashed Potatoes are so good, creamy and buttery, no one will ever guess that they're not "the real deal". No need to tell them... that'll be your little secret!

When I first decided to go Vegan, I remember thinking that I would never again be able to eat decent mashed potatoes… and I was devastated there for a while. For seriously, how can one hope to make real good mashed potatoes without milk, butter, sour cream, or even chicken stock?

Well, as it turns out, the answer to that question is pretty simple: nutritional yeast!! You would not believe the amount of flavor and richness that a little bit of nutritional yeast confers to the mash!

To be honest, the addition of vegan butter helps too, in adding yet another level of depth and creaminess to this comforting side dish, but the nutritional yeast alone adds so much flavor, I wonder how I ever did without it!

Of course, there are also a few other rules to follow if you’re hoping to whip up a memorable mash, but I can guarantee you that adding tons of cream and butter aren’t one of them…

Let me prove that to you, if you will…

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The post Vegan Mashed Potatoes appeared first on The Healthy Foodie.



* This article was originally published here