Life and Health

In many cases, vacations can involve thousands of dollars and months of advanced planning, organizing, and saving. So if you’re wondering if you need travel insurance, the answer is often yes. Like any other investment of this magnitude, it’s important to make sure you have adequate insurance to protect yourself should the tour operation or cruise line you’ve booked with go bankrupt, you or a family member becomes ill, or some other unforeseen event upsets your vacation plans.

Travel insurance can be purchased as a packaged plan with several different options, including travel delay, trip cancellation, baggage, accidental death, auto, 24 hour traveler assistance, dental, emergency medical, emergency medical evacuation, and so forth. The five main types of travel insurance, which are trip cancellation, baggage, emergency medical, auto, and accidental death, can each also usually be purchased as an individual policy.

1. Trip Cancellation. This insurance policy protects you should certain factors prevent you from taking the trip. Look to the specific policy to determine what factors will be covered, but most will include circumstances like a tour operator or cruise line going out of business, personal or family illnesses, and the death of a family member. The policy may also reimburse you for any unused portion of your vacation should you become seriously ill or injured once on the trip. The cost of trip cancellation insurance is usually equivalent to between five and seven percent of what the vacation costs, meaning a policy for a $2,500 dollar trip would be around $125-$175 dollars.

Keep in mind that trip cancellation insurance isn’t the same as the cancellation wavier your tour operator or cruise line may offer you. While the waiver is relatively less expensive, at around $40 to $60 dollars, it must be purchased when you book your vacation. These waivers also are usually accompanied by multiple restrictions, such as not covering a cancellation occurring near the date of departure or once the trip has begun. It’s important to remember that a cancellation waiver isn’t insurance and isn’t regulated by any agency, which means it might not be worth the paper it’s printed on if the business goes bankrupt or closes.

2. Emergency Medical Assistance. Ask your health insurance carrier what type and degree of coverage you’ll have on a trip to a foreign country. If your health insurance policy doesn’t cover you at all or leaves you under-insured while visiting a foreign country, then you might consider an emergency medical assistance policy to cover any emergency medical assistance that you might need during your vacation following an injury or illness. The policy would cover medical transportation to a hospital capable of treating your illness or injury; foreign hospital stays; and, should you be seriously ill or injured, transportation home.

3. Baggage Insurance/Personal Effects Coverage. This policy covers you should your personal belongings get damaged, stolen, or lost during the vacation. It’s usually about $50 to cover $1,000 dollars worth of personal belongings for a seven day trip. Depending on if and how much insurance is provided by your trip operator and/or airline, you may or may not need this coverage. You’ll also want to determine if your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers off-premise thefts before you purchase this coverage. You might consider an endorsement or floater to your homeowner’s/renter’s insurance instead of personal effects coverage if you’re traveling with high-value items like electronic equipment, sports equipment, or jewelry. Such an endorsement to cover a $1,000 necklace for a year would be about $10 to $40. Additionally, you may want to contact your credit card company to determine what, if any, travel-related coverage or services they provide.

4. Auto Coverage. A typical auto insurance policy only covers your vehicle within U.S. states and territories and Canada. You can check with your auto insurance carrier to determine how your auto insurance will apply to your vacation destination and mode of transportation – rental or personal vehicle. Should your trip include carrying your personal or rented vehicle outside the areas specified in your personal auto insurance policy, then you’ll need to purchase coverage applicable to your destination through either an insurance agent, car rental agency, or travel agency. Don’t forget to obtain both liability and physical damage if you’ve chosen to rent a car.

5. Accidental Death. An accidental death policy usually isn’t necessary if you already have an appropriate life insurance plan. Much like a typical accidental death policy, this policy provides a benefit should the insured party die on the vacation.

You’ve most likely seen an internet, print, or television ad for an affordable health care plan that doesn’t have deductibles or co-pays, has thousands of PPO network providers, doesn’t discriminate against pre-existing conditions, has discounts on medical services of up to 60%, and so on. It may appear that such ads are for health insurance, but most of them are actually offering a medical discount plan, program, or card.

Medical discount ads are often aimed directly at individuals looking to cut the cost of health care, and while these medical discount plans can help some consumers save some money on their health care costs, medical discount plans shouldn’t be confused with health insurance. Health care plans typically cover a broad spectrum of medical services, products, and procedures with a payment either directly to the provider or insured individual. Unlike health care plans, medical discount plans don’t pay any portion of an individual’s health care costs. A medical discount plan will charge you fees to become a plan member. You’ll then be provided with a list of medical product and service providers offering you, as a plan member, a discount on certain services, procedures, and products.

Many of these medical discount plans assert that members can obtain huge discounts from hundreds of service and product providers related to everything form hospital admissions and prescription drugs to dental and doctor visits. Some of these plans indeed provide the array and degree of discounts being promised to members. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found many plans don’t make good on what they’ve promised consumers and are actually providing very little in return for the fees being charged. The FTC is the nation’s consumer protection agency, working to prevent deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair marketplace practices and arm consumers with the information they need to identify, evade, and stop entities with such practices.

The most important thing, regardless if you’re purchasing a medical discount plan or a traditional health insurance plan, is that you know what you’re getting. You can contact your state insurance commissioner to determine if an insurance company is registered to sell insurance in your state. If a company isn’t registered to sell you health insurance, then you might consider an alternative insurer. Likewise, you should do some investigating and questioning before buying a medical discount plan, including:

• Check out the medical discount plan’s website. Look for a phone number or local office location so that you can obtain more information from a real life representative.
• Contact the Better Business Bureau, local consumer protection agencies, or the attorney general’s office to determine if the entity offering the discount medical plan has any complaints against them or ethics violations on record.
• Ask for a full listing of the plan’s providers. Call several of the providers on the list to ask what discounts are offered for what services. If a medical discount plan procrastinates or refuses to provide you with a list of the providers until after you’ve made a purchase, you should strongly consider finding a different plan.
• Check to see if your usual dental and medical providers are on the plan’s list of providers. If not, and you can live with changing from your usual providers, then you may want to ask if the plan will offer you a get acquainted, initial consultation visit with a participating practitioner before you commit to membership. Most legitimate plans will not have a problem providing such a visit to help you get acquainted with their providers.
• Pay close attention to the plan’s fine print and refund policy. Ask questions if you don’t understand any element of the contract.
• Some of these medical discount plans can entail an upfront, lump-sum payment; monthly fees; and/or additional per-fees. So run the numbers to determine if the plan’s total cost is more than you could ever save from the discounts being offered.
• Keep in mind that if a plan’s representatives can’t or won’t answer any and all questions before you make a purchase, then they certainly aren’t likely to do so once they have your money in their hands.
• You may be able to get a discount without paying for membership in a medical discount plan if your usual providers aren’t on the plan’s provider list. After all, your usual provider doesn’t want to lose your business just because he/she isn’t on a plan’s provider list. It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask your providers before paying for a plan.

Today’s society carries an unrealistic expectation, if not demand, for individuals to fit more and more into their lives. The often teetering balancing act between work and everyday life causes many to defer sleep to get everything that’s expected of them done. Late nights and early mornings can be a recipe for a health disaster. The problem is that sleep isn’t something that can be brokered and traded for supposedly more important tasks.

Most people are fully aware that getting enough sleep is something that’s beneficial to their mind and body, but did you know that getting too little sleep could actually increase your risk of an early death from cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack?

A new study published in the European Heart Journal analyzed data from fifteen different sleep studies that involved adults from various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, and Japan. The research followed almost 475,000 adults for up to 25 years and found that having sleep disrupted or sleeping less than six hours a night resulted in a 48% chance of dying from or developing cardiovascular disease. The chance of dying from or having a stroke was 15%.

The researchers recommend that six to eight hours of regular nightly sleep is optimum to protect one’s health and reduce their risk of developing chronic illnesses. They also warn that people get into trouble when their sleep is less than five hours per night since this causes problems the next day from being tired and steadily increases the risk of developing a chronic illness in the future.

According the study, chronic sleep deprivation can cause an array of changes to the human body, such as the production of chemicals and hormones that increase the risk of developing strokes and heart disease. For example, cytokines, which are chemical inflammation markers for hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), can be activated by chronic sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation also increases the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity, which are ironically also known risk factors for heart disease and stroke. For example, hormone changes can lead to certain markers for type 2 diabetes, such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.

On the other hand, the study’s authors also caution against getting too much sleep. Over nine hours of sleep could have negative implications and be an indicator of a number of underlying illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease or depression.

Although the study does indicate that sleep deprivation should be considered a lifestyle risk akin to sedentary lifestyles, alcohol abuse, and tobacco use, some experts caution that there’s still a lot unknown about the mechanism and causation when it comes to the association between sleep disorders and the increased risk of stroke and heart disease.

In the meantime, those that would like to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke might consider integrating the American Heart Association’s key health factors into their daily lives – reducing blood sugar, controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure, smoking cessation, weight loss, eating better, and being more active.

Many people fail to realize that when they accomplish goals like earning more money and achieving a higher standard of living, they increase their need for Life insurance. That’s because Life insurance provides support for your dependents if you die prematurely. It allows your family to maintain the same standard of living they have become accustomed to, even after you are gone.

If you stop and think of the many ways your family depends upon your income and what would happen if it were suddenly taken from them with no replacement, you will begin to understand the importance of life insurance benefits. If you have a stay-at-home spouse, they may need the death benefit proceeds from a policy to pay the mortgage or save for your children’s education. The money your spouse receives from the death benefit can help them continue to care for your family in the interim while looking for a job. Without that financial cushion, your spouse might have to sell the house or your children may have to delay going to college.

To be certain that you adequately provide for your dependents, you should increase your Life insurance as your salary increases. The ratio between your coverage amount and your salary decreases, as your salary gets higher. So if you begin with a policy providing a death benefit equal to ten times your salary, by the time you reach 50 years old and are earning twice as much money, the coverage amount will have decreased to only five times your salary.

Another misperception regarding Life insurance is that once you turn 65 and your children are grown, you no longer need it. Remember, most people live up to every penny they earn. As their income increases, they tend to increase their standard of living via expensive new cars or second homes, so that at age 65, many of them could still conceivably be carrying mortgages or auto loans. In order for the surviving spouse to maintain their current lifestyle, the insured would have had to increase their coverage to keep pace with their spending.

When considering Life insurance needs, there is also the issue of longevity. Today people are living into their eighties and beyond. If the insured dies at 65, the surviving spouse could live another twenty to thirty years, in which case they would need the death benefit proceeds to cover living expenses.

It is not difficult to see that there is a real need to have your Life insurance keep pace with your salary. You should review your life insurance with your agent on a yearly basis to develop a plan to ensure your dependents will remain financially comfortable after your death.

Although most Americans with Health insurance are covered under an employer’s plan, there are still many employers that don’t have Health insurance offerings. Workers of companies not offering insurance are left to find and purchase their own private individual health insurance directly from an insurer.

There are actually several advantages to purchasing private individual health insurance:

• Unlike those covered under an employer’s plan, you won’t just have a limited number of plans that were pre-selected by someone else to choose from. You, instead of your employer, get to determine what plan features are desirable and pick the plan that you see fit. By having a variety of plans available to you, such as those that don’t cover services you don’t want and that have higher deductibles, you can take advantage of lower premiums.
• Since private health plans are under your control, not your employer’s control, you also won’t have to worry about losing your coverage if you ever want to change jobs. As long as you pay your premiums when they’re due, the coverage is yours to keep and the insurer can’t drop you.

However, there are also several disadvantages to private health plan coverage, for example:

• Even if paying the same premium rates, individual plans usually provide less coverage than employer plans because individual policies have a larger percentage of the premium dollars going toward paying operational costs.
• The premiums for private health insurance plans increase as you age in most states. Since renewal rates tend to be higher than new policy rates, you can avoid the rate hikes for awhile by changing plans as rates become higher. However, this isn’t a long-term solution. Eventually, your age will make it more difficult to find an insurer and your individual policy will become more expensive.
• Group plans are typically required to insure all employees and their family members. On the other hand, if an applicant of an individual plan doesn’t have an ideal health status, then the insurer can reject the applicant.

You will also want to keep a few questions in mind to ask your agent as you compare plans:

• What are the plan’s monthly premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles?
• What benefits does the plan offer?
• What pre-existing conditions affect my coverage?
• Is the doctor or hospital I want to use covered under the plan?
• If I use out-of-network providers, will there be additional fees or charges?
• How does the referral system operate?
• How is care handled should I need medical services when I’m away from home?
• Does the plan have a maximum amount it will pay over my lifetime or per year?

In closing, purchasing private market insurance isn’t as complicated as it might seem, but getting the right policy will take a little effort on your part. Remember to approach it just as you would any other major purchase – research all your options, do price and benefit comparisons, and seek expert advice and assistance.

Six hundred thousand Americans die each year due to heart disease, and more than 25 million live with heart disease each day. You can reduce your risk by making wise decisions regarding your diet and lifestyle. Here are 10 steps you can take to get started.

1. Eat fish that is high in oils. Tuna and salmon, among other oily fish, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have been shown to reduce blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests eating at least two 3-1/2 ounce servings of oily fish each week. If possible, choose a natural source of omega-3, rather than a supplement.
2. Opt for whole grains rather than refined grains. There are several benefits in choosing whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-wheat flour, rather than refined grains such as white bread or white rice. The fiber in whole grain not only lowers cholesterol, but it also keeps you feeling full, which is an important factor in calorie reduction.
3. Be stingy with the salt shaker. The AHA states that you should limit your diet to a half a teaspoon of salt per day. Choose foods without added salt, prepare home-cooked meals, and avoid processed and fast foods.
4. Make smart choices regarding meat. The kind of meat you eat and your portion size are both significant factors when it comes to heart health. Choose lean meats, and no more than about 6 ounces per day. Chicken is preferable to red meat, and avoid all smoked meats, as they contain unhealthy additives.
5. Keep tabs on your cholesterol levels. The AHA recommends that healthy grown-ups aged 20 and older should receive cholesterol tests every five years. Those who are at high risk of heart disease should be tested more frequently. Don’t wait for warning signs or symptoms to occur. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.
6. Get regular exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate level exercise five times per week. Start off slowly, and gradually advance to a fast paced walk or jog. You’ll feel better, look better, and your heart will thank you.
7. Avoid added sugars. Studies show that too many sweets and starches increase the risk of heart disease. The AHA suggests consuming only 100 calories of added sugar per day for women, and 150 for men. That’s not a lot of sugar. Your body doesn’t need it to function correctly, and it only adds pounds to your mid-section.
8. Eat lots of fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy items. Buckle down and eat more of the foods that you know are good for you. Eat a colorful variety of fruits and veggies. These are the best sources of vitamins and fiber, and you should have 4-1/2 cups per day. Avoid frozen and canned options – opt for fresh whenever possible. It is also good to add some low- or non-fat dairy products to your diet each day, and to limit whole milk products.
9. Read, read, read food labels, before you buy. Many food products contain hidden fats, sugars and unhealthy additives. Be sure to do your math, too. Labels list serving sizes and calories, so a little multiplication or division might be necessary to count calories.
10. Avoid risk factors for diabetes. Diabetes is a big risk factor for heart disease, so if you can avoid this unhealthy disease, you can protect your heart at the same time. Watch your weight, resist physical inactivity, abstain from a diet high in unhealthy carbohydrates, and have your blood sugar checked annually.

Set small goals for yourself each day, and tackle them one-by-one. These seemingly small changes can make a big difference in the health of your heart.

Considering that everything from groceries to gas has skyrocketed during the country’s ongoing tough economic times, almost everyone is looking for any way they can to save, even if those savings are counted in pennies.

In an attempt to save a few dollars on grocery bills, a lot of consumers have forsaken their usual name brand purchases for generic, lesser known name brands. After all, almost every product on the shelf, from coffee to detergent, has an option for a cheaper generic version.

Consumers are showing in numbers that they’re clearly willing to give up their name brand grocery products to save a few dollars on their overall grocery bill, but are they as willing to give up their name brand drugs for generic drugs?

If you’re looking to cut your monthly expenses, the switch should be a consideration. Did you know that generic drugs can cost 60%, 70%, even 80% less than their name brand counterparts? The few pennies you save by choosing a generic brand grocery item is great, but it pales in comparison to the substantial savings you can achieve just by choosing a generic drug.

Generic Drug Availability. Some people assume from past experiences that they might not have this option available. However, recent years have seen a surge of generic drugs literally pouring into the market. It’s much easier today than it was just a few years ago to find a cheaper version of most all brand name prescriptions, especially if your prescriptive drug has been on the market for several years. Most brand name drugs have patent protection, meaning that other companies can’t produce the same medication by a different name and offer it cheaper. However, drugs must eventually forfeit this patent protection. They then usually become available under a cheaper, generic label. Experts have predicted that there will be around $60 billion dollars worth of name brand drugs losing their patents over the next three years.

From depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, allergies — there’s usually a generic drug available for almost any common medical condition. Of course, you’ll need to ask your health care provider if there is a generic version available for your current prescription, or if they would recommend a similar generic drug in the same class as your prescription so that you can take advantage of the savings.

Generic Drugs and Insurance Coverage. We’ve already discussed that generic drugs are less expensive than their name brand counterparts, but did you know that they also carry a lower co-payment too? If your name brand drug prescription is costing you a co-payment of $50 or so, then you’re likely looking at just $10 or so for the generic equivalent.

Even Bigger Savings. Coincidentally, many of the major, name brand stores with pharmacies are offering savings for choosing the lesser known, generic brand drugs. This trend was started back in 2006 when Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart began offering their consumers 30 day supplies of certain generic drugs for only $4.00/per prescription. Currently, Wal-Mart offers the 30 day/$4.00 generic prescription on more than 360 drugs. Similar generic drug discount programs are available elsewhere, such as at Costco, Walgreens, and Target pharmacies.

There are substantial savings from choosing a generic drug over a name brand drug. Even if you are the type of person that must have name brand groceries, clothes, and so on, you might not want to spend the additional money on a name brand drug. After all, the savings from a few generic prescriptions could fund a new pair of designer jeans.

You certainly aren’t alone if you find shopping for Life insurance a perplexing, frustrating process. Even for those with a basic understanding, the intricate details of many Life insurance products can be overwhelming for consumers.

Term Life insurance is one of the simpler policies, and it also happens to be a product that meets the insurance needs of a variety of family types. It offers you protection for a specified time, or term. The policy’s term can be set at anywhere from one to 30 years. Your named beneficiary will receive a specified death benefit should you die within the term of the policy. Since Term Life insurance is designed for protection purposes, it’s usually less expensive than Permanent Life insurance. A large percentage of Term Life consumers are opting for it because they feel their need for Life insurance will shrink as they age. For example, a person might feel the need to protect their children by having a Term Life insurance policy, but feel that this need will decrease or end once their children reach a certain age.

Although Term Life insurance sounds simple and straightforward enough, there are still a few additional points that you should be mindful of as you begin shopping:

1. Determine your objective. Don’t start shopping before you answer the following question: What am I trying to accomplish with a Life insurance policy? As you assess your goals, you might find that Term Life insurance is ideal for your needs, or maybe not. In most cases, a consumer will outlive the Term Life insurance policy’s term, meaning that benefits are never realized. This element can be problematic if you’re looking to protect your family long-term, or ensure future adult children or grandchildren receive a benefit. However, it can be ideal if you’re looking to protect your family for a limited amount of time and/or would like to ensure debts are covered should you pass away in the near future.
2. Individual or Group? A Group Term Life insurance policy is usually an employee benefit through an employer. In most cases, a short health history questionnaire is all that’s involved in the application process. Those that qualify will have the monthly premiums automatically deducted from their paychecks. On the other hand, an Individual Term Life insurance policy requires you to apply for the coverage on your own. Unlike group, you will need to have a physical exam and provide the insurer with your medical history during the application process. Some insurers may also require a background check and permission to examine your medical records. It might seem like the Group Life insurance policy process is easier and less invasive, but the individual policy can offer you some advantages that the group doesn’t. First, you’ll own the individual policy and be able to retain it should you leave or be fired from your current employment. Second, rates on group policies typically increase every five years, but individual policies typically offer level premiums that don’t increase during the duration of the policy. Third, group policies are typically less flexible than individual ones.
3. Know what you’ll do next. There will be a couple of different options available when the Term Life insurance policy nears expiration, including:
   • Allowing the coverage to expire, which may be an option for you if you don’t see the policy as a necessity any longer.
   • Retaining the policy, which might be an option for you if you feel you still need the policy or couldn’t qualify for a different policy for health or other reasons. Just keep in mind that your premiums could increase when you extend the term of your existing policy.
   • Obtain a new policy through an alternative insurer, which might be an option if you’re healthy and would like to still have a Term Life insurance policy, but don’t want to pay the increased premiums associated with extending the term of your existing policy. Upgrade to a permanent policy, which might be an option if you’d like to convert to a more permanent coverage.
4. Understand how you can upgrade. Upgrading is one of your options when your Term Life insurance policy nears expiration. Should you choose this option, you need to read the fine print in your contract. Upgrades are usually allowed under a conversion privilege, but the fine print may place limitations on the upgrade. For example, a policy might not allow you to convert to a permanent policy after you reach 70-years-old, or might only allow you to convert to a specific type of policy.

Keeping these tips in mind as you shop can make the process much easier and help you obtain the right policy for your family’s unique insurance needs.

Life insurance is one of the best sources of financial security for loved ones left behind after a death. One of the most important details of any Life insurance policy is naming the beneficiary/beneficiaries for the policy. The beneficiary is the person(s) you wish to receive the proceeds from the policy upon your death. Believe it or not, there are some people that purchase their Life insurance policy and neglect to select a beneficiary or never revisit the policy as life changes.

You can save your loved ones a lot of time, money, and trouble by carefully selecting a beneficiary for your Life insurance policy and making sure that information is kept applicable to your present situation. Most people don’t like to have conversations about anything involving death, but a possibly awkward conversation now can save your beneficiary the frustration and time of hunting down the information during what will already be a very difficult time for them.

Here are three things you can do to avoid some of the most common and costly beneficiary mistakes:

1. Do Revisit the Policy. Life is constantly in motion. Sometimes this motion doesn’t affect the relationships a person has, but more often than not it does. If relationship changes have an impact on the beneficiary you’ve selected, then the Life insurance must be updated accordingly. And, we aren’t just talking about obvious deaths, divorces, births, or marriages. For example, if your children were underage when you first obtained your Life insurance policy, then you might have established a guardian or trust. Once the children reach adulthood, it might make better sense to name them directly as beneficiaries. Another example would be if a beneficiary is now elderly or no longer mentally competent. In such cases, it might make better sense to name an alternative beneficiary and make the appropriate provisions in your will to care for the previous beneficiary.

2. Do Be Specific. Being vague in an attempt to avoid a hard decision, conflict, or the need to revisit the policy can result in confusion and legal challenges that can tie up the money or cause the omission of someone you wanted included. You want to be specific when naming a beneficiary. So, use the given name and not generic terms like child, parent, wife, or sibling.

3. Do Be Cautious. Some people name themselves or their estate as the beneficiary. This means that the Life insurance benefit will go directly to their estate. However, naming yourself or your estate can leave the benefit subject to taxation and enable creditors to seize it for unpaid bills. Remember, if you have any questions, concerns, or doubts about your beneficiary designation, then you can always consult your tax advisor or attorney.

It’s nothing that your parents haven’t told you a million times, and if you’re a parent, that you haven’t told your own kids: Eat your veggies. It might sound like a broken record at times, but the simple fact is that you decrease your susceptibility to almost every major disease when you incorporate veggies into your daily diet.

Of course, given that you don’t load them down with dips, butter, and sauces, vegetables are low in both fat and calories. However, one of the most important benefits is from the antioxidant properties of vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that have been found to protect your cells against the damaging and disease-contributing effects of free radicals.

If you think veggies are boring, that you don’t like them, or just don’t know what to do with them, then try these tips:

• Start gradually – you might set a goal for how many servings of veggies you’ll eat each day. One or two servings per day is a good place to start.
• One new veggie each week – incorporate a variety of veggies into your diet. Don’t be afraid to branch out. It can be a fun project to discover the best way to cook new veggies. You might even find some unique substitutions to make, such as spaghetti squash for pasta.
• Liquid veggies – drinking your freshly juiced or stocked veggies is one of the easiest ways to squeeze in your veggies. You can always mix and match fruits and veggies, such as carrot and mango juice, for a little added natural sweetness.
• Do a green lunch – the greener the leaf, the more antioxidants. Try a kale, mixed lettuces, and spinach lunch salad.
• Have a rainbow in your plate – colorful red, yellow, orange, and purple veggies fight heart disease.
• Starchy veggies aren’t the enemy – healthy carbohydrates, such as russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn and peas, are healthy inclusions.
• Bad breath, good health – freshly chopped garlic and onion make great seasonings for your veggies. Plus, they’re full of phytochemicals.
• Go raw – with the exception of a few veggies, such as cooked carrots, raw veggies that haven’t had their nutrients destroyed with heat, water, and air exposure are the most healthy. Grilling, steaming, stir frying, and even short periods of microwaving are better cooking methods than boiling and baking.
• Be creative – if you just don’t like the taste of some veggies, you can always sneak them into the foods you do like; veggie pizza or veggie stew, for example.

Like a car, your body needs fuel to keep going. Think of veggies like the premium grade of fuel, and your body will certainly love you for it.