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The Health Savings Account (HSA) is an amazing tool that a lot of people have been talking about. It is meant to help you save money on insurance and make your life simpler, maybe even help you be healthier.

But do HSAs work just as well for older Americans? The answer depends on your age.

Let?s start with someone older than 65. Once you turn 65, you are eligible for Medicare, and that means you can no longer contribute to an HSA. If you had an HSA before you turned 65, a very interesting thing happens.

The HSA, which was basically an account that could only be used for medical expenses, suddenly becomes an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It instantly changes status when you turn 65.

This is a very intriguing concept for all of us who are younger than 65. You already know that there is no ?use it or lose it??condition for an HSA. You keep accumulating that money forever, you do not lose it at the end of each year.

So, if you?re not sick very often, you may accumulate a lot of money in the HSA. Then, once you turn 65, you can start pulling money out of it each year as income. Your withdrawals are taxable, but won?t it be nice to have another stream of income when you retire. Think of it as your ?Healthy Life Reward Account.??The healthier you are in your life, the more money you?ll have left in your HSA. It could be tens of thousands of dollars!

If you are over 55 but younger than 65, you get even more benefits for your HSA. You are eligible for something called ?catch up contributions.?? This means that you can put more money into this tax-deferred account than those of us under 55.

In 2005, you can put $600 more than you health insurance policy deductible, and the amount of that catch-up contribution increases every year until it hits $1,000 in 2009. If I were you, I?d take good advantage of those catch-up contributions. Tax-deferrals are always nice to have when tax time comes around.

Daryl Kulak is the author of the book "Health Insurance Off the Grid - A Wonderful Way to Use Alternative Medicine and Save Money on Insurance Using the New Health Savings Account (HSA)." The book provides a nine-step plan to get your self-employed or small business health insurance costs under control using a unique approach you won't find anywhere else. The book is available for sale as an e-Book or paperback at the Website http://www.healthoffthegrid.com

When we think of health only in terms of the physical body we think too small. And when we think small we find ourselves trying to deal with "symptoms" and "conditions" at the surface level and not achieving the results we want.

How do you define health for yourself?

Immediately when I think about health my thoughts turn toward my physical body. But as I explore health more deeply I know that for me, health includes wellness in all four dimensions of my experience not just the physical. I want health in the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of my life too.

Most of us have been taught to believe that the right vitamins, food, and exercise will give us perfect physical health. But it is clear we cannot feed ourselves a daily diet of negative thinking, and stew in negative emotions and expect our vitamins to override the internal mental and emotional states we create.

When we understand that we are the energy that animates our physical body we are more likely to unravel the root causes of our conditions.

When we focus on aligning with higher vibrations of mental peace and emotional acceptance we generally feel better. With attitudes of loving acceptance toward our bodies our ability to welcome and recognize real nourishment increases also.

Physical bodies get nourishment when we love ourselves and enjoy our lives. When we ingest food - and life - with joy - we feed our cells.

Achieving an ongoing connection to health is challenging in our world. Since we are all regularly bombarded with other peoples ideas about what is healthy and what it is not, we often find ourselves with confused energy and shifting states of health.

When we feel wobbly or uncertain we tend to forget this:
You are free to define what health means to you and for you.

Nobody, and I repeat NOBODY - no doctor, parent, spouse or friend - knows what is genuinely healthy or healing for you. You may want to gather information and suggestions from others and then make your own decisions for your own self. Often what appears to be unusual or out of the ordinary may be the most helpful for you.

Here is a good question to consider when you want to generate personal health: How comfortable are you turning away from mainstream thinking to embrace and honor your own unique path of healing?

The physical body is animated from within. When we manage our mental attitudes, care for our emotional happiness and remember who we really are, we strengthen our connection to health. Health is not confined to the physical body.

When I think of someone who exemplifies spiritual health the person who comes to mind for me is Christopher Reeve. Even though he was confined to a wheel chair he demonstrated such grace and offered such inspiration that I cannot help but see a healthy spirit when I bring him into my mind.

* Who demonstrates health for you?
* Where do you experience health in your own life?
* What feelings do you associate with health?

For me, acceptance of life as it is generates harmony inside of me. That harmony connects me with the spiritual quality of health. What works for you?

The Connection Option: Health
The Natural Energy of Health: Spirit is always healthy. There is no illness or sickness in spirit. In my mind I judge certain conditions wrong, or unhealthy and in seeing them that way I separate myself from the natural energy of health.

* As a Victim
I have a small and limited vision of what health is. When I see or experience anything outside of that vision I freak out! My fear generates more dis-ease and I find myself on a downward spiral.

* As a Creator
I take charge of my own healing. I treat myself with care and compassion. I feed myself with positive thoughts. I generate happy feelings. I know that life is a process and temporary states of imbalance will balance themselves if I accept and and allow.

* Action for Health
Today I see and know health in everything. I recognize the energy of health as the natural state of my own being. The energy of health is my very essence and I connect with the core of healthy energy that is alive within me. My thoughts are healthy thoughts. My body is a healthy body. My feelings are natural expressions of life as it moves into and through me. As my mind is infused with a consciousness of health so is my body and physical environment. I relax and connect with the energy of health today.

Peri is the Founder of Creators Choice??Online School for Whole Life Fulfillment. Peri lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and mentors clients around the world through Tele-Classes and Personal Mentoring Programs ~ Aware Entrepreneurs, Your Issue Now! and The Turnaround ??A Curriculum for a Fulfilling Lifestyle. http://www.theturnaroundnow.com

Pick up a free report Get Unstuck Now and Listen to a free pre-recorded Tele-Class - Six Essential Steps to move from Victim to Self-Empowerment. Listen to Peri speak about Personal Mentoring and if space is available you can schedule a Free Focus Session here http://www.creatorschoice.com

Where do you go if you have women's health questions? Do you go to your favorite doctor-like website? Do you look through magazines or do you just ask your friends? Maybe you actually go and visit your doctor? I have found that when it comes to questions of a sensitive nature, I'd much rather go online and try to find an answer that way than talk face to face with somebody I know. For example, if I have a general question I have no problem polling some of my female friends. How long is the average woman's cycle? 28 days? Okay, no big deal to talk about with friends or family. But when there's something that isn't quite right, or maybe even wrong, I'd rather keep it to myself than do an old fashioned friends poll.

Women's magazines are great ways to anonymously find the answers to your women's health questions. In almost every magazine I can think of, there's a write in portion where readers send in questions to be answered by an expert in the field. Many magazines employ doctors or OB/GYNs to answer the questions that are on the minds of their readers, and if you catch enough of them it's possible you'll find the answer to your own question. This has happened several times to me, even. Also, I tend to save magazines for future reference or for collage material, so sometimes I'll have a question, remember it was answered in a magazine, and then go find the answer out of my old stacks.

Overall, though, I know there's nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to women's health questions. Doctors get asked some crazy questions each and every day, so there's probably nothing you can ask them that they haven't already heard several times already (maybe even that day alone!). So while it's okay to hope for your questions to be answered in a magazine, I suggest you ask your doctor, first.

Find the answers to your biggest women's health questions at the Womens Health Forums. It's free to become a member, so visit http://www.WomensHealthForum.org/ and join today!

Despite public awareness campaigns highlighting the issues facing people with mental health problems and the fact that no one is immune to developing a mental illness, people with mental health problems are still facing unfair discrimination, prejudice and stigma every day of their lives, not just from members of the public but also from businesses, banks, employers and even when it comes to taking out an insurance policy.

The truth is, any one of us can develop a mental illness, regardless of our age, gender, location, occupation or social status. Actually, the statistics show that at least one in four of us will experience some kind of mental health problem in the space of any one year. Mental health problems can be hugely diverse in nature and can range from mild cases of depression and anxiety to more serious cases of bipolar depression and schizophrenia with the types of symptoms and the degree of intensity of these symptoms varying from person to person. However, there are problems to face in the outside world too.

Possibly one of the most distressing aspects of mental illness is the isolation and social exclusion often experienced by the sufferer purely as a result of ignorance and misunderstanding on the part of other people and it is this that needs to change. If we consider insurance for example, something that most people take for granted, but not if you have had a mental illness in the past or are suffering from a mental health problem at the moment.

The findings of a major report on discrimination against the mentally ill showed that Insurance companies will often deny insurance or place exemptions on an insurance policy when there is a history of mental health problems, even if those problems existed many years ago and are no longer an issue. This applies to any type of insurance and not just life insurance either, travel insurance, mortgage insurance, employment insurance, payment protection insurance, all become more difficult to obtain if you have a mental health problem or a history of mental illness.

This would appear to suggest that insurance companies as well as many others still do not understand the issues or the facts surrounding mental illness or the information just isn't getting through. For example, mental health problems can occur as an isolated case in relation to a specific set of circumstances and once treated, will never happen again, some types of mental illness are episodic in nature, and most people who seek help for mental health problems do go on to lead full and normal lives. Probably the most important point is that just because someone is suffering from a mental health problem doesn't automatically mean they pose a greater risk than anyone else. Insurance companies calculate their insurance premiums on the level of perceived risk, which is supposedly based on medical evidence. Perhaps this is the area that needs to be addressed.

So what can you do about it? Certainly, if there is a case of unfair discrimination then it is possible to sue under the Disability Discrimination Act but according to Mind, the leading UK charity for mental health, only a small number of cases are taken out under this Act and of these, few are ever successful. Similarly, the Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) report that most claims against payment protection insurance fail when mental illness is involved as it is a common exclusion in many insurance policies.

It isn't all doom and gloom though, people do seem to be waking up to the fact that something has gone wrong somewhere and that people with mental illness deserve to have the same rights as anyone else. Over in the USA for example, a study by the Mental Health America Association found that the majority of Americans believe that people with mental health problems should no longer be subjected to discrimination by health insurance companies. In fact, some 96% of Americans believe that health insurance should also cover mental health. Here in the UK the government are aware of the issues surrounding mental health and exclusion and are tightening up legislation to protect people from unfair discrimination.

In the meantime, we would all do well to remember that mental health problems are not only common, they are treatable, and can affect any one of us at any time. Until we insist that people with mental health problems receive the same rights in society as everyone else, the problem with insurance will persist.

Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information about depression and help come and visit http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk

If you have bronchitis, you know how horrible it can make you feel. You probably feel like the only thing you ever get done is cough, hack, and wheeze. Not to mention the phlegm! Gross, right?

The biggest question on your mind is probably, "Is my bronchitis contagious?" The answer is that acute forms of bronchitis are very contagious and could easily be spread to everyone you come in contact with. Bronchitis is not something you probably want to share.

Bronchitis is broken down into two different types. The first you got acute bronchitis. This is the kind that makes bronchitis contagious, because it is caused by influenza, the common chest cold, or an infection.

Commonly, what makes bronchitis contagious is an infection of some sort that causes wheezing, coughing, and hacking. This is very hard for people to work through. It can be very unnerving to have to suffer with bronchitis, contagious or not.

The other kind of bronchitis is chronic bronchitis. This produces similar symptoms and signs as acute bronchitis, but is caused by different things. Smoking, second hand smoke, a virus, or something else. This usually isn't the kind of things that make bronchitis contagious. However, it's no less annoying.

One thing that is common for both types of bronchitis is that antibiotics don't do any good. Quite simply, most bronchitis, contagious or not, is not affected by antibiotics.

A virus causes acute bronchitis and antibiotics do nothing for viral infections.

Antibiotics are useful for treating bacterial infections only, and on top of that, they're not good for your health. You could be causing more problems with your body. Antibiotics are even known to create more infections, and especially yeast infections.

Usually, with bronchitis, contagious or chronic, there will be a dry cough at the beginning. This will soon turn into a ?wet' cough that is accompanied by fever, exhaustion and headaches.

Your acute bronchitis can actually be contagious for as long as you are experiencing symptoms! Those who have bronchitis for 6 months or more should get checked for other serious health conditions.

One way to deal with the antibiotic problem is to find a cure for your bronchitis that is all natural. This will ensure that you are not damaging your body with useless drugs.

There are different natural remedies for bronchitis however, the best kind of natural treatment for bronchitis, contagious or chronic, is a blend of different natural ingredients that target the root causes.

If you have chronic or acute bronchitis, tell your doctor to FORGET the antibiotics, and find something that will really work for you.

You are invited to discover the secrets to more simple yet effective home remedies for any condition at the Herbal Home Remedy website.

One of the most common concerns of men is the appearance of their chest. Some men simply want to build their chest muscles, but for others the shape of their chest assumes a greater significance. These are men who have excessive chest fat, also known as man boobs.

Man boobs are a cosmetic condition which afflicts between 30-40% of the male population. Man boobs, also known as Gynecomastia, is not a health threatening condition but it does greatly affect the social and sex life of men who suffer from them. It is well known that one of the muscles women find most attractive are the pectoral muscles. Men with man boobs are deemed less sexually appealing and often suffer from a low self-confidence.

One of the best way to reduce the amount of excessive chest fat you may have is to do focused chest workouts. One of the best man boobs exercises out there is the barbell chest press.

There are several ways to do the barbell chest press in order to target different areas of your chest:

1. The straight back chest press - place the bench perfectly horizontal. This variation works the general chest muscles. This exercise is of medium difficulty.

2. The incline chest press - place the bench at an angle of no more than 45 degrees. Perform the barbell chest press as usual. This variation works the upper chest muscles. This exercise is of high difficulty.

3. The decline chest press - place the bench at a decline and perform the chest press as usual. This variation will tone the lower part of your chest. This is an exercise of low difficulty.

I suggest doing sets of all 3 variations. This will give your pectorals an all around workout and will help reduce your man boobs.

The chest press will not eliminate your man boobs entirely, but it's a good place to start. Don't you dare settle for having man boobs.

To read tips and ways on how to totally elminate your man boobs click here: How To Get Rid Of Your Man Boobs Fast

John Davenport is a fitness and diet expert. He is also an active contributer to the Man Boobs expert website: http://www.ManBoobsHomePage.com