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Reuters - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday received Bulgaria's top honor for helping to free Bulgarian nurses from a Libyan jail.

If the day was longer and you had less to do eating healthy would be a cake walk. Unfortunately, it seems that the pace of daily life leaves many with no other option but to eat on the run. Eating on the run often forces the individual to choose convenience over nutrition and at a pretty hefty cost. Millions of American's are over weight and suffer the consequences on a daily basis. Being over weight can at best decrease your quality of life and at worst cause life threatening health complications. Fortunately for you, your busty lifestyle doesn't mean you need to fall into unhealthy eating patterns. Here are a few great ways to stick to a healthy and nutritious diet in the midst of your action packed daily life.

• Drink Smart: While a cola may be what your craving, that single drink can tack on as many as 100 - 150 extra calories onto your total daily intake. Save those calories for something more substantial and opt for water natural fruit juice. If your craving your favorite carbonated beverage choose a diet soda. If you find your still thirsty after your soda, quench your thirst with a glass or bottle of water instead of another soda.
• Be Snack Savvy: Sometimes it's snacks, not breakfast, lunch, and dinner that cause your waist line to expand. Whether your sitting at your desk or driving the kids to a game, snacks are perfect to hold you over until dinner. Unfortunately we often pick snacks that taste good but are packed with calories and fat. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or cookies look for a healthier option. Dying for cheese curls, look for cheddar cheese rice cakes. Want a cookie? Try a chocolate chip granola bar instead. No only are these options lower in fat and calories they will also satiate your hunger and leave you fuller longer.
• Know What Your Eating: When it comes to fast food it's far easier to eat blindly. Picking up a box or bag at the store gives you the chance to flip the container over and read the nutritional information. Unfortunately, the drive thru menu of your local fast food joint doesn't offer you the same startling information. Next time you have a free moment, go to the website of the fast food restaurant of your choice and read the nutrition facts. You may be shocked to find out just how much fat is in those burger or just how little is in that grilled chicken sandwich. Making it a point to familiarize your self with these thing will help you make wiser and healthier decisions.
• Stock Up on Fruits: Fruit is your best ally in healthy eating on the run. It's a healthy, sweet, satisfying pick me up that for the most part can be enjoyed everywhere from the car to your desk. Since fruits are often packed with nutrients, vitamins, and water they tend to keep your hunger at bay for a bit while giving you a bunch of nutritional essentials. Next time you have a only a few minutes to spare and want a little snack before dinner grab an apple or some grapes.
• Pack Your Lunch: The older we get the more likely we are to by pass the brown bag and get lunch with the swipe of a debit card. While this may save you a few extra minutes in the morning, making your lunch at home can help you stay on the path of healthy eating. Things like wraps, lean turkey breast and low fat cheese are terrific, filling alternatives to other lunch time cuisines. Not only will you be more aware of what your eating you will also have more control of what you eat. Pack your lunch, two low fat snacks, a bottle of water and a piece of fruit will get you through the day without making bad dining decisions.

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MedPage Today

Doctors warned about strokes in babies and children Chicago Tribune - 57 minutes ago For the first time, the American Heart Association has issued guidelines to physicians on the diagnosis and treatment of stroke in infants and children. New Stroke Guidelines for Children WebMD New Guidelines on Infant Stroke Released U.S. News & World Report ABC News - Chicago Sun-Times - DG News - Columbus Dispatch all 21 news articles

The AARP is a wonderful group that has been around for decades. They are dedicated to helping seniors discover benefits and services especially designed to help them. One of the benefits they offer is health insurance.

But not everyone is enamored with this group, especially with what AARP puts forwards as "health insurance." Some people go so far as to call the AARP Health Insurance plan a "rip-off." So let's investigate this health plan further.

The first thing to note is, the AARP is NOT an insurance agency. There is no such thing really as "AARP Health Insurance" per se.

The AARP is an organization, a club if you will. They don't sell their own health insurance, but instead refer you to an agency that does sell it. And through their referral, the AARP can get a premium discount at a group rate. But not always. It is possible to get cheaper insurance than what AARP can offer, if one looks around.

But there's another issue.

The health insurance gotten through the AARP is not all comprehensive. I think that many people just make the assumption that all health insurance is comprehensive, covering all unforeseen medical conditions. But sometimes insurance is merely supplemental and doesn't cover everything, and the insured find out about this too late, when they need the insurance to pay for some major health problem. And the supplemental insurance won't always cover the problem. That's when the terms "rip-off" get thrown about. Some people claim the AARP is misrepresenting the insurance.

But in any health insurance policy, the consumer has to know in advance the coverage they are getting; what's covered and what isn't. They need to understand the policy, ask questions, do their homework. Many insured people today have no idea what their coverage entails.

I see that this year, AARP is offering an HMO through UnitedHealth, and a PPO through Aetna. In the past they've been instrumental in getting Congress to pass a Medicare Drug bill and a Social Security reform bill. This election year they plan to address more health care issues.

The bottom line is, to me the AARP is doing a lot to help people over 50 with their health care issues. Their website is loaded with info. But they are not, repeat not, an insurer.

So in summarizing, if you wish to get AARP health insurance, but may be afraid of the horror stories out there about this big tough lobbyist, I suggest you understand the policies they offer completely. Read and re-read their offers and find out what is and isn't covered. And understand that the AARP is not the ones writing policies and paying out insurance claims.

To see more articles about health insurance, such as individual health insurance plans, types of plans available, what a policy means, and more, buy pure zinc gluconate nutritional supplement visit http://www.health-insurance-aid.com.