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Eating whole foods is an important part of getting the nutrition you need to be healthy. Whole foods are foods that preserve the same shape, freshness and nutritive qualities that they have while they are growing on trees, vines, in the soil or on bushes.

When foods are processed, chopped, crushed or otherwise altered, they begin to lose some of their nutrients. The longer it takes to get those processed foods to you, the more nutrients they lose. Also, high heat and excessive cooking also removes nutrients from foods.

There are some ways to preserve some of the nutritive value, however. Freezing foods immediately once they have been harvested retains most of their nutrients. Refraining from overcooking the food also retains nutrients.

Here are some tips to get the whole food nutrition you need:

• Choose fruits and vegetables that are ripe and fresh
• Don’t overcook food; instead, steam it carefully
• Frozen foods have nutritive value as long as it was frozen right after it was harvested (and frozen as close to whole food form as possible)
• Frozen foods lose value once they get “freezer-burn”
• Whole grains are also essential to a whole food diet
• Whole grains are those that have not undergone extensive processing. While eating whole grain bread and pasta is OK, also remember to choose whole grain rice, couscous and millet that hasn’t been processed.

It is often thought that people who use alternative medicines are people who don’t believe in modern, standard medicines, but that isn’t true. Alternative medicines can also be referred to as “complementary” medicines, which means they are used to support standard remedies.

For example, standard care includes any care or medicine you receive from medical doctors, pharmacists and hospitals. Alternative therapy includes acupuncture, herbal remedies, chiropractic work, cancer alternative therapies and wellness advice, among other things. Combining both standard and alternative care is called complementary medicine, and it is what more than 60 percent of Americans practice, even if they aren’t aware of it. Even prayer is considered an alternative therapy.

Many medical specialists believe that the best way to stay healthy or heal from illness and injury is to benefit from a wide variety of healing methods. For example, while a doctor can give someone medicine to treat the pain associated with his or her back strain, a massage therapist, acupuncturist or chiropractor can repair some of the damage.

Another example of complementary therapy is when cancer patients receive chemotherapy or radiation from standard doctors while also getting supplements to promote healing, meditative therapy to reduce anxiety and focus on health, and acupuncture to relieve pain.

While most people are aware of the many different types of standard medical practices, they aren’t aware of what is available in the form of alternative medicine. Here is a list of some forms of alternative medicine. Again, they can be combined with standard medicine to create a complementary approach to healing.

• Acupressure
• Acupuncture
• Aromatherapy
• Chinese medicine
• Chiropractic
• Counseling
• Herbal remedies
• Holistic healing
• Homeopathy
• Hypnotherapy
• Hydrotherapy
• Kinesiology
• Magnetotherapy
• Midwifery
• Naturopathic medicine
• Osteopathic medicine
• Reflexology
• Reiki
• Rolfing
• Sound therapy
• Vitamin therapy
• Wellness Restoration
• Yoga therapy

Having health insurance is a necessary part of receiving the medical attention we need, yet so few of us can afford it. For some people, health care comes as a benefit provided by their employer. Others are left struggling to pay rising health premiums for themselves and their families.

The best ways to find affordable health insurance is to shop around. Find out what type of coverage you need, and opt for the one with the highest deductible and lowest monthly payment if you rarely visit the doctor. If you have special health needs, choose the plan that gives you the most coverage related to that health concern. If you have a doctor you want to see, make sure he or she is included in the health plan.

Try to find at least two or three plans to choose between. Compare all of them to see which one offers the most services and options for the least amount of money. Remember that you can get discounts if you are a student, are part of a group plan, have a health savings account, or only need short-term insurance. Also, other insurance to consider is dental and vision insurance, which are typically not covered in normal health insurance packages.

Finally, remember that some states offer insurance programs for children, especially for families that have a difficult time affording it. Find about state insurance programs by contacting your local government agency.