Written By:
Christina England, BA Hons
This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2016




Major supermarkets are deceiving us in one of the worst ways possible - by deliberately boycotting products that can reverse the damage caused by continuous exposure to toxic aluminum. 
As many of us are aware, the human body is being bombarded with aluminum in everyday products. Many of our foods, vaccinations, medications, baby products, cosmetics, cleaning products and even soft furnishings contain aluminum and it appears that we are powerless to prevent the ever-increasing onslaught.
Despite the fact that aluminum is known to be a toxic substance and, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, a potential health hazard, aluminum has been named as the second most used metal in the world after steel, largely due to its versatility.
However, despite its many uses, aluminum has become one of most negatively talked about products used today and over recent years, scientists have linked its use to cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and chemical burns.
The Age of AluminumProfessor Christopher Exley, a scientist from Keele University in Staffordshire, has been studying the effects of aluminum for many years. In his latest video on the subject, he stated that:
“One of the things that I write about is that we live in the Aluminum Age today. The Aluminum Age, like when I went to school, we learned about the Iron Age, the Bronze Age and the Copper Age, well, today, is clearly the Aluminum Age.
The result of living in the Aluminum Age, is that there is aluminum throughout our body and in every cell of our body, and that aluminum has almost invariably come from the activities of man, from us mining aluminum which only began in earnest 120 years ago and using it in so many different ways that we cannot even begin to imagine. So we then have the situation, whereby, what if, after having used aluminum in so many ways and exposed ourselves to aluminum in so many ways, we then find, absolute evidence, that aluminum is toxic to humans?” (own emphasis)
His words are very scary, as I am sure you will agree. However, in reality, this is exactly the situation that we as humans find ourselves in today.
According to the US federal public health agency Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, this toxic substance is used freely in a wide range of products, including aspirin, food additives, antiperspirant, baking powder and cosmetics and these and many more can be found listed on the many charts displayed on their website.
However, two of the charts in particular really stand out; these charts describe the many serious health effects that aluminum can have on the human body.


Source: ATSDR Public Health Statement: Aluminum
As you can see, aluminum is far from safe and yet this toxic substance is being used in everyday products on a regular basis and therefore slowly destroying our health.
Although the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry did reluctantly admit that vaccinations may contain aluminum:
“Vaccines may contain small amounts of aluminum compounds, no greater than 0.85 mg/dose.”
In reality a large number of our vaccinations are known to contain aluminum; see the CDC PDF titled Vaccine ingredients sorted by vaccine, for details.
Despite this fact, I can find no government-supported evidence stating whether or not vaccinating a child with several vaccinations containing aluminum can have a cumulative effect.
Number of Vaccinations Containing Aluminum is on the Rise

Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic, a scientist working at the University of British Columbia, Canada, believes that the level of aluminum children receive in their diet and childhood vaccinations is far in excess of the safe levels recommended.
In a paper that she wrote in 2010, titled Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease: After a Century of Controversy, Is there a Plausible Link?, she explained that the blood brain barrier (BBB) in young children is immature, making them more susceptible to toxic substances. She stated that:
“According to the latest vaccination schedule, every child in the USA will receive a total of 5–6 mg of Al by the age of 2 years, or up to 1.475 mg of Al during a single visit to the pediatrician (Table 6). This is contrary to the upper limit of 5µg Al/kg/day set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for premature neonates and individuals with impaired kidney function. Healthy neonates may be able to handle more Al, however, there are no such studies available upon which we could safely estimate acceptable upper levels of Al from parenteral or injectable sources in healthy children. In that respect, it is worth noting that the FDA document states that Al accumulation at levels associated with central nervous system and bone toxicity may occur at even lower rates of exposure.”
Reading through her detailed vaccination schedules, you will see that the amount of aluminum a small baby can receive in just one visit to the doctor's office is of great concern.
According to her vaccination charts, a child aged two months is scheduled to receive the following vaccinations:
·        Hepatitis BRotavirus
·        DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus)
·        Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b)
·        PCV (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)
·        IPV (polio vaccination)
Using the figures supplied by Dr. Tomljenovic in her paper, in just one visit, an eight-week old baby could receive vaccinations containing a cumulative sum of 1.225 – 1.475 mg of aluminum, an amount well in excess of the FDA's recommendations.
This of particular concern because on August 12, 2016, Professor Exley, published his latest paper titled, Insight into the cellular fate and toxicity of aluminium adjuvants used in clinically approved human vaccinations.
In a press release discussing this paper it stated:
“In a project funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Dwoskin Foundation, the group at Keele investigated the relationship between the physicochemical properties of aluminium adjuvants and the immune response. Specifically, they show that the reaction of the aluminium adjuvant at the injection site will determine its subsequent fate and therefore its activity both at the injection site and away from the injection site.
One form of aluminium adjuvant which is used in clinically-approved vaccines is an aluminium hydroxyphosphate salt and is more toxic at the injection site than the second form of aluminium adjuvant commonly used in clinically-approved vaccines which is an aluminium oxyhydroxide salt. However, the latter is more easily loaded into immune reactive cells with the possibility to be transported throughout the body. It is suggested by the Keele research that this loading of aluminium into viable cells offers a mechanism whereby significant amounts of aluminium, a known neurotoxin, might be translocated throughout the body and even across the blood brain barrier and into the central nervous system.
Professor Exley adds that there are no clinically-approved aluminium adjuvants only clinically approved vaccines which use aluminium adjuvants. This makes it imperative that all vaccine trials which use aluminium salts as adjuvants must not use the aluminium adjuvant as the control or placebo. This has been common practice for many years and has resulted in many vaccine-related adverse events due in part or in entirety to aluminium adjuvants being unaccounted for in vaccine safety trials.”

What is the Answer?In his video, Professor Exley describes the case of a 59-year old woman who has died from a mysterious neurological brain disorder, which he and a colleague from Oxford University were asked to investigate.
After investigating her case, they discovered that the woman had been suffering from an extremely rare form of Alzheimer's disease, which they say is only usually seen in people in their very late 80s and 90s. Shocked by what they had discovered, they decided to measure the aluminum content in her brain tissue and found it to be extraordinarily high. Professor Exley stated:
“Indeed, when this case of this particular person went to a coroner’s investigation at a coroner’s court, the verdict of the coroner in 2013 was that it was inevitable that aluminum contributed to the death of this woman.”
Professor Exley explained that he and his team were the first to identify a relationship between the element silicon and aluminum. He discovered that silicon protected the body against the toxicity of aluminum and that by drinking a silicon-rich mineral water, the aluminum is removed from the human body through the excretion of urine. He stated:
We have been able to test this, in clinical trials lasting up to about 12 weeks in both healthy volunteers and people with Alzheimer’s disease and in both cases, we have been able to show that over a 12-week period, aluminum is removed from the body such as what we call their body burden of aluminum is reduced over this period of time.”
In his paper on the subject, titled. Silicon-Rich Mineral Water as a Non-Invasive Test of the Aluminum Hypothesis in ‘Alzheimer’s Disease. He stated:
“However, the group of individuals diagnosed with AD showed a statistically significant reduction in their body burden of Al between Wks 1 and 12 and, concomitantly, evidence that for 8 out of 15 individuals their cognitive function was either unchanged or improved during this same period. Longer term studies are now required to show that any reductions in the body burden of Al can be further improved and sustained and that any cognitive benefits are similarly long-lived.”




Professor Exley has not only discovered that drinking a silicon-rich mineral water can aid in the recovery of Alzheimer’s disease but he has also discovered that silicon-rich mineral water can help in some cases to reverse vaccine damage.
Parents State Vaccine-Injured Daughters are Improving Another vaccine known to contain the adjuvant aluminum is the human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV). In 2011, Professor Exley spoke to professionals at a conference on vaccination safety, where once again he mentioned his work on aluminum and mineral water. 
At approximately 47 minutes 45 seconds in the video, he stated:
“Like many of you, I am contacted on a regular basis by people who have been adversely affected, sometimes by vaccination and other aluminium-related issues. I have been contacted by parents of girls who have taken the human papillomavirus vaccination and they have said, is there anything we can do, has it got anything to do with aluminium? I don't tell them it's got anything to do with aluminium, that is not my role, I am not a doctor. I would simply tell them look, if there is anything to do with aluminium, try taking a silicon-rich mineral water, I tell them which one. I am increasingly getting emails back six months, a year later, telling me their daughter is better. I am not making this up. Their daughter is better; I say well, it might have had something to do with that, it might be something else that you are doing, but that’s great news. So, anecdotally, at least we're getting good results here; we need, of course, to get proper scientific data as well for people potentially getting better, simply by drinking a silicon-rich mineral water. “ (words taken from the video)
If Professor Exley is correct, then this could mean that something as simple as drinking silicon-rich mineral water may have the potential to help many other vaccine injured children including those children with autism.
Readers will find more of Professor Christopher Exley’s studies and papers listed on the Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute (CMSRI) website.
What is Silicon and Where Does It Come from?One of the silicon-rich mineral waters that Professor Exley has identified in his video is Spritzer.
Interested to learn more about silicon and its possible health benefits, I emailed Spritzer.


I was very fortunate to receive a reply from the Executive Director of Spritzer Bhd, Dr. Chuah Chaw Teo,


who explained that:
“Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust and it exists with oxygen and aluminium, the third most abundant element is hydroxyaluminosilicates where the silicon acts as a binding agent to the aluminium to negate the toxicity of the aluminium cation from living organism.
The only form of silicon that is useful to the body is the water soluble form known as silicic acid, Si(OH)4.”
I continued by asking Dr. Chuah, where does silicon come from?
He told us that:
“Silicon is present in several foods such as rice husk, the outer skin of grains, for example, oat bran and barley, vegetables, such as green beans, spinach and cucumber and in legumes, such as lentils and soya.
However, for the silicon to become available, these foods need to be hydrolysed by the stomach’s acid into the monomeric form of silicic acid which your body can absorb.”
Seeing that much of Dr. Exley’s work has been referred to by the Spritzer website, I asked Dr. Chuah what he felt about Dr. Exley’s findings. He said:
“Professor Chris Exley’s findings on the importance of drinking a silicon-rich natural mineral water, such as Spritzer, to reduce the body burden of the neurotoxin, aluminium is indeed a brilliant scientific breakthrough that should be strongly embraced by the authority and the public.
The people have all to benefit if this theory is one day proven to be true. There is nothing to lose but all to gain. After all, every one of us needs to consume at least 1 to 1.5 litre of good quality water for our daily hydration needs. What a better way to get that than from Spritzer- the clinically proven silicon rich natural mineral water that comes to you from a natural aquifer 420 feet deep covered with 330 acres (266 soccer fields) of pristine and unspoilt surroundings of natural tropical rainforest, away from all pollution, hence providing complete protection to the integrity, quality and safety of its natural mineral water. From source to bottle, Spritzer is untouched by human hands. Recent findings of a unique rock structure in the facility dated the land to be in existence for about 200 to 214 million years.”
You cannot argue with that!
Since Exley’s Studies UK Supermarkets Have Boycotted Silicon-Rich Mineral WaterAlthough there are three silicon rich mineral waters available, Spritzer, Volvic and Fiji, it has become increasingly difficult to purchase these from UK’s major supermarkets. This is because Fiji is a brand that is only sold in the US, Spritzer is a brand that is no longer available in any UK supermarket and Volvic, which was once relatively easy to purchase, has recently become less easy, since many of the leading supermarkets such as Tesco and Morrisons are only opting to sell fruit flavored Volvic.
Reading the ingredients of just one of the fruit flavors listed on the Tesco website, it is easy to see why.
As you can see, fruit-flavored Volvic does not include silicon but does include a high sugar content and a wide range of preservatives and additives.
“Ingredients: Volvic Natural Mineral Water (94%), Sugar (4.5%), Acid (Citric Acid), Natural Summerfruit (Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackcurrant) Flavouring with other Natural Flavourings, Preservative (Potassium Benzoate)”
However, when it comes to non-fruit flavored Volvic, Tesco state clearly state on their website that this product is currently not available.
Equally Morrisons stated exactly the same on their website.
As did Asda.


Interested to understand why, I contacted Tesco using a contact form. They replied by email stating:
“Thank you for your email.
I’m sorry I cannot comment on you query from our office, as we respond to customer queries and requests.
However, if you could please call our Press Office on 01992 644645, they will be happy to help further.
Thank you once again for contacting us.
Kind regards
Mandy Lobb
Tesco Customer Service
Tesco Customer Engagement Centre”
I then contacted the Press Office who failed to answer their phone.
Getting frustrated, I contacted Tesco’s main switchboard, who in turn put us through to the buyer of soft drinks, Emily Mace. She also did not answer her phone, so I left her a message.
However, so far she has failed to return my call.
Sadly, Tesco’s total lack of interest leads me to come to the conclusion that Tesco would prefer to offer their consumers unhealthy, sugary soft drinks over healthier options.
Professor Exley Banned from Advertising VolvicAmazingly, Professor Exley has been prevented from advertising the fact that Volvic is a silicon-rich mineral water that can help reduce the body burden of aluminum. In a lecture that Professor Exley gave at the Vaccine Safety Conference in 2011, he stated:
“I am going to break all protocol and tell you that the one water that works incredibly well, was a water called Volvic in the United Kingdom, made by a French company called Danone. But I can’t tell you this now because since Danone went into an agreement with us to work in this area, they then told me that they no longer want to work with us. They no longer want to be associated with the possibility that the removal of aluminum might be an important thing.”

This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2018
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Tens of millions of root canals are performed each year, yet how safe are they? Consider the morbid fact that it is the only procedure routinely performed where a dead part of your body -- the diseased tooth -- is kept attached to your body. 
Almost 60 million root canals are performed a year (1), on individuals who are mistakenly informed that it is a safe and harmless procedure. While your teeth may look and feel fine after the procedure, the reality is that it is impossible for all of the bacteria to be removed from the tooth. After a root canal, the healthy bacteria changes to highly toxic anaerobic bacteria that will continue to thrive inside and around the tooth, jawbone and periodontal ligament causing numerous potentially long term health problems. (1)
Dr. Weston Price
Dr. Weston Price was a brilliant dentist and researcher who studied the relationship between nutrition, dental and physical health. He was the head of research for the dental association for 14 years.  In their studies, Dr. Price and the Mayo Clinic discovered that bacterial growth in root canals could be transferred to animals to recreate the same diseases of the human donor. Their tests proved successful in 80 to 100% of the animals. In particular, heart disease could be transferred 100% of the time (1, 2). It's shocking to know that as far back as 1908 Dr. Price and the Mayo Clinic found that bacteria and the toxins from root canals could enter the bloodstream and thus travel to any point in the body and create disease to that particular tissue or organ. (1, 2). Price went on to discover that numerous degenerative diseases have their origin in root canal procedures, the most frequent are circulatory and heart disease.
Others would follow in Dr. Price's footsteps to bring this knowledge to the public. Dr. George Meinig would discover his work 70 years later and bring it to the forefront through his book, Root Canal Cover Up.  The Toxic Element Research Foundation (TERF) would later use state of the art DNA technology to identify multiple bacteria found within root canal teeth, the jawbone next to root canals as well as in areas of extracted teeth where proper protocols were not performed to remove the periodontal ligament and necrotic bone.
Basic tooth anatomy
A tooth has multiple layers, the first is the  enamel, the second layer is the dentin and the inner core is the pulp. Tiny fibers come out of the tooth and intertwine with fibers coming out of the bone, and they unite to form the periodontal ligament. This ligament is also an incubator for billions of bacteria to multiply. (1) The dentin layer is not solid, but is actually comprised of tiny dentinal tubules, that if stretched would be approximately three miles long, per tooth. This is another excellent place for bacteria to hide and develop. In fact when Weston Price did his research, this is exactly where he found anaerobic bacteria in the thousands of teeth he tested. (2) Since it is impossible to sterilize these accessory canals, it becomes a haven for bacteria to grow and develop. As bacteria multiply and create infection, it will oftentimes extend down into the jawbone where it creates cavitations—areas of necrotic tissue in the jawbone itself.
Common bacteria found in root canals
The American Dental Association (ADA) still insists to this day that Dr. Price and the Mayo Clinic Research was incorrect, yet they have no research to back this claim. Dentists are misled to believe that root canals are a safe and harmless procedure. While they may claim that bacteria found in teeth with root canals can't cause disease, the simple fact remains, the bacteria found in root canaled teeth are not the same normal bacteria found in your mouth. Without oxygen and nutrients the friendly bacteria become highly toxic, capable of causing long term infection, jawbone loss and numerous diseases.
In Hal Huggins article on Root Canal Dangers, he shares the following information on the five major bacteria species (out of the fifty –three that are commonly found in root canal teeth). (2)


Capnocytophaga ochracea: Found in brain abscesses associated with dental source of infection. Causes human disease in the central nervous system. Also related to septicemia and meningitis.
Fusobacterium nucleatum: Produces toxins that inhibit fibroblast cell division and wound healing processes. Causes infection in the heart, joints, liver and spleen.
Gemella morbillorum: Linked to acute invasive endocarditis, septic arthritis and meningitis.
Leptotrichia buccalis: Reduces the number of neutrophils (a critically important white blood cell), thus lowering immune competence.
Porphyromonas gingivalis:
Destroys  red blood cells by drilling holes (porins) in them, causing the cell to bleed to  death. Low red blood cell counts that do not recover after dental revision are frequently responding to the porin activity of this microbe.  P gingivalis also  alters the integrity of the endothelial lining of blood vessels, which leads to inflammation and bleeding in the inner lining of blood vessels. According to Dr. Huggins this is the key step in formation of atherogenesis that leads to heart attacks. P. gingivalis can change friendly bacteria into pathogens. (2)
Chronic disease linked to root canals
According to Dr. George Meinig, (one of the founders of the American Association of Endodontists) and author of Root Canal Cover Up, a high percentage of chronic illness can originate from root canals, the most frequent being circulatory and heart disease. The next common diseases include those affecting the joints, such as arthritis and rheumatism; this is followed by diseases that affect the brain and nervous system such as ALS and MS.
Additional risks
Root canal treatment increases the risk of infective endocarditis. (4)
Root canals are associated with high rates of infection (up to 54%) with anaerobic bacteria. In a 1998 study for oral focal infection, 26 patients had blood drawn and tested during and ten minutes after their procedure.  All root canals contained anaerobic bacteraemia. (5)
Conclusion
It is important to do your own research before any surgical procedure and treatment plan. A root canal is a surgical procedure. The decision on whether to have a root canal or remove the tooth is best made between you, your doctor and your biological dentist. Establishing an appropriate pre and post procedure protocol can expedite your recovery process.

Resources

• Beyond Amalgam:  The Hidden Health Hazard Posed by Jawbone Cavitations by Susan Stockton, MA, foreword by Christopher John Hussar, DDS, DO
• Root Canal Cover up by George Meinig, D.D.S.
• Uninformed Consent: The Hidden Dangers in Dental Care by Hal A. Huggins, D.D.S., M.S. and Thomas E. Levy M.D., J.D.
• 1 http://terfinfo.com/Files/Root%20Canal%20News%20Release_2.pdf
• 2 http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/root-canal-dangers
• 3. http://www.westonaprice.org/dentistry/dental-cavitation-surgery

What you need to know about Medicare supplements
Last updated: April 2017
Medigap health plans are basically bookkeeping operations. Unlike Medicare Advantage plans, Medigap plans don't make any decisions about what to cover. They don't have networks of doctors or hospitals. All they do is pick up a specified share of your medical bills that Medicare doesn't pay, such as Part A or Part B deductibles or co-pays. If Medicare paid for it and you still owe a part of the bill, Medigap will pay it, no questions asked.
Medigap plans come in standardized varietiesIn all but three states (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), Medigap plans are available in 10 standardized benefits packages, which vary according to how much of your expenses they will pick up. The more expenses the plan will pick up, the higher its premium will be.  
The most popular plan is F, which pays for pretty much everything Medicare doesn't, including the 15 percent excess charge that you can be billed by doctors who don't accept Medicare as payment in full. Here's a chart of the various kinds of Medigap plans.
You can find a complete list of Medigap carriers in your area on Medicare.gov.
When you put your ZIP code into the search box, you will see a list of which plans are available in your area and which companies sell them. You will see a range of prices for each type of plan, and the names, websites, and other contact information for companies that sell them. But it's up to you to contact the carriers directly to get their specific pricing information.
There are no ratings for Medigap plansConsumers are often surprised to find this out because there is plenty of rating information available for Medicare Advantage plans. Basically, there is very little to base Medigap plan ratings on. The benefits of Plan F are the same no matter which company you buy it from.
In almost every case, the companies get information on your Medicare bills straight from Medicare and pay their share automatically. They don't have networks of doctors or hospitals.
And the rules for Medigap are not the same everywhere, the way they are for Medicare Advantage. The federal government sets some minimum rules to protect consumers but many states have decided to add additional consumer protections on top of those.
The type of premium pricing method you choose will affect your future costsA policy that looks inexpensive when you first buy it at age 65 could end up being the most expensive when you hit 80.
Insurance companies use three different ways of setting premium prices. In some states you may have a choice of only one or two.
Community-rated (also called no-age rated). The same premium is charged to everyone, regardless of age. Medigap experts say these plans are the least expensive over time, though not necessarily when you first purchase them.
Issue-age-rated. The premium is based on your age when you buy the policy. It won't go up as you age, but will increase due to cost inflation.
Attained-age rated. The premium starts low but goes up as you get older. Over time, this type of policy is the most expensive.
Learn more about policy pricing.
Medigap plans can turn you down or charge you more for pre-existing conditions at certain timesIn every state, you have a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy for six months starting the first day of the month you are at least 65 and enrolled in Part B. During this grace period, the insurance company is not allowed to turn you down or charge you more because you have a pre-existing condition. This is called "guaranteed issue."
After that, you're only entitled to guaranteed issue Medigap in specific situations, such as these.

• Your Medicare Advantage plan shuts down or you move out of its service area.
• Your retiree plan shuts down.
• You joined Medicare Advantage at 65 but decide to switch back to original Medicare within a year.
• Your Medigap plan shuts down.

The minimum rules for when Medigap must sell you a plan are explained in this publication from Medicare. But some states have chosen to go beyond these minimums, for example, by requiring insurers to sell Medigap plans to applicants at any time. Your State Health Insurance Assistance program or state insurance department can give you information on your state's rules.
The rules are different if you are under 65If you are under 65 but have Medicare because of a disability or other qualifying condition, you do not have the same blanket right to buy a Medigap plan guaranteed issue. Some states have gone above and beyond the minimum rules about this and do require at least some Medigap plans to be made available. You can learn more from Medicare's free publication on choosing a Medigap policy.
If you are in this category and cannot buy a Medigap plan, you have the option of getting a Medicare Advantage plan instead. These must be sold to anyone on Medicare, regardless of age. Then when you turn 65 you can switch to a Medigap plan if you want.
How to buy a Medigap planYou can't buy a Medigap plan directly through Healthcare.gov the way you can a Medicare Advantage plan. You can buy the plan directly from an insurance company. Or you can work with a reputable local insurance broker to close the deal.
Consumer tip: Download this excellent Medicare pamphlet on MedigapMedicare's free publication "Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare" has much more detailed information on Medigap than we have room for here. Highly recommended.

By K. Aleisha Fetters | February 8, 2018

You can’t beat the Olympians you’ll be watching over the next two weeks. But you can join them.Age is just a number. It’s never too late to get active. Getting older shouldn’t mean slowing down.
These are all clichés for a reason: They’re true. In fact, by keeping active you can actually slow aging in your body’s cells, according to a 2017 study in Preventive Medicine.
The problem: Despite knowing the facts, motivation is often hard to muster. So instead of telling you what science and experts say is possible, we’re going to show you via the five real-life fitness heroes below.
Between the ages of 63 and 78, they’re running marathons, competing in duathlons, biking across the country, and generally winning at life. Needless to say, their stories will provide more than enough motivation to get you moving—no matter your age or fitness level.
The Marathoner: Kathrine Switzer, 71 In 1967,
















Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially enter and run the Boston Marathon. “I entered the race as ‘K.V. Switzer,’ so nobody thought I was a woman,” she says. “But while the men at the starting line were actually very friendly, 1.5 miles in, the race director chased me down and tried to physically keep me from running the race. I was so determined to finish that race I would have done it on my hands and knees.”
Fifty years and 38 marathons later, she ran the Boston Marathon again wearing the same bib number, 261. And she finished only 24 minutes slower than when she first ran the race all those years ago!
“But it’s so funny: People treat me, as an older person, the way they used to treat all women 50 years ago—with fear and hesitation,” Switzer says. “When people find out that I run up to two, three, or four hours per day when I’m training for a race, they say, ‘Be careful, you might hurt yourself’ and ‘Your body can’t handle that at your age.’”
Clearly, Switzer disagrees and is an ardent advocate for exercising at all stages of life. “Staying active is the best way to slow the aging process,” she says. “You’re never too old or too out of shape to start.”
A great way to start: walking. It’s free, you can do it almost anywhere, and these nine tips can keep your walks fun. Up for a race? At any age, it’s smart to check with your doctor before a new physical activity or challenge. Then try shorter races like 5Ks and 10Ks first, and work your way up to half-marathons and full marathons.
The CrossFit Coach: Jacinto Bonilla,
78 CrossFit coach and gym owner Jacinto Bonilla proves that CrossFit isn’t just for younger crowds.
“Every decade of my life, I did a different type of exercise,” he says. “In my 20s, it was martial arts. In my 30s, it was bodybuilding. In my 40s, I ran. In my 50s, I returned to weightlifting. And in my late 60s, I found CrossFit.”
Bonilla got involved in the sport after spotting a group of CrossFitters exercising in a New York City park. He immediately joined in and has since become a leading coach with a CrossFit gym in his Brooklyn backyard called CrossFit 1939. (He was born in 1939.)
“I mostly do one-on-one training with athletes who are much younger than me—my oldest athlete is only 41,” he says.
After participating in countless competitions, going to the CrossFit Games isn’t his goal this year. “There is only one Master’s division that’s 60 and older,” Bonilla says. “I have almost 15, 16, 17 years on most of those athletes. But when I’m 80, God willing, I’m going to go to the Games to show CrossFit that we need a second senior division.”
If you’re thinking about trying CrossFit, Bonilla has some advice: “Find a coach that knows how to treat an older person and who listens to your problems or concerns with certain movements,” he says. “Take baby steps, and don’t worry about the weight. It takes time.”
Connect
Subscribe to our newsletterThe Duathlete: Ida Thorbek, 70Pacific Northwesterner Ida Thorbek has been climbing mountains, practicing yoga, and cycling for decades. After picking up running just two years ago, she represented the United States in the 2017 Duathlon World Championships in her age group. The cherry on top: She does it all while working full-time in finance.
After volunteering to help staff the Hood to Coast relay, a 199-mile, 32.5-hour race in Oregon, Thorbek was blown away by what she saw. “I’d never been much of a runner, but I decided to take it up. I was so inspired by that race,” she says.
She signed up for a sprint-distance duathlon, which involved a 5K run, 20K bike ride, and another 5K run, and she loved it. After her first season, Thorbek qualified for the World Championships.
“I started working out with an endurance group and training six days per week for one to two hours per day,” she says. It was a big commitment, she recalls, so though she recently qualified to represent the United States again, she doesn’t have the time to train at that level.
That’s okay with her, as it allows her to focus on her own enjoyment instead of the pressures of competition. “I’m still training with my endurance group, take yoga classes once per week, and hike or snowshoe on the weekends,” she says. “Once you find a type of exercise you really enjoy, sticking with it is the easy part.”
The Outdoor Adventurer: Jeff Reaves,
66 Biking, hiking, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, golf—if it requires being outside, 66-year-old Oregonian Jeff Reaves probably does it.
“It’s always been more about the adventure than the exercise for me,” Reaves says. “You could say I’m kind of an adventure junkie. I stay fit enough to be able to experience life the way I want to.”
And to experience life the way he does, staying fit is a prerequisite. A few highlights include cross-country bikes trips, day- and weekend-long hikes throughout Bend, Oregon, and working as a mountain host five days per month, helping people who are stuck in the snow get back down the mountain.
“How I exercise is dictated by the seasons,” he says. “I can’t snowboard in the summer, and I can’t go on a long outdoor bike ride in the winter.”
But no matter the season, Reaves also strength trains at his local gym to keep his body strong. “I don’t lift really heavy weights—I’m not trying to be Arnold Schwarzenegger,” he says. “For me, it’s all about staying healthy and strong for my adventures.”
His next goal: “To bike the Mississippi River and to give yoga a try,” he says. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become even more committed to the sense of adventure. I could make 1,000 excuses for why I shouldn’t do every activity I do, but that’s not how my mindset works,” he says. “And at this age, your mindset and outlook are everything.”
The Boot Camp Queen: Ann Wolinsky,
63 Exercise has always been a big part of Ann Wolinsky’s life, but it wasn’t until her 60s that she tried group fitness.
“I started taking boot camp classes and found that I love working out with a lot of younger people,” she says. “Even though I’m older, I’m not in worse shape than the other girls in class. I bet nobody knows how old I am.”
Perhaps that’s because her favorite class involves sledgehammers and tires, box jumps, sandbag slams, rope climbs, rowing machines, TRX suspension training, and even pullups—and Wolinsky does them all!
“My hope is to continue building my aerobic and anaerobic capacity so that when I retire, I can do even more: kayaking, canoeing, hiking, climbing,” she says. “My recommendation for anyone just getting started would be to focus on strength instead of just aerobic ability. You need that kind of training to prevent osteoporosis and other age-related health issues,” she says, adding that “weights and resistance training don’t have to be scary.”
If you’re new to strength training or getting back into it after a break, hitting the weight room can be intimidating. Don’t sweat it! Check out our guide to everything you need to know about strength training in a safe, effective, and fun way that will keep you strong for life.
Ready to Take the Next Step? Let Us Help!A knowledgeable fitness instructor and encouraging exercise buddies can help you feel more confident, have more fun, and stay on track when motivation dips. And with SilverSneakers, you’ll find both types of support, plus:

• Free gym membership at more than 14,000 gyms and fitness centers across the nation
• Free gym fitness classes led by certified instructors who specialize in working with older adults
• Free community fitness classes that range from tai chi to boot camp to yoga
• Unlimited access to any participating location or class in the SilverSneakers network

Check your eligibility here, and find a location here.
Don’t have SilverSneakers? Stay connected and find great tips on our Facebook page and in our email newsletters.

Uber's new health service lets providers schedule rides for patientsUber
BY STEVEN ROSS JOHNSON  | MARCH 1, 2018
Ride-sharing service Uber has decided to jump into the medical transportation provider market with the introduction of its latest product, Uber Health.
The company on Thursday announced the launch of a new non-emergency ride service that healthcare providers can use to schedule rides for patients.
It's a venture that the company has been exploring since July 2017 on a limited scale in partnerships with more than 100 healthcare organizations who tested Uber's beta version of the program.
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The service will now be available to all healthcare providers. They will not be charged a monthly subscription or similar fee, just the cost of the ride.

Chris Weber, general manager of Uber Health, said the company's ability to expand its scope to provide transportation in traditionally underserved areas was the premise behind its launch into healthcare.

Lack of transportation has often been cited as a major barrier to healthcare access. An estimated 25% of patients have missed an appointment due to transportation problems, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Community Health.

An estimated 3.6 million Americans miss their healthcare appointments every year because of unreliable transportation, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Evidence has shown the healthcare industry loses approximately $150 billion per year due to missed appointments.

“While we certainly don't expect to take on that entire $150 billion number in our first efforts, we're pretty confident we can start making an impact by reducing the number of missed appointments due to transportation,” Weber said.

Healthcare providers will be able to schedule rides for patients through a digital dashboard that would be accessible online or integrated into a facility's existing system.

The service can transport to patients as far as 300 miles, and drivers could be any one of Uber's more than 750,000 drivers.

“This is your standard set of Uber drivers that are out there,” said Jay Holley, head of partnerships at Uber Health.

Holley said drivers are not given any additional information that leads them to conclude an Uber health trip was any different form a standard Uber trip, out of respect for patient privacy.

Providers are able to call for multiple rides at once using the dashboard, which does not require riders to have the Uber app or a smartphone. Riders can either get a text message or phone call with trip details.

The potential for ride-sharing in healthcare could be huge, with the non-emergency medical transportation market estimated at $3 billion a year.

Studies have shown ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft tend to be used more often by urban residents, who are younger and more affluent. A 2016 analysis by the Pew Research Center found 26% of Americans with an annual household income of $75,000 or more had used a ride-hailing service compared to 10% of those living in households with an annual income of less than $30,000.

But the bulk of Uber Health's patients would most likely be older, lower-income individuals.

“I think in general this is another example of more effort being placed on providing patient-centric care,” said Sebastian Seiguer, CEO of Emocha, a mobile health company that uses video directly observed therapy to increase medication adherence. “This is a great example of a returned focus on helping the patient now that the length of stay in clinics has been reduced.”

Did you know viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year? Together, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.
Hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver often caused by viruses, affects millions of people worldwide. Fortunately, Medicare can help keep you protected from Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States.
Hepatitis is contagious. For example, the Hepatitis B virus spreads through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. People can also get infected by coming in contact with a contaminated object, where the virus can live for up to 7 days. Hepatitis B can range from being a mild illness, lasting a few weeks (acute), to a serious long-term illness (chronic) that can lead to liver disease or liver cancer.
Generally, Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) covers Hepatitis A shots when medically necessary.
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers Hepatitis B shots, which usually are given as a series of 3 shots over a 6-month period. You need all 3 shots for complete protection.
Medicare also covers a one-time Hepatitis C screening test if your primary care doctor or practitioner orders it and you meet one of these conditions:

• You’re at high risk because you have a current or past history of illicit injection drug use
• You had a blood transfusion before 1992, or
• You were born between 1945 and 1965
  

July 28 is World Hepatitis Day. Visit the Centers for Disease Control’s Viral Hepatitis page to learn more about the different forms of hepatitis and what you can do to help eliminate them from spreading

Millions of Americans have or are at risk for diabetes, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The disease can lead to kidney failure, amputations, and blindness. November is American Diabetes Month, the perfect time for you to find out if you’re at risk and learn about the benefits Medicare covers if you have diabetes.
Many people with diabetes don’t know that they have it—fortunately, Medicare covers screening tests so you can find out if you do. If you’re at high risk for developing diabetes, Medicare covers up to 2 fasting blood glucose (blood sugar) tests each year. If your doctor accepts assignment, you pay nothing for these tests. You may be at high risk for diabetes if you’re obese, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of diabetes. Talk to your doctor to find out when you should get your free screening test.
If you have diabetes, Medicare covers many of your supplies, including test strips, monitors, and control solutions. In some cases, Medicare also covers therapeutic shoes if you have diabetic foot problems. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for these supplies.
Medicare also covers diabetes self-management training to help you learn how to better manage your diabetes. You can learn how to monitor your blood sugar, control your diet, exercise, and manage your prescriptions. Talk to your doctor about how this training can help you stay healthy and avoid serious complications. Get information about how Medicare can help you detect and manage diabetes by watching our video.
You can learn more about American Diabetes Month and how to prevent and treat this disease from the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org.
Take steps to fight diabetes today—talk to your doctor today about screening tests and what supplies and training you may need to stay healthy.

By Jonathan Blum, Deputy Administrator and Director for the Center of Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services


A number of visitors to www.HealthCare.gov have told us they’d like to know more about the Medicare “donut hole” in the Part D program.
If you aren’t familiar with Medicare, it is a health insurance program for people 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure). People with Medicare have the option of paying a monthly premium for outpatient prescription drug coverage. This prescription drug coverage is called Medicare Part D.
In 2010, basic Medicare Part D coverage works like this:

• You pay out-of-pocket for monthly Part D premiums all year.
• You pay 100% of your drug costs until you reach the $310 deductible amount.
• After reaching the deductible, you pay 25% of the cost of your drugs, while the Part D plan pays the rest, until the total you and your plan spend on your drugs reaches $2,800.
• Once you reach this limit, you have hit the coverage gap referred to as the “donut hole,” and you are now responsible for the full cost of your drugs until the total you have spent for your drugs reaches the yearly out-of-pocket spending limit of $4,550.
• After this yearly spending limit, you are only responsible for a small amount of the cost, usually 5% of the cost of your drugs.

You may have read in the 2010 Medicare & You Handbook that there are some Medicare Part D plans that offer coverage in the donut hole—but these plans may charge a higher monthly premium. (There are also some Part D plans that are “enhanced” and offer fixed co-pays (for example $5, $10, and $20) for prescription drugs instead of the deductible and 25% cost-sharing that was described above. These plans also may charge a higher monthly premium.)
For those that qualify, there is also a program called Medicare Extra Help that helps you pay your premiums and have reduced or no out-of-pocket costs for your drugs.
Needless to say, for most people with Medicare Part D, the donut hole presents serious financial challenges. Some people have had to choose between their rent or groceries and their prescription drugs.
But, the recent health reform law – the Affordable Care Act – has some important changes that will help to relieve this burden for the people with Medicare that hit the donut hole each year (and are not already on a program called Medicare Extra Help,):

• This year, if you enter the Part D donut hole, you will receive a one-time, $250 rebate check. The mailing of these checks began in June. If you are eligible and do not receive your check, call your Part D plan first and then 1-800-Medicare.
• Starting in 2011, you will receive a 50% discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole, and you will start to pay less and less for your generic Part D drugs in the donut hole.
• Starting in 2013, you will pay less and less for your brand-name Part D prescription drugs in the donut hole.
• By 2020, the coverage gap will be closed, meaning there will be no more “donut hole,” and you will only pay 25% of the costs of your drugs until you reach the yearly out-of-pocket spending limit.

Throughout this time, you will get continuous Medicare Part D coverage for your prescription drugs as long as you are on a prescription drug plan.
If you would like more information on the one-time rebate check, feel free to check out this brochure or call 1-800-MEDICARE. (Please note that you do not need to do anything to receive this rebate check and should not provide any personal information such as Medicare, Social Security or bank account numbers to anyone calling about the rebate.)