The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made cracking down on healthcare fraud its top priority in recent years. As a result, the FBI is devoting more than 1,000 agents to the task and creating a Health Care Fraud Division within DOJ’s Criminal Division.

As it works to fight this epidemic, DOJ recently took an essential step for any organization wanting to avoid compliance violations and criminal charges—the issuance of revised healthcare fraud guidance clarifying the Justice Department’s expectations for federally-sponsored health insurance plans.

The DOJ’s aim with this new guidance is two-fold. First, it seeks to clarify specific requirements that federal healthcare plans must meet to satisfy their legal obligations. Second, it aims to spell out the ramifications of healthcare fraud violations, including the risk of liability for aiding and abetting others in violating federal laws.

“The DOJ is serious about prosecuting health care fraud… But, to be blunt, they are looking for headlines,” said Ileana Hernandez of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips Law Firm and member of the firm’s healthcare litigation practice.

In addition to clarifying requirements for federal plans, DOJ wants to make it clear that anyone who aids others in committing or concealing health care fraud—including executives and board members—may face criminal liability under the Health Care Fraud Control Act (HCFCA) and the False Claims Act (FCA).

“The DOJ is now saying, ‘we want to make it very clear that you can be charged as a co-conspirator or as an aider and abetter if you stick your head in the sand and don’t ask to see documents related to potential fraud,” said Hernandez.

After this revision to the guidance, healthcare organizations now have a better idea of what is required for compliance with federal health care fraud laws—and are aware that their boards or executives won’t be able to ignore allegations of misconduct without potentially facing criminal charges.

The DOJ has made it clear that any organization that wants to avoid criminal prosecution and protect its employees and executives must adopt a compliance program designed to prevent and detect potential fraud, waste, and abuse in federally-sponsored healthcare plans.

“I think the message the DOJ is trying to get out is: ‘If you don’t develop a compliance plan, we may come after you,” said Hernandez.

Hernandez believes that the new guidance will help healthcare organizations avoid various legal problems in their long-term efforts to ensure compliance with federal health care fraud laws. Still, she warns that it only provides the minimum requirements for compliance with those laws.

“As with anything, there is always going to be a gap between what the DOJ requires and what organizations will do to comply with the law,” said Hernandez.

That means that healthcare organizations must remain vigilant in their efforts to protect themselves from compliance violations and federal criminal charges—a task that is easier than it may seem when you add in the scrutiny of private plaintiffs who can sue for damages.

“The DOJ is saying, ‘we are not going to be your only source of liability—you have private plaintiffs who may be able to bring claims under the False Claims Act, which provides for treble damages and civil penalties.’ So all these things must be addressed by healthcare organizations,” said Hernandez.

A pharmaceutical company that manufactured opioid drugs had to pay what seemed a big fine over violating the federal False Claims Act in 2017; the big series of opioid cases began around then, but its continuing fallout is still with us, and it is snowballing even now, says a prominent white collar criminal defense litigator at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP in California.

“On September 8, 2017, a pharmaceutical company agreed to pay $7.55 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying doctors kickbacks to prescribe a ‘highly addictive’ opiate-based drug,” says Kenneth Julian, the Manatt litigator. “As one DOJ official said, ‘This settlement constitutes another example of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to battle the opioid epidemic on every front,’” Julian added.

In the intervening four years, the pace of accusations and litigation has picked up, taking in every major manufacturer of opioid drugs. Most recently, according to The Washington Post on July 20, 2021, a $26 billion settlement with Johnson & Johnson and distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health neared completion, with the funds to be directed to governments at various levels. The money will be used to try to tame and cure the high levels of opioid addiction all around the country. The money may begin to flow as soon as September 2021.

Ken Julian of Manatt noted that at the time of the 2017 case, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey said that “the conducted alleged by the government and resolved by [the] settlement was egregious because it incentivized doctors to over-prescribe highly addictive opioids. This settlement constitutes another example of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to battle the opioid epidemic on every front.”

Kenneth Julian has successfully represented companies, business executives, physicians, and attorneys against civil and criminal allegations of all kinds: healthcare fraud, insider trading, price fixing, financial fraud, environmental contamination, and violations of antitrust laws. In other cases, Julian has also represented a former Major League Baseball player, an NCAA coach, and a family member of a former U.S. President.

According to National Public Radio, some 500,000 Americans have died directly from opioid overdoses, or because of conditions brought on by opioid abuse and addiction. One of the largest manufacturers, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, is nearing a massive bankruptcy settlement that will pay out more than $4 billion to governments and individuals, but still protect the Sackler family–Purdue’s owners—from further fines or prosecutions.

At the root of many of the cases, Ken Julian notes, is the repeating pattern of companies that took aim at the crisis to allegedly make fortunes off the patients’ addictions. For example, Galena Biopharma, the company that paid the $7.55 million civil penalty, was found to have “violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying kickbacks to doctors to induce them to prescribe Galena’s fentanyl-based drug Abstral.”

According to the DOJ’s allegations (which were neither admitted nor denied by Galena), Galena paid “multiple types of kickbacks” to induce doctors to prescribe its opioid Abstral, including “providing more than 85 free meals to doctors and staff from a single, high-prescribing practice; paying doctors $5,000, and speakers $6,000, plus expenses, to attend an ‘advisory board’ that was partly planned, and attended, by Galena sales team members, and paying approximately $92,000 to a physician-owned pharmacy under a performance-based rebate agreement to induce the owners to prescribe Abstral.”

Galena has since merged into another company, and is no longer doing business under its old name.

Galena is just one of the companies accused of profiting off the opioid crisis. Even better-known companies have been drawn into the unfortunately profitable side of addiction. McKinsey & Company, the nationally known, 27,000-employee business consultancy, is on the brink of a $573 million agreement with attorneys general in 47 states for its work with Purdue, in which it allegedly gave advice that helped the pharmaceutical company increase its Oxycontin sales, profits–and liability–even as doctors prescribed and over-prescribed the drug to patients.

One of McKinsey’s proposals, outlined in a planning document but apparently never implemented, involved making secret payments to insurance companies of up to $14,000 whenever a patient became addicted or overdosed in an “event” linked to Purdue’s opioids. The document was made public in November by attorneys representing states suing Purdue Pharma.

One of the largest settlements to date was a so-called bellwether trial in Ohio. The settlement resolved claims filed by the state’s Cuyahoga and Summit counties, and the deal will be worth some $260 million just for those counties alone, to be paid by manufacturers and distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and Teva.

By some estimates, more than 3,000 governmental jurisdictions have brought suits in federal and state courts, and have also included CVS and Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chains, as defendants. The cases may seem extraordinarily large and numerous, but they are based on hard, cold facts. The number of overdose deaths from opioids was six times higher in 2017 than in 1999, according to the CDC. The number of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies and doctors nearly quadrupled between 1999 and 2010, the CDC also found. And yet, despite the vast increase in drugs in circulation, the amount of pain recorded by Americans has reportedly remained consistent.

As litigation continues to unfold, much more money will change hands, most of it in the direction of state, county, and city governments struggling to provide enough services to get the addicted patients in their jurisdiction clean and sober. Even with all the litigation currently underway, it may be a decade or more before the cases are totally resolved, and the country as a whole is on its way to full recovery from the ongoing opioid epidemic.

You may be surprised at just how many items are available for people with disabilities. If you have a disability, it may be that there are a lot of everyday tasks you require help with and are unsure if there are any solutions available. However, you could be wrong about that. There are a plethora of items available for you that could solve some of the day-to-day issues that you face. This list will discuss in more detail the variety of options that are available that can help people who have specific disabilities.

People Who Use a Wheelchair – The Snuggy

Yes, that joke gift you might have bought someone for Christmas or their birthday was actually made with disability in mind. If you aren’t aware of what a Snuggy is, it is essentially a blanket with arms. It was seen as a fun gimmick by many as it made it much easier for cuddling on the sofa while keeping warm; however, it was initially made thinking of people who use a wheelchair. If you are heading out and the weather is looking unpredictable, then having access to a blanket that is easy to put on while keeping your arms free is much less hassle than putting on a jacket.

Dysphagia – Food Thickeners

If you have trouble swallowing, then there are food thickeners available that can be used to help. The agents sold by Simply Thick are a great example of this as their mixture means that both liquid and food products are thickened, making them much easier to swallow. These agents also come in convenient packets so they can be taken out to people’s houses, restaurants, and cafes, meaning you don’t have to miss out on social events due to Dysphagia.

Anxiety – Fidget Spinner

It seemed that almost everyone throughout the years 2017 and 2018 had a fidget spinner; however, their original use was to assist people with anxiety. They were great tools used to keep people engaged and not become too stressed by issues that are out of their control. It was a shame that they took off as much as they did, as because of that, they were banned from a variety of different schools. It meant that kids who have anxiety couldn’t benefit from the original use for fidget spinners because of the fact they became such a worldwide craze.

Conclusion

This list is only the tip of the iceberg as there are a vast variety of different gadgets out there designed to help people who have different disabilities. This can include mental illness, mobility issues, and all things in between. If you are struggling with walking, Dysphagia, or anxiety, you may want to consider getting some of the above products. If you have another disability, then it’s recommended you put some research into small affordable gadgets that could make life easier. Of course, they are not to be viewed as a cure in any way; however, they will make day-to-day tasks much more straightforward.

 

Investing in your smile can offer you benefits in many other ways, and it is something that we should all do. Investing can mean taking excellent care of your teeth, and it can also mean fixing any problems you may have with your teeth. Below, you will find some of the ways you can benefit from investing your time, effort, and money into a winning smile that can help preserve your pearly whites for the future.

Minimise Your Future Dental Expenses

When you take excellent care of your teeth and have a good oral hygiene routine, you will help to preserve your teeth and will be less likely to need major treatments. When your dentist has no significant work to do other than a scrape and a polish, it will help to keep your dental bills to a minimum. However, you still have to visit your dentist regularly, around every six months, which can help prevent minor issues become more significant problems. When your dentist sees you often, they can catch the problems before they get bigger and require extensive dental work, which can cost a lot of money.

Give Your Self-Confidence A Boost

When your teeth is in excellent condition, you may find that you smile more than usual. Having clean white teeth that are straight can give you more self-confidence and give your self-esteem a boost. Whether you choose a tooth whitening treatment to do this or go for orthodontics to straighten your crooked teeth, do not underestimate the power this can have on your self-confidence. As such, it can be worth spending money with your dentist to improve your smile. You should book an appointment today at the best dentist in Robina serving the Gold Coast or at one of the reputable dentists located near you.

Help Improve Your Oral Hygiene

When you make the investment to straighten your teeth, it can also assist you with your oral hygiene routine. When your teeth are straight, it is much easier to clean them properly with your toothbrush. You can floss between your teeth to get any food debris out. Making the investment to straighten your teeth can help preserve your shiny white smile for much longer as you can now clean them correctly.

Prevent Cavities & Fillings

You can also help prevent cavities from forming, which will require a filling or, in the worst case, tooth extraction. Investing the time to clean your teeth twice a day and flossing every day can help prevent cavities from forming and requiring you to have fillings. Another benefit, as mentioned above, is that you will spend less on dental work other than check-ups and a scrape and polish for your teeth.

Help Improve How Others See You

Even though you may not be bothered about how others perceive you, having a winning smile can help improve the way other people see you. It can make you more approachable to them, especially when you are smiling a lot and showing off your pearly whites. Whether you use cosmetic dentistry or any other type of dentistry, investing in the health and appearance of your teeth will pay off dividends long into the future.

 

Bed bug bites are often accompanied by itchy rashes which can cause discomfort. Today we have rounded up some of the best natural ways to treat bed bug rashes and all their accompanying symptoms.

• Cold Compress

This can be termed as one of the cheapest and easiest ways of treating itchy sensations caused as a result of bed bug allergy rash. Placing an ice pack on the infected region helps in calming inflammation and soothing the irritated nerve endings. You can place some ice in a plastic bag and wrap it using a thin towel. This ice pack needs to be held over your rash for around 10 minutes and repeated now and then. Using a cooled green tea bag, black tea bag, or chamomile tea bag can also be used as an effective cure for bed bug rashes.

• Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is a popular natural remedy for rashes caused by bed bug bites. It can effectively treat itchy skin given the presence of a natural astringent known as tannins. Doctors advocate applying witch hazel for reducing inflammation caused by bed bug bites. Scratching the rashes often causes our skin to break. You can benefit from the healing properties of witch hazel by soaking a cotton pad in it and holding it over the rash for about 10 minutes. Doing this helps in killing off all germs and offering instant relief from itching. You need to apply witch hazel three times a day on your allergic skin rash for fast results.

• Honey

Honey can work wonders on irritated skin and that is why it is used for treating different types of blisters, skin infections, and even wounds. The powerful antibacterial properties of honey can prevent infections that cause pus formation in the bite marks. Honey acts as a protective barrier over our skin and is commonly used as an itch treatment. You just need to gently massage some raw and unprocessed honey over the itchy rash to kill off germs. This process has to be repeated throughout the day whenever you feel a strong urge to scratch.

• Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great means of treating bed bug rashes in hard-to-reach areas. Insect bites can induce inflammation and an allergic reaction. Oatmeal is popular for its anti-inflammatory properties which reduce itching, skin rashes, and other skin reactions caused by bed bug bites. You can treat the same with a relaxing ground oatmeal bath. For doing this, you need to mix 2 cups of ground oatmeal to warm water and pour it over your affected regions for around 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can make a smooth paste from oatmeal and apply it over the itchy rashes. Finally, you can rinse it off and pat yourself dry. Repeating this 2 to 3 times a week can help cure bed bug rashes.

• Cucumbers

Dabbing slices of cool cucumber on the affected region can be a great means of alleviating all symptoms of bed bug rash. The seeds of cucumber induce a cooling effect that can reduce dermal swelling and relieve irritated skin. You can take a chilled cucumber directly out of the fridge and slice it into pieces. These pieces can be placed over the affected regions in your arms, face, or legs every time you experience a strong urge to scratch.

Final Words

The above-mentioned remedies can cure all redness, itching, blisters, and irritation caused by bed bug rashes within one week. But in case of severe bacterial infections, it is advisable to seek out the help of doctors. Availability services of professionals like Pointe Pest Control can help prevent the problem firsthand so that you don’t have to deal with bigger problems later on.

 

After a long day of work and life, people look forward to that good night’s sleep to recharge and regain energy. Quality sleep helps the body and the mind to rest and without it, people can experience higher stress levels and can affect energy levels, as well as the mood and memory.

It is necessary to develop good sleeping habits or sleeping hygiene. However, getting that regular quality sleep is not always easy for everyone. There are various factors that may impact a person’s sleep, including:

• Sleep disorders
  • Sleep disorder is a collective term for various serious conditions that generally affect a person’s sleeping patterns which impacts their life. This includes insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, excessive sleepiness and more.
• Mental health
  • Mental health problems like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders can directly affect the quality of sleep someone would want to get. In turn, sleep or the lack thereof has been scientifically proven to increase the probability of mental health problems.
• Diet
  • Poor diet can also contribute to poor sleeping patterns. Consuming caffeine or energy drinks close to the time they sleep can be disruptive.
• Technology use
  • Research suggests that using technology during bedtime can have negative effects on a person’s sleep. Using electronics that emit blue light can delay sleep and affect melatonin levels.

Sleeping is a whole science that is still being studied and researched about. But for less serious conditions, there are quick and easy fixes that can relieve issues related to sleeplessness.

Here are some simple products that may help improve your sleep:

Natural and Holistic

There are easy and natural approaches that have been studied to induce sleep, like dimming the lights in your room, exercising during the day, filling your space with relaxing scents and simply drinking natural, calming non-alcoholic drinks.

Here are also some natural and holistic products you can look into:

Chamomile Tea

Drinking tea can help your nervous system relax, especially chamomile tea. It is known to be a natural sedative. You can try exploring various brands offering chamomile tea or sleeping-blend tea out there. Taylors of Harrogate, Stash and Traditional Medicinals are some of the brands with good chamomile Tea worth trying.

Essential Oils and Diffuser

Scent contributes to the senses and can help with calming and relaxing the body, therefore encouraging a good sleep. For this, it is good to have a diffuser that can keep the moisture in your room within the right levels while dispersing a nice and soothing scent.

Some of the highly-rated diffusers in the market include the one’s created by Urpower, Asakuki and Vitruvi. Meanwhile, lavender, chamomile and bergamot are among scents known to be best for relaxation and sleep. Try to mix and match these products and brands and see what works best for you.

Bedding

Your bed should actually be an investment, since it is where you rest. The quality of your bed can affect the quality of your comfort and sleep. Here are some bedding products that may help you get an improved sleep.

Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets have been studied to have a positive effect on the nervous system, giving a person a feeling of comfort and security. Through this, it can help you fall into a deeper sleep. There are a wide array of brands that you can choose from. Some of the best reviewed weighted blankets include Gravity Blanket and Casper Weighted Blanket.

It can be a bit confusing to choose a weighted blanket that’s best for you. So research and be sure to pick the one that is comfortable and that suits the weather and temperature in your place.

Good Mattresses

Your mattress is where you lay so it is a must to ensure it caters to the comfort your body needs to be able to sleep soundly. Try to maintain its cleanliness and if it ever starts to give you discomfort, consider switching to a new mattress.

You can also consider mattresses with extra benefits like those with a cooling effect, which provides additional comfort. Depending on the company, specialized products like cooling mattresses are built differently, for instance, using different materials that help with the cooling effect. One example is Colorado-based Nolah Mattress, which avoids using traditional memory foam as it may exacerbate issues for hot sleepers. Click here to learn more about how Nolah Mattress’ cooling mattresses work.

Mattresses come in different sizes, softness, firmness and build. Before purchasing a mattress, do a bit of research about it and if you have underlying conditions, make sure to get the one’s that fit your needs.

Wearables/Accessory

In addition to some products you can add to your bed room or take before sleeping, here are even simpler things that you can include in your sleeping regimen to give you better sleep. These small things can work wonders:

Comfortable Sleepwear

Invest in good quality pajamas or sleep wea that lets your skin breathe. Satin and silk materials are known to be ideal sleep wears as they do not produce much of a friction when it touches the skin or other fabrics. A silk eye mask can also help you relax and focus your eyes into shutting and sleeping.

Black Out Curtains

Another simple thing you can change in your bedroom is your curtains. Especially for those who get easily awakened by the slightest spark of light or for people who are not a fan of eye masks. Black out, room-darkening or light-blocking curtains can help you maintain a level of darkness for a restorative level of sleep.

White Noise and Sleep Sound Machines

Just as the sense of smell affects sleep, so does the auditory perception or the sense of hearing. White noise and other relaxing sounds can help in improving the depth and quality of a person’s sleep. There are great sleep sound machines that you can purchase online as well as scientifically-supported white noise machines you can look for.

Sleep It Off!

Sleep plays a major role in a person’s overall health and wellbeing. It is important to be mindful of your sleep, plan it, make a routine and ensure to get sufficient, quality rest daily.

Invest in your sleeping hygiene even through simple products that can help you relax and get better sleep. If your sleeping problems seem to get more serious, consult a specialist.

In order to be healthy, it’s vital that you give your body the right amount of water each day. But for most people, they are generally dehydrated, meaning that they aren’t drinking the recommended daily amount of water that they should be.

Many times, people either don’t know how much water they should be drinking or they just forget throughout the day to continually be drinking water. If this is something that you struggle with, here are three ways to take better advantage of the clean and filtered water that you have immediate access to by getting yourself to drink more water during the day.

Figure Out How You Like It

Along with people just not realizing or remembering to drink more water during the day, some people simply prefer other drinks over water.

While water might seem plain to some people, it doesn’t have to stay this way in order to count toward your daily water intake. So if you struggle drinking water because you don’t like the way it tastes, you should do some experimentation to figure out exactly how you prefer your water so that you have a better chance of drinking it.

For some people, water has to be really cold in order for them to like it. For others, using fruits or other flavoring to give water an extra kick can do the trick. So before you write water off as being too boring, try some variations to see what you like more.

Take A Water Bottle With Your Everywhere

It always seems like as soon as you don’t have easy access to water, that’s when you find yourself being the thirstiest. If this is something you’ve experienced, one great way to combat this is to bring a water bottle with you everywhere you go.

Since you’re already used to bringing your phone with you where you go, try buying a reusable water bottle that is easy for you to tote around with you so that you always have this little reminder with you that you need to keep drinking your water.

Try Habit Stacking

If you haven’t heard of habit stacking before, habit stacking is when you start a new habit by adding it to a habit that you already have.

To do this with drinking water, you should try to get yourself to drink a glass of water either before or after something you’re already doing multiple times a day. For some people, this might make sense to do every time you leave a restroom. For others, drinking water before and after eating might be a better habit to start.

If you know you’re needing to drink more water on a daily basis, consider implementing some of the tips mentioned above to help you start doing this.

 

THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

Our bodies are healthy, yet they can be very delicate. Whatever habits or lifestyle you choose, there will always be an effect.

While many people would love to live healthy and happy, most do not adapt habits that will enhance their health and lives. The patterns you adopt will eventually catch up on you.

Sometimes, results of certain life-decisions are experienced immediately, while other times, results take some months. Let us run through steps you can take to enhance your life by making excellent habits and life-decisions.

1. Your Mental Health Matters
2. Exercising
3. Supplements
4. Diet and Food Choices

Your Mental Health Matters

Your physical health is connected to your mental and psychological health. Whenever you surround yourself with negativity and allow depression and anger to take over your mind, you will feel terrible in your body.

To stay healthy, you must attend to all parts of your life, including your physical, mental, and psychological health.

Going to the gym is not enough. You need to do more; you need to push for more. Whenever you are defeated in your mind, you may never win in the physical.

Below are things you can do to help enhance your mental health:

1. Practice yoga
2. Affirmations: Allow only positive thoughts in your mind by consistently affirming the positive.
3. Read good books.
4. Spend fun time with family.
5. Travel: A good trip can make all the difference. You can take a vacation and take a break from the norms of your average life.

Exercising

When you exercise, you promote quick metabolism; help strengthen your body cells, enhance fitness and improve your immunity. Working out also helps in order to get sick less.

A life without consistent exercising is dangerous—simple. If you plan on living a long and fulfilled life or if you want to see your grandkids in good health, you need to start exercising to help your body be in optimal condition.

There are different types of exercise: aerobic exercise is the form of exercise where you perform movements that will quicken your heart rate and cardiac health, like running, jogging, swimming, and cycling. We also have endurance exercise—for muscle building, flexibility exercise, and bone-building exercise.

Doing one type of exercise will help enhance your ability to do others, and in turn, improve your overall wellbeing. There are a few supplements you can take to help you get that enhanced strength while you exercise.

One such supplement is the Lean Fire Thermogenic Pre Workout Fat Burner, which helps provide increased energy, supports weight loss, and promotes a healthy metabolism.

Supplements

Like the name, supplements are used to help infuse a large and concentrated amount of needed nutrients into your body system. Are supplements even that important? Yes, supplements are essential to your health. They help enhance your metabolism and give you a direct source of essential body nutrients.

Let’s face it: food alone cannot provide you the required vital nutrients in the right amount. You need the help of supplements in order for your body to be in its best condition.

Different supplements perform specific body functions; for example, some supplements help provide the right amount of Vitamin B12. Some help enhance liver, kidney, and heart health.

A vital supplement that should become a part of your daily supplement intake is the Force Factor LeanFire Thermogenic Fat Burner. It promotes weight loss, fat burning, and improved energy levels if as taken as a part of a reduced-calorie diet and in conjunction with resistance training.

Diet and Food Choices

Without food, you will not survive; however, poor food choices can also facilitate ill-health, or worse, shorten your life span. When you eat, you should be conscious of what you allow into your bodies. Below are essential food tips for an enhanced life:

1. Avoid ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods are foods stored within cans and have a very long shelf-life. Mildly put, ultra-processed foods are not healthy because they contain innumerable chemical preservatives, sweeteners, and other health-damaging chemical components that can damage your body.
2. Take antioxidants: Take antioxidants such as vitamins, minerals and other food components that helps in revitalizing your body.

 

Demand for grass fed meat has grown hugely in recent years, among both producers and consumers, and it’s not hard to see why. We’ve all become more health conscious in recent years, and more aware of the effect industrial-scale meat production can have both on our dietary health and the health of our environment. If you want to include meat in your diet, grass fed produce is the way to go.

Grass fed meat refers to meat that comes from animals raised slowly on a natural diet of grass, flora, cloves and other legumes. But what makes it so much better than grain fed meat?

It’s better for your health

A healthy animal produces healthier meat; it’s that simple. But how much healthier is grass fed meat than grain fed meat?

Grass fed meat is much leaner, yet it contains more healthy fats like Omega-3 which maintain heart health. It is also much higher in key vitamins, especially vitamins A and E. Grain fed meat on the other hand is much fattier and has much less nutritional value, as the grains the animal eats are high in carbohydrates to make them grow bigger faster.

The grass and plants animals eat on the pasture produces antioxidants to protect from UV rays, disease and premature aging. When this is digested by the animal, the antioxidants accumulate in their fat, which is then transferred to us when we eat their meat. Who knew a beef burger could be so good for you?

It’s better for the environment

The production of industrial livestock raised on a diet of soy and corn (grains) has led to farming monocultures and needless deforestation in some parts of the world.

Rearing animals entirely on pastureland is a much greener way to farm. When cattle are encouraged to graze on pastureland, it increases the fertility of the soil, which has a significant effect on carbon emission levels. Clover rich pastures also don’t need to be maintained with fertilizers or pesticides, which include nitrates that do immense harm to the environment.

It’s better for the animal

As for the livestock themselves, since a natural pasture diet provides them with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, they typically grow healthier and require far less veterinary attention (which cuts down on bills for the farmer too). Grain fed animals often have health problems due to them not being able to work off all the carbs and sugar they are ingesting. If they require the intervention of antibiotics or other medicines, these may even be present in the meat they produce.

It’s better for the meat

Last, but certainly not least, grass fed meat just tastes better!

Because the animals are raised slowly and naturally on a diet that changes with the seasons, their meat is of a much better quality than grain fed alternatives, and has an unbeatable depth of flavour. Once you’ve had grass fed meat, you’ll never go back.

Grass fed meat is sometimes hard to find in your local supermarket, so your safest bet is to go online. Companies like the Dorset Meat Company sell 100% grass fed meat from small, local, family-run farms, delivering them straight to your door at a time and date chosen by you. Before the meat is delivered, it is prepared by a master butcher, so it of the very finest quality, as well as flavour.

Bon appétit!

 

Root Root Hair Care, a new line of products in the market, has undoubtedly carved out a niche as the foremost hair care brand in the United States. ‘It’s a surreal feeling.’ Says Irvin Lah, the creative director of Hair Tech—a hair product review company.

‘When you go into stores, everyone seems to want the Root Root Product line, and almost as retail stores stock them, people wipe them out.’

Root Root’s incredible story is the American Dream and a testament that if you create products that work and remain honest to your clients, you will certainly be successful. ‘But we must assume that the recent Government’s tax policies helped the company save on cost and increase their product chain.’ Michael Chun, a hairstylist, says.

‘The policies favor most haircare startups, but Root Root seems to have taken the opportunity presented in these policies and turned into gold.’

Vivian, a regular customer in New York’s busy Aura salon, says, ‘Their products work. It’s the acceptance of the limitation of one product that gets me. Most other brands will present a product and claim the product will work magic.

With media hype—especially if the brand has deep marketing funds, people will buy, but only to be disappointed.’ Like many other customers who come by the salon, Vivian believes that Root Root’s three-tiered products are the game-changer.

‘When I first saw the Root Root Recovery Serum, I knew it was the real deal.’ Vivian continues. Root Root Recovery Serum uses minoxidil—an FDA-approved drug that improves blood circulation to the hair follicles and enhances the hair follicles’ oxygen and nutrient retention capacities.

The Root Root Recovery Serum underwent many months of intensive studies and a broad spectrum of tests on more than a thousand people before it was released for pre-sale. The results of the tests were impressive.

In one of Root Root’s media statements, the public relations officer, Dr. Lang, reiterated that if the product testing had not yielded satisfactory results, ‘We would still be in the lab working our bodies off to get the perfect product. We are not motivated by the money, so we do not cut corners.’

Root Root Boost, another fantastic product in the Root Root Hair Care product line, is power-packed with herb extracts, castor oil, eucalyptus, and other ingredients, and it improves hair growth, thickness, and strength. In its all-around philosophy, the company released a third product alongside the first two: a multivitamin supplement.

The Root Root Vitality contains powerful vitamins, minerals, and other antioxidants for enhanced hair health. ‘It’s an amazing company.’ Says Jack, a hairstylist in Manhattan, when he was asked about the rave over the company’s products.

‘When people consistently request for a product, then it works. It simply works.’ Jack says.

When you strip a company’s advertisement prowess—like what many gargantuan haircare brands enjoy, you are left with the product. A company can spend millions of dollars on a single ad campaign. In the end, the company must answer a fundamental question, ‘Does your product work?’

The dedication of Root Root to customers’ needs, excellent product line, and a team of experts that continually monitor the product, we may have an all-time great contender in the next few years.

Related reading: 10 Tips to Naturally Regrow Your Hair