YOUR HEALTH

How to keep your energy level high all day

If your energy level varies from high to low during the day making adjustments to your diet can help. According to Weill Cornell Medical Center, food increases energy in three ways:

• It provides enough calories for your body to run;
  
  
• it delivers stimulants like caffeine; and
  
  
• it pushes your metabolism to burn fuel more efficiently.
  

Complex carbs

Foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and low in fats are ideal to promote, increase and level out energy. They are found in whole grains, peas, beans and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, green peppers and tomatoes. These foods also contain fiber which slows digestion, providing you with a steady supply of energy throughout the day. Fiber is found in beans, whole fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread and cereal.

Simple carbs

One caution: Never go more than three or four hours without eating something because that will bring a big drop in energy. Always eat breakfast. To save time, try a whole wheat bagel or toast with peanut butter, a hard boiled egg or whole grain cereal.

Foods that are high in simple carbohydrates make your energy spike then plunge soon thereafter. They include candy, foods made with refined flour, such as bread, crackers, cookies, and some cereals and deserts.

Animal and dairy products that are high in fats can slow you down and make you feel sluggish.

Vasectomy facts

A form of permanent birth control, vasectomy is chosen by men who want to limit their family size. In many cases, however, the procedure can be reversed if a man again wants to father a child.

• In a doctor's office or clinic, the tubes that carry sperm are severed. There are no serious side effects.
  
  
• It doesn't cause a decrease in desire, difficulty maintaining an erection, or problems with orgasm.
  
  
• Most men report having more sexual satisfaction after the procedure. It decreases anxiety about unwanted pregnancy, and other means of contraception are no longer needed.
  
  
• Birth control should be used for a couple of weeks after the procedure because sperm is still in the system.
  
  
• Vasectomy does not increase the risk for diseases of any kind, says the American Urological Association.
  
  
• The procedure doesn't protect against sexually transmitted infections. Use a condom if you aren't sure of your partner's status, advise doctors at the University of California, Berkeley.
  

What you should know about your allergies

The spring tree and grass allergies are just about gone, but the real hay fever season is coming up.

Normally, you wouldn't look to CNNMoney.com for medical advice, but they have analyzed how allergies can affect your pocketbook and have come up with interesting observations:

• Employees who didn't get treatment lost more than two hours a day of productivity on their jobs.
  
  
• If you regularly take over the counter pills, get a skin prick test to pinpoint allergens and fine tune your treatment.
  
  
• A prescription will pay in two ways:
  
  1. First, it will be more effective. Even if an OTC drug like Claritin or Zyrtec works for you get a prescription anyway.
  
  2. You can pay for the pills with the pretax dollars in your flexible spending account.
  
  
  
• Shots. If your doctor suggests immunotherapy, weekly shots for up to eight months (tapering down to weekly shots monthly), the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that patients saw 38 percent lower costs over time for doctors and drugs.
  
  
• The best air cleaner is an air conditioner. A $50 HEPA air purifier will work, especially for smaller rooms.
  
  

Should you buy long-term care insurance for a parent?

If your surviving parent is in his or her 60s or beyond it could be a good choice. The average cost of a room in a nursing home can be up to $75,000 a year. If your parent has little income and savings of only about $2,000, he or she may qualify for Medicaid, but care options would be limited.

Long-term care insurance can pay for more options, such as care at home in an assisted living facility or in a variety of nursing homes. You can pay for your parent's premiums, but the parent will need to sign any health care releases.

The cost will depend on your parent's health and terms of the policy. The cost for one 68 year old man, including a $3,500 monthly benefit, three year benefit period, 3 percent inflation protection and a 90 day waiting period would cost about $3,200 a year or about $267 a month.

In the case of home care, policies only cover the cost of care givers with the appropriate medical training degrees. Usually, no family member qualifies.

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