Depressed woman loses benefits over Facebook photos

A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook.

Nathalie Blanchard, shown here on a beach holiday during her sick leave. Nathalie Blanchard, 29, has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Que., for the last year and a half after she was diagnosed with major depression.

The Eastern Townships woman was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from Manulife, her insurance company, but the payments dried up this fall.

When Blanchard called Manulife, the company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC News this week.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the popular social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday — evidence that she is no longer depressed, Manulife said.

Blanchard said she notified Manulife that she was taking a trip, and she's shocked the company would investigate her in such a manner and interpret her photos that way.

"In the moment I'm happy, but before and after I have the same problems" as before, she said.

Blanchard said that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

She also doesn’t understand how Manulife accessed her photos because her Facebook profile is locked and only people she approves can look at what she posts.
Insurer confirms it uses Facebook

Her lawyer Tom Lavin said Manulife's investigation was inappropriate.

"I don't think for judging a mental state that Facebook is a very good tool," he said, adding that he has requested another psychiatric evaluation for Blanchard.

"It's not as if somebody had a broken back and there was a picture of them carrying …a load of bricks," Lavin said. "My client was diagnosed with a major depression. And there were pictures of her on Facebook, in a party or having a good time. It could be that she was just trying to escape."

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." It confirmed that it uses the popular social networking site to investigate clients.

Insurance companies must weigh information found on such sites, said Claude Distasio, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

"We can't ignore it, wherever the source of the information is," she said. "We can't ignore it."

Blanchard estimated she’s lost thousands of dollars in benefits since Manulife changed her claim.

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10 Places To Find Free Fonts For Windows And Mac OSX

If you are designer you may frequently want to try and use different fonts in your designs, though there are 1000s of fonts available, not everyone of them are free. Though font usage and download is not just restricted to designers and many people use them in their day to day life too.

Here are some resources for you to find free fonts that you can use without having to pay any royalty for both Windows and Mac OSX. If you are not accustomed to installing fonts, we have a mini guide at the end of the post that will help you do it.

Fawnt – Fawnt is a font resource for designers, developers, and anyone that appreciates the web’s highest quality fonts. It currently has 9348 free fonts you can use and download for Windows and Max OSX.

Abstract Fonts – Abstract Fonts has a listing of 11849 free fonts in their database. The site has a nice navigation and user experience with proper categorization of fonts.

Free Fonts – Free fonts has over 12000 free fonts which you can download and use for Windows or Mac OSX. The site has a clean navigation making it easier to browse the fonts.

Dafont – dafont is another nice site to find free fonts, they list over 10000 fonts, most of which are free to use for personal use on Windows and Mac OSX. Licensing terms are clearly marked above the download buttons.

Urban Fonts – Another site which lists over 8000 free fonts. The fonts are segregated into different easy to find categories, and can also be alphabetically browsed.

Font Reactor – Font Reactor lists freeware fonts in graffiti, gothic font, old English fonts etc. Most of the fonts are freeware, but there is no clear indication before downloading, so this adds to a bit of hassle.

Daily Free Font – Daily Free Font is a site that has over 4500 freeware fonts listed in its directory. The licensing terms for font usage is clearly marked.

Font Freak – Font Freak has a database of 5000 free fonts, they store a mix of both free and commercial fonts, so check the licensing before you download the fonts.

Simply The Best Fonts – This site lists thousands of free fonts in well segregated categories, the licensing if clearly marked, telling you whether a font is free or not.

Free-Fonts – This site is more like a search engine for fonts and lists over 55000 fonts in their database, the only problem with the site is that, there is no option to browse the fonts and you need to remember the names of the font to search for it.

How to Install Fonts?

Unzip the files you have downloaded, then follow the instruction for your OS:

Windows Vista : Right-click on the font files > "Install"
Windows XP: Put the font files into C:\Windows\Fonts
Mac OS X: Double-click the font file > "Install font" button

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Help Your Child To Avoid Adult Health Worries

We see far too many parents these days willing to keep their child subdued with food treats in the hope that they will be still and quiet, needing less attention. This is lazy parenting and quite clear that the parents either don’t know or don’t care about the knock on effects that this behaviour brings about.

Some parents think that they will score points with their offspring, bringing favour and unconditional love if they give their child everything they ask for. This is not showing love to a child. Sometimes saying no is more loving than giving in.

So, what are the knock on effects and are they really that bad? Given that the incidents of childhood obesity have doubled in the last 25 years, the physical effects of obesity in childhood and later life cannot be ignored.

This is the reason that health insurance companies request information on weight, height and diet. Weight is a serious issue and responsible for a great many health problems that the health insurance companies may well end up paying out for. The higher the weight, the more the health insurance premiums will cost and the higher the risk to your overall health and length and quality of life.

This all begins in early childhood and the diet we receive from our parents is vital in determining our health later on in life. Fat cells are manufactured in the first few years of life to accommodate the amount of fat consumed. At some point the body stops making fat cells and we then have the amount of fat cells that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. They will expand or shrink depending upon the amount of fat we consume but we cannot change the amount in existence.

Massive studies have been conducted throughout various countries and it has been observed that thirteen is a bit of a turning point when it comes to the age of a child’s obesity causing lasting effects. For children that are obese, the risk of adult coronary heart disease was proportionally higher. If a child is obese at the age of seven, a sensible diet and exercise plan will reverse some of the damage done. If a child is still obese by the age of thirteen then the chances that they will suffer coronary heart disease between the ages of 25 and 60, are up by 33%.

Of course, there are other factors that can contribute to a child being overweight, but if the reason is purely taking in more energy than is being expended, then this child is exposed to the risk of heart disease, diabetes, vascular abnormalities, thrombosis, stroke and premature death. Health insurance companies are well aware of these factors because they pay out for health care to try and put it right all the time.

In the UK alone, one in ten children six year old children are considered obese. This has doubled in the last twenty five years and this is the time when parents need to nip it in the bud. The government are rolling out initiatives to educate parents and children about healthier lifestyles and diets and it takes a concerted effort for us all to stick to.

If we could take a look inside our bodies at what we are doing, if we could take a look into the future and see not only the health problems that will be avoided but all the heartache that goes with it, we may think twice before we shut our babies up with more food.

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Switch To HEPA Filters And Breathe Easier

Having a respiratory illness can, at times be debilitating and leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable and unable to breath properly without difficultly. If you have breathing problems then you will understand just how problematic it can be to be in an environment that is stuffy and stale with dust particles and other debris floating around. Just a few minutes spent in a room that is poorly ventilated can be agony and leave the sufferer feeling ill for some time. One of the best ways in which to avoid situations like this is to use a good filtration system.

Today the best filter that is around and can be a massive a help for anyone with breathing problems and allergies is a HEPA filter. HEPA or high efficiency particulate air filters are the only filter that can eliminate 99.995% of all airborne particles, leaving the air fresh and clean without any pollutants. This makes them the ideal choice for anyone who has trouble breathing, suffers from allergies or begins to feel unwell when in an atmosphere that is stale with little ventilation.

When HEPA filters were first developed they were primarily used in hospitals to aid health and prevent the spread of airborne bacteria. These filters were also fitted with ultraviolet, high energy light units which were designed to kill any remaining bacteria that were attached to the filters. Although these type of filters are not needed in the home or office they are still used in hospitals to stop the spread of illnesses.

If you are looking to change the filters in your home or workplace to HEPA ones you are making the right decision as HEPA filters will make the world of difference to the air quality in your home or office. You can fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system which will mean that the risk of breathing problems due to dust, dust mite faeces, pollen and other irritants is reduced significantly. You can easily fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system without the need to replace anything else or incur extra cost other than that of the filters.

Perhaps you would like to have even greater protection from other allergy inducing particles such as pet dander or dust and mites in carpets and upholstery. If this is the case you should invest in a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner which will get rid of 99.995% of the particles hidden in fabrics which also contribute to poor breathing.

One thing is for sure, when you switch your regular filters in your air conditioner to HEPA filters you will soon be breathing the cleanest air you can, and you will feel much better for it. So if you value your health and the health of your family or workforce use HEPA filters. If you need assistance with changing your filters in your air conditioning system get in touch with your local HVAC professional who can help you with a filter solution to meet your needs perfectly.

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Switch To HEPA Filters And Breathe Easier

Having a respiratory illness can, at times be debilitating and leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable and unable to breath properly without difficultly. If you have breathing problems then you will understand just how problematic it can be to be in an environment that is stuffy and stale with dust particles and other debris floating around. Just a few minutes spent in a room that is poorly ventilated can be agony and leave the sufferer feeling ill for some time. One of the best ways in which to avoid situations like this is to use a good filtration system.

Today the best filter that is around and can be a massive a help for anyone with breathing problems and allergies is a HEPA filter. HEPA or high efficiency particulate air filters are the only filter that can eliminate 99.995% of all airborne particles, leaving the air fresh and clean without any pollutants. This makes them the ideal choice for anyone who has trouble breathing, suffers from allergies or begins to feel unwell when in an atmosphere that is stale with little ventilation.

When HEPA filters were first developed they were primarily used in hospitals to aid health and prevent the spread of airborne bacteria. These filters were also fitted with ultraviolet, high energy light units which were designed to kill any remaining bacteria that were attached to the filters. Although these type of filters are not needed in the home or office they are still used in hospitals to stop the spread of illnesses.

If you are looking to change the filters in your home or workplace to HEPA ones you are making the right decision as HEPA filters will make the world of difference to the air quality in your home or office. You can fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system which will mean that the risk of breathing problems due to dust, dust mite faeces, pollen and other irritants is reduced significantly. You can easily fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system without the need to replace anything else or incur extra cost other than that of the filters.

Perhaps you would like to have even greater protection from other allergy inducing particles such as pet dander or dust and mites in carpets and upholstery. If this is the case you should invest in a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner which will get rid of 99.995% of the particles hidden in fabrics which also contribute to poor breathing.

One thing is for sure, when you switch your regular filters in your air conditioner to HEPA filters you will soon be breathing the cleanest air you can, and you will feel much better for it. So if you value your health and the health of your family or workforce use HEPA filters. If you need assistance with changing your filters in your air conditioning system get in touch with your local HVAC professional who can help you with a filter solution to meet your needs perfectly.

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Dieters and Diabetics No Longer Need to Swim Against the Current

Most of us have heard about the benefits of eating certain kinds of seaweed. But recently, scientists have discovered a type of carotenoid called Fucoxanthin that is being haled as the new miracle food. It’s an antioxidant that experts believe promotes weight loss, and can even help to treat diabetes and cancer.

Fucoxanthin is found in wakame and hijiki, two kinds of brown seaweed, as well as some forms of red and green seaweed. This is the same seaweed that consumers find wrapped around most of their sushi rolls. At one billion years old, wakame is one of the oldest types of ocean plants ever discovered that still exist today. Asians have been consuming it for thousands of years and visibly benefit from it.

Some animal testing in labs has determined that Fucoxanthin will help treat diabetes in the near future. The supplement can diminish insulin and blood glucose levels by promoting the development of DHA in the body. DHA, otherwise known as omega-3, has proven to decrease bad cholesterol, balance insulin production and improve metabolism.

The improvement of triglycerides, and thus metabolism, instigated studies at the Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used as a weight loss tool. It turns out that Fucoxanthin promotes fat burning by escalating the use of thermogenin. This stimulates a protein called UCP1, which turns energy to heat by oxidizing body fat.

The process of metabolic thermogenin is when the body burns fat for use as energy. This is the same process that is used by bears to stay warm in the winter when they hibernate. In other words, a person could stay perfectly still for a long time, and still burn fat while taking Fucoxanthin as directed. It also seems to have a positive effect on the kind of fat that attaches itself to the heart, abdomen and other organs thus reducing heart disease and helping to control diabetes. In studies, rodents lost about 10% of their body fat when given Fucoxanthin as 2% of their diet.

The other use found for Fucoxanthin is quite astonishing. There has been some test-tube evidence that Fucoxanthin may help fight tumors. This particular use is inconclusive, but more research is being done to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used to help fight tumors in cancer patients along with other medical treatments.

Rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and B6, among others, wakame is a very wholesome food. Although it’s tempting to go to your local sushi bar and load up on sushi and sea weed salad, it is important to know that sea weed actually contains fairly large amounts of iodine as well. Consuming large portions of it can lead to iodine poisoning which can harm the thyroids.

While this does not mean that eating seaweed is unsafe, it is much safer to get Fucoxanthin in the form of a pill or supplement rather than gorge yourself on Japanese food. There seems to be no known negative side effect of taking Fucoxanthin as a dietary supplement.

Susan Chadwick writes for Global Health News, covering topics in all areas of health, from weight loss to internal cleansing.

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Dieters and Diabetics No Longer Need to Swim Against the Current

Most of us have heard about the benefits of eating certain kinds of seaweed. But recently, scientists have discovered a type of carotenoid called Fucoxanthin that is being haled as the new miracle food. It’s an antioxidant that experts believe promotes weight loss, and can even help to treat diabetes and cancer.

Fucoxanthin is found in wakame and hijiki, two kinds of brown seaweed, as well as some forms of red and green seaweed. This is the same seaweed that consumers find wrapped around most of their sushi rolls. At one billion years old, wakame is one of the oldest types of ocean plants ever discovered that still exist today. Asians have been consuming it for thousands of years and visibly benefit from it.

Some animal testing in labs has determined that Fucoxanthin will help treat diabetes in the near future. The supplement can diminish insulin and blood glucose levels by promoting the development of DHA in the body. DHA, otherwise known as omega-3, has proven to decrease bad cholesterol, balance insulin production and improve metabolism.

The improvement of triglycerides, and thus metabolism, instigated studies at the Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used as a weight loss tool. It turns out that Fucoxanthin promotes fat burning by escalating the use of thermogenin. This stimulates a protein called UCP1, which turns energy to heat by oxidizing body fat.

The process of metabolic thermogenin is when the body burns fat for use as energy. This is the same process that is used by bears to stay warm in the winter when they hibernate. In other words, a person could stay perfectly still for a long time, and still burn fat while taking Fucoxanthin as directed. It also seems to have a positive effect on the kind of fat that attaches itself to the heart, abdomen and other organs thus reducing heart disease and helping to control diabetes. In studies, rodents lost about 10% of their body fat when given Fucoxanthin as 2% of their diet.

The other use found for Fucoxanthin is quite astonishing. There has been some test-tube evidence that Fucoxanthin may help fight tumors. This particular use is inconclusive, but more research is being done to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used to help fight tumors in cancer patients along with other medical treatments.

Rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and B6, among others, wakame is a very wholesome food. Although it’s tempting to go to your local sushi bar and load up on sushi and sea weed salad, it is important to know that sea weed actually contains fairly large amounts of iodine as well. Consuming large portions of it can lead to iodine poisoning which can harm the thyroids.

While this does not mean that eating seaweed is unsafe, it is much safer to get Fucoxanthin in the form of a pill or supplement rather than gorge yourself on Japanese food. There seems to be no known negative side effect of taking Fucoxanthin as a dietary supplement.

Susan Chadwick writes for Global Health News, covering topics in all areas of health, from weight loss to internal cleansing.

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The Foremost Nail-Biting Solution Is Hypnotherapy

The underlying causes of most physical habits may be quite varied, and rooted at different psychological levels. Although hypnotherapy has a wide range of uses, the behaviors that are most directly related to physical habits are typically the ones that can be treated with hypnotherapy most immediately and directly. Smoking cessation is the most well known of these, and is one of the most successful and less invasive techniques for reaching its goal. Another common area for hypnotherapy treatment is for weight reduction. Similarly, hypnotherapy is also the best technique for ending a nail biting habit.

The nail biting habit has much in common with smoking. It is a ritualistic, physical habit. Either might be caused by the mechanics of a simple physical routine, or may perhaps be indicative of deeper psychological root causes. And in either case the habit itself can be very effectively halted with hypnotherapy.

Discovering and resolving underlying psychological issues, which are exhibited in nail biting and smoking can be a process that requires numerous sessions with a knowledgeable hypnotherapist. Not all hypnotists and hypnotherapists are capable of working at the deep psychological level. Fortunately, for the purposes of eliminating a smoking or a nail biting habit, they are not required to work below the most direct physical level.

The immediate goal of finding a nail biting cure is far more straightforward. Many of our deeper psychological and emotional states are impacted by our physical state, so in solving the physical symptoms directly, we are also able to have an indirect impact on deeper issues. In addition, not all negative physical behaviors have underlying causes; sometimes it is merely just a physical habit; it just “feels” good for the individual to take part in them.

I have seen that the focused and relaxed state of hypnosis can achieve nearly miraculous results when used in causing simple physical state changes. Whenever I eliminate severe burn pain, remove nausea, and solve other physical symptoms for a client in just a few seconds, it still surprises and amazes me, even though I am supposedly the one with the “power” (although as we know, the true power exists within the client’s unconscious mind). The capabilities exist in each of our minds to block severe pain and nausea; so the ability to prevent one from biting their nails is a modest goal in comparison.

I have found three of the powerful aspects of hypnotherapy to be anchoring, substitution and association. With association, one can link the undesirable behavior to something aversive; with substitution, one can replace the bad habit with an innocuous one; with anchoring, one can connect physical movement triggers with alternative feelings and behaviors.

With association, just like the simple hypnotic phenomenon can make a piece of white bread taste like the most delectable New York Cheesecake to a subject, one can make the feeling and taste of nail biting to be extremely distasteful. If your subject is consistently and repeatedly conditioned that the taste and feel of nail biting is very unpleasant, it will help to cause the habit to cease.

There are chemical products that achieve this goal via foul tasting nail polish. However, with a mental association it is easy to stop nail biting without relying on consistently applying a chemical product. This “aversion” type of therapy generally isn’t very helpful. But it is only reliable when used as an adjunct to eliminating stress that causes one to bite their nails, as well as extinguishing conditioned responses (unconscious associations), which triggers one to bite their nails.

With substitution, it can be effective to replace the nail-biting behavior with a more benign affliction. For instance, it is quite effective to make the suggestion that whenever one feels the impulses that lead them towards nail biting, they will take a deep breath instead, and slowly exhale, achieving all the same feelings and resolution that nail biting used to bring. I have found the deep breathing substitute to be very effective for a wide range of problems.

Similarly, anchoring can be used to subvert one action into another, and works well with association and substitution. It is useful to create the suggestion that each and every time subjects see their fingers coming to their mouth, they vividly remember the unpleasant taste association, and they instead take a deep breath to resolve the tension.

In summary, hypnotherapy has been recognized as one of the most successful methods for negative habit modification. Just as with smoking cessation, the techniques and concepts discussed here prove to be very successful as a long-term nail-biting solution.

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