Diet & Fitness

Last month I had dinner with Stacy and she looked more beautiful than ever. Generally speaking, I prefer my friends to maintain a steady level of beauty and not surpass it because who needs to deal with Excessive Glamour, but whatever.

“What the fuck is going on with you?” I asked.

And she told me that she’d been doing a cleanse, lost a lot of weight, feels better than ever, has more energy and some other nonsense that I had to drink a lot of Sohovignon Blanc to drown out. (Yes, we ate at a place that served Sohovignon Blanc. It almost makes you miss the Prohibition, except it’s really good.)

So we went on with our evening and then I went home, and after saying my nightly prayers, went to sleep.

I woke up enraged.

Why should Stacy be all cleansed and I be sullied?

I emailed her and demanded the cleanse information. And she, not immune to my skills of cross-examination, told me that it’s called the Clean Cleanse.

So now I’m considering it. Because don’t I want to be cleansed? Don’t I want to lose weight and be fabulous?

I immediately went on Twitter to get a medical opinion.

“What about organ failure?” someone asked. Which was a good point, because organ failure is really the last thing I need right now.

But then I thought, why should my organs fail? Aren’t my organs winners with a can-do attitude?

And the program is super expensive, so it’s got to be good and medically approved.

I’m torn.

On the one hand, I want to look fantastic and feel great and be healthy and on another, I’d miss coffee and wine.

I’m thinking of starting it after Thanksgiving.

Or never.

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Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a briefing presented by Wellpoint about “Supporting Your Family’s Health: The Evolving Role of Health Insurance”. Wellpoint is one of the largest healthcare benefit companies in the country, and has affiliated health plans in 14 states, including Empire Bluecross Blueshield in New York.

I was compensated to participate in the briefing, but I was drawn to it by the premise that health insurance companies want to do be more than “the ones who (hopefully) pay the bills” but rather partners in patients making decisions and resources for when they want to make change.

Admittedly, I always had a love-hate relationship with my health insurer (not a Wellpoint company). I was always very grateful to have health insurance coverage and the miracle of having a $50 co-pay for a three day stay at the hospital for my C-section was not lost on me. But years ago, as I turned 40, my health insurance provider would not pay for a mammogram that my doctor considered medically indicated, and I still remember how annoyed I was, even as I paid some $300 out of pocket. (I wanted to go to a facility that I’d chosen, not the one my plan wanted me to go to.)

So I absolutely look at my health insurance as someone who only pays for the doctor’s visits, but after the briefing, I feel like I should be asking for more from the company.

For example, Wellpoint provides a 24/7 Nurseline, where people can call in to ask that question in the middle of the night, when they can’t or don’t want to reach their own pediatrician or doctor. I’m pretty sure that the insurance industry developed this system after my kids got older because they knew I’d be on the phone 24/7. (True story: I once called my pediatrician because I was worried that my daughter was yawning too much.)

I also love the services that they provide for expectant and new moms, as part of its Future Moms maternity program. This is a personalized service that provides support to women in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies. Very importantly, the program provides risk-screening and educational services as well as post-natal support that focuses on postpartum depression.

Finally, for those of us who are no longer bearing children, WellPoint has options to maximize our health and it does so in steps that most of us can follow. Through FitOrbit, the program provides:

• Unlimited access to a real personal trainer who, unlike trainers at the gym, is available to you around the clock.
• Customized, family friendly meal plan including recipes and even a grocery list!
• Detailed, personalized fitness plan that you can do anywhere, anytime. Whether it’s doing lunges at the playground while you push your child on the swing or doing squats while folding laundry, your personal trainer can help you find moments during the day when you can easily add an exercise!

I have to say, I am almost afraid to check to see what my health insurance offers. Because if I research it and they offer “two bandaids and a coupon for Spanx” instead of the gamut of services that WellPoint does, I will need to have a blood pressure screening due to inevitable rage issues.

To find out more, click here!

Disclosure: I’ve been compensated for this post by WellPoint and The Motherhood, but all opinions are my own.

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