Holistic health expert highlights the benefits of regular meditatation

Medical costs this year are hitting almost everyone in the pocketbook. With politicians scrambling to come up with a workable solution, Americans face dark days ahead as monthly insurance fees go up again, often with double-digit rate hikes. Is there any hope for hard-working Americans who face the challenge of paying these exorbitant fees?

Getting and keeping Americans healthier is by far the most cost effective method of solving our health crisis. But how can we do this? Meditate. Decades of research have confirmed the staggering cost of stress on people's health. "When you feel stress, you will sooner or later have to pay a price," states Dr. Robert Puff, international speaker, author and holistic health expert. Prolonged stress causes countless numbers of medical problems, from high blood pressure to the increased risk for cancer.

So what is the solution? Meditation has been shown over and over again in research studies and in millennia of practice to fight both the debilitating effects of stress and increase the practitioner's overall sense of well-being and happiness. In Dr. Puff's new book/audio book, "Meditation for Health and Happiness," he gives an overview of some of the most important studies done that support the remarkably positive effects of regular meditation. For example, one group of research demonstrated that in 8 weeks of meditation, people's level of happiness can significantly improve.

Many studies have shown how meditation decreases the harmful effects of stress. "Teaching people to meditate would have an overwhelming reduction in medical costs around the world because stress-related illness would be delayed for years or even decades," states Dr. Puff.

Focusing on prevention will be the only realistic solution to an insurmountable crisis. If Americans can be taught to take better care of ourselves, then we will live longer and better.