Discount dental plans may offer savings
No dental insurance? You’re not alone. Roughly 1 in 4 Americans, and about half of all older adults, don’t have dental coverage, according to industry figures. Researchers have shown that costs are a bigger obstacle to dental care in the U.S. than all other forms of healthcare. Employers are by far the biggest provider of dental insurance benefits in the U.S., accounting for... READ MORE
Not all calories affect us the same way
A long-held belief is that calories are calories no matter if they hail from bacon or broccoli. Take in fewer calories than you burn; that’s your ticket to winning the battle of the bulge. It’s true that any calorie from a food supplies a set amount of energy. But once eaten, things become more complicated. A newer era of research is making it clear that perhaps not all calories are... READ MORE
Boost your (calorie) burn
Make the calories you eat work harder for you. Protein burn: Take advantage of the extra calorie cost associated with digesting protein by including this macronutrient at meals and snacks. Fiber up: It takes more effort to breakdown fiber-rich foods, which means a greater calorie burn during digestion. So get chummy with high-fiber items like legumes and... READ MORE
Killing germs can make us less healthy
Household disinfectants seem like such a good idea, especially when you have children. After all, children make messes, and killing germs helps keep children healthy, right? Not always, it turns out. Sometimes germs actually keep us healthy and keep us at a healthy weight. More and more, we are learning that not all bacteria are bad. In fact, the bacteria that live naturally in and on ... READ MORE
Make your own cleaning products
To reduce waste and avoid unnecessary plastic bottles and chemicals — and to save money — many people are opting to make cleaning products from scratch at home. You can find an abundance of recipes for household cleaning products online, along with reusable glass spray bottles designed to hold them. But not all homemade cleaning products are created equal, and some simple concoctions ... READ MORE
Gluten and lactose used in many pills
A man with celiac disease felt sicker after starting a new drug, but it wasn’t a typical side effect. It turns out the pills were mixed with gluten the patient knew to avoid in food — but was surprised to find hiding in medicine. A new report says pills often contain so-called “inactive” ingredients capable of causing allergic or gastrointestinal reactions in small numbers of... READ MORE
Pioneer changed attitudes, lives
Forty years ago, Marge Burba revved up her Cougar station wagon each morning to pick up five older adults and bring them to her two-story home in Olney, where the living room and kitchen were turned over to them as part of a program meant to keep them engaged during the day. At a time when a sociological theory that withdrawing from society was both natural and acceptable late in life... READ MORE
Palliative care is different from hospice
Q: My friend has bad kidneys and has to start dialysis. She said she also wants to get palliative care, but I told her that’s only for people who are dying! She doesn’t believe me; can you explain it to her? A: It sounds like you are mistaking palliative care with hospice care, and you aren’t alone. Palliative care and hospice, or end-of-life, care are commonly thought to be the... READ MORE
Get the facts about flax and stay healthy
Flaxseeds (flax), tiny and unassuming, may not garner a second glance, but this humble little seed is a big crowd pleaser. One of the oldest cultivated crops, flaxseed has been fully utilized by ancient civilizations. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen cloth made from the flax plant. Equally important was its use as food and medicine. Hippocrates, the Greek “Father of Medicine,”... READ MORE
Meds and supps to be taken with food
There is much confusion about when to take herbal supplements, vitamins and medications. Do you take them on an empty stomach or with food? No matter what you take, you should be drinking a full glass of water to make sure the pill doesn’t linger in your esophagus and cause irritation. When a dietary supplement, enzyme or medication states the directive to “take with food,” it... READ MORE
Health 2025
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