How to find your perfect summer dress

Simple? Sexy? Day-to-night? Let us help you nail that fabulous forever frock

Right, I'm here to tell you what the fashionable summer dress you need to buy this year looks like. I'm about to lay down the law on whether rose prints are more on trend than forget-me-nots, and explain whether a bell sleeve or a trumpet one will hoist you up the best-dressed lists. I'm going to map out those postcodes in which a cold shoulder is still de rigueur and those neighbourhoods in which you must switch to a kimono sleeve. And, after that, I'm going to explain how to break into your own house at the end of the night, if you are unable to take your keys out with you because they don't fit into your on-trend miniature circular basketweave clutch bag.

Or none of the above, actually. I'm here to help you find the perfect summer dress, which is absolutely not the same thing as the most fashionable one. The search for this dress transcends fashion for the simple reason that the perfect summer dress is an almost holy object. The days on which this piece will be worn are the most precious of the whole year, and that makes the dress itself a kind of talisman.

There is something nostalgic at the heart of how we think of summer. The summers of long ago stretch out and warm up as the photographs fade, becoming balmier and more lazy in memory than in reality. Nostalgia never goes out of style, so being on trend really isn't the be all and end all. And besides, many of the best bits of summer are not particularly fashion-forward. There is nothing cool about most weddings, but they are still almost always brilliant: the fact that the bridesmaids are in lurid mint green won't stop you welling up. There is nothing modish about following a pub garden dinner of beer and salt and vinegar crisps with a cup of tea and two rounds of toast and Marmite munched standing up in the kitchen when you get home, but it remains a stone-cold classic al fresco dining scenario.
Constellation print dress by Rexo

I am a fully paid-up devotee of erring on the side of overdressed rather than underdressed, but that doesn't mean you always have to be edgy. There is something a bit naff about trying to be cooler than the party you are going to. Much better to be the most fun guest at the wedding, the one still twirling baby bridesmaids around the dancefloor at midnight, than the one whose day peaked with the 11am mirror selfie of her outfit.

The most successful summer ball dresses I've bought recently have been lightweight but with sleeves and a long hemline. There's a dark Rixo one with a constellation print, below the knee, but with subtle, thigh-high splits in the skirt; and a Boden one in rose pink that has singlehandedly converted me to ankle length, because it makes me feel serene even when it's 27C on the bus. I feel carefree, rather than exposed. They are cool on a hot pavement, but I don't get goosebumps under air conditioning. I find they work best in a strong colour and/or print; the ethereal white-nightie vibe makes me feel a bit silly – though it looks charming on lots of other people, so each to their own.

Our edit of this summer's best dresses includes stripes and leopard print, polka dots and florals. There are Bardot and bateau necklines. Choose from short hemlines or long – or plump for dipped, if you can't make up your mind. These are not just frocks of the moment, but dresses you will return to next summer, and the one after that.

The biggest mistakes you can make in endurance training

You walk regularly, but nothing works on the scales? The kilos remain stubbornly where they do not belong?

Then tap the ears quickly: For those who train incorrectly sabotage their customer succession.

So that in the future, the pounds while jogging , walking , swimming or cycling just tumble, we tell you the biggest endurance training mistakes.

You always train the same? Fail! The body gets used to the constant load. The result: fat burning stagnates - and you will not get fitter either. Better: Build HIIT units in your training. In doing so, moderate and intensive training intervals alternate.

Endurance training does not pay for itself immediately. Results can usually only be seen after a few weeks or months. Therefore: Stay tuned and train regularly (!). That means not five times in one week and only once in the next.

Unfortunately, cardio training alone is not enough. After all, while endurance sports you burn calories, but build up no muscle, so does not come in top shape. In addition, cardio training supports the so-called "skinny fat" figure - thin but wobbly, so you should definitely include strength training in your fitness plan, as muscles burn fat even when at rest.

Anyone who sees cardio training as a stupid duty will have little success and soon give up. Therefore: Find an endurance sport that is really fun for you. Tip from fitness professional and bikini body guide inventor Kayla Itsines: If she does not feel like cardio, she watches a series on Netflix while she is on the treadmill. Top idea!

With this new diet, you can eat anything and still lose weight - does it really work?

The new diet is therefore particularly suitable for people who have problems to change their diet because they can not or do not want to give up certain foods. If fewer calories are consumed than consumed, it will inevitably lead to a loss of weight. But like many miracle drugs, the CICO diet also has disadvantages that need to be considered.

As effective as CICO is, you should still not suppress what is obvious: the health suffers. Because if you only make sure that you burn more calories than you eat, eventually the quality of the food will fade into the background.

If you only feed on fries and burgers, but eat them only in small quantities, you will lose weight over time. However , the fat deposits around the internal organs and leads to high blood pressure and poor blood levels. This can lead to strokes, heart attacks, cancer, thrombosis and Alzheimer's.

In order to lose weight healthily, it is important to eat a balanced diet and to take many nutrients . This is of the utmost importance to the body and your health. Counting calories is basically allowed and is used in almost every diet. But much more attention should be paid to giving the body everything it needs to get the most out of it. Therefore, focus on vegetables, fruits, legumes and protein sources in your diet. A big advantage of these foods is that you can eat a good deal of them - even during your diet. Thus, you will still be full and also eat healthy.

Exercise and keep a toned perineum

Do you play sports and you like that? Yes, but leaks sometimes occur, which can restrict you in your activity ... Or you know that it can happen and want to prevent this inconvenience. Solutions exist.

Leaks that occur during the sport? It is the incontinence of effort , which indicates a lack of tonicity of the perineum , but also poorly performed exercises. We often do not dare to talk about it , but precautions and solutions exist.

An association, Sport and specificities for women , has become aware of the problem and offers various tips. As stated by the association, created by a physiotherapist and chaired by a gynecologist, the female anatomy was not sufficiently taken into account in the advice given for the training and the practice of the sport. And this is how women find themselves doing "abs" (with high intra-abdominal pressure), or warm up by jumping on site, in a deleterious way for their perineum. Result: leaks and often, avoidance of sports activity!

The association has therefore set up a "passport", which, in addition to helping to identify its perineal problems, gives advice on the directions to take depending on his sport (both in terms of breathing at the time of the effort, that of "perineal locking") and its problem and sensitizes on what to do (and avoid doing!) everyday. This passport is declined according to the ages of the life (cost: between 20 and 30 euros).

The association offers workshops for individuals, but also collaborates with sports associations, awarding a label certifying that the training is adapted to the female anatomy. The workshops are varied: they can take place in group or solo, can address the sexuality (the perineum having a major importance in the sexual relations), the particular case of the pregnant woman, or that of the teenager.

New study proves: Coffee is healthy for us!

Have your colleagues often looked at you at an angle because you drink so much coffee? We give you a good reason to pour in again: a British study proves that coffee is good for your health!

The recommendations regarding coffee enjoyment have always been contradictory. Some say it is harmful to drink too much coffee. The others praise the good health effects. According to a British study, the latter are right: coffee is good for your health!

A British research team has evaluated nearly 200 studies on coffee consumption. They came to the conclusion that a moderate coffee consumption of three to four cups a day protects against many a disease and even lets us live longer.


Coffee, which contains caffeine, has a stimulating effect on the body. Renal function increases in the short term and the vessels in the body are dilated. This helps the body to prevent certain diseases. Coffee drinkers therefore have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, suffering from a stroke or developing liver carcinoma. But the chance of getting Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, depression and Type II diabetes can also be reduced with a few cups of coffee a day. Coffee is a panacea, especially for the heart. In addition, drinking coffee is healthy because it helps "flush" the arteries freely. Coffee drinkers have less calcification in their arteries, which can otherwise contribute to a heart attack.

So you get rid of your cold in just one day

Your nose does not want to stop running, besides, you have a sore throat and your head hurts? Here you can find out how to use home remedies in a short time for relief.

No one is spared cold. Especially in the cold season is a cold for many easy. There are many ways to make a quick recovery, especially with a simple cold. In the best case, you'll feel well and well the next day.

Fighting colds with home remedies - self-help made easy
Not every home remedy that our grandparent generation swears by is really recommended. The following are actually helpful for colds:

Inhalation with hot water vapor: You can also inhale without inhaler. A bowl of hot water and a towel over your head are already enough. That's how you moisturize your respiratory system. With children, however, caution is required. There is a risk of burns here.

Spicy food: horseradish, onions and garlic dissolve mucus and have a germicidal and anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, season with a cold more sharply spicy than usual.

Chicken soup: Whether the good old chicken soup in a cold actually has an effect, was long debated. Now US researchers have shown that it has anti-inflammatory effects. However, this only applies to home-made soups, not to finished products.

Hot bath: A warm bath is a very relaxing home remedy for colds and has the same effect on the whole body. But be careful not to stay in the water for more than 15 minutes. Bath salts with essential oils enhance the effect. If you have a fever, you should refrain from bathing to protect your body.


Apart from that, your body does not need much rest until it reaches full-blown flu. You can even cure a simple cold when you go to bed and enjoy doing nothing.

Breakfast tailgating: Delicious recipes to help you plan ahead and keep it simple

A few years ago, I was in Minneapolis tailgating with friends for the University of Minnesota’s homecoming game against Northwestern. We got to the parking lot around 8:30 in the morning, to party before the 11 a.m. kickoff. Our host, Chad Jaeger, started the festivities with a hearty breakfast chili — rich and creamy, it was packed with crumbled bacon and sausage, beans, cheddar cheese and diced egg. It was the perfect way to warm up a bunch of Gopher fans on a chilly, 45-degree morning.

As with any great tailgate, the trick is to plan ahead and keep it simple. I try to make as much food as possible before I leave the house, and heat up what I need once I’m set up at the party.

Finally, don’t forget the beverages. Most thermoses will keep hot beverages — coffee, cocoa or cider — warm for hours. And it’s never too early for a cocktail. Mimosas are an easy choice for morning tailgates. If you have fresh fruit, consider making a pitcher of sangria.

Innovative cooking demos inspire healthy eating habits

Health Promotions and Wellness offers a hands-on cooking experience taught by registered dietitians.
Located in the Student Recreation and Activity Center on the Kennesaw campus, Health Promotion and Wellness inspires healthy lifestyles with its innovative cooking demonstrations.

The creative culinary minds behind their savvy recipes are registered dietitians Barbara Oldham and Bethany Wheeler, who promote healthy, affordable lifestyles with a variety of nutritious meals and flavors to boost culinary confidence in the kitchen.
The cooking demonstrations influence students to eat well-balanced meals by providing them with a variety of inexpensive flavors and nutritional food combinations. The aroma of fresh vegetables and proteins are explored as students prepare the authentic recipes devised by Oldham and Wheeler.
“There are 12 students per demonstration so that everyone can have a hands-on experience,” Oldham said. “The main goal is to provide students with the cooking skills to make more nutritious meals at home.”
The cooking demos will continue throughout the semester with “Keep Calm & Curry On,” “Fall Fare,” “Ridin‘ Solo: Meals For One” and “Flavors of the World.”

PORTION CONTROL‘Healthy’ snacks could be adding 300 calories to your diet a day – follow this handy guide and NEVER overeat again

YOU may be armed with the best of intentions, a snack draw brimming with "healthy" treats.

But with no understanding of portion control, you could be eating as many as 300 EXTRA calories a day, sabotaging your dieting dreams.

Popcorn may be a "healthy" snack, but eat too much and you'll still pile on the pounds. These portions reveal how much you should eat if you want to lose, maintain or gain weight

Here's how much oil you should be using in your cooking if you want to lose weight, left, maintain weight, middle or gain weight, right

Portion control could help you shed as many as 300 calories from your daily diet, experts say

The rise of the clean eating trend has given way to people opting for popcorn and whole foods like nuts, dark chocolate and nut butters in a bid to keep up energy levels between main meals.

But experts are warning these healthy snacks can still wreak havoc with your waistline.

This set of pictures, based on NHS guidelines, offers a handy visual guide to how much of your favourite healthy treats you should actually be eating.

And it reveals the best portion sizes depending on whether your want to lose, maintain or gain weight.

5 easy healthy meals for one, according to a dietitian

Unfortunately when we revert to these options for dinner too regularly, our nutrition can suffer, so if you are regularly cooking for one, here are five quick and easy, nutritious and calorie controlled meal options that you can prepare in no time, and ensure your nutrition does not have to suffer simply because you live alone.

Omelette

Eggs are one of nature’s superfoods, packed full of key nutrients and protein and the simple mix of an egg, whatever vegies you have on hand that are easy to chop including tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and capsicum along with a little of your favourite cheese ticks a number of key nutritional boxes in a meal that can be made in five minutes.

Grill and vegetables

Whether you prefer lamb cutlets, lean sausages or a piece of chicken breast - any grilled lean meat when teamed with a basic salad or a packet or two of frozen vegetables is another nutritionally balanced meal that can be prepared in no time.

Frozen fish and stir fry

The range of plain frozen fish fillets including salmon is wide and when teamed with one of stir fry vegetable kits readily available in supermarkets is a tasty low calorie meal. Another option is the range of fresh fish fillets and prawns in a light marinade that can be found in the fresh section of supermarkets and any of the frozen stir fry vegetable kits that also often come with a sauce to flavour the vegetables.

Naked burger

With a large range of lean beef and turkey burgers, as well as pork and chicken meatballs, you can literally create any number of burgers you like, minus and carb rich bread rolls if you use lettuce or even mushrooms as your burger base. Teamed with plenty of salad, this is a protein rich, tasty dinner that again can be prepared in literally minutes.

Mexican bowl

Forget slaving away over a pot of mince and vegetables for hours - the simple of mix of a few corn chips or tacos shells, warm kidney beans, corn, chopped up vegetables, avocado and a sprinkle of sour cream and cheese is a meat free meal, packed full of vegetable protein that feels like a treat, but one minus the calories and fat of take away Mexican.

3 Health Care Trends That Don’t Hinge on the ACA

In early May 2017 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare). Subsequently, Republicans in the U.S. Senate began working on their version of a law to do the same. The House bill is flawed, leaving many uncertainties that the Senate has promised to address. While the fate of the bill is in flux, there are three immutable trends in the U.S. health care system that won't change. As a result, regardless of how the law evolves, tremendous opportunities will remain for consumers, medical providers, health care payers, and investors to shape and improve the health care system.

The first trend is demographic: The U.S. population is continuing to age. In 1960 the median age for men and women in the U.S. was 29.5; it is now 37.9, and in the next 12 years will exceed 40. Per capita annual health care costs are roughly $4,500 for people age 19 to 44; they double for people age 45 to 64; and they double once again for those 65 and older. Thus, as the population ages, health care services will naturally expand, as will the pressure to find efficient ways to deliver those services.

Second, technology has become a pervasive element across the health care system, with a major impact on diagnosis, treatment, and communications. In 2004 one in 5 practicing physicians used an electronic health record (EHR) in the U.S. Today nearly nine in 10 physicians regularly employ EHRs. There's a tremendous amount of information and structured data now available to guide treatment, assess outcomes, and measure quality of care. Beyond EHRs, digital health tools — apps, wearable devices, and other hardware and software that measures and monitors health — are becoming common in consumers' lives. From 2015 to 2016, investors poured more than $8 billion into funding these tools. More than 3,000 apps are now available to help manage diabetes alone. Clearly, most of these tools won't survive. But technology has become rooted firmly in U.S. health care and, as elsewhere, consumers will choose many of the winners.
Third, irrespective of revisions to the ACA, discoveries in the life sciences that enhance the quality and extend the length of life will continue to flow from research laboratories. These are being driven by two major trends: the availability of personal health data, and the plummeting cost of integrating massive health data sets in the cloud. Based on these two foundations, we’ll begin to see the emergence of personalized medicine.
The pipeline for new drugs is bursting, and new devices and tools in the rapidly emerging digital health space will come to market more quickly. According to QuintilesIMS, there are more than 2,000 drugs in the late-stage approval process, and they will yield an estimated 45 new active substances annually over the next five years. This therapeutic deluge will make decision making more complex for clinicians, who must understand efficacy and risk, and for payers, who must choose which treatments to favor through preferred pricing. Indeed, the profusion of new treatments may present a serious challenge to the current payer strategy of negotiating favorable pricing with drug and device companies.
Taken together, these three trends will drive dramatic changes in health care, regardless of government policies. We see several areas where patients and care providers, as well as entrepreneurs and investors, will likely benefit.
First, businesses that help patients understand, access, and use the health care system will be rewarded. Patient engagement has been a mantra for those seeking to reform health care, as it’s widely accepted that patients who are engaged in their own health care have better outcomes. Technology plays a crucial role in promoting engagement, in part by customizing medical information for each patient, and digital platforms — whether websites, apps, or EHRs — that promote health and help patients understand their medical conditions and their options for treatment and prevention will grow in importance.
Investors are already keenly focused on this area, with many startups competing for a slice of the market. In 2011 81 digital health startups received venture funding; with consistent year-over-year increases, 296 startups were venture backed in 2016. The venture industry is betting big on digital health, with $4–$5 billion invested annually. But traditional business models focused on and serving third-party reimbursement continue to struggle with how to monetize digital health tools. We believe models will emerge that capture value from the growing consumer demand for effective digital health-promotion support. Solutions that drive patient engagement and improve outcomes will succeed in the marketplace.
Second, we expect to see growth in businesses that make it easier for consumers to access affordable health care while living where they want to live, in a setting that they can afford. In the U.S., the two key drivers of this trend are the aging of the population and the need for cost control. Telemedicine is increasingly becoming an adjunct to care that addresses these trends. Today’s technology enables practitioners to scale their services, seeing more patients in less time, and it embeds analytics that can help focus clinicians’ time on the cases where they can have the greatest effect. From the patients’ perspective, telemedicine is appealing because it allows them to engage more frequently with doctors than they could through in-person visits — a particular aid for older patients with chronic conditions, who benefit from the frequent contact and care coordination that telemedicine can provide.

We’re convinced that these trends will ultimately drive mainstream adoption for proven digital health solutions. Where clinical trials demonstrate efficacy, and the solutions allow for improved cost management, we’ll begin to see multiple models emerge: insurance reimbursement, employer subsidies, and even consumer purchases. As adoption increases, companies that today provide therapeutics — principally pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers — will begin to add digital health solutions to their portfolios.
Uncertainty surrounding the health care bill shouldn’t have a material effect on the success of various solutions. Indeed, with the current government gridlock, the rapid development of and growing demand for new health care technologies may help policy makers chart the course forward.

Peanut Butter Pies

★ Gluten

I can not possibly be the only one who loves peanut butter, right? We can not have it in the house, for it is gone in an instant - ups! At one point I found otherwise out that you could buy a whole kilo, but it also disappeared relatively quickly. These small peanut butter pies are super easy to make. You can make both the almond or almond flour, according to the rustic one wants bottoms.

Peanut butter pies
Bunde:
100 g of dates
60 g of almond
possibly. little water, depending on the dadlernes freshness.

Filling:
50 g peanuts
35 g of peanut butter
Isis chocolate paté / Protein nutella "Protein Ella"
chopped chocolate

First picks you dates and almond flour in a mini chopper to a uniform mass.

Then share the mass in 12 pieces.

Use a silicone muffin form - and then came the mass in and press them flat.

Bake them in the oven at about 200grader 10 minutes.

Let them cool slightly before taking them out of shape.

Then picks you peanuts and blender together with peanut butter - you can also just mix it together.

Lightly "nutella" All molds or use melted dark chocolate.
Next comes you a bit of peanutmassen on all the molds and sprinkle with a little chocolate shavings.

Pregnant And Fit

Last week was released Mette Lyngholm's book on exercise for pregnant women. Mette is my friend so I have heard a lot about her pregnancy and childbirth. I think it's wildly exciting, though that probably goes back many years before I even need to be a mother. When she becomes pregnant, then this book guide me through a healthy and fit pregnancy. Until then, I will lend it out for pregnant girlfriends. Before that, however, I read the book with great interest!

The book guides Mette up for training at different levels that you can do with baby facilities.
It's an incredibly thorough book, with good illustrations and explanations of the exercises. So if you are pregnant - or planning to become one, then I would really like to recommend you this book. Find the book HERE.

There are a number of good reasons to exercise during pregnancy lead, partly because it can reduce pregnancy genes like. pain, fluid retention and prevents high blood pressure. In addition, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes by 70%!
There are a number of other health benefits of exercise during pregnancy, you can read about in the book. Here, of course, also explained what exercises are good - and how they should be performed.

Holidays are ideal tonic for improved mental and physical health

A few years ago I went to see my doctor. He said the words we all long to hear: “You need a holiday.” Of course I did. Stressed from work and life matters, I’d been getting lots of opportunistic bugs and sicknesses, and was visiting him every other week about something or other.

But it was still wonderful to be given permission. “Yes, I do need a holiday,” I concurred. “I’m thinking a week in the sun up north.” He shook his head. “No, not a short beach holiday, a significant travel break. Something that takes you out of the country and away from everything familiar and stimulates your mind. You need at least three weeks in Europe or India. Have you ever done Vietnam and Cambodia?”

But he persisted and what he said stayed with me. “I can’t help with the cat-sitting, but I can ­alleviate your money or work concerns by telling you that I calculate my patients save at least $3000 to $5000 in medical expenses per holiday they take. So you either take the holiday or pay the doctor.

But if you are not with a partner, don’t despair. There’s always the massage and pampering that comes with holidays, with studies showing that skin stimulation can trigger release. It is not just whimsical to stay well pampered by a partner or ourselves. While low serotonin levels are linked to weakened immune function and depression, raised levels are a fountain of youth, more so since serotonin stimulates melatonin for that much needed catch-up on sleep in our big comfy hotel beds — sleep being one of the most ­important contributors to vital good health.

Number Of Children Waiting In A&E With Mental Health Problems Soars

The number of children with mental health problems forced to spend long hours in A&E has soared under the Tory-led Government, new figures reveal.


The total number of cases of under-18s reporting to NHS Accident and Emergency units with 'psychiatric conditions' – and having to wait more than the Government’s target of four hours - has nearly trebled since David Cameron came to power in 2010.

Labour claims that growing pressure on inpatient services follows cuts to early intervention and community based services for mental health.

A report by the Health Select Committee last year, following its official inquiry into children's mental health services, warned that “in many areas early intervention services are being cut or are suffering from insecure or short term funding”.

Critics claim that out of desperation, many children and young people are turning up to hospital emergency units – where they then have to wait long periods for treatment.

However, the longer waits in A&E may also point to the wider crisis in Accident and Emergency units over the past year in particular.

A written Parliamentary answer by Health Minister Alistair Burt revealed that provisional figures for the first six months of 2015/16 have a stubbornly high number of admissions waiting in A&E for more than four hours, with 237 cases in September last year.

The statistics, in answer to Parliamentary questions from Labour’s Shadow Mental Health minister Luciana Berger, were revealed as cross-party support mobilised behind the Duchess of Cambridge’s call for more focus on children’s mental health in Young Minds Matter, which saw her guest edit The Huffington Post UK on Wednesday.

Can treating past trauma lead to big US health savings?

For two decades, there's been evidence that people who suffered childhood trauma — violence, sexual abuse or family dysfunction — are much more likely to have a chronic health problems and engage in risky behavior.


Now, 14 community health centers around the U.S. are acting as laboratories for an experiment to see if screening and then treating people for trauma can improve the results from treatment they get for their diabetes, heart disease, pulmonary disease or other ailments.

While the main goal of that project is to get participants leading healthier, happier and longer lives, there's also a potential positive financial side effect. If the project works — and the lessons learned are expanded on a large scale — it may help create savings of billions of dollars for the health-care system by reducing overall medical spending.

Kaiser Permanente is backing the Trauma Informed Primary Care project, which is being conducted by the National Council for Behavioral Health, a group of about 2,500 mental health and treatment organizations. Kaiser Permanente operates a health insurance plan with nearly 10 million members, and as such has an interest in strategies that could hold down medical costs.

Since last spring, the centers participating in the project have been screening groups of clients: Each center decides what physical conditions to focus on, and what level of trauma to use as a cut-off point. Patients who meet those criteria are given the option of receiving help to deal with their trauma along with their chronic condition.

Health + Medicine

This was the year of the health review – on mental health care, the response to ice, Medicare, private health insurance, the pharmacy industry … and the list goes on.


Paying doctors a fixed sum to care for a patient for the entire year, rather than a fee for each visit or service, is one solution, Peter Sivey wrote.

Another is to better target the tests and treatments that are given, and to tame the tsunami of too much medicine, Ray Moynihan explained. The current review of the Medicare schedule presents an opportunity to do just this.

Population health, a push to keep people healthy and out of the hospital, gained traction in multiple settings across the U.S., including accountable care organizations, bundled-care plans and clinically integrated health-care networks. These networks link patients to the full spectrum of services, from preventive care to highly specialized hospital care. The goal is to help keep people healthy and intervene before costly care is necessary.

Consumerism is expanding. Wearable medical devices, cloud-based computing and transparency initiatives enable consumers to make more informed health care choices. Consumers also have more choice; they can purchase coverage privately, through their employers or through state and federal insurance marketplaces. Employers, in some cases, have established their own marketplaces. Those shopping for insurance can choose between comprehensive or high-deductible plans.

7 really weird ways bad teeth are destroying your body

It is absolutely essential that you treat your oral health just as you would your overall health.

Many people fail to brush and floss regularly, and more importantly, do not go to their yearly dentist checkups. If this is the case for you, this means you are unaware of the true damage you are doing to your body. There are a number of reasons for neglecting your oral health, but there are even more reasons why you shouldn't.

Understanding why proper oral hygiene is so important to your health will hopefully motivate you to take better care of your teeth and gums. Gum disease has the potential to pop up at any given time.

Here are 7 reasons why you simply cannot afford to neglect your oral health even a second longer:

1. Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke

People who have a periodontal disease are twice as likely to develop heart disease because of the narrowing of the arteries that causes plaque and bacteria to get into the blood stream through the mouth and gums.

This bacterium contains protein that promotes blood clots which can also clog the arteries while significantly increasing the risk for heart attack. This same bacteria has the ability to clog the artery that delivers blood to the brain which can cause you to have a stroke.

2. Risk of Dementia

Poor oral health and tooth loss increases your risk of suffering from memory loss at an early age.

Studies have shown that poor oral health can lead to a diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer's disease. If your gums become inflamed due to infection, this can also cause brain inflammation which could cause death of certain brain cells.

3. Respiratory Problems

Bacteria that is caused by periodontal disease has the ability to travel through the bloodstream and to your lungs where it can impact the respiratory system.

If you have already experienced respiratory problems in the past, then you have a greater chance of having further problems due to poor oral hygiene. If you have gum disease this also puts you at higher risk for pneumonia and other respiratory conditions.

4. Risk of Diabetes

95% of the individuals in the United States who have diabetes have also experienced severe periodontal disease that has led to tooth loss. This is because individuals who suffer from diabetes have a higher risk of infections. However, it is a two-way street: diabetes leads to gum disease and gum disease leads to diabetes.

5. Erectile Dysfunction

Men who suffer from periodontal disease are seven times more likely to also experience some sort of erectile dysfunction than men who practice excellent oral hygiene.

The bacteria caused by periodontal disease can travel into the bloodstream which inflames the blood vessels which blocks the flow of blood to the genitals.


6. Premature Birth

Many experts have stated that premature birth is caused by the overall health of the mother and her entire body. If she does not practice good oral hygiene and develops an infection in the mouth, this can travel to the unborn child which can lead to premature birth.

7. Cancer

A number of experts have confirmed that men who have gum disease were almost 50% more likely to develop kidney cancer and 30% were more likely to develop cancers of the blood. This makes it extremely important to see your dentist regularly and practice good oral hygiene.

If you are not taking care of your oral health, you could be causing severe damage to your body. Make sure that you get regular checkups from your dentist and continue practicing excellent oral health.

Examines solutions to community health problems

While many people think of staying well as an individual responsibility, where you live plays a huge role. Place and culture help determine social norms and access to affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, healthy food and places to exercise.



Benjamin said such solutions work for a few major reasons: "They're culturally sensitive. They're focused on the needs of people in the area. And they're designed to work where they are."

In September, USA TODAY and Cigna hosted a forum in Houston that focused more on challenges facing that part of the country and rural areas. Residents in the sprawling city talked about their health challenges, and barber Tre Sims discussed overcoming his. He's lost 100 pounds in the last three years by eating healthier and no longer suffers from high blood pressure. Now he picks up fruit at the convenience store near his work, instead of the junk food he used to eat. He can do that thanks to the Healthy Corner Store Network, a partnership between Go Healthy Houston and the community organization CAN DO Houston, which stands for Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity.

The event, presented by USA TODAY and Cigna, runs from 9-11 a.m. at the Newseum in Washington. One panel will feature two public health thought leaders: Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association; and Richard Hamburg, deputy director of the Trust for America's Health. They will talk about keeping whole populations healthy and reducing health disparities, especially in urban areas.

Which Health Plan Should I Get?

This Q&A column addresses questions from real patients about health care costs. Have your own question? Get your answer here.


Question:

My company’s open enrollment period just started, and I have to choose a health insurance plan. Since I’m single and haven’t been to the doctor in years, I’ve always chosen the cheapest option, which offers low coverage. I’m getting older, though, and next year I’d like to take better care of myself, starting with a checkup, without going broke. How can I choose a health plan that’s right for me?

Answer:

First of all, congratulations on taking the initiative to improve your health! Making sure your health care is affordable is a great first step. Choosing the right insurance plan will be simpler for you than for many others because you don’t expect to need a lot of health care next year, but you may find you need more than you think.

For instance, during that first checkup, your doctor may want to order lab tests or refer you to a specialist based on your physical exam. And if you’re truly looking to make a commitment to better health, you may end up seeking out more care instead of toughing out what feel like minor illnesses or injuries.

Finding the right plan will be a balancing act, but I can help you evaluate plan options so you can find the right one for you.