Major Medical Expenses

Ten ways to reduce health care costs
Good consumers take the time to understand the products and services they are buying. Whether you are talking about buying a house, car or health care, the quality and value of your purchase should be an important consideration. In the case of health care, higher cost does not necessarily mean better quality. Health care costs can vary greatly depending on type of procedure, where the care is provided (emergency room, outpatient clinic or doctor’s office), and where you live and receive care.  

The following are 10 ways to reduce your health care costs while adding value to the quality of your health. 

1. Take good care of yourself. Eight out of 10 health problems are treated at home. By doing a good job of self-care you can reduce your health care costs.
2. Practice self-examination and get appropriate health screening. Work out a schedule for preventive health screening that is appropriate for your age and gender with your health care provider.
3. Become aware of the health risks of different lifestyle choices like alcohol and drug use, home and driver safety, and eating habits. The riskier your lifestyle the more likely you are to have health problems.
4. Know what your medical benefits cover. You need to know what your benefits are before you can use them appropriately. If you have a managed care plan know about the plan’s grievance procedure and use it if you don’t feel you are getting adequate care.
5. Take an active role in health care decision making. Take the time to build a good relationship with your doctor. Making sure that your doctor understands your expectations and needs can result in a more effective treatment plan.
6. Ask your doctor about every prescribed medication and medical test. Also ask what will happen if you choose not to take a drug or have a test. Every test and drug has some risk involved. Your doctor may be able to suggest an alternative that is less risky.
7. Avoid hospitalization whenever possible. More than half of all health care costs are for hospitalizations. Consider outpatient services or same-day surgery. Find out if there are alternatives to surgery.
8. Save the emergency room for emergencies. It can be two to three times more costly to receive services in an emergency room than in a doctor’s office.
9. Check your hospital and doctor bills carefully. Billing errors are made. Notify your hospital and health plan promptly when errors are found.
10. Avoid defensive medicine. Defensive medicine refers to tests and services performed primarily to protect physicians from possible malpractice suits. Ask lots of questions about why the tests are being done, if they are really necessary and what your options are. You may decide to take a more conservative approach.

http://missourifamilies.org/features/healtharticles/health38.htm

Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine
Chiropractic is a health care approach that focuses on the relationship between the body's structure—mainly the spine—and its functioning. Although practitioners may use a variety of treatment approaches, they primarily perform adjustments to the spine or other parts of the body with the goal of correcting alignment problems and supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Chart of Effects of Spinal Misalignments

The benefits of chiropractic care for your health are numerous.
Some of the many benefits include pain relief in your joints, back, or head. Others may include increased mobility, performance, balance, coordination or energy. Our Creator God has given us all the power of health within our own bodies enabling your body to heal itself. It is not normal or healthy to have chronic pain or even the occasional cold or headache. A person can be unhealthy without any symptoms whatsoever. For example, 35% of all heart attacks happen without any prior symptoms or warning signs. Were those 35% healthy the day before their heart attack?

How Does Chiropractic Care Enhance Your Immune System?

Since its inception, chiropractic has asserted that viruses and microbes don't threaten us all equally and that a healthy immune system easily repels most invaders. The immune system protects us from the flu, as well as any other infectious disease, and strives to get us well again when we do fall ill. Our immune system, like every other system in the body, is coordinated and controlled by the nervous system. For example, nerve cell endings in the skin and white blood cells of the immune system are in intimate contact, and chemicals secreted by the nerves can shut down immune system cells nearby.
Chiropractic corrects spinal abnormalities called vertebral subluxations that result in interference of the nervous system by placing pressure on nerves. Since the nervous system controls all functions of the body, including the immune system, chiropractic care can have a positive effect on immune function.
During an immune response, the brain and the immune system 'talk to each other' and this process is essential for maintaining homeostasis or balance in the body. If the Nervous System is not functioning properly, then the Immune System cannot function at 100%, thus the body becomes fertile ground for bacteria, viruses and illness.

Children who have regular Chiropractic adjustments have fewer colds, ear infections and flu. "People who receive regular chiropractic adjustments have immune system competency that is 200% greater than those who don't." (Dr. Ron Pero. New York Preventative Medicine Institute and Environmental Health at NYU)
Even though you are not sick, your body may be acquiring misalignments of the spine (subluxations) that are interfering with your nervous system and thus your immune system. Regular chiropractic check-ups can help you to maintain a healthy immune system and stave off illnesses or allergies. A chiropractic adjustment will restore the balance of your nervous system and restore the flow of energy and information throughout the body, thus validating one of the great benefits of chiropractic care!

Nutrition & Exercise

Nutrition and Diet

The Word of Wisdom contains the Lord’s outline of the kinds of food that provide good nutrition.

Balanced nutrition includes drinking plenty of clean water and regularly eating foods from each of six food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk products, meat and beans, and oils. These foods contain six kinds of nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. A person should regularly eat or drink enough of all of these nutrients to grow and remain healthy. (See Nutrition Calculations.) For infant nutrition, mother’s milk itself provides an ideal balance of nutrients, with the gradual introduction of solid foods after four to six months of age.

If a variety from all food groups is eaten regularly, it is not usually necessary to take supplements. Even carefully chosen vegetarian diets that include dairy products or eggs can be quite sufficient. But if little or no animal products are eaten, then grains must be eaten with legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, and lentils), nuts, and seeds to provide balanced protein.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,9073-1,00.html 

What’s the difference between a portion and a serving?

A “portion” is how much food you choose to eat at one time, whether in a restaurant, from a package, or in your own kitchen. A “serving” size is the amount of food listed on a product’s Nutrition Facts. Sometimes, the portion size and serving size match; sometimes they do not. Keep in mind that the serving size on the Nutrition Facts is not a recommended amount of food to eat. It is a quick way of letting you know the calories and nutrients in a certain amount of food.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Nutrition Facts information is printed on most packaged foods. It tells you how many calories and how much fat, carbohydrate, sodium, and other nutrients are available in one serving of food. Most packaged foods contain more than a single serving. The serving sizes that appear on food labels are based on FDA-established lists of foods. (For more information, see www.cfsan.fda.gov.)

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm

Helping Your Overweight Child

Healthy eating and physical activity habits are key to your child’s well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little may lead to overweight and related health problems that may follow children into their adult years. You can take an active role to help your child—and your whole family—learn healthy eating and physical activity habits that last a lifetime.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/over_child.htm
Parents... Splash Into a Healthy Summer With These Ideas

Exercise and Fitness

Exercising physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual abilities is required to not only maintain but also improve them. Without exercise, these abilities diminish. Furthermore, fitness in one area can strongly influence fitness in another. For example, improving physical fitness enhances mental, emotional, and even spiritual acuity.

Specific exercises are designed to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic capacity. But every exercise must be tailored to meet a person’s individual requirements, such as age. Where weight bearing is a problem, water exercises are helpful. Chair and desk exercises are useful for those who spend long hours in a sitting position. There are many exercises and activities like these that are inexpensive and can fit the budget of almost anyone.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,8949-1,00.html

Walking A Step in the Right Direction
Walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active. You can do it almost anywhere and at any time. Walking is also inexpensive–all you need is a pair of shoes with sturdy heel support.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/walking.htm 

Dental Care

Dental Care

Parents and leaders should teach that care of the mouth, teeth, and gums is of extreme importance in good personal health. Critical oral functions range from simply chewing food to communicating with clear, understandable speech. Personal care of the mouth should begin at birth and continue daily throughout life. Preventing sugars and other foods from staying in the mouth and on the teeth after eating is a key to good oral hygiene and health. Unfortunately, oral disease (teeth cavities and gum infections) is the most prevalent health challenge of man. Daily brushing and flossing of teeth and massaging of gums, combined with avoidance of tobacco or other foreign substances, and regular visits to the dentist, will preserve the mouth, teeth, and gums throughout life and avoid months or years of pain, suffering, and lost productivity.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,2885-1-1263-1,00.html 

Healthy smile, healthy you: The importance of oral health

Regular dentist visits can do more than keep your smile attractive – they can tell dentists a lot about your overall health, including whether or not you may be developing a disease like diabetes.

New industry research suggests that the health of your mouth mirrors the condition of your body as a whole. For example, when your mouth is healthy, chances are your overall health is good, too. On the other hand, if you have poor oral health, you may have other health problems.
http://www.glassettdental.com/patient-info-center/

Smiling Benefits
Research also shows that a healthy smile may actually prevent certain diseases from occurring.

• Helps You Stay Positive
• Can Change Your Mood
• Brings Happiness
• Reduces Stress
• Boosts Your Immune System
• Lowers Your Blood Pressure
• Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
• Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
• Gives You Confidence
• Attracts People To Us

Do I Really Need to Floss?

 

Yes. Floss removes plaque and debris that sticks to teeth and gums in between teeth, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. Plaque is a sticky layer of material containing bacteria that accumulates on teeth, including places where toothbrushes can't reach. This can lead to gum disease. By flossing your teeth daily, you increase the chance of keeping them for a lifetime and decrease the chance of getting gum disease.

Prevent Oral Health Problems: Visit a Dentist Twice a Year

 

Although twice-a-year dental visits are the key ingredient to maintaining good oral health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports less than two-thirds of adults make one yearly dental trip. In addition, one-third of all Americans have untreated tooth decay and more than 50 percent have gingivitis, which can quickly develop into periodontal (gum) disease. Visiting a dentist twice a year can be instrumental to prevent oral health problems and predict overall health conditions.

http://www.knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=p&iid=297&aid=1192 

What is a Composite Resin (White Filling)?

 

A composite filling is a tooth-colored plastic and glass mixture used to restore decayed teeth. Composites are also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.

 

How is a composite placed?

 

Following preparation, the dentist places the composite in layers, typically using a light specialized to harden each layer. When the process is finished, the dentist will shape the composite to fit the tooth. The dentist then polishes the composite to prevent staining and early wear.

What you can do

Seeing a dentist regularly helps to keep your mouth in top shape and allows your dentist to watch for developments that may point to other health issues. A dental exam also can detect poor nutrition and hygiene, growth and development problems and improper jaw alignment. Provide your dentist with a complete medical/dental history and inform him or her of any recent health developments, even if they seem unrelated to your oral health.

Poor oral health can lead to problems

If you don't take care of your teeth and gums, your poor oral hygiene can actually lead to other health problems, including:

• Oral and facial pain. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, this pain may be largely due to infections of the gums that support the teeth and can lead to tooth loss. Gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease, and advanced gum disease affect more than 75 percent of the U.S. population.

• Problems with the heart and other major organs. Mouth infections can affect major organs. For example, the heart and heart valves can become inflamed by bacterial endocarditis, a condition that affects people with heart disease or anyone with damaged heart tissue.

• Oral cancer. Poor oral care can contribute to oral cancer, which now takes more lives annually than cervical or skin cancer.

• Digestion problems. Digestion begins with physical and chemical processes in the mouth, and problems here can lead to intestinal failure, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestion disorders.

http://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health

Provident Living Healthy Meeting

May 26th, 2010 at 7:00pm.

Come learn tips on taking control of you and your families' health.
There will be three great speakers on different areas of health.

Don't miss this opportunity!

De-Stress in a MOM's Garden

Did you know gardening is a great stress reliever? You get an aromatherapy treatment from the fragrance of the flowers and you stretch and work out your body by planting and pulling out weeds. As well, pastel colors, like pink tulips and yellow daffodils, are known to have a calming effect on your emotions, so it's no wonder your mom loves to garden! And who knows - you may end up liking it so much that you garden with her even after Mother's Day!

Gardening requires you to use your head and your creativity. The time spent planning the garden and researching different plants is a great brain workout. Gardening gives us a chance to be creative. You can let your personality shine through in your garden.

Gardening connects you with people. It's like walking down the street with a new puppy. Everybody talks to a gardener. It's also a great activity to do with kids. Give them a section of the garden all their own. Some of the best lessons can be learned in the garden such as delayed gratification and don't leave a rake on the ground with the head pointing upwards.

• Gardening provides fresh fruits and vegetables and the encouragement to eat them.
• Gardening provides the regular physical exercise listed in the prevention of heart disease, obesity, adult-onset diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Gardening can be especially beneficial for people with special needs or those recovering from illness. Gardening promotes an increased range of motion, develops eye-hand coordination, improves motor skills and increases self esteem. 
• Gardening connects you with mother's nature and the rhythm of life. 

Happy Mother's Day!

My mother has a garden that she waters every day.

Sometimes she picks the flowers and makes a bright bouquet.

She says the flowers remind her of things that children do—

So come into the garden, and I’ll explain to you.

She says I’m like a daisy,

a golden ray of sun,

Or like a happy marigold,

always full of fun.

Here’s a lacy lilac;

it scatters sweet perfume.

And here’s a yellow daffodil

to brighten up a room.

I’m like a carefree dandelion

growing wild and free.

And I am like a hollyhock,

as tall as I can be.

Here’s a strong snapdragon,

as big and brave as Dad.

And here’s a small, sweet violet

trying to be glad.

I’m like a quiet crocus

with promise for the spring.

I’m a purple pansy

that makes you want to sing.

If I am like a flower, then surely you must know

That mother is the gardener, for she helps me to grow!

She cultivates and nurtures and enriches patiently.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for creating her for me.

Pat Graham and Joan Ashton, “Sharing Time: Mother Is a Gardener,” Friend, May 1985, 32

D&C 59: 17