It looks like the link pointing here was faulty. Maybe try searching?

Why should you go for regular screenings?

Some risk factors for high blood pressure include drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Neglecting a healthy diet, having diabetes or kidney disease, being overweight or obese and smoking of cigarettes. It is possible to have high blood pressure without these risk factors. Most doctors recommend checking your blood pressure at least once a year if your reading is normal, or 120/80. However, you will need to be tested more often if your blood pressure is higher than that. Certain people are at greater risk for having high cholesterol levels. A routine cholesterol screening involves a simple blood test. Your doctor uses these numbers:

200 mg/dL or less – ideal

200-239 mg/dL – borderline

240 mg/dL and above – high risk

Along with your age, weight, family history, and other health issues, to determine if you should make certain lifestyle and diet changes to lower cholesterol or if you need medication.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it is one of the most-used metrics in health. This metric is used by health professionals to help decide if a person is underweight, a healthy weight or overweight. So, how can we calculate this ratio and why is BMI important?

To measure your BMI, you divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared, for example, X (kg)/X (m2) = X BMI. Or, if imperial is your style, you can use this formula:

BMI = weight (lb.) / [height (in) x height (in)] x 703

Knowing your BMI, you will be able to say which category you fit into and its potential impact on your overall health. Underweight: BMI less than 18.5, Healthy weight: BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, Overweight: BMI between 25 and 29.9 and Obese: BMI of 30+

A high BMI can be a risk factor in various conditions, such as: Diabetes, heart problems, stroke, muscular-skeletal disorders, cancer and other.

 

Wellness screenings are paid for on all plans. Refer to the product brochure under the wellness section for more details.

What Is Mental Illness?

Mental Illnesses are brain-based conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and behaviors. Since we all have brains – having some kind of mental health problem during your life is really common.

For people who have mental illnesses, their brains have changed in a way in which they are unable to think, feel, or act in ways they want to. For some, this means experiencing extreme and unexpected changes in mood – like feeling more sad or worried than normal. For others, it means not being able to think clearly, not being able to communicate with someone who is talking to them, or having bizarre thoughts to help explain weird feelings they are having.

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

Heritage health offers mental health benefits for all members in need. View full benefits in the product brochure 2022.

Make exercise a daily habit – 10 tips

Did you know that you can save on your benefit as well as your pocket by making use of generic medication instead of branded?  Many may not know the difference between the two, let us explain it to you!

Piece your workout together

You don’t need to get all your exercise at one time. Ten minutes morning, noon and night can give much of the same benefit as 30 minutes all at once.

Exercise with a friend

Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door.

Keep it brisk

When you walk, make it brisk, since this may help control weight better than walking at a leisurely pace. What is brisk enough? Walk as though you are meeting someone for lunch and you are a little late.

Move your feet before you ea

Hit the gym or go for a 20-minute walk with coworkers, and have lunch afterwards.

Try a pedometer

Step-counters (pedometers) are an easy, inexpensive way to motivate yourself to be active. Work up to 10,000 steps per day.

Turn off the TV, computer, and smart phone

Cutting back on screen time is a great way to curb your “sit time.” Move around instead, by visiting the gym or even cleaning the house.

Turn sit time into fit time

Try to combine cardiovascular exercise with a sedentary activity that you already do. For example, try doing simple exercises while watching TV, or set a reminder at work to get up and walk a few minutes every hour.

Sign up for a class

Check out the fitness course schedule at your local gym or community center, or the dance or yoga class schedule at a nearby studio. You may find that having the structure of a class helps you learn a new activity and keeps you on track.

Plan exercise into your day

Set aside a specific time in your schedule to exercise and put it in your planner.

Reward yourself

Set short-term goals—and reward yourself for achieving them. Try targeting a specific event, such as a road race or a walk-for-charity, to participate in—this can help keep you motivated.

Facts about dental and oral health

  • between 60 and 90 percent of school children have at least one dental cavity
  • nearly 100 percent of adults have at least one dental cavity
  • between 15 and 20 percent of adults ages 35 to 44 have severe gum disease
  • about 30 percent of people around the world ages 65 to 74 don’t have any natural teeth left
  • in most countries, out of every 100,000 people, there are between 1 and 10 cases of oral cancer
  • the burden of oral disease is much higher in poor or disadvantaged population groups
  • brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day
  •  flossing your teeth at least once a day
  •  decreasing your intake of sugar
  • eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables
  • avoiding tobacco products
  • drinking fluoridated water
  • seeking professional dental care

Generic versus Branded medications

Did you know that you can save on your benefit as well as your pocket by making use of generic medication instead of branded?  Many may not know the difference between the two, let us explain it to you!

Generic medications

go through testing for quality, strength, purity, and potency to show effectiveness before approval by FDA. They must have the same active ingredient and provide the same benefits. There are a few differences, however. Generic and brand medications don’t look the same. Generics may have slightly different inactive ingredients (fillers, binders, flavors, etc.). These don’t affect how the medicine works.

Brand medications

are new discoveries developed through research and clinical trials? New drugs go through years of testing on animals and humans to prove they are safe and effective before they are ready for us to use.

This takes a lot of money so brand companies get patent and exclusivity protection from competition for several years.