Category: Healthy Food

CMS’s Journey To Value-Based Care

Most people think of CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) as an insurance company that covers individual services provided by physicians, FQHCs, hospitals, and other health care providers. Some people even think of it as a policy-writing agency for Medicare. It is true that CMS reimburses providers for services to millions of individual beneficiaries. However, since the Affordable Care Act came into action in 2010, CMS has been developing focused payment strategies that shift from fees for services to value-based care and a focus on population health.

Today, CMS’s second-highest strategic priority is prevention and population health. To this day, the agency is engaged in numerous activities to promote effective prevention of chronic diseases and not just its treatment.

In 2011, the federal government reported that fewer than half of all adults aged 65+ were regularly checking the core set of recommended preventive services. The Affordable Care Act took

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Healthy Spinach Salad Recipe With Goat Cheese, Pear & Creamy Balsamic Dressing | Salads


Looking for fresh and easy for lunch or dinner? This salad recipe with goat cheese and pear is my go to for a healthy balanced meal without any big planning needed. This easy, nutritious meal, with ingredients that can be adapted based on what you have on hand, saves the day for me. I’ll share my favorite combination but I’ll also include some ideas for you to play with to make it your go to favorite as well.

The salad is a light and healthy mix of salad greens or spinach, sweet pepper, fresh pears, goat cheese and almonds. The salad dressing is a simple mixture of balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Adjust the ingredients to your taste buds. Like it with a little more spice? Add a bit more Dijon. Like textures? Make that country Dijon! Sweeter? Maybe a bit more of the sweetener of your

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PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ may slash women’s pregnancy odds by up to 40%, study finds

Higher exposure to “forever chemicals” found in the environment and many everyday products may help explain why some women struggle to get pregnant, new research suggests.

The study found that higher levels of perfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – in the blood of would-be mothers were associated with up to 40 per cent lower chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

The researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, the US, say women trying to conceive should therefore avoid products known to contain PFAS, such as non-stick cookware, microwaveable popcorn or anti-stain fabrics.

“PFAS does reduce fertility in women, and PFAS exposure should be reduced in women who are planning a pregnancy in order to make it easier for them to conceive,” the study’s lead author Dr Nathan Cohen told Euronews Next.

He and his colleagues looked at blood samples from 382 women aged

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6 Foods You Should Avoid That Cause Bloating (And Tips To Reduce Bloating)

Have you ever felt that uncomfortable bloated feeling, with excess gas and abdominal discomfort? If so, you’re not alone! It has become quite common as our eating habits tend to favor sinful street food over healthy homemade meals. However, did you know that the cause of your discomfort could be related to your most recent meal, which may still be sitting in your undigested stomach? The good news is that bloating and gas are usually not a sign of a serious health issue and can be managed with a few simple changes to your diet. To help you pinpoint which foods might be causing your bloating and gas, we’ve put together a list of common culprits, along with tips on how to avoid feeling gassy. So let’s start on the path towards a happier and healthier digestive system!

Here Are 6 Foods You Should Avoid If Bloating Troubles You:

1.

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Time to become Virtually perfect

Some might believe that the COVID ’19 pandemic was the harbinger of a heightened digital health wave, while others might believe that the pandemic simply hastened the process of its evolution and adoption. I, for one, stand by the latter. The Digital Health market size was around US$ 195.1 billion in 2021, and is estimated to substantially grow to around US$ 780.05 billion by 2030¹. The spending on digital healthcare solutions is estimated to reach US$ 244 billion by 2025². Digital Health companies have been slowly simmering, brewing, adapting and growing, and have seized the market when the time was ripe.

When the pandemic necessitated the need for mitigation amidst disruption and chaos, Health Technology companies were ready to offer mature plug and play solutions that made adoption seamless and imperative. Furthermore, several countries quickly recognized the need to alter privacy policies and data protection regulations to enable

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Guelph’s food mirage: Access to healthy food, but at what cost?

As grocery prices continue to rise, parts of Guelph are stuck in food miracles, where the neighborhood may have grocery stores nearby, but being able to purchase affordable healthy food is key to the illusion of food accessibility.

Maude Stephany lives in a Guelph food mirage.

Stephany and their family of three live downtown and don’t have access to a car. Their options for a nearby grocery store are Market Fresh. And they only use it when they are in a pinch.

Stephany’s family sits down to make their menu for the week which informs their grocery list. Much of the shopping falls on Stephany, whose wife is still recovering from surgery.

They typically go to No Frills or Food Basics by bus or if the weather permits, they walk with a shopping buggy in tow.

This year Stephany has tried to be a bit savvy by using Flashfood, an

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Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)

HEDIS is a set of performance measures that are used to compare health plan performance and measure the quality of health plans. These measures were created by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). About 90% of health plans use HEDIS as a standard to measure the performance of their plan. The data is tracked from year to year to measure the performance of the health plan and thus provide information regarding the population served.

The data that is collected is used to monitor the health of the general population, evaluate treatment outcomes, etc., and the data is collected through administrative, hybrid, and survey methods.

HEDIS Measure Domains:

About 95 HEDIS measures are categorized under the following six “domains of care”.

Effectiveness of Care

  • Controlling High Blood Pressure
  • Care for Older Adults
  • Hemoglobin A1c Control for Patients With Diabetes
  • Blood Pressure Control for Patients With Diabetes
  • Eye Exam for
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Think you know all about ‘heart healthy’ foods? It’s time to get your fats straight

The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts, have been widely documented, in particular in relation to brain health. You may be less familiar with omega-6, another essential dietary fat found mainly in cooking oils, especially soybean, sunflower and corn oils.

Scientists have found that a diet high in omega-6 but low in omega-3 increases inflammation, a risk factor for chronic disease, whilst a diet that includes balanced amounts of each reduces inflammation. There is actually no scientifically proven ideal ratio but the Western diet is typically 16:1 and it’s thought we should be aiming for 4:1 or lower. In a nutshell, the advice is to reduce omega-6 and increase omega-3.

This poke bowl recipe does a good job of balancing out the omega-6, in the soy, by including oily fish which is high in omega-3.

Place some pre-cooked whole grain rice

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The importance of food during Ramadan

Anisa Karolia

Anisa Karolia

This is what blogger Anisa Karolia wants everyone to know about food during the holy month. By Prudence Wade.

Food blogger Anisa Karolia says she understands the meaning of Ramadan much better now she’s an adult.

Ramadan (taking place this year between March 22 and April 21) involves abstaining from food and water during the day, as well as dedicating yourself to prayer and charitable acts. The fast is broken at sunset every day with Iftar, where family and friends traditionally gather around the table.

“When you’re young, you don’t really think about the charity side of Ramadan,” Karolia explains.

“I now think more about countries where they don’t have food at the end of the day. We know that we are fasting, but we are looking forward to a table full of delicious food.”

Food is important during Ramadan – both abstaining from it, and coming together

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Five Tips for Healthy Eating in 2023

by RIAH DURICKNOURISHED FOLKS

Since I started Nourished Folks, my mom has been trying to get me to use the word “health” in our marketing. But I’m annoyed by the organic food market, jaded by the diet industry and sticking my nose up at counting calories. She is right, though, that the kind of food we sell in the shop is, by definition, healthy.

To us at Nourished Folks, “healthy” food is a cornucopia of rainbow vegetables that come from the ground, anchored by beans and grains to sop them all up. We think healthy food is made mostly from scratch, is organic sometimes when the stars align and generally just feels good for you to eat.

With that said, here are some healthy eating tips for 2023:

1. Every time you take a bite of food or sip a hot mug of whatever it is that you love,

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