Health insurance is an essential resource to protect you and your health. From preventative care with a primary care physician to caring for minor injuries with urgent care in Lexington, KY to essential care for life-threatening injuries in the emergency room, health insurance protects you in more ways than one. Read on to learn why you need health insurance to keep you and your loved ones protected.

Financial Protection

The strongest case for the need for health insurance is the financial protection it provides. Without health insurance, healthcare is incredibly expensive. You can expect to pay up to 80% more for medical services without insurance.

While preventative care, such as seeing a primary care physician, will be more expensive without insurance, the biggest financial burden you run into will be when the unexpected happens.

Accidents and illnesses can’t be planned for and when they happen, they can be costly. And because you haven’t planned for it, you could end up with medical debt.

Medical debt is one of the most common types of debt people hold. It can create a huge financial burden for families and can be debilitating to their quality of life.

To avoid finding yourself saddled with large medical bills, health insurance can help.

You will pay significantly less for care and get the financial support you need in the event of an unplanned medical expense.

Preventative Health Protection

Preventative care helps you maintain your health and wellness. With health insurance, you’re covered with annual checkups by your primary care physician, vaccines and immunizations, health screenings, and more.

All of these services are essential in staying healthy. You protect yourself from illnesses and can increase the chances of early detection of health issues.

With medical conditions, early detection is always best.

A primary care physician will also be there as a sounding board to recommend other forms of medical care and health practices you need to maintain your wellness.

If you do need specialized services, you often need to have a referral to get an appointment. That’s where your doctor comes in.

They are a great resource for helping you find the medical support you need to stay healthy.

With health insurance, these services are affordable and often covered.

If you do have to pay for any preventative services, it’s likely the cost of your copay, which is significantly lower than what you would expect to pay if you did not have health insurance.

Protected Health Benefits

While general preventative health is essential, there are some health services you need in addition to seeing a primary care physician. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACT), health insurance companies are required to offer comprehensive services to help individuals maintain proper health. This includes:

• Chronic disease management services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Maternity and newborn care
• Mental health services
• Outpatient services (also called ambulatory patient services)
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
• Laboratory services
• Pediatric services

For full, well-rounded health protection, these services are a piece of managing your health.

Having a primary care physician is great, but they can’t always provide other essential, specialized services you need to manage your health.

If you or a member of your family require any of these services, having health insurance is essential. Otherwise, the cost would come out of pocket and expenses will add up quickly.

Protects Peace of Mind

Most people deal with stress in their lives in some shape or form, particularly financial stress.

Health insurance offers you peace of mind that if something tragic occurs, you and your family will be protected.

The protection comes in the form of financial protection, so you don’t have to be concerned about building up tons of medical debt.

You can feel safe in the fact that health insurance offers quality health services for your family.

Without insurance, your concern might be in finding the cheapest solution. With insurance, you can find quality healthcare professionals in your network to provide medical services to your family.

It is impossible to predict when a horrific accident or life-altering medical condition will happen.

It may never happen, in which case you should count yourself lucky. But there’s always that possibility.

Instead of stressing out about what you will do if something happens, you can rest assured that as long as you have health insurance, you’ll be able to manage whatever happens.

Conclusion

While health insurance is technically optional, it’s not something that you should put on the back burner.

To live a long, healthy life, you need to take care of your body and your mind. Health insurance helps you do that with quality preventative care and financial support.

The early stages of addiction recovery are, unfortunately, those first few months when people newly in recovery are at their most vulnerable to a potential relapse, and the resumption of their substance use.

Out of all the drug addicts and chronic alcoholics who make it into treatment every year, around half of those will relapse.

For some, it’s only temporary, and they soon return to sobriety and their recovery.

Sadly, however, for others, their relapse and return to substance use signal a seemingly permanent end to their attempt at recovery.

Most people think getting rehab and finding a recovery coach is too expensive for them. Luckily this isn’t the case. You can get drug rehab treatment for free if you know what resources to look for.

In recent years, there has been a growth in the provision of support services for those in early recovery, and one of the newer services now being offered is the recovery coach.

What is a Recovery Coach?

A recovery coach (sometimes also known as a sober coach or a sober companion) is an individual who guides someone through the early stages of addiction recovery, using a variety of methods to both monitor and communicate with those they are assisting.

Because the introduction of the recovery coach is a relatively new addition to addiction services, there are still a few U.S. states yet to put formal legal standards in place, such as licensing and certification for those offering recovery coaching.

Fortunately, though, the vast majority do have required professional standards of some description.

One of the most important aspects of the support that recovery coaches can offer is relapse prevention – the single biggest threat to remaining sober and in recovery. Here’s an idea of what they can provide:

• A sense of accountability to those in recovery
• Proactive intervention if people are struggling
• Assistance in finding recovery, therapy, or other support meetings
• Accompanying people to these meetings for support
• The removal of potential relapse triggers from the home
• Healthy, safe and gradual exposure to triggering situations
• Coaching to maintain coping skills and other tools in such situations
• Frequent drug and alcohol testing, and the necessary monitoring

The recovery coach is an advisor, a supporter, and a motivator for those in recovery.

It has been proven through various studies that using a recovery coach reduces the likelihood of relapse. However, they are not a guarantee.

The services of a recovery coach can be used at any time that a person in recovery needs their services – for example, after an inpatient or outpatient treatment program, after another form of addiction treatment, during the actual treatment, or at any time when the person in recovery feels vulnerable and requires a level of professional support.

Recovery Coaches: Certification, Qualification & Professional Training

Because of the lack of a nationwide structure for the profession of recovery coaches, many may actually be therapists or other health care professionals, whereas others may have no formal training or certifications at all.

Fortunately, many U.S. states now require formal licensing, like Arizona, which has improved standards across the nation for this relatively new profession of recovery coaching.

For example, in Arizona, a person wishing to become an accredited recovery coach is legally required to have an IC&RC Peer Recovery Credential, as directed by the Arizona Board for Certification of Addiction Counselors.

The IC&RC Peer Recovery Examination Certification requires:

• 500 hours of relevant practical experience, including:
  • 25 hours of supervision
  • 46 hours of training / education, which breaks own as:
    • 10 hours in advocacy
    • 10 hours in mentoring/education
    • 10 hours in recovery/wellness support
    • 16 hours in ethical responsibility
  • Successful completion of the IC&RC Peer Recovery Examination
  • Signed agreement to the Arizona Board for Certification of Addiction Counselors’ official Code of Ethics

However, beware, not every U.S. state has such a regulated structure for professional certification.

IMPORTANT: Always ask to see a prospective recovery coach’s credentials, and their official authorization to practice from your home state.

Vital Questions to Ask Prospective Recovery Coaches

Please ensure you ask the following questions if you are looking to use the services of a recovery coach – these will help you to ascertain their professional level and standard:

It is essential this is answered fully:

1. What are your professional qualifications?
2. Are you licensed or certified in this U.S. state?
3. Where did you study for your certificate / qualification?
4. Do you use a mobile phone app to assist with your recovery coaching?
5. How often will you check in with me?
6. Will you accompany me to group support meetings or medical appointments?
7. How much do you charge for recovery coaching?

It is preferable if this is answered:

8. Do you work with specific healthcare service insurers to help cover your costs, and can you assist with my health coverage insurance claim?

All of this information will help you to find the perfect recovery coach for you.

Stay safe.

Whole Foods: Consumers make changes in their diet to improve their health and avoid serious complications. Several diseases could emerge if individuals do not avoid processed foods that hinder their health. When reviewing the ingredients of ready-made meals, consumers see a lot of products they don’t recognize, and a majority of these ingredients are byproducts and preservatives. They are not healthy for anyone and the products cause a decline in health.

By making necessary changes in their diet, the consumer may increase their lifespan and avoid serious health risks. They will discover major changes in their body and how it performs within the first week of these dietary changes.

Increased Nutrients and Vitamins

By eliminating processed meals from the diet, the person gets more nutrient and vitamin content. Studies show patients that who stop all processed foods and eat only lean meats and vegetables increase their vitamin intake significantly. Their foods are fresher, and they won’t consume any products that are detrimental to their health. Processed foods have far more calories and increase the risk of several diseases. Consumers can get recipes at SupplementRelief.com and enjoy their whole foods more.

A Decreased Risk of Diabetes

As patients with diabetes know all too well, processed foods can increase blood-glucose levels dramatically and cause serious health consequences. People who eat the processed foods and ready-to-make meals experience higher-than-average glucose levels because of the ingredients and byproducts added to the meals.

Diabetes could see a serious increase in their weight by eating these meals, too. By switching to whole foods, the patients maintain healthier body weight, and they won’t experience as many issues with their blood glucose levels. Whole foods could control their blood sugar levels and prevent negative outcomes.

Lowering the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Processed foods and meals increase the risk of clogged arteries and plaque buildup. By switching to healthier foods, such as lean proteins, vegetables, grains, and fruits, heart patients see major changes in their health and improve heart function. However, they will still need to limit their intake of red meats. Fish, chicken, and pork are better choices for patients with existing cardiovascular conditions. Patients that haven’t developed the disease but are predisposed to do so decrease their risks by changing their diet.

Getting Your Daily Intake of Fiber

Daily fiber intake is vital for everyone, and it will regulate their digestive system. A person that isn’t getting enough dietary fiber could face more frequent constipation. This causes weaknesses in the colon and increases the risk of gastrointestinal diseases. Greens and potatoes are great sources of dietary fiber, but the person must drink adequate amounts of water when increasing their fiber intake.

By changing their diet, the person can see major changes in their digestive system. This can make them feel better and prevent toxins from building up in the body. Proper fiber intake flushes out the body and improves health.

Improving the Way Your Skin Looks

By increasing the intake of healthier foods, the skin becomes healthier and the person could see a decrease in the amount of sebum on their skin. This could give them healthier and clearer skin by making these simple changes. For example, avocados protect skin from sun damage and decrease premature aging of the skin.

By avoiding greasier foods, the person decreases unhealthy fats that affect their skin negatively. If they have a history of breakouts, they could decrease complex skin conditions by making adjustments to their diet and get more out of the foods they eat. Processed foods increase the risk of acne breakouts and could lead to scarring of the skin.

Lower Risks of Bad Cholesterol

Bad cholesterol can increase the risk of clogged arteries and heart disease. The patient could face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke if they do not get their bad cholesterol in check. By changing their diet, the person decreases their risks and increases their overall great health. Doctors present patients with a diet plan that doesn’t include processed meals or foods. Processed foods increase bad cholesterol quickly and have a damaging effect on the body.

Whole Foods are Cost-Effective Choices

When comparing the cost of food, it’s easy to see that buying fresh foods is more cost-effective than purchasing prepackaged meals. The shopper can find their own food combinations and avoid all the extra ingredients that are unhealthy. They can purchase lean meats and fish from their grocer at a lower price than buying complete meals. They can also control how much meat and vegetables are in their own meals.

When comparing the prices, they could decrease costs by choosing fresh meats that are on sale and decrease the overall cost of groceries. They can also purchase vegetables and fruits from local farmer’s markets.

Fresh Vegetables Help With Antioxidant Levels

Fresh vegetables have higher antioxidant content, and antioxidants fight free radicals that damage the cells. More mature consumers see the signs of aging prematurely if they do not take care of their cells. When eating fresh fruits and vegetables, they can improve their body from the inside out.

Higher antioxidant content decreases the risk of cancer and keep the body healthier. The person will feel better and control how much they eat by consuming the right foods. They won’t overeat and feel sluggish. Vegetables give them plenty of vitamins and nutrients they need throughout the day. The person won’t feel drained as they do after eating a lot of sugary sweets.

Consumers explore new options when setting up new meal plans and trying to eat healthier. Processed foods and ready-to-eat meals are not healthy solutions for everyday use. The person will need to review all the options for eating healthier such as switching the lean meats and proteins. They can start eating more vegetables and fruits that increase nutrient content and daily fiber. The consumer will see dramatic changes in their body and achieve healthier body weight. By reviewing new diet plans, consumers take control over their health and decrease serious risks to their health.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle requires more than exercising and eating well. It is also influenced by the access to opportunities to remain active, healthy foods, and a strong network. Encouragement of healthy practices in the public requires awareness in educational institutions, healthcare centers, and communities to help people make the right health choices. From healthcare professionals to common people, everyone is responsible for taking the right health measures. It ensures a good healthcare system in public and reduces the risk of different diseases and healthcare issues.

The responsibility of promoting good health practices in public also lies on the government. The health regulatory bodies are supposed to create awareness among rural and urban areas. They also have to ensure that people have access to basic health facilities to keep the public healthcare system stable, including basic medical treatment for any illness. In this article, we will learn different factors that promote healthy practices in the public and practices that we should adopt.

1. Spreading Awareness In Educational Institutions

Educational institutions are one of the best places to create awareness among people about healthy practices. It is one of those factors that positively contribute to promoting healthy practices in the public. If you are passionate about serving public health and establishing your career in it, you should earn relevant qualifications. With the lockdown situation in place, many universities and platforms are offering options for online education. So, you have to look for a well-recognized university offering accredited mph degrees online by a well-reputed organization. It will allow you to attend classes from anywhere according to your convenience.

Having the right qualification will help you gain skills to address different health-related issues. It makes you eligible to join different healthinstitutions as a health counselor or advisor. With these qualifications, people serve in schools and colleges in similar positions to promote healthy activities among students and efficiently implement wellness policies.

2. Educating Kids At Home

It all starts at home by providing the right guidance about healthy practices to children. Teaching kids at an early age about healthy practices helps them develop beneficial habits and lets them know what is good for their health and what is harmful. The pandemic of COVID-19 also played an important role in this regard as parents got more time to spend with kids at home. It helped them guide children about healthy practices like consuming healthy food for an excellent immune system, maintaining social distancing, and using hand sanitizers. Setting good examples of healthy practices at home impacts public health positively.

3. Role Of Government Officials

The role of the government holds special significance in spreading awareness about public health practices. For example, creating safe walking routes and more places for exercise and physical activities plays a key role in encouraging healthy practices. The presence of workout spaces and parks motivates people to do exercise regularly, and thus the government should invest in making such spaces more available to people.

4. Serving At The Community Level

Serving people at the community level and helping them boost healthy practices in the public gives you a great sense of fulfillment. Things like donating healthy items to food pantries or offering community cleaning services help add value to the public health system. It is essential to ensure the donation of healthy food items if you want to help food pantries so that they realize the value of healthy eating. All you need to do is approach the management of those events, and this way, you can play your part in promoting good health in the community.

5. Working As A Volunteer

Working in different social services organizations as a volunteer is one of the effective ways to spread healthy practices to the public. You need to identify the organizations that can add value to your community’s health. You have to find out how they operate to promote good health. Once you know that these organizations work with volunteers, you can volunteer your time to help these organizations reach more needy people. Doing this will help people who cannot afford basic healthcare facilities or do not have access to healthy food.

You can also volunteer your time in educational institutions to create awareness among people about the significance of exercise and other healthy habits. Nutrition is one of the most critical aspects of our health, and you can also volunteer to educate kids about the proper food intake. Once they know about healthy food consumption, it will greatly impact their mental and physical growth.

6. Following Healthy Practices At Workplaces

It is essential to target workplaces when it comes to promoting healthy practices in the public. Starting the employee wellness program is one of the steps to ensure healthy practices at workplaces. It includes the awareness of different measures taken at workplaces like the consumption of healthy snacks during breaks and proper hygiene practices. If there is no employee wellness program at your workplace, you can talk to the HR department to start such programs. It will allow employees to adopt healthy habits at work and help each other attain a healthy lifestyle.

7. Encouraging The Use Of Public Transportation

According to a study, the root cause of health diseases among people is air pollution. Many people are exposed to air pollution that can be harmful to their lungs and entire respiratory system. To protect environmental health and improve the air quality outdoor, people must adopt practices like carpooling and availing public transportation. It would be best to guide your peers and co-workers as well to use public transportation to save space and consumption of more vehicles.

Conclusion

Government and all concerning health organizations are responsible for ensuring health practices in the public. Additionally, they have to spread awareness among children at their initial level of education to build the right sense of healthy practices. All healthcare organizations should also work on their capacity to educate and guide people about the factors that can harm their health and how a common person should tackle them. We are all equally responsible for normalizing its habits such as awareness of healthy food, taking care of personal hygiene, and improving the environment.

Clear nails is a term commonly used to describe the condition of having healthy, transparent, and evenly colored nails.

It implies that the nails are free from discoloration, brittleness, thickness, or other visible signs of nail disorders or infections.

Not all changes to fingernails are a medical concern. Fingernails can look white at the base, pink on most nails, and white or clear at the tip.

Healthy fingernails are even and appear in diverse colors as they nurture out. But they’re, in fact, transparent.

Having clear nails is typically associated with good nail health, as nails that are clear and smooth indicate that they are free from common nail problems such as fungal infections, nail psoriasis, nail trauma, or certain systemic health conditions. Clear nails are also aesthetically pleasing, as they appear neat and natural.

Cause of Transparent Nails

Fingernails made of the protein keratin and flattened cells. The nail plate, or the top part of the nail, is transparent or clear because the flattened cells don’t have nuclei.

The nail appears to be different colors because the clear nail exposes colors underneath the nail plate, including:

• Distal Edge

Also called free edge, this is the part of your nail plate that’s no longer on top of your skin. These edges can be white or clear.

• Nail bed

This is under your nail plate and is pink in color. This is pink because the skin is thinner, and there’s a lot of vascular activity underneath it.

• Lunula

This is the half-moon white shape at the bottom of your nail (you may not see this on every nail). It appears white because your skin is thicker at the bottom of the nail.

Healthy nails are transparent. But, they may become thinner and more brittle or change to a paler or whiter color for various reasons.

An external cause may be the culprit when the changes occur on your fingernails, not your toenails. Changes to your fingernails or toenails may indicate an underlying health condition.

External Causes

Your nails may peel off in clear pieces, which causes the nail to become thinner. This can occur for a few reasons:

• Picking off nail polish or picking at your nails
• Washing your hands too much
• Living in drier environments or in cold weather where you’re inside with dry heat

Your nails may become softer because of exposure to chemicals, including:

• Nail polish removers with or without acetone (those containing acetone may be more damaging)
• Household or industrial cleaning products

Medical Conditions

Thyroid Condition

Your nails may also become brittle and split if you have a thyroid condition. This occurs when you have an irregular amount of thyroid hormones, which alters your metabolism.

You may need medication or changes to your diet to manage your thyroid and prevent symptoms in your nails.

Anemia

Your nails may become paler in color if you have anemia. This is an iron deficiency that can correct through diet and supplements.

Your nails may also become brittle or appear spoon-like. Other symptoms of anemia include fatigue, dizziness, and constipation.

Other conditions

Other subtle changes to your transparent nail color may be due to other health conditions:

• Nails with white lines may have stopped growing temporarily and then resumed growing. This may cause by stress, illness, or medical treatment like chemotherapy.
• Nails that look half white and half pink may be a sign of kidney disease
• Nails that turn whiter in color may be due to liver disease or diabetes.

You may also notice your transparent nail lifting from the nail bed. The nail may then turn white.

This could be from a fungus, an injury, or an autoimmune condition like psoriasis, which affects your skin and nails.

Tip of the Nails are Clear

Your nails are transparent underneath the nail bed and may grow away from the nail bed with a transparent color. This isn’t necessarily a concern, but it may also be related to:

• Medical conditions
• Environmental factors like chemical exposure, weather, and frequent handwashing

Tip of the Nails is White

As your nails grow beyond the nail bed, they usually change to white. This is because the nail is dry. This is nothing to worry about and is a sign of healthy nails.

Remedies at Home

If you suspect that your nails have changed because of environmental factors, you can:

• Avoid frequent handwashing.
• Wear gloves when you use chemical cleaners.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Apply emollients like petroleum jelly or lotion containing alpha-hydroxy acids or lanolin after soaking your hands.
• Avoid polish from time to time & let your nails breathe.
• Be gentle with your nails when manicuring, buff them in the direction they grow, and don’t push back your cuticles.
• Trim your nails, but avoid cutting them too short.
• Use nail polish remover that doesn’t contain acetone.

Treating Clear Nails

Fingernail treatments will depend on your symptoms. Strong, healthy, clear nails require no management.

But there are home-based and medical treatments to help your nails if you do notice changes.

Changes to the nails can signify a more serious medical condition.

You may need to treat an underlying condition if:

• You can’t think of environmental factors that may be causing symptoms.
• You suspect an infection.
• Your fingernails and toenails develop similar changes.

Infections caused by fungus or bacteria may require a prescription or over-the-counter treatment.

Other health conditions treated after you talk with a doctor. Treatments for the underlying condition may improve your nails or require additional care to get your nails back to health.

Right Time to Consult a Doctor

You should see a doctor or medical professional if you experience drastic changes to your fingernails or suspect you have a health condition affecting your fingernail health. Also, talk with a doctor if you suspect a nail infection.

Maintaining Clear Nails

Here are a few factors that contribute to maintaining clear nails:

• Good Hygiene

Maintaining proper nail hygiene is essential for clear nails. Regularly washing your hands, cleaning your nails with a mild soap or cleanser, and gently scrubbing the nails using a soft brush can help remove dirt, debris, and bacteria from the nail surface.

• Proper Nail Care

Trimming nails regularly and keeping them at an appropriate length can help prevent nail trauma or breakage.

Using clean and sharp nail clippers or scissors and filing the nails in one direction can help maintain their strength and prevent splitting.

• Moisturizing

Applying moisturizer or cuticle oil to the nails and cuticles can help keep them hydrated and prevent dryness and brittleness.

Dry nails are more prone to breakage and can develop ridges or uneven texture.

• Protection

Wearing gloves when engaging in activities that expose your nails to excessive moisture, chemicals, or trauma, such as washing dishes or working with cleaning agents, can protect your nails from damage.

Wearing open-toed shoes in public places like swimming pools or locker rooms can help reduce the risk of fungal infections.

• Nail-Friendly Products

Choosing nail polishes, removers, and other nail care products free from harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) can help maintain the health of your nails.

These chemicals can cause discoloration, brittleness, and other nail problems with long-term use.

• Healthy Diet

A balanced diet that includes nutrients like biotin, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and protein can contribute to overall nail health.

These nutrients promote the growth and strength of nails, reducing the likelihood of issues like brittleness or slow growth.

It’s important to note that some individuals may naturally have more transparent and healthier nails due to genetic factors or overall good health.

However, suppose you notice any changes in your nail color, texture, shape, or concerns about your health.

In that case, it’s recommended to consult a healthcare professional or a dermatologist for proper diagnosis and guidance.

Conclusion

Healthy nails are transparent and look pink because of the vascular activity under the nail bed. They change to clear or white when they grow out past the skin.

Changes to your nail, like peeling, splitting, or color alterations, may be signs of environmental factors or other medical conditions.

Talk with a doctor or medical professional if you’re concerned about the changes to your fingernails.