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You Can Quit Flossing, Right?


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Salud America! Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics Fewer than 1 in 3 people floss daily. On top of that, the U.S. federal government recently made a controversial ruling to quietly remove flossing from its list of dietary guidelines, after having supported floss since 1979, due to mixed research results on the benefits of flossing. We can all toss the floss, right? Wrong. Flossing remains an effective method to remove food particles and buildup from between the teeth, and help people reach the plaque where it does form between the teeth, said Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental. "Leaving particles and buildup trapped between the teeth is a quick route to developing decay and disease around the teeth and gums," Townsend ...

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The U.S. Lags on Social Spending that Affects Health Outcomes



The United States spends far more on health care than any other developed nation; a record 17.5% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2014 was spent on health care. However, life expectancy in the U.S. is lower, maternal and infant mortality is higher. Also, the prevalence of chronic illness is far more common in the U.S. than in European countries. These poor health outcomes are also connected to another type of spending where the country falls far below multiple European countries. In terms of social services that target education, housing, nutrition and poverty, the U.S. is spending significantly less. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) analyzed this spending in 2011 and found the ratio of social service to medical care spending was associated with “better health ...

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New Study Shows Latinos are Still the Largest Uninsured Population in the U.S.



Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the number of uninsured people in the United States has declined by an estimated 20 million. The percentage of people without health insurance has also fallen to an historic low. Despite these monumental gains, there are still 24 million people lacking health insurance. The largest number of these individuals are still Latinos. Using data from the Commonwealth Fund Affordable Care Art Tracking Survey to examine the characteristics of the remaining uninsured adults to determine the reasons they for not enrolling in the marketplace plans or Medicaid. Prior to the ACA, people most at risk of being uninsured were those that didn’t have coverage through their place of employment. Latinos and other racial and ethnic ...

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Testing Scratch Made School Meals For CO



A new multi-phase school meal assessment process will help implement healthier scratch made meals for the next two years for students in Colorado's Fort Morgan school district (60.8 % Latino). Like various other districts across the state, Fort Morgan's School District plans to partner with LiveWell Colorado' LiveWell@School Food Initiative, a nonprofit movement funded in part by the Colorado Health Foundation, that helps offer schools a way to serve fresh foods made from scratch. The main goal of the initiative is to make sure kids have healthier school meals by 2022. The partnership with schools allows the initiative to go into cafeterias and teach  culinary training for staff, provide new equipment, and offer tips on healthy recipe planning. The initiative has already helped ...

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Más latinos están conectados a Internet



Más latinos tienen acceso a internet que hace unos años y la brecha digital entre los latinos y los blancos "se encuentra ahora en su punto más estrecho desde el año 2009", según los resultados de un estudio realizado por Pew Research Center. El estudio muestra que el acceso a Internet entre los latinos aumentó de 64% a 84% entre 2009 y 2015. Otros hallazgos claves incluyen: • El 80% de los adultos latinos acceden a Internet desde un dispositivo móvil • El 46% de los latinos accede a Internet desde una conexión de banda ancha en casa Según los autores, la mayoría del 16% de los latinos que aún no tienen acceso a internet son nacidos en el ...

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Novato School Saves Water with Meatless Mondays



Since 2008, Novato school district stopped serving red meat for Humane Society's Meatless Monday initiative. Miguel Villarreal, director of the district's food and nutritional services told local news the initiative helps them save water. "When you do that math for 2,500 gallons of water per one pound of beef for 1,000 pounds of beef,...over the last eight years we have conserved like 3 billion gallons of water," Villarreal said. With over 4,000 students in the district receiving breakfast and lunch, keeping kids satisfied, and providing nutritious easy-to-make foods are important for the district. The district is now working on gearing up for the new school year with fresh new ingredients and recipes. Sofia Garcia, who works in one of the High School's cafeteria explained to ...

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Lawmakers Push for Healthier School Lunch Reimbursements



In Oneida County (5.5% Latino), schools and lawmakers are working to get healthier school lunches for students, putting a petition in for better reimbursements so fresh and local produce can be purchased for the state's schools to provide locally sourced school lunches. The county is looking to offer healthier meals, with more locally grown produce options but needs an increase in cash subsidies for school food reimbursements, County Legislator Colin Idzi explained to local news, stating that forty years have gone by since the last state increase of the current six cents reimbursement rate. A state-level legislation that could increase the reimbursement rate up to 31 cents per meal is being sponsored by State Assemblywoman Addie Russell and co-sponsored by Assemblyman ...

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More School Salads From Local Farms & School Gardens



The 87 Marin schools in Marin County, CA ( 16.0% Latino) are increasing school gardens, farm-to-school education, and local produce to provide kids a healthier school food environment. Kids have various salad options that include fresh vegetables like cabbage, kale, bok choy, cilantro, carrots, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, and strawberries at Lynwood Elementary. Also, local organic milk is offered in Laurel Dell Elementary School. The healthy fresh food options vary from district to district but offer various fruits and vegetables into school lunches and snacks. Miguel Villarreal, the director of food and nutritional services for Novato Unified School District, is also working on helping their schools offer healthy options by working with different local farmers, providing ...

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Users of Marketplace are Gaining Financial Protection



Enroll America recently announced the results of their 2016 consumer survey regarding consumers and the Healthcare Marketplace. According to the survey, affordability remains the primary concern and reason that many have not enrolled in health insurance through the marketplace. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an analysis on coverage and the cost-sharing protections that consumers are getting through HealthCare.gov for the 2016 coverage year. The best way to combat this perception is to ensure consumers are aware of the financial help available to help purchase marketplace plans. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, ...

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