February 2011 Newsletter
What´s New at Savon
◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page
Quote Of The Month:
I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. (Author Unknown)
Congratulations To:
M. Bos of Tucson, AZ Winner of our January early payment drawing for 1 free additional year of membership.
Congratulations to our winner and thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.
Keeping Fit With Jourdin Hendershot:
 |
Hypoglycemia
Have you ever heard of hypoglycemia or are you one whom is affected by this? Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a condition when your blood glucose is too low. Hypoglycemia can vary from person to person also the severity. This results when your body's glucose is used up too rapidly, when the glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly, or when too much insulin is released into the bloodstream.
What can cause hypoglycemia?
- Medications
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Illnesses
- Tumors
- Endocrine deficiencies
- Excessive exercise
|
Most hypoglycemia occurs when one has not eaten, but that´s not always the case.
What are symptoms of hypoglycemia?
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Light headed/ Dizzy
- Confusion
- Weakness
The best treatment for preventing low blood sugar is not to eat more sugar, and this is why all sugars as well as carbohydrates should be avoided when undergoing treatment for hypoglycemia. Caffeine is not recommended for anyone suffering from low blood sugar because caffeine releases stored sugars and in turn will react the same way as sugars in the body.
Smoking should also be avoided as this can also affect blood sugar levels. If you feel your blood sugar is to low TEST IT! If you are concerned you may have hypoglycemia consult your physician!
If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.
Holistic Health With Jen Ericson:
 |
Which Vitamins Help With Hair And Nail Growth?
Want healthy, beautiful hair and stronger nails? Try including these vitamins in your daily diet to help promote their growth.
The B vitamins are vital in maintaining healthy hair and nails and can be taken in supplement form or the best dietary sources of the B vitamins, especially B12, are:
Meat, poultry, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, potatoes, dried apricots, dates and figs, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, fish, brown rice, wheat germ and whole grain cereals.
Biotin can help promote hair and nail growth and can be found in oats, brown rice, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and carrots.
|
Vitamin A helps the immune system function properly, resulting in healthier nails and hair. You can get it by eating dark green and yellow vegetables and yellow fruits, such as broccoli spinach, turnip greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and apricots, and in animal sources such as liver, milk, butter, cheese, and whole eggs or taken in supplement form.
Vitamin C encourages blood circulation to the scalp and follicles, which can speed hair growth. It can be found in parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale & mustard greens just to name a few or taken in supplement form.
Vitamin E helps increase the uptake of oxygen into the cells of the body--thereby increasing the circulation to the scalp. Try eating nuts, leafy vegetables, seeds or get it in supplement form.
If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jennifer, an email by clicking here.
Grandma's Kitchen With Grandma C.:
 |
Cream Cheese Mint Candies
Ingredients
- 3 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- *Food coloring (optional)
|
Beat cream cheese and peppermint extract together with electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar slowly and beat until smooth.
(Note: Mixture may get stiff and difficult to blend with mixer. You can blend the last of the powdered sugar in with your hands.)
Roll into small, marble sized balls and place on a sheet of wax paper. Flatten with fork and let them stand for a few hours or overnight.
* To make pastel mints, divide mixture into 4 parts and add one drop of food color to each part, then knead with a fork or your hands until you have an even color.
If you have a unique recipe that you would like to share with Grandma C., feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.
To Your Health:
Diabetes and dental care:
This is an excerpt from the May 2010 Mayo Clinic Newsletter
Whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, managing your blood sugar level is key. The higher your blood sugar level, the higher your risk of:
- Tooth Decay (cavities) -- Your mouth naturally contains many types of bacteria. When starches and sugars in food and beverages interact with these bacteria, a sticky film known as plaque forms on your teeth. The acids in plaque attack the hard, outer surface of your teeth (enamel). This can lead to cavities. The higher your blood sugar level, the greater the supply of sugars and starches — and the more acid wearing away at your teeth.
- Early gum disease (gingivitis) -- Diabetes reduces your ability to fight bacteria, which can cause more plaque to build up on your teeth. If you don't remove plaque with regular brushing and flossing, it'll harden under your gumline into a substance called tartar (calculus). The longer plaque and tartar remain on your teeth, the more they irritate the gingiva — the part of your gum around the base of your teeth. In time, your gums become swollen and bleed easily.
- Advanced gum disease (periodontitis) -- Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to a more serious infection called periodontitis, which destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth. Eventually, periodontitis causes your gums to pull away from your teeth and your teeth to loosen and even fall out. Periodontitis tends to be more severe among people who have diabetes because diabetes lowers the ability to resist infection and slows healing. An infection such as periodontitis may also cause your blood sugar level to rise, which makes your diabetes more difficult to control. Preventing and treating periodontitis can help improve blood sugar control.
To help prevent damage to your teeth and gums, take diabetes and dental care seriously. Managing diabetes is a lifelong commitment, and that includes proper dental care. Your efforts will be rewarded with a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
- Make a commitment to managing your diabetes
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day
- Floss your teeth at least once a day
- Schedule regular dental cleanings
- Take special precautions with dental surgery
- Look for early signs of gum disease
- Don't smoke
The above health material is provided as an information service. It should not be used for diagnostic purposes nor is it intended to take the place of the important relationship between you and your doctor.
A Question From A Member:
Question:
I went to see my dentist and for that he had closed his office. What do I do now?
Savon's Answer:
First off, you should have received a letter from your dentist telling you that he was closing. The letter should also give you a referring dentist that will have your records and be able to provide you with the care you need.
If you received a letter, the first thing you should do is call our Customer Care Center or visit our website to make sure that the new dentist is a Savon provider. I the new dentist is a provider, simply contact our Customer Care Center and let us know that you will be going to the new dentist.
If you did not receive any notification, contact our Customer Care Center immediately! Chances are that they also never notified us that they were closing. We will help you find a new dentist and try to locate your records and get them to the new dentist.
News You Can Use: News From Inside Your Dental Plan
Economic Stimulus Plan Getting Warm Reception
Economic Stimulus Plan extended until April 15th
Our Economic Stimulus Plan has received such a warm reception that we have extended the offer until April 15, 2011.
The new plan offers all the benefits of the Basic Dental Plan but at a greatly reduced fee for the first year. The special pricing is as follows:
- Single Plan normal price $89.00 per year - now is $59.00 for the first year
- Double Plan normal price $129.00 per year - now is $69.00 for the first year
- Family Plan normal price $169.00 per year - now is $79.00 for the first year
This offer is good only to new members and is only for the basic plan. It is only available in States and Cities where we have Network Preferred Providers.
This is a great opportunity for our existing members to pass along the value of their plan to family, friends and co-workers.
Fun Facts:
Crazy, Zany Facts We Bet You Didn't Know
- About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged in US each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
- Women purchase 85% of all valentines.
- In order of popularity, Valentine's Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.
- Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are the biggest holidays for giving flowers.
- 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
- The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.
- It is said that the kind of bird a girl watches on Valentine's Day predicts her future husband. For instance:
- Sparrow: a poor man
- Owl: remain a spinster
- Bluebird: a happy man
- Blackbird: a priest or clergyman
- Crossbill: an argumentative man
- Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentines Day candy box in the late 1800s.
Come back for more in next months issue!
Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:
 |
Come blog with us! Dental Talk with Savon is a fun forum to post your interesting topics! Your comments are welcome, it´s free to use and no membership is required.
Some of the topics include;
|
These are just a few of the topics. Our blog site contains many other interesting topics. Please join us!!
Insurance Insight: - Contrary To Popular Belief:
“I´m diabetic and no carrier will cover me!”
Diabetic and what? Overweight by more than 25 pounds? On cardiovascular medications for hypertension or elevated cholesterol? There are currently three carriers in AZ who will take a diabetic so long as there are no weight issues and no medications related to blood pressure or cholesterol being taken. The reason is that these are what are called “co-morbid conditions” and they lend to each other. While it is uncommon that a diabetic might not be on medication for other issues, it is not rare. Technically, more than half of all type II diabetes is brought on by weight factors: the more overweight someone is the greater the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. The more overweight someone is, the greater the chance of developing blood pressure or cholesterol issues.
The risk factors for having diabetes are double than for a non-diabetic; add overweight to that and the risk factor more than doubles. If they are also on even one cardiovascular medication, double the risk factor again. And while the tendency to gain weight easily may be genetic, no one forced anyone to gain 50 or 100 lbs and develop medical problems. Insurance carriers are not baby-sitters for trying to maintain good health anymore than the car insurance companies can require drivers to take Driver´s Ed classes or not indulge in dangerous driving practices. Today, many carriers offer diabetic counseling and weight control programs, but remember: the problem is primary self-inflicted. It´s not an accident and it didn´t happen suddenly.
|
|
