Do you smoke or know someone who does? It’s no secret that smoking can harm nearly any part of your body, including your heart and blood vessels. But did you know that there may be a way to reverse these negative side effects? Research has found that after four years of quitting smoking, a person's risk of stroke is reduced to equal that of someone who has never smoked.

We know that exercise is an essential part of maintaining long term health. For our heart specifically, exercise can improve muscle strength, reduce stress, and even increase high density lipoproteins in the body to help control triglyceride levels. Combining aerobic exercise (jogging, swimming, biking) with resistance training (moderate weightlifting) produces the greatest benefit for preventing and managing heart disease.

The myMarpai SMART app makes it easy for you to understand and use your health benefits, access high quality care and stay on the best health journey.

Eye Catching Eye Health Tips Happy Healthy Vision Month! When was the last time you took a good look into your eye health with an annual eye exam? Our eyes are so often forgotten in conversations around health, but they make up such a large part of our everyday life! Our eyes do so much more, however, than allow us to see images. They are also responsible for transferring information to the brain and actually promoting more brain focus. Want to learn more about how to maintain effective, lifelong eye health? Check out the articles below. IN THIS ISSUE: [...]

For many of us, our eyes are one of the most important features of our bodies. We see the world and our loved ones through them (perhaps with the help of contacts or glasses sometimes), but how often do we actually pay close attention to how healthy they are? This month we are diving deep into our corneas to see how just a few tips and tricks can greatly benefit our long-term eye health.

Do you suffer from baggy eyes? This can be better translated into under-eye fatigue or inflammation. This is a very common condition, especially for individuals in high-stress environments or of elderly age. This happens when the tissue structures and muscles under and around the eyelids weaken. A lot of times, we see many advertisements for special eye creams or moisturizers to aid in the cosmetics, but did you know that there are other ways to help and prevent this issue in the long term? Check out this article on ways to lower your under-eye sagging.

Published by WebMD https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/lasik/best-foods-for-your-eye-health EATING HEALTHY FOODS NOW CAN PREVENT VISION PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. WE ASKED EXPERTS IN NUTRITION AND OPTOMETRY ABOUT THE BEST FOODS FOR EYE HEALTH. Eye health and vision typically start deteriorating around age 40, even in healthy adults. One way to promote eye health is proper nutrition. Here are the six best foods for eye health. Vitamin C “There’s scientific evidence that suggests Vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts,” William T. Reynolds, OD, President of the American Optometric Association, tells WebMD Connect to Care. Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye, which [...]

Published by WebMD Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD on June 15, 2020 WHY ARE EYE EXERCISES PRESCRIBED? Your doctor may prescribe eye exercises if you have: Trouble focusing your eyes to read One eye that drifts outward or inward (convergence insufficiency) Had surgery and need to improve muscle control Crossed eyes (strabismus) Lazy eye (amblyopia) Double vision Trouble with depth perception (poor 3D vision) Doctors may also recommend eye exercises for conditions involving how your eyes work together. These conditions can cause problems such as: Blurred vision Eyestrain Increased light sensitivity Exercises won’t help if you: Have dyslexia [...]

Your Marpai Health ID card activates benefits for you and your family. Show it every time you go to the doctor or hospital, have lab work done or get a prescription filled*, as your provider will use the card to confirm that you are covered under the health plan (named in the top left corner of your card). The card contains valuable information for you too including: Family members covered Member ID and Group Number Provider Network – healthcare providers available under your plan Out of Pocket Costs – amount you pay for in network/out of network expenses at [...]

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY’S LARGEST ORGAN — YOUR SKIN! Your skin performs many vital functions to protect you. It’s your first layer of defense, acting as a barrier to prevent germs from entering the body and causing infections. Sweat glands and tiny blood vessels in your skin help to control your body temperature. The nerve endings in your skin alert your body to potential dangers by detecting pressure, pain, heat, and cold, so you can quickly react. When exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, the skin manufactures Vitamin D, an essential vitamin for healthy teeth and bones. Healthy [...]

Published by OASH I Office on Women’s Health https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/7-tips-sun-safety A few years ago I had a small skin cancer removed, making me one of the nearly 5 million people treated for skin cancer every year in the United States. While it will never recur, no one wants to hear the word cancer. It’s scary and unsettling. And now I have a history of skin cancer, putting me at increased risk for another one down the road. I wish I had known growing up what I know now about the sun’s harmful rays. Today, skin cancer is the most common [...]

By Carole Tanzer Miller https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20170811/how-safe-and-effective-is-your-sunscreen It may be easier than ever to find sunscreen with all the right stuff, but be sure to read the label or you could still get burned. Most sunscreens sold at major U.S. retailers and their websites now offer broad-spectrum protection, are water-resistant and have an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends, a new study found. But more than a third of sunscreens sold by several of the nation’s largest retailers fell short. Forty-one percent of sunscreens did not meet all three recommendations, researchers [...]

Published by Johns Hopkins Medicine https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/newborn-skin-101 Odd rashes, suspicious crusting and bumps that crop up from out of the blue are all common afflictions of newborn skin that rarely portend something ominous and are easy to treat. Yet, they have scared many first-time parents into calling their pediatrician after hours or rushing to the emergency room. “Neonatal rashes tend to develop suddenly and have a dramatic appearance that can easily frighten a rookie parent, but luckily most of these are completely benign,” says Johns Hopkins Children’s Center dermatologist Kate Püttgen, M.D. Offering her dual expertise as a mom and [...]

Published by Web MD https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/mind-skin-health-connection Skin. It’s where our inside meets the outside. A defense against the external world, but it’s also a way to explore new sensations and to caress what we find desirable. There’s a connection between the mind and the skin, says Ted A. Grossbart, PhD, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston and author of Skin Deep: A Mind/Body Program for Healthy Skin. HOW DO YOUR EMOTIONS REALLY SUIT YOU? “All parts of the body react to our emotions, but the skin is the one suit we never take off. Because it’s the border [...]

The month of June brings the beginning of summer, the end of the school year and perhaps even the chance to think about a staycation or vacation. June is also Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the perfect time to discover how to maintain and improve the health of our remarkable brains.

Your brain is truly the most amazing part of your body. It comes up with creative ways to express your thoughts and emotions, coordinates movements from chopping onions to running an obstacle course, stores your most precious childhood memories, and solves the Sunday crossword. But it’s easy to take those powers for granted.

Your cognitive health is determined by how well your brain can perform mental processes. These include remembering things, learning things, and using language. A healthy brain is just as important as a healthy body. Many of the things you do to keep your body healthy can also keep your brain healthy. It is also important to stay socially and mentally active.

If you want to firm up your body, head to the gym. If you want to exercise your brain, listen to music. There are few things that stimulate the brain the way music does. If you want to keep your brain engaged throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides a total brain workout.