Did you know that gentle exercise can lessen the impact of some complications associated with dementia? All you need is a chair and some supportive shoes for these 10 exercises.

10 Seated Exercises for People with Dementia

Once we turn 40, we are at a greater risk for certain eye diseases. It's important to know how to identify vision warning signs that could indicate more serious complications.

Indian woman getting an eye exam at the doctor's office

Vision Changes After Age 40

Omega-3 fatty acids have long been linked to good heart health, but did you know they can benefit your brain, as well? Here's a list of those benefits and foods you can eat to increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake.

Essential for the Aging Brain: Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Rates of childhood obesity are concerning to health experts: children are being diagnosed with diabetes earlier in their lives than ever before; and nearly 20% of children are obese. One significant concern is whether children stay obese into adulthood. For adults, obesity increases their risk of developing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

The Impact of Childhood Obesity on Chronic Conditions in Adulthood

Protein plays a crucial role for women – both for everyday physical and mental health, as well as in regulating the hormones that control monthly menstrual cycles.

Why High-Protein Breakfasts Make a Difference for Women

Learn how nurturing and investing in friendships can bring immense value to our lives.

Friendship and Well-being

You may be surprised to learn that Alzheimer's disease affects more than just older adults, and that the disease can in fact be deadly. Here are a few other common myths debunked. 

Top 5 Myths About Alzheimer’s Disease

Learn the importance of safely and intentionally incorporating daily physical activity into seniors’ lives.

Physical Activity and Older Adults

Some losses – like loss from a miscarriage, divorce, suicide, mental illness or substance use disorder; or even loss of a home or job – may not always be acknowledged as valid forms of grief. Disenfranchised losses often lead to “silent grief” – when the person in mourning deliberately suppresses or controls their emotions after a loss. 

What is Silent Grief?

Preparing for back-to-school means returning to a routine. It's also a good time to check in on any missed or delayed health screenings after a busy summer. 

Returning to Routine: A 2023 Back-to-School Health Checklist  

Learn the ways fishing improves your mood and overall well-being.

 Fishing and Your Well-Being

The term “triggered” is often misused and overused in our vernacular today. Here's why it can be harmful to through that word around without the intention of describing a diagnosis. 

Why Misusing the Word ‘Triggered’ Can Be Harmful

Feelings of grief gradually ease over time as a person accepts a loss and moves forward. Here's a breakdown of the stages and some tips on how to recover.

How Long Do the Stages of Grief Last?

One in three people who have diabetes and are over the age of 40 have signs of diabetic retinopathy, one of the most common vision issues for people with diabetes. Left untreated, both diabetes and diabetic retinopathy can cause permanent health issues – and eventually serious vision problems. The good news: the earlier you catch diabetic retinopathy – and diabetes – the better your outcomes will be.


How Eye Exams Can Detect Early Signs of Diabetes

Your children may behave differently in the days and weeks leading up to the new school year. Here are signs to watch for and tips to ease back-to-school anxiety.

As the new school year approaches, students all over the country might feel similarly. Getting back into the classroom can be exciting for some children, but jitters and varying levels of anxiety are also common for kids ahead of the first day of school.  

Signs of Back-to-School Anxiety in Kids 

Your skin health shouldn't be taken for granted. Avoid advice from questionable sources and check out these dos and don’ts from a board-certified dermatologist.

5 Things I'd Never Do for my Skin

Growing older is a gift you should celebrate. A positive self-perception of aging may lead to healthy behaviors and higher well-being.

Celebrate Your Age

When a loved one dies unexpectedly, it can have a devastating effect on friends and family members. Survivors often encounter tremendous feelings of guilt, in multiple ways.  

Grieving Through an Unexpected Loss: How to Overcome Guilt

Transitioning from the summer back to the school year can be a major adjustment for college students, particularly seniors. Learn how six BCBSM interns are preparing to adjust.

Back to School: Mentally Preparing to Return to College

It is important to identify the bargaining stage of grief, so you can help yourself or your loved one move past it and heal once it is experienced.

What is Bargaining in Grief?

Learn how you can avoid procrastinating to accomplish your healthy habits.

 Strategies to Avoid Procrastinating When It Comes to Your Healthy Habits

For those living with psoriasis, the condition can deeply affect their mental health. Not only can healthy lifestyle factors help eliminate triggers for psoriasis flare-ups, they can also boost a person’s mental and physical health.

Living with Psoriasis: Effects on Mental Health and Stress

Once you learn how to get used to contacts, they can be comfortable and convenient. But there are risks attached to leaving them in your eyes for too long.

What are the Risks of Wearing Contacts Too Long?

When you’re out and about underneath the sun, your body produces more melanin, raising the question: Does melanin actually protect you from the sun? 

Does Melanin Protect You from the Sun?

 Learn about the key advantages of exercising in nature for your physical and mental well-being.

The Benefits of Exercising Outdoors

Shanthi Appelö, registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, explains the impact that food additives have on our health.

Are Food Additives Harmful to Our Health?

Youth mental health has worsened over the years. As the new school year looms, these conversation starters can help parents check in with students mentally before class resumes.

Back to School Mental Health Checkups 

It's important for older adults to regularly visit their primary care physician for many reasons. PCPs are there to provide the comfort and stability you need in the long run.

What are the Benefits of a PCP for Older Adults?

Understanding the impacts of hot weather – made worse by humidity – on the body is important to safely navigate the summer season. Here are some of the ways hot weather affects the body and common conditions.

How Hot Weather Affects Chronic Conditions

One of the many benefits of intergenerational connections is the wisdom older adults pass on to younger generations. Here's how a Michigan librarian is trying to foster more intergenerational relationships in her community.

The Importance of Intergenerational Relationships 

As the temperatures in Michigan begin to rise, arthritis symptoms can worsen in the heat. Here’s what you need to know, and when you should reach out to your doctor.

How Hot Weather Affects Arthritis

Overexposure to UV light is preventable. Understanding common misconceptions about UV light exposure can go a long way in helping you protect yourself.

Four Myths About UV Light Exposure

There are five food and diet-related things that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Health and Wellness Spokesperson Shanthi Appelö simply won't try. Here's the full list. 

5 Things I’d Never Do as a Dietitian

To help parents get a head start on the next school year, here are five items to include in a back-to-school checklist to keep kids healthy.

School is the first step on the stairway to success

Don’t Forget These 5 Things on Your Back-to-School Checklist

Mental illness affects people of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds. However, there are significant disparities and inequities in access to mental health care and the quality of treatment – which are driven by multiple social and economic factors.

Social, Economic Health Inequities Drive Mental Health Disparities Among Marginalized Groups

When the weather gets warmer and sunnier, it’s hard to stay inside. However, the rise in temperature can cause many issues for the heart, especially for those who live with heart disease.

How Hot Weather Affects the Heart

Learn more about a U-M study that found certain foods can shorten - or lengthen - your lifespan by the minute.

Can Food Impact Your Lifespan by the Minute?

"Bed rotting" is supposed to be rooted in self care. But can the new TikTok trend do more harm than good for our physical and behavioral health?

People are ‘Bed Rotting’ on TikTok. Can the Trend be Bad for Your Mental Health?  

Heat affects your body in numerous ways. Although you feel the physical affects, you might be unaware of the toll the hot weather can take on your mental health. For individuals with depression, summer weather can aggravate their symptoms or cause new ones to appear.

How Hot Weather Affects Individuals With Depression

Hot weather has well-known negative effects on the body. Common heat-related illnesses include sunburn, dehydration, fainting spells and more. An overlooked topic is how hot weather and heat-related illnesses affect your kidneys. Because of this risk to your kidneys, it is especially important for those with existing kidney issues to take preventive measures as the summer months rage on.

How Hot Weather Affects the Kidneys

If you have diabetes, you might be especially susceptible to the negative effects of the sun. Keep these tips — along with an emergency go-bag — handy to beat the summer heat. 

How Summer Heat Affects Individuals with Diabetes

Seasonal Mood Disorder is most often associated with the winter, but some can experience symptoms that are specific to summer and the warmer months.

How to Manage Summer Mood Disorders

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MI Blues Perspectives is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

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