A recent article in Newsweek talked about the lack of health and dental care in rural areas of America, such as Kentucky and Virgina. 46 million people in the United States do not have health insurance; while 108 million people here do not have dental insurance. It’s sad to see that healthcare has gotten so out of hand that when free clinics are set up, 2,500 people wait in line to get the help they need. Why?

Dickinson, from the Virginia Dental Association had this to say: “The diet here, which is high in processed, sugary foods because they’re cheaper, promotes decay. And when your teeth hurt, you aren’t going to be eating salads. And now we know that there’s a suggested link between all kinds of systemic diseases from diabetes to heart disease and oral cancer and the bacteria in the mouth. It’s a cascading effect.”

To read the entire article, please visit: http://www.newsweek.com/id/150846

I think it’s appropriate to start off my series of Caralyn’s Picks with one of my all-time favorite resources: MedlinePlus! MedlinePlus is an online clearinghouse of health related information that is maintained by the National Library of Medicine (http://medlineplus.gov). This is a rich web site with lots of helpful information. I use it all the time as a way to get started on my research.

If you want to learn about something quickly, I’d recommend the interactive health tutorials they have available (http://www.nlm.gov/medlineplus/tutorials). I watched the tutorial about burns after a wee accident with a hot pan in my kitchen, and it provided very helpful information that allowed me to calm down.

So, pick a tutorial and let me know what you think!