Per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” When it comes to obtaining food, we all want to make sure we have enough. That’s where the “sufficient” part comes in, but what about the “safe and nutritious” part? Too often those aspects take a back seat or are reduced to meeting minimum government guidelines. Consumers either assume that food is safe and nutritious or place more importance on quantity. This has led to a prevalence of diet related health disorders in our country today. Instead of looking for the next “2 for 1” deal at the grocery store, I encourage you to focus on the thought: follow the trail.

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Suicide continues to remain a preventable, yet significant, health problem in Wisconsin.

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Wisconsin summers bring beautiful weather. Some see this as an opportunity to crank the air conditioning, but many will take advantage of this opportunity to get outdoors. When you are taking in the scenic lakefront, hiking the Ice Age Trail, or some other outdoor activity, the most common pest you might encounter are mosquitoes. While these are a nuisance, there is another insect to look out for — ticks. Ticks are a type of parasite that attach to a host organism and feed off them. There are a variety of tick species in Wisconsin. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Entomology, most common are the wood and deer tick. Although small, ticks can carry a number of diseases. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health lists Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and, most prominently, Lyme disease as examples. Data from the Center for Disease Control show a decrease from 20102015 in the number of people contracting Lyme disease in Wisconsin each year. However, those numbers are still higher than other states, with 1,309 confirmed cases in 2015, which is why Wisconsinites need to protect themselves from ticks. To learn how to protect yourself against ticks, here are answers to some key questions:

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General health for individuals is often categorized into age groups. Even when you search online for fitness tips and suggestions, articles focus mostly on specific generations (i.e. teens versus elderly). Besides age and medical conditions, the focus on health and maintaining an active lifestyle is truly similar between age groups.

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Resilience.

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