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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/system/syndication/atom.xsl" media="screen"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en-US"><title type="html">Blogs</title><subtitle type="html">Check out our forum to get the latest information on health and wellness in Illinois. Discuss various health-related topics and learn something new.</subtitle><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/atom</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/atom" /><generator uri="http://telligent.com" version="12.1.6.28905">Telligent Community (Build: 12.1.6.28905)</generator><updated>2026-03-05T09:49:00Z</updated><entry><title>A Hug Only Takes 10 Seconds, Yet the Benefits Last Forever</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/a-hug-only-takes-10-seconds-but-the-benefits-last-forever" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/a-hug-only-takes-10-seconds-but-the-benefits-last-forever</id><published>2026-04-13T15:42:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-13T15:42:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/un-abrazo-10-segundos-beneficios-duran-para-siempre" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/un-abrazo-10-segundos-beneficios-duran-para-siempre"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Fun fact about hugs: They don&amp;rsquo;t just give you a warm, fuzzy sense of well-being &amp;mdash; they can also be good for your health.
It&amp;rsquo;s true. Hugging for just 10 seconds can boost feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Often called the &amp;ldquo;love...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/a-hug-only-takes-10-seconds-but-the-benefits-last-forever"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=99&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Helpful Tips about Heart Disease" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Helpful%2bTips%2babout%2bHeart%2bDisease" /><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Heart Health Tips" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heart%2bHealth%2bTips" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /><category term="Stress Relief" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stress%2bRelief" /></entry><entry><title>Three Ways to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/teen-mental-health" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/teen-mental-health</id><published>2026-04-06T16:31:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-06T16:31:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/salud-mental-del-adolescente" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/salud-mental-del-adolescente"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Teens are facing more challenges than ever. There&amp;rsquo;s pressure from school, friends and social media. No wonder their mental health can suffer. You don&amp;rsquo;t have to wait until your teen is in crisis to talk about it. Talk to your teen early an...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/teen-mental-health"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1314&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Depression" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Depression" /><category term="Children’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Children_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /><category term="Understanding Depression and Anxiety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bDepression%2band%2bAnxiety" /></entry><entry><title>The Impact of Stress if You Have Diabetes</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/impact-stress-diabetes" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/impact-stress-diabetes</id><published>2026-04-03T16:41:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-03T16:41:00Z</updated><content type="html">Traffic was a beast. You lost your phone. A few zeros seem to be missing from your bank balance. When you feel stressed, your body produces two hormones that raise your blood sugar&amp;nbsp;&amp;mdash; adrenaline and cortisol.&amp;nbsp;Both are linked to the bod...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/impact-stress-diabetes"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=614&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Stress" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stress" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes" /><category term="Diabetes Diet and Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes%2bDiet%2band%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>Healthy Gut, Healthy Life?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-gut-healthy-life" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-gut-healthy-life</id><published>2026-04-02T20:50:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T20:50:00Z</updated><content type="html">You may have heard that your gut is your second brain. The saying gives a sense of how vital your digestive system is to the rest of your body.
But what does it mean? A network of hundreds of millions of nerve cells called neurons line the gut, or yo...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-gut-healthy-life"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1301&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Nutrition" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Nutrition" /><category term="Colon Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Colon%2bHealth" /><category term="Inflammation" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Inflammation" /><category term="Healthy Eating" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bEating" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /></entry><entry><title>Staying Healthy Before, During and After Pregnancy</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-pregnancy" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-pregnancy</id><published>2026-04-02T18:40:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T18:40:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/cuida-tu-salud-antes-durante-despues-del-embarazo"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Taking care of your health is always important. But it takes on a new level of importance when a baby enters the picture. It&amp;rsquo;s important to step up your self-care while you&amp;rsquo;re trying to get pregnant, during your pregnancy and after you g...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-pregnancy"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1176&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Preventive Care" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Preventive%2bCare" /><category term="Pregnancy" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Pregnancy" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Women’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Women_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Pregnancy Basics" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Pregnancy%2bBasics" /></entry><entry><title>Minutes of Movement Add Up to a Better Life</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/minutes-of-movement" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/minutes-of-movement</id><published>2026-04-02T18:34:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T18:34:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/minutos-de-actividad"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Not being active can be dangerous for your health. Inactivity raises the chance of getting serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Yet 1 in 2 adults &amp;mdash; and 77 percent of high school students &amp;mdash; don&amp;rsquo;t get enough physic...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/minutes-of-movement"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1216&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Exercise" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Exercise" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Weight Management" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Weight%2bManagement" /><category term="Healthy Living" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bLiving" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /></entry><entry><title>Is Your Blood Pressure Being Measured Correctly?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/measure-blood-pressure" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/measure-blood-pressure</id><published>2026-04-02T17:11:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T17:11:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol " href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/medir-presion-arterial"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a serious health problem that often has no symptoms. Often called &amp;quot;the silent killer&amp;quot; it doesn&amp;#39;t always have symptoms. You can have high blood pressure for years and not even know it.
It&amp;rsquo;s impor...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/measure-blood-pressure"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1077&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Living with Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Living%2bwith%2bHeart%2bDisease%2band%2bHigh%2bBlood%2bPressure" /><category term="Health Conditions and Prevention" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2bConditions%2band%2bPrevention" /><category term="Blood Pressure" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Blood%2bPressure" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Hypertension" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Hypertension" /><category term="Living with Hypertension" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Living%2bwith%2bHypertension" /></entry><entry><title>Checking Your Blood Pressure Could Save Your Life</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/blood-pressure" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/blood-pressure</id><published>2026-04-02T14:03:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T14:03:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/presion-arterial" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/presion-arterial"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range is one of the best things you can do for your health. That&amp;rsquo;s because high blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other health problems.
Near...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/blood-pressure"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=954&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Blood Pressure" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Blood%2bPressure" /><category term="Heart Health Tips" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heart%2bHealth%2bTips" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Hypertension" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Hypertension" /><category term="Hypertension Helpful Tips" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Hypertension%2bHelpful%2bTips" /></entry><entry><title>What Does Your Thyroid Do?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/what-is-hypothyroidism" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/what-is-hypothyroidism</id><published>2026-04-02T11:21:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T11:21:00Z</updated><content type="html">Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck that makes and releases certain hormones. Its main job is to control your metabolism, which is how your body uses energy. Sometimes the thyroid doesn&amp;rsquo;t work as it should....(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/what-is-hypothyroidism"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=336&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Nutrition" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Nutrition" /><category term="Exercise" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Exercise" /><category term="Thyroid" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Thyroid" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Weight Management" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Weight%2bManagement" /><category term="Cancer" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Cancer" /></entry><entry><title>Learn About Different Levels of Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/learn-about-different-levels-of-care" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/learn-about-different-levels-of-care</id><published>2026-04-02T09:03:00Z</published><updated>2026-04-02T09:03:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/aprende-sobre-los-diferentes-niveles-de-cuidado"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Would you know what to do if a friend or family member needed help with a mental health or substance use issue? What kind of help would they need? Who could help?
Not knowing what to do can be scary and confusing. But there are many things you can d...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/learn-about-different-levels-of-care"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=808&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Understanding Behavioral Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bBehavioral%2bHealth" /><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Behavioral Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Behavioral%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /></entry><entry><title>Are You Paralyzed by Social Anxiety? Learn the Best Ways to Manage It.</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-paralyzed-by-social-anxiety" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-paralyzed-by-social-anxiety</id><published>2026-03-31T09:17:00Z</published><updated>2026-03-31T09:17:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/la-ansiedad-social-te-causa-problemas-hay-formas-de-manejarla"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Do you have a friend who always bails when you make plans? They may not be trying to avoid you. Sometime this can happen when people have social anxiety.
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a long-term mental health issue. It af...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-paralyzed-by-social-anxiety"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=195&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Anxiety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Anxiety" /><category term="Social Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Social%2bWellness" /><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /><category term="Understanding Depression and Anxiety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bDepression%2band%2bAnxiety" /></entry><entry><title>Be an Advocate for Your Own Care</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/advocate-for-own-care" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/advocate-for-own-care</id><published>2026-03-24T15:01:00Z</published><updated>2026-03-24T15:01:00Z</updated><content type="html">Prevention is an important part of being healthy. That can mean having a yearly exam. It can mean having routine screening tests that can help spot many potential problems before they become serious health issues.
Whether you&amp;rsquo;re making sure to ...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/advocate-for-own-care"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=899&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Adult Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Adult%2bHealth" /><category term="Preventive Care" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Preventive%2bCare" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /></entry><entry><title>Colon Cancer: Know the Warning Signs</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-aware-of-your-colon-understanding-colon-health" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-aware-of-your-colon-understanding-colon-health</id><published>2026-03-21T00:14:00Z</published><updated>2026-03-21T00:14:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/que-tanto-conoces-de-tu-colon"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;No one likes to talk about colon cancer. And that&amp;rsquo;s OK, as long as you take steps to protect yourself. After all, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.&amp;nbsp;And, nearly one half (45%) of new colon cance...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/are-you-aware-of-your-colon-understanding-colon-health"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=815&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Colon Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Colon%2bHealth" /><category term="Health Conditions and Prevention" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2bConditions%2band%2bPrevention" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Cancer" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Cancer" /><category term="Understanding Colon Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bColon%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>How Does Stress Affect Your Body?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stress-affects-health" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stress-affects-health</id><published>2026-03-06T14:31:00Z</published><updated>2026-03-06T14:31:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="https://connect.bcbsil.com/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/el-estres-afecta-la-salud" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/el-estres-afecta-la-salud"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
If you&amp;rsquo;re feeling stressed, join the party. The reasons behind that stressed-out feeling differ for each person. Some talk about it, others don&amp;rsquo;t.
But there&amp;rsquo;s one thing people have in common: When you&amp;rsquo;re stressed, you&amp;rsquo;l...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stress-affects-health"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=939&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Heart Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heart%2bHealth" /><category term="Stress" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stress" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /></entry><entry><title>Women: Make a Plan for a Long, Healthy Life</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/women-plan-for-a-year-of-wellness" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/women-plan-for-a-year-of-wellness</id><published>2026-03-05T15:49:00Z</published><updated>2026-03-05T15:49:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/mujer-planifica-ano-bienestar"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
You can do a lot to stay healthy. Making sure you plan your preventive health care visits is at the top of the list. Getting those recommended screenings on time is an important part of living a long, healthy life.
Don&amp;rsquo;t put it off. Listening ...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/women-plan-for-a-year-of-wellness"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=354&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Preventive Care Services" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Preventive%2bCare%2bServices" /><category term="American Cancer Society" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/American%2bCancer%2bSociety" /><category term="CDC" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/CDC" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Women’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Women_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Breast Cancer" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Breast%2bCancer" /><category term="Cervical Cancer" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Cervical%2bCancer" /></entry></feed>