Pretty Teeth and a Healthy Heart

Surely this number has to be wrong!  I found this staggering and I am sure that you will too.  Just the other day I heard a statistic that 90% of us do not floss.  I thought of course this must be a mistake, but in the event that it isn’t I decided to blog about it today.

Some of you may not realize that not flossing really can lead to heart disease.  Taking those extra 60 seconds every morning to floss your teeth not only helps prevent gum disease but may also help prevent heart disease.  Before I get into the meat of this issue can we just talk aesthetics for a second?  Listen, if you don’t floss, your teeth simply are not as pretty.  Did you realize?  Our teeth are meant to have spaces and healthy gaps in between them.  When you don’t floss there is all sorts of junk that builds up in there.  Sounds kind of gross, doesn’t it?  Well this is a case where it looks worse than it sounds.

New research indicates that regular flossing affects more than the health of your mouth.

• Flossing may protect your heart.  The data shows a link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease.  Although researchers are not sure about the connection between flossing and heart disease, it makes flossing a no-brainer for your optimal health.
• Flossing may protect your arteries.  Flossing and clogged arteries may also be related.  Inflammation is an important link in the chain that causes arterial plaque and obstruction.  Researchers also believe that bacteria from the mouth may enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation and artery clogging.
• Flossing may reduce your risk of diabetes and its complications.  If you already experience some health concerns, flossing may help to protect you from further health complications.  Periodontal disease appears to make insulin resistance worse.  When cells require more insulin to take up blood sugar from the bloodstream, blood insulin and blood sugar levels rise.  Increases in blood insulin and blood sugar levels have undesirable effects which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
• Research points to ties between oral health and overall health.  Even when taking into consideration other bad health habits, such as smoking or excessive drinking, studies have shown a strong link between periodontal disease and other diseases.
• Other than a visit to your dentist, no other oral healthcare habit alone has the same ability to remove plaque between teeth and below your gum line.

Awareness of the connection between flossing, heart disease and diabetes, gives you another opportunity to achieve premium wellness.

To fight gum disease and heart disease, use these tips to get the most out of floss:

• Slide the floss under your gum line and curl it around each tooth as you floss.
• Floss gently, your gums may bleed and that’s normal.  Your gums will get stronger and bleed less as you floss regularly.
• Use fresh floss for each tooth space.
• If it is difficult to manipulate the floss with your fingers, buy the dental-floss picks or holders that anchor sections of floss.

Seems ludicrous not to take the extra 60 seconds in the morning doesn’t it?  Please if you do not do it for your health and wellness, for goodness sake do it for vanity’s sake!

We Must Fight Against Diabetes!

It seems as if we are not as scared of Type II diabetes as we should be.  To that point, here’s what you should know:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as one in three US adults could have diabetes by 2050 if the current trends continue!  Is that statistic scary enough for you?  Complications resulting from Type II are extremely dramatic and quite serious.  Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death and can lead to permanent disability and poor health.  The risk of stroke is two to four times higher among people with diabetes.  Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times higher than adults without diabetes.  Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.  It is also the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44% of the new cases in 2008 according to the CDC.  Additionally, more than 60% of leg and foot amputations not related to accidents and injuries were performed on people with diabetes.

Are you quite fearful yet?  I suppose so; therefore let’s discuss what we can do for ourselves and our families.  The old school of thought was that if you are thirsty a lot, have frequent urination and have unexplained weight loss or gain you have diabetes or pre-diabetes.  Now we have a way to predict it and not just catch it at the onset, it is called the metabolic syndrome.  The metabolic syndrome requires three of the following factors to be present to predict your likelihood of getting diabetes.

• Waist size over 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women
• Serum triglyceride level over 150
• Serum HDL (good) cholesterol below 40 mg/dl in men and 50 mg/dl in women
• Blood pressure over 130/85, or being on blood pressure medication
• Fasting blood sugar over 110 mg/dl

Now that we can predict if we are at high risk of getting diabetes we need to focus on our diet.  Nutrition should be the focus of all diabetic cures.  It is critical to make food choices that are low in sugar and to consume an abundance of protein and vegetables.  When we eat carbohydrates it is important that they are complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, oatmeal, etc.) and avoid simple carbohydrates (syrup, candies, etc.) altogether.  Remember that dark chocolate, in moderation, is a great alternative.

Exercise is a great addition to your life, it will without a doubt help prevent diabetes.  Exercise improves your body’s use of insulin.  Burning excess body fat helps because decreasing body fat results in improved insulin sensitivity.  Exercising increases the “good” HDL cholesterol and decreases the “bad” LDL cholesterol.

You might also want to consider taking a high quality multi-vitamin.  This assists in bridging nutritional gaps and regulating hormones such as insulin.  A high quality vitamin can also help protect your body from diabetic complications.

Fortunately there are also herbs that may assist in managing diabetes.

• Fenugreek – Reduces blood sugar levels
• Cinnamon – Contains minerals that help the body fight insulin resistance and triples insulin’s efficiency.
• Ginseng, onion & garlic – Contain blood sugar lowering ingredients and have great cardiovascular benefits.

The good news is that just by losing 10% of your body weight you will improve your body’s ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease.  If you already have Type II diabetes, shedding 10% of your body weight may improve your symptoms and possibly prevent complications.

As a nation, there are significant ways to prevent or control diabetes.  I personally feel we should work very diligently to prevent any disease that perpetuates amputations, cardiovascular diseases and kidney problems.  Let’s watch our diet and teach our children to eat healthy.  Let’s get moving and get our children off the couch.  Let’s do this together and say no to diabetes!

In short, here’s the good news; you and your family do not need to live with diabetes.  Consume mostly proteins, vegetables and complex carbohydrates.  Keep your children away from the sofa and video games and take a walk with them.  Remember, there are many glorious foods we can consume.  Here’s a thought, make your own trail mix consisting of raw walnuts, raw almonds, lots of seeds, lots of berries and dark chocolate chips.  I guarantee this will satisfy your sweet tooth and is actually quite healthy.  Here is my parting wish:  stay away from diet soda, it does not help you, only hinders you if you have diabetes.  Remember to enjoy activities with your family.