Oral Care

good oral careHealth almanacs contain helpful information on the life cycles of human teeth. This information is valuable to the pursuit of good oral hygiene and health. We all know there are many problems that improper care for teeth can lead to, and applying the dental care information found in a health almanac can stop a number of problems before they begin, such as:

  • Teeth are made of calcium and enamel. The calcium is the hard bone material of teeth, and enamel is the outer layer of tissue that protects the tooth. We understand how to keep calcium levels high in order to strengthen teeth, but we are still learning how enamel works and how it might be replaced once it is lost.
  • Several foods that are high in calcium and thus good for your teeth are kale, broccoli, milk and yogurt. Keeping your calcium intake high will strengthen teeth against age and decay.
  • Several foods that are bad for your teeth are red wine due to its acidity, ice when it is chewed because it makes teeth brittle, anything containing white processed sugar and anything containing white flour.
  • The best method of caring for your teeth is using an electric tooth brush, or just being diligent about moving a manual toothbrush in proper circular motions around your teeth and your gums. It is good to do this at least twice daily, an hour after meals, followed by flossing and a swish of mouthwash.

There is a great deal you can do to care for your teeth on your own, but nothing replaces the necessary services of a quality dentist. Dentists and oral hygienists have the tools and the knowledge to prevent tooth decay, gingivitis and other tooth diseases. The cleanings and cavity prevention that the dentist contributes to are necessary to the health of your teeth. In Canada, the dental industry is one of the best in the world, and whether you require a dentist in the Okanagan Valley, Montreal or Toronto, you will not be disappointed by what is available to you.

Read More at okanagandentist.com/

Exercise and Fitness

physical activity and exerciseExercise and physical activity have been long known to play a large role in human health and wellness. We evolved as a species to be physically active so now our bodily health depends on physical activity. There is not one bodily system, from the cardiovascular system to the respiratory system to the nervous system, that does not benefit from exercise. According to health almanacs, exercise is the best way to prevent unwanted symptoms of aging.

Exercising for cardiovascular health is extremely important, especially considering that heart disease is the number one killer of adults in North America. Heart disease weakens the heart and causes heart attack or cardiac arrest, which many do not survive. Exercise prevents heart disease by reducing the likelihood of blood clots and keeping blood circulating and oxygenated. It also helps to keep the heart strong and keep its rhythm regular.

Physical activity is also extremely important for weight management. Another silent killer in North America is obesity, being one of the most overweight regions in the world. Weight has to be regulated largely by managing food intake and practicing portion control, but working out regularly is another vital way of maintaining a healthy weight. When we are physically active, we burn the calories we consume through our meals. A person may eat incredibly healthy foods in reasonable portions, but if they never exercise, they may remain overweight. The human balance between food consumption and exercise is vital to our health.

As far as keeping our bodies physically fit, exercise is important in the weight management sense and in the maintaining mobility sense. Muscles, bones and joints all need regular exercise in order to keep functioning properly. Muscles become weak, bones become brittle and joints become stiff when they are unused. Maintaining a regular exercise routine keeps muscles tough, hardy and capable of doing most of the work that the body exerts. Bones will stay strong and will not deteriorate so long as exercise is maintained. And joints will stay padded and lubricated with exercise as long as it is routine.

Diet and Nutrition

nutrition and dietRecent health almanacs contain a wealth of information on how our diet and nutrition play a major role in our health and wellness. The adage “You are what you eat” is actually quite correct, when applied literally to our physical health. The food items we consume have a profound impact on our chemical make-up, which constitutes our physical matter. When food is consumed in a healthy way, our body chemistry is healthy. When food is consumed in an unhealthy way, our body chemistry is unhealthy. Keeping certain guidelines in mind about our food consumption is very important to our health.

Firstly, it is beneficial to think of food as either medicinal or toxic rather than just being something you put in your mouth. There are very few foods that are neutral in nutrition. Most foods are a mix of good and bad chemical elements, and it is up to us to determine which are the most nutritious and which are the least. It starts by philosophically changing the way we look at food. In order to make food available to earth’s massive human population, we have resorted to creating and eating unnatural, processed foods rather than the ones we have been eating for tens of thousands of years. We also consume addictive things in excess, such as alcohol and fatty foods, which is a form of substance abuse. We must return to a more natural, plant based diet that resembles the one we evolved to consume.

It is also critically important to think about how much of any given substance we consume. Portion control is one of the biggest contributors to obesity, stroke and heart disease in North America. Our portion control problems are severe in schools, restaurants, cafeterias and at home. If you are consuming more calories than you are burning through exercise, you will become overweight. It is not a sustainable way of eating. Rather than eating a small number of over-sized portions in a day, nutritionists are saying it is better to eat approximately six small meals in a day, which more closely resembles how we evolved to eat.