The milk factor in healthy teeth
Anonymous

All parents want their children to have beautiful smiles… showing off healthy teeth. It’s a sense of achievement to know they have raised healthy and happy children. And good dental health means looking after your teeth to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

MOST parents are aware that one of the ways to keep teeth healthy is by brushing regularly but what many are not aware of is the important role diet can play in good dental health. As the saying goes “we are what we eat”.

Adequate nutrition, particularly during the early years, is important for tooth development, eruption and maintenance, as well as for salivary gland function.

Many mothers are not aware that most of a child’s teeth are already formed by the time the baby is born. So it is essential for pregnant mothers to get enough of the required nutrients, especially calcium. This can be obtained from drinking milk or taking calcium supplements.

Young children also need lots of calcium to support the continuing growth of their jawbones and permanent teeth. How is calcium contributing to strong teeth? First, as the teeth form and mineralise, they need adequate calcium and phosphorus to form a hard structure. This takes place over a long period of time. Having an adequate amount of calcium and phosphorus during growth is critical for healthy teeth.

Recent research indicates that mothers’ food choices, by influencing their children’s dietary habits, impact the eruption of primary teeth during the first three years of life and future development of dental caries.

Second, calcium makes jawbones strong and healthy too. Jawbones need to be strong as they hold the teeth in place. There is no denying that milk is a good source of calcium and this is why milk plays an important role in building healthy teeth.

Other than calcium and phosphorus, milk also contains vitamins A and D. vitamin A is important for maintaining the mucous membranes of the mouth and Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption for healthy bones, teeth and growth of the jaws.

Choosing the right food for children helps strengthen their teeth but giving the wrong food too often will affect their dental health. Most parents can easily relate sugary foods to tooth decay. The decay process begins when the bacteria in the mouth breaks down components of saliva. These components adhere to tooth enamel. This is the start of dental plaque.

Dental plaque is a clear, gelatinous material that allows bacteria to remain on the teeth. If dental plaque is not removed frequently (at least once a day) by proper brushing and flossing, the plaque becomes tightly attached to the tooth and only mechanical cleaning can remove it.

This is why frequent visits to a dentist and regular, thorough cleaning by a dental hygienist is very important. Inside this dental plaque, the bacteria ferment dietary carbohydrates for a food source. This fermentation produces lactic and other acids. These acids demineralise the tooth enamel.

As the tooth demineralises, bacteria move into the tooth, decay begins and a cavity is formed. Therefore, to reduce the risk of tooth decay, it is important to minimise sweet and sticky foods and drinks.

About the Author

www.medical-explorer.com

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The Hidden Price of Being Healthy
Dr. Jamie Fettig

What I am also going to point out is the not-so-obvious cost of not being healthy. But, as you know, nothing in life is free. If there is a benefit, there is a cost. What most people do not see is the cost, the price you have to pay for the benefits you are getting.

There are also tons and tons of hidden costs that most people never see. I will list some of the biggest ones. This is the price you have to pay for not being healthy:

1.Vitality
2.An abundance of energy to do everything you want to do
3.Happiness
4.Love and closeness with others
5.Satisfaction and fulfillment in life
6.Healing symptoms and disease
7.Symptoms and disease going away
8.Relief from the suffering that goes with the symptoms and disease
9.Inner peace and harmony
10.Being symptom- and disease-free
11.Mental focus, memory, and clarity (no brain fog)
12.Being awake and fully alive every day (not just dragging through stuff and surviving)
13.Being present and having the ability to be with people
14.No worry or fear
15.Being confident in yourself
16.Being complete and happy
17.The ability to deal with issues that arise simply and with ease
18.Having better health now, with security for yourself and your family later
19.More time to do what you want to do
20.Simpler choices
21.Looking great, feeling good, reducing fat, and having tons of energy
22. Being satisfied and Not being hungry all the time

The list goes on and on, but these are some of the big ones.

These are all things you do NOT get if you avoid being healthy. It is the price you have to pay to not be healthy.

If you are being healthy, these same things are your rewards. These are the things you get when you are well. These things show up in your life as you are being healthy and well. So much so, that I want you to think of your own reasons why, things vital to your happiness, freedom and life that you know you would get you out of bed in the morning wanting to be healthy.

There are the hidden benefits that many people get for not being healthy. Benefits that, if you are honest with yourself, you like getting as well.

You probably are very familiar with the benefits you get from NOT being healthy. You get to eat food that tastes good, you get to be lazy and sit on the couch and veg out and watch TV. You get to not do all the hard work of exercise. There are many other benefits that people get from not being healthy, and many others that I probably did not list. I am not going to list them all, because you know most of them. I will list the benefits you do get that most people do not want to admit, often, even to themselves.

There are four main benefits that you probably get from not being healthy, that you dont want to admit:

1.Avoiding being responsible
2.Getting to be right and making others wrong
3.Dominating others and avoiding domination
4.Justifying yourself and invalidating others.

These things are the hidden benefits. I will talk about each of them in more detail, and explain what I mean. You have to dig down and be honest, though. These four things are usually true for everyone, and the point of my sharing them is to make you aware of them, and for you to be honest with yourself about them. Most people do not think of these things as benefits. But if you look at them and are really honest with yourself, you will see the benefit people get from them.

People get to avoid being responsible by putting the responsibility on the medical symptoms and disease care system. You live under the illusion that they will create a magic pill or invent some technique or system to make you think and healthy without you having to do a thing. They are responsible for your health, not you. It is an illusion many of us believe. Because then we get to avoid being responsible for our own health and eat anything we want. We get to do what we want, and then blame all of our symptoms on someone else.

You get to be right and do exactly what you want. You dont have to listen to all those doctors, all those people, especially that annoying health freak in your family. Every family usually has one. You get to be right about being able to do what you want. You get to make them wrong. And dont we all enjoy making someone we dont like so very wrong? We all want to be right and I can prove it. Have you every seen someone try and prove themselves wrong? Argue that they are not right? People love to be right and that includes being right with being able to eat whatever they want for whatever reasons they want.

You get to dominate others, and avoid others dominating you. You do not have to do what they say. You can do what you want. You can probably even control people and make them angry by doing things your way, by doing what you want.

You get to justify yourself and invalidate others. You get proof for yourself that what you are doing is right. You get evidence that the way you are doing it is right. You get to make sure that other peoples way of thinking is wrong, and make sure they know you know they are wrong.

Realizing the real, often hidden truth about the costs and benefits of being healthy will often help you create a stronger desire to be healthy.

About the Author

Getting your target of health is essential. This and this article are Part of a Free e-Course on Dieting and Eating Healthy. Go to http://www.bazuji.com/ecourse to sign up for the free e-course. He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

Tags: Abundance, Author, Benefit, Better Health, Brain Fog, Choices, Clarity, Closeness, disease, Dr Jamie, e-course, energy;, Fear, Fettig, food;, Freedom, Fulfillment, Happiness, Inner Peace, Mental Focus, Peace And Harmony, Rewards, Satisfaction, Suffering, Vitality —

Staying Healthy on a Low Carbohydrate Diet
Marjorie Geiser

It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following some type of low carbohydrate diet. This is the result of fad diet authors claiming that carbohydrates are the cause for Americas rising obesity problems. The backlash against carbohydrates is a result of the low fat craze that started in the 80s.When consumers started cutting down their fat intake, manufacturers figured out that they could create low fat processed food products that the public would buy. Because these products claimed to be fat free, Americans didnt pay attention to the fact that they were not also calorie free, and as a result, the total amount of daily calories has slowly been increasing. In fact, although the total percentage of calories from fat has decreased, the actual amount of fat intake has increased by 10# per year since 1975! The increase of carbohydrate has also increased, at a rate of 20# per year, mostly as a result of highly processed foods.

It is estimated that 3800 calories are now produced for every American man, woman and child. We have evolved from a world of feast or famine, but were in a state of perpetual feast, although our bodies have not changed. We have no defenses against excess calories: Every year, 300,000 to 400,000 deaths in the US are attributed to obesity.

Meanwhile, Asian and Middle Eastern populations consume 50-75% of their calories from rice and have some of the lowest rates of obesity and heart disease in the world. People living in the Mediterranean also have fewer health conditions commonly seen in the US. This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits. Their diets are rich in fish and low in meats and poultry. Although their fat intake is about the same as in America, the type of fat is primarily monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, where Americans eat primarily saturated animal fats.

Regardless of the actual advantage or disadvange to following a low carbohydrate diet, there are three recommendations for maintaining good health while following such a diet. The first is to choose healthy fats over the unhealthy, saturated fats, when considering fat intake. Examples of healthy fats would be plant fats that have not been hydrogenated, which makes the fat more solid at room temperature. It is believed that hydrogenation is actually more harmful to health than saturated fats found naturally in animal products. Plant fats would include nuts, avocados, and olives. Oils such as olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil are better choices than fats that come from animal sources, such as butter, lard or bacon grease. Multiple studies over the years have shown that excess animal fats lead to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. Saturated fats have been linked to increased cholesterol, LDL (the bad) cholesterol as well as to increased LDL cholesterol oxidation. In fact, in January 2004, an Atkins representative put out a press release advising the public to decrease their amounts of steak, eggs, and saturated fast to less than 20% of their total fat intake.

The next recommendation to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Although fruits and most vegetables are restricted in the initial phase of some low carbohydrate diets, they are then allowed back in limited amounts. The phytonutrients that come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to decrease blood pressure, as well as protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Its easy to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, once you get in the habit. Examples are; add some berries to breakfast, eat a tomato at lunch, include broccoli with dinner, drink some vegetable juice with snacks, and have a large salad with your meal.

The final tip to ensure good health is to eat a diet of whole foods, rather than fall back on the easy snack, convenience foods of today. If Americans had just cut down their amount of fat intake in the 80s, without finding new ways to snack, we may not be seeing the epidemic of obesity we see, today. When people started going on the low carbohydrate diets, they eliminated a large number of calories by eliminating snacking, especially at night, where common snacks are chips, crackers, and other high fat, high refined carbohydrate foods, such as ice cream. Today, though, much like in the 80s, manufacturers are now developing low carb and low net carb snack foods. We can now find low net carb chips, crackers, ice cream, popcorn, even low carb pizza! As Americans start to increase their intake of these foods, we will soon see a slowing of the weight loss many had seen initially. In order to call themselves a low net carb food, manufacturers subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates in the product, rather than produce products without carbohydrate. There is no actual FDA standard for what a low net carb food is, yet, though, so right now its anything the manufacturer wants to say it is. These foods also are very high in fat and saturated fat, usually through hydrogenation. So, not only will calories be added back into the diet through resuming unhealthy snack habits, but they will be calories consisting of high amounts of the unhealthy fats.

So, while following a low carbohydrate diet, in order to ensure continued good health, follow these three recommendations: 1) Make most fats you eat the healthy, plant fats, rather than eating a diet high in animal or hydrogenated fats, 2) Eat plenty of nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, which are high in disease-fighting antioxidants, and 3) eat mostly whole, fresh foods and very little processed snack foods, even if they say low carb, in order to avoid hidden and unnecessary fat and calories.

Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since 1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjories goal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating and fitness into their busy lives. To order her 30-Day Health & Fitness Challenge e-course and learn more about Marjorie, go to her website at www.megfit.com or email her at [email protected]

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STAY HEALTHY AND YOUNG
Hifzur Rehman

Yes, it is possible for the people of all ages to keep themselves healthy, physically fit and young looking throughout their whole lives. Just take the following three steps and enjoy a healthy, happy and a long life.

1.Eat Balanced Food

Its OK to eat for taste or for fun and eat whatever you like most but only occasionally. Remember, if you develop bad eating habits then you would have to pay its price in the shape of bad health and illness. Hope you are wise enough not to play with your health.

Eat a wide variety of foods containing a good balance of carbohydrates, vitamins, food fiber and minerals, which are essential elements of a healthy diet. Eat simple and natural foods that are easily digestable and promote good health. Fruits, vegetables, green leaves, grains, whole grain breads, fish, poultry, low fat dairy products, honey, nuts etc. are good and nourishing food. Limit you intake of full-fat milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, milk shakes, cakes, eggs, all kind of fried foods, red meat, sugar and salt.

2.Exercise Regularly

A simple way of living a healthy life is to exercise regularly. Regular exercise keeps your body in good shape, physically as well as mentally. It increases your stamina, builds and tones your muscles and energize your whole body. It also reduces the chances of having heart attacks, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Engage yourself in some kind of regular exercise of your own choice; brisk walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, dancing, cycling, skiing, climbing, aerobics or yoga. These are good exercises. Choose one or more exercises which you like most. Do it regularly. Give top priority to your health. Put it in your agenda. Make it a part of your goal.

3.Get Rid of Negativity

If you are a person with negative approach to everything then nothing will work for you. Even eating the balanced diet and taking part in regular physical activity will not show any sign of recovery in your body if it is charged with negativity. Get rid of negative feelings about yourself and others. Think positive, feel positive, be friendly with positive people, read a lot of self improvement and motivational material and charge your body with positive currents. Depression, stress, tension and anxiety are the products of negative thinking about life and thus increases your chances of having a heart attack and other diseases like colon cancer, high blood pressure, indigestion problems, gastric troubles, body pains, headaches etc. Find the reasons of depression and try to address them through positive thinking and a sensible approach to day to day problems. Learn from your mistakes and try your best not to repeat them. Get rid of negativity and enjoy a healthy life!

Hifzur Rehman is the owner and editor of a wonderful website http://www.selfimprovement.ch which offers a lot of useful and interesting information on various aspects of human life.

[email protected]

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