A Healthy Mouth Contributes to Overall Health

BMC Health Services Research has found that regular preventative dental care is associated with a variety of diseases and chronic health conditions:

• Oral infections
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• Stroke
• Low birth weight
• Premature birth

Routine dental visits are linked with a lower rate of heart disease, lower blood sugar, and they provide the opportunity to screen for oral cancer.

Lose Weight by Eating Fruit?

A new study out of Brazil showed that women who snacked on fruit instead of high fiber cookies lost 2 pounds over 10 weeks (while the cookie eaters gained 2 pounds over the same amount of time). Both snacks contained 200 calories and 6 grams of fiber. Researchers say that the high water content and low energy density in the fruit helped keep the women feel more satiated...which led to less eating throughout the day.

Too Stressed To Sleep?

Use these tips to get a better night's sleep:

• Do regular cardiovascular exercise - studies have shown that people who do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (e.g., cycling, brisk walking, jogging, swimming, etc.) at least 4 times per week slept better than people who don't work out.
• Clear your mind - release your feelings or worries in writing for 20 minutes before you go to sleep. Doing this will help decrease your stress levels and allow for a more restful sleep.
• Schedule a bath - after a bath, your body cools down, which makes you drowsy.
• Use aromatherapy - essential oil of lavender has been shown to significantly increase deep/slow-wave sleep (the most restorative phase of sleep).
• Turn off the TV (and turn on some mellow music) - TV is a stimulant and the light cues your body clock to stay awake. Additionally, negative images and violence on TV increase anxiety and tension. On the other hand, mellow music has a soothing response on the body and mind.
• Make love in bed - having sex releases endorphins and oxytocin in the brain. These chemicals calm you and promote sleep.
• Use visualization - stop counting sheep! Instead, imagine a tranquil scene, like a waterfall or a sunny beach. In an Oxford University study, subjects who used visualization fell asleep 20 minutes sooner than usual.

Source: Caring Today magazine

What's the Real Age of Your Body?

We all know our chronological age...but what is your body's age? Check out www.realage.com to find out how well you've maintained your body and how you can improve your health and decrease your body age.

Recovering From Cold and Flu

Cold and flu season is here! It's important that you start treatment within 24 hours of experiences symptoms. Here are some tips from Body + Soul magazine:

• Take 500mg of Vitamin C 3-4 times per day at the onset of a cold.
• Try 1,000mg of echinacea 3-5 times per day. Kan Jang (a combo of eleuthero and andrographis) has also been found to reduce symptoms of respiratory infections.
• Be patient - follow your insticts to get more rest and you won't find your symptoms lingering.
• Consider taking 200mg of Panax ginseng per day, along with getting extra sleep, lots of water, and eating good foods.

Risks of Secondhand Smoke

200 thousand people die each year due to secondhand smoke in the workplace alone! Secondhand smoke raises your risk for lung cancer, heart disease, and asthma. Go to http://www.no-smoke.org/ to find out about making your workplace smoke-free.

Are you a smoker? The Great American Smokeout is coming up on November 20! This program encourages you to quite smoking for 24 hours.

Source: International labor Organization