wellness

Take Care of Your Mouth

Not taking care of your teeth not only ages your smile, but also puts you at risk for gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease, stroke, and bacterial pneumonia. Along with proper oral care, it’s important to see a dentist regularly.

According to the American Dental Association, a dentist can spot signs of nutritional deficiencies, infection, cancer, and other illnesses, such as diabetes. They recommend brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and using a mouth rinse.

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Seriously, don’t smoke

Add this to the already-long list of reasons to quit. While less serious than reducing your chances of getting lung cancer or heart disease, smoking also damages your looks. The habit takes a major toll on your appearance, contributing to premature skin aging, wrinkles, stained teeth, and even increased psoriasis risk. “Smoking increases wrinkles due to facial motion, and it also has a vasoconstricting effect, which means it chokes off blood vessel circulation,” says dermatologist David Stoll, MD, author of A Woman’s Skin.

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Hummus is a Healthy Choice

Basic hummus recipes contain six healthy ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and tahini. Flavored types of hummus — for example, popular types like roasted red pepper or Kalamata olive hummus, which you may have seen in supermarkets — have additional ingredients that are mixed into the basic hummus recipe described above.

So what is hummus good for? Here are the top eight hummus benefits:

1. Good Source of Plant-Based Protein
2. Fights Illness and Disease
3. Decreases Inflammation
4. Helps Digestion and Intestinal Health
5. High in Vitamins and Minerals
6. Supports Bone Health
7. Protects Heart Health
8. Boosts Your Energy

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Research shows that expressing gratitude offers several physical, mental, social and emotional benefits.  Here are just some of the benefits of expressing gratitude:

1. It helps you combat mental health issues. When you are grateful, you feel positive emotions that release dopamine, the feel-good chemicals in your brain. This helps ward off mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression.
2. It may improve your physical health. Studies show that people of all ages who consider themselves to be grateful have fewer health issues than those who don’t. . . . Those who express gratitude had fewer headaches, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal issues, along with healthier hearts.
3. It can help you sleep better. If positive, grateful thoughts are running through your head as you try to fall asleep rather than a replay of stressful events, you’re more likely to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.
4. It may increase your self-esteem. When you feel grateful, you’re more likely to think of yourself in a more positive light because you’re less likely to compare yourself to others.
5. It helps you build and nurture strong relationships. When you express feelings of gratitude to other people, you’re also more empowered to talk about any concerns you may have about your relationship. All of this may result in stronger and more trusting relationships, with both participants feeling valued.

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Foods that cause Inflammation

Try to avoid or limit these foods as much as possible:

• • • refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries
    • French fries and other fried foods
    • soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
    • red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
    • margarine, shortening, and lard

Anti-inflammatory foods

An anti-inflammatory diet should include these foods:

• • • tomatoes
    • olive oil
    • green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
    • nuts like almonds and walnuts
    • fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
    • fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

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Foods to Eat When You Get the Sugar Cravings

Walking’s Benefits

1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. 

3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. 

4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.

5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.

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Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

You’ve likely heard that added salt can get in the way of any effort to lower blood pressure. But what’s not discussed much are foods that lower blood pressure naturally. You’ll want to look for food filled with heart-protective fiber, vitamins, and the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium. Try:

• • quinoa (use this versatile grain as you would rice)
  • broccoli
  • kale
  • white beans
  • sweet potatoes
  • spinach
  • edamame
  • pumpkin seeds
  • beets

Tip: You can still enjoy flavor by seasoning with herbs and spices instead of salt, says Johns Hopkins registered dietitian Kathleen Johnson, M.A., R.D., L.D.N.

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Whether it’s a simple spat with your spouse or long-held resentment toward a family member or friend, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize—it may be affecting your physical health. The good news: Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress. And research points to an increase in the forgiveness-health connection as you age. . . . Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health.

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Beating the Afternoon Slump

There are many tips for beating the afternoon slump, such as eating healthy foods (no candy bars), drinking plenty of water, listening to music and even aromatherapy. But one of the most effective ways to stay alert and on task is to get moving. And the sooner, the better, . . . The afternoon slump typically hits between 1 and 3 p.m.,Moving after lunch is important. Movement at this time helps your body digest food, stabilize your blood sugar, and release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, all of which help decrease sleepiness.