Living Well and Healthy, Part 13

Flossing. The best way to remove plaque from below the gums and between the teeth is by flossing properly once a day.  Start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they touch each other.  As with brushing, you will have to help flossing until the child is old enough to manage it alone.

Diet.  Healthwise gives some tips to add to your daily routine:

• Avoid high-sugar foods, especially sticky, sweet foods like taffy and raisins. The longer sugar stays in touch with your teeth, the more damage it will do.
• Brush after between-meals snacks.
• Don’t snack before bedtime.  Food is more likely to cause cavities at night because saliva doesn’t clean the mouth as well at night.
• Mozzarella and other cheeses, peanuts, yogurt, milk, and sugar-free chewing gum (especially gum that contains xylitol) are good for your teeth.  They help clear the mouth of harmful sugars and reduce plaque formation. 

Dental Checkups.  Most people who do not have serious problems with their teeth need to visit the dentist twice a year.  During a dental checkup the dentist will examine your teeth and gums for signs of tooth decay and gum disease.  X-rays of your teeth are usually taken once a year.  If you don’t have any active tooth decay or gum disease, changes in your brushing and flossing habits probably won’t be necessary.

A dentist or dental hygienist will clean your teeth.  He or she will scrape hard mineral buildup (tartar) off your teeth with a small metal tool; floss your teeth thoroughly; and use a polishing compound to help clean and polish your teeth.  Cleanings may be uncomfortable but usually aren’t painful. Other procedures (application of sealants to prevent cavities or fluoride treatments) may be done during a routine office visit if needed.

The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child see a dentist either by one year of age or within six months after his or her first tooth comes in.

(Taking safety precautions at home, when on the move and at work, will be discussed in Part 14, next Monday, 24 June 2013. – J.P.)

Living Well and Healthy, Part 12

Relaxation Technique (continued from last week)

3. Become aware of your breathing.  Each time you exhale, say the word “one” (or any other word or phrase) silently or aloud.  Concentrate on breathing from your abdomen and not your chest.  Instead of focusing on a repeated word, you can fix your gaze on a stationary object.  Any mental stimulus will help you to clear your mind.

Continue the above for 10 to 20 minutes.  As distracting thoughts enter your mind, don’t dwell on them, just allow them to drift away.

4.  Sit quietly for several minutes, until you are ready to open your eyes.

5.  Notice the difference in your breathing and your pulse rate.

Don’t worry about becoming deeply relaxed.  The key to this exercise is to remain passive, to let distracting thoughts slip away like waves on the beach.

Practice for 10 to 20 minutes once or twice a day, but not within 2 hours after a meal.  When you have set up a routine, you can achieve the relaxation response with little effort.

Take Care of Your Teeth.  Your teeth will last a lifetime if you care for them properly.  Brushing and flossing regularly, eating a mouth-healthy diet, and visiting your dentist for regular checkups will help keep your teeth healthy.

Brushing.

• Brush at least twice a day for 3 to 5 minutes each time.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste (young children should use only a pea-sized dab).  Tartar-control toothpaste may help slow the formation of hard mineral build up (tartar) on the teeth. 
• Brush your tongue.  Plaque build-up (a sticky film made of bacteria) on the tongue can cause bad breath.

Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they come in.  Brush your child’s teeth for the first 4 to 5 years, until your child seems able to do it alone.  A good teaching method is to have your child brush in the morning and you brush at night until your child masters the skill.  If your local water does not contain enough fluoride, your child may need a fluoride supplement.  Discuss this with your dentist.

(Flossing, diet, and dental checkups will be explained next Monday, 17 June 2013. – J.P.)

Living Well and Healthy, Part 11

Muscle Groups and Procedure.  Pick a place where you can lie down on your back and stretch out comfortably.  Tense each muscle group for 4 to 10 seconds (hard but not to the point of cramping), then give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to release it and relax.  At various points, review the muscle groups and relax each one a little more each time.

How to Tense Muscle Groups:

• Hands: Clench them.
• Wrists and forearms: Extend them and bend the hands back at the wrist.
• Biceps and upper arms: Clench your hands into fists, bend your arms at the elbows, and flex your biceps.
• Shoulders:  Shrug them. (Check the arms and shoulders area for tension).
• Forehead: Wrinkle it into a deep frown.
• Around the eyes and bridge of the nose:  Close your eyes as tightly as possible. (Remove contact lenses before beginning the exercise).
• Cheeks and jaws:  Grin from ear to ear.
• Around the mouth:  Press your lips together tightly. (Check the face area for tension).
• Back of the neck: Press your head back hard.
• Front of the neck:  Touch your chin to your chest. (Check the neck and head area for tension).
• Chest: Take a deep breath and hold it; then exhale.
• Back: Arch your back up and away from the floor.
• Stomach: Suck it into a tight knot. (Check the chest and stomach area for tension).
• Hips and buttocks: Press the buttocks together tightly.
• Thighs: Clench them hard.
• Lower legs: Point your toes toward your face, as if trying to bring the toes up to touch your head.
• Lower legs: Point your toes away and curl them downward at the same time. (Check the area from the waist down for tension).

When you are finished, return to alertness by counting backwards from five to one.

Relaxation Response.  The relaxation response is the exact opposite of a stress response.  It slows heart rate and breathing, lowers blood pressure, and helps relieve muscle tension.

Techniques (adapted from Herbert Benson, M.D.):

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
2. Begin progressive muscle relaxation.

(Techniques 3 to 5 will appear next Monday, 10 June 2013, including how to take care of your teeth. – J.P.)

Living Well and Healthy, Part 10

The following three methods of relaxation are among the simplest and most effective, offers Healthwise.  They should be done once or twice a day for about 10 to 20 minutes.  Pick a time and place where you won’t be disturbed or distracted.

Belly Breathing.  The object of belly breathing is to develop full use of your lungs and get in touch with the rhythm of your breathing.  It can be practised in any position, but it is best to learn it lying on your back, with your knees bent.

1. Place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest.  Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out.
2. Practise filling your lower lungs by breathing so that your left hand goes up when you inhale and your right hand remains still.  Always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
3. When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs eight to 10 times, add the second step to your breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest.  As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little as your abdomen falls.
4. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left and then your right hand falls. As you exhale, feel the tension leaving your body as you become more and more relaxed.
5. Practise breathing in and out in this manner for three to five minutes.  Notice the movement of your abdomen and chest is like rolling waves rising and falling in a rhythmic motion. 

Practise belly breathing daily for several weeks until you can do it almost anywhere, providing you with an instant relaxation tool anytime you need one.

CAUTION: Since some people get dizzy the first few times they try belly breathing, Healthwise advises that you slow your breathing if you begin to hyperventilate or become lightheaded.  Get up slowly.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation.  The body responds to tense thoughts or situations with muscle tension, which can cause pain or discomfort.  Deep muscle relaxation reduces the muscle tension and mental anxiety.  You can use an audiotape to help you go through all the muscle groups or you can do it by just tensing and relaxing each muscle group.  Deep muscle relaxation is effective in combating stress-related health problems and often helps people get to sleep.

(How to tense muscle groups and relaxation response will be discussed next Monday, June 3, 2013. – J.P.)

Living Well and Healthy, Part 9

Recognizing Stress.  Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize or admit that stress is affecting your health.  If you are aware of its effects and take corrective action, you’ll be able to cope with your stress.

Healthwise says the signs of stress are classic.  You may get a headache, stiff neck, backache, rapid breathing, sweaty palms, or an upset stomach.  You may become irritable and intolerant of even minor disturbances.  You may lose your temper more often and yell at your family for no good reason.  Your pulse rate may increase and you may feel jumpy or exhausted all the time.  You may find it hard to concentrate.

When these systems appear, recognize them as signs of stress and find a way to deal with them.  Just knowing why you’re crabby may be the first step in coping with the problem.  It is your attitude toward stress, not the stress itself that affects your health the most.

Managing Stress.  Some people try to relieve stress by smoking, drinking, overeating, or taking pills.  Healthwise suggests a better way:  Learn to control your stress level by avoiding the dangerous side effects of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.  Also, use your body to soothe your mind and use your mind to soothe your body.

Stress and tension affect our emotions and feelings.  By expressing those feelings to others, we able to understand and cope with them.  Talking about a problem with a spouse or a good friend is a valuable way to reduce tension and stress.

Crying can also relieve tension.  It’s a part of our emotional healing process.  Expressing ourselves through writing, crafts, or art may also be a good tension reliever.  Listening to our favorite music can relieve tension as many have experienced.  

Exercise is a natural response to stress; it is the normal reaction to the fight-or-flight urge.  Walking briskly will take advantage of the rapid pulse and tensed muscles caused by stress and release your pent-up energy.  After a long walk, your stress level is usually lower and more manageable.

Relaxation Skills.  Whatever you do to manage stress, you can benefit from the regular use of relaxation skills.  Relaxation is the exact opposite of the fight-or-flight response.

When learning relaxation skills, you must avoid outside distractions.  It may take some practice to become comfortable with these techniques.  Once you have trained your body and mind to relax (two to three weeks), you’ll be able to produce the same relaxed state whenever you want.

(On Monday, 27 May 2013, Part 10 will cover three methods of relaxation. – J.P.)