Be kind to your teeth and you will live longer....

[Crystal.Sands.McKinney/Be]

I thought about all of you today as I was cleaning a patients mouth. Many people are not aware of what stress and bad habits can do to your mouth. Bad oral care and bad habits can lead to deadly chronic diseases.

This person in particular was a smoker, long time smoker. Smoking not only is bad for you and lead to lung cancer, but it leads to many other chronic diseases that can cause additional fatalities.

*Keep those saliva glands flowing!*

-Saliva not only keeps you from gaining dry mouth, (a chronic condition that leads to oral catastrophes), but it has enzymes in it to help break food down as the digestive system begins. If you have minimal saliva, not only are not able to swallow easy and break food down properly, but your teeth and gum's suffer traumatically. Saliva helps wash away food and bacteria causing agents such as sugars and salts, or food left behind, from lack of proper flossing etc. Xylitol gum can be a positive saliva increasing agent to help reduce dry mouth and the issues that follow. Trident now has added Xylitol to their sugar free gum products, so you don't have to get a prescription now...yea!!!!

*Brush, Floss, Listerine, then A.C.T. to stay alive!*

-Why is it we think that we only have 5 minutes a day or less to take care of ourselves???? I know some folks that think if they only care for their mouth once a day - even if it takes 10 minutes then they are fine...WRONG! You are still a candidate for gum disease that can lead to chronic diseases and fatalities. Brush at least in the morning and before bed. Rinse your mouth out with water after consuming food or drink of any kind. Floss at least once a day if not twice, (don't saw your gum's because that leads to growing bacteria in damaged gum's). Rinse with a germ killer after flossing to remove residual bacteria and use a Fluoride base rinse as your final step of your oral hygiene routine. Fluoride is not only designed to prevent cavities but it also remineralizes the teeth and any exposed areas of the teeth such as Dentin (the soft middle of your tooth) or roots. Thus creating a less sensitive environment, from building a shield to protect the Dentin and the Enamel. So wait 30 minutes if not longer to drink anything or eat so it has time to do its job.

Gum diseases, root or tooth infections, if left untreated - can lead to heart disease, strokes, heart attacks and yes even cases of diabetes. Are you raising your eyebrows yet? Google it if you don't believe me - it is not like I am not trained in this profession. If you fall along these categories then please for your sake, your friends and family whom love you, take better care of you teeth so you can be around longer. There have been numerous amounts of cases of people dying of heart issues that were shockingly unknown to others and all the other chronic diseases as listed above.

Stress can also be a main factor to lead to bad habits. When we are stressed or down, we have a a tendency to want to find a comfort release. Some like sweets, some like alcohol, (PS..Alcohol causes extreme case of dry mouth), smoking...yes we went over this already, nail biting or other chewing biting tension releases, all which can break or crack your teeth then the process goes downhill from that point. And just plain laziness from stress and overwhelming lifestyles can kill you this way. Not to mention what else the mysterious things stress can do to your body.

So my question to you is...Are you worth an extra 5 minutes a day to live a longer life?

-Crys-

[Bill Glasheen]

Stress can also be a main factor to lead to bad habits. When we are stressed or down, we have a a tendency to want to find a comfort release. Some like sweets, some like alcohol, (PS..Alcohol causes extreme case of dry mouth), smoking...yes we went over this already, nail biting or other chewing biting tension releases, all which can break or crack your teeth then the process goes downhill from that point. And just plain laziness from stress and overwhelming lifestyles can kill you this way. Not to mention what else the mysterious things stress can do to your body.

So my question to you is...Are you worth an extra 5 minutes a day to live a longer life?

-Crys-

I must be the only person I know who loses weight when he's under extreme stress.

Someone in class told me tonight that she found my lost weight.

Good stuff, Crystal.

- Bill

[chef]

T'was me...Bill lost weight. I found it and guess where, darn it?

Darn, I guess I better stop drinking that red wine for stress. Who needs dry mouth, red stained teeth from the tannins (sp?), and someone who says things she should not say under the influence.

Good stuff, Crystal.

Actually, I am combatting that weight loss by adding 30 minutes on the elliptical 3X a week...loving it.

...don't forget, for those people who still kiss, nice breath and good oral hygiene is a must.

Why is it some people never, hardly ever have bad breath but don't necessarily spend a lot of time brushing, flossing, and using mouth wash. I don't get it?

Have a most wonderful weekend y'all.

Always,
Vicki

PS Awesome news, Crystal. Congrats on your new job. They are lucky to get you.

[Crystal.Sands.McKinney/Be]

Thanks Guys! I am lucky to have them - per say. I have learned to suppress happiness some to realize not every day will be perfect. But it sure is nice to have a few of them for a change.

Remember Vicki you are a child of GOD. HE sees and hears everything you do. Stay away from that Wine, I like who you are in the norm. You do not need any substitutes, because you are perfect just being you.

xoxoxoxo

Crys

[Crystal.Sands.McKinney/Be]

I must be the only person I know who loses weight when he's under extreme stress.

Someone in class told me tonight that she found my lost weight.

Good stuff, Crystal.

- Bill[/quote]

Bill,

You know the things you need to do to stay alive for you and your family's sake. If you can survive years of unnecessary stress - then you can survive a little while longer. I think "change" is not part of your appetite, but don't knock it till you try it. ( My mom used to always say that. )

We all in life have continuous changes that we are never ready for. I quote myself "Life is a series of quests, we have a choice to either ignore them and be non-existent, or we can charge into the quests and become our own hero's" .

Never be afraid of changes, they are what keep the world interesting. Enjoy your challenges as the endings of them will be rewarding at some point. "There is always balance to any situation - it is just not known as to when the balance will occur". (Another one of my famous quotes)

Think about it....

~Crys~

[Glenn]

Actually, I am combatting that weight loss by adding 30 minutes on the elliptical 3X a week...loving it.

This is getting off the original topic, but Vicki's comment on the elliptical reminded me of a topic I've been meaning to bring up that draw's on Bill and Ian's specializations. I need some clarification regarding the relationship between heart rate, age, and exercise.

When I enter my age into the treadmills at the gym I've noticed the recommended peak heart rate has naturally gone down as I have aged. At 42 the equipment currently has my peak exercise heart rate at 153 bpm, and when it goes over that I get warnings that my heart rate is too high. Using the common formulas for maximum heart rate (220-age; 205.8-(0.685*age); 217-(.85*age); etc) my maximum heart rate should be around 177-181, so the equipment is calculating a target peak exercise heart rate at 85% of maximum heart rate (153 is 85% of 180).

The problem is, at the treadmill workouts that get me to around 153 (for example around 4.5 mph after about 5 minutes) I barely break a sweat or breath heavy. So I eventually take it up to 6 mph or so for a while and my heart rate goes up to around the maximum heartrate (the highest I recall is 178), but at least then I feel like I am getting a good workout.

My heart rate recovery seems pretty good, dropping about 25 bpm within a minute of slowing down the workout (for example at my last workout dropping from a maximum of 177 at 6 mph to 154 at 4 mph a minute of the speed change, and it continued going down from there). That is a good sign for cardiovascular health I believe.

Obviously the equipment is not taking the user's condition into the equation, plus it is not calculating the 85% target using both maximum and resting heart rate as some formula do (my resting heart rate is usually around 75, so the 85% target would be around 162-165 using those formula). Then there is the question of whether those built-in heart rate readers accurate anyway.

My questions are: How much attention should I be paying to heart rate? Should I be focusing on the "feel" of getting a good workout or to the heart rate readings of the equipment? Should I be avoiding getting close to the maximum heart rate? Am I considering this all wrong and simply should be going for longer at the slower speeds?

[Crystal.Sands.McKinney/Be]

Glenn, I also used to be a fitness instructor, never go near the maximum 80% of the heart rate because you can lead yourself to stroke symptoms. If you find you are reaching that 80 percentile you need to gradually slow your pace down on the equipment. This is crucial! Please be aware of your body and how you respond physically to things. It doesn't really matter your age when it comes to heart rate on equipment, what matters is that you pay attention to your physical responses and keep 5 points away from that 80 percentile max vs. age rate. Those heart monitors on the equipment have saved many lives, and I encourage anyone to wear them when in use.

Just an FYI.

~Crys~

[Glenn]

Crystal,

So are you saying I (and anyone) should stay at no more than 75% of maximum heart rate? Isn't 80-85% usually recommended for high intensity workouts?

And doesn't age matter in that the calculations are based on age? What is not being considered is condition...I would expect a 42 year old athlete to have a higher realistic maximum heart rate (and thus higher 80% heart rate) than I would, and for mine to be higher than that of a 42 year old couch potato. If we all 3 use the same 80% the couch potato will likely be dying while I'm getting a reasonable workout...the athlete would probably be dozing through it. Or will the athlete have a lower heart rate in general and have to work harder than I do to get to the same 80% heart rate (around 140 bpm)?

[Crystal.Sands.McKinney/Be]

Yes, Glenn but the 85 % can be extremely dangerous for some people with any underlying medical conditions. I have always told my clients to avoid getting close those ranges for that very reason. It is worth to stay cautious.