Oral Health and Weight Loss

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A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is the best prevention for illness and chronic disease. It can also be just as effective as any medicine a doctor could prescribe. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, or simply live a healthy life, the good choices you’re making not only do wonders for your body and overall health, but they also have a beneficial impact on your smile!

Making Better Food Choices–It is good for you!

Oral health depends on more than whether you brush, floss and rinse your teeth, it also depends on your diet! As you choose healthier foods for your body, you are also choosing better foods for your teeth.

If you’re trading chips and candied snacks in for healthier snacks like cheese sticks, veggies and nuts, you’ve made the right choice! A diet low in sugar and processed foods can help you trim your waistline, fend off illness and prevent cavities.

Do you know where sugar is hiding in your diet? Are there different names for ‘sugar?’ How much sugar is ok to eat? Does is matter where the sugar comes from? Check out the video below:

WE SEE YOU’RE DRINKING MORE WATER… GREAT JOB!
Perhaps before you made your goal to live a more healthy lifestyle, you would reach for your favorite soda rather than water at mealtime. Did you know that one in four Americans get at least 200 calories a day from sugary drinks like soda? Not only can frequent soda consumption lead to weight gain, it also contributes to tooth decay!

Eliminating soda from your diet, or at least consuming it in moderation, is a good way to cut back on calories and cavities. And now that you’re starting to drink more water, you’re probably realizing how good it makes you feel, especially since it is calorie-free and helps keep your mouth clean!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK WITH REGULAR EXERCISE
By maintaining a healthy weight, you are protecting yourself from health conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, to name a few. As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, these diseases often go hand in hand with periodontal, or gum disease. In fact, 91 percent of patients with heart disease and 22 percent of those with diabetes have gum disease.

So keep up the good work! Regular exercise (both marathons and dogwalks count) does wonders for your body’s health and it will show up in your smile!

ONE LAST TIP FOR OUR FAMILY OF PATIENTS
It is widely known that almost nothing tastes good after you brush your teeth. So we recommend that you let good oral hygiene help you stem cravings!

If you’re experiencing a craving and want to avoid it, brush your teeth! Or even pop a sugar-free mint into your mouth. Not only will this help your craving pass, but you’ll be less inclined to eat after making your mouth minty fresh! Added bonus? Your pearly whites stay squeaky clean. Oh and did we mention that two minutes of brushing burns around 5 calories? It’s not much, but it’s something!

Do you have any other questions about your dental health or a topic you’d like us to write about? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH WONDERFUL PATIENTS!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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