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A Guide to Maintaining Good Oral Health

September 6, 2011 By HeadHoncho

Good oral health always starts with keeping your teeth and mouth clean. It is recommended that we brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Flossing and/or cleaning between our teeth to remove stubborn bits of food debris will also help keep teeth in top tip condition. Most important however, is remembering to visit your dentist regularly. Good oral health will help control problems such as halitosis (bad breath), gum disease and tooth decay.

There are many causes of halitosis and we all get it from time to time. Everyday things such as drinking coffee or alcohol or smoking are major causes of bad breath. Tooth decay or food trapped between your teeth can also make your breath less than sweet. Other things such as mouth ulcers, throat or chest infections can also have an effect. Brushing and flossing will help, remembering to clean all of your mouth including your tongue. If you suffer from bad breath, then a good mouthwash may also help by killing the bacteria that cause it.

Gum disease, also known as gingivitis, is more common that you might think. It is caused by a build up of plaque and bacteria, which, if not removed by brushing can lead to all sorts of problems, including receding gums and halitosis. Symptoms include redness and swelling of the gums and bleeding from mouth when brushing. Gum disease can be avoided by good oral health, including brushing and flossing. If you have any problems such as bleeding or swelling on the gum line, then you should visit your dentist for advice.

It is a well known fact that tooth enamel is one of the hardest substances in the body, but this does not mean that it is impervious to damage and decay. Tooth decay (or dental caries) is what causes cavities. It is caused by a plaque bacteria which can, over time erode tooth enamel and produce small holes. If left untreated, bacteria continues to forge its way deeper and deeper into the tooth causing pain and even abscesses. Regular visits to the dentist can help detect cavities and get them filled and treated before they become a problem.

We all want to have the perfect smile and good oral health, including a good dental care regime can help us achieve this. It takes less than 10 minutes a day to take care of our teeth properly. Use a good fluoride toothpaste and make sure you have a good tooth brush. If you can, invest in an electric toothbrush. Not only are they more effective than manual brushing but they often measure the correct brushing time for you. Remember to clean all surfaces on your teeth, front back, chewing surface and the sides with interdental brushes or floss.

Smoking, drinking coffee or red wine can leave your teeth with permanent staining. Whitening toothpastes can help keep it in check but can only go so far. If you want to achieve a whiter than white smile then talk to your dentist who will be able to advise you on the different methods of teeth whitening and their suitability for you.

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5 Tips to Help You Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

June 30, 2011 By HeadHoncho

The average American gains about seven pounds during the holiday season. Before you roll your eyes and blow this information off, keep in mind that research indicates that most people never completely burn off that weight during the next year. In other words, a portion of that weight you gain during the holidays is never going to be lost, which is why many of us gain a few pounds as we grow older. With that in mind, consider these tips to avoid (or minimize) weight gains during the holidays.

  1. Take it slow. While you’re at a party or a gathering, make a point of eating very slowly. This will fill you up with much less food. Telling yourself that you will only eat during the first hour of a party is usually a mistake — you end up gorging yourself, and oftentimes you end up eating later in the party anyways.
  2. Eat before you leave your home. You know there is going to be good food at a holiday party — and chances are, it’s not going to be healthy. So fill up on something healthy before you leave the house. Just like you shouldn’t go shopping for groceries on an empty stomach, the same rule applies to going to a holiday party.
  3. Take it easy with the alcohol. Alcohol is a major culprit when it comes to holiday weight gains. That’s because in addition to being high in carbs, alcohol will lower your inhibitions-including your commitment not to over eat! Stick to only one drink-or even better, avoid alcohol altogether.
  4. Stick to small plates. Many parties will have smaller appetizer-sized plates as well as larger options. Stick with the smallest plate available-by forcing yourself to limit your portions and make multiple trips to the buffet, you’ll be much less likely to over eat.
  5. Focus on socializing, not eating. Many of us immediately think of delicious appetizers and courses when we think of a holiday get-together. Train yourself instead to visualize the friends and family that you’ll see. If you’re like most of us, you’re busy all year long and don’t get to spend the time you’d like with those that are close to you. So take advantage of the opportunity by spending time with them, instead of in line at the buffet.

The holidays are a great time of year — unfortunately, it’s also easy to overeat. While it may be unrealistic to avoid gaining any weight this year, the suggestions we’ve given above will at least help you minimize any gains.

Cole Tanner is a mid-40s Southern California freelancer who enjoys writing about exercise, fitness, nutrition, coaching, family, home improvement and self-help techniques.

Visit Cole’s blog to get health articles and health ebooks that you can use in your newsletter, website or blog.

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The Most Common Sports Injuries and Treatment

June 27, 2011 By HeadHoncho

The most common sports injuries include foot, shoulder and back injuries; tennis elbow; knee injuries; sprained ankles; and shin splints. Moderate to severe injuries need a doctors attention to make sure you are getting the best treatment. Listed below are some the more common injuries.

Tennis elbow, an inflammation of the muscles and tendons, is a common injury. With overuse comes inflammation and pain. A common injury among tennis and golf players, it is also common in many sports and from excessive computer use. Rest, ice, heat, anti-inflammatory, are common temporary remedies. Some injuries need physical therapy.

Fasciitis is common in runners and is also common with sudden weight gain or a sudden increase in activity. Do you have pain in your heels when you get out of bed in the morning? Heel pain in the morning is a sign of plantar fasciitis. Treatment often involves rest and ice, anti-inflammatories, a foot massage roller, and wearing a night splint.

Although there are many types of knee injuries, MCL and ACL injuries are common in sports. A torn ACL usually occurs from force applied to the knee when the foot is immobilized or from a direct blow to the knee. Symptoms of a torn ACL include instability, extensive swelling, an audible pop or crack when the injury occurs, restricted movement, and tenderness. Treatment includes rest and ice. Seek professional medical advice.

Rotator cuff is the support tendons and muscles in the shoulder that stabilize and allow the arm to move up and down, as well as rotate. Signs of injury include aching and weakness in the shoulder; especially when the arm is lifted overhead. The pain and inflammation is caused when swollen muscle push on the nearby bone. Torn rotator cuff symptoms include pain, decreased range of motion, weakness and a deep ache. Rotator cuff injuries need a doctor to decide if surgery is needed to repair the muscle.

Spin injuries are rare in sports. Often, this injury happens when the head is thrown back, or forwards violently, and damage to the vertebrae occur. There may also be damage to the ligaments, and muscles surrounding the spine. Immobilization is necessary and immediate medical help is required.

Many sports injuries need medical evaluation and treatment. Before engaging in sports: Warm up properly, cool down after exercising, use the correct equipment, if possible, exercise different muscles on different days when weight training. Stretching and strengthening will help prevent common sports injuries, and should be a part of a warm up and general conditioning program.

Learn more about acl reconstruction. Thank you SportMED in Huntsville Al for your information on many sports injuries.

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Effective and Cheaper Ways to Look Leaner

June 7, 2011 By HeadHoncho

Sad though it is, we live in a very judgemental world and most of that judgement springs from the way you look and present yourself. Vanity plays a big part in human existence. Just the other day, I was watching this fascinating documentary on History Channel about ancient aliens. Apparently, up until the start of the 20th century, some of the Native American tribes and indeed tribes from all over world were indulging in the practice of ‘cranial binding’. Now, one of the reasons put forth by the believers of the ‘ancient astronaut theory’ of why they did this was to imitate the aliens or ‘gods’. So, as you can imagine, imitation and vanity is not a recent phenomenon affecting the human psyche at all.

In the present day scenario too, nothing has changed really. You have to admit it that when you are walking down the street, you want heads to turn and people to admire you as you pass them by (of course the right kind of people!).

So, how do you go about changing the way you look. well, read on to find out more. Without being too critical of anyone, I think these big chain of gyms with their multi million dollar spending on marketing make you feel that if you want to get fit, there is no better way than to join a fitness centre. You can’t be more wrong if you start believing in that.

Get things into perspective:

I am a big fan of people who look to make changes in the things that can be changed. Admitted, there are certain things, esp. those determined by genes that you can’t fight, for example, height but you can certainly change the way you look, in terms of getting leaner and fitter. I don’t want to seen as practising ableism but to me, people who are fat are just not organised enough in their lives. I tend to look at fat or obese people in terms of ‘failure of their personal admin.’

OK, so what is the one thing that you really need to be sure about is embark on the journey to change the way you look. I would say, ‘the fitness goals’. Be very frank and sure in your head what you want to do the most. Once you start seeing results, you can chop and change your fitness goals. A lot of the times you see people doing stuff that is does nothing for them. For instance, if you are in your early 20s and looking to lose weight, you’d be wasting your time going on the BOSU ball because chances are, you will always have the balance and unless you were on ankle injury rehab or looking to compete in some elite sport, you’d be better off doing intense cardio and resistance training.

Way to go!

Well, one of the first things that people do when they begin to contemplate to make changes in the way they look is get a gym membership. Well, if I was you, I wouldn’t! First of all, you got to look at the bigger picture. Think about what you really want to do with your body. For most people, looks come first. Then there are a select few who are really in it for fitness. While very few (the freakish ones are for improving performance in sports; let’s leave these guys alone coz they are a different breed altogether!)

Now, whether it is the looks or fitness that concerns you, you should remember that hitting the gym most days of the week will form a part of the solution. To me, a better solution is practising ‘active lifestyle’. What that effectively means is you have to be up and about all the time. How many times have you seen young people who are waiting for the underground or the bus sitting down on a bench! I would much rather pace about (sometimes I have done that with 20 Kg of stuff in my duffel bag; people look at you like you are crazy; but that’s OK). I am a big believer in the phrase ‘why sit when you can stand, why stand when you can walk about, why walk when you can jog and why jog when you can run?’

Another big favour that you can do to yourself is to indulge in some outdoor sporting activity. I have had so many clients over the years saying to me, ‘oh, but I am lousy at tennis’. Well, don’t play to win but to burn calories while you have fun with friends. Again, outdoor activities are more functional than gym workouts. How many times have you realised that after hitting the treadmill quite regularly in the gym, you still huff and puff when you sprint to catch the bus?! And the whole idea to try ‘activities at which you are lousy’ is to shock your body to respond because you do something that your body is just nor used to. I realised, after years of trying out various fad diets and ergogenics (fat burners) to get ripped, the thing that really made a difference was a couple of weeks of Thai Kick Boxing.

Again, if you want to build huge muscles (like most guys), then you would need to join a gym (I would prefer a weightlifting gym rather than a fitness centre; these are much cheaper and really make you strong and muscular). However, if you are looking to get lean or get toned (esp. women), I would suggest to not waste you hard earned money. Also, over the years, I have seen that after the initial motivation wears off, most people drop off from the gym but still keep paying for the whole year because of the way gym memberships work. I would rather suggest you try out different home workouts, indulge in active lifestyle, balanced diet and playing some outdoor sport over the weekend.

Keep following my articles on how to save a lot of money and effort and still get the result that you want! In one of my articles I will also touch upon why and how a personal trainer is much more effective in terms of getting results.

Stay Fit, stay smiling!

Hi there, I am a sports medic, an elite personal trainer and a sports injury, health, medical and fitness writer. For more information on my personal training services or if you have any queries, do not hesitate to get in touch with me at http://www.thefitnessdoc.co.uk/#!__contact-me

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The Single Best Yoga Move to Alleviate Back Pain

April 30, 2011 By HeadHoncho

Nothing is worse than an aching back. Whether you have an isolated injury or chronic back pain, too many Americans are familiar with that deep ache, from the lower lumbar regions right up to the neck. It might prevent you from bending over, from sitting down with any comfort, and over time can truly become insufferable, driving you to distracting and forcing you to take many different kinds of pain medication. Fortunately new studies have shown that yoga can help alleviate back pain, and this yoga move we are going to detail here today has been considered the best for exactly this function.

First, if you have serious back pain be sure to visit a doctor. While yoga can do wonders for your health and wellbeing, serious back pain should always be checked by a medical professional, and this yoga move in no way seeks to replace qualified medical advice.

That said, the yoga move known as Reclined Twist will do wonders for general aches and pains. To perform it, simply lie on your back, shoulder blades pressed into the ground, neck extended, and then bring your knees up to the sky and press them together, soles of your shoes still on the ground. Then, open your arms out to either side as if forming a capital ‘T’, and lower both knees to one side, so that you turn on your hips, one rising to point at the ceiling, the other disappearing beneath you.

That accomplished, turn to look in the opposite direction of your knees, and use your arm to press your knees even further down to the ground. The goal here is to twist your spine as much as you are comfortable, a deliciously deep stretch that should help wring out those tight muscles and pinched nerves, allowing soothing ease to flow into the aches.

Once you have held that twist for five or ten breaths, raise your knees toward the sky once more and then lower them on the other side, turning to face in the opposite direction. Press down on your knees and try to turn your hips as much as possible while keeping your shoulder blades anchored on the ground. Use your breathing to help turn, lengthening on each inhale and then twisting a little further on each exhale. Breathing is fundamental to yoga, and using it in this manner can help you accomplish impressive and pain banishing results.

Try the PX90 or the PX90 Reviews.

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