Oral Health connected to Overall Health

Now here is some interesting myth busting - your oral health is actually connected to your overall health, including your mental health.

Many people think that oral health is independent from the rest of their body - believing that they can have bad teeth and dental problems and that it is somehow separate from other parts of your body.

So let us start with some facts / interesting tidbits which will make you realize just how connected they are.

#1. One of the first side effects smokers get when they first start smoking is a yellowing of their teeth. If they brush regularly this won't be that visible, but over time this starts to wear down on their teeth as the chemicals released during the process of smoking wear down the enamel on their teeth - and enamel erosion leads to teeth loss. So if you can imagine dying of cancer, imagine being toothless and also dying of cancer.

#2. Bacteria in your mouth is normal. The problem however is that when you get too much bacteria in your mouth they start to produce acid which causes problems for your teeth - and when swallowed the acid harms your neck, stomach and lungs as the acid and bacteria spreads. People with poor dental hygiene are more prone to getting sick because bacteria spreads more easily through their system. They are also more prone to getting heartburn due to acid reflux.

#3. Various medications — such as decongestants, antihistamines, painkillers and diuretics — can reduce saliva flow. Saliva washes away food and neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, helping to protect you from microbial invasion or overgrowth that might lead to disease.

#4. Oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease — plays a role in some diseases. In addition, certain diseases, such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and others, can lower the body's resistance to infection, making oral health problems that much more problematic.

#5. Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of your heart (endocardium). Endocarditis typically occurs when bacteria or other germs from another part of your body, especially your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and attach themselves to damaged areas in your heart.

#6. Cardiovascular disease. Heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke are sometimes linked to the inflammation and infections that oral bacteria can cause.

#7. Periodontitis has been linked to premature births and low birth weight of babies, decreasing their chances of survival.

#8. Diabetes reduces the body's resistance to infection — putting your gums at risk. Gum disease is more frequent and severe among people who have diabetes. Likewise, people who have gum disease have a harder time controlling their blood sugar levels.

#9. Oral problems, such as painful mucosal lesions, are common in people who have HIV/AIDS and similar diseases.

#10. Osteoporosis — which causes bones to become weak and brittle — is linked with periodontal bone loss and tooth loss.

#11. Tooth loss before age 35 is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and a risk factor for other mental health problems.

#12. Sjogren's syndrome — an immune system disorder that causes dry mouth, which in turn leads to higher levels of bacteria and too much acid wear on your teeth.

A couple weeks ago I went to a new dentist near Rosedale - Archer Dental near the corner of Sherbourne and Bloor - and I was amazed at the form they had me fill out during my first visit. It covered a long list of medications for heart disease, diabetes and many other health issues that at the time I thought was unrelated to oral health care.

But evidently I was wrong. After all I am not a dentist. So I had to do quite a bit of research in preparing this post so I could learn why that form was so comprehensive with respect to other health conditions.

Now I feel so much more educated on this topic and decided to share some of my myth busting info with others.

So what can you do to improve your dental health / overall health? Luckily I have made a list.


12 things can you do to improve your overall health AND your dental health

#1. Brush 2 to 3 times daily.

#2. Floss daily.

#3. Eat healthier meals that .

#4. Eat healthier snacks in-between meals.

#5. Rinse out your mouth regularly with anti-bacterial mouthwash.

#6. Chew sugar-free gum (removes bacteria from your mouth).

#7. If you are a smoker, stop smoking.

#8. Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.

#9. Schedule dental checkups regularly.

#10. Find a dentist you actually LIKE (this improves your odds of going there). eg. I really liked Archer Dental (and not just because it has archer in the name) because they spent the time explaining things to me and made me feel really comfortable about what they doing with my teeth. I am actually looking forward to my next visit.

#11. Contact your dentist immediately if you have an oral health emergency. Don't delay and wait for it to get worse.

#12. If you don't have dental insurance from your workplace, look into getting dental insurance. (eg. Manulife Financial offers Coverme "Flexcare" health/dental insurance. This is not a promotion, I am just quoting the first company that came up when I Googled 'dental insurance toronto'.) Or failing that set aside money every year just for your dental needs, which is what I do. The latter requires more fiscal discipline.

Tennis - and why I suck at it

I suck at tennis.

However I should note that I only tried tennis once back in university because a friend asked me to help him train - and he had years of experience whereas I had never even held a tennis racquet before.

And he thoroughly defeated me, as to be expected when someone experienced and skilled faces someone who is totally inexperienced and has no tennis skills yet to speak of. Plus he had one heck of a back-swing.

Thus my "suckiness at tennis" is really because I knew nothing about it, had zero experience and after that incident in university I never pursued tennis.

Had I actually pursued it however I could have gotten much better. No one near professional I would wager. But at least I would no longer suck at it.

And that really is the essence of dedication. In order to excel at a sport you really need to dedicate yourself to it.

Take archery for example. Ignoring a hiatus during university I have been doing archery for approx. 25 years. That is some serious dedication on my part. And to put my archery skill in perspective earlier today I shot a nice cluster of arrows at 50 yards (150 feet) using a 45 lb traditional recurve bow. That feat  requires some serious strength, dedication and patience. Lots and lots of practice, weight lifting and even yoga went into training to be able to do archery feats of skill and strength.

So my message for people out there exercising / seeking to try a new sport: Don't give up on the first day like I did with tennis. I acknowledge I suck at tennis and I know why I suck at tennis. But maybe someday I will get into it. There is a tennis court 3 minutes from my home so I could easily get back into it.

Or I could get back into baseball or hockey. There is also a baseball diamond and a hockey rink nearby too. Lots of options.

12 Things People do on their Lunch Hour - and how it benefits you health wise

People do lots of things during their lunch hours. But what they do during those 60 minutes can have lasting effects on your health.

#1. Leave the Office / Avoid their Desk.

= Less stress = Less over-eating due to stress and better quality sleep due to lack of stress.

#2. Eat Healthy.

= Healthier bones, muscles, organs. Lots of benefits.

#3. Workout / Exercise.

= Burns fat, builds muscle and reduces stress, causes healthier sleep patterns.

#4. Have a Nap.

= Better quality sleep, reduced stress. Naps also make you more productive and energetic.

#5. Run Errands.

= Light exercise and you feel better about yourself having accomplished lots of things today.

#6. Read.

#7. Unplug their Devices.

#8. Network with Colleagues.

#9. Enjoy time with Friends.

6, 7, 8, 9 = Less stress = Less over-eating due to stress and better quality sleep due to lack of stress.

#10. Plan their Afternoon, Evening, Weekend.

= A well planned out schedule with time for exercise, time for play, time to accomplish things, and time to relax.

#11. Working during your lunch hour...

= More stress will cause you to overeat and effect your sleep patterns. Your lunch hour is meant to be a break for a reason, so you can eat, relax and recuperate. If you just keep working during your lunch hour you are just hurting yourself over the long term.

#12. Smoke

= Lung cancer and a host of other physical problems. Seriously, do you really want to have your happiness to be based on a nicotine addiction? Do yourself a favour, throw away the tobacco and never touch the stuff again. If you tell yourself you're not allowed to even touch tobacco products and your willpower is strong enough, you can quit cold turkey.

8 Fun Exercises you can do in Toronto during the Autumn

Hey Toronto! Happy Autumn Equinox! It is September 21st and Fall is officially here.

Want something fun to do in the city for exercise? Well here is a list of 8 things you can do.

#1. Go Cycling on one or more of Toronto's cycling trails.

#2. Visit Toronto Island and go for a walk. Take the dog with you.

#3. Explore some of Toronto's many scenic parks.

#4. Sign up for a Yoga Boot Camp or similar exercise activity at one of Toronto's Recreational Centres.

#5. Go Kayaking or Canoeing on one of Toronto's rivers.

#6. Join a fitness oriented meetup group - there are many to choose from. eg. The Toronto Archery Club.

#7. Train for a local marathon in Toronto (Toronto has several different marathons and a number of marathon-like events every year).

#8. Take your horse for a swim. Okay, this last one is a joke. But you could still go swimming in one of Toronto's indoor pools which are open all year long. Or you could take up horseback riding. Both are good exercise.

Does Vitamin D help you lose weight?

Q

"Hello! I keep hearing that Vitamin D helps people lose weight and that a lack of Vitamin D causes people to gain weight. Is this true? How can a Vitamin make people lose weight?

Curious
Samantha"

A

Hey Samantha!

Well the good news is YES, Vitamin D does help people lose weight and yes it is equally true that a lack of vitamin D also causes people to lose weight.

How does it work? Well it is very complicated, but I will break it down for you so you can understand all the things Vitamin D does.

#1. Vitamin D regulates how the human body stores fat for the winter. During the summer when people are outside (hopefully exercising outside) their body absorbs sunlight on their skin and the human body absorbs that sunlight and then your kidneys creates vitamin D. You don't actually need to eat food with Vitamin D in the food, although that helps too.

#2. Whether you eat the Vitamin D, get it from sunlight, or even from a Vitamin D supplement, the end result is that Vitamin D triggers a fat burning mechanism in your body and gives you more energy. It basically acts like a catalyst causing your body to burn more fat, make you more energetic, and then the extra energy being used causes you to lose weight.

[What actually happens is our skin absorbs UVB radiation from the sunlight and uses that energy to make Vitamin D which goes into our blood; The liver converts the Vitamin D in your blood into Hydroxy D - and then Hydroxy D does the rest of the work.]

#3. When the human body has a lack of Vitamin D (from sunlight or other sources) what happens is the opposite. The human body starts storing up fat for the winter. Basically this is our Cro-Magnon Man genes at work, telling us that we need to store up fat for the winter.

#4. A lack of vitamin D also makes people more hungry. They start eating more than they need to in an effort to store up extra fat for the winter. You don't even consciously know you are doing it, but your body is sending signals to your brain (and vice versa) telling you to eat more because "Winter is coming."

And yes, that was totally a Game of Thrones reference.

Vitamin D also has numerous other health benefits including disease prevention by boosting your immune system, stronger bones, boosts insulin production, and helps prevent heart disease and diabetes.

Fish, vegetables, fruit and milk are all excellent sources of Vitamin D. So eat all those healthy foods during the winter and you will see results around your waistline. And if you get a chance to go someplace sunny for a vacation during the winter, take it!

To learn more on this topic I recommend reading the following two posts:

All About Vitamins - What do they do?

Winter Weight Gain and What to Do about It

Funny Quote about Exercise and Fat

Normally I don't post funny exercise quotes like this (because many of the images are anti-exercise), but I decided to make an exception for this one because it is actually pro-exercise.

I find it sad that there are so many anti-exercise cartoons / images out there - a reflection of people who have basically given up on exercising and being healthy. To those people who still have hope, you can do it. I did it. Others have done it. Once you start exercising, just keep doing it. You will never regret doing something that is good for you. You only regret NOT doing the things you knew was good for you but you didn't do because you lacked the motivation. Find the motivation. Find the time. Keep doing it.

Adrenaline High Exercise and Motivation

Some people love adrenaline highs.

But the great thing about them is that they make you super active and they burn through calories (3500 calories per lb of fat) like CRAAAAAAAZZZZY!

So doing things that give you an adrenaline high can help you lose more weight in a hurry.

However HOW you find ways to get an adrenaline high is really up to the individual. So what I want you to do is to think of a list of things that get you really excited - and possibly even scared - and eliminate any from the list that might end in bodily dismemberment, death, etc. What remains can be used to help you exercise - and run faster than you normally would.

Sometimes you only even need to simulate or pretend that the thing is happening. Children do this all time while playing, pretending to be running from explosions, flowing lava, etc. (Adults even do the equivalent for fun sometimes, things like LARPing, Paint Ball Warfare and even contests like Tough Mudder. Something for everyone.)

The last one below is my personal favourite. :)

8 Fun Autumn Exercises

Want to get outside and exercise? Don't let the cooler weather slow you down. Autumn is arguably the best time of year to exercise outside - less sunburns, no heat exhaustion, no snow, beautiful colours. And unlike Spring, no mud from all the rain.

#1. Go Hiking in the Woods - Take your camera, the family dog, friends and family with you. There are plenty of locations in or near Toronto you can visit. eg. Try visiting Hilton Falls near Milton Ontario, just west of Toronto. The conservation area has both hiking and cycling paths, and a waterfalls you can walk behind.

Hilton Falls


#2. Go Cycling in the Woods / Pretty Neighbourhoods in Toronto. Two of my favourite locations to cycle through is Rosedale and the University of Toronto campus. (And yes, you can still take the dog with you.)

#3. Go Swimming at the Beach - September and early October is still warm enough to go swimming. Or try out one of Toronto's many indoor pools.

#4. Go Canoeing / Kayaking - You can rent canoes and kayaks in several locations in Toronto. Also makes a fun activity for a date or a family outing. If you own your own kayak or canoe, even better - but if you don't then you can also rent them.

#5. Baseball / Softball - The cooler temperatures make for great baseball weather. So even if you're just playing catch with a friend or practicing your swing at the local ball diamond, baseball is a good ol' fashioned fun activity. Don't like baseball? Try road hockey, football, archery, golf, tennis, basketball and a dozen other sports you can do outside.

I even found an "archery baseball" portable target people can use for playing an amusing game.

#6. Ultimate Zombie Tag / Capture the Flag - the game of children has been transformed into a sport for adults. Think larger scale games of hundreds of adults playing tag or capture the flag or similar games. The rules are simple, and it makes for an amazing good time for friends who want to join in for such large social / sporting activity.

In 2011 the website newmindspace.com organized a large urban Capture the Flag event in downtown Toronto in the financial district / Toronto City Hall. Recently in NYC they also organized a "Lightsaber Battle", as well as "Pillow Fight Days", Bubble Battles and other silly events.

Note - You don't have to wait for NewMindSpace to organize an event. You could just organize your own or find a different group that organizes similar events.

#7. Rake Leaves + Leaf Fight / Leaf Wrestling.

Step One - Pile all the leaves together.

Step Two - Fight like tigers playing together!

(The above photo was too cute NOT to add here.)

#8. Cleaning out the Garage - Just kidding. That isn't much fun. But it is much more fun what you can do with your garage during the Autumn (and Winter) once you've thrown out some junk you don't need. It gives you more space to put a hockey net or two, to store your kayak, baseball bat/gloves/balls, bicycles, walking sticks,

500th Post - Browse the Best of Cardio Trek from the past 3.5 Years

Wow.

500 posts already?

Well, it has been 33 months. I started Cardio Trek in December 2011 and it has become incredibly popular as exercise and dieting websites go - and fueled my personal training / sports training business.

Let us take a moment and look back at some of the most popular posts / topics:

Nose Exercises Vs Rhinoplasty

Honestly, the popularity of all the Nose Exercises pages is a bit of a blip. When I first wrote it my main concern was boxers who had suffered nose injuries - but evidently there is a much bigger population of people out there who feel insecure about their nose shape and want to make their noses smaller, thinner, less bumpy, etc. Smaller, thinner and longer can be done by exercising the muscles inside the nose - less bumpy? Sad to say, but that is often cartilage issue and cannot be fixed with nose exercises.

10 Ways to Trick Yourself into Burning Extra Calories

Sounds easy right? They are. Basically it is just ten little tips and tricks that allow you to burn more fat.

20 Ways to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss
and Weight Loss + Loose Skin

For people who have lost a lot of weight the above two posts have become very popular. Not just for people who lost weight through diet/exercise, but also for women who recently gave birth to a bouncing baby and want to shed the extra skin from their pregnancy.

How to get a Thigh Gap

Honestly, as beauty standards go "thigh gaps" and "panty bridges" are a bit silly as a measurement. Want to feel beautiful? EXERCISE and EAT HEALTHY and stop looking in the mirror so much.

Motivational Quotes for January

I find new motivational quotes every month, but the January 2013 post is the most popular of the quotation posts. Want to read more? Subscribe to Cardio Trek via email to receive updates when new posts appear. See also Motivational Exercise Quotes from March 2012, another popular one.

Anatomical Terms for Athletes

Ever had a personal trainer refer to a part of the body using a word you didn't know? Well my handy guide to which parts are which is one of most popular pages on Cardio Trek.

25 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

I love articles like this one. Ways to get my clients and subscribers to get outside, motivated, and exercising on a regular basis.

Marilyn Monroe's Diet and Exercise Routine

Hey, it is Marilyn Monroe. No explanation needed for why this post is so popular.

Note: Popularity wise Cardio Trek will surpass 600,000 hits sometime in October.

Buy Exercise Gift Vouchers for Xmas

Not sure what to get your loved one for Xmas 2014?

How about some personal training or sports training sessions?

Thus if your loved one has a weight problem - or even if they do not (they might just be a Katniss or Rocky fanatic) you could get them personal training sessions, archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons or even ice skating lessons.

Contact me at cardiotrek@gmail.com to learn more about my gift vouchers.

Please Note - Gift Vouchers have an expiry date 18 month after the date of purchase. eg. If the Voucher Number says OCT16, then it expires October 2016.