The Simple Secrets to Better Health

Healthy New Year's Resolutions

December 2006

New Year’s resolutions represent a plan for renewal and a commitment to new goals. Will you make any this year?

Dr. Thomas Perls is a physician in the Boston area who has done considerable research on centenarians, or people who are age 100 or older. Here is an interesting insight from his work. The belief was that the older you got, the sicker you got. Now, the understanding is that the older you get, the healthier you have been! Hmmm….do you think some resolutions or goals might be worthwhile?

What ever choices we make to improve our health and wellness today will have a benefit in later years. While we are genetically programmed to a considerable degree, many of the factors involved in how we age are lifestyle behaviours within our control. Dental health is a fine example because it is both visible and can not be erased., with the exception of baby teeth which are lost. People will often realize that they got many of their fillings when they were teenagers eating a lot of junk food and careless about cleaning their teeth. Who ever thought that poor food choices and sloppy hygiene practices would cost them later in life? Dental health is an indelible record of the stress your body was under at the time and how you will be able to cope later in life with regard to both the quantity and quality of your years.

Your dentist is with you through all these years. We watch as your story is written in your mouth. Recently, periodontal disease and tooth decay have both been identified as being the result of the body breaking itself down through an inflammatory response rather than the bacterial diseases we were lead to believe. While bacteria irritate the system, the visible damage of the disease is due to the body breaking itself down faster than it can repair itself. This is happening in all organs and tissues of the body, but we just can’t see it as readily as we can in the mouth.

For all of us, the clock is ticking and choices are being made. Your dental team is available to support you and your family members. The cover story in the October, 2006 issue of Reader’s Digest reports that your dentist may be the most important doctor you visit this year. From dental re-care evaluations, oral cancer screening and hygiene services to providing coaching and product support to help optimize your nutrition to minimize the effects of inflammation, we are both your cheerleaders and coach. Only you, however, can play the game.

Need more incentive? Take 15 minutes to do Dr. Perls’ “Life Calculator”. It will provide you with a prediction on how long you will live based on your current data and lifestyle habits.

The bottom line, however, is that more information and unfulfilled resolutions will not make you healthier. Only taking actions like improving your diet, participating in a moderate exercise program and optimizing your nutrition through supplementation will do that!

Care to make some health and wellness resolutions?? The Simple Secrets to Better Health can provide many resources for you.

Click to go to Jan 2007, Health Equation
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