Are you brushing correctly?
Despite most of us thinking that we’re brushing our teeth correctly or flossing frequently enough, dentist visits are often full of surprises. Irritation, cavities, gingivitis ― the list of our maladies goes on and on.

It’s always important to go back to basics and make sure that you’re brushing your teeth with proper technique. When it comes to ways people are brushing their teeth incorrectly, Jessica Hilburg, DDS and associate dean for clinical affairs at the NYU College of Dentistry, is the expert.

She told HuffPost that there’s one important part of your mouth that too many people skip over.

“Sometimes people forget to brush the insides of their teeth, the surfaces that face the tongue and the palate,” Hilburg told HuffPost. ”Sometimes people forget these areas because we don’t see them when we look in the mirror. Food and plaque can buildup in these areas so it’s just as important to brush there as it is on the front of our teeth where we can easily see.”

Hilburg also said not brushing your teeth long enough (she recommends brushing for at least two minutes twice a day) and using the wrong amount of pressure while brushing is also incorrect.

“Applying too much pressure while brushing could damage gums and be abrasive to the teeth,” she said. “Applying too little pressure while brushing just isn’t as effective and will not remove the plaque as well as using gentle pressure. [Also] just rubbing the toothbrush back and forth in long strokes will not do as good a job as the short strokes because the short strokes allow you to get in between the teeth much better.”

She added, “The ‘right amount of pressure’ is pressure that feels comfortable, does not crush the bristles of the toothbrush (too much pressure) and of course leaves your teeth feeling and looking clean.”

If you want to double check your brushing techniques and times, Hilburg suggests following the instructions on the American Dental Association’s website.

“It should take two minutes to brush your whole mouth ― 30 seconds for top teeth surfaces that face the lip and cheek, 30 seconds for top teeth inside surfaces and same for bottom teeth ― a total of two minutes. The chewing surfaces should be brushed while doing the sides,” Hilburg said.

“Regardless of the technique used even if you aren’t as organized as I’ve described, tooth brushing should touch upon all surfaces—inner, outer and chewing surfaces.”

Or you can just watch this handy video:

Hilburg also gave HuffPost suggestions about the right type of toothbrush and toothpaste people should use ― and what to avoid.

“Using a soft toothbrush is recommended, as bristles that are too hard can damage gums and may not be flexible enough to remove the plaque,” Hilburg said. “Soft bristle toothbrushes are best whether they are manual or power brushes. Choose a size toothbrush that feels comfortable and isn’t so large that it won’t fit on the sides of your teeth comfortably.”

Hilburg added, “A toothpaste with fluoride will help decrease the risk of decay and cavities. If any toothpaste felt irritating then of course a person should avoid it.”

In order to maintain good oral hygiene, Hilburg also recommends flossing daily, brushing your tongue and using an interdental cleaner (a small pointy brush) as well. And don’t forget the inside of your teeth!

source: Huffingtonpost

We all know the impact eating well has on our bodies, but what about our minds? Eating well means more than just feeding your stomach, but feeding your head too. That’s why we partnered with our friends at Panera to learn more about what eating well can mean for cognitive health.

When it comes to brain food, there are lot of palatable options for mental superpowers. For instance, did you know that what’s good for the heart, is also good for the head? Because blood flow is so important to brain function. Black beans, for example, are one such food that’s great for your heart. In fact, researchers studying diabetes found that “incorporation of legumes as part of a low-GI diet improved both glycemic control and reduced calculated chronic heart disease.” And at 120 milligrams per cup, black beans are a great source of magnesium which research has shown is effective in staving off “dementias in the brain.” Avocados specifically are another great way to get the blood flowing. According to research conducted at Penn State, the good fats in avocados have been linked to reduced levels of LDL, aka ‘bad cholesterol.’ They even found that incorporating good avocado fats might be even more beneficial than simply cutting fats out altogether.

While heart health is an essential part of cognitive wellness, there are other foods that are specifically good for the old noggin. One study found that delicious blueberries improved memory function in older adults with early memory decline. Broccoli is another great brain food due to its high levels of choline, a chemical found in the brain shown in laboratory studies to be essential in early brain development, as well as positive effects for older individuals who might be at risk for general memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

As for foods best taken in moderation, be wary of salty snacks and sauces, which have been shown to increase hypertension which restricts blood flow to the brain. Soy sauce, for instance, contains up to forty percent of your recommended daily sodium intake in a single tablespoon. Some sodium in the diet is totally fine, but eating too many sodium-packed foods can impair focus, organizational skills, and memory. When available go for the low-sodium option to keep your mind sharp. Another red flag to watch out for is actually tuna fish, which has been known to contain high levels of mercury, a heavy metal linked to cognitive decline. The American Heart Association recommends no more than two servings of this fatty fish a week, and as long as you stay within their guidelines your brain will thank you. Remember, salt and fish can be delish, but it’s important to enjoy them in moderation.

Eating well is always a smart idea. Panera Bread is committed to serving your family delicious food, without unnecessary artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors and colors from artificial sources. Through its Preservatives with Purpose campaign, Panera commits to keep artificial preservatives out of your food and to use them for good instead.

source: Huffingtonpost

At least once a week, a client tells me how confused they are about nutrition — and I get it. With so much information and conflicting advice floating around, it’s easy to feel mixed up. But busting myths, and explaining the science behind healthy eating is one of my favorite parts of my job. Here are five of the most common misconceptions I hear, and why you can let them go for good.

MYTH: When you eat junk food, you can just burn it off.

It’s not that simple. The quality of what you eat matters — a lot. And the damage from unhealthy food simply can’t be undone with a tough workout. A 2015 study, for example, found that artificial additives from processed foods may raise a person’s risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

Trying to compensate for poor diet choices with exercise is actually a double whammy: Physical activity puts stress on the body, and without adequate nutrition to recover from the wear and tear, you can become weaker rather than stronger. A balanced, whole foods diet is important for everyone. And if you’re regularly active, it’s even more important, not less.

The quality of what you eat matters — a lot.
MYTH: It’s OK to eat as much protein as you want.

Most of my clients are concerned about overdoing it on carbs. But the truth is you can eat too much of any macronutrient, including protein. The protein you eat maintains, heals, and repairs tissues in the body made from this building block. But you only need so much protein to accomplish these tasks. When you exceed the amount, the surplus protein can either prevent weight loss, or cause weight gain.

To strike a good balance, include some protein in each meal, but don’t go crazy. A good rule of thumb: If you’re active, to aim for half a gram of protein per pound of your ideal weight. So if your goal is 130 pounds you need no more than 65 grams per day.

You can achieve this amount with two eggs at breakfast (12 grams), one cup of lentils at lunch (16 grams), a quarter cup of almonds as a snack (6 grams), and 6 ounces of salmon at dinner (33 grams). Timing also matters. To help your body make the most of the protein you eat, it should be spread out throughout the day.

MYTH: Eating after your exercise cancels out your workout.

Nope, the calories you consume post-exercise aren’t immediately shuttled back into your fat cells. In fact, it’s important to eat after a sweat session.

Working out takes a toll on your body, and afterward your body is primed for recovery: Eating a clean, nutrient-rich meal or snack provides your cells with the raw materials needed to heal and repair. This recovery process is key, because it’s not just the training itself, but the healing from the training that builds and maintains muscle mass, boosts metabolism, and improves your fitness level.

For the best results, choose post-exercise foods that deliver vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lean protein, and healthy fat, like a salad topped with salmon or beans and avocado; or a protein smoothie with veggies, fruit, and almond butter.

MYTH: Fruit is as bad as candy.

Some of my clients avoid fruit, fearing that natural sugar leads to added pounds. But a recent Harvard study found that shunning fruit altogether isn’t necessary for weight management. The researchers looked at more than 130,000 adults, and found that those who ate an extra daily serving of fruit shed an additional half a pound over a four-year period. While that may not sound significant, it could help offset typical age-related weight gain.

Fruit is also packed with important nutrients, water, and fiber. And its naturally occurring sugar is less concentrated than other sweet foods. For example, one cup of whole strawberries naturally contains about 7 grams of sugar, compared to about 13 grams in one tablespoon of maple syrup, 17 in a tablespoon of honey, 21 grams in 17 gummy bears, or 30 in a 12 ounce can of cola.


Some research even shows that compared to veggies, fruit may have a more powerful effect on lowering weight. This may be because fruits tend to replace higher-calorie goodies and treats, whereas veggies tend to be add-ons. Bottom line: with so many benefits, fruit is definitely worth including in your daily diet, as long as you don’t overdo it. Aim for at least two servings a day, maybe one with breakfast, and another as a snack or dessert. Reach for more if you’re especially active.

MYTH: Eating fat makes you fat.

Despite the best attempts of nutrition experts (including me) to dispel the notion that eating fat makes you fat, fat phobia still exists. Clients continue to tell me they avoid avocado, or choose low-fat salad dressing because they’re watching their waistlines.

Eating the right fats, however, is actually a smart strategy for weight loss. Healthy fats are incredibly satiating. They keep you fuller longer, and research shows that plant-based fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts increase appetite-suppressing hormones.

Plant fats have also been shown to reduce inflammation and boost metabolism, and they can be rich sources of antioxidants. Aim to include a portion of healthy fat in every meal and snack.

Need some ideas? You could add avocado to an omelet, or whip it into a smoothie. Add nuts or nut butter to oatmeal. Drizzle garden salads and vegetables with extra virgin olive oil. Snack on veggies with guacamole or tahini as a dip. And enjoy a bit of dark chocolate as a daily treat.

source: Huffingtonpost

The calendar may be one more tool that can help you gauge your heart risk: The season and day of the week can influence your chances of having a heart attack, new research from Sweden suggests.

In the study, researchers analyzed data from over 156,000 hospital admissions for a heart attack over seven years. They discovered a few surprising differences in heart attack timingWhen looking at day of the week, the most heart attacks occurred on Mondays, and the least on Saturdays. In fact, the risk of heart attack was 11 percent higher on Mondays than control days, which the researchers defined as Tuesdays through Fridays.

Young, working people seemed most vulnerable to the Monday increase—their risk of heart attack was 20 percent higher on the first day of the workweek.

And when looking at months, December was most risky, while July logged the least number of heart attacks. Relatedly, summer vacations in July were safer for the heart than winter holidays like Christmas and New Year’s.

The times when heart attacks were higher coincide with perceived high and low levels of stress—say, for instance, returning to work on a Monday morning, the researchers say. And it’s possible that stress can trigger changes in your biological system that can leave you vulnerable to a heart attack, as we previously reported.

As your stress levels rise, so does the action in a part of your brain called your amygdala, says Ahmed Tawakol, M.D., who has studied the physiological effects of stress but was not involved in the present study. This triggers your bone marrow to churn out more immune cells to fight the stress. But this increase can also cause a spike in inflammation, which can hurt your arteries and your heart.

It’s also possible that the Monday spike could be due to delays seeking care over the weekend, the researchers believe. But when they adjusted the data to take into account the timing of symptom onset, the results still remained significant—suggesting that high and low stress timing does play a role in heart attacks.

So try to tamp down your stress to help your heart. The good news is, proven stress-reduction techniques—be it exercising, deep breathing, or even watching a funny movie—can reduce the activity of the amygdala

source: Menshealth

Your height may have more to do with your health than you may think: Taller guys seem to be at higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, a new study published in BMC Medicine found.

In the study, researchers analyzed the heights, body mass indexes (BMI), and waist circumferences of over 140,000 men. Then, over a 14-year follow-up, they tracked how many of them developed prostate cancer and how many died from the disease.

The findings? Taller guys were more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer and to die from the disease—but they were no more likely than shorter guys to develop prostate cancer overall.

For context, guys who made up the tallest fifth of the sample—averaging just over 6’0” tall—were 54 percent more likely to develop high-grade, or aggressive, prostate cancer than the shortest guys, who averaged just over 5’4.” They were also 43 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer than the shortest men were.

What’s more, for every additional four inches in height, the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer and dying from prostate cancer increased by 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Your waist circumference—a better marker of excess fat than BMI—likely plays a role, too. Men in the top fifth of waist size, averaging nearly 43 inches, were 43 percent more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer than those in the smallest waist category, averaging about 32 inches. They were also 55 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer than the more svelte guys were.

And like with height, there was an increase seen for each additional four inches in waist size: a 13 percent increase in high-grade prostate cancer, and an 18 percent increase in dying from prostate cancer.

Height is determined both by genetic factors and early-life nutrition, both of which may play a role in prostate cancer development, the researchers write. For instance, taller guys may have higher insulin-like growth factor-1, a protein that plays an important role in childhood growth—and which may also trigger cancer cell growth. Plus, taller guys simply have more cells, making for a greater chance of some of them growing out of control.

As for guys with high waist circumferences, the excess fat may trigger inflammation, which can increase your prostate cancer risk. It’s also linked to higher levels of insulin—another potential factor linked to a higher likelihood of prostate cancer.

There’s nothing you can do about your height, and more research needs to be done to determine whether reducing your excess fat can cut your risk. In the meantime, work on lowering your risk by cutting cigarettes, drinking two or fewer alcoholic drinks a day, and exercising at a moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes a week—all factors linked to deadly prostate cancer prevention, as we reported.

source: Menshealth

Want to boost your metabolism? Go for something spicy, a new study published in Obesity Open Access suggests.

For the study, researchers gave 40 men and women a 2-milligram capsule of capsaicinoids—the component that gives chili peppers their heat—or a placebo every day. Then, they measured their metabolic rate each hour for three hours after taking the pill.

They found that people who supplemented with the capsaicinoids capsule burned an extra 116 calories per day compared to people who popped the placebo.

That’s because capsaicinoids may have a thermogenic effect, the study authors write, meaning your body creates more heat as it digests the hot stuff, which results in more calories burned.

While the study received funding from the makers of Capsimax—the same capsaicinoids supplement used in the study—previous research backs up their findings. For example, one 2011 study from Purdue University also found that people burned more calories and had less of an appetite after eating red pepper.

What’s more, eating spicy foods may help you live longer, too, according to Chinese research. Capsaicin may actually help regulate your metabolism and cardiovascular function—all good things when it comes to warding off heart disease and diabetes.

But topping off your food with the 31 best hot sauces you’ve never had isn’t the only thing you can do to give your system a boost. If you really want to burn fat, check out these five easy ways to rev your metabolism.

source: Menshealth