Taking Care of Your Teeth Can Prevent Heart Disease and Arthritis

I just returned from the Ohio Dental Association seminar where I attended a lecture  on teeth and gum health and prevention of periodontal disease. Another presentation was on Living Life in Balance and focused on preventing the number one killer-heart disease. And just last week I attended an all day seminar on Arthritis.

All of these seminars had several health recommendations in common:

Inflammation in the body, teeth, gums or joints causes inflammation of the blood vessels, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

Fish oil supplements can reduce inflammation and help lubricate joints, and keep the heart healthy. This gives us the necessary Omega 3 fatty acids.

Flaxseed also gives us a vegetarian source of the Omegas. The best way to eat flax is by grinding the whole seeds right before you eat them. Sprinkle the ground flaxseed on your foods or in smoothies. Avoid heating flax.

Vitamin D is needed to reduce inflammation, and to stimulate healing in the body. Without it our blood vessels break down and clot. Turns out even if you enjoy sunshine our bodies are lacking Vitamin D. Have your doctor order a blood test to determine how much Vitamin D you need to take every day.

Taking a low does of aspirin or baby aspirin can help with arthritis and decease pain in the joints and also prevent blood from clotting, thus preventing a heart attack.

Eating more fish and less red meat is good for your teeth, your heart, your bones and muscles. The best fish is wild ocean fish. One of the best is wild Alaskan salmon.

The Mediterranean diet is the best diet. It is based on eating lots of vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains and at least one glass of red wine a day.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil helps lubricate the joints, helps prevent infection, and increases good protective cholesterol, thus preventing heart disease.

One of the best foods you can eat is avocado. The fat in this wonderful fruit is a good fat for the body. There is something to the term Holy Guacamole.

Exercise is good for every part of your body and does wonders for your emotional balance. Both aerobic exercise and strength conditioning exercise are great for reducing depression.

Drinking a 4-6 oz glass of red or even white wine a day is good for you. It is relaxing, aids in the digestion of food, increases good cholesterol and has some antioxidants. Make sure you are drinking in moderation or alcohol can cause disease.

Meditation is great for reducing stress, blood pressure, and thus heart disease and other diseases. Simply sit in quiet at least 10 minutes a day and that will give you energy and help you to be more productive and focused.

Drink lots of water and avoid carbonated soft drinks and sugary juices. Water, water, water!

The bottom line is there is lots you can do to take charge of your health, feel good, decrease inflammation all over your body, and live life to the fullest.