Break the Sugar Addiction

 Breaking Your Sugar Addiction

 

The 4-Week Plan to Stop Sugar Cravings

 

-- By Lauri Watson, Registered Dietitian

 That white, powdery substance just makes you feel good. You can't get it off your mind, and you keep coming back for more. The more you have it, the more you want it! But even when you try to stay away from it, it finds ways to sneak into your life almost daily. What can you do?

 

We're not talking about some dangerous or illegal drug here; we're talking about sugar. Although it's considered harmless in comparison, sugar, in excess, can cause a host of problems for a lot of us: cravings, binge eating, weight gain and heart disease among them. According to the USDA, the average American consumed 151 pounds of sugar in 1999—an all time high. Since then, consumption has dropped slightly and in 2010 the average American consumed 132 pounds. (To put that into perspective, consider that the number was just 4 pounds in the year 1700.) At least half of the sugar we consume comes from soft drinks, fruit drinks, and sports drinks. The rest sneaks into our diets in the form of ketchup, teriyaki sauce, chocolate milk and the obvious sweets like cookies, cakes, ice cream and even breakfast cereal. Surprisingly, some "healthy foods" such as yogurt and instant flavored oatmeal can pack in 20-30 grams (5-7 teaspoons) of unnecessary added sugar! It seems like we're drowning in sugar, and nobody is wearing a life vest.

 

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that we limit our daily sugar consumption to 7% or less of our daily calorie intake—that's about 6 teaspoons (100 calories) for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men. But that adds up fast. Just one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 8-10 teaspoons of sugar and 130-150 calories. One glazed donut contains 6 teaspoons, and a half cup ice cream (the standard serving size, although most portions are much, much larger) contains 4 grams of added sugar!

 

Why Should You Care? Is Sugar Actually Bad for You?

 Well, aside from the increased bulge around the waistline, diets high in sugar are strongly linked to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, elevated triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and heart disease. Sugar intake has also been linked to depression, migraines, poor eyesight, autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis, and multiple sclerosis), gout and osteoporosis.

 Recent research has shown that a high intake of carbohydrates, including sugar, releases a feel good chemical in the brain called serotonin. Think of how you feel after indulging in a high sugar meal or treat—almost euphoric, right? The high of a sugar rush is temporary though. After a few hours—or even a few minutes—you start to crash and you become tired, fatigued and lethargic.

Although sweet foods are tempting and delicious to most people (blame Mother Nature for that!), the more sugar you eat, the higher your tolerance becomes. So if you have a strong sweet tooth or intense cravings for sugar, chances are not that you were born that way, but that your dietary habits and food choices created the sugar monster you may have become.

 Fortunately, we can reverse this tolerance in just a couple of weeks by cutting out sugar. Once you have decreased your threshold, something that tasted perfectly sweet a few weeks ago, will begin to taste too sweet to eat, and that can help you reduce your intake of the sweet stuff.

 

Cutting Out Sugar: A 4-Week Action Plan

 While the occasional sweet treat won't make or break your weight loss or your health, many people have trouble stopping after a sensible portion or saying no to sugar when it's available. If you feel out of control around sugar, then a sugar "detox" is a great way to reduce your cravings, eat better, and bring sugar back to where it belongs: as an occasional treat that you consciously choose to eat in a mindful manner, not a daily treat occurrence that controls you.

 Week 1: Identify Sugar and Where It's Hiding

 The first step in conquering your sugar habit is to rid your pantry and refrigerator of added sugar. Some things (think ice cream, cookies and candy) are obvious, but most of us need to look closer at where the sugar in our diets is coming from. This will require a bit of label reading in the beginning, but after a while, it will become easier.

 In order to cut back on hidden or added sugar, scan the ingredients list of a food label. If you see any of the following terms listed, then sugar has been added to the product in one form or another and it is best left on the shelf at the store—especially if that sugar shows up within the first five ingredients of any food product.
 Agave nectar, Agave syrup, Barley malt, Beet sugar, Brown rice syrup, Brown sugar, Buttered syrup, Cane sugar, Cane juice, Cane juice crystals, Carob syrup, Confectioner’s sugar, Corn syrup, High fructose corn syrup, Corn sugar, Corn sweetener, Corn syrup solids, Crystalized fructose, Date sugar, Dextran, Dextrose, Diatase, Diastatic malt, Evaporated cane juice,  Fructose, Fruit juice, Fruit juice concentrate, Glucose, Glucose solids, Golden sugar, Golden syrup, Grape sugar, Grape juice concentrate, Honey, Invert sugar, Lactose, Malt, Maltodextrain, Maltose, Maple syrup, Molasses, Raw sugar, Refiner's syrup, Sorghum syrup, Sucanat, Sucrose, Sugar,Turbinado sugar,Yellow sugar

 This first week is about awareness. Reading labels before you buy—or bite. How many of your favorite foods contain hidden sugars in the top of their ingredients lists?

 Once you have identified the sources of sugar in your diet, clean out your kitchen. Throw out or donate all of the products that contain hidden or added sugars, including any juice, soda, candy, sweets and seemingly healthy snacks like granola bars, fruit and grain bars, instant flavored oatmeal and sports drinks. This may sound drastic, but stay with me!

 Remember, you don’t have to throw away everything that is sweet! Natural sugar, like the kind you find in whole fruit, contains vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are lost in the processing of juice. Milk contains naturally occurring sugars, but also provides calcium, vitamin D and protein. So unlike soda, fruit juices and other processed foods, whole fruit and dairy products provide us with essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Be wary of certain fruit- or milk-based products that contain added sugars though: flavored milk, many yogurts, fruits canned or jellied in added sugar or syrups, and the like. Opt for unflavored skim or 1% milk, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, and whole pieces of fruit. Remember, we are trying to cut out the 151 pounds a year of added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugar found in whole foods.

 

Week 2: Stock Your Sugar-Free Kitchen

 In one week, you've probably found lots of sugar in your diet. Some of it may have been obvious, like those frozen waffles or lattes from the local coffee joint. But others might not have been so clear, as sugar tends to lurk in many "diet" foods and lower-fat foods, added by manufacturers to make their low-cal offerings taste better.

 

 Now that you know what to look for (and avoid), it's time to replace the products you tossed with sugar-free counterparts. For example, replace high-sugar cereals with a whole grain cereal that contains little to no added sugars. Sweeten it naturally with fresh berries or half of a diced banana. Instead of snacking on candy or cookies, reach for a handful of nuts or some raw veggies and hummus. Replace sweetened yogurt with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt. Look back at week one and the foods you used to eat that contained sugar. Can you find no-sugar oatmeal? A healthier snack than a sugar-sweetened smoothie (how about a whole piece of fruit)? A more filling afternoon treat than that sugary "protein bar" (such as peanut butter on whole-grain crackers)?

 

 When choosing a refreshing beverage to quench your thirst, keep in mind that you want to eat your calories, not drink them. Choose ice cold water flavored with a squeeze of fresh lemon or an orange slice. Or flavor unsweetened iced tea with fresh mint, crushed raspberries, or a squeeze of citrus.

 

One tip to help you avoid added sugar at the supermarket is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible. Think about the general layout of a grocery store: The outside is home to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, and whole grain breads and the inside aisles are stocked with cookies, chips, soda, fruit juice, cake mixes, and other processed foods. Spend most of your time on the outside and only go down the inner aisles for specific products, like whole-grain pasta.

 

Never shop on an empty stomach and always shop with a list. Shopping while hungry can lead you to adding all kinds of snacks and impulse buys to your cart. Meal planning can be a tricky task at first, but following a meal plan is an important part of breaking the sugar addiction. It will help to keep you on track and help prevent stopping for fast food when you don't have a game plan for dinner. Spend a little time on Sunday afternoons jotting down some meal ideas for throughout the week. Make a list of the food items you will need to make the meals you wrote down and stick to it!

Week 3: Stop the Cravings

 Now you really start to put your plan into action. You’ve identified the sources of added sugar in your diet and replaced those foods with healthier and more wholesome alternatives. Your kitchen is now set up for success!

 This week’s focus should be on making a conscious effort to avoid sugary foods. When a craving strikes, try going for a walk or simply drinking a glass of water. Take a hot bath or get lost in a good book. Typically any craving will pass if you wait it out long enough. But it's important to begin understanding the difference between true hunger and food cravings. If you are truly hungry, a handful of nuts or some raw veggies dipped in hummus will sound appetizing, so go ahead and eat one of your healthy snacks. But if you're craving something sweet or a specific sugary food, use a distraction technique.

 

 The first week of saying no to sugar will be the hardest, but the more diligently you stick to your plan, the better you'll fare in the end. Even a tiny taste of sugar during this time period can lead to setbacks.

 After a couple sugar-free weeks, your sugar threshold will start to decrease and you will find that you no longer crave sugar or sweets as you once did. As with any lifestyle change, the first couple of weeks are the hardest. Eventually, it will become habit to reach for a mint tea or piece of fruit instead of juice and candy.

 

Week 4: Game Plan for Life

 Now that you have yanked that sweet tooth, it's time to devise a plan to prevent a sugar relapse. Although sugar isn't necessary for health and it's perfectly fine if you want to continue avoiding it, it probably isn't realistic for most people to avoid all forms of sugar forever.

 So if you want to allow a little sweetness back into your life, that's OK. Moderation. Don't let sugar and sweets become a daily habit. Instead, consider them to be special occasion treats only. With your lowered threshold for sweetness, that shouldn't be too hard. But if you begin to indulge too often or overindulge over a short period of time (such as a weeklong vacation), you could find yourself back in trouble with sugar all over again.

 If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up over it. Accept your action and decide to make a better decision next time and move on. Continue to experiment with your new, healthy foods and recipes. You'd be surprised at how many ways you can make treats healthier and use far less sugar than a recipe suggests.

 

 And remember: It generally takes about 3-4 weeks for a new behavior to become habit, the most important thing is to stick with it.

Earth Day

Earth Day 

Earth Day is an annual day when events are held worldwide to show support for environmental protection. Earth Day is observed on April 22 each year

• Here are some ideas related to dental care on how to conserve:
  
  
  1. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth to help save approximately 25 gallons of water a month.
  
  
  2. Recycle your plastic mouthwash bottles.
  
  
  3. Find ways to recycle an old tooth brush
  
  
  4. Try a toothbrush made from recycled or renewable materials and recycle it when it’s time for a new one.
  
  
  5. Use natural toothpaste such as Tom's of Maine

8 Tooth Brush Ideas

8 Toothbrushes Ideas

The ADA recommends changing your toothbrush every 3 months. Here are some nifty ideas to reuse all those  toothbrushes.

After disinfecting the tooth brush with soap and water you can

1. Use it to clean crevices and hard to reach areas such as a keyboard and windows.
2. For a really good clean, use a toothbrush to clean around faucets and grout between tiles.
3. It is useful for scrubbing old shoes, just use a little soap and warter.
4. With some extra help from tooth paste, you can shine up jewelry such as silver and gold.
5. You can spot clean dirty laundry and upholstry.
6. You can use it to clean your fingernails
7. If you have messy toddlers you can use a tooth brush and tooth paste to get crayon marks off the wall!
8. Use a toothbrush as a make up tool to control unruly eyebrows.

Just remember to use a different toothbrush for each idea!

How to Get Soft Lips

How to Get Soft Lips

Step 1: Lock in Moisture

"The skin on your lips is thin and contains less natural pigment, so it's more susceptible to sun damage and dryness," says Rein Welch, M.D., a dermatoligist and Denver Dermatology Consulatants. Keep that smacker supple by locking in mosture as soon as you step out of the shower. Take a warm, moist washcloth and press it against your mouth for a full minute to saturate lops before the next step, exfoliation.

Step 2: Gently Exfoliate

Once a week, squeeze a pea-sized amount of lip balm (Like Blistex Lip Ointment, $2, at drugstores) into your hand and combine it with equal amounts of granulated sugar, With a clean finger, scrub the mix onto your lips, using a circular motion, for one minute. "The sugar is therapeutic and removes the cracking," says Charles Zugerman M.D., associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. For a Premade fix, try Green by Nature Lip Scrub in Mint Green Tea ($4, greenbynaturebeauty.com).

Step 3: Boost Moisture

To amp up hydration and lock in moisture at night, apply a lip salve containing shea butter or petroleum jelly, Such as EOS Lip Balm SmoothSphere ($3, evolutionofsmooth.com) or Urban Rituelle Lip Balm ($8, b-glowing.com) "these heavy emollients createa watertight seal on the lips' surface, protection against moisture loss," Welch says.

Step 4: Apply Protection

The sun can fry your lips, especially if you wear light-attracting glosses. Experts suggest swiping on a balm with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. One to try: Softlips Lip Protectant/Sunscreen SPF 20 ($4 for two, drugstore.com). "Wearing adequate sun protection gaurds against cancer causing UVB rays," Zugerman says. It also slows collagen loss and the development of vertical wrinkles and prevents scaliness.

Step 5: Smooth on Color

Since you're already wearing a barrier lip balm, you can use any lipstick you like. If your lipstick has a sunscreen (try Neutrogena Cosmetices MoistureShine Lipstick SPF 20, $10, drugstore.com), Zugerman says, you can skip Step 4 if you want. To make your color last, follow up by pressing a tissure over your lips and patting on translucent powder. A tiny amount of powder will filter through the tissure, sealing in the color.

Article From Womens Health Magazine

April is Autism Awareness Month

 

Help Spread Autism Awareness by Supporting these Charities during Autism awareness month

Autism Speaks

 

Cure Autism Now

 

 Autism Society of America

 

 

Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection

Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection

 

What Your Dental Health Says About You

It's easy to ignore the effects of poor oral hygiene because they're hidden in your mouth. But gum disease may point to problems with diabetes and heart disease and loose teeth could be a sign of osteoporosis. Could it be that a healthy mouth means more than just a sparkling smile? And what could your dentist learn about you the next time you open wide?

Your Mouth, the Gateway to Your Body

To understand how the mouth can affect the body, it helps to understand what can go wrong in the first place. Bacteria builds up on teeth make gums prone to infection. The immune system moves in to attack the infection and the gums become inflamed. The inflammation continues unless the infection is brought under control.

Over time, inflammation and the chemicals it releases eat away at the gums and bone structure that hold teeth in place. The result is severe gum disease, known as periodontitis. Inflammation can also cause problems in the rest of the body.

Oral Health and Diabetes

The working relationship between diabetes and periodontitis may be the strongest of all the connections between the mouth and body. Inflammation that starts in the mouth seems to weaken the body’s ability to control blood sugar. People with diabetes have trouble processing sugar because of a lack of insulin, the hormone that converts sugar into energy.

"Periodontal disease further complicates diabetes because the inflammation impairs the body’s ability to utilize insulin," says Pamela McClain, DDS, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. To further complicate matters, diabetes and periodontitis have a two-way relationship. High blood sugar provides ideal conditions for infection to grow, including gum infections. Fortunately you can use the gum disease-diabetes relationship to your favor: managing one can help bring the other under control.

Oral Health and Heart Disease

Though the reasons are not fully understood, it’s clear that gum disease and heart disease often go hand in hand. Up to 91% of patients with heart disease have periodontitis, compared to 66% of people with no heart disease. The two conditions have several risk factors in common, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, and excess weight. And some suspect that periodontitis has a direct role in raising the risk for heart disease as well.

"The theory is that inflammation in the mouth causes inflammation in the blood vessels," says Cram. This can increase the risk for heart attack in a number of ways. Inflamed blood vessels allow less blood to travel between the heart and the rest of the body, raising blood pressure. "There’s also a greater risk that fatty plaque will break off the wall of a blood vessel and travel to the heart or the brain, causing a heart attack or stroke," Cram explains.

Oral Health and Pregnancy

Babies born too early or at a low birth weight often have significant health problems, including lung conditions, heart conditions, and learning disorders. While many factors can contribute to premature or low birth weight deliveries, researchers are looking at the possible role of gum disease. Infection and inflammation in general seem to interfere with a fetus’ development in the womb.

Though men have periodontitis more often than women do, hormonal changes during pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk. For the best chance of a healthy pregnancy, McClain recommends a comprehensive periodontal exam "if you’re pregnant or before you become pregnant to identify whether or not you’re at risk."

Oral Health and Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis and periodontitis have an important thing in common, bone loss. The link between the two, however, is controversial. Cram points out that osteoporosis affects the long bones in the arms and legs, whereas gum disease attacks the jawbone. Others point to the fact that osteoporosis mainly affects women, whereas periodontitis is more common among men.

Though a link has not been well established, some studies have found that women with osteoporosis have gum disease more often than those who do not. Researchers are testing the theory that inflammation triggered by periodontitis could weaken bone in other parts of the body.

Oral Health and Smoking

Not smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your mouth and your body. According to the CDC, a smoker’s risk of severe gum disease is three times higher than someone who does not smoke.

"Nicotine in cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict," McClain tells WebMD. This interferes with your gums’ ability to fight infection. Not only has smoking interfered with treatment -- gum surgeries tend to be more complicated and recovery more difficult.

Oral Health and Other Conditions

The impact of oral health on the body is a relatively new area of study. Some other mouth-body connections under current investigation include:

·         Rheumatoid Arthritis. Treating periodontal disease has been shown to reduce pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

·         Lung Conditions. Periodontal disease may make pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse, possibly by increasing the amount of bacteria in the lungs.

·         Obesity. Two studies have linked obesity to gum disease. It appears that periodontitis progresses more quickly in the presence of higher body fat.

The Bottom Line on Oral Health

One thing is clear: the body and mouth are not separate. "Your body can affect your mouth and likewise, your mouth can affect your body," says McClain. "Taking good care of your teeth and gums can really help you live well longer." This means brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and going for regular dental cleanings and check-ups.

Cram stresses the importance of letting your dentist know your full family medical history. And, she adds, "if you have periodontal disease, make sure you see your dentist frequently and get it treated promptly, before it progresses to the point where you begin losing teeth or it starts to affect your overall health."

Source: WebMD

The Importance of Early Dental Visits

  

Taking your children for dental checkups early helps them begin a life of  good oral hygiene and health.

At Anchor Family Dentistry we usually see children as early as 2 years of age. Sometimes we see children even earlier than that. Usually our first visits consists of getting the kids used to the dentist chair and educating  parents of how to care for their little ones teeth, dietary suggestions and things to avoid.

So when should you take your child for their first visit?

It is recommended that infants have an initial check up with a dentist by the age of one. In some cases however, If your child has transitioned from bottle to a cup and does not snack at night time, then it is suggested that you can bring in your child at the age of 2. If your child has a habit of sleeping with a bottle filled with formula or drink, then there is a risk of baby bottle caries.

What is Baby Bottle Caries

Baby bottle caries describes tooth decay found in infants and young children. It generally occurs when sweet liquids, or those with natural sugars cling to infants teeth. These sugars are very attractive to natural bacteria in an infants mouth. The bacteria thrive on the sugar in these liquids and produce acids which erode and cause enamel decay. Baby bottle caries occurs when children are left to nap while drinking formula or drinks through a bottle or sippy cup. There is an inherent problem as there is a decrease of saliva during sleep, which causes a proliferation of bacteria. 

If your child sleeps with a formula bottle or sippy cup at naptime, you should  take steps to stop the habit, and also take your infant for a dental check up. 

So why are baby teeth Important?

Some parents may think that baby teeth are temporary and not important, however, this is not the case.

Baby teeth are important for chewing, speaking and smiling. They are also vital for maintaining space for adult/ permanent teeth. If left untreated, the infant would have to deal with pain, infection and early loss of teeth. This in turn causes maloclussion or misaligned teeth, gum disease  as a result of poor alignment of teeth and other significant dental issues as an adult. 

So what should you do?

1. Wipe your baby's gum with gauze or washcloth
2. Clean and massage gums if there are no teeth yet
3. Floss between teeth if all baby teeth have come in
4. Make sure your child gets fluoride after 2 years
5. Schedule regular dental check ups