— Simple tips on healthy living

By M Margaret Burke
“I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.”

GOOD health is always high at the top of most New Year’s resolutions people decide on each year and there are many research data to confirm this fact.

Many people start the year thinking and planning how they will focus on better eating and drinking habits… also that they will drink more water and consume more fruits and vegetables; that they will exercise – join a gym, jog around the park, neighbourhood or some other place and loose some weight in the process. However, many of them have serious struggles, which end up with them being in breach of these resolutions very early in the year.

Of course, there are other plans that people put as priority on their list of New Year’s resolutions. These include, climbing and/or maintaining a place on the economic and social ladder. Having wealth, also sustaining a steady flow of it is always an important resolution as well.

One Faith-based speaker, Joyce Meyer once said, “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” On the other hand, A J Reb Materi lamented, “So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” So many people are guilty of the latter but don’t know how to change this scenario.

‘Mouthing’ your way through your body
There is an old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – literally talking about good food. However, food has to enter through the mouth and obviously a mouth that is not kept clean can cause some problems right away.

There are always talks / lectures about good oral hygiene… offering free dental care at schools, community health centers, medical outreaches, toothpaste manufacturers and other programmes – all help to support the idea of good health in this regard. It is so prevalent that many people take this simple, ‘regular’ advice to practice good oral hygiene for granted.

Studies done by many reputable organisations have all confirmed the fact that the mouth is a gate-way to the rest of the body. That the healthy mouth provides for healthy lungs because where there may be bacteria and other problems of the mouth, these when swallowed or breathed in can cause respiratory infections such as pneumonia and other medical problems.

However, the solution is (or should be) simply – keeping your mouth clean. Yes, this is a simple process which can help ensure that a healthy new year’s resolution is kept.

For those who want to follow a healthy pathway during 2017, physicians have, for a while now being viewing the problems of health in a more rounded manner. Studies have discovered that people with chronic teeth and gum disorders are more than likely to have other lingering diseases affecting them.

Periodontitis, (i.e. inflammation in the gum and around the teeth) can turn out to be, not only a serious oral hygiene situation if left unattended, but also a more general medical problem.

Medical research has shown that periodontitis can result in other problems such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, pregnancy disorders… under-weight babies, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis. While bad oral hygiene is not always the reason for some of these problems, studies continue to prove that there are some contributory factors, which directly links to mouth-body connection in relation to many diseases and are even more acute in persons who smoke.

Inseparable
The facts are clear… the mouth and the body are inseparable. While from the physical point of view there can hardly be a body without a mouth or a mouth without a body, so it is that the mouth must be seen as playing a crucial role in the lives of everyone. The ability to taste or eat, to drink or simply swallow… to regularly receive direct nutrients for the body, which can make it strong and healthy, are just some of the roles of the mouth.

It is the mouth that is used to speak, to smile or laugh, or to show other emotions… it is the major communication station of the body. In addition to all this, the mouth helps to make a good presentation for the rest of the body. The mouth being on the face, contributes towards an acceptable appearance of the rest of the body; and so it must look and feel in good condition… pleasant odor, fine looking teeth – clean mouth!

It therefore stands to reason that when a Healthy New Year’s resolution is being concocted, consideration must be given to the very early, most common, but pervasive stage of health, i.e. oral health or oral hygiene. But, it does not and should not end with this alone.

Exercise
Throughout the year and especially after the mouth has had its full share of work on all the holiday foods, “I am too fat” becomes the major cry. So, the New Year’s resolutions almost always include losing weight and so exercise is at the top of the list also. However, studies have shown that this is one other resolution that ends up being dumped very early in the year. It has been concluded that the problem arises when people set unrealistic goals – planning to exercise every day for an hour or so. Not unreasonable, but not smart. Studies suggest that working out for 2 or 3 days per week for about half an hour (at least as a start) will not only do the body well, but serve to encourage a continued plan.

Water, fruits and vegetables
Water, water, water! Instead of some of the favourite sodas and others… a drink of some water is recommended; it is recommended that a daily intake be about 2 liters or 8, eight-ounce glasses. As part of the healthy New Year’s resolution, water should be used as the preferred drink. it may not take long before it (the water) becomes the more likeable drink.

People have to sometimes ‘will’ themselves to do some things above others and then begin to see the benefits. Medical research shows that drinking some amount of water each day, while hydrating the body, can also work as a filter – doing some amount of detoxification and may even serve to discourage some illnesses from attacking the body.

The consumption of fruits and vegetables are also recommended as healthy New Year’s resolution. Instead of some of the past-time snacks, the use of some fruits can become your healthy ‘favourites’. Then, as a ‘quick meal’, a healthy 2017 alternative such as a try at some tossed-fried, steamed or otherwise cooked vegetables used alone or added to other meals will also do the body well.

Toilet / bathroom habit
Assuming that the good oral hygiene, along with all the other ideas are included in the New Year’s resolutions, then another important step should be the confirming of the body to a consistent bowel movement regimen. There is a medical view that the colon is most ready to empty itself soon after waking up, and especially after an early meal and therefore if the body is trained to actually perform this function around this time, it is not difficult for it to comply. This ‘freeing-up of the body’, studies have shown, truly serves to make the body feel well throughout the day, thus functioning better.

Therefore start the 2017 Healthy New Year’s resolution literally from your mouth, thereafter to the rest of your body. In this way ensure that you observe good hygiene, eat right, exercise right, sleep better, order your body to confirm to good habits and strive to kick every bad one.