Was your New Year Resolution Health?

• February 17, 2016
• Dr. Catherine-Anne Walsh

Oh, February. The time of year when I always look for groundhogs, maybe some wilting roses and I have more than one client tell me that their New Year’s resolution has gone the way of the moa. I had a quick Google to see what the top New Year resolutions are, and as I suspected they seem to involve spending more time with family, getting out of debt, learning something new, quitting smoking, and losing weight…..just to name a few.¹ Sadly, flossing regularly was not on the list! I’m heartbroken! Realistically, we can’t help you with the majority of these resolutions here at the Clinic, but let’s talk about the ones we could help you with:

Stop smoking: Please see any one of the health professionals here at the Clinic to help you with this. The doctors, the dentist, and the hygienists are all here to assist you in any way we can. You can also check out: iCanQuit.com.au.²

Lose weight: Did you know we offer medically supervised weight loss? You can ring the Clinic and book in to see Dr. Bitlan to discuss if this option would be right for you. Our Dietician, Fumi, can also help you with weight management issues by looking at practical strategies to make meals more nutritious. Yum yum! Our acupuncturist, Caryn, can also assist with any digestion issues that may be hampering your weight loss success.

Flossing: I know it’s not on the list but it should be. It’s something that you can do in 90 seconds or less and requires equipment (floss) that costs about $5. Or you can book in to see the hygienist (no self-promotion here!) and not only will we send you home with floss but we will show you how to use it. I think that sounds like a steal of a deal!

Some other things to consider within the weight loss and healthy teeth framework might involve the types of snacks you eat. Foods with anticaries (anticavity) effects include: green tea and lab tests potentially indicate apples, red grape seeds (eat the whole grapes!), red wine, coffee, nutmeg, mushrooms, and cranberry extracts, as well as garlic and cocoa extracts.³ Is there anything that green tea is not good for? Now fruits and vegetables all seem “sensical” for healthy weight management and if they discourage caries formation (specifically the bacteria responsible) then all the better!  Mushrooms can also help improve your bone health—ask Fumi how!⁴ She also suggests spicing up your meals with herbs and spices, adding cacao nibs to your cereal, sprinkling nutmeg on yogurt (it’s nice!) or simply having a nice cuppa or glass of wine to chillax. And let’s face it, I was pretty excited to see both red wine and coffee on this list of anticaries foods. However, the cocoa extract does not refer to a block of milk chocolate Lindt. It’s the polyphenols in the cocoa that make the difference, but I’m going to cross New Year’s guilt off the list with that one!

Works Cited

1. http://www.happynewyearsms2016.com/top-10-new-year-resolutions-2016/
2. https://www.icanquit.com.au/?gclid=CJycm8LT1coCFQV8vQoddv8L9g
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51748163_Food_components_with_anticaries_activity
4. www.keynutritionsolutions.com.au