From Frequent Swimming to Chewing Ice Cubes - 10 Ways You're Damaging Your Teeth

Many of us are unwittingly destroying our teeth through everyday habits such as eating dried fruit or drinking too much tea, an expert has warned. From frequent swimming to swilling wine and sipping hot water and lemon.

 

Dr. Tariq Idrees, a dentist at Cariswood Dental clinic, Manchester, has said that people make a number of simple mistakes which severely damage their pearly whites.

 

For example, going swimming can harm our smile as chlorine is linked with enamel erosion. And swirling wine around the mouth to taste the flavour ensures the teeth become coated in tooth-rotting acid - with prosecco being particularly bad.

 

Here, he reveals why we should stop drinking hot water and lemon and start pairing fizzy drinks with cheese...

 

1. CHEWING ICE CUBES IN DRINKS

The brittleness and cold temperatures of ice cubes can actually cause teeth to fracture. They can cause microscopic cracks in the surface of the enamel, which could lead to bigger dental problems over time. Crushed ice is less harmful than bigger cubes.

 

2. EATING DRIED FRUITS

Raisins or more fashionable dried fruits such as cranberries, mangos and pineapples are all terrible for your teeth. They are highly acidic - but what makes them particularly damaging is they stick to the teeth, compounding the damage.

 

3. SWILLING WINE

Wine is particularly bad for your teeth because it comes from grapes which are acidic fruits. Some wines are worse than others - white wine is more acidic than red - and fizzy wine such as prosecco is even worse because the gas acts as an acid too.

 

Wine experts tell you to swirl a good wine around your mouth to bring out the flavour - but this is the worst thing you can do if you want to preserve your teeth. Swirling simply ensures more of your teeth are covered in the acid.

 

4. HOT WATER AND LEMON, TEA AND COFFEE

Not only only does it stain your teeth but it rots them, too. They are both high in caffeine, particularly coffee, and this dries out the mouth, making us more susceptible to tooth decay.

 

They stain the teeth too and perhaps surprisingly tea is worse than coffee when it comes to staining. This is because tannin in tea is a much more powerful staining agent than caffeine. You have to drink quite a lot of black coffee to stain your teeth - five or six cups a day.

 

Staining from coffee is very superficial, effecting just the biofilm, a thin layer of bacteria which covers the teeth and gums, and doesn't penetrate through the enamel itself.

 

Lots of women drink lemon and water as a healthy alternative to tea and coffee. This causes gross teeth erosion and should be avoided.

 

5. SWIMMING

If you swim in a pool often, you may find that you're doing harm to your teeth. The chemicals that are put into swimming pools, particularly chlorine, are linked to enamel erosion.

 

Both the American Journal of Dentistry and the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association report that swimming in a pool with a high chlorine content for just 34 weeks can cause a rapid increases in dental erosion and sensitivity.

 

Best to keep your mouth closed when you swim at a pool - better still, swim in the sea.

 

6. USING A HARD-BRISTLED TOOTHBRUSH

Some people think the firmer the toothbrush, the better. This isn't so, especially for older adults.

 

With age, the gums push back and the roots of the teeth become exposed, often increasing sensitivity. The root is covered with cementum, which is worn away more easily than enamel.

 

A brush with too-firm bristles may irritate the gums and lead to sensitive teeth.

 

7. BRUSHING TOO MUCH

Brushing your teeth twice a day (in the mornings and last thing at night) is sufficient. Many people brush more than the recommended number of times per day - especially after a big meal.

 

Brushing within 30 minutes of a big meal of fizzy drink like cola, can lead to worse damage. After drinking fizzy or acidic drinks, the acid burns into the enamel of your teeth - and the layer below the enamel, called dentin.

 

It's also important not to brush too soon after finishing a meal - this can drive the acid deeper into the teeth, corroding them faster than they would have rotted by themselves.

 

Wait at least an hour after a meal or fizzy drink before brushing - this will give your saliva a chance to neutralise the acid.

 

8. EATING TOO MUCH FRUIT

Fruit is extremely acidic and particularly harmful to teeth. It is packed full of sugar which bacteria in turn feeds on, producing acid as waste.

 

That acid then leads to erosion. This leaves health-conscious people in a tricky situation: their doctor is telling them to have five a day, but their dentist is saying the opposite.

 

So how can people minimise the damage while eating healthily? Group fruit consumption into sessions to minimise the adverse effects.

 

Drinking water and eating food with neutralising qualities, such as cheese, can help reduce the negative effect on teeth.

 

9. TONGUE AND LIP PIERCINGS

It is very common for patients with these piercings to chip their teeth by accident when they are eating.

 

10. USING TEETH AS TOOLS

Lots of us use our teeth for odd jobs - to rip a price tag off a piece of clothing, open a packet of crisps, uncap a bottle of nail varnish, pull out a watch stem.

 

This can be hard on our teeth, traumatising them or causing the edge of a weakened tooth to chip off or even fracture. Keep tools such as scissors or pliers handy to do the dirty work and let you maintain good dental health.

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Warning! 10 Cancer Symptoms Men Should Never Ignore

Your life is very important! Always be vigilant and visit the doctor when you observe any of the following warning signs of cancer.

 

Nagging back pain. Indigestion. Frequent urination. You may assume these are minor health issues that don’t need a doctor visit. But think again.

 

Cancer symptoms are often vague. In fact, prostate cancer–the most common cancer in men–has some of the least obvious symptoms.

 

“Men shouldn’t ignore their health,” says Therese Bevers, M.D., medical director of MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center. “It’s vital to stay informed, pay attention to changes in your body and report unusual symptoms to your doctor right away.”   

 

Knowing what symptoms to look for can help your doctor find cancer early when it’s most treatable.

 

Bevers shares some of the most common cancer symptoms in men.  

 

1. Abnormal lump. Have you recently felt a mass or lump right below your skin? This may be a sign of cancer. Lumps normally show up in the breast, testicles, lymph nodes and soft tissues, like tendons and ligaments. Here’s what to do: Report it to your doctor immediately, especially if you just found it, or it has grown in size.

 

2. Changes in your testicles. Have you noticed changes in the size of your testicles, like one or both have gotten bigger? Maybe you’ve found a lump, or your testicles feel swollen or extra heavy. Any of these signs should send you straight to your doctor. Testicular cancer is most common in young and middle-aged men.  

 

3. Changes in your restroom habits. Suddenly need to use the restroom all the time? Or have pain when you go? This may be a sign of bladder or prostate cancer. Other signs to look out for are blood in your urine or stool. Changes in your bowel habits, like constipation or diarrhea that won’t go away, matter too.  

 

4. Changes in your skin. If you work long hours outside or have a history of blistering sun burns, check your skin more closely. What you think are signs of hard work might actually be skin cancer. Look for unusual bleeding, scaling or sores that do not heal. Other signs include warts as well as moles and freckles that change in color, size or shape. Bottom line: If you’ve got a strange spot on your skin, call your dermatologist.

 

5. Indigestion or trouble swallowing. A prolonged painful burning sensation in your throat or chest shouldn’t be ignored – even if you suspect it’s from eating spicy food. Don’t think that regular indigestion or trouble swallowing is a normal part of aging either. It can be a sign of esophageal, stomach or throat cancer. 

 

6. Persistent cough or hoarseness. Do you have a nagging cough? If it lasts more than three weeks, it’s a sign that something’s wrong. And whether you smoke or not, a cough that doesn’t go away can be a sign of lung cancer. Persistent hoarseness, wheezing, shortness of breath or coughing up blood are also signs to call your doctor right away.  

 

7. Changes in your mouth. If you smoke, chew, dip or spit tobacco, you need to pay close attention to changes inside your mouth. White patches inside your mouth or white patches on your tongue may be pre-cancers. Left untreated, these areas can turn into oral cancer. Sores, unexplained bleeding, numbness or tenderness in the area around your mouth – like your tongue, lips and cheeks – should tell you that it’s time for a check-up.

 

8. Unexplained weight loss. Are you dropping pounds without changing your diet or exercise habits? Call your doctor – even if you think they’re pounds you need to lose. Losing ten or more pounds for no known reason can be a sign of pancreatic, stomach, esophageal or lung cancer.

 

9. Constant fatigue. Are you too tired to play with your kids? Or hang out with the guys after work? Are you constantly tired no matter how much rest you get? Don’t brush it off. Constant fatigue can be a sign of leukemia as well as some colon and stomach cancers.

 

10. Persistent pain. Nagging back pain, a headache that won’t go away, abdominal or stomach pains – your doctor needs to know.  “No pain, no gain” doesn’t apply to cancer. And, persistent pain, no matter the location, can be the first sign that something’s wrong.  

Remember, having one or more of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer. But if they’re persistent, you need to go in for a checkup.

 

“See your doctor and get your cancer risk assessed,” Bevers says. This assessment can help you understand whether or not you’re more likely to get cancer. That way you can make better choices to keep your body healthy and cancer-free. 

 

Source: MDanderson

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10 Important Reasons Why You Should Eat Onions, Garlic and Ginger Everyday

Eating these trio foods or one of the three will go a long way in preventing some diseases, as well as preventing someone from visiting the hospital for treatments, thereby spending thousands of naira on treating diseases.

 

1. Proper breathing

Garlic is good for respiratory challenges especially if a person has asthma. Garlic could be used with avocado leaves and grinded kola nut, which are then mixed together with honey and water. 

2. Cure for pneumonia 

Pneumonia is a disease often caused by the micro-organisms called bacteria. Bacteria have different shapes and forms like rod, cocci or bacilli. Pneumonia leads to high fever, intense chest pain, fast and shallow breathing, painful, short and dry cough. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter ginger Grinding some quantities of garlic and mixing it with honey helps cure the disease. 

 

3. Cancer

The efficacy of garlic is so much that it helps to reduce the emergence of cancers (either sarcomas or carcinomas). There is a saying that, “eat a garlic a day and keep the doctor away.” 

4. Better eye vision 

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. This substance stimulates the eyes’ lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Syn-propanethial-S-oxide helps to give a better vision to the eyes, as the tears come out of the eyes. 

 

5. Anti-high blood pressure 

A good number of Nigerians suffer from high blood pressure and related diseases leading to hypertension or even stroke. The component of someone’s daily food should contain some garlic, either in cooked form, or grinded form or even if it could be chewed. This is because, garlic is a very good anti-high blood pressure spice. 

 

6. Ginger and onions better than vinegar 

Someone could decide to cook raw meat with vinegar. It is safer to cook with raw onions and ginger and even with garlic. They make the meat tender, just like vinegar, but they are not processed chemicals like vinegar, since they are in their natural forms. The also help to spice up the meat and give it a nice taste. 

 

7. Cure for diabetes 

There have been reported cases of diabetic patients, whose condition became better, when they started eating garlic on a daily basis. Some of these people, who were hyperglycaemic before they started eating garlic, in no time, had the sugar content in their blood reduced, as a result of consumption of garlic. 

 

8. Cure for incessant cold and catarrh 

Continuous cold, cough and catarrh could be cured by soaking some quantity of sliced onions in a bottle containing some amount of honey. This is then left for at least 8-10 hours in order for it to ferment a bit. The resulting product is very ideal for cough. 

 

9. After meal medicine 

Eating ginger after each meal is ideal, as it also reduces the possibility of someone coming up with cold, cough and catarrh. 

 

10. Effective purgative 

The trio of onions, garlic and ginger could be grinded together and then mixed with some quantity of water, and drunk once in a day. They help to purge or cleanse the digestive system, especially by causing easy evacuation of the bowels.

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#DropTheWeight: Three Important Ways Late Night Eating Can Affect Your Weight

There are a lot of rules out there that tell you not to eat after a certain time of the night. But what if you get hungry after nursing your baby at 1 am? Or if you find yourself so busy or end up stuck in traffic so that dinner doesn't happen till 9 pm or later? What happens then?

Illustrative photo courtesy of Dreamstime

 

Like most restrictive rules around losing weight, these rules don’t always take into account what your life is like. So I want to break down some of the effects of late night eating and how you can start to hack them so that you can start to reach your goals.

 

The high-level truth is that your body is more concerned about how much you eat over the course of the day and less about when you’re eating. But as with most answers I give, there’s some nuance… and I explain three areas that impact late night eating or are impacted by it.

 

1. Late Night Eating and Fat Storage

When you eat too much food, whatever your body doesn’t need gets stored as fat. So if you eat a lot of food at night, the extra calories that your body doesn’t need go directly to stored fat. The hack here is that if you’re going to eat late, don’t eat too much food. If you find that you normally don’t know that you’ve eaten too much till it’s too late, one thing you can do is to slow down at mealtime. This can be as simple as putting down your fork from time to time to check in with yourself to see if you’re satisfied or if you need a little more food.

 

2. Late Night Eating and Food Choices

As the day wears on, your body doesn’t need as much raw energy to keep you going and this is particularly true when you’re about to go to bed. But this doesn’t mean that you should go to bed hungry because that will cause a whole new set of problems. Eating foods like white bread and white rice right before bed will trigger your body go store fat even if you don’t eat too much. That’s because these high carbohydrate foods trigger the release of the fat storage hormone, insulin.

 

To hack this, go for non-starchy Vegetables and Animal or Plant Protein if you need to eat before bed. These food types are the first two in the eating pattern I teach called VAFs and they’re less likely to drive your body to store fat than their starchy carbohydrate and whole grain counterparts. To increase the chances that you won’t sabotage your efforts to lose weight by eating late at night, cook these foods using healthy cooking methods like steaming and boiling.

 

3. Late Night Eating and Sleep

The last nuance is the relationship between late night eating and sleep. If you go to bed with a rumbling stomach, your sleep quality will probably be low. And if you eat too much before you sleep, you’re likely to feel bloated and uncomfortable to the point where your sleep quality is negatively impacted. So the key is to find the right balance instead of starving or overfeeding yourself to sleep.

 

To hack this, eat something if you’re really hungry before bedtime. You’re no good to anyone after a night of bad sleep because of an empty stomach. The issue is not just the empty stomach here, but also the effects of regular sleepless nights on your weight and your health. When your sleep quality is lacking, your willpower will be lacking as well because you’re spending it to make up for impaired judgement that comes from a lack of sleep.

 

Also consistently bad sleep quality increases your body’s release of cortisol – a stress hormone that signals your body to store fat around your tummy. So rather than mess with your sleep and cause other problems, why not eat the right foods in the right portions instead? Are you unsure of what these are? You can always check out my free Quick Guide where I teach the four types of food to help you  Start Losing Weight Today.

 

Take Action

Now that you understand some of the effects of late night eating and you have some ideas on what you can do to hack these effects, it’s time to choose the action that you feel you can start taking today.

 

I shared three negative effects of late night eating and two hacks you can take action on to handle all three. What I want you to do is pick one hack from the two possible actions and commit to doing it consistently. If you’re so busy that you struggle with late night eating, then I don’t want you to fracture your focus by trying to do too much. Here are the hacks summarized:

 

*Slow down the pace of your eating to allow you to minimize the chance that you’ll overeat

 

*Choose non-starchy Vegetables and Animal or Plant Protein if you have to eat before bedtime

 

So pick one and go from there.

 

Next time, we’ll dive into unhealthy food habits and how to start to break them…

 

About the Author:

Ejiro Ogenyi is a Lifestyle Coach and founder of the Team. She helps Women who want to lose weight and get toned without restrictive meal plans or extreme exercise programs to get clear about their goals.

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New Research Explains What Makes You Orgasm, Size Really Doesn't Matter

Learn the secret to making your woman achieve climax as researchers provide the answers many people have been looking for about the big-O.

 

If you’ve ever wondered what it is that makes you orgasm, then you’re in luck because scientists believe they’ve discovered the answer.

 

Lots of people think that a person can control their ability to climax and factors like sexual experience and confidence have a part to play.

 

Others put it down to penis size, but new research has revealed that a person’s ability to reach the big-O is actually out of their control.

 

The key to climaxing is much more physical than you might think because it’s all down a person’s anatomy.

 

Also there’s some interesting differences between the sexes. For men it’s all about mind over matter because the signals between their brain, spinal cord and penis must all be in proper working order.

 

Men will achieve optimum orgasms if there’s a balance between two nervous systems – the parasympathetic (which controls the body at rest) and the sympathetic (in charge of the body’s fight or flight response).

 

Unsurprisingly the research, conducted by Mayo Clinic and the Indian University School of Medicine, concluded that it’s much trickier for women to climax.

 

In fact for the ladies it’s all about positioning because apparently the clitoris “migrates” during intercourse and roams towards the vaginal wall.

 

The closer the clitoris gets to the vaginal wall during sex, the more likely a woman is to orgasm.

 

In terms of sex positions, this means that front entry moves like missionary or cowgirl are more likely to make her climax as opposed to rear entry ones like doggy style.

 

Lead author of the Clinical Anatomy article Dr. Elizabeth Emhard said: "Sexual experiences are assumed to be in your control based on your attitude: your confidence, your ability to trust, your openness.

 

"What if variations in sexual anatomy actually set the foundation for differences in sexual experience, and we aren't in control of our sexual experiences as much as we once thought?"

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Beware! These 3 STDs Can Make You Infertile for Life

These seemingly 3 STDs could jeopardize your future and make you impotent if you keep having s*x with random people without protection.

 

Sexually transmitted diseases are a nightmare to everyone. These embarrassing ailments can only not mess up your sex life, ruin your relationship and leave permanent reminders but worse, they can reduce your chances of having children of your own later in life. 

 

Another reason to say no to unprotected sex!

 

According to Annie Mwirikia, here are three STDs that are dangerous culprits that can make  you infertile.

 

1. Gonorrhea 

The most common STD in Africa, Gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated and cause tubal blockage which can lead to infertility.

 

2. Trichomoniasis

A  ruthless STD which in addition to giving you the foulest, fishy smelling vaginal discharge in the world could also affect your ability to have kids if left untreated. Double gross!

 

3. Chlamydia 

Untreated Chlamydia infection causes inflammation or blockage of your tubes making it the commonest cause of STD-related infertility in the world. If you suspect you might have an STD, be sure to see your doctor at once because it just might be this dangerous microbe lurking in your genitals and the worst part is you might have a Chlamydia infection and not have any symptoms for years.

 

Be careful if you don't have to explain to Mr. Right why you are unable to bear him children. You know the rules.

 

Abstinence – Abstain from sex if you can. If you can't abstain be faithful to one partner and be sure to use protection every time you engage in a sexual intercourse! And finally if you suspect you may have gotten infected, get treated immediately and ensure your partner gets treated too!

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Health Alert! Signs and Symptoms You Might Have Cancer

Cancer has continued to take lives because many people do not know important facts and signs indicating that they have cancer. Read this and be on the safe side.

 

Mllions of people are living with cancer in the UK, but the survival rate can be high if it is spotted early

 

Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the UK, and over 2.5 million people are currently living with some form of the disease.

 

But as new treatments are developed and campaigns, such as Race for Life and Movemember, raise awareness of symptoms, the deaths caused by cancer have dropped. In the past decade alone there has been a 10 per cent decrease in death rates, BBC News reported.

 

And while cancers can be caused by genetics and environmental factors that are out of our control, 30 per cent of cancers worldwide could be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle and being immunized against viruses such as HPV and HBV, according to the World Health Organisation.

Below are the symptoms of the most common types of cancer in the UK.

 

Lung cancer

One of the most serious forms of the disease, around 44,500 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. The chance of survival is 5 per cent, and around 35,000 people will die of the disease each year. However, 89 per cent of cases are preventable.

 

There are two forms of primary lung cancer: the term used to describe the disease when it has not spread to other parts of the body.

 

More than 80 per cent of cases are non-small-cell lung cancer, which fall into the categories of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma. Each of these forms attack different areas of the lung.

 

Small-cell lung, or oat-cell, cancer is rarer, but is more aggressive than non-small-cell. The vast majority of patients with oat-cell cancer are smokers, according to Cancer Research UK.

 

Symptoms: Feeling breathless and having a persistent cough, as well as an aching or feeling pain when breathing or coughing are all symptoms of lung cancer. Coughing up blood or rust-coloured spit or phlegm, as well as repeatedly having infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia are signs, too.

Sudden and unexplained tiredness and weight loss can also be caused by the disease.

 

Public Health England in 2013 launched a campaign urging people not to ignore persistent coughs, as almost 24,000 people a year in England are diagnosed with the disease at the earliest stage when treatment is most likely to be successful.

 

Bowel

Also known as colon or rectal cancer, bowel cancer affects around one in 20 people in the UK, with around 41,000 people diagnosed with it each year. Over 16,000 of those patients will die of the disease. It has a survival rate of 57 per cent, and can be prevented in 54 per cent of cases.

 

It is most common in the over 60s; those with a diet low in fibre and high in red and processed meat; the overweight; and those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Drinking and smoking can also heighten the risk, as well as a family history of the condition.

 

Symptoms: Bowel cancer can be easily mistaken for other illnesses because the signs are common in many conditions.

Blood in your stools and pain in the abdomen can be caused by bowel cancer. Changes in bowel movements - such as constipation or diarrhea - that last for more than a few days are also linked to the disease.

 

But these are also common in people with haemorrhoids or those whose eating habits have changed, according to the NHS. In the latest stages, weight loss, pain when eating and bloating become evident.

 

Breast

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, but lung cancer is the deadliest according to Cancer Research UK. The majority of people who get breast cancer are women over the age of 65, however younger women and men can also develop the disease.

 

Each year, over 53,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed, but it has a survival rate of 78 per cent, meaning it causes over 11,000 deaths annually. It can be prevented in 27 per cent of cases.

 

Symptoms: Many people know that breast cancer is signaled by unusual lumps and thickening in the breast, but campaigners have urged that are other warnings signs that are unknown.

 

The charity Breast Cancer Care is among organisations to urge the public to be wary of all the symptoms of the disease. A change in the size, shape or skin on the breast; swelling in the armpit; and constant pain in the area can signal breast cancer. However, the nipples can also be affected. Redness, a rash or discharge coming from the nipple are all signs of the disease.

 

While lumps in the breast generally aren't cancerous, the NHS urges people to visit their GP if they notice anything unusual.

 

Prostate

This form of cancer only affects men, because it is found in the satsuma-sized prostate gland located between the penis and the bladder. Over 47,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year. But it has a high survival rate of 84 per cent. Almost 11,000 people die of the disease each year. There are no clear ways of preventing prostate cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.

Symptoms: In the early stages, prostate cancer does not cause any symptoms for many years, meaning it is usually caught when it is developed.

The condition is usually picked up when the gland becomes so large that it affects the function of the urethra and makes passing urine more frequent, slower and weaker.

 

Blood in the urine and erectile dysfunction are also signs. If the cancer pushes against the spinal cord, weakness or numbness in the legs or feet and the loss of bladder and bowel control can also occur.

 

However, difficulty passing urine can also be a sign of a common condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia, where the inner part of the prostate continues to grow as men get older.

 

Source: Cancer Research UK

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