Health Epiphanies: Sudden Insights in Preventive Medicine

Epiphany 1:  An ultrasound electric toothbrush can help cure gingivitis (or gum disease): Twelve years ago, when I moved from a small town to a major metropolitan area, I switched dentists whereupon my new dentist informed me that I would have to have periodontal surgery because my gums had become very swollen. He also stressed that unchecked gum disease could ultimately lead  to heart disease.  Distressed, I scheduled an appointment with my small-town dentist.  His diagnosis–I simply needed to brush more thoroughly, and an ultrasound toothbrush would help me to do so.  I switched to a Soni-care toothbrush; and comparatively quickly, my gums returned to normal.  My mouth naturally tends to build up a lot of plaque even with diligent twice daily brushing and flossing, so this necessitates twice yearly checkups, but an electric toothbrush certainly has proved a less expensive cure than dental surgery.  (Of course, I also understand that lots of dentists suggest expensive procedures for new patients.)

Epiphany 2: Taking 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine-chondrotin daily (as detailed in an earlier posting) helps ease arthritis pain as does adding a fish or krill oil supplement to a vitamin regime.  My experience has also lead me to insist that my elderly mother’s physician “prescribe” an over-the-counter Knox gelatin powder with glucosamine-chondrotin in it for her.  Although Mother is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s and can no longer talk, her demeanor shows that this mixture relieves her osteoarthritis.

Epiphany 3: Performing weight-bearing exercise for at least thirty minutes daily, such as walking, jogging, or bicycling,  brings back energy and zest for life–not to mention its slimming effects.  Admittedly, I have always known that the most diligent dieter cannot loose weight and keep it off without exercise, but several times during my adult life, circumstances have kept me from exercising, and the weight has creep back.  Each time, I have combined diet and exercise to take off the added pounds and have kept them off for a fairly long time.  Of course, ideally to loose weight, individuals should engage in a weight-bearing exercise for 45 minutes to an hour daily–a practice that I plan to start during the Christmas holidays.

Epiphany 4:   I have felt less sluggish since I have started a ”flexitarian” diet that cuts out most meat protein and have started concentrating on ensuring that I have had three servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables daily.  I have also noticed that I have gradually reduced the amount of food I have eaten over the last few months without counting calories.   Additionally, I try to eat at least three servings of cold water fish, such as salmon or tuna, weekly, and I have almost eliminated red meat from my diet, although I must confess that I enjoyed some delicious barbecue at a party last weekend.