Herbs and spices that boost oral health

There are, however, spices and herbs you can ingest that promote oral health outside of traditional dental medicine. When combined with the sage advice of your dental hygienist, regular consumption of these all-natural products may just save your next date or job interview, and your overall health.

Bloodroot

Bloodroot gets its (rather icky) name from the red-orange sap in the roots. The herb contains sanguinarine, an anti-microbial that has shown effectiveness in killing the germs that cause plaque and gingivitis. You can find bloodroot in some over-the-counter mouthwashes and toothpastes. It’s not a good idea to chew on it after digging it out of the ground though- at high potencies, it can cause mouth lesions. Also, you’ll look like you just ate a steak that was a little bit too rare. So leave this one to the pros and get your bloodroot pre-packaged.

Holy Basil

No, this basil is not touched by a higher deity, but it is highly regarded in eastern medicine as a cure-all for a number of issues. Holy basil (also known as tulsi) has astringent properties that will kill harmful germs hiding in hard-to-reach crevices between teeth. Gargle a tulsi tea each morning instead of a harsh, alcohol-based mouthwash, and get the same breath-freshening benefits.

Camellia sinesis

With such a complicated and medicinal-sounding name, you’d never know that this herb is just regular green tea. Green tea has catechins, a substance that fights off the bacteria that cause bad breath and plaque. So replace that tooth-browning morning coffee with a cup of green tea. Your coworkers may thank you for it (mentally) when you breathe out your “good morning.” If you’re worried about the caffeine in green tea, worry not! Decaf green tea is just as effective in terms of oral health benefits.

Cloves

Have a toothache? Smack the hand that reaches for the Orajel! Instead, apply a small amount of clove oil to a cotton swab and gently rub it on the offending tooth. A 2006 study in the Journal of Dentistry showed that clove oil can be just as effective as benzocaine (the active ingredient in Orajel) in treating mouth pain. The powerhouse ingredient in clove oil is eugenol, which is antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anesthetic. The University of Iowa has also touted clove oil’s effects on easing mouth sores and preventing plaque formation. It is the Swiss army knife of herbal treatments!

Nutmeg

No, it’s not just for spicing your eggnog on Christmas Eve. According to Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention, Nutmeg contains the same eugenol as cloves, so it works as an anti-microbial, killing those little nasties that cause bad breath and plague. You can also rub nutmeg oil on your gums or drink a cup of warm nutmeg tea to ease a throbbing tooth or gum inflammation.

There you have it! A veritable buffet of herbs and spices to make your teeth happy and your breath fresh as a summer day! Be sure to consult your dentist or doctor before trying any herbal or alternative medicine remedy.

Note: This article was written by a guest author Robert Milton. He writes for Austin Dental Center, an Austin dentist who provides preventative dental care, cosmetic procedures, and restorative treatments such as dental implants. Austin Dental Center is located at 2304 Hancock Dr. Suite 1, Austin, TX 78756-2537, Phone: (512) 454-0414.

Glancing around, you’ll notice that not only people yawn. This habit is characteristic of many mammals, birds and even reptiles. However, the true reason of yawning is still not known. So, today I’ve got some interesting hypotheses. Choose the one you like best!

Why do we yawn?

When there’s not enough oxygen

According to one of the most popular theories, yawning is a respiratory reflex, which regulates the level of oxygen in our blood. In other words, fatigue, boredom or staying in a stuffy smoke-filled room starts to slow down our breathing and this causes that less oxygen enters our lungs. So, as soon as blood accumulates excess carbon dioxide, the brain gives our lungs a signal: “Take a deep breath,” and we start yawning.

Protection against overheating

Some scientists disagree with the previous hypothesis suggesting that yawning is a way of cooling the brain. The experiment was conducted with two groups of people: one group put on their heads warm towels, the other – cold ones. The results showed that those who were with warm towels, yawned more frequently.

Regulates the pressure in our ears

Another suggestion: yawning helps to regulate the pressure in our ears. It may be when the external pressure changes (like when you fly in a plane). Since the middle ear cavity is connected to the pharynx, so when yawning this passage opens, ventilating the middle ear and equalizing the pressure.

So, if you’re constantly yawning then remember these reasons, perhaps you will need to breathe in some fresh air or there’s too hot in the room. Yawning can be a sign that your body needs some change.

Interesting fact: Yawning is contagious! That is, the innocent yawning may trigger a chain reaction of deep breaths with wide open mouths. Try to conduct a little experiment: when sitting in a meeting try to yawn. And watch how many people will follow your example.

Have you got any thoughts concerning the topic? Leave your them in the comments below…

Want to lose 10 extra pounds? There are many diets to do it, but if such a weight loss is too rapid this isn’t good for your health. So, how to lose 10 pounds without any harm to your health? It’s very simple: less food, more exercises. Easier said than done, right? In this post, I will help you to realize your wish. Here are some tips on how to lose those 10 extra pounds.

10 Tips to lose some extra pounds

1. Watch portion sizes

It’s just impossible to weigh and measure every food that you eat. You just have to know how much food is there in a glass or a spoon. And this will help you to control your portions.

2. Reduce the amount of fats

Fats are the most concentrated source of calories, so you need to find ways to reduce them. For example, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of regular salad dressing, with 1 tablespoon plus a balsamic vinegar. This immediately helps to reduce 90 calories and will contribute to your idea to lose 10 extra pounds.

3. Stay away from tempting foods

Help your family to eat healthy food with you. If you’re shopping avoid the forbidden and tempting foods (chips, cookies, candies, ice cream, etc.)

4. Make a right choice in a restaurant

If you go to a restaurant make a right choice, not to overeat. Order a double portion of salad, grilled or baked fish, and make sure that there is no bread on the table.

5. Enjoy fruits and vegetables

Enjoy healthy food, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. For dessert order some fruits not a cake or a pie. It will be also a great contribution to losing some extra pounds.

6. Reduce the size of your dishes

The more food you put in front of you, the more likely that you will eat it. So, put your food on small plates and use tall and narrow glasses for juice and other beverages. Your brain will switch to new portion sizes and you will feel satisfied with less food.

7. Don’t let yourself get hungry

Don’t skip meals, try to eat regularly to avoid overeating because of hunger.

8. Foods with fiber

Make sure your diet includes a lot of oatmeal, buckwheat, oats and beans – these are sources of fiber. Fiber won’t make you feel hungry for longer period of time and will reduce cholesterol level.

9. Watch your progress

Keep a notebook where you record what you eat, to determine which products promote weight loss. Such food diary will make you feel responsible for what you eat.

10. Movement during a day

And the last but not least… move! No diet will be effective without movement or any physical exercises. You should get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. It may be some exercises, walking outside, cycling, etc.

On Optimistic Lifestyle blog I’ve already spoke about 4 simple but very useful benefits of honey. Today I would like to speak about the benefits of honey in detail.

Almost everyone knows about the fact that honey is very useful. Honey can be called a healthy sugar substitute. It is used to maintain your health and to cure many diseases. Honey contains glucose and fructose, as well as a set of useful minerals: chlorine, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium. In addition, it contains vitamins C, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1.

The harm of honey

Let’s also refer to the harm of honey. Before using this product you must be sure that you don’t have any allergic reactions. You shouldn’t ignore this basic rule, as an allergic reaction to bee products and honey sometimes even leads to pulmonary edema.

Honey is widely used in cooking and cosmetology (I’ve written about such benefits in the article mentioned above). But the most important are the benefits of honey in medicine.

Honey and Medicine

• Honey is known as antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial means.
• Honey is used in case of ulcers, burns, cuts and wounds, it accelerates the healing process.
• The benefits of honey for athletes has been known for a long time. It can improve performance in sports events due to the content of a special component that increases the efficiency.
• Honey can dramatically improve the quality of blood due to the number of free radicals which is controlled by the useful components of honey.
• Honey is a great sugar substitute for people with diabetes.
• Honey helps to improve digestion, relieves symptoms of cough and sore throat, reduce nasal congestion, is effective in treating conjunctivitis. Honey and milk improve overall health.
• Honey has a natural ability to retain calcium in your body and to remove the inflammation of tissues.
• When you use honey regularly its benefits are also expressed in supporting the immune system.

Proper and healthy eating isn’t an easy task. Many believe that a balanced diet means refusing your favorite foods. But this is not true! If a person starts to limit themselves, healthy diet is becoming an obstacle, rather than help. And sooner or later, you’ll say to yourself: “That’s enough!” The conclusion? Even a healthy diet should contain desserts. In this article I will speak how to prepare useful desserts (we often do it with my wife).

The basic rule here is to avoid the desserts with a high content of calories, fat and sugar. As a rule, these desserts don’t help to keep in good shape. But who can refuse them? Here even the strongest willpower won’t help. However, like everything else, the most important thing is eating moderately. Give preference to small portions – you can eat, for example, a piece of cake without breaking the daily limit of calories.

One chocolate cookie may differ from another, even one kind of banana can be sweeter than the other. Choose foods low in butter, nuts and fatty cream.

Feelings of guilt can disrupt all the good initiatives on the way to a beautiful figure. So why not take my advice instead of eating simple desserts?

Healthy desserts list

• Low-fat cookies
• Frozen 100% juice
• Fresh berries with low-fat cream, and even better – with yogurt
• Low amounts of chocolate
• Frozen grapes
• Angel food cake
• Casserole on a low-fat milk
• Frozen desserts (not milk)
• Low-fat ice cream or sherbet
• Any fruits
• Fresh fruit juice

For those who love homemade cookies it’s even easier. There are so many different secrets how to make homemade cookies with no effect on the waist.

For this purpose you may:

• Use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
• Bake cakes or home-made bread using an apple or a plum juice instead of oil.
• Limit the intake of sugar. In most recipes the amount of sugar is too high. If you take it a little less it won’t affect the meal.
• Eat fruit desserts. But here you also must be careful, although fruit desserts contain less calories and fat than a chocolate bar or a cake.

P.S. This post was prepared thanks to my wife.

How to stay fit and productive if you’re constantly sleepy and tired because of your job? There are several easy ways to cheer up and stay fit during the whole day.

It’s very good to eat sprouted seeds. They will help to cheer up in any situation. Sprouted seeds contain vitamins E, A, C and B, lithium, chromium, potassium, calcium, and zinc. But that’s not all, they also contain special enzymes which help all these minerals and vitamins to be easily absorbed by our body.

The daily dish of salad with sprouts solves the problem of beriberi, strengthens muscles, improves your cardiovascular system. The most useful sprouted seeds are: pumpkin, wheat, sesame, soy, almond seeds.

But there are also other great and easy to implement tips that will help you to stay fit.

10 tips for staying fit during the whole day

1. Keep an open window in the apartment 60% of the time. In winter try to air your rooms as often as possible.
2. Try a cool shower.
3. Carry some mints in your pocket.
4. Eat meat – it contains the amino acid tyrosine, which makes us smarter.
5. Drink mint tea.
6. Wipe your wrists and neck with a damp cloth when you feel drowsy.
7. Put all your things in order – it invigorates.
8. Put a live flower on your desktop.
9. Sing or scream at least 5 minutes a day – it helps to ventilate your lungs and reveal stress.
10. Massage your neck or a palm, pressing on the area under the thumb.

By the way, if you become a positive thinker it will also help you to stay fit all day long.

“Lost my voice!” – said in a whisper this phrase is known to many of us, regardless of whether we had to say it or hear. Reasons for lost voice are different. But what are they really?

Reasons for lost voice

Lost voice may be caused by functional impairment, neurological diseases, as well as by inflammatory diseases. Excessive load on the vocal cords cause functional, organic and inflammatory diseases.

If voice is not your tool and you can’t use it properly then visiting a concert or a football match, as well as a day dedicated to negotiations, may cause a lost voice. And, of course, sore throat, laryngitis and pharyngitis – that is, inflammatory diseases of a throat. Other enemies of the pure voice are smoking, high doses of caffeine, depression, thyroid disease and various hormonal disorders.

How to get back a lost voice

If you lost your voice and you need it soon, then first of all you must keep silent. And by the way, avoid talking in whisper, in this case it can make the situation even worse.

If the voice was lost because of stress, you can drink valerian or some sedatives and have a rest, if it won’t help – you should visit a psychotherapist. Sometimes folk remedies can help: e.g. warmed but not boiled brandy, warm milk with butter and honey, etc.

Pharyngitis, laryngitis, sore throat and other illnesses should be treated by a laryngologist, as laryngitis may become chronic, and then ice cream or a simple conversation in a raised voice will cause voice problems.

So, just take care of yourself and don’t be afraid to visit a doctor.

It’s no secret that healthy diet needs more expenses than simple food. That’s why in this post I tried to make a list of tips how to go on healthy living but spend less money than before.

10 tips to spent less on healthy food

1. Try to buy drinking water instead of buying soda, juice, bottled tea and other harmful sweets.

2. Invest once in a good home appliances, with the help of which you’ll be able to prepare healthy meals at home. It may be a blender or a juicer.

3. Save on organic food – Choose avocados, bananas, onions, pineapple, mango, asparagus, kiwi, green peas, beans, cabbage, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes – buy these fruits and vegetables and not meals prepared with them.

4. Eat frozen berries and vegetables, when buying fresh fruits and vegetables choose only seasonal (and therefore cheaper) products.

5. Buy canned tomatoes. Canned crushed tomatoes (without salt, sugar and additives) contain even a little bit more antioxidants than fresh ones. And they’re cheap, year-round.

6. Don’t go shopping when being hungry this will lead to the fact that you will buy a lot of unnecessary products.

7. Eat less. The statistics shows that 25% of purchased food in the average family goes into the bin. A double portion of healthy food doesn’t make it twice as healthy.

8. Food is much better digested if it doesn’t differ too much. Try the mono diet – one product in one meal – it will improve the work of your gastrointestinal tract and will help you to spend less on products.

9. Grow your own vegetables and sprouted grains. You can do this even on the windowsill. Lettuce and herbs in some ares are the most expensive.

10. Have a good breakfast and don’t forget about lunch. In this case you won’t feel hungry till evening and will be able to cope with your emotions in the supermarket (remember point 6).

How do you feel? Perhaps many of you will answer that you’re Ok, but it may be just today and tomorrow the situation may be completely different. So, if you wish to be healthy tomorrow you need to take care of your health today. Here are 20 tips that will help you to improve your health.

20 tips to improve your health

1. Drink more water

Most of you actually don’t drink enough water every day. Water is essential for your body to function correctly. It’s so important to drink enough water regularly in order to make the body work correctly, to remove toxins and improve metabolism. The amount of water you need depends on various factors such as humidity, physical activity, body weight.

2. Sleeping enough

If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not able to recover and during a day you will be tired, unable to do the necessary work, you will have small snacks, which are often related to an unhealthy diet. In addition, lack of sleep will cause premature aging.

3. Meditate

Meditation balances your mind and develops the soul. This is probably the best, simple and effective way to bring peace and balance into your life.

4. Active lifestyle

Physical activity should be supported not only 2 times a week for an hour, when doing fitness. You should remain physically active every day. Movement is life. If it’s possible, walk instead of driving your car, go up stairs instead of using an elevator. Do exercises at home.

5. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals. That’s why you should eat them every day and it’s even better if they are the foundation of your diet. And remember that no pills can replace fruits and vegetables.

6. Choose bright color products

Fruits and vegetables with bright colors usually contain many antioxidants. Antioxidants are good material for health since they remove free radicals from your body that are harmful to your cells.

7. Reduce the amount of processed foods

The more supplements food contains and the longer it was processed, the less benefit it brings to your body. Processed food is bad because it loses its nutritional value during cooking and contain preservatives that are harmful to your health.

8. Walk and run barefoot

There are many benefits from the contact of your feet with the ground. Try it and you’ll see.

9. Eliminate negative people from your life

Positive mental health is an important part of a healthy living. Don’t keep close to people with a constant negative attitude because they can affect your health and life.

10. Eliminate negativeness from your life

Listen to your thoughts and mood. If you find out that there regularly appear negative thoughts in your mind try to fix it. Often people eat a lot only because they have a bad mood. But they make it even worse.

11. Eat small portions

Try not to overeat, just get enough food and not overload your body with extra food.

12. Eat slowly

When you eat, you shouldn’t hurry, just chew food well before swallowing. So you will help your body to digest food. Also it’s good if you eat your meal in a relaxed atmosphere.

13. Have a goal in your life

Existence without any goals can hardly be called life. Find the purpose of your life and try to make it more harmonious and healthy.

14. Say “no” to fried foods

Reduce the consumption of fast food and any other fried food. They not only contain lots of calories, but also very harmful to your body’s substances.

15. Say “no” to sweet foods

These are candies, cakes, cookies, etc. They are not only useless but also harmful to your body.

16. Avoid caffeine and sugary drinks

Drinks containing caffeine and sugar are diuretics, meaning they speed up the removal of fluid from your body. Consequently, making you drink more and more (see point 1).

17. Don’t drink too much alcohol

Too much alcohol causes immeasurable harm to your body as a whole, and to many organs separately.

18. Give up smoking

All people know about the harm of smoking, it remains only to get rid of this bad habit.

19. Drink juices

Fruit juices are a quick way to get vitamins and nutrients. Simply drop your favorite fruits into the blender, wait 30 seconds and you’re done.

20. Spend more time outdoors

If you are an office worker and sit in the office from morning till night, try sometimes to go outside to breathe some fresh air, to stretch your legs, to relax your eyes. Over the weekend, you should also go for a walk.

There are a lot of other ways to improve your health, but if you manage to realize at least these pointed above, you’ll be much healthier, I assure you.

How to keep in good shape, if you want to sleep all the time and are very tired… There are some easy and effective tips. If you apply at least some of them, you’ll feel good and will have a clear mind all day long.

4 tips to keep in good shape

1. Movement

The most effective way to remove stress and clear the mind is to begin to move. Movement makes your blood deliver oxygen throughout the body more quickly and after a short workout you will feel much better. It is advisable to go outside for this purpose, but you can just open the window – good fresh air invigorates.

2. Nutrition

To keep in good shape, you need to eat well. It is not so important what you eat, the main thing is that the food should be healthy and you should eat it each day at the same time.

3. Music

The impact of music on human is known from ancient times and it can play an important role in your life. Listening to a few favorite songs can improve your inner state for a very long time – why not use this source of energy?

4. Water

The fact that a thirst can bring you to the emotional and physical exhaustion is very well known. This fact can be used to keep your body in good shape. So if you feel tired – drink a glass of water, or even better take a shower. If you want to remove the fatigue of the day, the best way is to go for a swim in the pool.

By the way, energy drinks are absolutely useless in this purpose because they contain chemicals that quickly shake your body and just as quickly slow it down. In the end, such energy drinks will add more fatigue. Completely another thing is the everlasting natural energy drinks such as ginger tea.