Dr. Don Schweitzer, PhD, LMSW

You might think the mouth and heart don't have much in common. But increasing evidence suggests they may be closely linked. Researchers suspect that bacteria present in gum disease can travel throughout the body, triggering #inflammation in the heart's vessels and infection in heart valves. Not just the heart, but alzheimers disease, obesity, colon cancer and more. Also, antibacterial mouthwashes kill both good and bad bacteria and impede the ability to create nitric oxide: an essential gas that keeps blood pressure down and keeps insulin working –two things that, when compromised, lead to increased blood sugar and risk for diabetes. Taking good care of your teeth by brushing, flossing, seeing a dentist and all around healthy lifestyle, will help prevent these and other health conditions.

Reframing a negative view of aging can lengthen lifespan. A Yale study found that those with more positive perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions. Add in daily gratitude, laughter, helping others and yes, smile more. 😊 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1215…

Sugar is the sweet destroyer of cellular health and heart health. In fact, sugar promotes atherosclerosis, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood cholesterol and hypertension. There is a staggering intake of sugar in the diet - unknowingly. The average American ingests a whopping 156 pounds of added sugar every year. Many have no idea they are ingesting this much as it is added to almost every food available. Many folks are purchasing what they assume to be ‘healthy’ foods when in fact, they are preventing optimal health and heart health. They buy fruited yogurts which can have more sugar than a candy bar; they bring home whole wheat bread – eating 2 slices of whole wheat bread raises your blood sugar more than eating 2 tablespoons of table sugar does and fruit juice enters the picture too – which is simply liquid sugar. It is vital to read labels to check for added sugar.