The NobleDentist Blog

This is an article by Laura Elder, Rhiannon Meyers, Chris Paschenko & Leigh Jones of the Daily News – Texas.

We all know the tricks and traditions of New Year’s resolutions, but what do experts in health and personal finance think our resolutions should be? We asked what people should do to live longer and better, to have more wealth and help the planet. Here’s what they had to say:

Go Coastal?

A recent article in the “New England Journal of Medicine” published research that concluded people stuck in traffic are three times more likely to have heart attacks within one hour than those who aren’t. Researchers, however, weren’t sure whether the heart attacks were caused by stress or exposure to pollution.

The moral of the story?

“Try to stay on the island,” said Dr. Ken Fujise, who in November was named director of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Try not to go to Houston.”

Fujise, a former Houstonian, was only half kidding.

“Inhaling particulate matter, small dust particles … (is) really bad for the heart.”

And Fujise offers yet another reason to embrace a laid-back coastal lifestyle that includes plenty of reel time.

“Studies have indicated that if you eat fish three times a week, your longevity increases,” he said.

Finally, be happy, Fujise advises. Angry people tend to have more heart muscle damage, he said.

“The precipating factor for acute heart attack is anger,” he said. “Just jog on the beach, surrounded by the natural beauty of Galveston.”

Move Faster, But Eat Slow Food

As the the American waist grows, so goes the number of people who have Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. More than 20 million U.S. residents have diabetes, according to medical reports. Most have Type 2, a disease that occurs when the pancreas can’t make enough or the body can’t properly use insulin, which controls the level of sugar in the blood. With time, Type 2 diabetes can damage the nerves and small blood vessels of the eyes, kidneys and heart and predispose a person to hardening of the large arteries, which can cause heart attack and stroke.

Lynn A. Maarouf, diabetes nutrition educator at The Stark Diabetes Center at the island’s medical branch, would like families to resolve to exercise.

“The biggest single thing is for people to get up and get moving,” Maarouf said. “We’re seeing a Type 2 epidemic among adults and children, and it’s in a big part related to people not getting enough exercise.”

The latest recommendations for people trying to lose weight is 90 minutes of exercise a day.

“A little bit of walking goes a little way,” Maarouf said. “If you’re not getting close to the one hour mark, you’re not doing enough to achieve changes.”

Maarouf recommends people make a serious plan for more exercise.

“Some people say they don’t have enough time, but how much time do they spend watching television?”

Finally — and everyone’s heard this before — cut back on eating. Most people could cut back on calories if they cooked at home, rather than grab fast food or restaurant fare.

“I think most people do better when they prepare meals at home,” she said. “There’s a lot of literature coming out that say meals eaten away from home have about 2,000 to 3,000 calories. I don’t think people are really aware of that.”

A New Smile For A New Year

Those looking to achieve the “American dream of the white, straight teeth” in 2008 ought to add a few mouth-friendly resolutions to their New Year’s list, said Galveston County dentist Brent Patterson.

• Make an appointment with the dentist.

“A lot of people haven’t been in any dental office in five to seven or 10 years,” Patterson said. “You need a thorough examination by a dentist before you can jump into a regular routine.”

• Brush twice a day, in the morning and just before bed.

“I’m amazed by how many people just brush in the morning,” Patterson said. “You need to brush two times a day to rid bacteria before bed and to rid the bacteria that built up overnight.”

And even though your $2 toothbrush will do the job, those who can afford it should probably consider buying an electric toothbrush. Battery-powered brushes have timers forcing you to brush for a full two minutes, the American Dental Association’s “party line” on brushing, Patterson said. Patterson likes the Phillips’ Sonicare. An electronic brush costs between $30 and $100, depending on the variety.

The Sonicare acts on your teeth the way an electric jewelry cleaner acts on jewelry by vibrating all the junk from between teeth and fillings, Patterson said.

“When people have a mechanical brush, their oral hygiene level increases,” he said.

• Floss at least three times per week. Some people think you should floss every time you brush, but that’s unreasonable, Patterson said.

“Two to three nights out of the week, that’s more than adequate,” he said. “Otherwise you wouldn’t do it at all. Anything is better than nothing.”

• Stock your bathroom with fluoride rinse. Most people aren’t getting enough fluoride, and almost every American can benefit from a fluoride rinse, Patterson said. Fluoride helps strengthen teeth, making them more resistant to cavities, he said. Fluoride rinses also help reduce sensitivities after dental work, including whitening and bleaching, he said.

• Ditch the workroom candy dish.

“I’ve seen a lot of people with problems because there’s always a bowl of hard candies at work for them to suck on,” Patterson said. “You can do a great deal of damage with that.”

Aside from the hard candy, children and adults should avoid regular soda or chewing gum with sugar.

“That constant all-day-long exposure to syrups and sugars can override what you brush away and soften teeth,” Patterson said.

Instead, choose sugar-free gums and diet sodas, he said.

• Snuff the cigarettes. Oral cancer most often can be linked directly to smoking and chewing tobacco. Smokers and dippers should toss the tobacco in 2008, drastically cutting their risks of oral cancer and starting down a path to a healthy new smile, Patterson said.

• Don’t ignore the warning sings. Painful or bleeding gums, or sensitive teeth, could indicate serious gum disease. If you experience these symptoms, forget your fear of the dentist and make an appointment, Patterson said.

“These are the people that need the dentist the most,” Patterson said. “Gum disease is a silent disease. No matter how much brushing or flossing you do, you’re not going to take care of it at home. It has to be dealt with in the dental office.”

Get Out Of Debt

Another vow some New Year’s revelers make — after awaking from their debt-induced, post-holiday hangovers — is a resolution to get out of debt.

Sam Collins, a local financial planner, said many people take the opportunity to start the new year with a resolution to resolve debt.

But avoiding indebtedness in the first place is the best cure for bruised wallets.

“Often times people come out of the holiday season, wanting to retire debt accumulated from the Christmas holidays,” Collins said. “Because they don’t want to be in the same situation next year, so they set financial goals.”

The most common goals entail reducing debt obligations and saving more for retirement, he said.

“It’s just like people who take an annual physical for their physical health, an individual should sit down for a financial checkup, too,” Collins said. “Often times, people wait too close to retirement and realized they haven’t saved enough.”

Avoiding large purchases from one-time windfalls, such as earned income credit allowances or tax refunds, means more money could be available for debt reduction.

Families who qualify for earned income credits can avoid the temptation to make large purchases by having the money sent to them in monthly installments, rather than paid in one lump sum.

“It’s not that people necessarily spend money unwisely,” Collins said. “Instead of making larger purchases, they could use the money for something they need.”

Go Green

And once you have your own house in order, you migh think about the larger environment.

Robin Schneider, executive director for Texas Campaign for the Environment, says in addition to the typical weight loss and organizational resolutions, people should commit to reduce their carbon footprint during 2008.

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released through burning fossil fuels.

An individual’s carbon footprint is determined by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by his or her daily activities. A carbon footprint can be reduced through using green energy, conserving energy, using alternative or bio fuels in personal vehicles and recycling.

“Recycling is one of the easiest things we can do to reduce our footprint on the earth,” Schneider said. “We need to use the programs that are out there and push for more recycling programs, so that we’re not wasting resources and energy.”

Although few Galveston County municipalities offer curbside recycling, many have drop-off centers that take materials like cardboard, aluminum and paper products for free.

Schneider also suggests people can reduce consumerism, and therefore the need to recycle as much, by having something repaired instead of replacing it with a new one.

“We cannot continue to consume resources like we have been,” Schneider said. “We all need to do our part to reduce our unsustainable level of consumption.”

Things to do:

• Recycle;

• Push for better recycling programs in your area;

• Have something repaired instead of replacing it; and

• Pay attention to what the things you buy are made of. Try to buy things made with recycled materials or designed to be easily recycled at the end of their life.