Dr. Gary Wayne

 

        (Photo by Jan Smith)

Yesterday’s Los Angeles Time published an article with the headline, To Lose Weight, Experts Suggest a Focus on Fiber. 

What is fiber? Simply put, fiber is the kind of carbohydrate the body can’t digest. The sources of natural fiber are plant-based, things like berries, vegetables, oatmeal, bran. We’ve all heard about plant-based diets and health.

But, should you throw fiber-added sweetened yogurt, high fiber breakfast bars, or extra-fiber bread in your cart?

As with all foods, the closer to the source, the better for health and, yes, weight loss or maintenance.

As nutrition author and guru Michael Pollan says, “Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Focusing a diet on whole foods, whether a chicken breast and broccoli or vegetable stir fry is a healthy approach to weight loss. Fiber-added chocolate sandwich cookies? Not so much!

Try this tasty salad recipe from Cooking Light.

 

Black Bean-Quinoa Salad with Basil-Lemon Dressing

Whether you’d like to replace your morning coffee with a vitamin-filled alternative or searching for a healthy refreshment to refuel after a tennis game or gym workout, this Florida Citrus Smoothie from Giada Weekly Magazine is the perfect blend of sweetness with a dash of spice!

This smoothie clocks in at 175 calories with  7 grams of fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables. Grapes and oranges provide Vitamin C, while spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. Ginger and cayenne are believed to provide many health benefits.

Blend and enjoy!

Green Citrus Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 20 to 30 green grapes
• 1 orange, peeled
• 2 to 3 cups raw spinach
• 2 thin slices lime, 1 with zest
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup coconut water or regular water
• 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• Ice cubes

Directions:

You’ve just finished a set of tennis, 45-minute spin class, or a jog around the block. Your son or daughter just finished a soccer game. Do you grab a brightly-colored sports drink to refuel and restore your electrolytes?

Sports drinks may not only be a waste of your hard-earned dollars but may also be harmful to your dental and general health.

Drinks promoted to restore electrolytes lost from sweat are a mix of carbohydrates (usually sugar) and minerals like potassium and sodium. The pH levels or high acid makeup of sports drinks contributes to the erosion of dental enamel,especially when acid from sports drinks combines with the acid byproduct of bacteria breaking down sugar from the drinks. Damage can occur after just five consecutive days. About 50% of teens drink sports drinks daily.

Sports drinks also contribute about 100 extra calories or the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar, putting a dent in the calories burned in your workout.

Unless you are a professional endurance athlete, most medical professionals and sports nutritionists recommend water to hydrate after an exercise session. If you do feel the need to refuel after a workout, try natural alternatives like a banana or  coconut water, both excellent sources of potassium.

 

 

Did you know almost half of all Americans drink soda every day? Whether you sip diet soda with your lunchtime salad or guzzle an XL Coke at the movies, you probably know soft drinks aren’t the healthiest way to quench your thirst.

But, did you know, soda, both regular and sugar free, can cause harm to your teeth?

Soft drink consumption has become one of the most significant sources of tooth decay in people in both children and adults. The acids and sugary byproducts of soda soften the tooth’s enamel, which may increase cavities. Softer enamel, combined with improper brushing and grinding of teeth an lead to tooth loss.

The sugar in regular soda is also a source of food for bacteria. When bacteria multiplies rapidly, acid is secreted, which dissolves tooth enamel.

What about diet soda? Regular consumption of diet soda also erodes the tooth’s enamel. Both regular and diet soda contain citric acid and phosphorous acid. Prolonged exposure can lead to significant enamel loss.

Does this mean you need to give up that icy cold Coke at a baseball game? Follow up soda with a rinse of water or brush your teeth. Better yet, replace soda with a tall glass of water!

 

Remember mom’s advice to finish your milk (without the cookies) for cavity-free dental visits? Can what you eat really affect your dental health? Or should you file this under “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t wear that jacket!”

The foods and drinks that make up your diet can directly influence the occurrence and progression of tooth decay. Watch out for:

• Sugar
• Sticky or slow to dissolve foods like caramel
• Acidic foods and beverages

Your mouth is home to bacteria, which is fueled by carbohydrates. So, when you eat less sugar or carbs like white bread or rice that ferment easily, you will likely decrease your risk for cavities. Cut back on sugar by reading labels. Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. So, if an ingredient list starts with sugar, or any term ending in ‘’-ose,” the food is high in sugar.

Some ingredients to look out for include cane sugar, turbinado sugar, corn sweeteners or syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, malt syrup, dextrin, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, and honey.

Which foods and drinks are high in sugar? Soft drinks, energy drinks, and soft drinks can contain over 35% sugar! Aside from desserts and candy, watch out for fruit drinks, breakfast cereal, fruit roll-ups or fruit snacks, and power bars.

Snacking on hard or sticky candies like lollipops, taffy, and caramel, cookies or cupcakes, and chips offers little nutritional value and sugar that may stick to your teeth, feeding your mouth’s bacteria, releasing acids that can lead to tooth decay.

Your beverage choice can also be a source of sugar. That refreshing glass of lemonade, sweetened iced tea, coffee with two packets of sugar, or can of soda bathes your teeth in sugar, which may lead to tooth decay. Acidic drinks may also bring harmful effects.

To minimize the acidic effect of foods like tomatoes or oranges, eat them as part of a meal. Dried fruits like raisins or apricots may stick to teeth, producing harmful plaque acids. Choose an apple or fresh fruit instead.

Has the post-holiday season scale left you scrambling to try the latest diet?

 

 

Many health experts and fitness professionals agree shifting the focus to health instead of pounds logged on a scale is a more effective approach than dieting to fit into those skinny jeans or that new bathing suit. Check out the following tips to improve your health and maybe even your pants size!

 

 

1. Set Aside the Sugar Bowl: The World Health Organization advises adults to consume no more than 25 g of sugar each day. Even healthy-sounding snacks like nonfat yogurt, power bars, and smoothies may contain more than a day’s worth of sugar! To control sugar, add some berries to plain Greek yogurt instead of buying flavored varieties. Blend frozen fruit and almond milk for a lower sugar smoothie.

2. Eat Whole Foods: Instead of grabbing a Granola and Yogurt Parfait at the local breakfast spot or a Double Mocha with Extra Whip, eat a bowl of steel cut oatmeal. Pack some leftover stir fry or a salad of veggies and lean protein for lunch instead of microwaving a 200-calorie meal filled with sugar, salt, and preservatives. Top your salad with oil and vinegar or lemon juice.

 

 

3. Sleep Well: Listen to your mother’s advice to get plenty of rest. According to the Mayo Clinic, women who sleep fewer than seven hours a night typically weighed 11 pounds more than those who slept between seven and nine hours a night.

 

4. Curb That Evening Cocktail or Two: While the flavonoids in red wine may increase HDL (“good” cholesterol) and lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) as well as provide other health benefits, the CDC advises against adding alcohol to one’s diet or increasing amounts just for the health benefit. Over an extended period of time, 8 or more drinks per week for women and 15 weekly drinks for men may present long term health consequences.

5. Get Moving: Increasing activity can help reduce stress and motivate exercisers to adopt other healthy behaviors. According to Harvard Medical School, just thirty minutes per day of movement may improve cardiovascular health, decrease risk for diabetes, and improve brain function in older adults. So, find an activity you enjoy, whether a Zumba or yoga class, walking the dog, or even climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator!

Dr. Gary J Wayne, Family and Staff want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope that you are all able to enjoy with your family and friends. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday and a great beginning to the holiday season!

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (July 2014) confirms that dental implants placed by surgeons suggest higher success rates than those placed in a general dental office.

We emphasize that dental implant placement is a surgical procedure that is best managed by a properly trained Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Unfortunately, I do see many complications when the surgery is not planned/conducted properly.

This study confirms that there is a significant statistical difference in implant success when placed by a specialist compared with a general practitioner. Please make sure you see us for your dental implant work to optimize your success!!

Check back later to get updates on Wayne Oral Surgery!