FitSugar

3 Healthy Ways to Make Your Work Day Healthier

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:36:57 PDT

Even though your job might not be the healthiest if you sit all day long, eat out for lunch daily, and can't resist the treats that call to you from the break room, you can still make healthy choices on the job. Here are some quick things you should do at work to improve your health and well-being.

Brush after your morning coffee: Sure you brush your teeth at home before heading to work, but what about that morning cup of joe you're sipping on during your commute? Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste at work and hit the ladies room after finishing your hot beverage to prevent stained teeth. The sugar in your coffee, especially when coupled with the dry mouth often associated with caffeine consumption, can create an environment that promotes tooth decay. Consider brushing those chompers after lunch - that clean minty feel in your mouth is sure to prevent you from snacking when you're not hungry.
Take your meetings for a walk: Whether on a conference call or meeting one-on-one, slip on your sneaks and walk while you talk. Twenty minutes of walking will burn calories, give you fresh air, improves mental clarity, and revs up your energy. If you can't head outside, walk up and down the stairs in your building.
Disinfect your desk every morning: Now that we've jumped into cold and flu season, it's time to be extra vigilant about germs. Grab an antibacterial wipe and take a couple minutes to degermify the things you touch daily like your keyboard, mouse, water bottle, and phone.

Health Tip: Toss Your Brush and Cold Away

Michele Bell — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:00:11 PDT

I hate to say it, but it's cold season. Yours truly has already succumbed to the scratchy throat, runny nose, and deep coughing that is sure to drive those around me crazy. Not one to get too down on the negatives, I found a silver lining in this cold of mine. A trip to the doctor was productive on two counts - I got a prescription for my nasty hack, and I got a useful tip from my doctor worth sharing.

When illness strikes, it's time to toss the toothbrush. The sickly germs will be better suited for the trash can than your mouth. An infected toothbrush makes it all too easy to make yourself sick again. Besides that, we're advised to change our bristles every three to four months anyway, right?

Do you change your toothbrush when you're not feeling well?

Do You "Cram" Before Going to the Dentist?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:47:12 PDT

Dental hygiene is really an everyday kind of activity. Or rather, a twice a day activity when it comes to brushing. Flossing, on the other hand, is easy to let fall by the wayside.

When you slack on taking care of your gums regularly, your dentist will certainly scold you. Mine did many years ago, and her cautionary tale inspired me to floss regularly. However, I have noticed that my husband "crams" before going to the dentist, just like we both did before college exams. About two weeks before his dental appointment, he suddenly begins flossing twice a day and using special very medicinal smelling (read: unsexy) mouthwash. After he's seen the dentist, his avid flossing goes out the window for another five and a half months.

What about you . . .

TrendyKid Wash and Brush Timer Keeps Teeth Squeaky Clean

babysugar — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:30:00 PDT

When dental health becomes a battlefield, it is time to try a new tactic. Lights and colors have always attracted tots and the TrendyKid Wash and Brush Timer ($7.50) uses both to keep kids at the sink until their hygiene tasks are complete. With a simple press of the button, mom (or tyke) chooses the cleaning to be completed and a green light begins to flash, setting off a two-minute timer for tooth brushing and a 20 second timer for hand washing. Once the timer is through, the light turns red and lil ones know they are good to go. Keeping clean has never been so much fun! Would the TrendyKid Wash and Brush Timer work for you?

LilSugar Community: When Should She Floss?

Lil Community — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:00:00 PST

This post was submitted by Betty Wayne in The Mommy Club group.

My four year old is good at brushing; I give her teeth a quick brush myself if she's had lots of sweets, but mostly she does it on her own. My concern now is flossing. Her mouth is too small for me to stick my fingers in there and really teach her how to do it; I give her a piece of floss to play with and run between her front teeth just to get her used to the idea of flossing. Any suggestions for how or when I should go about teaching flossing? Am I waiting too long? Also, can anyone recommend a good mouthwash for children? Any advice on children's dental hygiene would be appreciated. Thank you!

Talk about motherly things on your mind at The Mommy Club group over in the LilSugar Community.

Do You Use an Electric Toothbrush?

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:47:46 PST

Flossing may be one of my health goals for 2010, but it doesn't replace brushing! Similar to a new fitness gadget motivating me to work out, my fancy electric toothbrush inspires serious teeth cleaning. And I love that it has a two-minute timer, making it hard to shortchange my teeth. When I first got the toothbrush, I often brushed after the timer alerted me to stop. My exuberance for my electric toothbrush has since cooled a bit, and I now use both kinds of brushes. But what about you . . .

Tips From the Dental Chair

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:43 PST

Sitting in the dentist chair is never pleasant for me. Luckily, my daughters still enjoy the experience - they think a cleaning is like having their teeth tickled. Inspired by their enthusiasm for oral health, I compiled a list of simple tips to make the experience of dental work a little less anxiety provoking.

Keep your eyes open; the visual stimulus will distract you from discomfort or pain.
Even with all those hands in your mouth, try to focus on your breath.
Bring your iPod to block out the noise of the drill.
Come up with a hand signal to alert the dentist when you're in pain, because a sudden movement or twitch can complicate matters.
Be sure to tell the dentist if you are sensitive and/or afraid. Most will be accommodating; if not, I suggest finding a new dentist.
Take a written list of questions and concerns so you don't forget them due to the stress of the visit.

Two Minutes to a Healthier You

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Dental hygiene seems simple, but new research shows that brushing and flossing goes more than mouth deep. When you're brushing your teeth (most of you do it twice a day), you're not only cleaning your pearly whites and promoting gum health, but you're also taking steps to prevent having a heart attack.

A study measured the bacteria levels in the mouths of heart attack survivors compared to participants without histories of heart problems and discovered more germs in the mouths of the survivors. According to the researchers, those with the most bacteria of all types in their mouths were the most likely to have had heart attacks.

Building upon previous findings that dental health affects overall health, this newest research goes to show that it really only takes two minutes to a healthier you. All you need are your handy toothbrush, minty paste, and a wheel of floss.

Source

Test Your Kiddie Dental Knowledge

LilSugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:00:27 PDT

Children have the most radiant smiles, keep them flaunting their pearly whites with trips to the dentist. Take this test and see how much you know about dental hygiene for lil darlings.
Source

Take the Quiz

FitSugar Giveaway: Win a High Tech Ultreo Toothbrush!

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:30:00 PDT

With all this talk about health, we often forget about one of the most important facets of health: our oral health.

That's why I chose a fancy new toothbrush to be a "must have" for April. The Ultreo, found at high-end retailers, is amazing! Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush provides a gentler brushing experience than other power toothbrushes while remaining efficient in removing harmful bacteria. The toothbrush uses ultrasound technology to help remove up to 95 percent of plaque within the first minute of brushing and removes stains for naturally whiter teeth. I have to say, I use it and I'm hooked - my teeth feel unbelievably clean after my two minutes are up (it beeps to let you know when 30 seconds have gone by). At $170, it is a little pricey as far as toothbrushes go, but you're in luck because I am giving one away for free right here on FitSugar!

Want to win this super cool toothbrush? Then log in and take this quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just simply by taking the quiz. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to take the quiz. So if you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Also, this part is important, YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO TEAMSUGAR FOR YOUR QUIZ TO COUNT.

Click here for the official rules. The contest will end on Friday, May 2, at 1:00 p.m. PDT, and then I'll randomly select one winner from among the quiz-takers. Make sure to log in and take the quiz before then, and don't forget to email this to all your friends and family so they can have a chance at it too! Good luck!

Take the Quiz