- …stop eating this way. Donuts for breakfast, fast food at lunch and extra helpings at dinner are really catching up with me. The doctor has told me for years that my diet is the reason that my cholesterol is so high and that I’m looking at dealing with type II diabetes as I get older…
- …exercise more often. I haven’t been active on a regular basis for a long time. It’s embarrassing, but sometimes the stairs make me a little winded! I used to be on the track team when I was in high school. It would be a lot easier to lose this weight if I just added 30-40 minutes of walking or picked tennis back up…
- …quit smoking. It’s not like I don’t know it’s bad for me. You can’t turn on the TV or listen to the radio without hearing some new study describing the health effects of smoking. I would love to not worry about my breath or the smell on my clothes anymore, too…
- …floss every day. Every time I see my dental hygienist she reminds me that my gums are bleeding for a reason. I don’t like to have to see the dentist for fillings and bleeding gums can’t be normal. Maybe my breath would be better if I took a little better care…
O.K. Be honest. Has the little voice in the back of your mind ever said any of these things to you? Mine has. Usually when I’m going through the drive thru at Long John Silver’s. Clearly all of these things are important and as a health care professional I recommend that you take each one seriously if it applies to you. As a person, I’d like to point out that one of those items is quite a bit easier to add to your lifestyle. If you aren’t sure which one, read them again. If you still aren’t sure, remember that I’m a dentist and this blog talks a lot about teeth and dental care.
Here’s the deal. Get yourself some floss* and put it in the shower. When you’ve got the shampoo in your hair, rinse those fingers and pull out a nice long piece. Take a minute or two and floss those pearly whites. We’ve already determined that flossing is gross, but necessary. Since you’re in the shower, you can rinse your mouth and your hands as soon as you’re done! It’s a perfect solution, if I do say so myself.
Then, the next time that little voice in your head bugs you about what you really should do, you can remind it that you’ve already taken some positive steps!
Now, put down that donut and get to work!
*you can get free floss at our office. Call to make an appointment at (989) 799-9133 or email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. We’d be happy to have you!
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