Healthy smile happy heart

/ live longer & stronger Hea lthy sm i le, happy hea r t

Brush up on a sneaky potential heart disease risk: poor oral hygiene. Here’s what the research tells us so far: Gum disease is associated with an overall increased chance of developing heart disease. Severe gum disease can impact blood sugar levels, which can become a big problem for people w ith diabetes, a heart disease risk factor. Poor dental health increases the chance of bacterial infection in the mouth and bloodstream, through which it may travel elsewhere in the body and cause heart-related issues like blood vessel inflammation. Periodontal disease might also be linked to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of five characteristics (such as high blood pressure and excess belly fat) that boost the chance of cardiovascular disease. Try these three easy tweaks to your dental routine to keep your chompers a nd t icker st rong:

1

Brush at least twice a day and floss at least once. If you’re concerned about your flossing technique, try using a water flosser to help flush out particles you may have missed.

3

Make regular dental checkup and cleaning appointments so your dentist can alert you to any trouble.

2

Use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue (with your toothbrush, trace a big “X,” then draw a line down the middle) to zap its bacterial coating.

he holidays m ight be fi lled wit h twin k le lights,

Tt rad it ion, and c heer, but t hey can a lso be a l it t le f ra nt ic. T ha t ex t ra ten sion m ight mea n a detour from all t hose good-for-you habits you nor ma l ly st ic k w it h to suppor t a hea lt hy hear t, body, and mind. Press pause and just breathe—we’ve fou nd si mple t ips a nd t r ic k s to help you na v iga te (a nd enjoy!) t h is t i me of year.

We snow you can do it! You’re stronger than you snow!

S N E A K I N F I T N E S S : P l a y i n t h e s n o w !

Don’t have time to devote to your usual workouts? Find ways to get your heart rate up while you live your life and tackle your tasks. Trudge through the snow (or mud) to pick out your Christmas tree, spend quality time with your kids or grandkids by having a snowball fight or playing a game of cool-weather tag, and consider those trips up and down stairs lugging holiday decor from the attic as the equivalent of a whole bunch of squats. Cleaning the house, shoveling the front walk—those count as physical activity too!

R E L I E V E S T R E S S : T a k e a b r e a t h

When you feel overwhelmed, try this stress-relieving, mindbalancing breathing technique from Judy Ho, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist and author of Stop Self-Sabotage: Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower, and Get Out of Your Own Way. It’s called box breathing, and it’s so easy, you can do it while you’re waiting for the cookies to bake or your relatives to arrive. Imagine there’s a box in front of your face and use your finger to trace its border: Breathe in as your finger goes up one side, hold your breath as it goes across the top, exhale as your finger moves down the other side, and hold your breath again as it continues across the bottom to close the rectangle. “Repeat that five to 10 times,” suggests Ho. “It’s so visceral, and tracing the box really helps you slow your breathing and focus on being present with your breath.”

B O O S T M O O D : D e c k t h e h a l l s

Whether you are planning to have loved ones drop by or keeping the celebrations small again this year, decorating will do more than fill your home with holiday cheer. Engaging in nostalgic activities like making homemade ornaments or the ritual of lighting candles can increase feelings of optimism and self-esteem and foster social connections—all of which give you a health boost. And festive outdoor touches like string lights and a pretty wreath can strengthen bonds with neighbors because it shows that you’re social and approachable.

H E A R T S M A R T

Having a variety of social relationships (like with neighbor friends) may help reduce hear t-related risks.