Integrative Health Blog

Bob Johnson DMD

With the holidays approaching our list of  “things to do” gets longer and longer.  But at the same time, the lines at the stores are longer. The traffic is heavier. We spend more money than usual. And then we have our expectations- of ourselves,  family, relationships, how this year will be…and you have the perfect storm for stress.

There are many techniques for managing stress and research into different ways to deal with stress would help your health dramatically. And not just during the holidays, but every day. 

Make a List of Stressors

I feel one of the most important stress busting techniques is to list areas of your life which stress you and assess why they stress you.  I have found that most areas of stress that adversely affected me were not worth being stressed about.  For example, worrying less of what others thought about me.  I also developed the ability to tackle projects quickly as procrastination resulted in heightening stress for me.

Some other areas of your life which may stress you include:

• Negative relationships
• Taking on more responsibility that you can handle
• Poor eating habits
• Too much sugar and caffeine consumption
• Too little essential oil (fatty acids) consumption
• Poor sleep
• Financial concerns
• Toxicity in your environment
• Nutrient and hormonal imbalance

Develop These Stress Reducing Techniques to Dramatically Help Your Health

Maureane O'Shaugnessy

Laurie DeRosa RDH

XYLITOL is a natural ingredient that can help to reduce bacteria and fight tooth decay.  It first became popular in Europe as an alternative for people with diabetes.  It is found in natural resources such as birch trees, corn, vegetables and fruits.   The most common source today is corn cobs and corn stalks.  The body makes 5-10 grams of xylitol every day.

How Xylitol Works

Xylitol works by preventing the bad bacteria in your mouth from making acids.  When this occurs the bacteria cannot stick to each other or our teeth.  The bacteria cannot talk to each other thereby preventing the formation of biofilm.  Research shows that xylitol starves the unhealthy bacteria which allows the mouth to re-mineralize teeth that are damaged, which in turn makes the teeth better able to resist decay.

Xylitol is safe for diabetics, has a glycemic index of 7, and does not use insulin for metabolism. It has only 9.6 calories per teaspoon vs. 15 calories for regular sugar.

Since the bacteria that causes tooth decay is transmissible it has been recommended that a mother use Xylitol daily for the first two years of their child’s life.  Children whose mother used Xylitol are less likely to need teeth restored at age five.

Lisa Wilson CHC

Robert Johnson D.M.D.

Tom Baldwin D.D.S.