There are a couple of things that I forgot to add...I would like to thank a couple of my childhood friends for reminding me what I have told them so long ago...only to have them later confirmed to me by a doctor/dentist. I hope you enjoy these additions, as I didn't feel like creating a new post...but...a new post will come very soon. ;)
Luckily, in my life, I have been to some great doctors who have given me fantastic advice to help me become a healthier person. At the same time, my aunt, who is a dentist, has also given me some fantastic advice on my teeth. Everything else is from research I have done on my own. If you have heard this already, then good. Please spread the word because folks are still surprised when I tell them these things. If you have never heard of this before, then take the advice and apply it. If it has (or hasn't) worked for you, please let me know.
FOR WOMEN ONLY: TOO MANY PILLS AT THE SAME TIME WILL GIVE YOU A YEAST INFECTION
When I was in college, I had anemia, a stomach virus, as well as a couple of other ailments (like a head cold and allergies). I was given about 4 sets of pills for all of these things. Before leaving the doctor, I had this funky look on my face because I didn't like pills. The doctor then said, "I know what you mean about pills. It does seem like a lot of them...what most people, especially women, don't know is that too many pills can give you a yeast infection." I was shocked when I heard this...I asked him if it was clinically proven and he said that it was but most doctors don't give that information because it they get paid more when they advocate certain pills and when patients come back. I asked him why he was so forthcoming with me and he said, "well I work in at a college...you guys don't have money as it is AND with you being a biochem major, it doesn't make sense to withhold information that you may or may not use on your own patients." So that doctor and I devised a plan - I would take the penicillin and the cold/sinus medication now and then once I don't need them anymore, I would wait a week and then deal with the iron pills. It helped me out a lot and reinforced in me that your body needs time for it to heal on its own - without too much help from pills and other "crutches" to help you feel better (which is not exactly the same as being healthy).
The bottom line is this: if you need to take pills, then take them for the sake of making you feel better. If you have to take more than 2 pills, then break them up - pills that need the least amount of time to be used, should be used immediately. Then you can go on to the pills that you will need for a longer period of time. IF you have to take more than 2 pills at the same time, make sure you get the lowest amount of the dose that you can...from there, you can increase or decrease the dosage as needed. This ensures that you are less likely to not only get a yeast infection or Candida (ladies) but also less likely to have complications due to drug interactions (all).
(ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG GIRLS/WOMEN) WATCH HOW YOU WIPE
The other day, when I briefly spoke to my sister-in-law, she put my oldest niece on the phone, who is 14. Her sister (who is 11) started having her periods last year but this time around, she got a bump. My other niece was apparently too embarrassed to ask me (she's used to asking me tomboy questions), had the oldest one ask me (since she and I have a lot of conversations about sex/relationships - of course, so she can stay a virgin for as long as possible LOL). Anyhoo...I told her to make her sister listen in as she explained to me what kind of bump it is (a hair bump). After they sighed (I told them not to worry...she has no diseases from one hair bump), both of them asked me why this happened. I, in turn, asked them, "how do you wipe yourself?" "What?!" they screamed. I repeated my question. The middle one told me that she kinda rubs everything out...I couldn't help but laugh.
It's a known fact that women, especially after starting puberty, should wipe from front to back. It's weird because when you're taking care of a baby, you wipe this way but as babies grow into teens and then to adults, this is forgotten...unless reminded by your mom or a doctor. I don't want to give too much information (for the men that maybe reading) but you want everything to go out...and if you don't wipe this way, everything will stay around, wreaking havoc in your genital area (especially if you're not wearing undergarments made of a breathable material). Everything from bad odors to hair bumps (and possibly worse) can happen.
My nieces asked me how I knew this. They were even more surprised (but then very relieved) when I told them that my mother didn't tell me this. A gynecologist did, a very long time ago. After speaking to my nieces, I realized that this is something that a lot of young women (and older ones may not know).
For the record, I asked my mom why she didn't tell me this...after swearing up and down for 15 minutes that she did tell me this, she then paused for 30 seconds and said, "at least I thought I told you...you should have known that!! Didn't they teach you that in sex ed?" No mommy, unfortunately, they did not. LOL
(FROM THE DENTIST) SCRAPE THAT TONGUE!
When I used to go to the dentist, they would always tell me to floss. I would hear them but I wouldn't listen. As a result, I had about 10 cavities in my mouth at 25 (no root canals ever, thank you :)). The doctor would always tell me to clean my tongue but never mention how. So after I would brush my teeth, I would also brush my tongue, thinking I'm doing the right thing. Fast forward to today....most dentists will tell you that problems in your mouth (especially with your teeth) are precursors to problems with overall health but how many of them tell you to get a tongue scraper? How many of them tell you why to get one? Not enough, I tell you!!
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the "doctor" would check two places - your tongue and your pulse - and be able to come up with a pretty accurate diagnosis. That's because it's actually the tongue that shows the problems with overall health...not just your teeth and gums. In TCM, your tongue corresponds to a certain part of your body and your "body type" (in terms of fire, air, wind, water) - just like in reflexology, where the foot corresponds to a certain part of your body. Most healthy tongues are pink with very little to no coating at all. Too pink (going towards red) is not a good thing. And certainly a tongue with a heavy white coating, especially when it's turning gray or black, is really not a good thing. Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush doesn't help because you're only moving the bacteria around your mouth (it's going from one side of your tongue to the other, to the toothbrush, which will go back into your mouth). You really need a tongue scraper. With most of the people I know, a dentist told them to get a tongue scraper when they were faced with halitosis. Yes, scraping your tongue gets rid of bad breath (which is the result of the bacteria on your tongue, NOT from what you ate and whether or not you brushed your teet
h after) but it actually does more than that. I would love to tell what more it does but not now. Don't be upset with me. I have to save the good stuff for later. It's all a part of a grand plan to make you healthier. ;)
There are many tongue scrapers available on the market, for various prices. I do not recommend that you a tongue scraper that has a brush on it because it really won't get the bacteria off your mouth. One tongue scraper that I recommend is Dr. Tung's Tongue Cleaner. Even though it's made of metal, it's safe and easy to use. The best thing about it is that it adjusts to the size of your tongue so you can get everything off. If you can't afford Dr. Tung's, send me an email or a comment on this post and I'll send one to you for only $3 (includes shipping and handling). It won't be Dr. Tung's but it will work just as well. You can get Dr. Tung's Tongue Cleaner in most Whole Foods, Health Food stores, and on amazon.com
(FROM THE DENTIST) DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BRUSH...WITH YOUR FINGERS!
Yep, you read it right...LOL
When I went to the dentist who told me about scraping my tongue, I mentioned to him that my mother and my grandmothers would "brush their teeth" with their fingers. In the shower, we would let the water hit our mouth and we took our fingers and did a brushing motion along our teeth and gums. I told him that when I told people about this, they would laugh and call me crazy. Imagine my surprise when the dentist told me that it's actually an excellent thing to do. This is why:
When you use your fingers and water to clean your mouth, you can actually reach places that your toothbrush may not be able to reach - like the space between your gums and the tissue that makes up the insides of your jaw and the back of your top wisdom teeth. Also using your fingers to brush your gums gives them a great massage and helps to keep down swelling (if any). As long as you go from up to down on the top gums and from down to up on the bottom gums as well as go short strokes, back and forth, on the teeth (like with a regular toothbrush) you will give your mouth a further cleansing, making it easier to keep the bacteria off your tongue.
Now just because I mention this doesn't mean that you should abandon your toothbrush for your fingers (but your finger is great when you're in a situation where you don't have access to a toothbrush but do have access to toothpaste). But if you want that extra clean, then don't hesitate to use your finger and water. ;)
So that's it's for today. Here are the morals of my story:
- If you have to take a lot of pills and you're a woman, you're more prone to yeast infections/Candida. If you have pills that you can take for a limited time, take them. Once that time is over, wait a week and then move on to the pills you have to take for a longer period of time. If you have to take more than 2 different pills at the same time, get the lowest dosage and strength for the pills that you have to take for longer periods of time or find an alternative method of dealing with that ailment.
- Invest in a tongue scraper. Do not settle for brushing your teeth and tongue (and I am flossing now, just to let you all know hehe). Scrape your tongue at least 5 times after brushing (starting off) and once you get the hang of it, you can scrape at least 10 times after brushing....you will have the gag reflex when you start so scrape from as high as you can...don't start at the top of your tongue (closest to your tonsils). Start in the middle and work your way up more as you get used to doing it.
- all women should wipe from back to front...even in regards to "stroking" LOL
- when you're in the shower, try brushing your teeth with your finger. Make sure the water hits your teeth and gums as you do it. You may be very surprised how much dirt/mucus comes out of your mouth and nose.
Until next time, stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease. :)
Labels: dentist, doctors, Fight dis-ease, healing, health
blog comments powered by Disqus
