So you buy packaged food which is marked as ‘Fat Free’ in big letters? But does that mean that it won’t have any influence on gaining weight? Well, think again! Croatian born Dr Serge Macanovic, who is the Lead GP at Our Medical Home in Oxenford, begs to differ: 'No fat' doesn’t mean no calories. And it’s the unused calories which your body automatically converts to fat. “We were not made up when we were born”, Dr Serge elaborated. “We are the product of millennia of evolution. People had to work, to hunt for their food. Often they would go hungry…”Opening with a quote by Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern that “Age is just a number, not a state of mind or a reason for any type of particular behaviour”, he emphatically pointed out a major link between health of your body and health of your mouth. Yes… did you listen to your mother? Gum disease doesn’t just give you bad breath and causes tooth decay. It massively increases the risk of
head and neck cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, pancreatic and kidney cancer, diabetes and a broad catalogue of other common illnesses. Before you continue reading, download and view Dr Steve’s PowerPoint presentation (see Download Files on the right) and refer to slide 13 for a compelling graphic.
Other than the obvious causes of gum disease (e.g. not brushing your teeth, sugar), is smoking. Did you know that a cigarette doesn’t just contain Nicotine, but also Ammonia (yep, same stuff you use to clean the toilet), Acetone (what you use to remove nail varnish), Buthane (Lighter Fluid) just to name a few. If you still are smoking, check out slide 14! And what about alcohol? See slide 16. Does that mean we have to give up our most favourite vice? No, but aim to keep your alcohol below 12 – 14 units per week, and give your body a two day break every week. Ultimately, it all comes down to the four basics: Brush your teeth, stop smoking, reduce your alcohol and about 30 minutes a day of ‘moderate activity’. If you click on the link, you’ll find that helping your spouse to do the housework doesn’t constitute exercise. But, as mental wellbeing is equally important: it will improve your relationship. ☺
Photo: Dr Serge with the meeting's chairman, John Chirio.