Teeth – Hard As A Rock

Did You Know the tooth is the hardest substance in your body?   Human beings have two sets of teeth. The first set of teeth called baby teeth come in a person’s mouth at about six months of age, then fall out about 6 to 7 years later, replaced with permanent teeth. Teeth let you chew food, and form words. The tooth is made up of a hard enamel called calcium phosphate, dentine, and pulp. The part of the tooth that we see is the enamel. The root below the enamel attaches the tooth to the gum. The enamel is formed under the gumline when we are babies. It is the hardest substance in the body and does not have any nerves in it. So, if the enamel gets chipped, it cannot replace itself. Milk is good for teeth because it contains calcium. Between the enamel (crown) and the root where the blood vessels are, is the dentine. The dentine protects the nerves and blood vessels, it is a whitish beige color. If there is a problem with the dentine, you will feel hot and cold, and possibly pain. The pulp of the tooth is where all the blood vessels and nerves are. If the pulp gets infected an abscess (puss inside the gum) will form and you will have to go to the dentist and get a root canal. A root canal is when the infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned. If an infected pulp is not treated, it causes pain, and you can lose your tooth. If you take care of your teeth, you may not have problems like cavities (decay), plague (a clear bacteria) or pain. You can take care of your teeth by brushing at least twice a day with a toothpaste that has fluoride in it. You don’t need to cover the toothbrush with a row of toothpaste, squeezing out the size of a pea should do the trick. Brushing the front, sides, and back of the teeth. Flossing the teeth with dental floss helps too. Using the string to go between your teeth will help get out food particles. You can buy an antibacterial mouth rinse at the store to gargle with. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (“an apple a day helps keep the doctor away”, carrots, celery) and drink lots of water instead of pop/soda. The sugar affects your teeth. So take care of the hardest substance in your body. You will feel better, and be healthy. You will get plenty of compliments on your smile, when you “say cheese”. Taken from WebMd

The Tongue – It's Got Taste

Did You Know the tongue is a muscle that is attached to the floor of our mouth? The tongue is covered with a mucus membrane that has small bumps and taste buds. The taste buds are connected to nerves which go to the brain. There are different types of tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. The tongue moves food along so we can swallow. It lets us talk as well. The tongue is such an important part of our lives. We use it without thinking. So it is bothersome when we have problems with our tongue. Here are some of the problems the tongue can have:  White coating or spots. If your tongue is white it is because it has become irritated from something. This is called leukoplakia and can appear in people that use tobacco. It can lead to cancer. A yeast infection can also happen in the mouth, oral thrash, can come from people that use antibiotics or steroids wear dentures or have a weak immune system. Raised white lines, lace-like look. If you have raised white lines on your tongue, stay away from foods that cause you discomfort, brush your teeth and gargle more, stay away from tobacco. Red/Strawberry Tongue. If your tongue is red you may have a vitamin deficiency of folic acid or B12. You may have scarlet fever which usually occurs in children.  Infection from tongue piercing. Getting your tongue pierced may look nice in some people, but it can cause an infection if the instrument used is not cleaned, and the wound is not kept clean until the hole heals. The tongue is a very important part of our body and can become sick, just like our other body parts can. You can keep your tongue healthy by brushing it with a tooth-brush, and gargling with an anti-bacterial mouth wash. Eating a well balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, and drinking plenty of water helps. Taken from: WebMD

The Kidneys - A Filter

Did You Know each person has two kidneys they are born with? The kidneys your body's filter. They filter your blood.many times during the day. The things we eat and drink: vegetables, fruit, meat, potato chips, orange juice, alcohol, etc. are filtered by the kidneys. The waste that comes from the kidneys is called urine. The urine collects in the pelvis and leaves the body through tubes (ureters which connect to the bladder) when we go to the bathroom. It is important that we drink a lot of water and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, grain (four basic food groups) to keep the kidneys working properly so they can filter our blood, and not get sick. The kidneys control the balance in our system. The kidneys can get sick from many things:  An untreated bladder infection (pyelonephritis), which will cause back pain.  Blood and protein in the urine from a speeded-up immune system can cause kidney failure (glomerulonephritis). If your leg swells, this may be your problem. Minerals in the urine can grow into kidney stones. This can be painful. When you drink a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, the kidneys may have to work harder filtering it. This may cause a problem. There are other ways the kidneys can get sick. To keep your kidneys working properly, drink plenty of water (keeps urine clear), eat a well-balanced diet, and exercise. Taken from: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/picture-of-the-kidneys

Problems With Your Nose

Did you know you can unclug your stuffy nose by eating spicy foods? Eating foods that contain peppers will help the mucus run, that has built up in your nose. Ginger and cinnamon can reduce the swelling of the inflamed tissues. Drinking hot drinks like tea can help also. The steam will thin out the mucus. Pineapple contains a protein called bromelain which can help reduce inflammation. Eating horseradish helps make the nose run. Apple cider vinegar contains potassium which reduces mucus.

Did you know foods that contain  Bioflavonoids can strengthen the blood vessels? This can help prevent nosebleeds. Foods that are high in Vitamin C can do this such as strawberries, kale, broccoli, and oranges. 

Taken From

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/424969-foods-that-are-good-for-stuffy-noses/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/38879-foods-sinus-congestion/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2084040_prevent-nosebleeds.html

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-C.php

The Body Can Help Itself - EyeSight

Did you know the body can help itself by the foods that we eat?

There are foods like Kale, and leafy green vegetables that can  help eye problems. The macula part of the eye contains high concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin. The macula is a yellow spot near the retina that is responsible for central high resolution vision. If this area is damaged, you can lose your eyesight causing macular degeneration. Lutein and Zexanthin are antioxidants found in Kale and leafy green vegetables. The body cannot make these nutrients on its own. Food high in vitamin C and beta carotene are good for the eye. Foods that contain Vitamin C and beta carotene are pink and red grapefruit, bell peppers, oranges, strawberry, and brocholi. Beta carotene is in leafy green vegetables, swiss cahard, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, and butternut squash. Green tea and regular black tea have antioxidants which help the eye. Vtamins B and E help protect the eye. Foods high is vitamins B and E are salmon (vitamin B) and sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts (vitamin E). Lastly the mineral Zinc is found in the retina. It is foods like shellfish, clams, crab, mussels, oysters and lobster. Zinc is also in  lean beef, pork tenderloin, peanut butter, skinless poultry, and pumpkin seeds

Taken from

http://www.joybauer.com/photo-gallery/7-foods-to-enhance-your-eyesight.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macula_of_retina

The Human Skelton

Did you know there are 270 bones in the human body when a person is born? As bones fuse together a person only has 206 bones by the time s/he becomes an adult. The organs fit inside the skelton giving support and shape to the body. For example, the lungs would collapse if the rib cage were not in front of them. Check out this link to learn more about your body. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skeleton