LOOKING GOOD

Family Health with

Jenna Evans

WE'RE CONTINUING our tour of our amazing bodies and this month should be the last time we look inside our heads. So open wide and say 'ah' as we take a look inside the mouth.

This area of the body is really complex and interesting. When I say think of the mouth where does your brain go first? Teeth? Speech? Eating? Breathing? The mouth plays a role in all of these things.

I think we are all familiar (probably unhappily so for some of us!) with our teeth. We get two sets of gnashers, 20 as children and 32 as an adult (hands up who had problems with their wisdom teeth?) Teeth are living tissues, rich in nerve and blood supply. Bathed in our saliva, which should be slightly alkaline and mineral rich. This is why it's important not only to brush our teeth (and tongue) regularly but also keep the mouth tissues, clear from sticky, sweet and acidic residue.

On the note of brushing I'd stay well away from fluoride, we just have too much evidence now of the dangers and I regularly get dentists referring clients to the shop for fluoride free toothpastes. Speaking of things to avoid, top of the list has to be mercury. There are so many mouths full of this dangerous metal. After many years of campaigning and exposing the risks within the dental industry, it is now accepted to be a hazardous material and there are many dentists who have dedicated their careers to mercury free dentistry. I know people whose health has improved greatly from the safe removal of mercury from their mouths – this has to be done by a skilled mercury free dentist though!

To find a good holistic dentist check out the British Society For Mercury Free Dentistry at mercuryfreedentistry.org.uk. The British Homeopathic Dental Association may also be of interest to you and they can be found at bhda.co.uk. If you're not online and want more info, just give me a bell at the shop and I'll get a contact number for you.

One of the most common oral problems is gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Periodontitis is a deeper inflammation of these tissues and those that surround and support the teeth. With age, these issues contribute to more tooth loss than cavities. So what can be done to help these common problems?

I often recommend a good bone formula supplement for people with chronic dental issues.

The tissue salt Combination R is a firm favourite. It's sometimes sold as ‘for teething’ but I have seen it really help with abscesses, tooth pain, infection and inflammation. If this is a recurring theme for you, I'd keep a bottle to hand ready to start using at the first twinge. Echinacea tincture may be helpful, when applied neat and directly to infected areas. Clove oil is another well used pain reliever and disinfectant.

There are a range of products called Periobrite and I have had some good feedback on the mouthwash for dental flare ups. For the gums, nutrients such as Vitamin C, Co-Enzyme Q10 and bioflavanoids such as those found in pine bark may all be helpful. Don't overlook probiotics. For regular mouth infections be they dental or things like oral thrush, consuming ‘live’ drinks such as kombucha and kefir may be helpful or even using a liquid probiotic as a supplement and making sure you give it a good swish around the whole mouth.

Oil pulling is another method of keeping our mouths in tip top condition that has grown massively in popularity over the last few years. It basically involves taking a big spoonful of oil (sesame and coconut are popular choices) and swishing it around your mouth for anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes or so and then spitting it out. Proponents claim it can work miracles for all manner of dental problems.

Now I don't know anyone who has personally experienced one of those miracles but I do know a few fans of it for general oral hygiene and also it seems to really shift any gunk from up in the sinuses – I actually probably recommend it more for sinus congestion than teeth these days! A note of caution if you try itstart small.

Use say 5-10ml of oil and only aim for a minute. Most people find they need to build up strength in the jaw to do 20 minutes!

Before I go this month, I just want to mention the People's Health Alliance (the-pha.org) an ‘organic, people-led grassroots organisation creating an integrative healthcare model to heal, support and empower the people of the UK’. By the time you read this the Yeovil Hub should have had their first couple of meetings, so do look our for the drop in centres we hope to run supporting integrative healthcare in our local community.

More touring our wonderful bodies next month! © Jenna Evans 2022

How’s your health?

Whatever age we are, it’s important to try to take care of our own health and wellbeing as far as we can, doing things that will help us stay fit and healthy and prevent ill health as we get older.

With age, we have a higher risk of developing something dangerous like high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. Taking a free NHS Health Check can help to spot early signs and help prevent these happening to you, which means you’ll be more likely to enjoy life for a longer time.

The free NHS Health Check is your chance to get your free midlife MOT! For adults in England aged 40-74 without a pre-existing health condition, it checks your circulatory and vascular health and what your risk of getting a disabling vascular disease would be.

What happens at a free NHS Health Check? The purpose of the health check is to assess your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, type-2 Diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and certain types of dementia.

The test only takes 20-30 minutes and during the check they will:

Ask you some simple questions - for example about your family history and any medication you are currently taking, record your height, weight, age, sex and ethnicity, take your blood pressure, do a simple blood test to check your cholesterol and sugar levels – in most cases results are available in just 5 minutes, calculate your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, give you some personalised lifestyle advice to help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, send your results to your GP if you are seen by the Outreach Team or a Pharmacist.

•Jenna is a Holistic Health Coach and creator of bespoke beauty products. She can be found on Facebook at ‘Alchemical Beauty UK’. Jenna is also a multi-award winning Product Advisor at Ceres Natural Foods, Yeovil. To make an appointment, please pop in or call 01935 428791 for details. Always check with a health professional before making any dramatic changes to your diet and lifestyle or starting a new supplement, especially with any existing health conditions.