Flossing - Tips, Truths, and Misconceptions

Flossing is not only one of the three main parts of oral hygiene – the others being tongue cleaning, and obviously tooth brushing – it is also important in personal health maintenance. Like anything else, it must be done correctly in order to get the maximum benefit. Improper flossing can lead to tooth and gum problems. Here, we will deal with some misconceptions and tips on how to turn flossing into a successful, daily exercise that will reap tremendous benefits and cost you little time. It takes less than two minutes, but your teeth – as well as the rest of your body, will thank you for your diligence.

An ergonomic flosser. These can be used by people who find normal, wrap flossing difficult due to arthritis, or lack of dexterity.

Author: Jakonini, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Is it Possible to Floss too Much?

Actually, yes. Flossing once per day is plenty. With certain exceptions, any more than that gives virtually no added benefit. In fact, it can carry a risk. Plaque takes between 16-24 hours to build up on and in between the teeth. Therefore, flossing twice or more per day is throwing away floss – and money.

The risk of flossing too frequently is irritation of the gums, and the wearing down of the sides of the enamel. If there is no residue to remove when you floss, you are abrading the floss against the tooth. If this is done too frequently over a period of too many years, it can cause wear.

Refraining from Flossing Because it “Makes Your Gums Bleed”

This is perhaps one of the most popular and counter-intuitive reasons people have in forgoing flossing. People who have not been introduced to floss as children, or have not done it since they were in their youth, will probably find that when they begin to floss, they will have the taste of some blood in their mouths.

Many will try again the next day, or perhaps they will wait a few days. They end up getting the same result. It is at this point where many of these misguided souls will then throw their floss away, saying that it does them no good – all it does is hurt and cause them to bleed. This is exactly the wrong thing to do.

The very reason your gums are bleeding after not having flossed for years is gingivitis. Which is, of course, a result of not flossing. Your gums are swollen, and thus sensitive to the abrasion of the floss. If you continue to floss once a day, the bleeding should cease after a couple of weeks, with the accompanying pain level also gradually subsiding. You just have to push through that period to restore your gums to health. Ceasing to floss will eventually cause that early stage gingivitis to progress to more serious gum disease, leading to more severe pain along with tooth loss.

Up and Down, Not Back and Forth

This is a mistake made by many beginners. The correct form of flossing is to make a bend, firmly pressing against the side of the tooth. Then the motion should be vertical. Flossing up and down will ensure that the entire side of the tooth will be treated. Sawing back and forth can result in inadequate cleaning, as well as a more serious problem in the long term. The sawing motion can severely irritate the gums, causing gingivitis by abrasion. Improper flossing can actually have a similar result as refraining from doing so when it comes to your gingiva.

Not Flossing

Despite repeated warnings and campaigns by dentists, an alarming number of people do not floss their teeth with adequate frequency. Different studies have calculated nearly one-fifth to as high as one-third of Americans remain non-flossers. Daily flossers have been estimated at anywhere to as low as 30 percent to just over 50 percent. As for people who floss less than daily, the estimation lies in the 30 to 40 percent range.

Regular, twice per day brushing is essential to prevent plaque and tartar buildup, and prevent cavities. However, it will all be for naught if cavities are not prevented on the sides of the teeth and below the gum line where the brush cannot reach. If your gums become too diseased to tightly hold in your teeth, brushing will not save them.

In recent years, the medical understanding of the importance of flossing has gone beyond oral and dental hygiene. There is now increasing evidence that flossing will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. The reason for this is that your gums are rife with blood vessels. Your mouth is full of bacteria – some of which are beneficial – however, poor oral hygiene also results in the harmful types. If gums are swollen, inflamed, and prone to bleeding, this harmful bacteria can get in the bloodstream and transport to other areas of the body, where they can cause inflammation.

Flossing is not just important for your oral health, but the health of your body. It should be part of the daily grooming and cleaning regimen for everyone, yet there are still millions that unfortunately skip it.

Using the Wrong Type of Floss

 Today, there are several different types of flosses. There are

·         Waxed

·         Non-waxed

·         Shred resistant

·         Woven

·         Satin

·         Electric

·         Hand-held floss picks

If you floss with proper form with any of these products, it will adequately do the job. There is no singular best product for every person. The two main factors in finding the right floss for you are how it feels on your teeth and gums, and how well you can manipulate it with your fingers. Keep in mind that how easy it is for you to handle can have a considerable influence on how comfortable it will feel in your mouth.

Holding the Floss Incorrectly

Your index fingers are the most sensitive and dexterous in your hand. You should use them along with your thumbs to do the maneuvering. Many people make the mistake of wrapping the floss around the index fingers, making maneuverability more difficult. Wrap the floss around your middle fingers, to free up the motion for your indexes.  

Popeye Knew What He Was Doing - Spinach Will Make You Stronger

Regardless of what nutritional diet you might ascribe to – paleo, primal, DASH, Mediterranean – there is really no debate about whether spinach is good for you. None of the schools of thought disagree that it packs a serious nutritional punch on many fronts. Just one cup of spinach contains

·         0.7 grams of dietary fiber

·         167 milligrams of potassium

·         56 percent of Vitamin A needs

·         14 percent of Vitamin C

·         181 percent of Vitamin K

·         15 percent of folate

·         Significant amounts of Vitamin B1, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

In addition, there are 0.86 grams of protein. With all of these nutrients, spinach promotes a whole host of health benefits, such as

·         Lowering blood pressure

·         Lowering blood sugar

·         Promotes better eyesight

·         A digestive aid

·         Protects against hardening of the arteries

·         Protects against skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis

·         Helps prevent constipation

In previous generations, this dark green vegetable gained a rather unfavorable reputation in the department of taste, especially among children. This is due to the fact that their taste buds are more sensitive, especially to bitterness. Spinach leaves have oxalic acid, which gives a bitter accent that also tends to linger in the mouth afterward. This bitterness is accentuated during the cooking of the leafy vegetable. The version of spinach served in school lunches in decades past was of the cooked and canned variety, usually with no dressing offered, so it is no surprise children were averse to it.

What perhaps compounded the problem was that many make the mistake of overcooking spinach, which also brings out more of the bitter flavor. To counteract these palatability issues, parents used to entice their children to eat their spinach so that they will “grow up big and strong.” The implicit notion of not being as strong as their peers was at times an effective motivation, particularly among young boys. Parents would also receive assistance from the world of entertainment, with the popular Popeye cartoon. Whenever Popeye was put in a predicament, a can of spinach always served as the source of his extra strength he needed to overcome his opponents.

Spinach plants grown in Castelltallat, Catalonia.

Author: Victor M. Vicente Selvas, with full permission.

 This is Actually True

Conventional wisdom would say that this is nothing more than a popular lie told in order to get the kids to eat something healthy that they do not typically find tasty. After all, spinach is a leafy vegetable, containing a scant amount of protein. As we all know, it is protein that is the building blocks of muscular tissue. Not only is spinach severely lacking in that department, the quality of vegetable protein is inferior to those found in animal sources.

However, as it turns out, it seems that Popeye – and parents – were on to something after all, most likely without knowing it. Despite it being a leafy vegetable, spinach in fact does promote muscle growth and strength. So how does spinach manage to do this?

It Actually Does Contain Steroids

No, not the harmful, health-risking types that many athletes shoot into their veins, or swallow. These are naturally occurring, plant-based steroids of a class known as phytoecdysteroids. They are actually synthesized by the plant to protect it from parasites such as nematodes. However, ingested by us, they also have health benefits. They increase the rate of metabolism of glucose. Also, it improves the body’s ability to adapt to stress. This ability is a key component of muscular growth from weightlifting. Also, if you contract an illness and have to rest for a few days, the adaptation to the stress of immobility will allow you a greater ability to retain more of your muscle.

Muscle Building Hormones

A hormone that is essential to increased muscle mass is HGH, or human growth hormone. Its structure is that of an amino acid chain, and it has two essential functions. It stimulates cell production, and also aids in their repair. Your body produces it spontaneously. Though, without a proper diet and effective exercise plan, it may not be produced in adequate amounts for growth. Furthermore, the body naturally produces less as you age. Human growth hormone not only stimulates growth for the muscles, but also the bones. Lack of adequate amount of HGH can render you susceptible to conditions such as osteoporosis.

It so happens that spinach possesses two compounds that stimulate the production of human growth hormone. The first is glutamine, an amino acid that also has several other functions, including, but not limited to

·         Aiding in protein biosynthesis

·         Transporting ammonia in blood

·         Produces ammonium which balances the kidney acidity

·         Biosynthesis of lipids

Glutamine is the most prolific amino acid flowing in the blood. Under most conditions, the body can make enough to perform its essential functions. But, if you are endeavoring to grow your muscles, you will need more from food sources such as spinach.

The other amino acid found in spinach that is responsible for HGH stimulation is glycine. With just one hydrogen atom at the side, it is the simplest amino acid in existence. Its functions, however, are far more complex than its makeup. It serves as a neurotransmitter for the central nervous system. In this capacity, it actually works together with glutamate, a product of glutamine for receptors. It also synthesizes aminolevulinic acid, which is a precursor to porphyrins such as heme, which gives red blood cells their color. Glycine is also widely used in industries such as cosmetics, toiletries, medicine, and of course, the food industry.

Boost the Taste

For some people, spinach can be an acquired taste – and some have a more difficult time acquiring it than others. As stated above, cooked spinach, especially the canned variety, can have an unpleasant bitter taste if cooked too long – and the children will be the most sensitive to that.

If you cannot reliably cook spinach without preventing the bitter flavor, there is no better way to get your children to handle it than having it raw. The texture is somewhat different than lettuce, but it makes for a much healthier substitute to the often used iceberg lettuce. Raw spinach has a weaker flavor, and if you or your children find it unpleasant, it will be overwhelmed by the dressing you use.

There are many ways to improve the taste of cooked spinach. One is to make it part of a dish, such as an egg omelet. Another is to make use of the flavor of spices. Together with olive oil, you can use your preferred flavoring. Garlic, cinnamon, sea salt, crushed red pepper, and turmeric are popular choices, or a combination of some of the above. Of course, if you have a preferred blend in mind, it couldn’t hurt to try that as well. Sautéing is a delicious way to bring out the best in this vegetable.

Muscle building purposes aside, spinach is definitely a food that should be consumed on a regular basis. So if you are going to include it in several meals per week, it is much more fun to eat it if it tastes good. Of course, if you are the type that likes the plain cooked spinach, by all means dig in without any additions. And you can tell your children with a clear conscience that they will indeed grow up big and strong if they eat this nutritional powerhouse.

Reasons to Refrain From Static Stretching Before Strength Training

For quite a few decades, the popular theory has been to stretch before a workout, especially before an intense stimulation of the muscles, such as weight training. However, this claim was based on no actual evidence, and now our understanding of the mechanics of stretching is increasingly leading to a different conclusion – that we should not perform static stretches prior to lifting weights.

Static stretching is the holding of the targeted muscle in a fixed, stretched position to the point of mild discomfort for a period of time, which is normally between 30 to 60 seconds. This differs from dynamic stretching where momentum in a strict form is used to extend the muscle’s range of motion. It also differs from active isolated stretching (AIS) where the opposing muscle is contracted and the relaxed muscle stretch is held for a much shorter period of time, usually two seconds.

While it is thought that dynamic and active isolated stretching may not do any harm before a weight training session, and may actually be beneficial, there are several reasons static stretching should be avoided until after lifting.

A U.S. Navy physical therapist assists a sailor in performing a static stretch. These are essential to do on a regular basis for flexibility, but should not be done before strength training.

Source: United States Navy

Static Stretching Before Lifting Will Not Help You

If there is a most obvious reason not to do anything – including stretching – this would be at the top. If it will not help you, why waste your time doing it? The popularly imagined benefits seem to be just that – imagined. There has never been any actual evidence shown that stretching before a weight training session has any added value from either a health or performance perspective. It will not make you lift more, nor will it help prevent injury. Most injuries in weightlifting are due to improper lifting.

Static Stretching Before Lifting is Stretching Cold

It has long been known that statically stretching muscles that are not properly warmed up increases the risk of injury. If you think of any material that is subject to considerable elongation, be it rubber, gum, taffy, its ability to elongate will depend on its temperature. Muscles behave in a similar fashion. Increasing the blood flow to your muscles before they are stretched will make them more elastic.

Some people may answer this point by recommending cardio training before lifting, in order to warm up the muscles. However, for optimal results from lifting, it should be done fresh. Performing cardio prior to lifting will take a toll on your lifting performance. If you intend to do cardio during your workout, it should be done after the weights, not before.

It Can Acutely Diminish Your Lifting Ability

Part of your lifting ability in each workout comes from your muscles “springing” back to contraction. Holding your muscles in a stretched position for an extended period of time will loosen the fibers, and elongate them. That has the temporary effect of making them less able to rebound at the beginning of the concentric part of each repetition.

It Can Chronically Diminish Your Results

It is only logical that if something is destructive to an individual workout, doing it before every workout will lead to long-term failure. An experiment conducted by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research was designed, placing participants in three categories.

• Group 1 - Participants stretched prior to training.
• Group 2 - Participants stretched during training.
• Group 3 - Participants did not stretch at all.

The trial was conducted over a period of 10 weeks, after which the results showed that while all three groups gained strength over the time period, the participants that did not stretch at all gained more muscle than the other two groups. It was also found that there was an additional component to the results besides the temporary diminishing of the recoiling ability of the muscle. Stretching prior to or during exercise had the effect of lessening the stimulation of IGF-1 in the body. This is a critical hormone which plays a large role in muscle development.

Conclusion

Flexibility is an important part of maintaining mobility, especially in later years. Static stretching is not only useful, but is an essential part of increasing and maintaining long-term flexibility. However, in order to maximize its results, as well as not hamper the results of strength training, it should be done at the proper time. Refrain from making static stretching a part of your pre-workout routine, and save it for after the lifting is done. The muscles will be warm, and the strength training will not have been compromised by less stable fibers.