These tips may help you stay on track with your plan to eat healthier.

Reduce the overall calories you consume.

If you consume more calories than you use through daily living, exercise, and other activities, it may lead to weight gain. If you consume fewer calories than you use through physical activity, it may lead to weight loss.

Have healthy snacks on hand.

Whether you are at home, at work, or on the go, healthy snacks may help combat hunger and prevent overeating. Look for snacks that are low in added sugar and salt. Your best bets are whole foods – like baby carrots, fresh fruit, or low-fat or fat-free yogurt instead of chips, cakes, or cookies – rather than packaged or processed foods.

Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day.

Choose dark, leafy greens – such as spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens – and red and orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes. If you have had kidney stones, be aware that some vegetables, like spinach and sweet potatoes, are high in oxalate, a chemical that combines with calcium in urine to form a common type of kidney stone. So, if you have kidney stones, you may need to watch how much of this you eat. But for others, these are great choices. Eat a rainbow of food colors!

Choose whole grains more often.

Try whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, or brown rice.

Shift from solid fats to oils.

Try cooking with vegetable, olive, canola, or peanut oil instead of solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, shortening, lard, or coconut oil. Choose foods that naturally contain oils, such as seafood and nuts, instead of some meat and poultry. And use salad dressings and spreads that are made with oils rather than solid fats.

Switch from frying to baking or grilling.

Instead of fried chicken, try a salad topped with grilled chicken. Instead of ordering fries when eating out, ask for a side of steamed veggies.

Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugar and salt.

Avoid snack foods high in salt and added sugars; and keep away from sugary soft drinks.

Read the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods. The Nutrition Facts label tells you how many calories and servings are in a box, package, or can. The label also shows how many ingredients, such as fat, fiber, sodium, and sugar—including added sugars – are in one serving of food. You can use these facts to make healthy food choices.

For good health and strong teeth, treat your gums well.

(NAPSI)—Building a great smile starts with a strong foundation. While gums are often overlooked unless they are bleeding or causing mouth pain, they are the key to good oral health, overall physical health and the best grin you can imagine.

“Adopting a healthy lifestyle includes maintaining optimal oral health. Practicing good oral care daily includes brushing teeth regularly twice a day, flossing, and using an antiseptic mouthwash,” said Nadia M. Fugate, DMD, Delta Dental of Washington’s senior dental consultant. “Regular professional dental cleanings on a schedule recommended by your dentist also play a crucial role in preventing gum disease.”

More than half of all Americans suffer from gum disease, and many don’t even know they have it because there isn’t necessarily pain involved. Gum disease is linked to glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections and more. People with gum disease have a 49% higher chance of contracting heart disease than those who don’t have issues with their gums.

Per the Centers for Disease Control, 47.2% of adults aged 30 or older have a form of gum disease. It increases with age, as 70.1% of adults 65 and over have periodontal disease. That’s why proper gum care and knowing the signs of gum disease are so important.

Types of gum disease

Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease which can generally be reversed with treatment and good oral hygiene.

Periodontitis is an advanced form of gum disease which is not reversible and can only be managed to prevent it from getting worse.

What happens if I get gum disease?

Gum disease can lead to an inflammatory response caused by buildup of bacteria on the teeth and around the gums. The buildup, commonly known as plaque and tarter, causes your gums to become swollen, painful and bleed easily.

Advanced gum disease can cause a loss of bone mass in and around the tooth socket and jawbone, which ultimately can lead to teeth becoming loose, falling out or needing to be extracted.
Ways to prevent gum disease

• Brush for two minutes, twice a day
• Floss at least once a day
• Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings
• Have a healthy diet, limiting sugary food and drinks
• Avoid tobacco use
• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months

For more information on experiencing dental issues while traveling, visit Delta Dental of Washington’s blog at www.deltadentalwa.com.

When we talk about mental health we are talking about “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.” Our mental health influences how we think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects our ability to handle stress, face and overcome challenges, maintain and build relationships, and recover from difficulties and setbacks.

Being mentally or emotionally healthy means more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric illnesses. “Mentally healthy” people often:

• Enjoy life and have the ability to laugh and have fun.
• Are able to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
• Feel a sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
• Are flexible and adaptable to change.
• Are able to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.

We all experience disappointment, loss, and change. And while a normal part of life, these emotions and experiences still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. But just as physically
healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury; people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This skill is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally resilient have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good.

Here are a few everyday mental health tips to help you elevate your mood and become more resilient.

1. Practice self-care and make yourself a priority.The first step in practicing self-care is to take care of your body. In order to do this it is important to:

   – Eat a healthy diet – research has shown that what you eat—and don’t eat—affects the way you think and feel.

   – Exercise, which can help decrease depression and anxiety and improve moods.

   – Get enough sleep.

2. Disconnect from electronics and social media.Consider adding an electronics-free time period to your day. Taking time to unplug and disconnect from the constant stream of emails and alerts will allow you to interact with people face to face and will help reduce the many feelings of FOMO that social media can often stir-up.
3. Engage in activities that provide meaning.Partake in activities that make you feel happy, productive, and challenge your creativity. Whether through drawing, taking an exercise class, going out to dinner with friends or caring for a pet, spending quality time with those who matter to you can make you feel good.
4. Volunteer.The meaning and purpose derived from helping others or the community can enrich and expand your life—and make you happier. There’s no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore. Schools, places of worship, nonprofits, and charitable organizations of all sorts depend on volunteers for help in any capacity.
5. Engage in meditation and/or mindfulness.Relaxation exercises can improve your state of mind and outlook on life. In fact, research shows that meditation may help you feel calmer.
6. Avoid heavy substance use.It is important to keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. Many people use alcohol and other drugs to “self-medicate” but in reality, substance use may get in the way of your ability to function at work or school, maintain a stable home life, handle life’s difficulties, and relate to others.
7. Get help from a licensed mental health professional when and if you need it. Seeking help is a sign of strength — not a weakness.Just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health.

This list included a few small but impactful ways to improve your mental health every day. It is most important to remember that treatment is effective. People who get appropriate care can recover from mental illness and lead full, productive, and rewarding lives.

– Written by Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. This blog post also appears on the Gravity Blankets Blog.