Since I have celebrated my usual robust good health with you in previous posts, I thought it fitting to include this shortfall on my part.
A mere 24 hours ago I was in the oral surgeon’s chair waiting to be operated on. A couple of weeks back I managed to break a tooth biting into a hard piece of chocolate on one of my breaks while bike riding. Turned out that I needed an extraction (of the root), a bone graft and an implant for a new crown.
This is an actual X ray of my head. I included it for those interested in full details and because it cost $250.
You should be able to make out the missing tooth right next to the two front ones. Only the root remains.
I have written numerous paragraphs and entire posts on the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. I think that lifestyle may be as damaging to the body as smoking cigarettes, and it acts as more of a stealth killer because everyone knows the dangers of smoking, but very few people appreciate how damaging just sitting around and living a sedentary lifestyle can be.
While I normally ride my bike around 100 miles a week here in Chicago on a year ’round basis, I have not ridden for the past two days and may not ride tomorrow.
Actual X-Ray of my jaw from the oral surgeon showing where two implants might go.
I am currently experiencing some physical downtime. On Thursday I underwent oral surgery. For some years I have had a three tooth bridge in my mouth that was anchored on a single tooth. Unfortunately, that single tooth developed damage around the roots and needed to come out. Clearly, this wasn’t a simple extraction. The bridge needed to be broken apart before the oral surgeon could extract the afflicted tooth. I was given pain pills and an antibiotic to take afterwards. The entire ordeal in the dental chair lasted just over an hour.
This kind of experience always demonstrates to me how great the system of the body works. A small part (my tooth) was removed and I experienced some bleeding, but it is over. Now the healing begins. For the past three days my energy has been down. The most exercise I have been able to accomplish was walking the dog. The temperature here in Chicago has been in the 50’s which makes for lovely bike riding. In fact, over 45F with some sun, I am able to take the dog along in her basket. But, that has not been possible for me. Walking along with the dog, I could imagine pedaling through the springtime air, but I could not actually do it. The words – the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak – echoed in my mind. Continue reading →
Coca-cola has used their images of polar bears to show us how charming and happy their drink makes us. But, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson says, “Manipulative marketing techniques position soda as a life-affirming source of happiness, when in fact out-of-control soda consumption is fueling an epidemic of disease.”
I have posted repeatedly on the dangers of soft drinks. You can check the links at the bottom to read further.
The CSPI reports that more than two million people have now seen what USA Today called “the video Coca-Cola doesn’t want you to see”: The Real Bears, conceived for the Center for Science in the Public Interest by advertising pioneer Alex Bogusky, The Real Bears is a moving (and sometimes harrowing) portrait of a polar bear family’s struggle with obesity, diabetes, and other soda-related health problems.
The film features an original song, Sugar, by Grammy-award winning singer Jason Mraz, which he performed with rapper MC Flow.
“Denying any connection whatsoever between sugary drinks and obesity is reminiscent of the famous 1994 congressional hearing at which the nation’s top tobacco executives testified that nicotine was not addictive,” Jacobson said. “When one blandly states what one knows to be false, it truly crosses the line from spin to a lie.”
Following are posts from this blog on soft drinks:
After doing alcohol in the previous post it seems fitting to go into the soft drink world for the next.
In this poster soft drinks are credited with precipitating asthma, kidney issues, sugar overload, obesity, dissolving tooth enamel, heart disease, reproductive issues, osteoporosis and increasing the risk of diabetes.
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 