Prevention is better than cure
By oral hygienist Vicky Gowar
Brushing only removes about 50% of the plaque in your mouth. Flossing removes plaque below the gum line and in-between the teeth by roughly 20%. Rinsing with mouthwash is an added advantage but can never replace flossing or brushing.
It is also vital to go to a oral hygienist twice a year for a thorough clean, polish and a fluoride treatment, and to the dentist for a check up at least once a year. These are the basic steps to achieve and maintain a healthy mouth. After all, there’s no point in working hard in the gym to have a gorgeous body if you have decaying teeth and bad breath!
Here are a few key steps to improve your oral care:
Brushing: It’s important to brush correctly. Brush at a 45 degree angle in a circular motion along the gum line so the bristles can reach under the gum line. Brush for at least two minutes twice a day with a soft, small toothbrush. Sonic toothbrushes are even better – doing all the work correctly for you while you simply hold them along the gum line. Be sure to change your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Don’t forget to clean your tongue with a tongue scraper as a lot of debris and plaque accumulate there.
Flossing: A daily floss is essential. Use a gentle sawing motion from side to side to get in-between the teeth. Don’t snap the floss down and cut the gums. Curve the floss around the tooth and move it up and down going gently under the gum line. If flossing with your fingers is a mission don’t give up. There are lots of products on the market that can make your life easier, such as Soft-Picks, floss brushes etc.
Poor oral hygiene doesn’t only damage your teeth and gums but it is also detrimental to your overall long-term health. Oral bacteria can enter the blood stream (via bleeding gums) and can travel around the body. This can lead to an increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, aggravation of diabetes and premature labour.
Many people only go to the dentist when they have a problem. Then the treatment often ends up costing them more than if they had gone for their routine check up and cleaning at least once a year. Prevention is definitely better than cure!

5 lucky readers stand the chance of winning a HeartChoice product hamper worth R300 each. Simply email info@fitnessmag.co.za with the answer to this question: What is one of the benefits of supplementing with CoQ10?

So get onto improving your heart, cholesterol and circulatory health as well as sustaining your energy and love your heart this September during Heart Awareness Month!

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
HeartChoice Optimal for Improved Heart Health
A healthy heart is essential for a healthy life. A deficiency of the vital compound, CoQ10 may lead to muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue. Unfortunately, the body’s ability to produce CoQ10 declines with age. Chronic disease, strenuous exercise and taking various medications like cholesterol lowering medication and hormone replacement therapy could also lower our CoQ10 levels.

New HeartChoice Optimal
HeartChoice Optimal is a unique combination of 150mg CoQ10, as well as Magnesium for regulating heart and muscle contraction and Resveratrol (the good stuff in red wine) known for its cholesterol lowering properties.
HeartChoice Optimal is available at selected pharmacies and retail outlets.

HeartChoice Energiser with CoQ10 for Active Lifestyles
CoQ10 is vital for optimal cardiovascular health and energy production, especially for people who lead active lifestyles. Simply explained, CoQ10 acts like a spark plug in the energy producing cells of the body.
Without adequate CoQ10, energy production declines and your cells can’t function properly. This can affect many different parts of your body, but particularly the organs that work the hardest, such as your heart, muscles, liver, kidneys and brain. Logically, individuals that use a large amount of energy by exercising will need more CoQ10 in order to produce that energy. CoQ10 also supports the body’s post-exercise recovery and helps protect against the free radical activity sometimes generated by aerobic exercise.

New HeartChoice Energiser
HeartChoice Energiser is now available and provides a unique combination of 150mg CoQ10 and 150 mg alpha lipoic acid, assisting with stamina, endurance and post-exercise recovery. HeartChoice Energiser helps give you optimal energy and supports cardiovascular health, so you can keep up your active lifestyle.
HeartChoice Energiser is available at selected pharmacies and retail outlets.

Information and prizes supplied by Sanofi Aventis
Visit: www.pharmachoice.co.za/coq10facts for more information

Carbohydrate cycling is a very effective process used to drop body fat, if used correctly this diet manipulation tool might be just the thing to get your physique looking its best for summer.

Read more in the September – October issue of Fitness magazine and feel free to comment below.

If lack of exercise and months of comfort eating has left you lethargic, bloated and dreading your summer beach holiday, don’t panic. A simple body cleanse from the inside out will have you feeling energised, fresh and ready for your spring fitness programme – with plenty of time left for bikini shopping.

Read more in the September – October issue of Fitness magazine and feel free to comment below.

A new trend has emerged, where we are no longer just focussing on pregnant and antenatal moms – but also on women who aren’t moms and aren’t pregnant, but they want to be!

Read more in the September – October issue of Fitness magazine and feel free to comment below.

Your weight has been the same for the last few weeks, even through it feels like you’ve spent a lifetime in the gym! How can this be? What are you doing wrong?

Read more in the September – October issue of Fitness magazine and feel free to comment below.

Supplements that assist with fat burning can be very beneficial to reduce fat stores at a rate above what is naturally attainable through diet ad exercise alone. They are also very important for athletes and models who need to drop body fat percentages below normal levels before a show or photo shoot.

Read more in the September – October issue of Fitness magazine and feel free to comment below.

The 9th August is National Women’s Day in South Africa. This public holiday commemorates the national march of women on this date in 1956. They were marching to petition against legislation that required Africans to carry the “pass”, the special identification documents that restricted an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era.

To celebrate the women of this country Fitness magazine and Trichotin Hair Regenesis are giving away R2,000 worth of hair improvement products. Luxurious hair is a reflection of a healthy and vibrant body. Like the rest of your body, your hair needs quality nutrients to revitalise and maintain it in peak condition. Trichotin Hair Regenesis, with anti-ageing properties, has been specifically formulated to supply the essential nutrients required for healthier hair and skin, while promoting overall well-being. Trichotin’s high-tech absorption and delivery system stimulates blood flow and oxygen delivery to the skin and scalp via increased capillary perfusion – thus amplifying delivery and increased availability of essential nutrients and vital oxygen. This process results in regeneration of damaged hair follicles and skin cells.

Benefits include:
● Reduces hair loss
● Stimulates stronger, healthier hair growth
● Improves skin clarity

To win simply email your name, contact number, delivery address and answer to the compeition question to info@fitnessmag.co.za.
Q: List one benefit of Trichotin Hair Regenesis?

Entries close on Friday 13 August 2010.
Winners will be notified via email.

For more information and a list of stockists visit www.trichotin.com.

Few things are as rewarding as the results you get when you first start an exercise and diet programme. Results come very quickly and are very noticeable. However, few things are as discouraging when results slow or even worse, eventually stop altogether. Why does this happen? What is a fitness plateau anyways and what causes them?

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