Health and Wellness Review

Not everyone visits the dentist as often as they should

These numbers represent the percent of respondents in each state who visited the dentist or dental clinic within the past year.

Most dental visits

1. Connecticut: 81%
2. Minnesota: 80%
3. Massachusetts: 79%
4. Rhode Island: 79%
5. New Hampshire: 78%
6. Wisconsin: 78%
7. Delaware: 77%
8. Michigan: 77%
9. Maryland: 76%
10. New Jersey: 76%

Fewest dental visits

1. Mississippi: 59%
2. Arkansas: 61%
3. Texas: 61%
4. Oklahoma: 61%
5. West Virginia: 63%
6. Missouri: 64%
7. Nevada: 64%
8. Montana: 66%
9. Indiana: 67%
10. Idaho: 68%

View the complete statistics

When we asked which sweetener you prefer, the response was clear: Over 40% of respondents picked Splenda®.

The next most popular option was sugar, selected by 19% of respondents. Another 12% say they use honey or other natural sweeteners, and 6% go without.

But over half of people chose an artificial sugar substitute. Splenda® (sucralose), in its yellow packet, got 41% of the vote. Equal® (also known as aspartame or NutraSweet®), in the blue packet, pulled in 13%, and the pink packets of Sweet'N Low® (saccharine) got 8%.

"High fructose corn syrup is poison," declared one woman. "I've always believed that using artificial sweeteners was tantamount to poisoning yourself," said a man.

"When I tell people I use Splenda, I am looked at as if I am wearing a scarlet letter," fretted one woman, while another said, "I like to stick with the natural stuff."

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Often our lives gets so busy that we forget to take time out simply to reflect or to be still. Countless studies on meditation confirm for us the power of taking this time out to decrease our stress and increase well being.

For many it is simply the question, "Where do I start?" Meditation is not something that needs to be complicated. You already have everything in your home that you need to begin your practice today.

To start meditation as a part of your everyday life, choose a place in your home where you can meditate comfortably. After choosing this space, you may like to place a photograph of a place or a person that inspires peace. You may also like to light a candle to signify the 'illumination' that you may reach through your regular meditation practice. I also like to have books that support my practice nearby and read a passage before my meditation to set my intention.

You can use folded blankets, a bolster or a meditation cushion to sit either cross legged or in a kneeling fashion. If either of these are uncomfortable, use a chair or sit against a wall. Remember that the stability of your body will reflect the stability of your mind. You want to be as comfortable as possible and sit in a way that allows your chest to be open so that your breath can travel through your body with ease.

Choose a time of day that works well for you. If you are a morning person, begin your practice when you first wake up. If you are an evening person, try the afternoon or shortly before going to sleep. Experiment with different times of the day to find what suits your schedule, home and body.

Start by meditating for a short period of time each day. A little bit often is much better than nothing at all. And quite often, if you intend to sit for five minutes, you may find yourself sitting for longer. Starting out with five minutes will help in ensure that you make your way to your cushion more regularly. Over time increase the length of time that you are meditating for. I enjoy daily twenty to thirty minute sessions.

When you are ready to meditate, close your eyes gently and take three deep breaths, imagining that all the tension is leaving your body. Come to focus on your inhale and exhale. In order to focus the mind, it may help to say the words 'in' silently to yourself on the in breath and 'out' on the out breath.

You will notice that your mind will become distracted within your meditation. When this happens, gently bring the focus back to your breath. Let any thoughts fall away like Autumn leaves from a tree.

You may need to bring your mind back to your breath several times throughout your meditation; this is normal. Your meditations will change every day, depending on what is going on in your life and in your body. Be gentle with yourself. As you practice more and more, you will find that connecting with your breath will become easier.

When you finish your meditation, you may like to bring your hands into the prayer position at your heart center and bow your head or your body. Take this moment to give thanks for this time of quiet and the opportunity to connect with your breath. To further support your practice it can be very beneficial to seek out a meditation group in your local community. Most of all, let this new peace flow out into the rest of your life as well.

About the Author:

Christina Adler is a yoga and meditation teacher with her master's degree in psychology. She has lived in Sydney, Australia for the past thirteen years where she was the manager of a well-known yoga center. She has recently moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband where she enjoys her work as a life coach, writer and yoga teacher.

Learn more about life balance by visiting Christina's website at www.everydaybalance.net.

Question: “People get married later in life than they used to, right?”

Yes. In industrialized countries, the average age at which people marry has distinctly increased. The past 100 years have seen significant change, and it has only become more dramatic in recent decades.

How much of a difference are we talking about here? Let’s consider the USA in 1900. On average, women married at 22 and men at 26. Today, those numbers are 25 for women and 27 for men. Moreover, more Americans are choosing to remain unmarried than ever before — half the population, in fact!

The change is less dramatic is developing nations. In Bangladesh, for example, the average age of a woman at marriage is 16 and a man 21. (Compare that to Sweden, where women’s average is 30 and men’s 32.)

However, even in developing regions, marriage patterns have developed over time, particularly as relates to women. Factors such as education, feminism and birth control are leading women worldwide to postpone marriage.

Our survey asked a straightforward question: Which do you prefer – beer or wine?

Maybe the stereotype of the beer-guzzling American isn't so accurate! In this poll, fully 46% of respondents picked wine, while only 35% selected beer.

It's also notable that 1 in 5 people responded, "No thanks – no alcohol for me."

"I take medication that prevents me from drinking alcohol," said one man. "It is not a good Christian witness to believers and nonbelievers."

"I do not drink much," mentioned one woman, "But my husband used to make wine and it was great! Especially dandelion wine."

Not surprisingly, this survey revealed some gender differences. Women were more likely to prefer wine, while men were more inclined to opt for beer.

"I find wine to be very relaxing…" said one woman.

"Beer just tastes better, especially on a hot day," said a man. "Ah! Good to the last drop."

Degenerative disease is tragic, but not the end of the line

Besides the fact that Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's, most people know very little about this devastating disease. It slowly robs sufferers of their motor skills and speech over the course of years or decades.

Typical signs of Parkinson's include tremors, muscle stiffness, slowness, and loss of balance. Speech can be difficult to understand. Fatigue is common. Mood swings and disordered thinking also often come with the territory.

Though it may be hard to believe in this day and age, there are no tests that can definitively diagnose Parkinson's disease. Its symptoms are sometimes confused with the normal aging process, leaving some undiagnosed. There's a genetic component to the disease, but other theories include head trauma or environmental toxins.

Unfortunately, there's no cure for Parkinson's, but symptoms can be treated. Drug therapy is common, sometimes supplemented by surgery, exercise and/or speech therapy. Parkinson's is a progressive disease, but it is its complications that eventually prove fatal to its sufferers.

Almost two-thirds of respondents (61%) picked butter over margarine in this survey. Only 36% picked margarine. A scant 3% chose neither, having some baffling objection to buttery deliciousness.

"Butter tastes better, is more healthy, cooks better, and is made in a cow, not in a factory," said one butter enthusiast.

Men were more likely than women to choose butter. "I like butter but use margarine due to calories and price," admitted one woman.

Here's what else people had to say about the butter/margarine issue:

• "Any artificial product can have hidden side effects. Margarine may reduce cholesterol but still harm your body. Same with sugar substitutes."
• "Butter tastes so much better, and there has been so much controversy over margarine."
• "I love butter but am afraid of the cholesterol."
• "The cholesterol conundrum has been around a long time…  One dose of Lipitor and I felt as though I'd been hit by an 18 wheeler. My doctor tried 2 other statins, and I had the same experience. I am 70 and am in excellent shape, so please pass the butter."

Most obese US states

1. Mississippi: 26 %
2. West Virginia: 25 %
3. Michigan: 24 %
4. Kentucky: 24 %
5. Texas: 24 %
6. Indiana: 24 %
7. Alabama: 23 %
8. Louisiana: 23 %
9. Missouri: 23 %
10. Tennessee: 23 %

Least obese US states

1. Colorado: 14 %
2. Massachusetts: 16 %
3. Vermont: 17 %
4. Rhode Island: 17 %
5. Connecticut: 17 %
6. Hawaii: 18 %
7. Montana: 18 %
8. Utah: 18 %
9. Arizona: 18 %
10. Florida: 18 %

View the complete statistics

Recently, the newspapers across the world warned us of an illness in our communities and introduced us to the word pandemic for the first time in years. As the word spreads around the world, so does the level of fear that we collectively tap into, both consciously and unconsciously.

Driving along, I notice that the dramatic words of a clerk in the pharmacy have triggered my mind into a number of ill-fated scenarios. As my imagination runs wild, I notice my pulse starting to rise, and also that I’ve lost my footing in the present moment.

When the waves come crashing down and the wind is stirred up, what is it that you can hold in your hand to keep you steady?

There are a myriad of possibilities. Perhaps it is a quote by someone that inspires you, a photograph of a time in your life when you felt whole, a DVD that elicits wonder or insight, a letter from a friend, a website, a piece of music, or a recorded talk by a speaker that inspires you. For each of us it will be different.

In order to find out what the recipe is for you, consider taking the time to reflect on what helps you keep perspective. A wonderful way to get back in touch with what it is that grounds you is to take notes.

Go to your local stationery store and buy a small notebook that can fit in your purse or briefcase. If you are a phone person, create a page in your phone where you can keep notes specifically on this. Over the next week, create consciousness around when a mood shifts, inspiration is present, or you find yourself moving beyond a problem with ease.

Look for the moments in your life when you feel the most grounded, where your anxiety has gone for a walk. Write down what it was in these moments that gave you perspective. Keep these notes in a place where you can reach for them when you're feeling overwhelmed.

If it is talking to a friend that helps, write the word perspective next to their number in your phone. If it is a physical activity that shifts your mood, begin to organize time for this activity on days that are challenging.

As you get better at identifying the aspects of your life that provide perspective, you'll find yourself naturally weaving time for these activities into your life. As a result, your daily life will begin to balance in a way that you hardly recognize.

About the Author:

Christina Adler is a yoga and meditation teacher with her master's degree in psychology. She has lived in Sydney, Australia for the past thirteen years where she was the manager of a well-known yoga center. She has recently moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband where she enjoys her work as a life coach, writer and yoga teacher.

Learn more about life balance by visiting Christina's website at www.everydaybalance.net.