16
Back to School: Sugar and the
lunch box Your Mouth, Your Body, Your Health
B
DR. ROUEL
VERGARA
THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 6 | Number 5 | FEBRUARY 2016
FOOD & HEALTH
y now, Christmas
probably feels like
a lifetime ago, and
even Boxing Day
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sales have come and
gone. The shops are now brimming with “Back to School” items, a big reminder that routines and lunch boxes would once
again dominate our mornings.
I know for sure that my wife is thinking of
how to make good healthy choices while giving
our kids’ variety in their daily lunch box contents. I admit this sounds like a mean feat, as
things such as nutritional value, simplicity (yes,
the kids love Sinigang but it’s not exactly playground-friendly), taste, freshness, etc, need to
be considered. It would be so easy to just pile
on chocolate, lollies and other sugary or starchy
snacks into their lunch boxes.
But did you know that 50% of Aussie kids
suffer from dental decay, mainly because of
Lastly, I’d like to remind you that as parthe sugar in the food and drinks they consume?
ents, we must teach children to take care of their
That’s a shockingly high statistic for something
teeth, gums, lips and mouth even from an early
that is totally preventable.
age. These are habits that they will take through
So what can we pack for the kids to snack
on and help stop decay too? It sounds very chal- life and will impact their overall health. Good
habits and leading by example will go a very
lenging, but here are some simple tips:
long way.
l Make sure that they are light and low in
If you have any further questions and consugar. Read the label – It’s not a good
cerns about how diet affects your oral health, I
sign if the top 3 ingredients are sugar.
highly recommend that you seek professional
(Avoid snacks that are gummy, chewy
dental advice as soon as possible.
and sticky. Sugar galore!)
l Fresh is best. Though packaged food is
convenient, they are generally higher in
Dr. Rouel Vergara, is a general
sugar than the fresh options.
dentist practitioner focusing on patientl Fruit is good but limit it to two servings
centred dentistry. He is a member of the
per day. Too much can be harmful to
Australian Dental Association and various
teeth too.
dental organizations in Australia and
l Water is a must. Encourage your children overseas, and is also actively involved in
to drink water with every meal to not only providing lectures and workshops for dental
hydrate them, but to help wash away any
health professionals in the Asia Pacific
lingering food in their mouths.
region. Dr.Vergara is the principal dentist of
l Vegies, cheese and lean meats are tasty
New Leaf Dentists in Erina, NSW.
options that kids can enjoy.
HYPERTHYROIDISM
H
yperthyroidism
is a condition in which the
thyroid overproduces hormones. The thyroid is a small,
butterfly-shaped gland located
at the front of the neck. It produces tetraiodothyronine (T4)
and triiodothyronine (T3) which are two primary hormones
that control how the cells use
energy, stay warm and keep the
brain, heart, muscles and other
organs working properly.
Causes of Hyperthyroidism:
l Grave’s Disease is an
autoimmune disorder, which is a co mmon
cause of hyperthyroidism. It causes antibodies to stimulate the thyroid to secrete too much
hormone; occurs more
often in young women
and tends to run in families (suggests a genetic link).
l Other causes:
• Excess Iodine – a key
ingredient in T4 and
T3.
• Inflammation of the
thyroid (thyroiditis)
that causes T4 and T3
to leak out of the gland
• Tumours of the ovaries or testes
• Benign tumours of the
thyroid or the pituitary
gland
• Large amounts of T4
taken through dietary
supplements or medication
Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism:
l High amount of T4, T3
or both can cause an excessively high metabolic
rate, which is called hypermetabolic state that
l
l
l
l
Healthwise
FE
makes the
WATMOREE
person experience a
Registered Nurse
rapid heart
rate, elevattremor of the fingered blood pressure and
tips.
hand tremors; may also
• Laboratory tests:
develop a low tolerance
1. Cholesterol Levfor heat and sweat a lot;
el Test
and can cause frequent
2. T4 and T3 Resbowel movements,
in Uptake (TR3U)
weight loss and in womTests
en, irregular menstrual
3. Thyroid Stimulatcycles.
ing Hormone (TSH)
The thyroid gland can
Level Test
swell into a goiter, which
4. Triglyceride Levcan be either symmetriel Test
cal or one-sided; exophthalmos – an abnormal
5. Thyroid Scan and
protrusion of the eyeUptake
ball; this is a condition
6. Ultrasound
that’s related to Grave’s
7. CT or MRI Scan
disease.
Treatment of HyperthyOther symptoms:
roidism:
• Increased appetite
l Medication such as An• Nausea and vomiting
ti-thyroid drugs – blocks
• Fine, brittle hair or
the thyroid glands ability to make new thyroid
Hair loss
hormone.
• Itching
l Radioactive Iodine – de• Nervousness
• Restlessness/Inabilistroys part of the thyty to concentrate
roid gland but it does not
• Weakness
harm any other parts of
• Difficulty sleeping
the body.
• Irregular heartbeat
l Surgery – surgical re• Breast development
moval of most of the thyin men
roid gland.
The following sympl Beta-Blockers – can
toms may require immehelp control rapid pulse,
diate medical attention:
sweating, anxiety and
• Dizziness, shortness
high blood pressure.
of breath, loss of conl Consultation with an Ensciousness and fast, irdocrinologist – who is
regular heart rate
knowledgeable about
Diagnosis of Hyperthytreating bodily hormone
roidism:
systems.
• Complete history and
References:
physical examination
• healthline.com/hyperthy(detects an enlarged
roidism
thyroid gland and a
• webmd.com/women/hyperrapid pulse; the docthyroidism-topic-overview
tor looks for moist,
• American Thyroid Associasmooth skin and a
tion; www.thyroid.org