Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 4-21-17

Health

This condition means you have grooves on the top of your tongue. It might be a sin- gle deep one in the middle, or it can also show up as multi- ple shallow fissures. There’s no known cause of fissured tongue, but it’s not contagious
or harmful. It just takes a little extra effort to clean your tongue to remove any food that may get stuck in the grooves.

People with this condition have red patches on and around the sides of their tongues. The spots can last for just a few hours or several months, and they can sometimes cause a mild burning feeling. (Avoiding
acidic or spicy foods may help.) There’s no known cause or specific treatment for geographic tongue. But it’s not dan- gerous. For most people, it’s just a bit annoying.
This is a thick white patch on your gums, the inside of your cheeks, or the bottom of your mouth that you can’t rub off. Smoking or irritation (from poorly fitting dentures, for ex- ample) can cause it, but your
dentist may do a biopsy on a small piece of the tissue to rule out oral cancer. Treatment usually involves stopping whatever is irritating your mouth, but in some cases, doc- tors can remove the patches with surgery.

Also known as atrophic glossi- tis, this is when your tongue sheds the bumps that give it the usual rough texture, leaving it shiny and smooth. It’s usually caused by another health con- dition like a nutritional prob-
lem, Celiac disease, or an infection. To treat it, you’ll need to figure out the underlying cause and address that first. So work with your doctor to find out what’s going on.
Avoid Processed Grains
We know whole grains are good for us because they're packed with fiber, vi- tamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. That doesn't mean you need to ditch all processed grains. At
times, like when your body is recovering from an in- testinal bug, refined grains may be necessary. And some processed grains are fortified with folic acid. While whole grains are the healthier choice, you can make room for some fortified processed grains, too.
Switch To Sea Salt To Reduce Sodium
Think switching to sea salt will save sodium? Sorry, that's a diet myth, too. By weight, gour- met salts have about the same sodium as plain old table salt.
Add flavor with pepper, herbs, and spices instead. Besides, we get about 75% of our total salt intake from processed and prepared foods (not the salt shaker) like soups, condiments, mixes, cheeses, and canned goods.
Your tongue can get this dark coating when there’s a buildup of the protein keratin in your mouth. You might also feel a gagging or tickling feeling on the roof of your mouth and have bad breath. It looks alarming, but don’t worry -- it’s
harmless. Good dental hygiene, including brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper, is usually enough to cure the problem, but see your dentist if it doesn’t go away.
PART II
Drink More Water To Peel Off Pounds
There's no doubt water is vital for your body -- but a weight loss aid? Not really. If drinking water keeps you away from high-calorie drinks, it can certainly help
you lose weight. But adding more water to your diet, without changing anything else, makes no difference in lowering the numbers on your scale.
Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive
This myth is so common it seems im- possible that it isn't true. Yet most research shows sugar doesn't make all kids hyperac- tive. So why do kids
bounce off the walls at birthday parties? It's not the cake; it's probably the exciting environment. Still, pay attention to how much sugar your kids eat. Eating too many sweets leaves little room for healthier food.
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017