It has been often said, ‘you are what you eat.’ While I am both a disciplined dentist and athlete, I began recognizing that I was having issues with inconsistent energy and focus throughout the day, mood swings, and variable sleep patterns. I began to think that maybe I needed to change my diet from a coffee and doughnut breakfast, plus the 5000 calorie late dinners. Clearly, my understanding of “food as fuel” was lame and I needed to change my behavior related to meals.
The opportunity for change actually came to me in the form of a patient’s periodontal evaluation. The patient had consistently struggled with maintaining health of her gums, in spite of keeping her hygiene appointments and utilizing all the tools we provided. After being absent from my office for a long interval, I was actually anxious about her periodontal condition. To my complete astonishment, in spite of not having seen a dentist for care, I found her periodontal health be the BEST I had ever seen!! When I asked her what changes she had made in her life, she stated that she had completed a program in Integrative Nutrition here in Manhattan and was now working as a health coach for corporations. The only changes had been stress reduction and a complete change in her diet. I saw this as an incredible opportunity to not only achieve my own health goals, but as a way to educate my patients in the role that diet plays in creating/controlling dental disease. I have now been working with her for 3 months and I have seen incredible changes in the way I feel, sleep, look and perform. I have been able to guide patients toward making better health choices. I am learning to consistently connect myself to the positive outcomes that this one new mindset creates. Doing so helps me maintain a focus and energy that is life-giving and generates a contagion of health for others.