Dr. Virender Singh

Finally! It’s Diwali, the festival of lights. The festivities have already started and you have let your guard down by happily munching on sweets and festive savouries. While your cravings are satisfied, it’s a different story for your body. Calories are getting piled up with almost little exercise, unhealthy habits are playing havoc with your metabolism (know more, which food Can Jumpstart Your Metabolism). You might just see yourself 3-5 kilos heavier post Diwali.

The usual source of high calorie food during Diwali are the sweets that you eat. Laden with sugar and ghee, they are a recipe for disaster. So the question here is, how do you control the craving and keep away from calories? Follow these tips and you shall thank us later:

1. Drink up: No! Not the beer. It is very important that you drink at least 2-3 liters of water regularly. Dehydration can make you crave for sweets as the body may get confused between thirst and hunger. This also means that you need to avoid carbonated beverages such as sodas and other soft drinks.
2. Load up on protein: Eat protein based foods such as chickpeas and cottage cheese to fill up your protein quotient. Protein keeps your metabolism elevated and also makes you feel fuller. Try this: eat a protein rich snack before you head out as it will help reduce your appetite thus, helping you to avoid binge eating.
3. Choose sweets wisely: If you must eat sweets, then make sure you don’t overindulge. Stick to one or two sweets; also pick sweets that are less sugar laden. For example; choose the rasgulla instead of the gulab jamun and squeeze the rasgulla before eating it in order to avoid the sugary juice within it.
4. Smile at the sight of nuts: Nuts such as cashews and almonds contain heart healthy fats that are good for you. Keep the portion size small as they are high calorie food, eat them regularly as they promote satiety; which means your chances of gorging on sweets considerably reduce.
5. Never forget to exercise: If you did not pay much heed to what you had, make sure you burn those extra calories off. Go for a run, swim or even a game of football; anything that keeps your heart rate elevated to the fat burning zone for 30-40 minutes.
6. Be aware of what you eat: Being aware of what you are eating is the most important tip that you can ever get. You need to be conscious about the type of food you eat and also how much of that you consume. Eating healthy does not mean you can eat too much, as they still contain calories.
7. Eat Slowly: Eat your calorie (know more how to burn Calories) laden foods slowly then you might end up eating much lesser than otherwise. Also, slow eating include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with our meals. 

Dental abscess is characterized by pus formation in the teeth or the gums. This infection may occur either in the gums or the tip of the tooth. It usually occurs due to a bacterial infection which may enter the mouth through food, thus causing accumulation of plaque. If the plaque is not removed by following proper dental hygiene, then it may result in abscess.

The various factors that increase your chances of getting affected by dental abscess are a sugar rich diet and poor oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth to prevent symptoms of dental abscess. A diet that has too much sugar may lead to cavities that increases your risk of dental abscess.

Dental abscess may be classified into three types: 

1. Periodontal abscess: This type of abscess occurs in the bone structures in the teeth

2. Gingival abscess: This type of abscess occurs in the gums

3. Periapical abscess: Periapical abscess occurs in the soft areas of the tooth

Causes:
Entry of bacteria through holes in the teeth may result in breaking down of the soft tissue under the enamel. The infection may result in the hole to penetrate the pulp in the teeth. The bacteria thus infects the bone present in the teeth causing Periapical abscess. The bacteria that infects as a result of plaque accumulation may lead dental abscess. This may also lead to formation of gaps in the teeth leading to infection in the inner areas of the teeth.

Symptoms
The symptoms of dental abscess are: 

1. The teeth may become sensitive to hot and cold temperatures

2. Pain during chewing food

3. A persistent pain in the jaw that radiates to the ear

4. You may experience a swelling in the face and the neck

5. Tenderness in the lymph nodes in the neck

6. You may experience symptoms of fever

7. Presence of foul smelling fluid in your mouth
   If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dentist.