Bucket List Practice #9 - Flossing

Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The second week January we'll explore practices related to ourselves.

Today's practice is flossing. If you brush your teeth regularly, but your breath still stinks a little, flossing will help because you've got to get rid of the food that's marinating between your teeth and gums. But flossing is much more critical to an integrated, healthy life besides just improving your breath. Studies are showing that unhealthy teeth and gums can lead to heart problems and diabetes.  So just the simple practice of flossing and rinsing (in addition to regularly brushing of course) can have a broad impact on your overall life and health.

So today, get some floss and get in between those teeth.  And make a dentist appointment too while you're at it.