It’s time for a Dechox!
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 28th January 2020
From heart-shaped caramels and boxes of exquisite truffles to going out for a nice romantic meal ending with a delicious, warm chocolate cake – February, thanks to Valentine’s Day, is one of those months where chocolate plays a leading role.
Indeed, you can hardly walk into a supermarket around February time without being lambasted by special offers on big boxes of chocolate and the idea that this is something we need to indulge in or buy for our romantic partners. However, as we all know, chocolate is hardly a health food, and excessive consumption of it can lead to a number of oral and systemic problems.
So, why not use February as a chance for a Dechox?
The British Heart Foundation set up the Dechox challenge as a way to raise funds as well as encourage healthier dietary habits. Much like other monthly challenges, Dechox involves simply giving up all chocolate and cocoa-related products for one whole month, including even the smallest bits of chocolate such as the sprinkles on your cappuccino.
In doing so, The British Heart Foundation hopes to encourage people to reconsider how much chocolate they eat going forward, changing habits and helping people achieve a healthier lifestyle while raising funds to help support further research into heart disease.
This is an excellent chance to team up with colleagues and raise some money and awareness for a good cause. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the world,[i] and one of the driving causes for heart disease is increased rates of obesity.[ii] Therefore, by cutting out the chocolate bars, you can help keep yourself healthier and raise awareness.
A sponsored dry spell away from chocolate is a great thing to do and you can get all of your colleagues and patients involved. Why not hold a competition to see who can raise the most money through sponsorship? Furthermore, you can use this month as an opportunity to discuss the dangers of heart disease and the effects that chocolate can have on oral health with your patients as well. Obviously, you don’t want to be a downer (Valentine’s Day is meant to be something to look forward to!) but you can encourage patients to join in – February is just a short month and there are plenty of chocolate free ways to celebrate the holiday. Why not suggest people do a physical activity or go to a spa day together? It’s easy to live a healthier lifestyle for one month and raise awareness and funds for a very good cause.
You can find out more about Dechox and look at fundraising ideas HERE: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/fundraise/dechox
Although chocolate is a popular treat, it’s good to cut down and see what benefits this can have. Whether you use this as an opportunity to improve your own health and raise some money, or want to help patients understand the importance of good heart health and diet, Dechox is an excellent way to make a difference.
For more information about the BSDHT, please visit www.bsdht.org.uk
call 01788 575050 or email enquiries@bsdht.org.uk
[i] The World Health Organization. The Top Ten Causes of Death. Link: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death [Last accessed October 19].
[ii] British Heart Foundation. Obesity. Link: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/your-weight-and-heart-disease [Last accessed October 19].
