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You may not be very surprised to learn that times are tough right now for many people throughout the country.  You hear that the official unemployment rate is about 10% but secretly, many people say it is much higher.

However, this article isn’t really about doom and gloom.  In fact, I want to believe that things are going to get better, just like you most likely do.

Health is very important to us. And when times get tough, people get stressed. Sometimes this takes a toll on your health.

It is no secret that many researchers have discovered evidence that suggests the health of our bodies are very connected to the health of our mouths. Yet people have problems with this in many regards!

One is the cost of dental treatment. The other is a lack of understanding, about how to improve dental health at home. These two factors are very related. If you understand good home care, you have a much better chance to keep your teeth and gums healthy AND avoiding expensive dental bills at the same time.

Here are some tools that can help.

1. The hydrofloss -  Oral irrigation can be very helpful to your dental health - however this particular device is, in my opinion the best. It has been studied and the studies have been published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology not once, but twice!

2. Therabreath moutwash - pH balanced, oxygenated mouthwash - very powerful for combatting bad breath and even gum disease.

Taking care of your dental health often needs to extend beyond just regular toothbrushing and flossing. After all, if they were enough to truly maintain your dental health, then why are so many people walking around that need or have had expensive dental treatments?  In time, you will begin to understand that what you do at home can have a major impact on your health, well-being and your wallet - all at the same time!

Get more information on this topic from the book: What You Should Know about Gum Disease - available at Amazon and other online book sellers.

*This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment for any health problem. If you have or think you might have a health problem of any kind, visit your doctor or dentist for advice, diagnosis and treatment.  The USFDA has not evaluated statements about any products mentioned in this article.  
 

As for the commonly used Ritalin, did you know that if your child has taken Ritalin after the age of 12, then he or she will not be considered suitable for serving in the Armed Forces because (according to Army recruiters) the drug causes a potential brain alteration.

Do you realize that in some school districts, nearly half the children are labeled as having behavioral problems?  You are not alone and neither is your child!

It’s time for you to ask yourself a couple of questions:

Should you risk medicating your child with potentially brain-altering drugs on the outside chance that they will be beneficial? Do the risks of body-chemistry problems outweigh possible benefits? If you don’t feel comfortable taking these kinds of chances with your child, then tell your doctor you want your child to only take medications that are absolutely necessary. Could you accomplish behavior modifications some other way?  Let’s look at some lifestyle issues that have a major bearing on children’s behavior: First of all . . . there's television. The average American watches 6 hours of television per day. This is both sedentary and over-stimulating and delivers negative messages.  Limit your child to no more than 2 hours (preferably less) of viewing per day. Take the television out of your child’s room and don’t use it as a babysitter. The same thing goes for computer games. Why don’t you send your child to your backyard gym for a little old-fashioned, physical play? Or better yet, join him!

And another thing I've noticed: an effective nutritional program is always a good line of defense. Really work to improve your child’s diet. Insist that your child eat fruits and vegetables. Cut out sugar, white flour, chemical additives, fast foods, and preservatives as much as you can. Replace sodas, Kool-Aid and other sugared drinks with plenty of pure water.  Stop using Happy Meals, candy, or cookies as rewards. Try substituting non-toxic prizes, like a trip to the zoo, an art project, or a story reading. If your child needs tooth fillings, tell your dentist to substitute an inexpensive composite or porcelain for mercury (silver) fillings. Mercury fillings are toxic to the body. Don't fall for it if he tries to insist that silver amalgam fillings are safe. Be sure your child gets 8 hours or more of sleep. Actual studies show that children need 10-11 hours of sleep. In addition, these studies clearly show that a sleep-deprived child is crabbier and much more of a behavior problem. (See my complete special report on ADD at www.dreileensilva.com.)

And, last, but not least, spend quality time with your child, encouraging him or her to have a great day in school and to do better in class work by reinforcing positive things in your conversation. A loved, secure, well-fed, well-rested child, who has healthy playtime activities, is less likely to have behavior problems . . . and is also better armed to cope with whatever problems come along.

The article is collected by Michael Geary who provide services about metal roofing and roof restoration.

A Guide To Your Pregnancy

The first step of your pregnancy, after seeing the little positive stick should to have it confirmed. Call immediately to have a pregnancy test done with your local doctor, you may be in luck and get in that same day or have to wait about a week or two. Patience will become your best friend during this time or your worst enemy, waiting can become a very hard thing when you want to know for sure whether you are or aren’t pregnant. More than likely you’ll get a phone call a few days later to confirm it.

Set up an appointment to see your OB/GYN or midwife as soon as possible, chances are you’ll be meeting his/her staff before you ever meet them. This is the first appointment where your doctor/midwife will want to know all your medical history. If you’ve been pregnant, what types of sicknesses run in your family, etc. If you can, try making sure you know all of this ahead of time, maybe even have it all down on paper so when he/she asks you are prepared. During the days or weeks leading up to this meeting you may have concerns, write them down and ask them. Believe it or not doctors are there to help you, and they’ve been asked every question you can possibly think of. Before leaving your doctor may even give you a bag full of goodies all about being pregnant. Read these, they may prove beneficial and not to mention they’ve got coupons. Your doctor will either give you another appointment or have you set one up before leaving. There are some great books out there if you are really worried about what will happen next or how birth is going to be, check them out at your local library.

Make sure that you get your prenatal vitamins, they are very important during pregnancy. If for some reason you can’t take them, talk with your doctor he/she may be able to prescribe a lower dosage or something else.  You’ll get your first ultrasound, also known as US around week 20, this is normally when you find out what sex the baby is.  However some doctors like to call it safe and give you an ultrasound around 10-12 weeks just to make sure the baby is in the proper location and all is going well. You will also be asked to take an orange drink that you must drink in five minutes. You’ll wait around for an hour to three hours, at which point your blood gets drawn and you can go home. The test determines if you have or have a chance of getting gestational diabetes.

At first your appointments will be about 4 weeks apart until you hit the 36 week and at that point it’ll be two weeks later and a week later after that until the baby is born. By now you should be preparing to have the baby.  Yes, I’m sure you’ll have some anxiety towards the end of your pregnancy. You’ve went this far, it’s time you see your reward.

Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy

Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or you’ve known for a few months, announcing your pregnancy to family and friends can be a lot of fun. Some may want to wait until a certain time during their pregnancy, while others want to call everyone immediately after finding out themselves.

Telling The Father
Have a romantic dinner for two with candle lights, it may be your last time for a while, between morning sickness and raising your little one. Serve up baby carrots, baby back ribs and anything else you can think as baby. At the end, pour apple juice instead of wine and hand him a present. Inside you can have a tiny baby bib that says, “I heart My Daddy”  
or a pair of baby booties.

If you can’t tell the father right away because he’s away on business, or deployed try sending him a care package. Inside the box place a few baby items, everything in blue and pink and a baby naming book in the center. Place a note on top of the book with, “I need a name soon, I’ll be here by June.” Or whenever the baby is due.

You can also see how long it takes him to figure it out. Go to the dollar store and pick up a bunch of small baby items, a bib, rattle, bottle, booties, etc. For a week, leave an item laying around the house where he is bound to find them. At the end of the week if he hasn’t figured it out yet, prepare the big gift. Have a large teddy bear sitting at the dinner table in the seat beside him, make sure there is a bib wrapped around him and maybe a sign that says Hi Daddy. 

Telling Family and Friends
Show up to a family gathering wearing a shirt that announces your state. These days there are a ton of shirts out there with clever sayings, “Baby on Board,” “A Bun in the Oven,” or something related to the pregnancy. The moment you walk in or take off your jacket everyone will figure it out without you ever having to say a word. Now, get ready for the tears and excitement. You’ll be answering a ton of questions.

If you already have children you may want to call the grandparents up and tell them that the next Christmas they may want to add one more to the list.

If this is the first grandchild, you may want to get a bracelet link for your mom that reads, “#1 Grandma” or grandparent t-shirts. This will not only be a great present for them but something they will cherish and love forever.

No matter when you spread the news it can be a lot of fun, just think creative and let the pieces fall. You may even want to try catching all of it on video, so think ahead and prepare for the BIG moment, and I’m not meaning the birth.

Eating Right During Your Pregnancy

You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important when you are pregnant. Keep in mind now you are eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the better it is for the pregnancy and you.

Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!

Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily.  It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.

Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes.  Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.

Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:

-  unpasteurized  products- brie

-  Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
-  Raw eggs

-  Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.

-  Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.

If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.

You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.

While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.