A Little Secret Your Dentist Doesn't Want You To Know
Most dentist, particular those who specialize in cosmetic dentistry love it when you drink coffee & tea. Why? Your making them wealthy! Because all coffees and teas contain tannic acid. Tannic acid, the bitter compound in coffee and all forms of tea can cause yellow or brown stains when it combines with other particles on your teeth.
It's a multi-million dollar industry, from whitening toothpaste, home bleaching kits to laser whitening. If your teeth don't respond well to bleach or if your enamel is seriously damaged, they can offer you bonding. The dentist coats each tooth with a thin layer of resin that gets its natural-looking brightness from finely ground quartz. Sometimes the resin is removed, baked, and cemented back onto the tooth. Bonding can last eight years, but resin is prone to chipping and will stain just as normal teeth do. The procedure usually calls for only one office visit; the cost is up to $500 per tooth.
Porcelain veneers are another option for badly stained or chipped teeth. Your dentist etches each tooth's surface and then glues on a thin piece of porcelain. You get to choose the exact shade of white you want. Expect to pay up to $900 per tooth.
A third option is microbrasion. The dentist grinds a thin layer off the surface of your teeth. This method works best for enamel defects like white or brown spots from fluorosis (a harmless condition that results from swallowing too much fluoride while your teeth are still developing). The surface spots are removed, revealing a smooth layer of enamel. The cost is up to $150 per tooth.
Any procedure you select will only be short-lived if your trying to keep those pearly whites by drinking coffee & tea. Imagine spending all that money and then having to do it all again. STOP THE INSANITY!!!
Why not drink soyfee soy coffee? It contains no tannic acid which over time can make your teeth yellow. Everyone loves a beautiful smile and you'll feel more confident looking great.
Only soyfee brand offers unsurpassed quality and freshness. We buy all of our organic soybeans from only American farmers. Your purchase helps support organic farming.
So put down that cup of joe, push aside that tea bag and brew up a delicious mug of soyfee. Your smile will thank you for it! Available at www.soycoffee.com or select retailers. Made in America by Americans!
Marina Kushner is the author of the best selling book "Life Without Caffeine" and is the President of Soy Coffee. More information can be found at www.soycoffee.com
Breast Lifts - Uplifting or Awful?
If your breasts are succumbing to gravity and beginning to sag a little, then perhaps the time has come to consider breast lift surgery. Your first step should be to visit a board-certified plastic surgeon who will explain the procedure to you. Thousands of women in the US have already undertaken this popular procedure.
As part of the natural aging process, pregnancy, breast-feeding, and excessive weight loss - can all cause women to lose skin elasticity in their breasts. Gravity takes over and breasts begin to sag.
Breastlift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts - making the breasts firmer and more shapely - at least, for a time - with the best results achieved in women with small breasts. Large breasts can also be lifted however the results may not last as long. For women seeking breast enhancement - this can be undertaken in conjunction with implants to increase the breasts' size.
In general, the best people for a breast lift include: women 18 years of age or older; whose skin has stretched; who has less breast volume than previously; who does not intend to lose a great deal of weight, get pregnant, or breastfeed; who is not currently pregnant or breastfeeding; who is in good health; and who wants to improve their appearance and has realistic expectations.
Some breast lifts can be performed under local anesthesia, however, those with larger breasts that require more extensive surgery, require inpatient surgery with a hospital stay of one or two days. There are three basic techniques used for breast lift surgery:
Concentric Mastopexy: this technique will only work for women with smaller breasts and minimal sagging.
Vertical Mastopexy: this surgery allows an additional strip of skin to be removed, giving the surgeon the option of greater correction.
Anchor-Shaped Mastopexy: an incision is made above the nipple in the shape of an anchor, with a circle at the top. This incision forms the shape of the new breast with the nipple placed in the circle at the top of the anchor, and the elliptical line at the bottom forming the lower contour.
After surgery patients are wrapped with gauze and elastic bandages or a surgical bra. Your breasts will be bruised, swollen, and uncomfortable for a day or two, but the pain shouldn't be severe. It my be suggested that you refrain from sex for a week or so, and to avoid strenuous sports for about a month. After that, you can resume these activities slowly.
As with any major surgery, complications are a possibility. Mastopexy does leave noticeable, permanent scars, although they'll be covered by a bra or bathing suit. Slow healing and wider scars are more common in smokers. Adverse reaction to anesthesia, infection, and blood clots are possible with any surgery. Loss of sensation in the nipple and breast tissue is common, but usually returns as nerves begin to regenerate. When implants are being used in conjunction with a lift, additional risks including implant leakage and interference with mammograms are a possiblity.
The average breast lift prices, depending on which technique is required, will range from $3,148 to $6,500 and $3,500 to $7,500. Should you choose to have a combined breast lift with breast augmentation prices will range from $4,000 to $9,000.
Breast lift finance is available - as simple as filling out an online application - with a response in as little as 30 seconds.
Breast lift surgery, as an aesthetic (cosmetic) procedure, generally is not covered by insurance. However if a breast reconstruction after mastectomy is performed, the other breast may need to be modified.
However - you must be aware that a breast lift won't keep you firm forever - the effects of gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight fluctuations will eventually take their toll again! Women who have implants along with their breast lift may find the results last longer!
Gay Redmile is the webmaster of several health and wellbeing sites. For further important information and resources on breast lifts visit her site at http://www.getabreastlift.com or visit one of her other sites at http://www.plasticsurgeryinfosite.com or http://getabreastenhancement.com
An Apple a Day - Fun Apple Activities
Fall is just around the corner and what better way to mark the season than with a month of apple-related activities? Its the time of year for freshly-baked apple pies, apple festivals, and Johnny Appleseeds birthday! Take a trip to a farmers market or to an orchard to pick your own apples. Have a party to celebrate Johnny Appleseeds birthday. Serve apple pie and apple juice and plant apple seeds in his honor. These activities will also partner up well with your fall, farm, or harvest themes.
Apple Tidbits
Relate these interesting facts about apples to children to pique their interest and get them excited about apples...:
- Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, yellows.
- 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States and 7500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
- The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- The most nutritious part of the apple is the skin.
Make Your Own Applesauce
Applesauce is easy to make. Five pounds of apples makes about 2 quarts of applesauce. Peel, core and slice apples into quarters. Put slices in a pot and partially cover with water. Boil apples until they are soft. Let children use a potato masher to mash the apples to make applesauce. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Dried Apple Rings
First, peel, core, and cut apples into chip-sized circles. Then, dip the circles in fresh lemon juice. Use a wire cutter to cut a clean, white-coated clothes hanger. Next, decorate the hanger with some apples made out of craft paper and add the apple rings. (Dont let the apple slices touch each other.) Finally, hang the apples in a dry, airy spot and let them dry for one to two weeks. Tip: Rotate the apples every day.
Apple Tasting
Next time you go to the grocery store with your child, point out all the different kinds of apples. Tell your child their names. Buy a few different kinds, and when you get home, let your child try them. Ask your child how each one tastes, how each one is different, and which one is his or her favorite. To add to the fun, purchase or make different things that are made from apples, such as applesauce, dried apples, apple pie, apple butter, and apple cider. Let children sample the treats.
Apple Toss Set out a laundry basket or a bushel basket and red bean bags or small red balls. Use masking tape to tape a line on the floor. Place the basket a couple of feet away from the line. Have child stand behind the line and try to toss the balls or bags (apples) into the basket.
Plant Apple Seeds
Talk or read a story about Johnny Appleseed and how he planted apple seeds. Provide children with small paper drinking cups, apple seeds, potting soil or dirt, and water. Have children first fill their cups with soil. Then, have them place finger in the soil to make a small hole. Next, have them drop in a seed. Dampen the soil with a small amount of water. Place cups in a well-lighted area and water occasionally.
Apple Relay
To play, you need one apple for each team. On the word "go," a team member places an apple on the back or hand of the first player. The first player races to the end of the course and back without letting the apple fall off her back or hand. If the apple falls off, that player has to stop where she is and put it back on. Once the apple is back in place, she keeps going from where it fell off. When the player gets back to her team, she puts the apple on the back or hand of the next person in line. The first team to finish wins.
Apple Smile
Cut an unpeeled red apple into wedges. The wedges should look like a smile. Spread one side of an apple wedge with peanut butter. Add three or four miniature marshmallow teeth along the edge. Spread another apple wedge with peanut butter. Place it on top of the marshmallows for a big, toothy grin.
Visit www.KidsSoup.com to find a bushel full of other terrific apple-related ideas.
Jolanda Garcia is a former teacher and educational content designer. Her goal is to provide parents and teachers with quality resources to promote their children's development and creativity. Visit her websites at: Preschool activities and crafts, and www.eartwiggles.comfor resources and activities to promote healthy eating habits in young children.
Care and Feeding of your Brain
How many times have you hear the phrase senior moments, fuzzy thinking, old-timers disease or mental-pauses? How many times has it been in association with misplacing your car keys and an attempt to shrug off the fear that perhaps you are beginning to loose it?
In midlife, both men and women are concerned about what is happening to our minds. We look at diseases and conditions that affect older individuals and wonder what is to become of us? Ive heard many people say theyd rather have a heart attack or get hit by a car than develop Alzheimers Disease.
Alzheimers Disease (AD) or any of the dementias strike fear in almost all middle age, and virtually all older adults. Many have likened it to being imprisoned in a body with a mind that is no longer functionslike someone took away the key and lost it.
AD is a serious problem and it will become more of a problem as our generation The Baby Boomers - age. While we do not have the answers as to what causes it, there are some things that can be done to protect our brains.
Briefly, Alzheimers Disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual loss of a persons memory. It goes further than that in that it also causes personal and behavior changes. While there are several forms of dementia, AD is the most well known. The damage is irreversible and as of the time of this writing, there is no cure.
Forgetting where you have left your keys, or that something was in the oven is not necessarily a sign of AD. More likely, those are signs of living a stress life and tying to do many things at once. Despite popular belief, we do NOT multi-task very well.
While the cause is not known, we do have a few pieces to the puzzle.
On average, it seems that 1/3 of the risk for dementia is due to genetics. That means that 2/3 of our risk is due solely to our environment and life style choices that we make today! In other words, it appears we may have a good amount of choice in reducing our chance of developing AD.
Here is a list of things you can do now to keep your brain happy.
- Keep your body healthy. Protecting your body against illness that damages your blood vessels (high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, smoking, strokes, etc) will also contribute to the health of your brain.
- Avoid substances that have toxic effects on your brain such as air pollution, lead, smoking, excessive alcohol, and street drugs. Think of these things as brain pollution.
- Avoid injury. That means avoiding falls, wearing helmets and seatbelts, and avoiding motor vehicle accidents.
- Learn to manage stress. Excessive exposure to stress causes negative long term effects in the brain and the body.
- Exercise your brain use it or loose it applies here! (See below)
- Include foods in your diet that are high in antioxidants such as prunes, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, spinach, broccoli florets, avocados, oranges, red bell peppers and eggplant to name just a few.
- Consider taking antioxidant supplements to protect your brain. This can include a MVI, Vitamins C and E and omega 3 fatty acids. (Discuss this with your health care provider to see what is appropriate for you).
Your brain is no different than your body. It needs exercise in order to stay fit. There are lots of programs, under various names out there, and basically they do the same things. You want to burn new neural pathways, stimulate the release of chemicals and just give it a good workout. Make sure its something challenging.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Use the opposite hand when you brush your teeth and hair in the morning.
- Go through a certain portion of your routine with your eyes closed.
- Travel a different route to work.
- Learn a new language
- Puzzle books words, math, brain teasers
With proper care and feeding of your brain, it should continue to serve you well for years to come.
2005, Barbara C. Phillips, Nurse Practitioner and founder of OlderWiserWomen inspires women to embrace the freedom, magic and wisdom of Successful Aging. Visit http://www.OlderWiserWomen.com for your copy of "Celebrating You: 50 Tips for Vibrant Living".
