Tag: Lifestyle

Should You Get Two Teeth Cleanings a Year from a Dentist?

The importance of visiting the dentist to get your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year should not be overlooked. By receiving two cleaning per year or one every six months, you can ensure optimal oral health while preventing conditions such as cavities and gum disease. Here are several other reasons bi-annual teeth cleanings are so vital:

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Whiter Teeth

You likely eat or drink food and beverages that stain your teeth. A professional tooth cleaning at the dentist can remove these stains and help your teeth appear whiter. If you are particularly concerned about the stains and/or discoloration on your teeth, you may opt for professional teeth whitening services.

Also Read– Tips for Getting Whiter Teeth, Naturally

Early Oral Cancer Detection

During teeth cleanings, a dentist will examine your mouth to search for signs of oral cancer. In the event a dentist notices a sign of oral cancer, you may undergo a test to determine whether it is present. Oral cancer screenings are essential as they can detect oral cancer in its early stages when it’s most treatable.

Are You Doing Everything For Your Teeth- Read Here

Reduced Risk of Teeth Loss

In addition to reducing your risk of developing cavities and gum disease, professional tooth cleanings twice a year can lower your chances of tooth loss. Tooth loss can hinder the way you speak and chew and can also lead to bone loss. Although you can replace missing teeth with bridges, dentures, and implants, natural teeth are always preferred.

5 Common Mistakes When Looking After Teeth- Read More

If you’re searching for a highly skilled and experienced dentist in Raleigh, North Carolina, contact Lane & Associates. We’ll be happy to clean your teeth twice a year and help you achieve optimal oral health.

Useful tips For Anyone Starting Hiking As A Hobby

If you have always loved being outside and have a passion for adventure, then you might be considering taking up hiking as a hobby. The fact is that hiking is a great hobby as not only is an excellent form of physical activity but it’s also an excellent way to spend more time outdoors, exploring your local area, as well as areas that are a little further afield.

Of course, like any new hobby, there’s a lot that you need to know before you head off over the hilltops to explore. So bearing that in mind, below is a guide to the ins and outs of taking up hiking as a new hobby – read on for all of the best tips and advice.

Photo from Pixabay

Learn to map read

If you can already map read, you can skip this step. If you can’t map read and don’t understand how to use a compass, you might want to take the time to learn. It’s all well and good exploring the local area with just the wind to guide you, but as you head further afield, you will need to know how to map read and use a compass to navigate across different routes.

You might be able to join a local orienteering class to learn the basics or a survival group. If there isn’t a local group for this kind of thing, you should be able to find various map reading and compass using tutorials on YouTube to follow and learn from.

Invest in the right equipment

If you are going to be hiking regularly, then you need to invest in the right equipment. The most essential item is a pair of good quality walking boots or trainers that are comfortable and designed for exercise – to learn more about this head over to biopods.com and have a browse of the designs and resources available on there.

In addition to needing footwear, you will also require a backpack, a compass, a map, a water bottle, a torch, and camping supplies for any overnight hiking trips that you might like to plan in the future. Hiking can be a lot of fun, but it’s essential that you understand the need to always be prepared, which is why investing in the right equipment is so essential.

Be safe

When it comes to hiking– or any hobby – it’s crucial that you always put your safety first. Hiking can be a great way to stay fit and get out and about more, but if you aren’t smart about the approach to hiking that you take, you could end up putting yourself in danger, which is not what you want to do.

Always ensure that you tell someone where you are going and when you should be back. If you are walking alone, share a copy of your hiking trail with a friend or relative, so that if you don’t return on time, they know where you should be. Always carry a fully charged phone with you for emergencies, so that you can contact help, should you need it.

There you have it, everything that you need to know about starting hiking as a hobby.

Wishes and Blessings Organise a Painting Competition at Balwant Rai Mehta School!

Established in 2014 with a mission to ‘inspire and empower dreams’, Wishes and Blessings is a registered NGO that has emerged as a unique platform for helping the underprivileged. We aim to spread blessings and fulfil wishes by linking beneficiaries with donors. We work across
the spectrum of society surpassing age and gender barriers on diverse causes including education, health, skill development and relief. With their continuous effort in various fields, they strive to reach out to as many needy people as possible and according to their age and requirements, they put in efforts to fulfil their wishes.

Recently in association with Balwant Rai Mehta School, they organised a painting competition for children and I was bestowed upon an opportunity to be present their as a judge. Though judging the talent of these amazing kids is never justified and always a difficult task, but like the say its not about winning or loosing, its about the passion and the spirit. The moment I entered in the hall, I could sense the high spirits, excitement and passion that children were putting in painting their imaginations on sheets. As I kept moving, I felt as if each painting spoke something to me, it spoke to me of their sheer dedication, it spoke to me of the fact that they were not doing it for any competition, it didn’t matter if they won or not, they were doing it to satiate their own creativity. And each painting better than the other, put me as an artist to shame. The imagination that these children possess, their vividness is something we can never achieve as adults.

The best part about the event was that specially abled, and hearing impaired children were also part of it, but they were not made to feel any different. They were sitting like regular children and till the time, one actually doesn’t interact and come to know of their issues, its never showcased. And I would say that probably we as adults feel more for their disabilities, but the confidence they show, the way they carry themselves is unmatched.

After soaking myself in their art for about an hour, when I could not take my eyes off their working, it was finally time to judge the top 3 in all categories and this I would say was the most challenging part. In true sense each painting was better than the other and on several occasions we ended up being confused on which one to chose. After juggling our heads for long, finally 3 winners were chosen in each category, and all thanks to the support from Wishes and Blessings, the first winner in each category got scholarship worth Rs. 10000, to help them pursue their dreams further in the field of art.

It was a great event and I felt very privileged to be a part of it. I am looking forward to attend more events by Wishes and Blessings and somehow in my own little way contribute to the well being of mankind.

Blurb Hosts Hotel Marketing Round Table Discussion in Goa

Blurb, a leading PR agency in Goa which caters to Luxury Hotels and Restaurant Industry is all set to host a round table discussion on the Hotel Marketing. Well known players from the industry will be seen taking the speakers position and throw light on the current industry standards. Names like Saurabh Khanna, GM, The Park Hotels, Sachin Patil, STAAH Channel Manager & Rubiq Website Development, Wilbert Egipsy, Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Unomas, Sol De Goa, would grace the occasion and raise the standards of such a round table discussion as they bring with them years of experience and are encyclopaedias of the industry in their own rights.

Blurb was created to work in this area with a special focus on social media marketing. At the time, there were no agencies in Goa specialising in end to end marketing solutions for hospitality brands. Over the past four years, its success stories include most of Goa’s leading restaurant and hotel brands, such as the Black Sheep Bistro, Mustard, Simba Craft Beer, Habanero Goa, and Vivanta by Taj Panaji to name a few.

The start-up was created by Sapna Shahani, an enterprising female entrepreneur who spent her formative years in the tech rich city of San Francisco, California and later returned to her hometown Mumbai. Goa was always a home away from home where she spent family holidays, so setting up business in Goa felt more comfortable than the overcrowded business capital of Mumbai. Sapna completed a fast-track MBA course at the Indian School of Business (Mumbai) which was specially designed for working women entrepreneurs. This gave her the confidence to make the shift from TV/ documentary production to running her own full-fledged PR and marketing agency.

“Blurb aims to promote innovative businesses in the hospitality space and only plugs businesses that we believe in. Hiring a consultancy like Blurb is like taking out an insurance policy for your business. An external set of eyes helps you take customer-centric decisions to advance your brand’s relevance in the market. In today’s fast-paced world, there are so many marketing activities that entrepreneurs need to do to stay visible that it makes more sense to engage specialists for this responsibility, who have the bird’s eye view of the industry,” remarked Sapna.

Since its inception, Blurb has worked with premium five star hotels like Fort Tirakol to niche cafes and restaurants like Artjuna. ‘Every business has a unique story to tell and the Blurb team knows how to share it’. This catch phrase helps build the right brand perception in the eyes of the customer.

So what are you waiting for, if you want to hear the industry experts speak their knowledge out, pre-register yourself for the event and make the most of it.

7 Reasons Camping Is Beneficial for Your Health

If you want to make the most of your time with friends or family, then you should look into camping. There are many activities to indulge in, ranging from fishing, campfires to hiking and biking. But there is a lot more to camping than meets the eye.

Camping interestingly has numerous health benefits. In fact, spending time outdoors camping can add years to your life. Not sure how? Here are 7 reasons for you to consider.

1. Exercise

When you are camping, you get a great deal of exercise. You get to partake in different activities, like the ones mentioned above, which in turn allow you to burn those extra calories in no time. Additionally, exercising outdoors and doing as many activities as you can also benefit your heart and lungs greatly.

2. Healthy Food

During your camping trip, your options are limited when it comes to the food you can actually consume. Basically, you have to make do with meals that can be grilled or cooked on a campfire.

If you choose foods that require preparation, your digestive system will get a break from all the fast food you have had previously. Also, rather than taking pies and candies, promote healthy eating by taking fruits, nuts and granola bars instead.

3. Sufficient Sleep

The best part about camping is that you can sleep in for as long as you like. The environment and quiet nature will do wonders for you when it comes to getting proper sleep. After a tiring day of activities, you will find it incredibly easy to doze off under the starry sky. Rest assured, with sufficient sleep, your body will function more effectively than ever before. Surprisingly your sleep cycle will improve by leaps and bounds.

4. Decreases Anxiety and Depression

Based on research carried out, green spaces are known for decreasing depression and anxiety. By camping, you will break away from your hectic lifestyle. It is here where you can develop clarity to better understand yourself.

5. Socialization

Tired of your everyday routine? Well, that is where camping comes into the picture to give you the much-needed break you need from your place of employment and otherwise. Since you will get time with your friends or family, you can socialize and learn more about them, without any distractions of course. Socialization, according to the American Journal of Public Health, can increase your lifespan and defeat memory problems.

6. Fresh Air

Once you have set up camp, you can finally take a deep breath of fresh air, which alone will make you feel refreshed. The feeling of excitement is not because of the long vacation, but because of all the surrounding greenery. Said greenery gives off high-quality oxygen, which improves brain functionality, all the while making you feeling happier and decreasing stress levels as well.

7. Sunshine

Whether you are camping in your RV or sleeping outdoors, it really does not matter. The bottom line is that spending time outside will have a positive impact on your health. Apart from that tan you always wanted, the sun gives your body the Vitamin D it needs to absorb phosphorus and calcium so that your teeth and bones stay strong.

Now that you know of the health benefits that lie in store for you on your next camping trip, pack your Canvas tentASAP. Remember, the more you stay outdoors, especially with your friends or family, the better you will benefit in more ways than you can imagine.

Author Bio:

Judy Robinson is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger. She loves to write on healthy lifestyle, travel, fitness 101 and DIY related topics. Follow @judyrobinsonfor more updates.

Everything You Want to Know About Meditation

Meditation has different meaning for different people. For me, its a soothing effect on my mind, body and soul. I don’t practice it regularly but whenever I do, it surely helps me declutter. I will admit that it takes a lot to meditate. It doesn’t come easy and even now I am not a pro. It really takes months and years of practice, because merely closing your eyes and deep breathing is not meditation. Meditation is like a connect with your own soul, to hear your innermost voice and to feel each and every breath that you take. Its difficult, but once you are able to do so, the peace is unmatchable.

Here is everything you wanna know about Meditation

Do You Know Enough About Psychotherapy?

WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY AND HOW EXACTLY DOES IT HELP?

Most people have heard the term “psychotherapy”, but don’t have an accurate concept of what it really is. Their ideas about it are formed by television shows instead of facts.

So what exactly is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy aims to enable patients, or clients, to recognize both positive and negative feelings, and what triggers or situations can make them feel good, nervous, or depressed. This allows them to cope with difficulties in a more constructive way.

Most courses of therapy last less than a year, and clients who are excited to change and willing to work often report great outcomes.

Psychotherapy helps with a diverse set of problems, including depression and low self-esteem, addiction and family quarrels. Anyone overwhelmed by daily problems and an inability to cope can benefit from psychotherapy. Learn more about psychotherapy careers.

Types of Psychotherapy

At least 500 different types of psychotherapy exist, according to one estimate by University of Scranton psychologist John Norcross. Given the vast number, researchers can’t dedicate the time to investigate whether they are beneficial, so they focus on the most frequently used types.

As Scientific American noted:

These include behavior therapy (altering unhealthy behaviors), cognitive-behavior therapy (altering maladaptive ways of thinking), psychodynamic therapy (resolving unconscious conflicts and adverse childhood experiences), interpersonal therapy (remedying unhealthy ways of interacting with others), and person-centered therapy (helping clients to find their own solutions to life problems).

Let’s look at each of these in a bit more detail:

Printers and privacy have a complicated relationship- Here’s why

When you print, scan, or copy a document at home or in the office, it might look like any other document to your eyes. But, unbelievably, data on the page make it possible to track almost every document you’ve ever scanned, printed, or photocopied back to you.

Your printer logs everything

All modern printers keep some form of log. Depending on the make and model, the logs can be highly intrusive and even go as far as indefinitely retaining full copies of all material.

Printer logs can be a substantial and unexpected privacy risk, especially if they contain sensitive and personal information. This is a significant risk when disposing of or selling old printers, as people are rarely aware of how to wipe or destroy the hard drive safely.

Wellness Matters 101: Simple Solutions And Suggestions That Promote Health

People who have decided that they’re no longer comfortable with signs of poor health like mood instability and weight gain should know that they don’t have to tolerate a substandard physical or mental state of being any longer. If you’re ready to begin cultivating a lifestyle that is conducive to health, now is the perfect time to get started. Below you’ll find just three of many simple solutions and suggestions that you can implement to begin promoting health right now:

1. Eat Mindfully.

One of the most effective and important mindfulness strategies under the sun is mindful eating. This technique is powerful because it enables the individual to take conscious control over their eating habits so that they are continually consuming foods that promote clear thinking and physical vitality. Although defined broadly, eating mindfully basically involves thinking critically about the food you consume rather than simply consuming a product because it is available or to quell the rise of a negative emotion like anger or sadness. There are many ways that you can make mindful eating your new normal, and one is by recording what you eat in a food journal.

2. Meditate.

In addition to eating mindfully, make sure that you tap into the efficacy of other mindfulness strategies such as regular meditation. Meditating regularly is a wonderful way to promote health because it helps individuals think clearly, decrease their stress levels, and sleep more soundly. Because there are literally hundreds of meditation modalities under the sun, it shouldn’t be difficult for individuals to locate at least one that they will enjoy and attain excellent results from. Whether you recite words of affirmation within silently or concentrate on inhaling and exhaling rhythmically, you’ll likely start to feel that your mind and body begin operating at a higher level of efficacy so that you can maintain your mental and physical equilibrium!

3. Start Engaging In More Physical Activity.

One final technique that can take your level of wellness to an all-time high is working physical activity into your life. Doing so will empower you to gain strength, build muscle, enhance your metabolism, lose weight or maintain your ideal weight, and attain more mental clarity. There are many ways that you can get started with the process of exercising regularly, and one is by purchasing home gym equipment from a company such as Smart Squat.

Conclusion

Once a person realizes that they’re no longer willing to settle for less than the best in terms of health, it’s time to put the strategic planning process in full swing. You can use some or all of the wellness strategies outlined above to keep yourself on track to attaining the high level of health you deserve to have!

 

4 Good Habits for Fostering Creativity

If you’re one of those people who make a living or get their enjoyment from being creative, then you’ll know that it’s an attribute that can feel all too fleeting. One day, our output seems extraordinary; at others, it seems like inspiration is a million miles away. But what if you could control your creative levels, wouldn’t that be something special? While you’ll never be able to have a tight grip on this elusive attribute, there are things you can do to make sure you have more of it. We take a look at a few methods below.

Source: Pexels.com

Spend Some Time Alone

There are some advantages to working with others, but if that’s all you’re doing, then you’ll be doing your creative side a disservice. Contrary to popular belief, collaboration doesn’t always result in a more creative output. If you spend time alone, then you’ll be narrowing in on your own thoughts and feelings, and that’s what you should be channelling into your artistic projects. It’s easy to get caught up in whatever’s popular, but this will only show that you have a sense of what’s trendy – and that’s a very different thing to creativity.

Kick the Vices

Another myth about creativity is that it is given a boost by alcohol and other illicit substances. This is not the case; there is a long list of artists who have had their promising career destroyed by drug and alcohol abuse. If you’re currently relying on mind-altering substances to open up your creative pathways and can’t seem to stop, then click here. Once you’re in a healthier position, you’ll find that your creative mind is much more productive.

Escape Your Echo Chamber

We’re all guilty of falling into a routine, walking the same way to and from work, listening to the same type of music and so on. While there are benefits to this way of living for normal types, if you’re creative, then you might be cutting off a good source of inspiration: diversity. If you can momentarily escape your echo chamber, then you might discover a new way of thinking or doing that propels your artistic side to the next level. It can be as simple as selecting a new way to get from A to B, visiting a city you’ve never been to before (and would ordinarily not visit), trying yoga, or tuning into a different radio station every now and again. Also, don’t underestimate the value of striking up a conversation with a person who you would not normally talk with!

Perseverance

Some creatives think that waiting for inspiration to strike is the worst sin of all. Because this feeling is so elusive, you could be waiting for a long time, and then when it does arrive, find that it only lasts for a few moments. Instead, foster your perseverance side. It’ll be the tool that allows you to sit down and get to work even when you don’t want to. Sometimes, just doing it is what it takes to get your project up and running.