Categories
Adulting Mental Health Parenting

4 Treats To Make A New Mom Feel Great

After having a baby, it’s normal for you to dedicate all of your time and energy to caring for your newborn. There’s much to get used to in those initial weeks, and you’ll be battling tiredness and finding a routine. As things start to settle, it’s ok to shift some of the focus back onto yourself. Your happiness is essential, and a treat could be just what you need to rediscover yourself and feel a little special. These four treats will make a new mom feel great and give you a little boost.

Make A New Mom Feel Great

1. Get Your Hair Done

After your baby’s arrival, washing your hair can be low down on your list of priorities, let alone styling it! Heading to the salon for a refresh can be good for your soul, helping you feel more like yourself. 

Take a look at some low-maintenance hairstyles to help you find a style that helps you feel great without having to put in too much work.

2. Brighten Up Your Smile

Being happy with your smile is an amazing way to find more confidence. Taking good care of your teeth can also benefit your health. Brite Smiles Dentistry can help you restore confidence in your smile through teeth whitening, straightening, and other procedures to help you enjoy the perfect smile. Make sure to keep up your dental appointments after having your baby, and talk to your dentist about your baby’s first appointment too.

3. Invest in Some New Skincare

Investing in new skincare is a wonderful treat for yourself. Paying attention to your skin can leave you looking youthful and glowing, even if you don’t feel that way. Taking a little time to yourself in the morning and at night will help you give your skin the TLC it needs to stay cleansed and hydrated. 

Build your morning skincare routine with some new products to leave your skin glowing with health.

4. Catch up With Your Friends 

Spending time with your friends can be the perfect treat to help you relax and rediscover your favorite things. A weekend brunch or evening dinner allows you to catch up with friends and spend time away from home. WhatsApp and phone calls are great, but there’s nothing like a catch-up with your friends to help boost your mood.

Treats To Make A New Mom Feel Great

There’s much to adjust to as a new mom, but you must take care of yourself. From taking care of your mental health to finding a little time to yourself, it all matters. Give yourself a little treat and enjoy a well-deserved boost. 

Categories
Health Healthy Living

Could You Do More To Take Better Care Of Your Teeth?

Never underestimate the importance of oral health. Healthy teeth and gums can keep your smile looking beautiful, but they can also help you boost your overall health. Not only that but keeping your teeth and gums healthy will help you avoid multiple trips to the dentist. While there are some basic things you can do to keep your teeth healthy, like brushing twice daily, there are other steps you can take to keep teeth and gums healthy. Take a look at the following tips to help you take better care of your teeth.

Do More To Take Better Care Of Your Teeth

Cut Down on Sugar

There are a lot of reasons why cutting down on sugar is good for your health. Not only can it reduce your risk of obesity or diabetes, but it’s also good for your oral health. Sugar is known to cause tooth decay, leaving your teeth and gums vulnerable. If you want to avoid cavities, try reducing the amount of sugar you consume and see the benefits it can have on your health.

Be More Rigorous When Flossing

Flossing is an essential part of your oral care. Flossing helps to get rid of the food that gets lodged between your teeth, helping to reduce plaque build-up. You can use traditional floss to help keep your teeth clean, but there are also ways to make flossing easier. An Airfloss or Waterpik could be a valuable tool to help you clean more effectively between your teeth.

Speak to Your Dentist About Your Smile

If you’re insecure about your smile or want to improve the appearance of your teeth, talk to your dentist about options. The Ashley Dental Center can help you with your basic dental care, but it can also help you with cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Making improvements to your teeth can help you feel more confident with your smile, but it could give you the motivation you need to give your teeth proper care.

Learn How to Spot the Signs of a Problem

It’s essential to pay close attention to your teeth so that you can easily spot the signs of a problem. From bleeding gums to sensitivity, these could be warning signs of a deeper issue. Don’t wait to take action. Get any issues checked out as soon as possible. Getting dental care right away is also an essential health tip to teach your kids to ensure they can enjoy healthy teeth and gums too. Assess your teeth regularly and get a regular check-up from the dentist to ensure that everything is in order.

Take Better Care Of Your Teeth

It’s easy to neglect your teeth, but there are many things you can do to keep them strong and healthy. From maintaining good daily habits to eating a healthy, balanced diet, you can give your teeth and gums the care they need. Take good care of your teeth, and they’ll take care of you in the future, too.

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living

How Do You Know What Excess Is Right For Your Medical Plan?

Excess in a medical insurance plan is the amount of money you pay if you make an insurance claim. How do you decide what excess is right for your medical plan? You might think it makes logical sense to go for the lowest excess possible, but the excess amount and the policy premiums work together. If you go for a low excess policy you can expect your premiums to be high. However, if you increase the excess of your worldwide health insurance plan, you can lower the premiums you pay monthly.

What Excess Is Right For Your Medical Plan

What Excess Is Right For Your Medical Plan?

Determining the right excess for your medical plan is all about finding the right balance. One mistake a lot of people make is increasing the excess amount too much. They, of course, do this so that they can lower the premium rate to the bare minimum. However, trouble arises when they fall ill and realize that they cannot afford the excess amount. You need to sit down and assess your finances. How much can you comfortably afford to pay per month? How much can you afford in a one-off payment if something was to go wrong? The whole point of taking out an international medical insurance plan is to provide yourself with financial protection. The last thing you want to do is put yourself in an even trickier predicament. 

Additionally, consider how likely it is that you are going to require medical treatment. Of course, there are no guarantees in life, which is why all people need some form of cover. Nevertheless, some individuals are more of a risk than others. Do you have a history of illness in your family? Do you have any pre-existing conditions? How many times have you been to the hospital in the past five years? By assessing these factors, you can determine whether it is going to be cheaper for you to go for a high excess plan or not.

Let’s explain this in further detail:

• If you deem yourself less likely to require medical treatment, you are probably best off raising your excess slightly. As you can lower your premiums, you can reduce the cost of your global health insurance plan overall. As you are less risk, there is a smaller chance of being in a position requiring you to pay the excess. 

• If you are more likely to require medical treatment, you should consider sticking with a low excess plan. As you are at higher risk, you are more likely to find yourself facing medical bills. Medical bills mean that you will need to pay the excess amount. In that case, it can work out a lot cheaper to lower the excess sum instead of your premium rates.

Keep In Mind

It is vital to stress that there are no guarantees, and calculating your probability of needing medical treatment and dental services should only result in small fluctuations in terms of excess amount. Just because you are fit and healthy does not mean you should put your excess amount up to an extremely high sum. Making sure you can afford both the excess and the premium amount should always be your first concern. Establish a cost range for both if this helps. You can use the other factors in this post to determine the best premium and excess amount while ensuring it is within the range you determined. 

The last thing you want to do is increase your policy premiums to such a high level that they essentially make your entire global health insurance plan void. No one wants to experience this, especially when they are unwell. So, carefully assess this aspect before taking out a policy. If you already have an international medical insurance plan, now is the time to assess your excess amount. If you don’t feel confident with what you have in place, give your insurer a call to discuss your options

Deciding What Excess Is Right For Your Medical Plan?

When figuring out what excess is right for your medical plan, consider the factors discussed here. You don’t want to pay more than you can afford each month, but you shouldn’t set yourself up for financial disaster if an illness arises.

Categories
Health Healthy Living Our Family Parenting

4 Essential Simple Health Tips To Teach Your Kids

The health of your kids is as important as your own, so you should teach them to be healthy. On busy nights, it might be easier to come up with excuses for eating fast food or not exercising three days in a row. Unfortunately, this can result in long-term health problems, and it sets a bad example for your kids. These health tips to teach your kids should be modeled by example, and it can be easy once you make it a habit.

Health Tips To Teach Your Kids

Health Tips To Teach Your Kids

Balance Your Diet 

A healthy diet is vital for a family. Children of overweight parents often develop bad eating habits as they grow up due to their parents’ bad eating habits. A well-balanced diet should include lots of vegetables and fruits for you and your family. Offer your children healthy snacks like nuts, berries, cheese and crackers, or popcorn if they ask for it. To start the day off right, make sure that everyone in the home eats a healthy breakfast.

Make Water The Number One Drink

Drinking water is essential, but it is also important to know what you are drinking as well as how much you are drinking. Children enjoy drinking soda, but instead of drinking that, they should drink water instead. Getting your children to drink water from an early age is a beneficial way to make sure that they will carry this healthy habit throughout their adult lives. In addition to water as the most appropriate beverage, there is nothing better than your Family Dentist recommending this as well. 

But when it comes to staying healthy with water, you also need to teach them that not all water is inherently healthy. As adults, you know when water tastes off, or if theres a weird color in the water. Plus, you know not to drink water from streams or natural bodies of water. But children don’t know that, and it’s something that they need to be taught. So, even when it comes to your home, is your tap water safe to drink? 

Some water companies are not nearly as cautious as they should be when it comes to safe drinking water, so you might always need to look into other companies like American Water. But with that said, you should teach your kids water safety and maybe even teach them about water filters, too.

Promote Good Sleep 

When you don’t get the right amount of rest, you can be affected in many ways, from feeling tired all of the time to reducing your concentration levels to affecting your metabolism. There will be times when you will have to stay up later during the night or when you will allow your kids to stay up late as a treat, but the whole family must get a good night’s sleep as frequently as possible. As with every schedule, keep one for bedtime that ensures that the entire family gets the proper rest and has a good night’s sleep. 

Medical Help 

If you make sure that you get the three main medical examinations you need, your children will continue getting those to the age of adulthood, and you will continue to do that for yourself. A dentist, a doctor, and an optician are all examples of these. Located in Wahroonga, Wahroonga Dental is a great family dentist that offers regular checkups for the whole family. 

Besides regular dental, medical, and vision checkups, addressing hearing health is equally important. Ensure early detection of any issues by scheduling regular hearing tests, especially if you notice your child struggling to respond to sounds. If needed, consult with a specialist who can provide suitable hearing aids to enhance their hearing ability, ensuring they do not miss out on any aspect of their development or daily interactions.

Making sure that your family is healthy and happy and healthy is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that. 

Health Tips To Teach Your Kids

There are several essential health tips to teach your kids, as described above. Get enough sleep and drink plenty of water as a starting point. You can then discuss exercising with your children and how to encourage them to include it in their daily lives.

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living How To Mental Health

5 Healthy Ways to Deal with Pressure in Life

As you go through life, you’ll have to deal with pressure on multiple occasions. You might experience it over something that’s happening at work and in your career. Or, it might be a more personal issue. No matter what’s causing it, what matters most is how you deal with pressure. By finding healthy ways to deal with it, you’ll lead a happier, more joyful life.

How to Deal with Pressure in Life

Find Time to Yourself

Finding the time to look after yourself and to pay attention to your own needs is important too. If you don’t have time for yourself and you’re also dealing with external pressure, it can get you down. So no matter what else is going on in life, make sure you have at least a little time for yourself so that you can take it easy and do what you enjoy.

Deal With Pressure by Letting Other People Help You

You can often end up feeling more stressed out and under pressure when you’re trying to take care of everything alone. But you don’t need to be the person that does everything. There are plenty of people around you or working alongside you who should be able to help and support you. So accept that help and don’t feel as if you need to suffer alone.

Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself

Being too hard on yourself is a trap that we all fall into from time to time. But it’s essential to notice that a lot of the time, the pressure you’re going through doesn’t come from external factors so much as it comes from yourself. Don’t put even more pressure on your shoulders and make things even worse. It’s a mistake lots of people make.

Find Healthy Outlets That Work for You

Think about how you can find a release or outlet for the feelings of pressure that you’re experiencing. For some people, that means relaxing with the help of marijuana and using preroll packaging and everything else that comes with that lifestyle. For others, working out and hitting the gym hard is the perfect outlet for this kind of thing. Whatever you choose to do, consult your doctor to make sure that it’s safe for you.

Take Things Slowly and One Step at a Time

Taking things one step at a time is the perfect way to ensure the stuff that’s going on in your life doesn’t completely overwhelm and consume you. Of course, you want to get through whatever makes you feel under pressure, but going too fast can worsen the situation. It’s much better to take things slowly and move one step at a time.

Deal with Pressure

There are many things you can do to deal with the pressure that’s on your shoulders in the healthiest way possible. Be sure to make the most of the tips and ideas discussed above to ensure that this pressure doesn’t get the best of you.

Categories
Health Parenting

4 of the Best Ways to Handle Little Injuries With Your Kids

Kids are great at injuring themselves. Without the experience of their parents, it can be all too easy for a child to make small mistakes that result in pain. Grazed knees, cut fingers, and many other injuries are common among children. Of course, you can’t stop injuries altogether, but you can work hard to deal with injuries properly. Learning the best way to handle little injuries with your kids can help your child stay calm while getting the necessary care.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

How to Handle Little Injuries

Bleeding

Bleeding can be very scary for a child, as they don’t understand that this is normal when they are injured. As long as the blood flow isn’t strong, you can usually solve this problem with ease, with bandaids and bandages offering the perfect tools to soak up a little bit of blood. Of course, if your child is bleeding heavily, you should take them to see a medical professional.

Swelling & Bruising

Swelling and bruising are part of your body’s natural injury recovery process, but they can also be very uncomfortable. In contrast, though, your body will also react to coldness by stopping swelling and bruising. This makes cold packs an excellent tool for parents, giving you the chance to help your child with their swelling as soon as an injury occurs. Accurate Gel Packs are a great tool for parents who are working to solve issues like this, giving you a cold pack that can live in the freezer until it is needed.

Pain

Pain isn’t something that anyone wants to live with, and children usually have a harder time when it comes to managing their pain. One way to alleviate this problem is to reduce the pain your child is feeling. Over-the-counter painkillers can be good for this, with loads of options available that are fine for children to use. You could also consider the idea of using cold packs to reduce the pain your child is feeling. It will always be worth making sure that they are not uncomfortable before you work on other areas.

Professional Support

It can be all too easy to assume that the injury your child has sustained isn’t serious. However, you can always be sure without a professional opinion. Finding professional medical support can be a good idea when you feel overwhelmed by an injury your child is experiencing. Not only will this help you get the right care, but it will also give you the chance to get advice for the future.

Handle Little Injuries With Care

These tips should help you prepare for handling injuries. Handling the injuries is easier than many parents expect, but you need to be careful to take the right steps.

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living How To

How To Take Care of Yourself After Contracting a Viral Infection

It’s common to contract a viral infection at some point in your life, and these infections can often be serious. Fortunately, there are ways you can take care of yourself after contracting one so that you’ll feel better faster. If you have been diagnosed with a viral infection, these tips for how to take care of yourself can help.

Take Care of Yourself After Contracting a Viral Infection

1. Drink plenty of fluids

When you have a viral infection, it’s essential to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will help your body flush out the virus quickly so that you can recover faster. To avoid dehydration, drink at least eight glasses of water every day while you are ill. Drink water in addition to any other beverages or liquids you may consume throughout the day as well. 

If drinking enough fluids becomes too difficult, ask someone to help by bringing over drinks during their visit with you. It might also be helpful to keep several bottles of water nearby where you can easily reach them without getting up.

2. Rest your body

Your body needs some time to rest after contracting a virus so that it can recover. You’ll want to make sure you are getting plenty of sleep, and if possible, staying in bed for most of the day. If you have children at home, ask someone else to take over caring for them until you feel better again. Asking for help is important because taking care of others when you’re sick could lead to worsening conditions such as pneumonia.

Also, try not to engage in strenuous physical activity during this time either. Finally, if possible, keep your bedroom cool with additional blankets and avoid turning up the heat inside the room.

3. Stay at home

It’s best to stay away from others as much as you can when dealing with a viral infection. During your recovery time, avoid going out in public, especially if the symptoms are visible.

4. Take your medication

Follow the dosage instructions on your medication bottle carefully, and keep enough of it at home so that you don’t run out of your chronic uveitis treatments. If you are sick for more than two days or have to take prescription medicine, then contact your doctor immediately. 

Contacting your doctor is especially important if symptoms become worse despite taking the correct medications already. Your doctor may prescribe additional drugs to help combat this illness as well. Still, prescriptions should only be taken under the supervision of a medical professional who knows what they’re doing. In most cases, viral infections go away without needing treatment from anyone else, though.

Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself after contracting a viral infection often means making changes throughout your routine until you feel better. If you follow these steps, though, it’s likely that you’ll be back to normal in no time at all!

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health Travel

4 Perfect Ideas for Taking A Trip For Self-Care

When we think about self-care, we typically think about things we can do at home, during our free time, to soothe ourselves and enjoy a little peace. However, if you want the best in calming, self-affirming, and self-loving experiences, then there are plenty of options worth leaving home for. Here are a few experiences you should consider when taking a trip for self-care.

Picture – CC0 LiSourcense

Ideas for Taking A Trip For Self-Care

1. Take Yourself on a Date

Taking yourself on a date doesn’t have to be well-planned or intricately set up. Instead, you can go anywhere you want, including the grocery store, theater, or for a walk to the park. Taking yourself on a date allows you to indulge in the things you want to do without the need for someone else’s validation. Spending time alone can help you get back to what you enjoy, rather than what you think you should be doing.

2. Organize a Spa Trip

It might be a cliche answer, but that’s because it does work. There are few places you can go designed to pamper you and speak to each one of your senses. Finding a local destination spa can help you indulge in the treatments that offer the most comfort, be it steaming in a sauna, getting a massage, or having your aching feet taken care of. Of course, spas have health benefits well beyond pampering you, too. They can be great for easing aches and pains all over your body, as well.

3. Get Away From it All

Finding a meditative state can ease your worries, allowing you to be in the present moment without pressures or anxieties. If you have trouble finding that state on your own, or you want to experience it at its most potent, then floating might just become your new thing. Float pods erase all sense of the outside world, creating a sensation of weightlessness that can feel like being transported to a new world. It’s not for everyone, but those who enjoy it find it to be amongst the most relaxing experiences.

4. Become More Aware of Yourself

Not a treatment offered at the traditional day spa, you might need to travel a little further to find it, but biofeedback treatments can provide a whole new experience of relaxation. With sensors and display monitors, you can see your heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, and how they affect your mood. Over time, focusing on these measurements and how your thoughts and breathing exercises affect the results, you can control them. As you control them, it helps with stress, headaches, and even high blood pressure.

Taking A Trip For Self-Care

A self-care excursion away from home, whether it’s simply going out for the day or even taking the weekend to yourself, can be the perfect way to manage your sense of balance during a busy and stressful life. Have you ever considered taking a trip for self-care? Where would you go? Let us know in the comments. 🙂

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living How To Life

1 In 5 People Have Bad Breath – Halitosis Explained

Halitosis, known as bad breath, is a common occurrence. Understanding halitosis in detail can help you overcome the issue and get your breath smelling better. Many people know that they have bad breath, but they feel too nervous or scared to speak with someone about it. However, it is normal, and there are plenty of things you can do to combat it.

Below, we will explore the different reasons why bad breath happens. Plus, we will also give you some great tips to follow so that you can stop worrying.

Why Does Bad Breath Occur? 

Bad breath can occur for several reasons. It usually originates in the mouth itself. In most cases, it’s bacteria living on the back of the tongue below the gum line.

Causes include medications, dental problems, mouth infections, health problems, a dry mouth, poor dental hygiene, tobacco products, and certain foods, such as garlic, cheese, and fish.

You will notice that poor dental hygiene is one of the causes mentioned. Simply keeping up with your appointments at your local dental office can make a big difference when it comes to ensuring your breath smells fresh. Your dentist will also be able to determine whether any other oral health problems could be causing an issue.

How Can You Prevent Bad Breath?

You don’t want people to hold their nose around you, so it’s good to know how to stop bad breath.

  • Avoid foods containing refined carbohydrates, and opt for foods rich in fiber.
  • Drink black and green teas, as they reduce oral bacteria. They offer additional health benefits too.
  • Clean your mouth after eating dairy products, meat, and fish.
  • Stop smoking and avoid drying medication unless essential. 
  • Drink plenty of water and use mouthwash, yet choose one that is not alcohol-based, as alcohol makes the mouth dry.

Choosing a Dentist

If you don’t have a regular dentist, you may feel nervous and apprehensive about going to a new dental clinic with bad breath. Remember that your dentist has seen it all before, so you have nothing to worry about.

Furthermore, if you take the time to select a dentist with a good reputation, it will make everything smoother. Read feedback that has been left by patients so that you can ensure the dentist is caring and puts patients at ease.

Bad Breath is Common, but You Can Fix It

All things considered, you are not alone if you suffer from halitosis, but there are options available.

Categories
Health Healthy Living

4 Foods That Help Maintain Your Oral Health

Your oral cavity is a sensitive part of your body, and what you put in there can impact your oral health. Some foods cause tooth decay, while others fight mouth bacteria. Admittedly, the American diet comprises several processed foods that can affect teeth and gum health. Already, 70% of most packaged foods in the country are ultra-processed. Ultra-processed means it contains high quantities of saturated fats, additives, and salt. Plus, the high sugar content is unhealthy for the teeth. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to determine your food choices based on how they affect your oral health. 

Foods to Help Maintain Your Oral Health

1. Fiber-Rich Fruits

Fruits like bananas, apples, pear, oranges, and those from the berry family contain up to four grams of fiber. Meanwhile, guava has a whopping nine grams in a single fruit. More importantly, fiber-rich fruits contain high quantities of Vitamin C, making them natural plaque fighters. According to studies, biting into fiber-rich foods provides an opportunity to massage the gums, increasing blood circulation.

Additionally, these fruits contain enzymes that stimulate salivation. Stimulation leads to the neutralization of bacterial acids in the mouth. Do you know that saliva has calcium and phosphate traces? According to research, these mineral traces tend to increase automatically after eating fiber-rich fruits. That is good news for your oral cavity. However, if you’re not sure about the health of your mouth and teeth, dental experts such as those found at Sunrise Dental Studio can be of help.

2. Leafy Green Vegetables

Also known as leafy greens, these are vegetables with natural prebiotics that healthy oral flora feeds on. While providing support for beneficial bacteria in your mouth, leafy vegetables contribute to the production of the nitrate-reducing oral microbiome. Darker leafy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, collard greens, and kale are better options if you desire a healthier mouth.

The darker green it is, the more riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, and folic acid it will contain. Although other leafy greens such as arugula, chard, some cabbage types, etc., may not necessarily have a darker green color, they play significant roles in ensuring a healthy oral cavity. 

3. Fiber-Fed Dairy and Dairy Products

The concentration on fiber-fed dairy supports America’s move to rely only on cattle fed on healthy amounts of roughage. This is necessary to enhance ruminants’ digestion and bowel movements. So you can be assured that dairy from these fiber-fed cattle has high amounts of healthy trace minerals, calcium, and proteins and are safe for human consumption.

Therefore, cheese, plain yogurt, milk, etc., are excellent for oral health. More importantly, they replenish your tooth enamel with minerals it may have lost from years of chewing and old age. Again, these foods improve saliva production, which is healthy for washing away toxic (from unhealthy foods) residue in the mouth.

4. Fatty Fish

Do not be appalled by the description of this food source. In very healthy amounts, it will not add to your weight or increase blood cholesterol. Meanwhile, a lesser-known fact about fatty fish is the high concentration of Vitamin D. This nutrient keeps the teeth and bones strong. Even better, it helps to keep tooth decay at bay. Additionally, Vitamin D binds with other healthy trace minerals to supply calcium to the teeth. For all its benefits, fatty fish can be a regular feature at the dinner table.

Maintain Your Oral Health

Maintaining your oral health should be a priority. While brushing after each meal and using strengthening or whitening products can help, your diet can, too. How important is your oral health to you? Leave a comment and let us know if you’d be willing to change your diet to improve your oral health!