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InsideThe Healing Power of Friendship pg 1

The 5 Most Common Dental Myths pg 2

Pioneers of Assisted Living in the Netherlands pg 2

Put a Pause on Morning Fatigue pg 3

Healthy Pumpkin Granola pg 3

Why You Need to Pay Yourself First pg 4

This newsletter produced & printed by the Newsletter Pro www.TheNewsletterPro.com

celebrating your friends? After all, we have plenty of holidays that are intended to celebrate specific family members (Grandparents Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day), but no holidays specifically targeted toward the whole family and friendship. Unfortunately, the United States is a bit behind the times in that sense.

Take, for example, Argentina. In 1969, inspired by the moon landing’s ability to unite the human race, Enrique Ernesto Febbraro, a native of Argentina and all-around Renaissance man, spent the years following Apollo 11 writing thousands of letters to hundreds of countries in an effort to establish July 20 as Friend’s Day, or Dia del Amigo.

It took nearly four decades for the holiday to catch on, but by 2005, the number of people celebrating Friend’s Day in Argentina led to a breakdown of the mobile phone network in Buenos Aires and surrounding cities. By 2011, the International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly under the belief that friendship between cultures can inspire efforts of peace — and it has since been celebrated by several South American and European countries.

Likewise in Israel, an 11-year-old girl was inspired by her own mother to petition for a special day to celebrate mothers everywhere. For nearly 30 years the Israelis celebrated Mother’s Day on the 30th of Shvat. However, in the 1980s, “Mother’s Day” transformed into “Family Day:” A day to celebrate the mutual love within a family. On this day, the people of Israel are encouraged to show their family love and appreciation, not through gifts, but through time and attention. With that in mind, as you prepare to sit down for your Thanksgiving feast, I encourage you to consider adopting a Friendsgiving tradition, or, at the very least, reflect on the important friendships you have in your life. After all, to paraphrase The Beatles, we get by with a little help from our friends. While you’re at it, don’t forget to show your family members just how much they mean to you … on Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.

I was chatting with an old friend of mine recently and felt inspired by a unique Thanksgiving tradition he had started with his group of friends. In his world, Thursday is a traditional Thanksgiving celebration for him and his family, but Friday is Friendsgiving, a day to celebrate with friends and show them how thankful he is to have them in his life. This tradition, while new, has already strengthened the bond within this group of friends as they struggle to maintain their relationships into adulthood (as we all do).

In fact, studies show that while adolescents spend nearly one third of their time developing and maintaining friendships, that number dwindles below 10 percent by the time we reach adulthood. A lot of you might be thinking, “So what?” But those same studies show that developing and maintaining friendships can have a profound effect on your mental and physical well-being. People with close friends are less likely to catch a cold, suffer from high blood pressure, or fall prey to a cognitive disease.

On the other hand, those without close friends are more likely to face depression, neglect their bodies, and suffer from a weakened immune system. Some researchers even believe that healthy friendships lead to decreased mortality, while loneliness and isolation can result in an early demise. With that in mind, shouldn’t we be doing everything within our power to promote the importance of friendship? Friendsgiving is a good start, but why not devote an entire day to

THE HEALING POWER OF

If you’ve studied personal finance, you’ve probably heard the tip to always pay yourself first. Well, it sounds great, but in the real world, there are bills to pay, right? Yes — and you represent one of those bills!

Why is paying yourself first such an important habit in personal finance? For one thing, it reminds you that you matter. Your own savings aren’t just an afterthought — they’re the priority! It’s empowering to know that your future comes first.

Second, paying yourself first helps you get money stashed away in spite of human nature. Generally, people will spend money on bills, followed by fun, and save whatever’s left over. It’s much better to change the order so that you save first, before you can think of a reason not to save — and then adjust your bills and lifestyle for the remainder of your income.

Friendship

Third, that money saved will come in handy. If you learn to live on less and save 5 or 10 percent of your income, you’ll always have a life preserver to fall on. That lump sum you’ve built could cover you during an emergency, go toward a down payment on a home, or start compounding interest for you in a retirement fund!

With so many compelling reasons to pay yourself first, you may be asking, how do you do it? The key is automation. Start by signing up for your company’s 401(k) plan and arrange for automatic deductions from your paycheck into that account. If your company doesn't offer a 401(k) plan, then open a high-interest savings account or a Roth IRA and set up automatic transfers from your paycheck or from your regular savings account. You should view this separate account as untouchable except in very special circumstances.

Start small rather than waiting to save. If it’s hard, start with just 1 percent of your income monthly: a penny out of every dollar you earn. Then raise it from there when possible.

If finances are so tight that you can’t spare anything right now, rededicate yourself to getting a raise at work or a better job, and pledge to allocate that additional money as savings. Instead of seeing it as an insurmountable obstacle, see paying yourself first as a challenge that will reap huge rewards for you in the future — because it will!

WHY YOU NEED TO Pay Yourself First

Wrigleyville Dental is Expanding! We are now looking for new Dental Assistants and Receptionists. Please send your resume and cover letter to

Megan@WrigleyvilleDental.com.

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MORNING FATIGUE

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a very large bowl, combine coconut flakes, almond meal, dates, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, and pecans.

3. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup (if you're using it), pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.

4. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are thoroughly coated.

5. Spread the granola in a thin layer on the baking sheet.

6. Cook for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup almond meal• 1½ cups sliced almonds• 1½ cups coconut flakes,

coarsely chopped• 1 cup pumpkin seeds• 1 cup pecans, chopped• 1 cup dried cranberries• ½ cup Medjool dates,

coarsely chopped• ½ cup coconut oil• 1 tbsp. maple syrup or Stevia

or coconut sugar (optional sweetener)

• ½ cup pumpkin puree• 1 tsp. pumpkin

pie spice• 1 tsp. cinnamon

People will believe anything these days, so it’s time to set the record straight. Rumors abound when it comes to oral health. Take it from us, and don’t be fooled by the most common dental myths.

Hogeway, in Weesp, the Netherlands, is a village unlike any other. On first glance, it looks like any other neighborhood in the area. There are homes surrounding a town square, there is a local supermarket, restaurants, a hair salon, pub, and even a movie theater. But what sets this small community apart are its residents. The members of the Hogeway village all have one thing in common: They’ve all been diagnosed with severe dementia.

Hogeway is an alternative and innovative living arrangement for individuals with dementia. Residents have the opportunity to go outdoors, shop at the supermarket, and otherwise enjoy themselves, without being confined to one room.

Hogeway village was a dream of nursing home manager Yvonne van Amerongen in 1992. After watching her father pass away without ever living in a nursing home facility, Amerongen was relieved. When she realized the implications of her relief — that she wouldn’t wish on her own father the experience of living in the nursing home she managed — she set out to change the way people thought about elderly care and assisted living. Hogeway was officially opened in 2009.

The concept and design at Hogeway has gained global attention, and it has served as a model for the future of dementia care.

Aspirin in Contact With a Tooth Will Alleviate Pain For best results, aspirin must make contact with the source of pain through the bloodstream. When aspirin enters the digestive tract, it blocks pain messages from the injured body part to the brain, which

decreases the amount of pain you feel. Placing an aspirin on your teeth and gums would be as ineffective as placing it on your head to relieve a headache. The message-blocking properties would never make it through tooth enamel to relieve pain. Plus, direct contact of aspirin on gums can leave acidic chemical burns. As if the toothache wasn’t bad enough!

Stop Brushing Bleeding GumsOften, people take bloody gums as a sign to stop brushing altogether. Not true! Ongoing gum bleeding is usually the result of plaque and

HEALTHY

Pumpkin Granola

With every cup of coffee in the morning, you hope for a burst of energy so you can get things done, but sometimes that boost never comes. If you’re looking for surefire ways to boost your energy in the morning and throughout the day, try a couple of these tricks!

WATCH A CAT VIDEO

When you start to feel the urge to take a nap, jump on YouTube and watch cat videos (or any other video that makes you say "aww"). You might be asking, “How will cat videos keep me awake?” It comes down to how the brain works. When we watch cute animal videos, our brain releases oxytocin, a “feel-good” hormone. When oxytocin is released in the brain, levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) are reduced. Cat videos (and puppy videos, too!) boost our mood and energy.

GROOVE IT

When your jam comes on the radio or turn on your favorite music app, get up and dance! A quick dance can jumpstart your energy to defeat the morning lull. You can also sprint around the block or office for the same effect — leaving you with a burst of energy. Listening to your favorite tunes releases dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin in the brain, helping you get a feel-good start to your day.

WATER YOURSELF

One of the best things you can do for your body and your energy level right this second is to drink a glass of water. When we’re dehydrated, our bodies become stressed. Stress leads to fatigue and confusion. Even minor dehydration can have a profound impact on our ability to focus. When you start to feel your attention drifting and have a hard time keeping your eyes open, reach for the water.

dental debris stuck along the gum line. When it sits too long, gums become inflamed and irritated. The best course of action to alleviate gum bleeding is to brush! Brush gently and floss regularly, and the bleeding should subside. If there are just a few spots that consistently bleed, pay more attention to them and keep brushing/flossing in that area. The bleeding should go away within two weeks. If not, see your dentist.

White Teeth are the Most HealthyWhile pearly, pearly whites look great, they’re not necessarily an indicator of perfectly healthy teeth. For one, teeth vary in shades of white and yellow from person to person. Second, just because teeth look white doesn’t mean they’re not infected or damaged by cavities in any way. You can also over-whiten to make them look fake, and that's what we call "toilet-bowl white" — a fancy clinical term.

Dental X-rays Have a Lot of RadiationAlthough there was more radiation exposure with traditional film X-rays, the new digital X-rays (like the ones we have in our office) emit 90 percent less

radiation. You are exposed to 10 times more radiation by flying in a jet plan for 2 hours, 20 times more by sleeping next to someone for a year, and 70 times more by living in a brick building for a year. So the new digital X-rays are much safer than you think. More about this later ...

You Don’t Need to Care for Baby TeethWhy bother caring for baby teeth? They’re just going to fall out anyway, right? Eventually, yes, but it’s important to keep them healthy until then to prevent further damage to the adult teeth. Proper care for baby teeth ensures that they don't fall out too early as a result of bacterial decay. If baby teeth are unhealthy, a child’s adult bite can undergo serious damage and will most definitely need braces, or worse, surgery. It’s important to know the facts before you engage in behavior that can hurt your teeth. However, if problems or pain for any reason persists, call us to make an appointment as soon as possible. We’re here to ensure your smile is the best it can be!

THE 5 MOST COMMON DENTAL MYTHS We Set the Record Straight

HOGEWAY "DEMENTIA VILLAGE"

PUT A PAUSE ON

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