If you think going to a dentist is only about stopping a toothache or turning a crooked toothed grin into a dazzling Hollywood smile, think again. The condition of your teeth and gums can affect your entire body. Toxic teeth can be a source of illness and poor health. Holistic dentists are particularly interested in helping you ride your mouth of any toxins that may be taking a toll on your general health. That includes removing amalgam fillings, which contain toxic mercury, and replacing them with nontoxic gold or composite fillings. Holistic dentistry specialists also try to be less invasive in their treatments than other dentists are.Holistic dentistry is not a recognized specialty like orthodontics or periodontics. Most holistic dentists have had extensive training through continuing education courses, but there is no certification given by any state. There is a Holistic Dentistry Society, which most dentists who practice this type of dentistry would be a part of, and this is a good source for finding a list of holistic dentists.Practitioners of holistic dentistry approach the mouth as a microcosm of the entire body. Rather than using materials like mercury, which is believed to have adverse effects on the body, holistic dentists opt for more benign substances, like porcelain, gold or plastic for fillings and crowns. They also refrain from using fluoride and laughing gas, use x-rays sparingly, substitute homeopathic remedies for antibiotics or pain relievers and utilize vitamins or stress management techniques before resorting to surgery.Dental problems such as cavities, root canals and gum disease are commonly viewed simply as uncomfortable, anxiety producing annoyances. In fact, these can lead to a variety of infections in the body. The potentially harmful consequences are little known because conventional dentistry treats the moth as if it were separate from the rest of the body. The assumption is that once the problem is corrected there is no further cause for concern.Biological or holistic dentistry on the other hand, supports the view that infections of the teeth, gums and other areas in the mouth can spread bacteria, viruses and other toxins. This can depress the immune system, which, in turn can lead to disease. Conventional dentistry neglects these connections and treats only the symptoms of the overall problems.Teeth contain tubules, and these can harbor billions of germs. These microorganisms can then spread to infect the lymph, blood and nerve networks to activate severe illnesses anywhere in the body including the heart, kidneys, joints, endocrine system, nervous system and brain. Holistic dentistry practitioners therefore devote part of their attention to eliminating toxic dental materials, ensuring that infections do not emerge or remain in area where they often go unnoticed. They also work to minimize other stresses to the immune system. Of course, they also deal with common dental ailments.Holistic dentists represent a small but steadily growing number of dentists in the United States. More dentists are incorporating holistic approaches into their practices without necessarily declaring themselves to be holistic dentists. At this time, the American Dental Association does not recognize holistic dentistry as a specialty. Like most other dentists, the majority of holistic dentists work in private practice.Like conventional dentist, holistic dentists in all 50 states must be licensed. In most states, in order to take the test, you must graduate from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation and pass written and practical exams. Holistic dentistry is not presently considered a specialty, so only a general license is necessary for holistic dental practitioners.Holistic dentistry requires even more continual learning than conventional dentistry. All dentists are required to take 36 hours of continuing education every two years. Some holistic dentists may take as many as 125 hours per year to keep up with developments in areas such as homeopathy, aromatherapy, or nutrition in addition to conventional education.

It’s very rare that I will write, comment or otherwise vent online but after thinking the idea over I’ve decided to share a few of my thoughts with you about what fitness is, what it’s really about and who should be considered fit. Of course this is only my opinion at this point in history, but it deserves being mentioned nevertheless. I’m writing this, admittedly, out of disappointment. I read fit people’s articles, newsletters and blogs constantly in order to learn and improve myself in this industry we call fitness but lately I’ve come across a number of very fit people drawing lines in the sand (regarding what fitness is), that, in my opinion, don’t really need to be there.Now you’ve heard me say it a million times! Fitness (technically) is usually defined in a way that has something to do with having optimal levels of:cardiovascular endurance,
muscular endurance,
muscular strength,
flexibility,
body composition (fat vs. lean body mass)While this is true and I certainly agree, I think what we are talking about is a quantitative way to look at a qualitative issue. Yea sports are quantitative. How much, how many, how low, how high, how strong, how far, how big, how long – these are things we associate quite often with sport. In America we tend to be a quantitative society. We want to know how much money a person has, who has the most friends, who spends the most on clothes, who has the lowest body fat percentage, who can bench press the most weight and who can run the longest distance in the least amount of time. We are obsessed with numbers, quantities and keeping score.So I raise the question: Is physical fitness really a quantitative thing? Or could it be that physical fitness is a qualitative thing? Maybe a combination of both? What do you think?The only thing I can say about this is that (to me) physical fitness is more than how many times you can lift a weight, how far you can run or if you are flexible enough to put your feet behind your head or not. To me physical fitness is about things that cannot always be measured with numbers, it’s about more than a number, a weight, a distance, a score.I tell my clients that we all have strengths and weaknesses at various points in our lives. At 24 years of age I had 9% body fat year-round, I could squat 700 pounds and bench press 405 pounds for reps. I can’t do that anymore. But I can do 35 pull-ups, stand on a stability ball for just about as long as I want and touch my face to my knee when stretching, all things I could not do as a beast-boy 24-year-old. So was I more fit then or now?Take a look at the people around you. What’s their story? What are their experiences? Are they fat? Are they too skinny? Maybe they’re really weak and can’t lift much weight. Maybe they have a low-level of endurance and can’t run very far before getting winded. Think about it for a moment then ask yourself: if perhaps their current level is better than it was previously, does the fact that they don’t live up to your idea of what fitness should be really matter? If you think about any of these things they all depend on one thing: your perception of that person. I take the stance that fitness evolves as a person passes through life. What you thought about fitness early in your life may not be the same idea you have about fitness later on. I encourage you to embrace fitness throughout your life no matter what face it currently has.Improve! Get better in some way. You may not always be able to do what you did as a young person but there are ways where you can become even better than you were. And I’ve seen people who were very sedentary as young people who have steadily improved their physical fitness level as they’ve aged. One client of mine, Lisa, told me she’s (in her 60s) in the best shape of her adult life. Isn’t that what fitness is about? If you really think about fitness, isn’t it about getting better, improving and doing what you need to do to feel better about yourself and your physical body? Aren’t those things mostly about quality and not quantity?I think so. I think fitness has an infinite number of faces and takes on an unlimited number of characteristics. I encourage you to try not to see fitness in such a narrow scope that you forget that fitness, above all, is about people. It’s about people getting better, not being the best. Fitness is not a sport, it’s not a race and no one is keeping score. Fitness is about you as an individual. You may be a phenomenally successful athlete like Lance Armstrong or Drew Brees (both fit people) or you may be like my client Lisa (also a fit person) who in her 60s decided she wanted to walk with more energy, feel more stable and be able to play with her grandchildren.Now I encourage you to consider this: Lisa can honestly say that she is in the best shape of her adult life, can Lance Armstrong currently say the same thing? So which person’s fitness level serves them best? I’ll let you decide.Try to think of fitness as something that is inclusive, not exclusive. Sports are wonderful and in order to have a winner we have to keep score and compare one against the other. I encourage you to leave the score keeping to the athletes on the field-of-play, and only on the field-of-play, and not in the day-to-day activities that people lead in their pursuit of fitness.Pursue Fitness for Life!

You can now buy the fitness wristbands online, and boost your regular exercising routine. Whether you choose from the Fitbit brand, or you choose the Garmin Vivosmart, they just give you enough moments to track and measure your fitness, to stay fit and free from ailments.Most fitness trackers have options for monitoring heart beat rate and they also have sleep tracking modes as well as provisions for giving you smart notifications about how to conduct your daily exercise routine.
These trackers are simple and easy to wear, as you can wear them just as you do, in case of your wristbands, adding much to your style quotient.Top 4 fitness wristbands in 2016 that you can choose from online portals:The jawbone UP3: There are many fitness wristbands online, but if you choose this one, then you can have the best sleep monitoring features. Apart from measuring the respiration rate and the blood pressure. This tracker can furnish you with both light and deep forms of sleep statistics, and you can use this fitness band for your regular and routine activities.
The Microsoft band 2 for running: Among most notable fitness trackers, this product from Microsoft is a fine blend of style and complete utility. It looks stylish, sleek and up-to-date, and it is recharged with all the modern features like accurate tracking of run, sleep and exercise, 24×7 heart rate monitoring and advanced GPS notifications, that make your fitness quotient quite enviable to most around you.
The Garmin Vivosmart HR: It is the best fitness tracker for notifications. With advanced optical systems that operated fully to give you the ultimate fitness tracking guide, this band is the ideal one, if you want to stay alert about your daily fitness activities. This device is available at a decent price, and you can easily find many colors to suit your style, if you choose from the online portals.
With the redesigned action clip, the Misfit shine 2 can be your best friend: If you have been worries about the old-fashioned wrist bands clinging on to your wrist, then you can try this one, among the best fitness trackers of 2016. If you are eager to buy fitness wristbands online, then the Misfit shine 2 gives you enough opportunity to carry on with your swimming sports and under-water activities with the Smartphone notification and the waterproofing device feature.There are many brands of fitness trackers that are available online, but you must choose the reputed ones, after considering your prior bodily requirements and the budget that you have.