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Tag Archives: health

The Truth about Invisalign Teen

03 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

health, Trends

Thank you, Invisalign for sponsoring today’s post.

Don’t hate me because my teeth are straight. I was born this way.

Stefanie  VanAken RockStarMomLV.com

They may look perfect now, but as a youth, I had the biggest gap between my two front teeth for the longest time. My brother and I would have spitting contests in the pool to see who could shoot water between their teeth the farthest…I always won. I remember asking my mom if I was going to need braces because of this gap, that at the time felt like the width of train tunnel, but her and my dentist reassuringly said, “No,” every time. The dentist was confident the gap would close as my adult teeth came in, and he was right. By the time I got to the awkward stage of having to wear glasses and deal with zits, at least I no longer had to also be concerned with the gap between my teeth. “Mind the gap,” keeps playing through my head. My brother, on the other hand, was not quite as fortunate, and went through a series of retainers, permanent retainers, then finally braces. My husband, the same thing. So now with our four kiddos, I’m banking on the fact that at least 50% of them are going to need braces. My money is on my twins who still, at the age of 4, suck their thumb on a regular basis.

thumb suckers | Photo By Stefanie Van Aken RockStarMomLV.com

Amazingly, the pediatric dentist I take my children to doesn’t think braces are in the future of my two older children. They both sucked a pacifier relentlessly until my son was 5 and my daughter, 3. Somehow, their teeth managed to maintain their space, their mouth maintained its shape, and he says they look good. The twins, he said, is a whole other story. Fortunately, they are 4, so this gives us about 8 years until all their adult teeth grow in and we start having the braces conversation. I am hoping that the sucking and pulling from their thumb did not change the shape of their mouths so horribly that they need something prior to that; one of them already has a pretty bad underbite, but his mouth was also like that at birth. Time will tell, I suppose, but in the meantime, I can’t help but think of the costs and daily routine that will go into bringing their teeth back to straight.

Invisalign compare to braces

When I think back to all my friends in high school who had the traditional metal braces, I feel grateful to have avoided that “rite of passage”. The food getting stuck in their teeth, the days they had to have their bands tightened and couldn’t eat from the pain, and the humiliation some of them felt from have a “metal mouth” and not ever wanting to smile or be in pictures. It makes me sad, and I don’t want that for my kids. Of course, I would do whatever it takes to make sure their “awkward years” are not too awkward, as I’m sure one of them will end up with braces AND glasses- the horror! After learning more about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen, am fairly certain this will be the first option we explore for the boys.

Here are some important facts I learned about Invisalign:

  • Invisalign Teen clear aligners are removable and can straighten teeth without a mouth full of metal and all the disruption and sacrifice that comes with it.
  • With Invisalign, Teens can play sports without fear of injury and continue cheerleading, musical instruments, acting and singing without interference. Because it’s removable, brushing and flossing is easy and no food restrictions to worry about either.
  • Invisalign Teen eliminates emergency ortho visits for broken wires and brackets and requires fewer appointments since several aligner sets are provided in advance.
  • Invisalign Teen costs about the same as braces.
  • Invisalign Teen is covered by most dental insurance policies just like traditional braces — up to 50% of the cost may be covered by insurance.

I like the idea of not having to disrupt out regular routine too much in order to fix, replace or adjust the trays, since there are 4 kids I will be catering to, and one small change in family routine can leave a huge impact on the rest of the family. Not to mention costs and emotional therapy we will need to provide them through the pre-teen and teen-age years. But, what I like the most about the Invisalign Teen aligners? Check this out:

Myth: I won’t be able to tell if my child is wearing Invisalign often enough for it to be effective.

Setting it Straight: Invisalign Teen aligners are made with small blue dots, officially called compliance indicators, that gradually fade as aligners are worn. It’s a quick visual check for parents and teens to confirm they wearing aligners long enough to get results. In fact, clinical data from orthodontists confirms that teens wear their aligners an average of 21 hours per day, just as recommended.

Nice, right? Almost like the whole if you pee in the pool the water turns red around you theory, except with Invisalign, the Blue Dot theory is true, and already put into place to help keep an eye on the proper usage of your teen. Moms really do have eyes everywhere!! And, get this, the other day, I was picking up my 19 year-old cousin from school. He was sitting in the front seat and as we were chatting I did a double take on his teeth. I asked him if he was wearing Invisalign, and he said, “yes!”. When I asked him for how long, he said, a few months now. Wow. Didn’t even notice. Check out his graduation photo taken during his Invisalign treatments (though he wasn’t wearing them in this photo):

Tyler_Invisallign

On board to check out Invisalign or Invisalign Teen? Just keep this in mind as you search for orthodontists* in your area:

Not all orthodontists specialize in Invisalign Teen. Visit www.invisalign.com and select “find a doctor” to locate experienced Invisalign and Invisalign Teen doctors in your area.

*Please note that not all Invisalign providers have iTero scanners in their offices and some utilize traditional impressions. There is a symbol used on the Doctor Locator to indicate whether a provider uses the iTero scanner.

Intrigued? Here’s your chance to enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for a chance to win free Invisalign treatment. Enter through September 30th!

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How to Enter the Straight Talk Sweepstakes for your chance to win an Invisalign treatment: 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

As a lifestyle blogger, I was asked to host a Straight Talk party for Invisalign and invited other social media influencers to listen to myths and facts about Invisalign and Invisalign Teen from a local, Las Vegas based orthodontist who is an Invisalign provider. All words and opinions are my own.

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Food, health, thoughts on 39

Today’s Thoughts on 39 post is brought to you by Skinny Limits, a juicing company based out of Austin, Texas.

January is just as exciting a month to me as any. For me, it is a time of renewal, refresh, recharge, all the “re-” words work really well for me January. Amongst the to-do list: clean out the bedrooms, closets, and storage spaces, reorganize, donate and dump, make resolutions, and get my body back into a clear and clean mental and physical state. The holidays usually take the best of me. By the time New Year’s Day rolls around I am completely drained, and lucky if I’m not sick. This year especially was a doozy, and I was looking forward to taking my life back again during the month of January. I love to jump start my physical and mental being by doing a cleanse before I jump right back into the old work out routine. And, I’m always down for trying something new, even more so when it works with my daily life and my conscientious efforts of eating as clean as possible. Skinny Limits, a juicing company based out of Austin, Texas, invited me to try and review their 3-day juicing cleanse. I eagerly accepted the challenge.

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

Now, before you go jumping into a juicing cleanse of any kind, it is super important to think about some things:

  • Am I mentally in place where I can handle this challenge? You may think not eating solid foods for three days doesn’t sound too bad. But the reality really starts to kick in the end of that first 24-hours that your body is really craving solid substances. This can cause side affects like loss of cool (your temper), headaches, and fatigue, to just name a few. What I’m saying is, think about what your next 3, 5, 7 days are going to be like before you jump in- is your Significant Other out of town? Are you kids in school or out of school? Is there a life event coming up where you would want to eat, drink and be merry? Can you get enough sleep at night? Just prepping yourself for these situations can make or break your entire experience with a cleanse.
  • Am I physically in a place where I can accept this challenge? Juicing is super healthy and will fill me with energy and clean me out!! Yes and no. A juice cleanse is a great way to jump start your fitness regime and healthy eating habits, but again, I will caution that those first 24-hours can be grueling both mentally and physically. Hopefully, after the first day, you will start to feel a huge difference in your energy and can start working out again. Depending on what and were your body needs to detox, it could take longer than that, and cause some fatigue. Always consult with your doctor first to make sure your body can handle the big change in caloric consumption. Just because it sounds healthy doesn’t always mean it is right for you.
  • What are you looking to get out of a juice cleanse? Personally, I like to do a juice cleanse to regain lost energy, focus and detox my body a bit. Everyone has a different reason, just know your goal so you can measure your results in the end.
  • Just think about it: What are your next few days like? Can you bring the juice with you in a cooler if you have to be on the go? Will you have easy access to a restroom (because yes, you will need it, and yes, it will sneak up on you)? Can you handle mood swings over the next few days? Will you be able to handle your kids?? (that was a biggie for me) Is your mind clear of any thoughts that might distract, anger or upset you in anyway? Can you go without coffee, wine, carbs, etc. for the next few days? Where are you at in your menstrual cycle? (This is important to note for mood swings, cramps, and generally how your experience and deal with PMS.)

Skinny_Limits_Juice_Cleanse_Delivery

Alright, let’s talk Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse. This opportunity came knocking at the right time. As January was coming to an end, a juice cleanse was exactly what I needed to find my groove again. From my first communication with Skinny Limits, the entire process was quick and easy. I told them the date I wanted to start the cleanse, and the juice was delivered the day before. Since the juice is not pasteurized or processed, you have to drink the juice starting the very next day as it will turn. All juices were delivered at 10am by FedEx, in an insulated cardboard box, with a one page brochure listing all instructions and expectations, along with a number to call with any questions. Super simple. All my questions were answered in the brochure, but to be honest, I had done cleanses before, so I already knew what to expect. I really liked how there was a phone number available though, in case I had other concerns. Most importantly, the brochure instructs you to, “Ask for Joanie,” as in one of the founders of Skinny Limits. Not too many companies out there where you are invited to pick up the phone and speak with the owner themselves.

Skinny_Limits_Austin_TX

I was sent the 3-day Tropical Juice Cleanse, comprised of 5 bottles of fresh pressed, raw juice, and 1 bottle of a white concoction that was both juice and dairy free. I was to imbibe all 6 bottles every 2.5-3 hours each day. I was also allowed green tea or herbal tea, and plenty of purified water throughout the entire cleanse. It is suggested to abstain from eating any foods at all, but if you must, then a couple of stalks of celery, half a cucumber or 1/4 of an avocado can be mixed in, but best to not eat at all. Since January 2nd, I had already been reprogramming my morning rituals to include a glass of 1/2 fresh squeezed organic lemon, hot water and a dash of cayenne pepper. My evening ritual- 2 Tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar. Neither are delicious, let’s face it, but doing both really helped prep me for the cleanse. I had already started to notice a balance of my internal body temps (I’m usually either really cold or really hot), all of my kids have been sick, and I’ve managed to escape the icky coughs, colds and pick eye they have been sharing, and I’m hungry. The later being a positive because without the morning and evening rituals, I haven’t felt that boost to my metabolism in a long time. It was nice to actually feel hungry. My mind was clear and my body was ready, let’s go!

Daily_Rituals_Skinny_Limits

Day 1: Surprisingly difficult for me. One of my twins was home sick, so I thought my day would actually go quick since I would be distracted with taking care of him, maybe napping when he did, and trying to get in some writing. Wrong. He was very needy. This was very challenging and definitely played with my emotions a bit. I was counting down the minutes to my next juice. As the day went on, I got a grip how I was feeling. Things were looking up again until my older two children came home from school. Obviously, I did not drink enough water throughout the day, as I started to feel a major migraine coming on. But it was too late. My husband was out of town. The nanny put the kids to bed, but at 9:30pm, all 4 of them were in my room trying to get into my bed. I needed sleep, and for my pounding headache to go away. My emotions got the best of me, and we all went to bed crying.

Day 2: I woke up with a slight headache, but I was determined to have a better day. I committed to drinking a glass of water after every juice, and this seemed to help a bit. By the afternoon I was actually feeling really good. I incorporated a cup of hot green tea, and it was fabulous. I’m a coffee drinker, so I really needed that caffeine to get me through the morning. The green tea hit the spot. Instead of counting down the minutes to the next juice, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to drink the next juice, as I was still full. By the end of the day, I was feeling great. Wasn’t missing food, wine, or coffee. Feeling positive and excited to start my next day.

Day 3: Wow. I seriously felt like a whole new woman. I woke up with energy. There was no desire to want to hit the snooze button one more time. I was nice to my kids. I was nice to my husband and I had this crazy energy all. day. long. Not even the kind of energy you get when you drink coffee or a red bull (yuck), but real energy. I felt human again, not like a tired mom of four.

skinny limits juice cleanse

Review of the juices: The juices were terrific. Really. They had great flavor, great taste- they really tasted like I had just juiced them myself. Even my kids liked them. Every time I opened a bottle they were right next to me with their sippy cups wanting some of their own. Here is a quote about their product from the SkinnyLimits.com site:

Here at Skinny Limits, we provide cold pressed, raw juices for people interested in looking and feeling great. Skinny Limits was founded in Austin, Texas by Cary and Joanie Frieden.

…what makes Skinny Limits different? For starters, our juice is completely raw. Most mainstream juice cleanse companies aim to stock their product in grocery stores. However, they have to maintain a longer shelf life to do so. Because of this, they put their juice through a process called HP Processing. This doesn’t use any heat, but it kills all the living cells in the juice. You can literally taste the difference.

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

I absolutely agree with the statements above. I really could taste the difference, and the fact that the juices need to be drunk within the magic time frame, confirms that they are in an unstable state of staying fresh. Also, there was no red tape in getting the review done. I felt like I was communicating with one of the employees who was probably in the kitchen behind the counter, chatting with Cary or Joanie about the review. Truly quick, easy and simple. Very homegrown. I love that about small companies like Skinny Limits.

Would I do the Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse? And, how often? Yes! I would do it again. In fact, I’m planing my next one now. I’m thinking quarterly would be a good thing for me. Doing the cleanse really helped me realize a few things:

  • What true, good energy really feels like.
  • How other foods I normally put into my diet make me feel.
  • Knowing all the above really affects my personality and mood. I want to be that energized happy person around my husband and kids all the time.

So, how are you feeling with all that knowledge? Have you done a juice cleanse before? Would love to know which ones and how they worked for you.

This post was sponsored by Skinny Limits. I received free product in order to write the review. All opinions, thoughts and words are all my own. 

New Chapter Organics | Fitness

12 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Archive It

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

health, nutrition, vitamins

When I was living in San Diego, attending school there, I made the conscience decision to eat as naturally and healthy as I possibly could. This also meant including the proper nutritional supplements into my every diet regimine. At the time, it wasn’t as easy to find products that were made with whole foods. And, when I moved back to Las Vegas, it was even more difficult to find. It was a constant challenge, and it was expensive. Even more expensive than it is now, because it wasn’t mainstream back then. Fast forward 17 years later, and look who’s shopping in the organic aisles in the grocery stores and at Whole Foods! Not bragging, but am much happier that these products are easier to locate and much more affordable for the every day consumer to buy.

When I was preggers with the twins, I came across this brand of prenatal vitamins, Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics. I had not done any research on them, and there was not a Whole Foods member available to ask. I read the ingredients and the description. I read, “a whole food supplement,” and I was sold. With my previous pregnancies, I took prenatal vitamins perscribed by my doctor. I didn’t quite understant, being new to the pregnancy thing and all, that I had choices. I knew I didn’t want a grocery store prenatal filled with additives and little benefit, but I also wanted my babies to have all the nutirents they needed. I went with what my doctor prescribed. I was definitely more seasoned by  my third pregnancy, and having been much more aware of my own needs for nutrition, I really wanted to use something that was organic, all natural and provided the most vitamins and nutrients possible. When I mentioned to someone’s opinion I respect in regards to whole food nutrition that I was taking the New Chapter Organic Perfect Prenatal, they responded with, “Wow. That’s the best one you can buy over the counter.” I was eccstatic for trusting my motherly instincts!

Though I was expected to take the vitamins 3xs a day, the one thing that made it great was that I could literally take them without food. Past prenatal vitamins made me sick and nauseous, and when you are already dealing with Morning Sickness that lasts all day, that is one thing that will discourage you from taking what you need to provide for you and your baby. I loved them so much, I even took them after the babies were born, the duration of nursing them, and continued on for almost a year. Because I was so impressed with the product, when New Chapter Organics asked if I would try out two of their other products, I was happy to help spread the word. My twins were over 6 pounds each when born, I’m thinking the right nutrition and supplements had something to do with that!

I was sent a bottle of the Perfect Prenatal, WholeMega and Zyflamend Whole Body. Since I was no longer preggers, I sent the prenatals to friend of mine who I knew would aprreciate the whole food benefit of them. Happily, I took the WholeMega and Zyflamend. According to Dr. Oz, there are three things you should look for when buying an Omega3 supplement:

    • Fish oil supplements vary in the amounts and ratios of DHA and EPA they contain. For example, salmon oil naturally contains more DHA than EPA; a supplement derived from algae may only contain DHA. Krill oil contains significant amounts of both EPA and DHA. Read the labels and remember whatever supplement you buy, it must have at least 600 mg of DHA.
    • Be aware that only about one-third of the oil from fish is rich in EPA and DHA. Many supplements also contain vitamin E or other antioxidants to stabilize the oils and prevent them from becoming rancid. If you choose to buy a fish oil supplement, check the label carefully to see if it recommends refrigeration to prevent spoiling.
    • Most brands of fish oil have been proven safe, free of detectable traces of mercury, and do not contain unsafe levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a toxin and pollutant believed to pose various health threats. To avoid contaminants in an unrefined supplement, it’s best to choose a fish oil supplement made from small, oily fish like anchovy, sardines or menhaden.

The New Chapters WholeMega contains extra-virgin, 100% wild Alaskan salmon, 220 mg of DHA, but several other omegas and vitamin D, which is a necessary nutritional need, especially for women. My thoughts with Vitamin D, is I’ll take it wherever I can get it. The WholeMega is naturally gluten free, and are prepared without any chemical solvents and are BSE free. The real decision factor was the taste. Now, let’s get real, was WholeMega going to cause me to burp up fish? If you take an Omega3, you know what I’m talking about! The answer, no. I was pleasantly surprised that I had no fishy-after taste hours later.

I was also given the opportunity to try out the Zyflamend Whole Body product, one that offers antioxidants and other herbs to support a healthy whole body and reduce inflamation, specifically geared towards cardiovascular and joint. The benefit I found in taking this supplement 2xs a day, was that I just felt good. Having 4 kids and being a WAHM, I don’t get the luxury to work out on a whim. I know I am way out of shape from my pre-pregnancy body. My body misses and craves yoga and running, and I ache from being at a computer most of the day. The Zyflamend Whole Body wasn’t a cure-all, but I could really tell the difference in my energy and just being while taking it. I’m looking forward to adding the Zyflamend to my daily routine during the Re-Invent Yourself Challenge. I’m excited to see the results of combining the natural herbs and a consistent work-out routine. I think it’s going be awesome, and I’m going to feel amazing!

Just as I was getting ready to write my review of the New Chapter Organics product, Goop published their review on the Perfect Prenatal. Even more evidence that it truly is a great product for expecting mothers. Since my initial contact with the company, they have since been acquired by P&G as a wholly owned subsidiary. You can learn more about this by watching the video from New Chapter founders, Paul & Barbie Schulick.

I was given the Perfect Prenatal, WholeMega and Zyflamend Whole Body in compensation for my review to share with my readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

 

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