Miracles All Around Us

Miracles all around us

It’s been a great week at our home!  My twin boys are turning 18 in a couple of months, and they have both decided to serve missions for the LDS church.  (For those not LDS, they are joining those white shirt and tie young men you may see around your town.)This is a very big decision and they both feel great about it.  They received notification of where they will be serving this week:

Jens - Santiago Chile

Josh - Trujillo Peru

They are so excited!  They will both be speaking Spanish and will be in countries right next to each other.  I’m excited too, but am quickly wondering what in the world I will do without them!   There are going to be quite a few tears shed in the next few months as I anticipate 2 years without them around.  That’s a long time!!  But I couldn’t be prouder of their decision.  

Tears ...

These boys hold a pretty special place in my heart because we had to work so hard to have them join our family.  After many years, many heartaches and many dollars, we were thrilled to find out we were expecting twins.  I remember the first day I felt one of them kick.  What an absolute miracle.  Aren’t children all miraculous?  

Now we are starting into the “lasts”.  This will be the last Spring Break with them before they leave.  This is the last term in High School, the last Prom, the last Easter….and on it goes.  Why is it that when something is nearing an end we give it more notice?  Why does our life go on without us appreciating the little miracles that happen every day?

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk and teacher who talks about finding peace.  He said,

“Around us, life bursts with miracles--a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere.

Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings.

When we are tired and feel discouraged by life's daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.”

Every day, billions of us wake up in the morning and go about our busy days. For some, the busyness of the day does not allow for time to reflect, while for others, the mundane routine offers little to look forward to, or to be grateful for.

Look around!

The nature of life today does not often lend itself to recognizing the miracles happening around us and often to us. When we take time to slow down and notice the miracles around us, life is better.  Here are six everyday miracles you may be overlooking:

1. People changing - every day I change, even in just a little way.  So every day there are people in our lives changing, making choices, improving their own little corner.  Make sure to pay attention enough to applaud these changes.  More will come if you do.
2. Protection - Have you ever had a thought that made you change course or do something different?  “Don’t cross the road here” or “The kids shouldn’t drive to town tonight.”  Those are often times promptings that will keep you safe.  If you follow the prompting, you won’t know the consequences of not - meaning you won’t know what would have happened if you HAD crossed the road there.  Don’t wait for the negative to happen to be grateful for the protection.  Every day you live and make it safely to the end of the day should be celebrated as a little miracle!
3. Advances in technology - The miracle of my twins was due to an advance in technology.  The fact that you may be reading this on your phone (I mean really - on your phone??) is a huge advance.  They are so rapid and constant I think we forget to see them as miracles.  Remember the phone that connected to the WALL?  Pretty miraculous that mine is small enough to fit in my pocket and go everywhere with me now!
4. Healthy Family Relationships - WOW!   Do we notice when things are going RIGHT at home?  I know I spend way too much time talking about what isn’t going right, and unfortunately, we get what we talk about!  So it’s about time we spend our time talking about our wonderful families and everything that is working so it will continue - completely miraculous.
5. Random Acts of Kindness - The guy was waiting in a long line of cars, but he waved me in ahead of him.  Cool.  Someone saw me coming and stopped to hold the door a little longer and gave me a smile.  Nice.  People are good.  It’s true.  People all good all around you and every day people are serving others.  My boys will have a lot of opportunities to serve in South America, and I’m so appreciative of all the people that will serve them.  Amazing.
6. The world around you - Look at the mountains, the valleys, the trees, flowers, rivers and streams. The beauty, alone is awe-inspiring and each is miraculous. The mountains provide protection from passing storms; the trees and flowers produce oxygen for us to breathe; the rivers provide water.  I could go on and on.  What an incredible place we’ve been given to enjoy.  Now let’s really enjoy it!

So in the spirit of great weeks and miracles, open your eyes and pay attention this week.  I challenge you to find 10 miracles you didn’t see last week.  And I’ll bet you’ll find more…

Love,

Dr. Michelle Jorgensen

Dental Mysteries Revealed - Episode 3 Gluten Free Diet Advice

Dental Mysteries Revealed Episode 2-Mercury Fillings

We think you'll find Episode 2 of "Dental Mysteries Revealed" quite fascinating. Dr. Jorgensen explains her personal experience with mercury fillings and mercury poisoning! Tune in every Monday for a new episode.
 

Guatemala Smiles for Life

Dr. Larsen is back from his Guatemala trip where he donated his time
helping those in need with their dental health. We'd love for you to
help our cause by scheduling a short appointment to get your teeth
whitened for $150. All proceeds go directly to "Smiles for Life". You
can even choose which child you would like to sponsor by choosing a
picture from our "Smiles for Life" wall. Simply grab your phone and call
us at 801-756-3737 to set up your smile whitening and help a child!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Tonight I laughed more than I have in a long time and it felt great!  My boys were asked to play in a charity Mascot basketball game.  They dressed up like “Patriots” - the mascot from their school, and played with the BYU and UofU mascot, as well as other high school mascots from our area.  

They wore clothes like Patriots in the Revolutionary War time - pants, a vest and wool overcoat with tails.  And they played basketball in those clothes!  They were covered in sweat when they were done, and appreciated that they don’t wear wool very often anymore!  But they weren’t complaining...all of the other mascots wore hoods (think cougar head for the BYU mascot).

Who’s on the Court?

There was a Grizzly bear, a Cougar, an Eagle, a Charger (horse), a Knight, a bird of some sort, and a Bruin (another bear).  They played in these hoods, and they couldn’t see much!  They would pass the ball, and the mascot that was supposed to catch it couldn’t see the ball.  They would miss it and just keep running.  They would run over people and into people.  They were all excellent athletes so they had a good showing, but it was one belly laugh after another!

Thankfully the scorekeeper was generous with points (they would give them 6 points for a 3 pointer!), and the game ended up tied.  I realized it was the first basketball game I’ve been to in a long time that I wasn’t stressed out about.  What a nice feeling.

Burned out?

I was talking with a family member tonight and she was saying how she was burned out.  I quickly told her to figure it out because everyone in our world is burned out.  Not too sympathetic I know!  But it’s true.  We all seem to be dragging from place to place, just barely getting things done.  I laughed in the middle of the day today when I realized how much I still had to do and how little time I had to do it in.  At the ball game I was even annoyed that the half time went so long because my list was still very long for the night.  What a miserable life we’ve created for ourselves!

So today’s blog is about being happy.  Why and how…

Step #1 - Reduce Stress

Now, I’m not saying throw a bunch of things out of your life...I’m saying reduce stress.  You see, stress is our reaction to things in our lives.  And it’s incredibly destructive - more so than a bunch of fast food meals.  The cool part is that you can control it.  

1. Plan your Stress.  This is my favorite!  If I have to speak at a conference on Saturday, I start stressing about it on Thursday (this actually happened a week ago!)  I didn’t have time to start working on it until then, so why stress about it before then?  It wouldn't have gained me anything except another hole in my stomach.  See how this works?
2. Notice the amazing in your life.  Did that blueberry you just ate taste incredible?  Did it taste like the sun and sugar all wrapped in a little package?  Enjoy that moment.  Live there for a minute.  Feel the stress float away.
3. Change your thinking.  I had a friend tell me her son just hurt his wrist tonight, and it may be broken.  I told her it was a good thing her husband had worked for a company that specialized in wrapping injuries - he can wrap it until they can see a doctor. She said I was doing a good job steering my ship with positivity.  Isn’t that a great way to say it.  Steer your ship with positivity.  We all have things that don’t go as we would like, and we all have problems and down days.  Are you steering the ship or is it steering you?  In other words, are you being proactive or reactive.  Choose to steer, and if you’re steering, might as well find something good to steer it towards.  
4. Connect.  I am an admitted introvert - I don’t mind being by myself, and actually prefer it when I’m stressed.  But it’s been proven that friends boost our confidence, positivity and willingness to try new things.  So look outside yourself and connect with someone.  Just smile when you walk around in your day.  It will reduce your stress and bring more happiness into your life.

Step #2  - Be Grateful for your Life

I know, you’ve heard this before.  Blah, blah…  Why don’t I come up with something a little more original?  Because, quite frankly, it works.  

1. Appreciate what you have.  Most of us live our lives wishing we could get to the next thing.  More money, bigger house, happier relationship, bigger kids, littler kids, more responsibility, less responsibility.  It doesn’t matter your stage in life, we tend to wish for something else.  So stop it!  Appreciate where you are, right now.  Even if you need to say 3 things every morning that are amazing about your life, do it.
2. Find someone that has less.  Have you seen that article about how many people in the world don’t have the simple necessities in life?  Even hands or feet. Didn’t think of those did you?  It’s not hard to find someone that has less than you.  If you reach out and connect with them, it will help you appreciate more fully what you have.  And appreciation brings happiness and contentment.
3. Give.  There is nothing like giving to help you feel better.  Stress and worry and sadness...they all have a common denominator.  They are all selfish.  I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true.  If I’m stressed out, I’m fixated on me.  Poor me, woe is me, my life is so hard, wah wah wah.  Give a little and you will get alot.  

We have an opportunity to help a very worthy cause the next three months.  It’s called Smiles for Life.  We will whiten your teeth for a donation, and 100% of the money goes to charity.  You can even donate without getting your teeth whitened if you would like.  Our charity is Smiles for Hope - an organization that provides dental care for needy children.  Any amount helps a child.

This week, I want you to work on being happy!  Think of those silly mascots missing baskets, missing balls and having a blast doing it.  I know that will keep me smiling for awhile!

Love,

Dr. Michelle Jorgensen

Introduction to "Mysteries of Dentistry Revealed"

We are SO excited to introduce you to our new series, "Mysteries of Dentistry Revealed" where our Doctors will share some mind-blowing information about your teeth, mouth and whole-body health. Watch for a new mystery video every Monday!

Debunking Some Diet and Nutrition Myths!

Debunking Some Diet and Nutrition Myths!

Have you ever had a time when you didn’t feel like you were going to keep up?  Like you’re running on top of a spinning wheel….the wheel spins faster and faster and you’re sure you are going to fall flat on your face or get thrown off the back end.  Have you ever felt like that??  That’s a perfect description of my week last week!

The crazy started with the birth of NINE baby goats in my backyard!  I was there for all of them, and let me just tell you, birth truly is a miracle.  These adorable babies are up walking around on shaky legs five minutes after being born, and eating 30 minutes later.  All the mommas and babies are doing great, and they have taken over our yard!

The crazy ended with me speaking at the Latter Day Learning Conference at American Heritage school on Saturday.  The title of my presentation was “5 Simple Secrets to Raising Healthy Families Today”.  I talked about our life and how we survive our craziness and stay healthy through it all.  The handouts for the presentation can be found on the www.totalcaredental.com website, along with some great family-friendly recipes.

5 obstacles to being healthy

There are 5 common obstacles I’ve heard that get in the way of us raising healthy families.  We all want that - right?  I’ve never met anyone that said they want to be unhealthy, or they wish their kids were weak and sickly!  I think it’s safe to say health and happiness are common goals.  What are these obstacles?

1. It costs too much to eat healthy
2. It takes too much time to do all of these healthy things
3. My kids are picky and won’t eat healthy foods
4. I don’t know enough to help my family be healthy
5. There are so many opinions, I don’t know where to start

Can you relate with any of these?  I think we all can!  For me, #2 is the big one.  TIME!!!  I often have twice as many things I’d like to do as I have time for.  So what tips and tricks help with these obstacles?  If you want the full scoop, download the handouts, but one of the answers to #5 isn’t on the handout, and I would love to tell you more.

Frustrated with conflicting nutrition information?

I talk to people all the time that are so frustrated because they are following the latest and greatest “diet of the month” with little or undesired results.  So I have one trick for you that so far has been fool proof.

The trick - let nature be your guide.

What does that mean?  Let’s start with an example:  You have probably heard of the green smoothie trend (or have added smoothies to your diet - like I have.)  When I first made those smoothies, I would put handfuls of greens in each one.  We would load up at Costco each week to keep the supply coming.

Greens, greens

Without Costco, can I get that many greens, 365 days per year in Pleasant Grove Utah?   I am growing greens outside in my greenhouse and cold frames right now, but I’m barely getting enough greens for a salad every couple of days.  Most people don’t even have that luxury.  So if we’re using nature as our guide, we shouldn’t be having handfuls of greens every day during the winter.  (keep reading to find out if nature is right…)

In April, we will have more greens than we can possibly know what to do with.  Literally!  So April must be a good time for greens - and it is.  Our bodies are waking up from the long winter’s nap and heavy foods.  We need greens to help clean out and start fresh.  Funny - that’s when the greens are growing.  Someone must have planned that one out!

So, is there a problem with using modern technology and grocery stores for year round greens?  I used to say no, but now I say a very loud YES!  Greens, namely spinach, kale, swiss chard, collards and beet greens all have oxalic acid in them.  In small amounts this isn’t a big deal, but in handfuls a day, it can be.  That oxalic acid interferes with the absorption of calcium.

I have patients with teeth that have literally dissolved away because they eat too many greens.  If your body can’t absorb calcium because of the oxalic acid in these greens, it pulls calcium from readily available source like your teeth and bones.  So your teeth and bones dissolve.  Wow.

There are two solutions - take a break from greens for a while, or cook and dehydrate them before using in your smoothie.  (cooking removes some of the oxalic acid)

Nuts for nuts

Ready for another nature-guide example?  Nuts.  Have you even harvested nuts?  It is SO labor intensive!  You have to pick the nut, remove the outside husk, crack the nut and try to pick the pieces out of the crushed shell.  By that time I don’t even want the nut anymore!  

A lot of gluten free cooking has substituted nuts for other grains in cooking.  Some recipes call for cups of almond meal or cups of soaked cashews.  Should we be eating that much?   (play scary music here)  Nature would say no.  And I do too.  Nuts also have oxalic acid in them, and phytic acid, which is an anti nutrient.  Both of these acids make the nutrients you eat less absorbable.  You can eat an amazing diet and completely undo all the good you’ve done by eating an excess of nuts.  Wow again.

These are two reasons people who are very careful with their diet still get cavities and have dental erosion (teeth dissolving).  So nature is an excellent guide.  If something is difficult to harvest, like nuts, that means we should eat them sparingly and with a little reverence!  If something is in season, NOW is the time to eat it.  Then take a break when it is not in season any longer.  People are surprised when I tell them I don’t eat salads in the middle of the summer.  Why?  Lettuce isn’t in season - it’s too hot.  I eat peaches and pears, tomatoes, squash and green beans.  They are in season, and my body needs the nutrients they provide right when they are available.  I’ll say it again - someone must have planned that one!

Moderation is key

Moderation in all things.  If a diet trend says to eat something exclusively or in large amounts or leave something out entirely, let nature be the one that guides what you do.  Your health and happiness with be better because you paid attention.  Here’s to spring!

Love, Dr.Michelle Jorgensen