Contrary to what many first-time parents think, bedtime blues are not just a newborn phenomenon. The key to figuring out what's causing the bedtime problem is to know yourself, your child and your specific situation.

Pre-sun Care
Apply your sunscreen at least 20 to 30 minutes prior to going out in the sun. Also, make sure any facial or body moisturizer is applied first and completely dry before adding your sunscreen on top.
Resource: Carol Donnelly, LE Dermal Solutions Esthetic Center
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Q: I've read that dental hygiene is important during pregnancy. Is that true?

A: Everyone wants a healthy baby. Prematurity and low birth weight can get baby off to a rough start. As pediatricians, we are focused on the health and well-being of children. Getting children off to a good start is key to that mission.

The Science Behind Great Skin at any Age
For both men and women, the aging process can cause the skin to go through many changes. Your skin gradually becomes thinner and finely wrinkled. Oil-producing (sebaceous) glands grow less active, leaving your skin drier. The number of blood vessels in your skin decreases; your skin becomes more fragile; and you lose your youthful color. Hormones, the environment and how well we take care of our skin all impact how we age. Great skin can be achieved with proper care such as: daily use of a sunblock (UVA/UVB with 30 SPF or greater); avoiding the sun; washing your skin gently and applying moisturizer regularly; drinking plenty of water; getting at least eight hours of sleep; and exercising regularly. For damage that has already been done, there are laser and IPL treatments, Botox, fillers and medical-grade skin care products to give back that youthful, rested appearance.

"You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman."
Forty-one years ago when Aretha Franklin sang that tune, there were no Botox injections, chemical peels or laser treatments around to make a woman look younger and lovelier.
Beauty and "aging gracefully" were pretty much take-what-you-get Mother Nature processes done largely without assistance from Father Time-defying needles, scalpels or compounds.
Today - and despite numerous advances in dermatology/cosmetic treatments - many women seek a more "biological" path to beauty and vitality. Rather than an "alternative" means for looking and feeling great, it's about finding something more natural, safe and with the fewest amount of chemicals. Such focus also offers a holistic direction for de-stressing the body - so important for health, attitude and appearance.

Most new moms truly believe that their love life will return to normal "after." It's the "after" that's the sticking point: after everything heals from childbirth; after I lose the few thousand extra pounds I put on during pregnancy; after I figure out how to live with sleep deprivation. After, after, after... Any time you talk with new parents, both the mom and the dad usually agree that after they had the little darlings their intimate life changed, and not for the better. Unfortunately, if we don't make our love life a priority it will soon disappear, down the drain just like the baby's bath water.

In early December the Wall Street Journal reported that a large new study shows strong links between children's weight and their risk of developing heart disease in adulthood. Researchers found that as kids ages 7 to 13 gained even moderate weight, their risk of illness increased; the greater the increase in weight, the higher the risk of illness.

Dental Implants are the Better Alternative to Dentures
Implantology is the science of the replacement of teeth that have been lost due to accident or disease. Before the development of dental implantology, patients had to adapt to dentures, removable partial dentures, or bridgework. Patients often complained of not being able to chew food properly or eat many of the foods they enjoyed. Some would have pain and discomfort because of ill-fitting dentures due to bone loss. Until recently, dental implantology only offered some relief by allowing a "snugger" fit of the patient's dentures. Now, dental implantology offers every patient the opportunity to have much of the natural tooth function restored.

Being thin isn't the same as being healthy. Squeezing into the "right" size jeans may feel great, but a healthy heart, supported skeletal system and toned muscles are more important than the number on a tag. Lucky for you, Santa Clarita is chock-full of totally-unique, entirely-motivating fun and fantastic fitness and health options perfect for adults, kids and seniors.

All families struggle at times with feeling "connected," but it can be much more difficult in a blended or step-family environment. When parents remarry and bring together their children from a previous marriage, these children may be hurt or angry and unwilling to accept the new parent. Often, they reject not only the new parent, new siblings, room sharing and limit setting, but include in their rejection displays of love and affection.

Getting your child to brush is quite challenging because children are not motivated by necessity but rather by fun and pleasure. Making this daily activity fun and pleasant for your little one will go a long way in establishing a life-long routine that will keep your child smiling and healthy.

Relieve Joint Pain with Eucalyptus
Therapeutic-grade peppermint and eucalyptus are anti-spasmodic and very effective at relieving joint pain, muscle pain and arthritis. Additionally, therapeutic-grade rosemary increases circulation and lavender relaxes the muscles. These oils blended together in a base oil, such as grapeseed, can be massaged on the body to provide fast pain relief without any side effects. Note: therapeutic-grade oils must be used for such massage treatments, as scents do not provide therapeutic benefits.

Congratulations! We've lived though the holidays once again. This season, I had the most interesting conversations with absolute strangers. I made a point of starting up dialogue with other women shoppers while standing shoulder to shoulder in those eternally-long checkout lines. As I listened as women shared their stories, common themes emerged. For the most part, they talked about husband stress, shopping stress, buying stress and kid stress.

Regular Dental Visits can Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke

Recent studies show that the association between heart disease and gum disease is at least as strong as the linkage of heart disease to cholesterol, body weight and smoking. New research shows that common bacteria found in dental plaque may enter the blood stream through gums and clump together on the walls of these blood vessels.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered a backbone approach in the field of psychotherapy. Personally, I think the human condition chooses this approach to life as naturally as they choose eating and sleeping. It's based on the belief that how one thinks determines to a large degree how one feels and behaves. Thus, our thoughts produce feelings, our feelings produce emotions, our emotions produce actions, and our actions produce habits. So emotional distress - a bad day, bad week, bad month - is often the natural result of our irrational thoughts or beliefs.

Cerec 3D Crowns can Now be Obtained in One Visit
Cerec 3D is a computerized milling machine which can fabricate a tooth colored-crown or other dental restoration in less than 20 minutes. Tooth-colored restorations mean no more silver fillings or discolored smiles. The restoration is natural looking, compatible with mouth tissue, anti-abrasive and plaque resistant. There is no need for temporaries or impressions that must be sent to a lab. Because of this, the traditional second visit has been eliminated. Only 7.5 percent of the dentists in the United States offer this technology.

Children crave and thrive on interaction, one-on-one time and lots of eye contact. A child's social, emotional and academic life begins with the earliest conversations between parent and child; the first time your baby locks eyes with you, the quiet smile you give your child and they smile back... Your child is speaking to you all the time. It's just a matter of learning how to listen and the biggest opportunity comes through play.

When shopping for toys for children this holiday season, don't forget to consider safety issues, too. There are concerns such as the risk of choking on small parts, strangulation from toys with long strings or cords, and falls from riding toys like wagons and skateboards. Of course, lead-based paint and magnets are hazardous when ingested. If you're unsure of the toy's quality, it's better to err on the side of caution.

Most of us think of disasters as large, catastrophic events over which we have little, if any, control. This is not true. By planning and preparing for disaster before it strikes, you can control how a disaster affects you and your family.