About two months ago I started using CBD oil after doing much research to finding the best option to try helping my friend undergoing chemotherapy and dealing with side effects.

For me, it has been an enormous help with my poor sleeping habits I have had for at least ten years. Others that I have helped get started using the oil for anxiety are receiving great results and not needing to resort to prescription medications. I am excited that it’s helping people I know and care about.

Using CBD To Relieve Inflammation

Several studies have shown that CBD plays a significant, successful role in the therapeutic aid of inflammation. That’s because CBD has immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects. This implies that it has anti-inflammatory properties. The effects of CBD have provided hope to many people that suffer from conditions like multiple sclerosis that result from the central nervous system’s inflammation. CBD can also be used as a therapeutic aid for oxidative stress-related conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer disease which may cause inflammation.

Why Choose CBD To Relieve Inflammation?

Several studies have shown that CBD is the strongest natural anti-inflammatory. Its power surpasses that of the commonly-used remedies like curcumin, omega-3, anti-oxidants, vitamin C, and proteolytic enzymes. What’s more, it has low to no toxicity levels. Meaning, it is impossible for any user to overdose from taking CBD. CBD does not affect the kidneys, liver, or gut lining adversely and has never led to being a cause of death. It is merely an all natural, healthy, organic, anti-inflammatory.

All Hemp Derived CBD Oil is not the same, so I knew research was fundamental. There are many types of CBD oils on the market & more showing up constantly! The market is mostly unregulated, & the general public & media, are uneducated or misinformed in most cases. Another reason I knew it was essential to do research!

You should know, Hemp is a biotoxin accumulator. It will clean the air where it’s planted, as well as take on the toxins & pollutants from the soil. It’s crucial that what you are buying not only comes w/a Certificate of Analysis that tells you what’s in that bottle, but equally as important is what is not in it! ...Mold, Arsenic, pollutants, toxins, pesticides, etc.! You most certainly do not want to put these things into the average person’s body, & most certainly not into an already compromised immune system!

Some key points I looked at and considered when researching oils:

• Is there a Certificate of Analysis available for each bottle
• No fillers; Hemp SEED Oil, xanthan gum, "natural" flavors, additives, artificial colors, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, etc.
• Full Spectrum from stems & stalks; Industrial Hemp Plant
• Water, Does it sit in an oil? Each Nano Cannabidiol is encapsulated or wrapped in a bubble called a "Liposome"...This Liposome is made up of phospholipids just like our cells. Sunflower oil is used as part of that process, not to be confused with "carrier oils" in which we don't use. This is why our uptake has been tested 6X faster than the #1 Pharma! 
• There is 400 mg total in our bottle, 380-400mg IS ABSORBED into the bloodstream & receptors as opposed to 40-60mg of others!
• Our oil is 10x stronger than 1000mg of others & 6X’s faster uptake. 
• Patented
• GMO-Free
• Lab Tested
• Gluten Free
• cGMP Facility (Current Good Manufacturing Practices; regulations enforced by the US Food & Drug Admin., FDA. CGMP’s provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring & control of manufacturing processes & facilities.)

This blog is brought to you as a wellness point by one of the leaders at Nebraska Family Dentistry. Tiffany helps to manage the clinical area in every one of our Lincoln dental offices

Learn more about living a healthier lifestyle:

https://nebraskafamilydentistry.com

Shoes: footwear designed for your wellbeing by office coordinator Amanda at SPD

With my family’s upcoming annual trip just around the corner, I always find myself looking for new shoes, so we aren’t coming home with aching bodies. Below is an article from “Got sneakers” on the benefits of shoes and why it’s essential to invest in a good pair of shoes.

When you can walk into any store and pick from among hundreds of different colors, sizes, and styles of shoes, it’s easy to take proper footwear for granted. However, this is not the case for many people living in impoverished regions like the Caribbean, West Africa, and Central America. Over 600 million people worldwide don’t own a single pair of shoes.

It is very unfortunate because the importance and benefits of shoes can’t be overlooked. Having protective footwear with the correct fit is essential for overall health and comfort.

1. Shoes Prevent Foot Problems

Going without shoes for too long or wearing ill-fitting shoes can cause:

- Corns

- Ingrown toenails

- Fungal nail infections

- Athletes foot

Over time, more serious problems can develop. Bunions can form, resulting in pain and disfigurement of the feet. A prolonged lack of proper footwear support can cause arches to collapse and can cause severe joint pain.

2. Shoes Alleviate Pain

Part of the job of shoes is to absorb impact as we walk, but bad shoes (or no shoes) can throw the whole body out of alignment. If shoes don’t have enough padding or don’t allow for an even stride, pain is an almost inevitable side effect.

The ankles, knees, hip joints and lower back are all affected by the wrong shoes. Widespread pain limits mobility, making it difficult to perform normal daily tasks.

3. Shoes Protect Against Infections

In many areas of the world, sanitation is weak, and disease is widespread. Going without shoes in areas without proper disposal methods for animal and human waste makes people more susceptible to parasitic worms and other foot infections. These diseases can be debilitating or even lethal.

Going barefoot puts humans at risk for hookworm, tick bites, and injuries. Stepping on broken glass or rusty nails, having a nasty encounter with a prickly bush or winding up with an itchy rash from poison ivy are also concerns.

Often shoes can be pricey, but in reality, it’s a small investment that can make a huge difference in your overall wellness.

This blog is brought to you as a wellness point by Amanda, our office coordinator at the South Lincoln Dental Office - Southpointe Dental

Learn more about living a healthier lifestyle:

https://nebraskafamilydentistry.com

We all love to sing whether we’re good at it or not. We sing in the shower, we sing when we are happy and we sing when we are sad. We sing love songs, break-up songs, and praise songs. We worship by singing. We sing when going to war and when the war is over. People love to sing.

An example from my own life came when my husband and I took a road trip with my Dad to his sister’s funeral. He was 84 years old and three of his four siblings, all younger, had already passed. He was understandably saddened and a little melancholy as we drove to the funeral. Earlier my husband had made a CD of my Dad’s favorite Neil Diamond songs sung by the master crooner himself. We popped that into the player and had a two hour sing-a-long on the way back. Neil has love songs, happy songs, sad songs - we sang them all. My Dad knew most of the words already and so did we. We had the best time and the time went by so fast. Benefits from singing are both physical and emotional/psychological.

Here are just a few:

1. Strengthens your immune system: Research has shown an increase in the antibody known as Immunoglobulin A immediately after a singing rehearsal.
2. Improves your posture: Standing up straight is part of the correct technique as you’re singing, so with time good posture becomes a habit, expanding the chest cavity with shoulders and back in better alignment.
3. Helps you sleep: Singing helps to strengthen palatal and throat muscles which can be helpful with sleep apnea/snoring.
4. Lowers your stress levels: Making music in any form is relaxing. Singing releases stored muscle tension and decreases cortisol (stress hormone) in your blood system.
5. Singing is a natural antidepressant: It releases endorphins - the feel good brain chemical makes us feel uplifted and happy. Not only that but singing takes our minds off our troubles and boosts our mood.
6. Singing Improves mental alertness, concentration and memory: It improves blood circulation and forces more oxygen into the bloodstream. The Alzheimer’s society recently established a “Singing for the brain” service to help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s maintain their memories.

Singing really does soothe the soul and lighten the spirit. All cultures, all religions, all people everywhere and at every time have made music with song. It is not the command of fire that sets us apart from the beasts, but our endless writing of music and songs and singing them after we write them. The joy we derive from all of that, truly makes us human.

So don’t be afraid to sing, even if you’re tone deaf and sound like a frog. Singing is good for what ails you, both body and soul. Sing, sing a song, sing it out, sing it strong (Holly Holy by Neil Diamond).

- This wellness point brought to you by our Lincoln, NE hygienist Deb

Learn more about living a healthier lifestyle:

https://nebraskafamilydentistry.com

Clean Air Project at NFD!

When working in medicine, more specifically the dental field, professionals and patients are exposed to different types of air pollutants. Thus, the IQAir Dental Series was developed. It was designed to provide efficient and effective air cleaning solutions for offices. Ultimately, leading to a better working environment. 

With the use of many different types of equipment, chemicals, and high-speed tools there are droplets of material that can stay airborne for hours. Generally speaking, these droplets can create potentially dangerous air quality. 

Mercury is a material that was once widely used in dentistry. While it isn't as common now, dentists and their teams are still removing amalgam fillings, which can release vapors that can be inhaled. Dentists may also be serving the community out of an older office where using amalgam was once a common practice. That mercury may have been allowed to build-up on surfaces still leading to the release of toxic vapors to this very day. Dentists and their team have been shown to have higher than normal levels of mercury in their blood and urine.

To properly clean a dental office, there is always the use of some chemical disinfectants. However, to effectively clean an office in its entirety, that includes the air and the use of an air purifier. It must capture particles such as droplets, dust, and microorganisms. It must also capture volatile chemicals including but not limited to gaseous organic compounds and mercury vapors.

An air cleaning system which does extraction at source should be used to capture the pollutants generated by dental tools. There should also be an air cleaning source used in a central location to capture particles within the office, which is used for general air quality. 

Overall, an air cleaning system is essential to ensure the best possible environment for dental professionals as well as patients. To keep your office happy and healthy, make sure it contains high-efficiency particulate filters.

Learn More about dental health and wellness at Nebraska Family Dentistry.

Nobel Prize winners develop new cancer therapy

This year the Nobel Prize in Physiology/ Medicine was awarded  to James P. Allison of the United States and Tasuku Honjo of Japan for their work on unleashing the body’s immune system to attack cancer, a breakthrough that has led to an entirely new class of drugs and brought lasting remissions to many patients who had run out of options. Their work has been dedicated to developing Immune checkpoint inhibitors: These drugs basically take the ‘brakes’ off the immune system, which helps it recognize and attack cancer cells.

It has been found that the best results of this therapy are for patients with a healthy microbiome. Patients that have healthy microbiome respond and have the best chances for survival with this new cancer therapy. 

What the immune system does?

Your immune system is a collection of organs, special cells, and substances that help protect you from infections and some other diseases. Immune cells and the substances they make travel through your body to protect it from germs that cause infections. They also help protect you from cancer in some ways.

The immune system keeps track of all of the substances normally found in the body. Any new substance that the immune system doesn’t recognize raises an alarm, causing the immune system to attack it. For example, germs contain substances such as certain proteins that are not normally found in the human body. The immune system sees these as “foreign” and attacks them. The immune response can destroy anything containing the foreign substance, such as germs or cancer cells.

The immune system has a tougher time targeting cancer cells, though. This is because cancer starts when cells become altered and start to grow out of control. The immune system doesn’t always recognize cancer cells as foreign.

Clearly, there are limits on the immune system’s ability to fight cancer on its own, because many people with healthy immune systems still develop cancer. Sometimes the immune system doesn’t see the cancer cells as foreign because the cells aren’t different enough from normal cells. Sometimes the immune system recognizes the cancer cells, but the response might not be strong enough to destroy the cancer. Cancer cells themselves can also give off substances that keep the immune system in check.

To overcome this, researchers have found ways to help the immune system recognize cancer cells and strengthen its response so that it will destroy them.

What Is cancer Immunotherapy using checkpoints inhibitors?

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses certain parts of a person’s immune system to fight diseases such as cancer. In the last few decades immunotherapy has become an important part of treating some types of cancer. 

Immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer are new developments in cancer treatment.

An important part of the immune system is its ability to tell between normal cells in the body and those it sees as “foreign.” This lets the immune system attack the foreign cells while leaving the normal cells alone. To do this, it uses “checkpoints” – molecules on certain immune cells that need to be activated (or inactivated) to start an immune response.

Cancer cells sometimes find ways to use these checkpoints to avoid being attacked by the immune system. But drugs that target these checkpoints hold a lot of promise as cancer treatments.

Drugs that target PD-1 or PD-L

PD-1 is a checkpoint protein on immune cells called T cells. It normally acts as a type of “off switch” that helps keep the T cells from attacking other cells in the body. It does this when it attaches to PD-L1, a protein on some normal (and cancer) cells. When PD-1 binds to PD-L1, it basically tells the T cell to leave the other cell alone. Some cancer cells have large amounts of PD-L1, which helps them evade immune attack.

These drugs have also been shown to be helpful in treating different types of cancer, including bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and Merkel cell skin cancer (Merkel cell carcinoma). They are also being studied for use against other types of cancer.

One concern with all of these drugs is that they can allow the immune system to attack some normal organs in the body, which can lead to serious side effects in some people. Common side effects of these drugs can include fatigue, cough, nausea, loss of appetite, skin rash, and itching. Less often they can cause more serious problems in the lungs, intestines, liver, kidneys, hormone-making glands, or other organs.

What is the most effective way for immunotherapy song checkpoint inhibitors?

It has been found that Gut Bacteria Influence the Effectiveness of Immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.

Checkpoint inhibition can cause even advanced tumors to shrink rapidly or disappear. Unfortunately, only a minority of patients have such strong responses to these therapies, and researchers have been trying to figure out why.

The three new studies, published January 5 in Science, all identified groups of intestinal bugs that they classified as “good” and “bad” in terms of their influence on the response to checkpoint inhibitors. People who had lots of the good bacteria were more likely to respond to these drugs. People who had little of the good bacteria—or lots of the bad bacteria—were less likely to see their tumors shrink or stop growing in response to the drugs.

Using mouse models of cancer, the researchers also found that altering the overall composition of gut bacteria, known as the gut microbiome, could affect whether tumors responded to checkpoint inhibition.

The different categories of bacteria appeared to have different effects on the immune system. Good bugs, for example, seem to prime immune cells to recognize tumor cells, whereas bad bugs seem to interfere with immune cell function.

All three studies identified different species of “good” and “bad” bacteria, and the authors suggested that human clinical trials combining treatments to alter gut bacteria with checkpoint inhibitors should be carried out.

Conclusion:

Finding the new class of immunotherapy drugs can help patients to live longer and treat certain cancers, For patients that do have healthier microbiome before the start of using those checkpoints immunotherapy drugs they have better outcomes. 

Those research findings bring attention to the importance of healthy microbiome, which is to have good bacteria in our gut, skin, and mouth. 

How to have a healthier microbiome, you can learn more here:

How to choose the best probiotics

At Nebraska Family Dentistry we are dedicated to the latest research and how it may apply to dentistry. Overall Health and Dental Health are closely related and we often see even healthiest patients developing cancers.  

We are on the mission to help patients to Live Longe r& Better by bringing you any information that can improve overall and dental health.

Gums Don’t Discriminate

Gum disease might seem like something only adults suffer from but it affects people of all ages. So, while teens may feel – and often appear to be – indestructible, their gums tell a different tale.

TeenHealth.com reports that 60 percent of 15-year-olds already have gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease. Even more sobering, other studies show that teenage girls may be at higher risk of gum disease due to their hormonal changes.

This is bad news for teenagers, who may have bad breath or sore gums as the result of gingivitis. But there’s also good news: gum disease can easily be treated and prevented.

Treatment of gingivitis usually involves a scaling and root planning treatment (SRP) – also known as “deep cleaning” – to remove plaque and tartar buildup below the gum line. Just one SRP treatment can reverse the signs of gingivitis and prevent gum disease from progressing.

After SRP treatment, prevent gingivitis from returning by brushing at least twice daily, flossing at least once daily, getting dental cleanings twice a year AND eating healthy foods. The last one might be the biggest challenge since eating tooth-and-gum-friendly foods trip most teens up; sweets, sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks are all heavily marketed to and largely consumed by teenagers.

You can make it easier for your teen to choose healthy options for their teeth and body by ensuring the refrigerator is always stocked with things like fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, and water.

If your teen suffers from gingivitis, or you’re concerned about his or her oral healthcare habits, give us a call for an appointment. We’re definitely here for you and serve as an essential barrier against gum disease.

Can working out improve your dental health?

We’re here to help you to be at your healthiest

Can working out improve your dental health?

According to one study at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, the findings were conclusive: Yes!

The researchers took the same factors that lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease into account when analyzing data from 12,110 participants. They found that those who exercised regularly had healthy eating habits and maintained their weight were 40 percent less likely to develop periodontal disease than their counterparts.

The study, published in the Journal of Periodontology, even shows that those who met two of the three criteria lowered their risk by 29 percent, while participants with just one healthy virtue had a 16 percent less chance of developing gum disease.

Overall, only seven percent of those who met all three of the criteria had some form of gum disease. The participants who had a poor diet, limited physical activity and were considered overweight totaled 18 percent, suggesting that obesity can more than double the risk of periodontal disease.

Scientists aren't exactly sure why these factors may decrease your chances of developing gum disease. It’s already known that healthy eating helps build up the immune system. However, scientists now theorize that eating healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, may also help remove dental plaque from teeth. It's also believed that obesity promotes gum inflammation, while physical activity may decrease it.

While a healthy lifestyle may help improve your dental health, it's not a substitute for maintaining a good oral hygiene routine. Brushing and flossing daily and seeing your dentist twice a year is essential.

Written by Gina, Member of Nebraska Family Dentistry in Lincoln, NE

Exercise Motivation: How to stay motivated through fatigue

One of the most frustrating parts of trying to get fit is when you hit a plateau and it seems like you aren’t noticing any improvements in strength, speed, endurance or weight loss. One of the reasons for this is our body’s amazing ability to adapt. Some of these adaptations help our performance. In the case of a distance runner, when they first started training maybe they could barely run one mile without stopping to walk, and within 6 months of training their body adapts and can easily run 5 miles without stopping or feeling tired at all. When we exercise, our body becomes more efficient at utilizing oxygen and making it available to the large muscles, the lungs become more efficient and obviously the continued use of the large muscles in the legs help them develop more strength over time.

Maybe you have just started a fitness program, or maybe you’ve been a gym rat for years but you are feeling like you aren’t seeing any results. I have a few suggestions to help you find ways to challenge your body to avoid staying stuck in the fitness plateau.

One big tip is to try to be active even on your rest days. So if you normally train with weights one day and the next is your rest day, try to spend 30 minutes walking your dog or riding your bike. Maybe you can do a 15-minute yoga video. Over time, these moments spent being active add up and can help burn more calories as well as help with recovery after hard workouts by promoting blood flow to the muscles, helping clear up lactic acid after those hard effort days without prolonging your recovery. 

What we eat makes a big impact on our recovery and ability to improve performance. Obviously taking in too many calories will not help with weight loss goals but making sure the quality of the foods we eat are nutrient-dense and help to sustain energy and keep our blood sugar well-regulated throughout our day and before and after our workouts is key. Trying to eat only minimally processed whole foods is a great step in the right direction. In my opinion, a calorie is a calorie is not a true statement in terms of the nutrition that is being delivered to your body. The calories in a donut and a huge bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts butter may be equal, but the nutritional profile of these two meals is completely different. One will keep you satisfied for hours and help your digestion while giving you lots of minerals and micronutrients. The other will leave you feeling a quick sugar rush followed by hunger because of the insulin spike it created in the blood. It’s ok to indulge every once in a while but it is good to try not to see unhealthy foods as rewards for hard workouts.

Making sure we get adequate protein, fat and quality carbs will make our bodies respond better to our efforts in gym!

My other piece of advice is not to get stuck in a rut. If you have a certain workout planned but you are dreading it, maybe try something different, or something you’ve never done before. It will not only challenge new muscle groups and target your heart rate in a different zone, but maybe mixing it up will be more fun. Spontaneously dropping in on a fitness class rather than going to the gym to do the same old routine you always do on Wednesday might keep you inspired to keep moving for the joy of being able to move your body! It’s a privilege to be able to walk, run, dance and swim! Take advantage of what your body can do, enjoy your life and love yourself.

- This blog is written by Michelle, RDH, hygienist in Lincoln, NE