Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!!!

Fun Facts about the First Thanksgiving

The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.

They sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.

They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.

The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, popcorn, milk, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods present on the first Thanksgiving's feast table.

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

Thanksgiving Facts throughout History

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd, not November 30th, as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season.

Congress to passed a law on December 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons" it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.

Fun Facts about Thanksgiving Today

In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.

Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.

Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

Fun Turkey Facts

The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.

The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.

Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.

Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.

Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clucking noise.

Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.

Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.

A large group of turkeys is called a flock.

Turkeys have poor night vision.

It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.

A 16-week-old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Eat (and drink) your way to a whiter, healthier smile

No toothbrush handy? Grab some cauliflower — easy on the soy sauce

Image: Actress Scarlett Johansson arrives at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles

Stars like Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson need killer smiles for their livelihood, but for us mere mortals, a whiter, brighter smile can do wonders for our appearance and self-confidence. Plus, surveys reveal that one of the first things that people notice about others is their smile, and as that old saw goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Dr. Timothy Chase, a 15-year veteran of cosmetic dentistry in New York City says white teeth and healthy gums can take 10 years off your appearance. And while professional dental products work best for whitening, what you eat and don’t eat can play a huge role in how white your teeth are. It seems certain fruits, vegetables and other foods can aid in your quest for whiter teeth. Here’s what you should know about the white smile diet:

The crunch factor

Apples, cauliflower, celery and carrots work to whiten because they function as an abrasive scrub for teeth. These foods are nature’s toothbrush. They also stimulate the production of saliva, which helps keep plaque from forming. Stain sticks to plaque.

Orange ya glad?

The acid in oranges and pineapples may whiten and brighten the surface of the teeth. The acid also contains enzymes that kill bacteria that cause tooth decay and bad breath. “Saliva is the body’s wonder fluid,” says Chase, and eating juicy citrus increases saliva production that washes away foods that stain like coffee, soda and red wine.

Strawberry patch

Strawberries contain an enzyme called malic acid that can whiten teeth. Munch berries several times a week to naturally whiten chompers.

Pass the cheese, please

Dairy products such as yogurt, milk and hard cheeses like cheddar contain lactic acid, which may help protect teeth against decay. Researchers think proteins in yogurt may bind to teeth and prevent them from attack by harmful acids that cause cavities. Dairy is also loaded with calcium, which guards and strengthens bone that holds teeth in place. Plus, chewing hard cheese creates saliva that helps remove food particles that stain.

You can also try to avoid stain-causing foods. Any food that causes a stubborn laundry stain can discolor teeth, too. If you look at a tooth under a microscope, it looks like a kitchen sponge with many little nooks, crannies and holes. When stain-causing foods and beverages get stuck in those nooks and crannies, especially over time, dark stains develop. While we hear a lot about coffee, tea and red wine, soda is actually one of the worst offenders. It not only contains acids that open up those nooks but then stains them with cola color.

While you're at it, be sure to go easy on other teeth-staining food and drink, such as coffee, tea, blueberries, red wine, soy sauce and tobacco.

“It only takes seven minutes for destruction to start, but you can stop it by rinsing with plain water for seven seconds until you can brush and remove plaque,” says Dr. Joe Kravitz, a Washington D.C. dentist and author of “Dirty Mouth.” If you can’t get to a toothbrush or drink water, chew sugarless gum to remove stain food causing particles.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Halloween Candy - How to Avoid Scary Tooth Decay

Avoid Scary Tooth Decay This Halloween

Don't let Halloween Candy be a Nightmare

From Tammy Davenport, former About.com Guide

Updated: October 24, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

See More About:

George Doyle / Getty Images

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Braces Emoticons

By now, everybody probably knows that a colon, dash, and right parenthesis looks like a smiley face :-)

ArchWired reader Eric from Massachusetts sent in these handcrafted orthodontic emoticons for us to enjoy. Eric says, "Sitting in from of my laptop pondering my current orthodontic journey, I put together some braces 'emoticons'. I know I've seen some of the simpler ones, but think some of the others may be new."

Thanks, Eric!

: ^ (-_) overbite

: ^ (_-) under bite

: ^ (´`) protruding teeth

:-)#) braces and happy

:->#> braces and very happy

:-(#( braces and unhappy

:-<#< very angry about having braces

:-#)….. braces and drooling

;..(#) braces hurt

;..(*#) braces with canker sore!

:-)#}#) braces and headgear

:-<}< not pleased with wearing headgear

<(:-)#}#) braces and high-pull headgear

(:-)=})> facemask

:-)##) metal brackets

:-)}}) ceramic brackets

:-)$$) gold brackets

:-)][) Invisalign™/invisible braces

:-)}) retainer

:-)=) thumb/tongue habit appliance

: (?) broken wire/bracket

:-)#=#) braces with rubber bands

º :-(#-#) popped off a rubber band

:-(#-#) ºººººº spilled my bag of rubber bands

:-(###)-: braces locked

:-[::] brackets being installed

:-[#] braces being installed

:-X I don't want anyone to see my braces

:-(#J#) using a Water-Pik™

:-(#q#) brushing braces

:-(#\#) how do you floss these things?

:-(#*#) gum caught in braces

:-(#~#) tongue caught in braces

:-<##) lip caught in braces

:-(#·#) tongue piercing caught in braces

:-[|] braces being removed

:-)|) finished with braces!

Celebrating its 29th year, the International Day of Peace was created by the United Nations to promote worldwide peace and encourage mankind to work in cooperation toward this goal. It provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It can be as simple as lighting a candle or as involved as organizing a community event. Share the sign of peace with everyone you meet today!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Aspire Orthodontics