The pearly white smile. It is the essential Hollywood accessory and the goal of many an image conscious man or woman. You can bleach teeth, or have they whitened by lasers and lamps in the dentist’s office but all of that can be an expensive and time consuming exercise. With everyone tightening their budget these days is there any way to whiten teeth without bleaching or chemical whitening?

Teeth become discolored for a myriad of different reasons. Genetics can play a part in the natural shade of your teeth and there is of course very little one can do about that. Add to that the damage caused by sugary sodas, coffee tea and red wine and teeth can end up looking very dingy indeed. Smoking is terrible for the teeth, leaving the same yellow film on tooth enamel as it does on the fingers of those who still insist on lighting up.

So what are some affordable ways to brighten one’s smile? The first step is of course to avoid the previously mentioned culprits as much as possible, and if you must indulge (most people need that cup of coffee to get going in the morning) brush your teeth as soon as possible after indulging. Careful brushing is essential to over good dental health of course, not just the color of your teeth.

Using baking soda can be quite effective for lifting surface stains from teeth. If you are brave you can do it the old fashioned way, adding straight baking soda to your toothbrush and then brushing as usual. For those who cannot stand the tastes there are a number of toothpastes on the market that are formulated with baking soda that are an alternative.

In addition to baking soda there are a number of natural tooth whiteners that some people swear by for keeping their teeth pearly white. When rubbed on teeth daily some people find that fresh strawberries can be effective for removing stains and whitening the teeth a few shades while others have had success with a combination of pure lemon juice and salt (although the taste can be very hard to swallow).

Another effective but again not necessarily pleasant tasting natural tooth whitening trick is to rinse with apple cider vinegar after regular brushing. There are also a number of commercially available whitening tooth rinses on the shelves these days that have many of the same benefits but are a little more pleasant to the taste buds.

An occupational therapist assists those with mental, physical, emotional or developmental difficulties improve the quality of a number of aspects of their day to day life.

Those who want to become a licensed occupational therapist in the United States must undertake a rather long course of formal education. Since 2007 in order to become a licensed occupational therapist a candidate must hold the minimum of a master’s degree, with a doctorate being preferred.

Once an individual is licensed as an occupational therapist there career options are rather wide and varied. Occupational therapists work with all sections of the population and with patients of all ages. Some may choose to narrow their focus to a certain discipline, for instance helping those who are struggling with drug and alcohol addictions, or working with those recovering from strokes or other debilitating conditions.  Whatever population they choose to work with the goal of every occupational therapist is to positively impact the patient’s everyday life and help them live their life to the fullest.

Occupational therapists use a myriad of different techniques to achieve their goals for a particular client and often work with many other medical professionals to devise an overall wellness plan for the individual. Occupational therapists can be found in hospitals, nursing homes and even in schools.

Many people think of occupational therapy as something that is for the elderly or those recovering from serious illness or injury. Increasingly though occupational therapy is being used to help children recover from physical and mental problems or assist those with a chronic disability or condition learn to live life to its fullest as they grow up.

Of course considering the amount of formal education they must complete in order to work as an occupational therapist someone considering entering the field will want to know about the earning potential once they are qualified. In 2006 the average compensation for an occupational therapist was $60,400 per annum. Those who worked in the home healthcare industry earned the highest salary with those employed in schools the lowest, averaging approximately $52,000 per annum.

Government analysis expects the field to continue to expand with the increase in the number of so called “baby boomers” reaching retirement age. According to figures from the US Bureau of Labor statistics they project a 23% increase in demand for licensed occupational therapists between 2006 and 2016, making it one of the faster growing areas of employment within the medical field.

If you’re anything like me you spend hours looking for cloths that hide your pot belly.  While some people are blessed with natural washboard stomachs most of us have to work for it.  In order to achieve the flat stomach you desire, you need to increase your metabolism, eat properly and work the right muscles.

Metabolism is the process by which the body turns the food we eat into energy.  Your metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body burns over a period of time.  When you increase your metabolic rate then you burn more calories.  The best way to increase your metabolic rate is aerobic exercise.  When people think of aerobic exercise they think of the typical “20 Minute Workout” routine, but aerobic exercise doesn’t have to be boring; it can include any activity that increases the heart rate.  Try taking up an activity you enjoy like dancing, swimming or bike riding.

Eating a balanced diet is critical to attaining that killer flat stomach, but it’s also very crucial not to over eat.  When the body consumes more calories then it needs it sends the remainder to fat storage; one of these areas is that layer of fat covering your stomach muscles.  You can have the tightest stomach muscles in the world but if it’s covered by fat know one’s going to see it.  Not only is it important to control what you eat and how much but it’s also important that you control when you eat.  Eating small meals six to eight times a day is an excellent way to boost your metabolism; caution should be taken since the tendency to over eat is great.  Don’t drink a lot of carbonated beverages or eat foods that are high in salt as they can cause your stomach to bloat.

There are basically three types of muscles in the stomach area; they include the rectus abdominals (the outer muscle), the obliques (side muscles), and the transverse abdominals (innermost layer of muscle).   Focusing too much on one area of the stomach and ignoring the rest is not an effective way to a getting a flat stomach.  For example, many people work their stomach muscles by doing “crunches”, this exercise only works outer muscles (rectus abdominals) and doesn’t really help to flatten your stomach.  In order to achieve that killer flat stomach you need to exercise all of your stomach muscles, but it’s most important to concentrate your efforts on the transverse abdominal muscles since these are the muscles responsible for pulling the stomach in.  Be sure to exercise at least thirty minutes a day, but make sure you rest for a couple of days off every week to rest as this will give any strained muscles a chance to heal.

Gaining the flat stomach you have always dreamed of is not an easy task.  It requires consistency, patience and it won’t happen over night.  It often requires a complete lifestyle change by making healthier food choices and exercising on a regular basis.  It’s very important to check with your doctor before starting any new exercising program.