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Summer:
The Perfect Time to Bring Your Kids in for a Dental Exam By Dr.Andrade & Dr. Montalvo
Summer is a great time to take advantage of your kids being out of school by bringing them to the dentist. By having your kids see a dentist every 6 months, they will learn that going to the dentist is not optional but a must. They will also learn good habits, be less scared and be less likely to have problems with their teeth as they get older. Routine care is the best way to keep their teeth and gums healthy as well as build trust with their dentist.
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Taking a Flying Leap...Of Faith! By Bob Cox When Alex and Janina presented their advertising idea to their most trusted confidants, they were met with something Janina refers to as spiritual resistance. After a lengthy discussion about their current financial situation, their consultants recommended that they put some money in the bank in lieu of going deeper in debt with a risky endeavor that offered no guarantees. The advice they received was not what they wanted to hear; it was practical, logical, safe and thoroughly uninspiring. Alex and Janina both have a strong spiritual faith, which was now being put to the test. Why? Because in their gut, they both strongly believed that advertising in the small local magazine was a key component to their future success. They reasoned that it wouldn’t matter how great their business model was, because if the people who needed their service didn’t know they existed, then they would never be able to get their new company off the ground. When they woke the next morning, they did what many do when confronted with a difficult decision. They prayed on it, each in their own unique and refreshing way. Janina was downstairs, where she has two bibles. She opened a random page in her big bible and read from a passage that said just do it. And do it a second time. And do it a third time. She interpreted that message as a sign confirming her feelings to go for the advertising proposal, but she really wanted an additional affirmation. So, she consulted her smaller bible, where she found two hidden treasures, the first being a passage that she had written years earlier that again confirmed her now swelling feelings to go for it. The content of that message urged her to go for her dreams. In the meantime, Alex was upstairs, where he rents a space for himself and his daughter from his good friend Janina. He too was immersed in his own unique and very personal method of prayer. Raised in the gang ridden streets of a tougher than nails neighborhood in Southern California, Alex’s communication style with God was more like a conversation with a homeboy. He said “God, man I really could use a sign right now. I’m feeling really conflicted and I’m not sure what I should do. I need you to come through for me.” Seconds later, he heard the shrieking voice of Janina from below and raced downstairs to find out what all the commotion was about. When he found her, his growing curiosity matched Janina’s wild excitement as he blurted out, “Janina, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Janina face could not contain her unbridled joy as she handed him the bible she was reading and asked Alex to
open it. Alex read the handwritten note that Janina had written as a teenager, which confirmed their desire to advertise. Next to the note was an inconspicuous envelope, which Janina urged Alex to inspect. When he did, he found 4 pristine $100 bills tucked inside the Golden 1 Credit Union Envelope! In a state of shock and disbelief, he asked Janina where the money came from. Janina shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I have no idea, but I think you just got your sign!” When I met with Alex and Janina the next morning to follow up with my proposal to advertise in Go For It Magazine, the magazine that encourages people to reach for the stars and live their dreams, my wife Diana and I had already decided to take our own flying leap of faith by doing something we normally don’t do. Diana takes care of all the bills and she does an amazing job keeping track of every detail. Generally, she will encourage me to go out there and collect up front, (this sounds much nicer than nags), especially on new accounts, so that we can meet our financial obligations in a timely manner. This time; however, something was very different as I shared my passion for wanting to help this particular business get started. It took very little convincing to persuade Diana to bend on our usual terms and extend a line of credit to Alex and Janina’s worthwhile enterprise. By now, we both felt compelled by forces beyond our own limited financial means to help these two amazing and inspiring individuals. We did this because we believe that this new business in Rancho Cordova called Better Decisions Counseling Services has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of people in our community who suffer from negative addictions and we’re excited to be a part of that empowering and positive transformation. If you or someone you know suffers from any negative and debilitating addiction, you owe it to yourself and the people you love to take a flying leap…of faith! Contact Alex and Janina of Better Decisions today. They have been through what you are going through and they are committed to making a positive difference by helping as many people as they can to conquer their addictions. Be sure to read their unique and inspiring story on page 8 in this magazine. Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is coxrobert@comcast.net. Go For It Magazine is owned and operated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2014.
I’m in Pain!!! Can Chiropractic Help Me?
Dr. Beth Blakely 3928 California Ave. (at Fair Oaks Blvd.) Carmichael, CA 95608
944-1444 www.DrBethBlakely.com
Treatment for Auto Accident Injuries: • Medicare Provider • Specializing in Difficult Cases • Affordable Care • New Patients Seen Same Day
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FREE Consultation Meet the Doctor!
Health Check
49 Reg. 279
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Health Check Includes: Consultation, Exam, Functional Medicine Testing, Spinal X-rays If Necessary, Report of Findings. Expires 8/31/14.
A Reason to Smile
If you’re new to the area or have ever experienced an incomplete dental evaluation in the past, then today is the day to make a positive change. Trust your smile to the experienced care at Carmichael Oaks Dental Care! Our community is fortunate to have two exceptional dentists (Dr. Angel Soto and Dr. Carla Gutierrez) dedicated to providing the best that dentistry has to offer. Dr. Soto, Dr. Gutierrez and their friendly staff will provide you with a comfortable and relaxing dental experience. Many of their patients are referred by other happy patients, so they have every reason to be confident that you will be in good hands. If you’ve had a history of severe dental problems, Carmichael Oaks Dental Care can help. They have all the skill, experience and advanced technology to turn your smile into a masterpiece. Their services include beautiful crowns, natural colored fillings, cosmetic bondings, porcelain veneers, dentures, bridges, dental implants, CEREC® CAD/CAM restorations, teeth whitening and much more. The staff at Carmichael Oaks Dental not only cares about their patients, they also are doing their part for our planet and future generations by going green. They’ve made an investment to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing digital x-rays and operating a paperless office. If you’re looking for a dental practice devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile using conservative, state-of-the-art procedures that will result in a beautiful, healthy and long lasting smile that you will be proud of, as well as a dental office that is sensitive and understanding to your needs, then Carmichael Oaks Dental is the place for you! July July2014 2014 GO GO FOR FOR IT IT 5
Rancho Cordova 4th of July Celebration! A Little Night Music... Gotta love the summers in Sacramento!! Gets a little toasty sometimes but (generally) in the evenings that delta breeze kicks in to cool things down and summer concert series start to rev things up! There is literally “something for everyone” from tribute bands, big band, pop, blues, jazz, country, and, of course, good old time rock-n-roll! And even better, most all of these concerts are FREE. No reason to stay home when good music and good times are just around the corner! The music goes on into August so check the calendars for Fair Oaks (Thursday evenings from 7 pm), Carmichael Park (Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 pm) and Rancho Cordova (Friday evenings in August from 7 pm). Meantime, be sure to check out the concerts at the Rancho Cordova 4th of July Celebration. Visit RanchoCordovaJuly4th.com or scan our QR code. Visit BobsPocket.com for links to their calendars for dates and locations as well as other concerts in our area. So bring your picnic, your friends and ENJOY a little Night Music! * Visit BobsPocket.com for Bob’s bio, past blogs, and to learn more about events & organizations.
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MUSIC including Journey Unauthorized (July 3) and Night Fever (July 4) starting at 8:15 pm.
PARADE — July 4 at 10 am along Coloma Road.
FIREWORKS both CARNIVAL July 3 (4 - 11 pm) & July 4 nights starting at 9:45 pm. (noon - 11 pm) with all your favorite foods, rides, and fun.
KID’S ZONE including the Bobble Lagoon and FREE activities.
AND so much more including a BMX Freestyle Team and country music in the Beer Garden. Visit RanchoCordovaJuly4th.com for details.
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Conquering Addiction – Better
field that she loved and wanted to be more involved in. She was determined to open up an alcohol and drug counseling Janina and Alex grew up on the wrong facility immediately after she retired. side of the tracks during the wild and crazy More than three decades passed 1970’s, with an unhealthy supply of drugs, since the two friends had seen one alcohol and never ending parties. Janina’s another when their paths would cross parents were both alcoholics while two once again. This time, the friendship of her three siblings struggled with drug would blossom in a healthy and toxicaddiction. The one rule in Janina’s house free environment. Janina found out was there were no rules. So, she did what from a friend that Alex had embraced many teenagers do when they are left to a positive based lifestyle and had gone their own devices; she ran around with on to become a respected drug and troubled kids like Alex. Better Decisions founder Janina Guarino with alcohol counselor. She was excited to Alex came from a broken family (divorce) General Manager Alex Noriega. hear the good news, especially after and he spiraled downward into a lifestyle all the self destructive years they once of trouble. He grew up in a neighborhood shared. Today, they embrace the same passion for helping that was infested with gangs, crime and drugs. The gang others conquer addiction. When she asked Alex if he would leaders were the only role models in his neighborhood and be interested in working with her, he said “Yes, absolutely!” Alex, like most of the kids he grew up with, looked up to them. I had the privilege to sit down with Janina Guarino and He admired their power, their wealth and the respect they Alex Noriega the other day to learn more about the company commanded. It took several years in prison for Alex to receive that Janina has started here in Rancho Cordova called Better a much needed wake up call, which he fortunately answered. Decisions Counseling Services. I walked away completely That’s when he chose to make better decisions and completely uplifted by their resilience to overcome so many obstacles turned his life around. and inspired by their passion to help others that have suffered Janina also struggled as a young adult to find peace and from similar upbringings. Here’s how our conversation went. happiness. One day, while she was going through her second divorce, she decided to make better decisions as well, which Q: What is Better Decisions Counseling Services? completely transformed her life. She decided to go into a A: (Janina) Better Decisions is a new alcohol and substance rehabilitation services agency. We offer a wide variety of quality counseling services that go beyond drug and alcohol addiction, such as anger management, co-parenting education, self esteem classes and more. With our unique experiences of being brought up around drug and alcohol addiction, we have genuine empathy and understand the despair our clients feel when they hit rock bottom. Alex and I have been there, so we know what it feels like to lose hope. Fortunately, we both decided to make better decisions and completely turned our lives around. We chose to replace our unhealthy addictions with healthy addictions that have added more joy in our lives and the lives of the people we love. We’ve taken those real life experiences as well as the formal education to assemble a variety of tools to help empower people, so they can be free from unhealthy addictions and progress in life. By Bob Cox
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Decisions Start with Better Decisions Q: How exactly does Better Decisions assist people with negative addictions? A: (Janina) Once a person has gone through a successful detox program, they need a comprehensive support system and that’s where we come in. We provide people with the education they need to integrate into society and achieve personal and professional success. We don’t have a cookie cutter program, because each person is unique. If someone has certain issues in their life, we address those issues specifically. We teach life skills and social skills to help our clients gain employment. (Alex) We teach our clients the basics, like writing a professional resume, doing mock interviews and offering tips on how to dress for the occasion. (Janina) We’re also assisting people who are going through divorce by providing anger management and parenting courses, which are sometimes required by a court of law when dealing with child custody issues. We even have family and marriage therapy, life coaching and sober companionship.
Q: Are there any other services that Better Decisions provides that are not currently available in the greater Sacramento area? A: (Janina) Yes, we’re now offering drug testing after 5pm. We’re available from 10am to 8:30pm. The majority of drug testing centers in the area close by 5pm. We also provide Saturday counseling by appointment. (Alex) By staying open after 5pm, we’re trying to accommodate the working class people that need the service but can only come after work.
(Alex) When most people think of addiction, they associate it with all the negative ones. But there are also positive addictions that you can use to fill the hole that’s left when a person removes a negative addiction. (Janina) We try to find out what healthy hobbies our clients once enjoyed and then build on that. Let’s say you used to play in a band and then you got into drugs and had to stop everything because your lifestyle became self destructive. We want to help you remember your first love (music) before the drugs were introduced. We encourage our clients to remember those things that brought them joy so that that they can bring that back into their life, minus the unhealthy addictions. Q: Can you tell us about your popular women’s support group? (Alex) Yes, Janina offers a support group for women, which helps build self esteem and is very motivational. (Janina) We have found that women don’t have a lot of support systems available here in the Sacramento area and women need to support each other. We want them to feel comfortable with this masculine disease of addiction. When a woman is in an addictive mindset, she is more apt to solicit the company of a male figure and fall into an unhealthy relationship. By having a women’s support group, we’re finding that it’s okay not to have what I call a better than nothing around, which is a male figure that’s not good for you. Women can now come to the Continued on page 10
Q: What’s been your impact on helping families who have someone suffering from an unhealthy addiction? A: (Janina) It’s been amazing! We’re bringing families together by offering formal counseling for every member of the family. Many family services located throughout Sacramento only treat the individual and exclude the family. We understand that the whole family is greatly impacted when a member has an unhealthy addiction. I was raised in a family with alcoholism and drug addiction, so I know what that’s like. Every member of our family suffered. Had those services been available to me back then, I may have made the decision to seek help a lot sooner. Q: You mentioned something earlier about adding healthy addictions. What’s that all about?
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Conquering Addiction – Better Decisions Start with Better Decisions Continued from page 9 support system and talk it out. You may need other people to talk to about certain things or a place where you can vent and hear somebody else’s perspective. You don’t have to be in a romantic relationship to feel loved and understood. A plutonic relationship is often more healthy. Q: What are the future goals of Better Decisions? A: (Janina) Today, we’re an intensive outpatient program, but we plan to have a residential facility in the near future. We’re incorporating the mental health services with substance abuse for the better of the community. (Alex) We’re looking to open a Sober Living Environment (SLE), which offers even more intensive outpatient assistance. We just want to touch the whole community in a positive way. We won’t turn anybody down, everybody is welcome. You have to show up to make a better decision. Editor’s notes: Janina Guarino is the founder of Better Decisions Counseling Services in Rancho Cordova. She is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (C.A.D.C. II). Alex Noriega is the general manager for Better Decisions Counseling Services. He is also a Certified Addiction Specialist (C.A.S. I). For more information about Better Decisions Counseling Services, call (916) 368-0700, visit their website www.betterdecisionsinc.org or stop by their office at 10366 Rockingham Drive in Rancho Cordova. Donations are always welcome.
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Car Tech Talk Enjoy Your Summer Road Trip By Dave Trux Nothing can ruin a summer vacation faster than being on the road and having your vacation cut short or interrupted because of a car repair. This is where preventative maintenance can make the difference between having a dream vacation or a nightmare. Be sure that your car is ready for an extended road trip by having it thoroughly checked over before you take off. Are all your fluids in good condition or do they need to be flushed or replaced? Are your belts and hoses up to snuff? Do your tires have enough tread left to get back home safely? Are they inflated properly and do they have even wear? These are some of the most basics things to be aware of. You will want to be proactive as you prepare and look forward to that
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summer adventure. Again, you don’t want to ruin it with unexpected surprises. Be sure to pay attention to all the things that are affected by heat, like belts, hoses, air conditioning and basic engine fluids. Those are your most common points of failure that can lead to bigger problems. You will want to stay away from having to rent a car to continue the trip while your vehicle is in an unfamiliar shop in the middle of nowhere. Not every shop is reputable, especially when a customer is in a vulnerable position and needs their car back in one piece. At Valley Motorwerks, we offer a free pre-trip inspection check. We’ll be happy to look at your BMW, Mini, Volkswagen or Audi vehicle to give you greater peace of mind before you leave. We’d prefer to point things out to you before you leave rather than having your car break down and ruin your trip.
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