31 Jul 2013

Psychological Abuse is the First Warning: Run, Get Out

By Ginny Grimsley
Psychological abuse can be as damaging to the psyche as physical abuse can be to the body, yet little is written about this common problem, which is typically the precursor to physical abuse. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 95 percent of men who physically abuse their intimate partners also psychologically abuse them.

Psychological abuse consists of impairing the mental life and impeding mental development. It creates distorted beliefs, taught by the abuser, about the world. Those beliefs become ingrained in the victim's mind and can interfere with the flexibility that needed to constantly assess the environment and respond appropriately. Knowing the signs of psychological abuse may save women from the physical abuse that so often follows.

I experienced psychological abuse through the eyes of a child -- part of the stories I share in "Believe in the Magic: Let the Tenacity of Mattie Fisher Inspire You," (www.mattiefisher.com), the story of my mother's remarkable journey.

I watched as my father systematically and maliciously attempted to drive my mother crazy. He would constantly move car keys and other items from the places she normally kept them. He would then pretend to find them in odd places, like the refrigerator. After playing the hero for a month or so, my father would start insulting my mom with degrading remarks.

After months of psychological warfare, with her mental state sufficiently weakened, my father would begin the physical abuse. For the rest of her life, my mother was inconsolable and shaky whenever something went missing.

Signs of psychological abuse include :

• Your partner uses finances to control you.
• He often threatens to leave.
• She seeks to intimidate using looks, gestures or actions.
• He smashes things.
• Your partner seeks to control you by minimizing, denying and blaming
• He makes light of the abuse and does not take your concerns about it seriously.
• You are continually criticized, called names and/or shouted at.
• She emotionally degrades you in private, but acts charming in public.
• He humiliates you in private or public.
• They withhold approval, appreciation or affection as punishment.

Effects of psychological abuse on the victim, from the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness:

• A distrust of his or her own spontaneity
• A loss of enthusiasm
• An uncertainty about how she is coming across
• A concern that something is wrong with him
• An inclination to reviewing incidents with the hopes of determining what went wrong
• A loss of self-confidence
• A growing self-doubt
• An internalized critical voice
• A concern that she isn't happier and ought to be
• An anxiety or fear of being crazy
• A sense that time is passing and he's missing something
• A desire not to be the way she is, e.g. "too sensitive," etc.
• A hesitancy to accept her perceptions
• A reluctance to come to conclusions
• A tendency to live in the future, e.g. "Everything will be great when/after ..."
• A desire to escape or run away
• A distrust of future relationships

If you answered yes to even one, you may be in an abusive relationship. Get help!
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

About Dee Louis-Scott

Dee Louis-Scott is the author of "Believe in the Magic: Let the Tenacity of Mattie Fisher Inspire You," (www.mattiefisher.com), the story of her mother's remarkable journey. Louis-Scott retired after working 30 years as a federal employee. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. Scott has co-chaired the Black Family Technology Awareness Association's Youth STEM Fair for nine years; its mission is to encourage studies in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum in urban communities. Twenty years since the death of her heroic mother, Mattie Fisher, Louis-Scott honors her life, which was experienced in a time in American history when it was a double-curse to be a black woman.

30 Jul 2013

Even Fellow Republican Senators Are Unimpressed with Chuck Grassley's Threats to Shut Down Government Unless Obamacare Defunded & Its New Consumer Protections Stripped Away

By Rick Martin

Burr (R-NC): "The dumbest idea I've ever heard of"

Coburn (R-OK): "intellectually dishonest"  

McCain (R-AZ): "shenanigans"

Shelby (R-AL): "it's foolish"

Washington DC - When Senator Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week warning that he would block a continuing resolution that would keep the federal government open after September 30 unless Obamacare was defunded, he probably didn't expect a barrage of friendly fire in response from fellow Republicans who have called his threats everything from "terror politics" to "intellectually dishonest" to "really dumb."

Jeremy Funk, Comm. Dir., Americans United for Change: "We get it.  Senator Grassley really, really wants to make it legal again for insurance companies to deny care to kids born with a 'pre-existing condition', drop people when they get seriously sick, and charge women more than men for premiums -- so much so that he is willing to shut down the government and disrupt services for millions unless he gets his way.  But Grassley's latest attempt to strip away Obamacare's new consumer protections that are already working to lower premiums is so beyond the pale and counterproductive that even many of his Republican colleagues are condemning it."

A Growing Chorus of Republicans Urging Grassley to Release the Political Hostage, Don't Shut Down the Government:

 

  • U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK): "It's a terribly dangerous and not successful strategy. You're going to set an expectation among the conservatives in our party that we can achieve something that we're not able to achieve. It's not an achievable strategy. It's creating the false impression that you can do something when you can't. It's a denial of reality mixed with a whole bunch of hype to promote groups and individuals who are saying, 'I'm going to give you hope' for something that we can't do," Coburn said. "The underlying premise is intellectually dishonest. ... Creating false expectations and being less than honest about how you're going to do this is the worst of politics." [Washington Examiner, 7/29]
  • U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC): "No, I think it's the dumbest idea I've ever heard of... Listen, so long as Barack Obama's president, the Affordable Care is gonna be law... I think some of these guys need to understand that, you shut down the government, you better have a specific reason to do it that's achievable. Defunding the Affordable Care Act is not achievable by shutting down the federal government. At some point, you're gonna open the federal government back up, and Barack Obama's gonna be president, and he won't have signed the dissolution of the Affordable Care Act." [Think Progress, 7/29]
  • U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Deputy Majority Whip:  Condemned the idea as "the political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum" and accused Senate Republicans of "blackmail."  Cole: "Shutting down the government is a suicidal political tactic. Eventually it will be reopened, but the president will not have capitulated and you will have discredited yourself and along the way you will have hurt the American people," Cole (R-Okla.) said Monday on MSNBC's "Now with Alex Wagner." // "The only way Republicans will lose the House is to shut down the government or default on the debt," the Oklahoma Republican told Politico. "Shutting down the government is not in the best interests of the American people and it makes you look politically irresponsible." "I'm not inclined to jeopardize the crown jewel, and the House of Representatives is the crown jewel in this election cycle." [Newsmax, July 26; Twitter, 7/24; Politico, July 29]
  • John McCain (R-AZ): Obamacare repeal is "not going to happen" and that the American people would not stand for political "shenanigans" that tie a government shutdown or a hike in the debt ceiling to the health law. [Washington Post, 7/22]
  • U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY): "There's no reason to be threatening to bring down the government, let's make this work get spending cuts we need but the American people get turned off with the threat of terror politics." [Political Wire, July 28]
  • U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL): "it's foolish" not to fund the government. [Huffington Post, 7/26]

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Americans United for Change is a 501c4 issue-advocacy organization established in 2005 to beat back President Bush's effort to privatize Social Security and has been working ever since to advance a progressive agenda in Congress including health care reform, reversing climate change, Wall Street reform, protecting Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security from benefit cuts, minimizing gun violence, and requiring millionaires and big corporations to pay their fair share in taxes.
24 Jul 2013

How to Navigate a Cancer Diagnosis

By Ginny Grimsley
Pioneering Psychotherapist Shares Strategies for Managing Anxiety & Maintaining Emotional Wellness

Unlike many of the most important events in one's life - graduation, marriage, having a child - almost no one anticipates a cancer diagnosis.

This year, nearly 239,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 232,000 women will learn they have breast cancer, according the American Cancer Society. Over their lifetimes, nearly half of all men can expect a cancer diagnosis, and more than a third of women.*

"Thankfully, we now have many tools for detecting cancers early and treating them successfully. But learning you have cancer remains one of life's most frightening and stressful experiences," says cancer psychotherapist Dr. Niki Barr, author of "Emotional Wellness, The Other Half of Treating Cancer," (canceremotionalwellbeing.com).

"Developing ways to help patients address their emotional well-being throughout their medical journey, still lag behind medical advances, but physicians and psychologists recognize that healing improves when both the physical and emotional needs of patients are served."

In her years of clinical practice working exclusively with cancer patients and their loved ones, Barr developed an Emotional Wellness Toolbox that patients stock with what Barr has found to be the most effective tools.

Here are some of her tools for managing anxiety - a normal and emotionally healthy response to a cancer diagnosis, but one that can spiral out of control.

• Catch your anxious thoughts. Stop anxious thoughts - thoughts about fear, unease and worry -- before they lead to anxiety. Start by writing your thoughts down on individual note cards and identifying the first one that's leading to you feeling anxious.  Then the next one. When you've identified all of your anxious thoughts, go back to the first one and, on the card, write a new thought that will not make you feel anxious. It should be a thought that is confident and empowering. Continue down the list and do the same for each anxious thought.

• Erase 'what if' thinking. What if the cancer has spread? What if the treatment doesn't work? One 'what if' leads to another and often spirals into anxiety. Be aware when you start asking 'what if' and instead ask yourself, "Is this thought helping me or hurting me?" and "Is this thought moving me forward or backward?"

• Ground yourself. Interrupt a chain of anxious thoughts by focusing on details around you. Look at the color of the walls in the room you're in; take in the pictures on the walls, the books on the shelves and the titles on their spines; look at the person you're talking to, the color of their eyes, the clothes she's wearing. Being very focused on external details can derail anxious thoughts.

• Use distraction. Choose a favorite place and visit it. Absorb everything about it - the colors, smells, any people involved, the sounds, tastes, how it feels. Build it up very clearly in your mind, going over and over it, so it can become a distraction tool. When you're waiting for a medical test or procedure, undergoing a procedure, or any other time you need to "be" somewhere else, call up your distraction and visit.

Other tools for your box include meditation CDs that use guided imagery; favorite music CDs; and a journal to record your thoughts and feelings.

"Being able to manage your anxiety enables you to move forward through cancer whether patient, caregiver or family member," Barr says.  "Don't tell yourself you can't handle whatever you're going through. Yes, you can ... five minutes at a time."

*The data does not include non-melanoma skin cancers, the most common diagnosis.

About Niki Barr, Ph.D. (@NikiBarrPhD)

Niki Barr, Ph.D. founded a pioneering psychotherapy practice dedicated to working with cancer patients in all stages of the disease, along with their family members, caregivers and friends. In her book, she describes an "emotional wellness toolbox" patients can put together with effective and simple strategies, ready to use at any time, for helping them move forward through cancer. Dr. Barr is a dynamic and popular speaker, sharing her insights with cancer patients and clinicians across the nation.

24 Jul 2013

A New Approach to Eating

By Amy Stockwell Mercer
Mindfulness is very in and could just help your A1C and your waistline.

How many of us eat dinner in front of the nightly news, or lean over the newspaper while we sip our coffee at breakfast? How many of us walk, talk or drive while eating? The answer is almost everyone. And when we're finished eating, all too often we realize we ate more than we'd planned. Diabetes or no, overeating is not good for blood sugar control or weight management. But how do we make a change ? from mindless eating to mindful eating ? when our lives are too busy to stop and smell the risotto?

What is it?
A recent trend in psychology, mindfulness has become the latest "it" phrase in the nutrition world too. Mindfulness has its roots in Eastern philosophy and, broadly, it is simply adopting greater awareness. In Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes (New Harbinger Publications, 2012), co-author Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE (and co-founder of The Center for Mindful Eating), says, "mindful eating is eating with intention and attention. Intention is to address hunger and cravings, and attention is being aware of how food tastes and our change [in] hunger and fullness." For some, it might mean a greater awareness of food and for others it might be simply slowing down while eating.

Conscious and Conscience
Heather Nielsen, co-founder of Transforming Diabetes (a website that provides diabetes health care services and support), participated in a mindful eating exercise where she was asked to take a small bite of food (a raisin, piece of fruit, or trail mix), and to employ a variety of senses (taste, smell, listen) to mindfully notice this food item. "We were encouraged to let it sit in our mouths, move it around with our tongue, noticing texture and taste before biting slowly into it, and continuing to observe what happened at each moment." Nielsen says this exercise showed her how unconscious she'd been with food. "I realized how diabetes had taken me away from the appreciation of food as food, and led me to see food as carbs or calories."

The Science
Although mindful eating is not a "diet," studies show that weight loss may be a ripple effect. Jean Kristeller, PhD, of Indiana State University, has created a program called Mindfulness Based-Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT). The 10-session program has been shown to reduce binge eating and give participants a greater ability to use hunger and satiety cues to self-regulate food choice and eating behavior. Another study at Duke University suggests that mindful eating can prevent weight regain in subjects after 15 months.

Weight management has not been an issue for Nielsen, a busy working mom, but she feels that incorporating mindful eating has helped with her diabetes management and maintaining a healthy weight. "I'm eating more intuitively, less emotionally, and am more likely to take in just what I need."

Becoming a mindful eater doesn't mean you have to buy a yoga mat, sit cross legged, and hum every time you feel hungry. It just means, simply paying attention to what you put in your mouth.

A Starter Kit*

Experts suggest starting gradually with mindful eating, eating one meal a day or week in a slower, more attentive manner. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Set your kitchen timer to 20 minutes, and take that time to eat a normal-sized meal.
  • Try eating with your non-dominant hand; if you're a righty, hold your fork in your left hand when lifting food to your mouth.
  • Use chopsticks if you don't normally use them.
  • Eat silently for five minutes, thinking about what it took to produce that meal, from the sun's rays to the farmer to the grocer to the cook.
  • Take small bites and chew well.
  • Before opening the fridge or cabinet, take a breath and ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" Do something else, like reading or going on a short walk.

*Adapted from "Mindful Eating May Help with Weight Loss," Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publications, HEALTHBeat, July 6, 2011. http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/mindful-eating-may-help-with-weight-loss

Recommended Reading

  • Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat With Diabetes by Michelle May, MD and Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE
  • Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Susan Albers, PsyD
  • Mindful Eating, a Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Chozen Bays, MD
24 Jul 2013

Is Bulldog-Face the Next Modern Epidemic?

By Ginny Grimsley
2 Doctors Say Unrecognized Airway/Breathing Issues are
Prompting Facial Changes and a Host of Chronic Problems

What's it like to be an English bulldog? More people are finding out, say integrated health specialists Dr. Michael Gelb and Dr. Howard Hindin.

"A bulldog's airway passages are quite restricted because of the shape of its face, and they are often especially vulnerable to illnesses such as cardiac disease and cancer," says Dr. Michael Gelb of The Gelb Center in New York (www.gelbcenter.com), a holistic dentist known worldwide for pioneering integrative treatments.

Dr. Hindin of the Hindin Center for Whole Health Dentistry (www.hindincenter.com) partners with Dr. Gelb in a multidisciplinary approach to treating chronic disease affecting millions of Americans.

"Our faces are becoming more like a bulldog, with smaller mouths, bigger tongues, misaligned teeth and bigger necks - all of which changes the structures of our mouths and makes breathing significantly more difficult," Dr. Hindin says.

The doctors say that's creating a health crisis.

They say these issues are often associated with Airway, Breathing and Sleep (ABSleep):

• ADHD and other children's issues: Ninety percent of our brains are developed by age 12. Obstructions and even increased effort in breathing cause children to have sleep disorders, and the effect is a range of related problems, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to obesity and diabetes. The good news is that much of this is preventable - at 6, 18 and 30 months of age, doctors can predict children who are likely to develop behavioral and cognitive disorders due to poor breathing. Treatment is often complex and requires a team approach. Removal of tonsils and adenoids are among preventative measures, along with palatal expansion and myofunctional therapy. Additionally, early intervention can improve the shape of a child's face, lips and smile.

• TMJ: As our faces are becoming pushed in and our mouths are getting smaller there is increased pressure on the TMJ as well as increased muscle tension and clenching.

• Sleep apnea: People with sleep apnea can stop breathing hundreds of times each night. Each time this happens, the brain triggers the person to awaken, ever so slightly, in order to resume breathing. Up to 90 percent of people with obstructive sleep apnea have not been diagnosed, according to the American College of Physicians. Sleep apnea is just one of the disorders that can have serious lifelong consequences. But the causes are easily corrected. Children who snore loudly are twice as likely to have learning problems and are more likely to develop behavior problems and ADHD.

• Chronic headaches: Morning headache is one sign of obstructive sleep apnea. As the face is pushed in, nasal breathing is obstructed and mouth breathing results in a forward head posture. This puts a strain on the muscles and nerves at the base of the neck which increases headache.

• Other sleep disorders: You do not need to have apnea to have a sleep disorder that will interfere with performance and health. Snoring, restless leg syndrome and simple daytime drowsiness can be a signal that you are not getting the proper quantity and quality of restorative sleep. If you are suffering from chronic pain, inflammation, poor performance or behavior problems, consider looking into airway-breathing treatment.

About Michael Gelb, D.D.S., M.S.

Dr. Michael Gelb is an innovator in airway, breathing, sleep, and painful TMJ disorders pioneering Airway Centric. He has studied early intervention for sleep disordered breathing (SDB) specializing in how it relates to fatigue, focus, pain and the effects all of these can have on family health. Dr. Gelb received his D.D.S. degree from Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery and his M.S. degree from SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. He is the former Director of the TMJ and Orofacial Pain Program at the NYU College of Dentistry and is currently Clinical Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology at the NYU College of Dentistry. He is a co-inventor of the NORAD, or Nocturnal Oral Airway Dilator appliance that reduces snoring by positioning the patient's tongue and jaw so that airways stay open. He co-founded the Academy of Physiologic Medicine and Dentistry (APMD) and a non-profit to prevent the proliferation of chronic disease in the U.S. based on airway, sleep and breathing awareness, research and education.

About Howard Hindin, D.D.S.

Dr. Howard Hindin is trained in all aspects of general dentistry. Since the 1990s, his practice has also focused on cosmetic dentistry, temporomandibular joint disorders and craniofacial pain. He is a graduate of New York University College of Dentistry. An acknowledged pioneer in the relationship between dental issues and whole body health, Dr. Hindin is President (2000-present) of the Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine (FAIM). He is also an active member of the American Academy of Pain Management, American Academy of Cranio Facial Pain, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Academy of General Dentistry, American Dental Association, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and the New York State Society of Acupuncture for Physicians and Dentists and is the co-founder of the American Association of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD).

23 Jul 2013

We're No Longer No. 1, But We're Still Too Fat, Says Physician

By Rick Martin
5 Myths that Misinform Our Efforts to Slim Down

We're not No. 1 anymore. Mexico, according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, has surpassed the United States as the fattest nation in the world.

An estimated 70 percent of the population is overweight, and about one-third of Mexicans are obese. Just one fat-related disease, diabetes, accounts for nearly 70,000 Mexican deaths per year.

"But this doesn't mean our health to the north has gotten better - it just means others have gotten worse, and the dubious distinction of who is the world's most obese nation is debatable," says Dr. James L. Hardeman, who has seen firsthand the consequences of unhealthy habits during his 30 years as a practicing physician.

"For one, we've been fatter longer than Mexico has and yet we still haven't sufficiently dealt with our national epidemic of fat-based disease. Our overweight and obese percentages are neck and neck with Mexico's, and some of this is due to misinformation."

Dr. Hardeman, author of "Appears Younger than Stated Age," (www.jameslhardeman.com), a pragmatic guide to looking younger, debunks some of the myths that aren't helping dieters:

• Myth: Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week is sufficient. Moderate exercise may work for the 25-year-old with a reasonably healthy diet. When we are young, our basal metabolic rate (BMR) rages like a furnace. Unfortunately, our BMR decreases 2 to 3 percent each decade after age 25. That means we have to make up for that decrease with either better eating habits, more exercise, or both - if we want to maintain a healthy weight. For those who are older, overweight or obese, a stronger commitment is necessary, including an hour's worth of exercise at least five times a week.

• Myth: Gaining weight with age is healthy because it's natural. Metabolism slows with age, causing many to put on the pounds. However, maintaining your Ideal Body Weight (IBW), which factors in height, gender and frame size, will keep you feeling and looking younger if you do not slowly gain weight over time. Also, casually accepting some weight gain over time can lead to massive weight gain considering our largely sedentary lifestyles and easy availability of quick, fatty meals.

• Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Humans posses a sensitive thirst center in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which responds to dehydration and tells us to drink water. The amount of water needed for each person varies; so we don't need to target a set amount because our thirst will tell us. However, drinking plenty of water may decrease appetite, and water should always be chosen over sugary beverages for satiating thirst.

• Myth: Diet books keep you slim. "Going on a diet" is one of America's favorite pastimes. Diets typically entail temporarily altering eating patterns, losing a bit of weight, and then going back to old habits. This has created an entire genre of literature, as well as videos, gear and meal plans that have become a multibillion-dollar industry. Really, it all boils down to the I&O (Intake and Output) principle. People who stick to Atkins, South Beach and the Sugar Busters diets lose weight because they limit the intake of calories.

• Myth: Taking vitamin supplements every day makes you healthy. Dietary supplement sales represent a $20 billion a year business, yet the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act allows for significantly more lenient rules for supplements than medications from pharmaceutical companies, which are carefully scrutinized by the FDA. Manufacturers are not required to substantiate the supposed benefits of their products. A balanced diet generally provides all required vitamins and minerals needed, with the possible exceptions vitamin B12 for those who eat no animal products, folic acid for women of childbearing age, and, if blood tests indicate deficiency, vitamin B12 and vitamin D in the elderly.

About Dr. James L. Hardeman

Dr. James L. Hardeman has been a practicing physician for 30 years. Triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Hardeman has maintained the demanding schedule of both hospital-based medicine and a busy office practice. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from University of California at Irvine he attended Baylor College of Medicine where he graduated with honors. Postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine took place at USC and UCI.

17 Jul 2013

Pets Across U.S. Brace for Heat Wave

By James Judge
MINNEAPOLIS - As people brace for the heat wave that is forecasted to blanket the U.S. this week, doctors from BluePearl Veterinary Partners are urging pet owners to take precautions for their pets during the sweltering days ahead.

BluePearl doctors recommend these simple steps to help prevent your pet from taking a trip to the emergency room:

•       Avoid physical activity during the heat of the day; keep exercise to the cooler mornings and evenings.
•       Ensure your pet has access to plenty of water throughout the day and during times of exercise.
•       Spray your pet down with room temperature or cool water, but never ice water. Ice cold water causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin and heat can't escape the body properly, which actually makes heat exhaustion symptoms worse.
•       Make sure pets are kept inside of air-conditioned spaces to avoid excess exposure to heat.
•       When walking or jogging with your pet, try to avoid asphalt as your pet's paw pads can burn. Instead, stick to concrete, dirt or grass, as those surfaces are less hot.
•       Never leave your pet in a car unattended, even with the air conditioning running. If the air conditioning fails, your pet could easily over-heat in as little as a few minutes.
•       Don't give sports drinks or electrolyte supplements to pets. Dogs cool off by panting and they do not sweat like people. Supplements like sports drinks can actually harm animals and make pets sick.

Most importantly, be familiar with your pet and know when they aren't acting right. Lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and dark red gums are all signs of heat related distress. If your pet is panting uncontrollably or collapses, take the animal to your veterinarian or nearest emergency veterinary hospital immediately.

About BluePearl Veterinary Partners
Formed in 2008, BluePearl Veterinary Partners is headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and employs more than 1,200 people including approximately 250 veterinarians. BluePearl hospitals are referral-only and don't provide primary care. Most BluePearl hospitals offer 24-hour emergency care services. BluePearl is one of the world's principal providers of approved veterinary residency and internship educational programs. BluePearl also participates in and conducts clinical trials to study the effectiveness of new drugs and treatments, which give clients access to cutting-edge medicine not yet commercially available and improves the quality of care delivered to our patients.

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15 Jul 2013

Upcoming Red Cross blood drives: Aug. 1-15

By Marvin Whittaker

Last week, the American Red Cross announced an emergency need for blood and platelet donations. Eligible donors of all blood types, especially O negative, A negative and B negative, are still needed to help ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients.

Additional ways to help

Spread the word about the urgent need for blood donations via social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #GiveNow.

Participate in the Summer of Stories campaign. Visit redcrossblood.org/summer to watch videos of people whose lives have been touched by blood donors, then share your own story.

Learn more about Red Cross Blood Services in your community and how blood donors help save lives at redcrossblood.org.

PEORIA, Ill. (July 15, 2013) – The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors of all types, especially O negative, A negative and B negative, as fewer donations than expected were given in the first half of summer. Every day donations come up short, less potentially lifesaving blood is available for patients in need.

Type O negative blood is universal and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to both Rh positive or negative patients. Blood products can be used for cancer patients, trauma victims, organ transplant recipients, premature babies, sickle cell disease patients and more.

Hospital patients are counting on generous volunteer donors to step up and give now to help ensure a sufficient blood supply is available all summer long. Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS for more information and to make an appointment.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County

Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 pm at United Methodist Church, 1901 State Route 84 in Thomson, Ill.

Aug. 15 from 1:30-6:30 pm at American Legion Hall, 221 Calvert St. in Chadwick, Ill.

Clinton County

Aug. 2 from 1-5 pm at YWCA, 317 Seventh Ave. South in Clinton, Iowa

Aug. 9 from 1-6 pm at DeWitt Community Center, 512 10th St. in DeWitt, Iowa

Henry County

Aug. 5 from 2-6:30 pm at Sacred Heart Church, 108 N. Main in Annawan, Ill.

Aug. 14 from 2-6 pm at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Mercer County

Aug. 7 from 2:30-6:30 pm at United Methodist Church, 15th and 18th Avenue in Viola, Ill.

Whiteside County

Aug. 1 from 9:45 a.m. to 4 pm at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

Aug. 6 from 8-11 am at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Aug. 7 from 2-6 pm at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Aug. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 pm at Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD 3, 79 Grove St. in Prophetstown, Ill.

Aug. 13 from 1-5:15 pm at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Aug. 14 from 3-7 pm at Abiding Word Church, 806 E. Lynn Blvd. in Sterling, Ill.

Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 pm at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Aug. 15 from 1:30-6 pm at Carlson Acupuncture & Chiropractic, 2317 E. Lincolnway in Sterling, Ill.

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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12 Jul 2013

Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Care

By Erin Williams

Muscatine, Iowa (July 2013) - Gilda's Club and UnityPoint Trinity are partnering to offer Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Care. This free educational workshop is designed for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Participants will gain practical advice on how to navigate the numerous and complex challenges of managing the cost of cancer care. Our featured speaker will be Ruth Laabs-Wilcox, LMSW This workshop will take place on Thursday August 1st at 5:30 p.m. at Muscatine Community College Musser Center 152 Colorado Street, Muscatine, Iowa.

Advanced registration is preferred as dinner is included.

For more details and registration call Gilda's Club at (877) 926-7504

12 Jul 2013

5 Ways to Stay Slim While Indulging Yourself

By Ginny Grimsley
Veteran Biochemical/Nutritional Expert Offers Tips for
Maintaining a Healthy Weight

With the recent declaration from the American Medical Association that obesity now should be considered a disease, the United States officially becomes an even more afflicted union. Obesity, which affects 78 million adults and 12 million children, causes a plethora of other illnesses, including cardiac disease and diabetes.

"It's clear that a really fundamental paradigm shift in lifestyle is needed for an enormous swath of the U.S. population - but there are also Americans who have already reshaped their eating and exercise habits, and they're looking to not only maintain their health, but also take it to the next level," says Dr. Susie Rockway, a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert in the U.S. health industry.

"These are often busy, professional people who make an effort to eat healthy with most meals and make time throughout the workweek to move their body and get their blood pumping."

Still, they also want to be able to enjoy an indulgent meal every once in a while - birthdays, family barbecues or date night with the spouse. Dr. Rockway offers tips for people who want to maintain their weight while still enjoying the occasional burger, chicken wing or greasy pizza slice:

• Food diary: So, nine times out of 10 you eat healthy, eh? That may not really be true, but a food diary can help clear up any confusion. How much fattening mayo was used to make that tuna salad? If you've sworn off meat, are you getting enough protein and are you eating too many carbohydrates? What kind of carbs are they? Are you eating a diverse diet that provides all the necessary nutrients? A food diary will help challenge your assumptions and make you more aware of everything you're eating, how much and where you might make healthy adjustments.

• Stay hydrated: Whether you've upped the ante on your workouts or you're consuming too much salt or too many caffeinated beverages, which act as a diuretic, doctors and researchers believe as many as 75 percent of Americans experience dehydration throughout the day. Dehydration can make you confuse thirst for hunger, cause fatigue and a fuzzy memory.

• Lineatabs www.lineatabs.com: This meal supplement has been popular in  Europe for 11 years and recently became available in the United States. Lineatabs contains Solusitan, an all-natural fat-binding complex. Unlike other fat-binding supplements, Lineatabs dissolve in water to become an effervescent citrus flavored beverage that users consume before or while eating a fatty meal. Since the dietary fibers in Lineatabs are dispersed in water are not compressed into a tablet, they're immediately available to bind with fats, turning them into an indigestible liquid mass. The tabs are perfect for people who follow a healthy diet but occasionally eat a greasy-fatty meal. The ingredients in Lineatabs are clinically proven to help reduce body weight, in combination with a calorie-restricted diet, and can also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Additionally, Lineatabs encourages hydration, as it makes you drink more water.

• Relaxation: If you're always on the go, chances are you may be suffering from excessive stress, which according to the American Journal of Epidemiology, raises levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you feel hungry. Stress can also make busy people more prone to comfort eating, including excessive amounts and foods filled with fat, sugar and salt. Consider breathing techniques, yoga or meditation for handling a busy schedule.

• Slightly increase/mix-up cardio: It's easy to get into a routine in your workout. After a certain point, however, your body gets used to the exercise and you get less of a workout. You don't have to drastically alter things though; increasing the incline on your treadmill by just 5 percent can help you lose 15 percent more calories during your walk/jog/run. If you want more muscle definition, consider trading a walk for a shorter jog, or a jog for a shorter sprint.

About Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert and is a multi-decade industry expert. She has worked for multiple companies in executive capacities, including as an executive director of product development, a director of research, and a manager for science developing health and wellness products, where she communicated nutrition and new science updates to consumers. She has also designed testing strategies for clinical efficacy studies.

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