Irvine, Calif., Aug. 25, 2020 A new study finds women with diabetes and significant levels of calcium in their coronary arteries have higher rates of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes than their male counterparts.

Published in the American Diabetes Association journal,Diabetes Care,researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center compared the sex-specific impact of coronary artery calcium (CAC) levels in adults with diabetes.CAC was used to predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes. The results of this comparison showed greater CAC predicts cardiovascular and total mortality more strongly in women.

We showed that coronary calcium scores of greater than 100 in a woman with diabetes was associated with higher death rates from cardiovascular diseases and all causes than similar calcium scores in women than in man with diabetes, saidNathan D.Wong, PhD, professor and director for UCIs Heart Disease Prevention Program, and the lead author for the study.

Wongand colleagues studied 4,503 adults with diabetes from a national registry of patients who received coronary calcium heart scans from computed tomography and were followed for causes of death over more than 11 years. Death rates from cardiovascular disease in those who had coronary calcium scores of 101-400 or more, were approximately twice as high in women compared to men. Total death rates in these patients were also higher in women than in men. In analyses adjusted for age and other potential confounders, compared to those with calcium scores of 0, women who had calcium scores of 101-400 and 401 or greater had cardiovascular deaths that were 3.7 and 6.3-fold greater, respectively, compared to men whose risks were 1.6 and 3.5-fold greater, respectively.

Our findings, showing significant levels of coronary calcium to predict mortality from cardiovascular causes more strongly in women than men with diabetes, might also help to explain the poorer prognosis for cardiovascular disease that has been observed for decades in women compared to men with diabetes, saidWong.

Conversely, very low death rates from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease seen in those with diabetes who had negative scans (calcium scores of 0), comprising 39 percent of women and 20 percent of men in our study, underscore the point that not all persons with diabetes are risk equivalents for cardiovascular disease, as has been the common belief for decades, noted Cedars-Sinai Medical CentersDaniel Berman, MD, senior author of the study.

Our findings suggest a call-to-action for even more aggressive risk factor management in a woman with diabetes found to have significant levels of coronary calcium to prevent future death from cardiovascular causes saidWong. Previous research conducted byWongand colleagues, has shown rates of cardiovascular disease to be 60 percent lower in those who are well-controlled for blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

The study population was part of the CAC Consortium, directed byMichael Joseph Blaha, MD, MPH, from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. UCIs Amber Cordola-Hsu, PhD, co-led the study withWong.

This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

About the UCI School of Medicine: Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students, and nearly 150 doctoral and masters students. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The School of Medicine offers an MD; a dual MD/PhD medical scientist training program; and PhDs and masters degrees in anatomy and neurobiology, biomedical sciences, genetic counseling, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and biophysics, and translational sciences. Medical students also may pursue an MD/MBA, an MD/masters in public health, or an MD/masters degree through one of three mission-based programs: the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM), the Leadership Education to Advance Diversity-African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC), and the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). The UCI School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visitsom.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It is located in one of the worlds safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange Countys second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

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Women with diabetes and high levels of coronary artery calcium at greater risk of death than men - UCI News

A burp is a common sign that you're, well, experiencing some gas. Chest pain, on the other hand, is a gas symptom that's way less discussed.

"Gas can cause more than just pain in the belly. Gas can be described as a stabbing pain or tightness in the chest, which mimics chest pain," Dr. Monisha Bhanote, MD, FCAP, an integrative medicine physician, said.

According to Dr. Bhanote, gas is created in the body two ways: by swallowing air and through the digestive process.

When one eats or drinks too quickly, they can swallow air, which may lead to gas accumulation in the stomach; so, eating slower could help, she explained.

As for digestion, Dr. Bhanote said that not all of the sugar, starch, and fiber one consumes is broken down in the small intestine. It passes onto the large intestine, where bacteria further breaks it down into carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane, which eventually leaves the body.

"Certain foods may also increase gas in individuals. This varies based not only on the food but on the bacterial colonization of the individual's gastrointestinal tract. Common culprits may include cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage [and] whole grains, as well as dairy products, soft drinks, beans, and some fruits."

Those experiencing chest pain should always consult a doctor about a diagnosis and treatment Dr. Bhanote stressed this if your gas is persistent and severe enough to affect your daily activities or cause changes in bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or bloody stools. And if you're experiencing prolonged abdominal or chest pain that is out of the ordinary, Dr. Bhanote said to seek immediate care.

One topic worth discussing with your doctor is how to reduce gas by adjusting your eating habits. Dr. Bhanote suggested exploring possible food intolerances and eliminating unnecessary contributors to gas production, like carbonated beverages and sugar substitutes.

Slowing down when eating, avoiding drinking through a straw, and passing on chewing gum are easy ways to avoiding swallowing access air, she added.

And if you're unable to prevent gas from building up, there are some holistic approaches you can take (with a doctor's permission!) to feel better.

"Some herbal teas can aid in the digestive process and reduce gas. These may include any combination of ginger, peppermint, chamomile, or anise."

Additionaly, you can drink a glass of water with added apple cider vinegar before a meal to help prevent gas and bloating, Dr. Bhanote said. Getting active after a meal can also help by moving nutrients through your body more efficiently.

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Yes, Gas Can Cause Chest Pain Here's What You Need to Know - POPSUGAR

The behavioral health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in increased drug use and subsequent overdoses, with overdose deaths in New Jersey increasing by 8% from January to August of this year. A tally of 309 in May was the highest ever in the state, according to, New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Debra Wentz.

Wentz

Wentz shared this, sourced from a Trenton Times report, and more during NJBIZs virtual Behavioral Health Panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon.

She was joined by panelists Dawn Belamarich, CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse; Donald Parker, president of behavioral health care transformation services and integrative health and medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic; and Dr. Frank Ghinassi, senior vice president of behavioral health and addictions service line at RWJBarnabas Health.

So with triple-digit increases in legal and illegal substance use and alcohol use as well and an 86% increase in gun sales, according to Parker, the largest increase in U.S. history what signs should employers look for when employees are struggling, and how can they provide effective interventions?

Employers should look for changes in behavior, Belamarich said, including isolation, increased fear or anxiety on the job, or an inability to complete tasks that were historically easy to complete. To keep a watchful eye over employees throughout the trials of 2020, Recovery Centers of America at Lighthousefocused on communication and early intervention including hosting regular town halls.

During the Oct. 27 panel discussion, Dr. Frank Ghinassi, senior vice president of behavioral health and addictions service line at RWJBarnabas Health, highlighted the importance of accessible behavioral health care, noting mobile crisis teams and also hotline numbers. Some of those resources are provided here:

The open dialogue since we launched into this in March has been helpful because behavioral health care workers are really at the forefront of helping [people in distress] Belamarich said.

But getting employees to seek help isnt always easy, Ghinassi explained.

Stigma still runs deep in the veins of the typical rugged individualism that seems to define America, he said.

For health care workers, the need to seek that care is as important as those in other fields. During the pandemic, its been especially important.

You think about a health care worker who usually is very compassionate people [sic] and wants to help people do the right thing during very tough events, including patients dying not being able to help them, in many cases managing from outside the room as patients were taking their last breaths, is really antithetical [to our work], Parker said.

Frontline health care workers at HMH have been given the opportunity to decompress and unpack what they experienced at the end of their shifts during the pandemic, rather than bringing the stress home, according to Parker.

Belamarich noted that innovation and flexibility have been important for companies like hers to be good employers during this time. For example, children are in remote and hybrid schooling scenarios, which is new for not only the students but their parents.

Flexibility on the part of the employer could help reduce the stress level employees have over such changes.

We all walk around with a beaker thats got a level of water in it. And under stress that water level gets higher and higher and for many people, that water level is right at the top, so just about anything creates a spill, Ghinassi said. For individuals who already were struggling, maybe living paycheck to paycheckthis has taken an already difficult situation and made it an almost impossible one.

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Behavioral health panel explores effective interventions for employees - NJBIZ

Millions of people who suffer from injuries or illness have heard about the placebo effect, but many of them continue to doubt its efficacy, arguing that it sounds far too good to be true. There are actually compelling reasons to believe that the placebo effect does indeed produce tremendous results in some patients, yet many doubters persist in asserting that its pseudoscience with no facts to back it. In reality, harnessing the power of the mind to achieve medical results is indeed possible, as using placebo effects elsehwere like in the business world can also be a roaring success.

Heres what you need to know about the placebo effect, and why you should be convinced of its effectiveness.

Medical experts agree on its efficacy

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the placebo effect is best described as a beneficial health outcome resulting from a persons anticipation that an intervention will help. In other words, you can trick your mind into thinking that your body is being helped by a forthcoming treatment option, even if its an inert substance that doesnt actually deliver anything special to your body. Mind over matter, as the saying goes, is evidently true in many instances.

Demonstrable health benefits and cognitive changes to how your brain functions may seem impossible to achieve with inert substances that dont actually possess any medicine, but medical experts have discovered that this tactic works time and time again. Research has even illustrated that so-called open placebos, or placebo treatments where people are made aware of the fact that its a placebo before consuming it, can produce positive results in patients. Modern medical technology is astounding its easier to get a cheap MRI with the help of a personal injury lawyer or a test for various genetic illnesses these days than ever before but sometimes all that it takes is a placebo to deliver results.

As the Harvard Mens Health Watch points out, your mind is an incredibly powerful healing tool if you give it the opportunity to help mend your body. They cant deliver miraculous results, of course, so theres no ending cancer or solving a brain tumor with the help of a placebo, but for mild conditions in many patients they can seriously help deliver relief to those who are otherwise bereft of comfort.

Various things can boost the placebo effect good branding that leads consumers to think that the medicine theyre consuming is more potent than it actually is can lead to positive medical results, for instance. The color of the pill in question could change how people perceive it in their minds. In some instances, taking more placebo pills at once can yield greater results than only taking a few of them. You should always contact a medical professional before ingesting any substance youre unfamiliar with, however, and refuse placebo treatments from those who lack valid medical certifications. Even placebo surgeries have been shown to have some effect, proving just how bright a future the field of placebo treatments is facing.

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Is The Placebo Effect Actually Real? - The Boca Raton Tribune

Earlier this week, Telangana reported two cases of Covid-19 reinfection and it was the Director of Telangana Health Department who acknowledged about the reinfection cases. Immediately there spread panic among the people who have recovered from the virus and there are many concerns too.

Not just in India, such instances were reported in the Netherlands, Germany and a couple of countries. Researchers are studying this case of reinfection of Covid-19 and in their initial study, they said there is nothing to panic. Every individual have different immune system and it is very complex. What consequences led to reinfection should be carefully observed.

Ex-director of Jammus Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Ram Vishwakarma too reacted on this and added this can be because of different inherent genetic reasons and the history of the individual cases makes a difference. He indirectly hinted that broader research is needed in such cases.

Meanwhile India has once again reported the highest daily spike of new positive cases. 77,266 cases are reported in the last 24 hours and the total cases is at 33.87 Lakh. 1057 people have died yesterday and the total death count stands at 61,529.

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Covid-19 Reinfection: Researchers Says Not To Panic - Gulte

RENO, Nev. Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates announced Aug. 3 that Dr. Keely Chevallier joined the Reno-based practice.

According to an Aug. 3 press release, Dr. Chevallier, a Nevada native, comes from David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, where she served as an Active Duty Air Force officer for four years, most recently as the Officer in Charge of the combined ENT, Audiology and Speech Language Pathology Clinic, and the Surgical Champion for the Hospitals Informatics Steering Committee.

She served a tour in Afghanistan in 2018 as the only NATO forces ENT in the country. During this time, she took care of patients including U.S. Service Members, NATO forces and Afghan troops, providing care for traumatic injuries, respiratory failure and all diseases of the ears, nose, and throat.

Dr. Chevallier received a Bachelor of Arts in integrative biology from University of California, Berkeley. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Colorado, School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado and completed her residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Chevallier has been a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society since 2009 and has been board certified with the American Board of Otolaryngology since 2017.

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People: Keely Chevallier joins Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates - Northern Nevada Business Weekly

Henry Ford Health System is providing even more services to Dearborn-area patients, with an expanded emergency room and the creation of its new Center for Integrative Medicine.

We are really proud of our ER expansion, said Mary Finn, Group Practice Director for the Henry Ford Medical Group. It has been modified so all of our bays are private treatment rooms, which was never the case before.

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She said the only part of the ER that still has curtain separators is the fast track area, for quick turnover patients, such as someone who might need simple stitches or a straightforward need for medicine.

Henry Ford Health System Fairlane has an expanded emergency room, and has a Center for Integrative Medicine, and well as pain management and anxiety care facilities.

The idea is to try to keep the ER from being as congested, so thats a nice feature, Finn said. So, we have the fast track, we have a new trauma area and we have more patient care spaces and treatment bays, so more than double when we are all done.

She said another effort of the expanded ER is to get people out of the waiting room and into a treatment bay as quickly as possible.

Our goal, with our new strategy with more rooms now, and with more treatment bays, we are trying to get everybody back without waiting in the waiting room, Finn said. It has been rare that I have seen anybody in the waiting room for the last couple months.

She said that even with ER volumes being down across the country because of the pandemic, Fairlane ERs volume is beginning to approach what it was pre-pandemic, and they are still focusing on not having the waiting room fill up with patients.

Finn said many of the doctor offices have moved to the nearby Henry Ford Medical Center on Ford Road in Dearborn.

She said all three of the Internal Medicine offices are now on the third floor of the Ford Road Center.

Its been a great change, because it allowed everybody to be one, as opposed to three separate spaces, Finn said.

She said Behavioral Services also moved from nearby office space to the third floor of the Ford Road Center.

Finn said the second floor of the Ford Road Center has been utilized to expand the Pain Management Program, which is run through the Department of Anesthesia.

They do a very comprehensive evaluation of the cause of pain and the underlying issues, and if they are able to do treatments for the patient, it could be involving any kinds of procedures or blocks or other measures that can be done, she said. "They also have a relationship with the acupuncturist, and they have a pain psychologist.

Finn said the Center for Integrative Medicine is also on the second floor of the Ford Road Center, which houses the acupuncturist, chiropractors, functional medicine (which focuses on holistic or alternative medicine), yoga and massage.

With these moves, the relationship between the Pain Management Program and the Center for Integrative Medicine is growing, she said, especially with respect to acupuncture, adding that HFHS is on the leading edge of the changes that are taking place in health care across the country, including integrated medical records, which can keep a patient safer.

We all have important history, allergy information and things that have happened, that a doctor would want to know about, Finn said. And so, the more a doctor and a medical team can easily access that information, the better off you are.

She said tests dont have to be repeated, and there can be a better focus on a patients medical problems, as well as their history, and what has already been tried.

Some of this is very hard for people to be really good historians on, Finn said. No matter how well educated you are, if you arent a member of the medical field, it can really be very challenging to navigate.

She said she is proud of what the HFHS team is accomplishing, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

Youre seeing a greater push to include more Integrative Medicine and more alternative treatments to augment traditional treatments, Finn said. So thats where there is synergy between the Pain Program, the Center for Integrative Medicine and even Internal Medicine. We have a dietician in the program, as well, and they are recognizing that everyone has something to offer.

Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton, George Thorogood, Don Felder and members of Slipknot, Stone Sour, Bush, Halestorm, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry and more will take part in Rock For Relief, a virtual benefit for Feeding America at 8 and 11 p.m. Friday, July 3 via rockforrelief.net. Cooper and Joe Satriani will also be conducting interviews with other artists during the event, a collaboration between United Stations Media Networks and Storic Media Podcast Network.

Crunch Fitness, 5601 Mercury Drive, in Dearborn, was cited for being open to patrons June 28, in violation of the governors pandemic closure

A press conference is scheduled for Friday in Dearborn to update an ongoing dispute between the American Moslem Society (AMS) and its neighbor

The Confidence Connection, a recently launched podcast hosted by Dearborn native Suzanne Sena, provides people with ways to build belief and

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HFHS Fairlane expands ER, creates Center for Integrative Medicine; Pain management to be at the forefront - Dearborn Press and Guide

This article was originally published here

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2020 Aug 9. doi: 10.1007/s10549-020-05859-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To define the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and examine rates and predictors of psychotherapy and integrative medicine service use in breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors (AIs).

METHODS: Observational study of patients with histologically confirmed stage 0-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer taking a third-generation AI at the time of enrollment. Patients completed self-report measures of anxiety and utilization of psychotherapy and integrative medicine services at a single time-point. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with anxiety and receipt of anxiety treatment services.

RESULTS: Among the 1085 participants, the majority were younger than 65 years of age (n = 673, 62.0%) and white (n = 899, 82.9%). Approximately one-third (30.8%) reported elevated anxiety ( 8 on the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Of patients with elevated anxiety, only 24.6% reported receiving psychological counseling, 25.3% used integrative medicine services, and 39.8% received either type of treatment since their diagnosis. Patients with an education level of high school or less were less likely to receive psychological counseling (AOR, 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.95) and integrative medicine services (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.12-0.72) than patients with higher levels of education.

CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety is common in breast cancer patients treated with AIs yet the majority of anxious patients do not receive evidence-based treatment, even when these treatments are available. Better systematic anxiety screening and treatment initiation are needed to reduce disparities in care by education level.

PMID:32772224 | DOI:10.1007/s10549-020-05859-0

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Receipt of psychological counseling and integrative medicine services among breast cancer survivors with anxiety - DocWire News

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If youre like many parents who planned your family summer vacation earlier in the year, youve probably spent the past few months trying to make new arrangements. Many families are skipping the flights and renting RVs for road trips. Disney World plans on reopening July 11, but you might not be ready for that type of vacation. According to a survey from MMGY Travel Intelligence, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, 47 percent of respondents said theyd be more likely to travel by car.

Youve likely set up a routine for your kids while they were under quarantine. Maintaining a routine is just as important for the summer. Encouraging routines around meals, naps and bedtimes, even in the summer, will help break up the day and provide structure for your little ones, says Nicole Grossmayer-Mercado, executive director of Little Smiles, a nonprofit that helps caring professionals bring joy to children in tough situations. But more importantly, maintain positivity. Above all, parents should be kind to themselves and not put pressure on themselves to create a backyard Disney World this summer, she says. Children will be happy if they see their parents are happy.

The good news is, businesses across the country have taken note and pivoted on their summer offerings, but theres a lot to consider. In a survey of 1,100 moms by Party City, almost 80 percent of moms said they were concerned on how they would entertain their children after 2 to 3 months of home schooling. By this time, you've probably tried all of the family board games and watched plenty of funny family movies. If youre juggling work and childcare, virtual summer camps may be a great way to keep your kids engaged during the day. But if youre over Zoom and want to limit screen time (unless its something educational!), this list offers plenty of fun ways to stay busy.

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1Make a List

The first thing author Jessica Speer and her kids did this summer was create a "Things We Want to Do This Summer" list. This helps us brainstorm and get our ideas on paper so the summer doesn't slip by, she says. Some of our usual activities, like traveling and visiting grandma, are not possible given the pandemic as well as financial constraints. My kids understand the need to stay home more this summer, so have been really accommodating to a different plan. Most of the activities are free and home-based due to the pandemic. Speer has found that since they came up with the list themselves, the kids have been especially engaged in the activities.

2Sharpen Your Skills

Most students will be heading back in the fall after a very unique school year. Whether it was cut short or became a modified remote learning experience, you may feel like your kids need a little catching up. Teachers will be ready in the fall to help kids get back on track, but you can do your part, too. Create a reading challenge with a fun reward at the end, like an ice cream party, movie night, or new toy. Now that youve taken on a part-time teacher role during quarantine, you may have noticed certain subjects where your kids could use some extra attention. Consider online options like Wyzant, which offers tutoring in more 230 subject areas.

3Camp in the Backyard

If you have the room, this is a great way to get out this summer, without going too far. Share scary stores, make some smores, and doze off under the stars. One classic idea you can't go wrong with is the backyard camp-out, says Theresa Bertuzzi, co-owner and co-founder of Tiny Hoppers. Get some blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags ready, because it's time to turn your backyard into a weekend adventure. Kids love to make a pretend campfire and roast marshmallows, play board games and just spend time being lazy in the tent. If youre a city dweller, or prefer not to camp outside, bring the tent indoors. Use some imagination and turn any room in your house into an outdoor oasis.

4Virtual Summer Camps

Many traditional camps across the country have canceled or postponed camp season, although thats largely dependent on your states current regulations. Coding, art, robotics, and karate are just a few of the options available. If your kids are regular campers, check with your camp to see if theyve developed a virtual experience. Party City and Little Tikes Camp Play@Home are two companies sharing fun activities throughout the summer. Another idea: Varsity Tutors, a series of free online summer camps for kids ages 5-18. Each week-long camp features live, interactive classes in photography, theater, coding and chess.

5Learn a New Language

Not only is learning a new language great for the brain, it promotes open-mindedness and introduces kids to different people, cultures, and ways of life. There are many ways for kids to learn Spanish, in particular, from the comfort of their own homes this summer, says Rachel Kamath, founder of Small World Spanish. She recommends lessons through the Homeschool Spanish Academy. For a wider range of languages, Rosetta Stone for Students is offering free access this summer.

6Stay Cool

Is your local community pool closed? If you have room for an inflatable pool, kids will appreciate the ability to splash around, even if its not the usual swimming experience. Think outside the box this summer and transform your backyard into an oasis thatll keep your kids busy all summer long, says Heather Meehan, an outreach consultant for Heart Water. All you really need is a couple of plastic swimming pools to create your very own beach scene. Fill one with sand and the other with water for a DIY surf & turf retreat that your kids will adore. You may also want to stock up on some water guns, slip and slides and sprinklers for some variety. There are a lot of water games you can play outside with your kids to stay refreshed in the hot summer months.

7Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

Team up with local parents to create a fun way for kids to spend the day in their neighborhood. Create a list of plants that can be found in your neighborhood, says Debbie Lopez of Zivadream, an education advocacy and test prep review website. Be specific. Instead of asking them to identify a flower or a tree, ask for a rose or an oak. If you want to share the results, consider setting up a Zoom call, or posting the results on a neighborhood social media page.

8"Go" to the Zoo

Although many zoos are still closed, there are plenty of ways you can still stay connected from your home. For example, San Diego Zoo Global encourages parents, educators, and fans from around the world to stay connected to their favorite animals with wildlife cams, video stories, hands-on activities, games, and online classes. The Brevard Zoo in Floridas Space Coast is also offering a Zoom-based three-day session through August. The paid program offers animal encounters, scavenger hunts, zoo tours, and more. If you live near a drive-through safari, like Six Flags in New Jersey, you can get closer to the animals while social distancing.

9Grow a Garden

A great thing to do this summer is start a vegetable garden by saving your own seeds from fruits and vegetables. When we shop for vegetables and fruit, we try to find the ones with seeds inside, or the ones that can be grown from cuttings, says Elle Meager, founder of Outdoor Happens. Its very easy, lots of fun, and you still get to eat the vegetables so you dont lose any money. She recommends starting with pumpkin, squash, cucumber, and tomato. You can develop your own love for gardening alongside your kids.

10Foster (or Adopt!) a Pet

A piece of good news out of the coronavirus: many animal shelters are celebrating the boost in adoptions. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the rates of fostering have increased by 90 percent in some cities. Not only will your children have a new friend this summer, but theyll learn some valuable responsibility skills.

Author Jessica Speer jumped on the opportunity to help take care of a family of cats. On the first day of summer break, we saw a Facebook post that the shelter needed foster homes for kittens, she says. I called the shelter and they had a mother cat and six one-week old kittens. We picked them up later that day. My kids are thrilled to have this cat family in our house. They are never bored because they can always tend to the kittens. They weigh them daily to track growth, make sure the mom cat is fed and feeling loved, change the cat litter, and more. They love watching the kittens change and grow.

11Learn to Cook

Cook up some summer fun with free recipes and activities from Raddish, a monthly subscription kit and cooking club for kids. Kids will learn key skills in their at-home cooking camp, like cracking eggs and kneading dough. This year, the company is also offering virtual summer cooking camps (at a cost), with themes like Restaurant Camp, Around the World, and Summer Fun. The week-long camps are suitable for kids ages 8-13. Our cooking camps are designed to excite kids about the joys of cooking and help them hone a lifelong skill, says Samantha Barnes, founder of Raddish Kids. From empowering kids to start and run their own restaurant to taking them on a tour of the world through flavors, our goal remains the same: to nurture kids' confidence in the kitchen and beyond. The company also offers a popular kids subscription kit, designed for kids ages 4-14. Each monthly kit features a different theme ranging from seasons and holidays to cultures and creative cookery.

Baketivity, a subscription-based baking box service, launched Bake-A-Camp. Campers will get a big baking box featuring four themed Baketivity kits with pre-measured ingredients, step by step instructions, and an activity book (all you need are the eggs, oil, and water). Each weeks kit will take campers through progressively advanced recipes and techniques as they explore one theme, or cuisine throughout the month.

If youre looking for less of a commitment to cooking, but still want to get your kids in the kitchen, plan your own in-house cooking workshop. Apart from learning to make yummy dishes, children also develop mathematical skills, safety measures, cleanliness, motor skills and more, says Will Ward, CEO of Assistive Listening HQ.

12Teach Your Kids about Entrepreneurship

Help your kids build a better future for themselves and encourage them to start a business. I've been advocating that kids start Stuck-at-Home Startups this summer to have fun and begin to build an entrepreneurial mindset that will serve them well in life and give them the opportunity to earn money for themselves, their family, or a good cause, says Brian Weisfeld, co-author of The Startup Squad. Weisfelds ideas for this summer include online tutoring, selling items for neighbors on eBay, designing and selling T-shirts, and taking photos for stock photo websites.

Ray Ronan, a literary agent, also encourages families to get creative and write a childrens book together. The idea transformed his kids into authors and entrepreneurs at ages 8 and 13. Hes developed an online video course called Write a Book with Your Kids to help other families get started.

13DIY Summer Camp

Neighborhood families can come together and organize their own mini summer camps and activities. Thats the thought behind Sittercitys DIY summer camp. The online source for in-home care also offers virtual sitting, a tool that allows parents to hire a professional to engage and play with children virtually for short periods of time throughout the day.

As a company filled with moms and dads, we understand how hard it is for parents trying to do everything at home right now, says Elizabeth Harz, CEO of Sittercity, Americas first online source for in-home care. Child care professionals are still in need of work and their support is available. Many daycares, schools and camps have been sidelined, but our platform continues to connect families with child care providers. A DIY summer camp is just one way to adapt to the current situation of needing care and wanting to provide some fun and normalcy for your family, but also wanting to keep your bubble as small as possible. The experience can range from outdoor activities like scavenger hunts and tie-dying to a coach leading small groups of community kids in parent organized soccer camps.

14Family-Friendly Experiments

Keep your kids entertained with these easy experiments, using ordinary household items. Mad Science has a collection of experiments, which are compiled on their website with videos and downloadable instructions. Some of the projects that may appeal to your family: a soap-powered boat, balloon hovercraft, DIY sprinkler, and bottle barometer.

KinderCare Education is also offering a weekly at-home activity hub with guides for all ages to help families stay active and engaged at home. Dr. Elanna Yalow, chief academic officer at KinderCare, recommends some other fun activities, like DIY scratch-paper fireworks, talking art, and a whole series of fun using ice.

15Learn About the World

Kids love getting mail, and with fun and educational subscription boxes, kids will have something to look forward to with perfectly timed gifts year-round. Teach children about countries from around the world and their cultures with Little Global Citizens. This subscription service, staring at $39.95, sends a box to kids, aged 4 to 10, to bring a new country and its culture to life. Little Global Citizens boxes include crafts, books, screen-free games, puzzles, recipes and more from countries like Kenya, China, India and Jamaica, says Akeelah Kuraishi, CEO of Little Global Citizens.

16Become a Young Artist

Kim Bloomberg, a Chicago-based art teacher, recently pivoted to creating camp-in-a-box experiences for tweens/teens. Art Beat Box takes the guesswork and the supply purchasing out of the equation by creating comprehensive art project boxes. Each box contains five higher level art projects, like mosaics, painting and polymer clay for ages 9-99. They include all of the supplies, materials and a video tutorial to complete each project. We saw a huge hole in the teen/tween market since so many projects are entirely geared towards younger children, says Bloomberg. Older kids really need to be occupied, but more importantly, this is a perfect stage of life to embark on a new hobby."

17Explore Nature

With summer camps and vacations on hold, a great summer activity for kids is to hit the trail for a hike. AllTrails, an outdoor recreation app, helps users find and navigate trails and parks, making getting outside easier and more accessible. Users can filter to find trails that are suitable for their needs, like kid-friendly or dog-friendly. The app has also added several features to help users maintain social distancing. We all know that its important for kids to get outside and play, says Dr. Suzanne-Bartlett Hackenmiller, an integrative medicine physician and medical advisor for AllTrails. Not only is it vital to our childrens physical, mental, and emotional health, but it promotes creativity, and teaches valuable social skills.

Natalie Lloyd, a parenting blogger at Milkweed & Messes, believes that one of the best ways to keep kids occupied during summer vacation is to get outside with them. Encouraging kids to explore their surroundings will allow them to work through any boredom while also getting the body and brain moving in ways that kids so desperately need, she says. Together, parents and children can learn about bugs, butterflies, plants, and more. Even when families are just walking and talking together, the bonding time is so helpful. Once youre outside for the day, dont forget to set up a family picnic. You can keep it simple with a brown bag lunch, or take some inspiration from these 94 delightful picnic food ideas.

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Theres no doubt about it: 2020 has been one of the strangest, most anxiety-inducing years weve ever seen. If youre finding yourself in a tangle of anxious thoughts or experiencing some of the physical symptoms associated with anxiety, know that youre not alonemany of us are right there with you.

That being said, theres quite a bit you can do about anxiety, from speaking with a mental health professional (always a good idea!) to getting regular exercise and trying your best to get enough sleep.

Another idea? Start meditating. Studies show that meditation is correlated with lower levels of anxiety, so why not get started today? Here are15 of our favorite meditations specifically aimed at taming anxiety.

This meditation is all about acknowledging feelings and feeling peaceful at the same timea tool many of us need to learn how to feel difficult emotions yet stay calm. Its one part relaxation, one part cognitive behavioral therapy, all in one short video.

BuzzFeeds Goodful channel put together this 10-minute meditation that encourages you to anchor yourself through breathwork and release unwanted feelings. Its not so much about clearing your mind, but learning to think of a situation more objectively. He ends it with silence and soothing music.

This meditation is from the creators of the mobile app, Calm. It guides you through a basic meditation to help your mind unwind as you become more aware of your body. The video is a calming mountain lake that provides some visual relaxation as well.

Instead of trying to calm your mind by forcing you to breathe and clear your thoughts, you can simply listen to this meditation and in turn, alleviate anxiety. The meditation, brought to you by the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, an authority on self-care,features affirmations that can help your mind fixate on positive messages.

Ideal for beginners, this 15-minute meditation with YouTube yoga sensation Adriene Mishler will give you just what you need to unwind. Learn how to practice breathing and, in doing so, watch your anxiety diminish.

A calm mind is a health mindand this meditation will help provide you with theinner peace you need, if only for about 10 minutes. Theres not a lot of talk in this guided meditation. Instead, the soothing background music does the trick to melt your worries away.

Related: 10 Ways Meditation Can Fix Your Life

Kristin Lothman, a mind-body counselor with Mayo Clinics Department of Integrative Medicine and Health, provides a meditation example for coping with anxiety related to COVID-19. The video features her guiding you through the meditation, so dont expect any delta wave music or trippy graphics, but it certainly gives beginners the foundation to start a solid meditation practice, or just help you unwind from stressCOVID-related or not.

If youre in the mood for a quick way to manage anxietyor in the midst of a panic attack and need to calm downthis meditation is great. The voice is soothing, and the video includes mesmerizing visuals reminiscent of watching a lava lamp.

John Kabat-Zinn is a leader in mindfulness meditation. This one provides a simple guided exercise to help you scan your body. In mentally doing so, it provides almost-instant relaxation as well as the chance to become more present in your body.

Related: How Jon Kabat-Zinn Brought Mindfulness Meditation to the Masses

Slow down and let your mind know that it can stop working. This session aims to help you clear your mind, which allows you to release anxiety and then reap all the benefits of meditation.

Related:100 Benefits of Meditation

Sometimes you dont have to know how to clear your mind to experience all the positive benefits of meditation. This meditation uses binaural beats, which are different frequencies that play in your ears to create a relaxing effect.

Jay Shetty is a former monk with an infectious personality who can help you relax just by listening to him. This is the first episode of his 20-day live meditation series.

Gabrielle Bernstein, the famed self-help guru, put together this upbeat affirmation meditation that features a video with positive images including the narratives text.

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This 14-minute meditation is led by Deepak Chopra, an alternative medicine advocate, who guides you through a brief meditation focused on repeating some chants for relaxation. The relaxing visuals are definitely enough to help you unwind as you listen.

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Not only will this guided meditation help you relax and alleviate anxiety, it will also uplift you. The story helps build better body awareness, which is how to improve your ability to quickly slip into meditation and get the most from it.

Next, get familiar with how to start adaily meditation practice.

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Meditation for Anxiety: Guided Meditations for Anxiety And More - Parade

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Residents of Steamboat Springs are not the type to let a global pandemic stop them from enjoying the great outdoors.

For proof, ask Pete Van De Carr, owner of Backdoor Sports and a well-known face around the city, who just got off a river trip through the Desolation and Gray canyons in Utah. He is preparing for another voyage on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho.

With business slow and extensive restrictions imposed by COVID-19, Van De Carr has found a silver lining amid the crisis in that he has more time to get on the water. He admits his profits likely will take a hit, and he sympathizes with those who have suffered much worse consequences due to the virus.

He also knows the situation is out of his control, so it is better to ride the rapids with a smile.

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Its really been a pretty glorious time for me, Van De Carr said of his free time to spend with family doing what he loves.

Amid the intense limitations Coloradans have been living under since March, recreation has been one of the few activities they can still enjoy and the state encourages. At the start of June, when Gov. Jared Polis announced a new phase of recovery, he called it Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors, highlighting the millions of acres of federal land, city and state parks and other open spaces that allow for recommended distancing.

But as Van De Carr acknowledged, recreation is not what it was. The pandemic has wrought new challenges and frothed unprecedented concerns over his well-being that he never gave much thought to before the virus. On river trips, he keeps his distance from other families and wears a mask when necessary, something he has never had to do before.

As he said, Thats the reality of owning a small business there are no sick days.

Before COVID-19, exercising was a remedy to lifes struggles, a way to release stress from a long day at work and have fun with friends.

While it continues to serve that purpose for many, it is hard to escape the ever-pervading anxieties of getting sick or getting someone else sick.

Dr. Justin Ross, a psychologist withUCHealth Integrative Medicine Center in Stapleton, has studied anxieties caused by COVID-19. When it comes to exercise, he has heard patients list a variety of reasons for their apprehension, from passing people on trails who are not wearing face masks to exposing themselves to the virus at indoor workout facilities where sweat and spit are the currency of fitness.

Asrecent research from Belgium showed, the social distancing requirement of 6 feet might be inadequate for preventing disease transmission during higher-intensity activities that can spew saliva as much as 65 feet. That helps to explain why the state was reluctant to allow gyms and fitness centers to reopen until this month, and those that have opened must implement strict mitigation protocols.

To make matters worse, parts of the country have seen a resurgence of the virus.On June 5, Utah reported its largest growth in COVID-19 cases in a single day after 439 peopletested positivefor the virus. Fortunately for Colorado, new case counts haveremained low, as Polisannounced Thursday, but he raised concerns about a second wave of infections, particularly with thousands of people gathering in police protests.

With these and other concerns on peoples minds, it is no wonder some residents, particularly those more vulnerable to the virus, are wary of recreating. The consequences have been far-reaching.

Organized team sports effectively ended with the stay-at-home order imposed in March. More than just a way to stay fit, these activities provide a sense of community for participants. They are as much a time to socialize as to exercise.

Sean Pummill works at the Tennis Center of Steamboat Springs, but he is no tennis expert. His game of choice is pickleball, and he has helped to amass a loyal group of players. Last summer, more than 80 people participated in a single day, Pummill said. The players range in skill level and age, from a 12-year-old to those well into their 70s.

The social aspect of the sport is what propelled it into the popular imagination about a decade ago, according to Pummill. Players chat between matches, exchanging gossip as well as beta.

I have a lot of friends I met solely through pickleball, Pummill said.

When the Tennis Center closed in March, he found himself yearning not just for the game itself but for the people he saw on almost a daily basis.

It was very jarring, Pummill said. I dont even know how to describe it.

He is not alone in feeling that way. A group of pickleballers put a lighthearted spin on their quarantine with a YouTube parody titled I wanna dink with somebody. (A dink is pickleball lingo for a type of soft volley.)Set to Whitney Houstons hit song, it features players reminiscing about days on the court and knocking over lamps trying to host a match in a cramped living room.

Even individual exercise has a communal aspect. When Old Town Hot Springsreopened on June 5 with a strict mitigation protocol in place Marketing Director Vanessa Cory noticed a cultural change within the facility. With more than 8,000 members, the fitness center and pools usually are places where people catch up with other locals alongside their workouts.

A lot of that connection has been lost with how we have to run the facility right now, Cory said.

Before the pandemic, chairs surrounded a fireplace in the lobby. It was a space for people to sit around, have a snack and chat with passersby. Due to mitigation protocols, staff had to remove the chairs. Now, members are more deliberate with their visits to the hot springs, the environment more regulated and clinical.

As numerous stories from around the world show, exercise is important. It improves not just ones physical health, honing the lungs and heart and muscles into fine-tuned powerhouses, but also ones emotional and mental well-being.

Those worried about getting sick might take note that exercise can buttress whatever regimen of expensive supplements and quasi-medicinal elixirs they might have adopted. Regular, moderate exercise has been shown to give the body more robust immune responses to vaccines and reduce ones risk of illness, according to areport from the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. David Wilkinson,an emergency medicine physician at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, said outdoor recreation might provide special defenses against COVID-19. As he explained, the virus itself is unstable outside of the body, and UV light kills it quickly.

All of those elements are outdoors and serve to protect you to some degree, Wilkinson said.

People who had or have the virus should listen to their body when it comes to exercising. Those without symptoms who feel up to it should start gradually and build from there.

What you dont want to do is exercise when you are still having symptoms, Wilkinson said, explaining how it hampers the bodys immune response and could get others sick.

For reasons scientists are still studying, even a brief walk through a forest provides health benefits. Such strolls have been a long-held tradition in Japan, calledshinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.

Participants of the practice tend to be less anxious, sleep better and sleep longer after spending as few as 20 minutes outside. Sojourns through forests also have been shown to strengthen the immune system, reduce blood pressure, increase energy and boost overall well-being. It has proved so beneficial, Japan launched anational campaign in 1982 to encourage forest bathing.

Wherever there are trees, we are healthier and happier, Dr. Qing Li, a Japanese physician who has spent years studying the practice, writes in his aptly named book,Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness.

Fortunately for those in Steamboat, forested areas abound, with ample public trails to allow people myriad of options to walk and unwind. Wilkinson hopes people can see theses places as benefactors for their health, not threats.

I want people to get out there and get exercise but to remember the virus is still there and take steps to protect themselves, he said.

Leaders in other realms of exercise are making similar attempts to encourage a return to recreation and assuage peoples fears.

The Tennis Center has guidelines in place to operate at reduced capacity and require people to wear protective equipment in certain areas. Initially, only a trickle of players showed up for pickleball matches, Pummill said, but more return each week.

It is just great to see them again, he said.

Old Town Hot Springs went so far as to hire an expert epidemiologist to draft a 50-page reopening plan, which has protocols ranging from frequent disinfecting of rooms and equipment to requiring people to wear masks indoors, even while working out. The hot springs originally had a reservation system to limit the number of people. It since has switched to a first-come, first-served basis with reduced capacity, accepting only people who had memberships before the pandemic.

Our number one goal is to stay compliant so we can stay open, said Cory, the marketing director.

She hopes the fitness center can welcome more people and offer classes as the recovery plan progresses. Until then, Cory wants all members to feel safe when they come to work out or soak. It has not been easy to navigate the ever-changing rules and guidelines, but such is the reality of an unprecedented crisis.

As Cory put it, At the end of the day, we just feel grateful that we can be open.

To reach Derek Maiolo, call 970-871-4247, emaildmaiolo@SteamboatPilot.comor follow him on Twitter@derek_maiolo.

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Exercise anxiety: How COVID-19 changed the way we recreate - Steamboat Pilot & Today

When Black Lives Matter protests started around the world, Reiki Level 3 student, Indra Gandy, decided to use her skills in the alternative healing technique to help.

"At this point, I become a conduit of positive energy," Gandy described the Reiki ritual she performed on a pier bench, a walking distance from her Staten Island home. "You are purposely giving them love and pure energy, health, stability and positive strength."

Reiki, which was developed in Japan in early 20th century, is often described as alternative medicine through energy healing.

In Japanese, the first part of the word, 'rei,' means "spiritual" and the second, 'ki,' stands for 'vital energy' or 'life force.'

Practitioners believe that a Reiki treatment can be performed from a distance.

"A Reiki practitioner doesn't actually have any secret powers," said Reiki Master Erin Tschantret. "Anyone can practice Reiki. It's really, like, if a plumber were to open up a pipe and then suddenly water can flow through it, the practitioner is the pipe in the Reiki is the water. And it works on every level, so mental, emotional, physical, spiritual."

Tschantret's client, Rachel Garbow Monroe, said distance Reiki helped her fight COVID-19.

"The first time I talked to her when I was ill, I had had almost an entire week of a fever," Rachel Garbow Monroe said. "And the next day, my fever broke."

Tschantret's another client, writer and an author of a book "Zen Bender," in which she explored many alternative healing techniques of dealing with stress, Stephanie Krikorian, said distance Reiki has been helpful in the coronavirus era.

"People are afraid, we are at the end of our rope and feeling very stressed and anxious," Krikorian said. "You can do something without being near somebody, when we're all sort of separated and trying to hunker down and things are easing up a little, but everybody is still not comfortable."

Over the past 20 years, Reiki has become more and more popular in some of the most respected American hospitals, such as Yale Cancer Center.

Story continues

"I'm not going to be the first person to tell you that there's a ton of evidence behind it," said Dr. Gary Soffer, who runs the Integrative Medicine Program at the Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Have, Connecticut. "But what I will tell you is that when we deal with patients one on one, it's really meaningful, and it's really helpful."

Several studies showed that Reiki helps diminish negative side effects of chemotherapy, recover from surgery, regulate nervous system, and deal with pain.

But there is no research paper that explains how Reiki works.

There is also no proof that healing energy can pass between people on command.

(Production: Aleksandra Michalska)

- They treating us like this.

- You are visualizing in your heart and minds the protesters, and the fear, and the anger, and all the things that are happening. And you are purposely giving them love and pure energy, health, stability, and positive strength.

- So what a Reiki practitioner does is they channel that energy to the person. So it's like you're getting flooded with this intense energy, knowledge, intelligence that knows how to get you to your best place. So it only ever works for your highest and greatest good. And it works on every level, so mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. And it helps get you back in alignment.

- I suffered both from COVID, and then a few weeks later, I had another acute illness. And she took care of being in touch with me and asking how I was doing. And you know, she believes very strongly in the power of Reiki, whether she's in the room or not.

And I leave it to you to determine the results. But I-- the first time I talked to her when I was ill, I had had almost an entire week of a fever. And she was incredibly sweet, and solicitous, and wanted to know how I was feeling and what specifically I was struggling with. And the next day, my fever broke.

- It's a great thing for the time. Distance Reiki, that you can do something without being near somebody when we're all sort of separated, and trying to hunker down. And things are easing up a little, but everybody's still not comfortable.

- The first question we ask ourselves in integrative medicine is, is this invasive? Is this going to be harmful to the patient? And then the next question is, is this helpful? Right? Is there evidence behind it?

So with Reiki, I'm not going to be the first person to tell you that there's a ton of evidence behind it. But what I will tell you is that when we deal with patients one on one, it's really meaningful, and it's really helpful. And because it's non-invasive, because it does no harm to our patients, it's a really meaningful and helpful intervention for them.

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Reiki that - how some Americans use alternative medicine to deal with stress - Yahoo News

Chaos, COVID-19, and quarantine have turned our worlds upside down. Even the most disciplined individuals have found keeping a healthy routine challenging during the pandemic.

A wellness routine is precisely whats needed to induce calm and manage stress caused by unpredictability and uncontrollability, said researchers at Tel Aviv University.

Stress can be deadly. According to the American Psychological Association, stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. More than 75%of physicians office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.

According to Wallet Joy, taking care of yourself is key to reducing stress. Practicing self-care might be more important now more than ever to preserve your mental and physical well-being. The counselors at North Carolina State University define self-care as an approach to living that incorporates behaviors that refresh you, replenish your personal motivation and help you grow as a person.

According to CNN, engaging in a healthy daily routine benefits both mental and physical health while boosting immunity.

We need an internal structure because our lives have become totally unstructured, Robin Foroutan, a New York-based integrative medicine dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told CNN. Starting your day with the same routine each morning can bring steadiness and calm to the rest of the day.

Here are some tips:

Self-care also includes engaging in pleasurable activities and hobbies such as knitting, taking a warm bubble bath, taking a tea break or other stress relievers, according to CNN.

Make stress relievers like enjoyable activities non-negotiable right now, Cardwell said. Schedule these stress relievers into your day just like mealtimes and other obligations.

2020 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

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Creating a Wellness Routine is Critical During the Pandemic - Newsmax

With the novel coronavirus pandemic keeping more Ohioans at home, the American Heart Association will be moving its Lake & Geauga Counties Heart Walk online.

On June 6, area Heart Walk participants and teams will not physically meet, but are invited to get moving at home or around the neighborhood starting at 8 a.m., according to a news release

Here are a few activities participants can consider choosing from:

Take a walk outside - while following current social distancing guidelines

Get the whole family involved and have an indoor dance party

Try out a few strengthening exercises like push-ups, lunges and squats

Create an at home circuit workout.

Now, more than ever, were all looking for innovative ways to connect with others, stay physically active and stay positive, American Heart Association Executive Director Valerie Hillow Gates said in the release.

The Heart Walk also is a critical piece to funding the organization, which also recently announced a $2.5 million fund for rapid response scientific research projects to investigate the specific cardiovascular implications of the coronavirus, the release stated.

The annual walk also aims to be a fun and meaningful way to celebrate heart and stroke survivors, raise lifesaving funds and encourage physical activity.

This virtual format allows everyone to continue to have fun and support the American Heart Associations lifesaving mission, while adapting to spending more time at home,"Sharon Minjares, director of Integrative Medicine at Lake Health, said in the release."We are grateful for the support from our community and cant wait to see how everyone makes the Heart Walk their own.

To register for the Heart Walk, visit the American Heart Associations website. To participate virtually, walkers should also sign up on the Lake Geauga Heart Walk Facebook event page.

Additionally, May 15 will be Lake & Geauga Heart Walk Rally Day when walkers and teams are encouraged to sign up to walk. Organizers are striving to have 150 community members pledge their support to walk on June 6.

On the day of the Heart Walk, riders are encouraged to wear their spirit and post pictures and videos to the Facebook event page using the hasthtag #LakeGeaugaHeartWalk.

Nancy Guthrie, senior relationship manager at Key Private Bank, and Lora Lewis, vice president of people operations at Kinetico Inc., are co-chairing the Virtual Walk this year.

Visit www2.heart.org to learn more.

Excerpt from:
Lake & Geauga Counties Heart Walk to be held online in 2020 - News-Herald.com

A trio of Summit County locals made the University of Utah Deans List for the Spring 2020 semester.

Morrison Donovan of Dillon, a major in health, society and policy; Meaghan Flannagan of Dillon, a major in modern dance; and Tanner Mccann of Breckenridge, a major in health and kinesiology, earned the honor, for which students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least 12 graded credit hours during any one term.

Summit local graduates from medical school

Kayla Gray Vanderkooi of Breckenridge has received her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Rocky Vista University in Parker.

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Vanderkooi is one of 152 graduates from the school who received a degree during the universitys virtual commencement ceremony on May 1. She will complete her emergency medicine residency at CHRISTUS Health at Texas A&M in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Vanderkooi is the daughter of David and Denise Gray. She is a graduate of Summit High and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in integrative physiology.

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Now more than ever, your financial support is critical to help us keep our communities informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having on our residents and businesses. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.

Your donation will be used exclusively to support quality, local journalism.

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Summit locals named to Dean's List at the University of Utah - Summit Daily News

Many of the benefits of gratitude are simply about directing your attention in certain wayswhat parts of your life, what parts of reality you pay attention to, Korb says. Your brain at the moment might not automatically pay attention to all the wonderful things in your life. But if you intentionally practice gratitude, you become more aware of these positive parts of your life that were always there and start to change that filter, Korb explains. We are, for lack of a better word, training our minds to notice more of what is outside of the selfwho's around us, what else we could be paying attention to, whats happening beyond our own immediate needs and self interest... [and] the potential threats and worries we tend to ruminate on," Simon-Thomas explains.

The broadening effect of positive emotions is thought to apply looking inwards, too, to the way we think (and in turn, act). Positive emotions and practices like gratitude can help you cope better by building your individual resources, Moskowitz says. The idea is that by doing practices that consistently induce positive emotions, we can widen and deepen the psychological resources available to us in times of stress, Mostkowitz explains. This cognitive broadening includes greater creativity, flexibility, novelty, and openness in the ways we think and behaveallowing us to see and engage in more possibilities.

Gratitude might simply give you a little break from stress

Right now we are all steeped in the stress of COVID and having to isolate in our homes, and the worry we have for our loved ones and the country in general. Its hard to get away from it, Moskowitz says. Its not an option to check out and not deal with [stress and trauma]. On top of that, Our reservoir of coping ability is really depleted because were constantly engaged in this negative stuff going on, Moskowitz says.

The theory here is pretty intuitive: Positive emotions like gratitude are thought to help us cope in the midst of stress and difficulty by providing a little respite. We think of it as a strategy to help you shift from unpleasant emotions to more pleasant emotion, Stern says.

What practices like gratitude that help you even momentarily increase your positive emotions do is give you a break from that [stress]. It's like a breather, Moskowitz says. When youre practicing gratitude, youre not practicing anxious or envious thoughts. In turn, those moments of positive emotion can help sustain you, can help you stay engaged through the coping process [and] bolster that inner reserve you have for continuing to cope with it, Moskowitz says.

Gratitude may help you connect with other people

According to the broaden-and-build model, positive emotions also promote another crucial kind of resource for well-being and coping: social support. People who show more positive emotions tend to draw more social support when theyre stressed, Moskowitz says

There is also reason to believe gratitude is a unique prosocial behavior. We develop a more prosocial and benevolent orientation towards others as we practice gratitude, Simon-Thomas explains. Were practicing connecting the positive aspects of our life, the benefits that we enjoy, to the actions of other people.

Studies suggest that gratitude fosters prosocial behavior, strengthening social bonds, and forging new ones. This includes the 2006 Vietnam veterans study, which found that daily gratitude impacted the degree of daily rewarding social activity vets reported, as well as that pair of 2008 longitudinal studies of college freshmen we looked at earlier that concluded that gratitude seemed to directly foster social support. A 2017 Psychological Bulletin meta-analysis of 91 studies, including 18,342 participants, found statistically significant, and moderate positive correlation between gratitude and prosociality.

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The Science Behind the Benefits Powers of Gratitude - Self

Matt Jeffs DPT, PSM, CEAS, is doctor of physical therapy, safety management professor, ergonomic specialist educator and principal faculty at The Back School. He has experience in public speaking, broadcasting and leadership and he specializes in verifiable work-injury reduction and risk mitigation. He has been recognized for his award-winning clinical excellence in sports/orthopedics rehab and industrial medicine. Dr. Jeffs can be reached at [emailprotected]

Safety Professionals, health care practitioners, and human resource providers face common goals in creating healthier environments for our workforce, while improving U.S. industrys bottom line. Evidence-based, cost-saving programs must improve short-term health and fiscal outcomes all while fostering long-term, health-driven organizational culture.

Members of any workforce use their bodies to feed themselves, their families, and their communities. By these criteria, they are professional athletes in the purest sense.

At the 2020 National Ergonomics Conference and Expo workshop participants will learn that applying a Sports Medicine perspective to industrial workplaces creates a cultural shift by elevating workforce self-image and self-responsibility.

In turn, it enhances leadership communication and workforce cooperation. The common goal of a healthier, more productive workplace that is highly competitive on the international playing field is thus realized.

The conventional U.S. health care model is failing U.S. business and its workforce.

U.S. employers of all sizes are struggling to stay afloat amidst crippling health care insurance and workers comp benefit costs.

Larger, self-insured Fortune 500 companies have long realized the tremendous savings accrued by investing in upstream, prevention medicine protocols. Even smaller employers, or companies with multiple scattered and rural facilities have broken into the trend.

Occupational medicine now targets primary care to better shift efforts where prevention can build value: over outdated, reactive modes of intervention.

Seven of the most common chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental disorders are linked to behavioral or environmental risk factors.

Many of these conditions can be mitigated and even avoided if people make better choices. Things like balanced diets, engaging in stress reduction and physical fitness, and the overall purposeful engagement in life must be actively modeled for employees, not just passively lectured.

Between the insured workforce members and an increasing primary physician shortage, it will only become more difficult for employees to access the preventive health care they need outside of work.

Employers must leverage convenient and quality protective care for their employees. Their bottom line and marketplace survival depends on it. Focus must move beyond occupational disease management, into integrative medical engagement. The result will be an even healthier, more productive workforce at a lower cost.

Sports medicine provides a recognizable influence on workforce and businesses with an integrated, holistic approach by focusing on preparation and maintenance to remain competitive in our global marketplace and building a team mentality.

Integrative medicine itself is grounded in the definition of health. It seeks to restore and maintain health and wellness across an employees lifespan. It recognizes and understands the full range of influences that affect workforce wellbeing.

This concept goes beyond the treatment of symptoms. It addresses all causes of illness as well as immediate and long-term health. The complex chemistry between the two are addressed head on. We no longer kick the can.

However, this sports/integrative medicine model is not the same thing as alternative medicine. Thats an approach utilized in place of conventional therapies. Nor is it complementary medicine, which is used to supplement sometimes dangerous or overly aggressive allopathic tactics.

Occupational athletics sports/integrative Medicine interventions are the least invasive whenever possible. First Do No Harm. Good medicine is based in good science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new models. The broader concepts of health promotion and safety protection are paramount. This is how we roll in sports and industrial arenas.

Occupational athletics strategies foster development of healthy behaviors and skills for effective self-care. This method is well established in top medical schools: Over the past two decades, there has been documented growth in the number of clinical centers providing integrative medicine, the number of medical schools teaching integrative strategies, the number of researchers studying integrative interventions, and the number of patients seeking integrative care.

Physical Demand Analysis: Its what we do in Sports Medicine. Measuring and recording the physical requirements of job titles. Assessing the workforce, the work and the worksite. Here is where we capture the lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, kneeling, squatting, climbing, standing, walking, gripping, etc. It begins and ends with performance.

Physical Demand Ergonomic Consult: Ergonomic Analysis reveals task-level opportunities for improvement. The work task analyses reveal hidden exposures before harm can be done. Exposures are identified, codified and engaged to reduce risks and prevent injuries. Ballplayers use sound techniques and PPE, why shouldnt Occupational Athletes?

Physical Demand Coaching: Targeted instruction and practical strategies to increase workforce knowledge and problem-solving skills are taught. An onsite or telehealth clinician may lead instruction from one worker to one hundred at a time. Just like position coaches in team sports some aspects of the info are general, while others are job title specific.

Physical Demand Pre-Screening: Choosing the right person for the job. Its as important to industry as it is to professional sports. Physical Demand Analysis data (lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.) is applied in a round-robin test. It identifies an applicants ability to safely perform the physical tasks of their job title. Professional sports use scouting combines in just this manner to evaluate recruits.

Physical Demand Triage: Clinicians can offer advice based on workforce concerns or supervisor requests. They coach appropriate movement patterns, posture and rest, strategies to reduce fatigue, and improve safe performance. Its the sidelines assessment where Occupational Athletes are seen in real-time, then safely returned to the game.

Physical Demand RTW Screening: RTW determinations are based on the original Physical Demand Analysis data (lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.). It is most often performed to identify a workers ability to safely return to the full duty tasks of their job title. This is the data-driven foundation of the sidelines assessment. Nothing is left up to guesswork.

Physical Demand Rehab: Evaluation and treatment by a licensed clinician in partnership with a physician. Rehab is based on Physical Demand Description data. The clinician develops a job-specific treatment plan based strictly on that job titles physical tasks. Only those job demands. Outdated Lost Time rubberstamp prescription practices are eliminated.

Physical Demand Benchmarking: Ongoing assessment of RTW abilities are monitored in real time. Capabilities are continually compared to job title or transitional work. Matching of abilities with temporary work or the original job tasks ensures rapid results. This is a tried-and-true sports medicine method to gauge game readiness.

Physical Demand Accommodation: Used for case resolution, maximum medical improvement (MMI) determinations, vocational rehab planning, disability ratings or reasonable accommodation. This test measures safe capabilities compared to job task demand data, making it more legally defensible as an objective measure.

The Occupational Athletics continuum is entirely performance and achievement oriented. Its a closed-loop system of continuous quality improvement.

We coach people up; Applied (Plan, Do, Check & Adjust) Deming Cycle Kaizen methodology is delivered in a sports medicine fashion. The original job analysis and description is updated (often biannually). Savvy employers use it to develop successful strategies to improve workforce retention, morale and significant cost savings.

This is the same process utilized in clinical sports medicine throughout the U.S. to keep athletes at peak performance. Here, we take the same concepts and methods to keep our industrial workforce at the identical high level. It instills some of the very same strut-and-swagger we see in our sports athletes and thats a good thing.

A proud athlete is an engaged and invested athlete. We do the same for the workplace. We call it team building. &

Matt Jeffs will be presenting at The National Ergonomics Conference and Expo an affiliate of Risk & Insurances parent organization, The Institutes which will take place August 25-28, 2020 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. Register today.

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Workplace Ergonomics and Sports Medicine: Why They're a Perfect Fit - Workers Comp Forum

TORONTO, April 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CB2 Insights (CSE:CBII; OTCQB: CBIIF) (CB2 or the Company), has announced that it has officially launched its newest division Skylight Health Group (SHG) as part of its clinical operations in the United States. SHG will immediately provide a range of integrated health services from primary medical care, to consultative specialist care, alternative health, wellness & multi-disciplinary services and products to its growing patient population. SHG services are reimbursable in accordance with the rules, regulations and requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as other private health insurers within each operating state where its physicians, practitioners and patients will be able to enjoy the benefits of an expanded service offering. Under most insurance models, patients typically pay a nominal co-pay amount, however most of the cost of the visit is covered by the health insurer. This structure means the Company can expand its services to patients at limited to no-cost to the patient directly. The primary focus of the SHG will be to provide a broad array of primary and alternative healthcare services including family/specialty medicine and interdisciplinary services focusing on comprehensive care, chronic disease management and health promotion/education.

Skylight Health Group will be a substantial addition to our existing methodology of treating patients holistically, with an integrative patient-centric approach to support their overall health outcome goals, said Prad Sekar, CEO, CB2 Insights. Building on our current infrastructure of existing clinics, patient base and clinical team, we will introduce the SHG model over the next 12 months into each of our current locations, starting with Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Integrative Health is a rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar industry and our goal has always been to understand how various traditional and complementary alternative medical treatments intersect to have a positive improvement on patient health.

CB2 Insights currently has over 30 clinical locations in 12 states and employs a clinical team of more than 150 clinical staff and medical professionals. With over 100K patients seen a year and over 500K patients evaluated since 2013, SHG aims to become a leader in Integrative Medical Services nationwide. With a broad, established infrastructure, the Company is able to launch the new division with very little investment, thus remaining committed to strengthening its cash position from revenue from operations with a goal of near-term profitability by Q2. Revenue from SHG will be in addition to the current clinical operations and will expect to match and surpass such revenue in the coming years. SHG contribution of positive cash flow will support capital to invest in growth.

Sekar continued, Today marks a hallmark moment for us as an organization as it is a testament to where we have come from, and where we are building towards. Both my co-founder, Kash Qureshi and I have spent the last 15 years owning and operating large, multi-speciality health practices across multiple disciplines and we are proud to now integrate that experience further into CB2. For over 5 years, we as an organization have been helping patients navigate their health journey through a collaborative approach. Our openness to alternative treatments, namely medical cannabis, has demonstrated our ability and willingness to work outside conventional treatments to support improvements in patient outcomes in an ever-evolving medical sector.

The Integrative Medical market in the US is reported to be around $18B with a strong growth trajectory forecasted over the next 10 years. Further, insurable services through the CMS, are expected to reach $6T by 2027, according to a report on National Health Expenditures by the CMS. This illustrates strong support for future healthcare funding of which CB2 Insights will benefit from by provisioning qualifiing services to its growing patient base.

In addition to the launch of services within SHG, the new division will also place a strong focus on research and clinical trials. There are over 8K active clinical trials in progress in the United States with leading academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Expansion into traditional healthcare services enables the Company to actively participate in these trials, leading to increased revenues and credibility as a Contract Research Organization.

More information can be found on http://www.skylight.health. The Company looks forward to continuing to expand on its services to patients, growing its patient base, and making a significant improvement in the overall health and well being of patients across the US.

About CB2 Insights

CB2 Insights (CSE:CBII) is a global leader in clinical operations, technology & analytics solutions and research and development services with a mission to understand the intersection between traditional and alternative medical practices. Providing immediate market access through its wholly-owned clinical network across 12 jurisdictions, proprietary data-driven technology solutions and comprehensive contract research services designed for those in both the medical cannabis and traditional life sciences industries, CB2 Insights is able to support its partners across the entire data and research spectrum.

CB2s Clinical Operations business unit leverages extensive experience to develop clinical models with standard operating procedures, advanced workflows, training and ongoing management support. CB2 also owns and operates its own specialty clinics including the brands Skylight Health Group, Canna Care Docs and Relaxed Clarity which assess nearly 100,000 patients seeking integrative medical care, and immediate market access to US-based product manufacturers for clinical trial and research programs.

The Company has built analytical models using Real-World Data and Evidence to support the understanding of Safety, Efficacy and Dosing for alterative treatment therapies including medical cannabis for use by health care practitioners, regulatory bodies, researchers and other manufacturing partners to execute their data and clinical strategies.

CB2 also offers comprehensive contract research organization (CRO) services including full scale clinical trial management, trial design, monitoring and other key research functions used by licensed producers, multi-state operators and traditional pharmaceutical companies.

For more information please visit http://www.cb2insights.com.

For additional information, please contact:

Investor Relations Department1.855.847.4999 ext. 212investors@cb2insights.com

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in CB2s filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the opportunity to provide services and software to the U.S. cannabis industry.

Although CB2 has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are subject to inconsistent legislation and regulation; change in laws; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and recreational-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. CB2 disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and CB2 does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

No securities regulator or exchange has reviewed, approved, disapproved, or accepts responsibility for the content of this news release.

Excerpt from:
CB2 Insights Introduces Insurable Medical Services to Patients in the United States with Launch of Skylight Health Group - GlobeNewswire

The Dog Doc

Its hard to get good health care for humans, but what about for our four-legged friends? With The Dog Doc, director Cindy Meehl offers a feature-length defense of integrative medicine, which combines the best of conventional medicine with alternative treatments (disclosure: Ive taken one of my dogs to a holistic vet, and Id do it again). The poster child for this approach is New York veterinarian Marty Goldstein, whose flashy canine-patterned shirts are a beacon for furry patients that other vets have written off, like Scooby, a dog with bone cancer in his jaw diagnosed with just months to live. For tumors, Goldstein uses a radical procedure: He freezes the tumor, which doesnt cure it but allows the animal to heal. But Goldsteins real target is the immune system. He believes that by changing an animals diet and introducing supplements, including doses of vitamin C administered intravenously, he can add years to dogs lives. Conventional vets call Goldstein a quack. One doctor met with Goldstein intending to debunk his claims, but when he saw how much one of his treatments transformed a dog that could barely walk, he became a convert. For dogs, Goldstein and his peers just might give hope to the hopelessif they can afford it. The film was scheduled for the Environmental Film Festival in March, one of the first events to go virtual in the pandemic, but its available now through AFI Silvers virtual programming. The film is available to stream at dogdoc.vhx.tv. $12. Pat Padua

The National Museum for Women in the Arts online D.C. Women Artists card collection spotlights five artists who shared a city but had vastly different perspectives. The printable cards provide background information on each artist, along with a series of insightful questions that prompt you to reflect on the works more closely: Notice the way Elizabeth Catlett played with light to reveal unspoken emotion in Two Generations. Georgia Mills Jessup played with light in Rainy Night, Downtown, too, but with more color and geometry; the result is an energetic portrait of the old 14th Street NW Trans-Lux Theatrethough you may feel a pang as the card assumes youre in the museum and says its location was about a block from where you are standing. Even more abstract is Alma Woodsey Thomas Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses. Individual petals may be difficult to make out, but her spontaneous brushstrokes and vibrant colors evoke flowers in movement. She isnt the only artist to reflect what she called her communion with nature. Anne Truitts Summer Dryad gets its name from the female forest spirit of Greek mythology, and Los Mailou Jones painted the valleys of France that sheltered her from some of the racial discrimination she faced in 1930s America. Scatter the cards around the room for an impromptu exhibit or assemble them on a wall to form a collage. However you display them, the cards offer a skylight into each womans Washington that notes the effects of their time, socio-economic status, race, and gender. The cards are available online at nmwa.org. Free. Emma Francois

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City Lights: Stream a Documentary on a Daring Dog Doctor or Dive Into Work by D.C. Artists - Washington City Paper

By Caroline Colonna

Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for several thousand years in China to combat epidemic diseases.

Doctors Zhang Zhong-Jing (150-219 CE) and Ye Gui (1666-1745) are the main TCM doctors who organized their respective diagnostic frameworks "cold-induced disorders" (Shang Han) and "warm diseases" (Wen Bing) to treat epidemic diseases that arose in China.

There have been over 320 large-scale epidemics in China in the last 2,000 years. As our population keeps soaring and travels globally, epidemics can easily turn into pandemics especially with a virus that is extremely contagious like the one that causes COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and the Chinese government are now encouraging the use of TCM to treat COVID-19 as research papers abound showing its efficacy. TCM was very efficacious in treating SARS as both SARS-CoV (SARS) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are coronaviruses with 96 percent genome identity.

Based on the current research and my 22-year clinical experience at Willow Clinic using the TCM diagnostic frameworks referred to above, I feel that I can help my community prevent and treat early signs of COVID-19 using TCM.

Prevention Stage: This flu is preventable if we all work together to mitigate its spread. Due to its extremely high level of contagion and the fact that we now know that at least 25 percent of COVID-19 cases display no symptoms, our best way to mitigate the spread is through strict hygiene, social distancing and wearing a face mask in public.

If one thinks about COVID-19 in terms of "Game of Thrones" military strategy, COVID-19 is the Army of the Deads with the White Walkers marching, social distancing and wearing masks is the closing of Winterfeld gates and going underground to hide. TCM herbs are the dragonglass stones that can kill the progressive invasion of the virus into the body and Valyrian steel swords are the acupuncture needles that keep patients from falling to the virus.

The Journal of Integrative Medicine published February 13, 2020 concludes that "Chinese herbal treatments classically used for treating viral respiratory infections may contain direct anti-2019-nCoV compounds." We may not have a cure for completely eradicating corona-type viruses yet but we can keep most people from developing serious symptoms and ultimately possibly save lives.

I encourage all of my patients to seek TCM herbal teas which contain most of the herbs identified by the latest studies to combat COVID-19. Again, the TCM herbal teas have been used in China for thousands of years and I have used this method of treatment successfully in my clinic for the past 22 years to fight the seasonal flu.

Early symptoms: If someone develops flu-like symptoms that may or may not be COVID-19, TCM can help by treating the early symptoms of the flu or the allergies that those symptoms may be. Sneezing, a temperature, chills, sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue and lethargy are early symptoms. Do not disregard such symptoms. Anti-viral herbs in the TCM herbal teas can stop the virus in its tracks. The earlier one uses the anti-viral herbs the more effective the action of the herbs.

Difficulty breathing and pneumonia are not early symptoms. If someone experiences these symptoms it is time to go to the hospital. Western medicine is much better equipped for the pneumonia stage of COVID-19.

These are difficult times for us all. Traditional Chinese medicine can help in the prevention and early treatment of symptoms. TCM can also help with the emotional discomfort emanating from these uncertain times. Some of the conditions TCM can help with include: depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD and more.

In conclusion, I would say that staying positive, physically distant from one another and wearing a mask in public are the most important actions everyone can take now. TCM is an effective way to prevent and treat the flu in general and can help mitigate COVID-19 spread by preventing and treating early symptoms.

Dr. Caroline Colonna has been a doctor of Oriental medicine at Willow Clinic of TCM for the past 22 years.

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Opinion: Benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to combat disease - taosnews