Fitbit Launches Japanese Website

Fitbit Launches Japanese Website with Help of Translation and Localization Agency Acclaro

San Francisco, CA March 20, 2013 - Today New York-based translation and localization agency Acclaro is excited to announce the Japanese website and product launch of its latest project for Fitbit, Inc. This launch opens up the seventh global market for Fitbit, the leader in the fast-growing connected health & fitness category.  Fitbit is based in San Francisco and has already found success into Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France. Japan marks the fourth collaboration between Fitbit and Acclaro, which translated and localized the product, website, and mobile sites for German, Spanish, French, and now Japanese.

"Japan is a very important new market for Fitbit because of the country's enthusiasm for both fitness and technology. We continue to partner with Acclaro and asked them to translate and localize our website for our Japanese launch because of the continued strong relationship we've built over last few projects," said Woody Scal, Chief Revenue Officer at Fitbit.

Acclaro collaborated closely with Fitbit on the 35,000 word website translation and localization project, a process that goes much deeper than translating words.

"Japanese is one of our top languages and it is also the most challenging to translate and localize. We have made a strong commitment to the Japanese language by opening an office in Tokyo in 2012, strengthening our relationship with Japanese businesses and allowing us to work face-to-face with their teams," said Emma Young, west coast operations director at Acclaro.

According to Young, most localization projects are complete after one to three iterations between an Acclaro linguist and client reviewer. With Japanese, however, content may go through months of editing before it reaches the public. "From our experience, Japanese consumers are more receptive to marketing copy that sounds like it was originally written in their language. We work hard to make sure there are no whispers of translation from a foreign language," commented Young.

Acclaro offered custom project management to accommodate Fitbit teams in San Francisco, CA and Tokyo, Japan and website developers in Moscow, Russia. The Acclaro project manager was strategically placed in France to overlap time zones between Russia and California with a flexible workflow that included regular face-to-face meetings between the linguists, reviewers, and developers.

"Fibit provided our translators with the product so they could experience it first-hand, because to translate the copy, they knew it was important to understand how the product worked," said Young.

Fitbit and Acclaro worked closely over three months to craft the perfect translation for a Japanese market.

"We are excited to see the new Japanese market unfold for Fitbit. We believe the Japanese people will have a warm reception to the technology and recognize the extensive care that has gone into matching this product to their culture," said Young.

About Acclaro
Acclaro is an international translation and localization agency that helps the world's leading brands succeed across cultures. With its global headquarters in New York and offices and affiliates in San Francisco, Boston, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Tokyo and Paris, the agency translates websites, marketing campaigns, documents and software for global enterprises, giving clients an authentic voice in key language markets.

About Fitbit
Founded in 2007 in San Francisco, Calif., Fitbit is the market leader in the fast-growing, connected health and fitness category. Fitbit offers the insights and encouragement to make smart choices and to see how small, everyday changes add up to big results. The Fitbit Zip and Fitbit One are the leading wireless fitness trackers in the market, while its Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale is a top-selling connected weight scale. Fitbit has distribution at leading U.S. retailers such as Apple, Amazon, AT&T, Best Buy, Brookstone, Radio Shack, REI, Verizon and Target. Fitbit products are sold in the U.S., Canada, the EU, New Zealand and Australia. Fitbit is funded by the Foundry Group, True Ventures and SoftTech VC. For more information please visit www.Fitbit.com or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Gluten Free Cottage Pancakes

1 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup rice flour

2 Tbsp olive oil or apple sauce

3 range fed eggs

Mix and cook in a pan over medium heat.

Heat Resistance of Probiotics

Durability is the Greatest Challenge of Probiotics –

New Study Proves Nebraska Cultures' ProDURA™

Is Superior in Heat Resistance

ProDURA's™ Durability Ranks Highest among Commercial Strains

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.  – Nebraska Cultures Inc.announced recently that its resilient probiotic strain ProDURA™ (Bacillus coagulans) survived twice as long in a heat resistance test as other top commercially available strains, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Thermal Resistance Study.  The fact that the ProDURA™ strain took significantly longer to die than the competition reaffirmed the strain's viability and immense potential for the use of ProDURA™ in food processing applications where thermal stability is needed.

The UNL Thermal Resistance Study was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Jayne Stratton, Research Professor and Microbiology Lab Manager at the University of Nebraska's Food Processing Center, in February of 2013.  The experiments in the study included testing the heat resistance of three commercial probiotic strains of Bacillus coagulans – ProDURA™ and two other strains already well established in the marketplace.  The findings show that the time necessary to decrease the population of viable ProDURA™ bacteria by 90 percent is approximately twice as long as the other two strains tested at temperatures up to 105°C.

Stratton tested a range of temperatures and found that ProDURA™ consistently outperformed other strains at every temperature; particularly at boiling point and beyond.  "The data collected in these experiments indicate that the ProDURA™ Bacillus coagulans could be the strain of choice in food processing applications where thermal stability in a probiotic organism is desirable," said Dr. Stratton.  More studies are planned.

About ProDURA™:
Available exclusively from Nebraska Cultures, ProDURA™ is an unusual probiotic strain, serving as a spore forming bacterium with a naturally protective coating that stays dormant until it meets the perfect conditions of heat, pH, and moisture found in the large intestine.
Features of ProDURA™ include:

• Inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli.
• Produces the enzyme lactase, which is known to reduce the incidence of lactose intolerance.
• Promotes weight gain and reduces the incidence of infections in piglets.In human clinical studies, ProDURA™ has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL levels, raise HDL levels in the blood, and reduce the incidence of diarrhea and bacterial vaginosis (BV).

"ProDURA's™ remarkable stability and resistance to heat makes it the ideal probiotic for processed foods, softgels, and gummy applications," said Michael Shahani, chief operations officer for Nebraska Cultures.   "Unlike weaker probiotic strains, ProDURA™ can survive unusually harsh processing, shipping and storage – while retaining its potency, delivering a more effective probiotic to users."
For a copy of the entire study and/or a technical synopsis of its findings, please contact Betsy Roberts at betsyr@lfpr.com.

About Nebraska Cultures:
Since 1981, Nebraska Cultures has supplied the natural products industry with the finest probiotic cultures – the Dr. Shahani's^® brand – specializing in the DDS-1 strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus.  Nebraska Cultures remains at the forefront of the probiotic industry by performing new research, increasing consumer awareness, growing its business overseas and expanding into functional foods.

As one of the most influential probiotics scientists to date, Dr. Khem Shahani began his landmark research on Lactobacillus acidophilus at the University of Nebraska in the late 1950s. There he discovered a particular strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus that showed superior growth, stability and nutritional viability. Dr. Shahani would later name the strain DDS-1 for the Department of Dairy Science Number One strain and spend the rest of his career unlocking its potentials for improving overall health.
For more information about the DDS-1 strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus or Nebraska Cultures, please visit: www.nebraskacultures.com or call toll free 1-877-377-4242.
   

Healthy probiotics

Dr. Stratton talks about probiotics

Probiotics, sometimes called "friendly bacteria," are beneficial microorganisms that naturally inhabit the human digestive system. You already have billions of bacteria living in your gut. Some are harmful (pathogenic), but many are beneficial. Keeping a balance between the good and the bad bacterial is critical to maintaining good health. Probiotics help keep bad bacteria and yeast from growing in your intestinal tract, and confer many other proven benefits to you, including vitamin production and keeping your immune system healthy.


BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS:

• Control Digestive Problems
• Enhances Weight Loss & Weight Maintenance Programs
• Suppress Bad Bacteria
• Produce natural antibiotic-like substances
• Inhibit Tumors and Carcinogenesis
• Fight yeast and fungal infections
• Enhance calcium metabolism
• Improve Immune Function
• Reduce cholesterol in the blood
• Produce B vitamins naturally
• Reduces Skin Problems
• Help With Liver Function

ABOUT DR. STRATTON:

Jayne Stratton, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA – LINCOLN.

Dr. Stratton has a Ph.D. and M.S. in Food Science and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and currently serves as a Research Assistant Professor and manager of The Food Processing Center's Laboratory Services.

College Fishing in Ozarks

MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECH WINS COLLEGE FISHING CENTRAL CONFERENCE EVENT ON LAKE OF THE OZARKS

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (March 16, 2013) – The Missouri University of Science and Tech team of Drew Schrader of Saint Charles, Mo., and William Kleine of Rolla, Mo., won the FLW College Fishing Central Conference event on Lake of the Ozarks Saturday with four bass weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned the club $2,000 and advanced the team to the FLW College Fishing Central Conference Invitational tournament.

      "It feels pretty awesome," said Kleine, a mechanical engineering major. "We weren't sure that we had what it would take to win the tournament. We only caught four bass today and thankfully they were all keepers. The only other bites we had were a bluegill and a drum.

      "We didn't have a single fish in the livewell until around 10 o'clock," Kleine continued. "We were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them. We figured that we just had to slow down and start dragging jigs around. It was a grind all day. We tried to count to at least 15 seconds before we even moved the jig at all. That's eventually how we got the bass to pick it up. We were mainly using Crock-O-Gator and Pig Sticker Jigs."

      "We were using darker crawfish colors," said Drew Schrader, a civil engineering major. "We mainly fished the jigs over rocks that were 15 to 20 feet deep." The partner group of Schrader and Kleine does not intend to fish the next event in the Central Conference, but they are planning to fish the Kentucky Lake tournament on June 15. Expect their skills and experience with jigs to be a factor on Kentucky's famous ledges.

      The top 15 teams that advanced to the Central Conference Invitational tournament are:

      1st:  Missouri University of Science and Tech – Drew Schrader, Saint Charles, Mo., and William Kleine, Rolla, Mo. (four bass, 12-14, $2,000)

      2nd: University of Nebraska-Omaha – Ben Milliken, Bennington, Neb., and Ben Kroeger, Omaha, Neb. (three bass, 10-4, $1,000)

      3rd:  Winona State University – Cade Laufenberg, La Crosse, Wis., and Kody Mattson, Blair, Wis. (two bass, 9-6, $500)

      4th:  Missouri State University – Joe McBride, Springfield, Mo., and Brennan Halbersma, Ozark, Mo. (three bass, 9-1, $500)

      5th:  Murray State University – Cody Sieben, Belle Plaine, Minn., and Dan Schult, Millstadt, Ill. (three bass, 8-14, $500)

      6th:  University of Iowa – Tony Mehrl, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Brandon Madison, Bronson, Iowa (two bass, 8-10)

      7th:  University of Louisville – Scott Davis, Louisville, Ky., and Jeffry Endly, Louisville, Ky. (two bass, 6-13)

      8th:  University of Wisconsin – Levi Warner, Shiocton, Wis., and Kevin Yeska, Wild Rose, Wis. (two bass, 6-6)

      9th:  Ambrose University – Daniel Butler, Houston, Texas, and Kyle Gates, Decatur, Ill. (two bass, 5-11)

      10th: Eastern Illinois University – Tyler McCune, Saint Joseph, Ill., and Dan Martin, Elmhurst, Ill. (two bass, 5-6)

      11th: Southern Illinois University – Aaron Connor, Murphysboro, Ill., and Brenton Ward, Carbondale, Ill. (two bass, 5-5)

      12th: Milwaukee School of Engineering – James Simonson, Fargo, N.D., and Brandon Lehrer, Appleton, Wis. (two bass, 5-3)

      13th: Northern Kentucky University – Brandon Houston, Burlington, Ky., and Darian Ginter, Maplewood, Ohio (two bass, 5-2)

      14th: Northern Illinois University – Derek Malanowski, Woodridge, Ill., and Chris Kosior, Palos Hills, Ill. (two bass, 4-14)

      15th: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point – Jason Hawksford, Hudson, Wis., and Cody Lincoln, Okauchee, Wis. (two bass, 4-7)

      Complete results can be found at CollegeFishing.com.

      Three regular-season qualifying events are held in each conference – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Texas and Western. The top 15 teams from each qualifying tournament will advance to one of five two-day FLW College Fishing Conference Invitational tournaments, where the first-place team wins $4,000 for their club. The top 10 teams from each Conference Invitational advance to the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

      College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

      The next FLW College Central Conference qualifying tournament is scheduled for May 4 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., and is hosted by the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism Board.

     For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

ABOUT FLW

FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water." For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

FLWOutdoors.com

  

10-minute warm-up

Your Workout is Only as Good as Your Warm-Up

Fitness routines vary throughout the population. Some lift weights, others run or do Pilates. No matter what workout module you choose there is one thing in common with results and that is the pre-workout warm-up. Often times you will see someone arrive at the gym and instantly jump on the treadmill or elliptical and start exercising. Not only is skipping a warm-up dangerous to your muscles but detrimental to your entire training circuit. The purpose of a warm-up is to prevent injury and improve performance and it should last between 10-15 minutes. In order to maximize the results of your workout, you need to get your blood pumping and your heart rate up.

 The main focus of your warm-up is to stretch your muscles and get blood pumping. Although many of us have been told that stretching prior to exercising is dangerous, by using dynamic stretches your body will warm up and be prepared for the work that will follow. Personal trainer and exercise physiologist Franci Cohen says, "dynamic stretching has been growing in popularity, as it engages the muscles in a similar way to the workout itself. Because you are moving through the stretching, your heart begins to pump more blood to working muscles, body temperature rises, the muscles warm up and become more elastic, and the body truly does warm up!" Franci has created a 10-minute warm-up that will "prep even the untrained body for the workout to come."

1. Jog to Butt-Kicks

• Begin by jogging in place for 2-3 minutes at a steady pace.
• Alternate the jog every 20 seconds with Hamstring Curls (a.k.a. Butt-Kicks). Make sure the heel of your foot touches your glutes.

2.Toe Walk

• Walk on your toes for 60 seconds to increase ankle motion and strengthen the gastrocnemius.
• Squat with Arm Swing
• Squat down slightly and while rising perform forward arm swing. Repeat for 60 seconds.

3. Arm Circles/Windmills

• Extend arms out to the sides like a "T"
• Perform 20 small circles in each direction, then 20 big circles in each direction. This should take about 1-2 minutes.

4. Straight Leg Front Kicks

•  Focus on kicking with the ball of the foot, and as your hamstrings warm up, begin increasing your range of motion by kicking higher and stronger.
• Make sure to extend the leg as fully as you can without locking during each kick. Perform 25 kicks on each leg (50 total).

5. Side Shuffle

• Give yourself about 10 feet of space.
• Shuffle to the right for 3 counts, then touch the floor, repeat to the left. Repeat the right/left shuffle 16 times
• Can also be done on a treadmill but switching shuffle direction every 10 seconds.

"These moves, especially the Front Kicks, will warm up your hamstrings and increase hip flexion, IT band elasticity, and core stability," says Franci. You will not be over stretched and your performance will increase. You can track your progress by the difference in time it takes you to run a mile. Results are almost guaranteed!

A No Nonsense Approach to Fitness, Health & Your Life

Franci Cohen is a personal trainer, certified nutritionist, exercise physiologist and creator of SPIDERBANDS®, a total-body cardio resistance workout that leverages gravity and your bodyweight with other intense exercise modules such as rebounding, kickboxing and indoor cycling. With over 18 years of experience, Franci has been a mainstay in the fitness and nutrition industries. Franci believes in a tough love approach to fitness and health. "We all have our fitness wake-up call at some point in our lives and it can be a powerful catalyst for change," says Franci. "Unfortunately, many people overcompensate and try to change everything at once, which is a disaster. Making lasting change involves going through stages that aren't necessarily linear. People fluctuate and transition between the stages. Knowing how to move through them can get you where you want to be."

 Franci devotes much of her time to Fuel Fitness, a specialty fitness center in Brooklyn, NY and continues to teach group fitness classes, train clients and broaden her perspective in all areas of fitness, nutrition and wellness. She designs unique fitness modules and group exercise programs for her clients utilizing the most effective and popular products, tools and exercise equipment available. "Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your health, but sometimes it's hard to just get motivated. My goal is to keep it fun and interesting by creating out-of-the-box programs that wow my clients with both the innovative nature of the classes, as well as with the rapid results they see in their bodies! My classes are the ultimate playground where fitness meets fun, and nothing is off limits!"

Franci has been married for 14 years and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and four children.

  

Dealing with Hangovers

April is Alcohol Awareness Month.

FACT: 25 million American's meet the criteria for substance abuse or dependence

FACT: An additional 68 million are classified as harmful drinker.
What is a harmful drinker and how many drinks is too much? What classifies as binge drinking? 3 or more or? Binge drinking usually starts in adolescence with 42% of kids between 18-25 engaging in it (SAMHSA 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health). But it's not just an adolescent problem.

One of the effects of drinking is hangovers.  Of course, the best solution for hangovers is to avoid drinking too much or not to drink at all.  Hangovers are a sympton of the stress drinking too much alcohol puts on the body.  Franci Cohen, personal trainer, certified nutritionist and exercise physiologist in New York City recommends the below must-dos to deal with hangovers and the effects of too much alcohol.

1) Replenish/Refuel/Revive.  Upon waking up after a hangover, aim to replenish your body with vital fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients. Doing so, can help break down toxins or at the very least reduce the body's negative reaction to the chemicals in the alcohol you consumed the night before. Remember, alcohol is a diuretic, and as such, it draws water out of the body. When the body is not properly stocked with water, it draws water from areas like the brain=the reason for your pounding headache! So drink up! Water or sports drinks that contain electrolytes are a must!!!!

2) Ginger Tea. This is often used in pregnant women to relieve the nausea associated with morning sickness.  Try a cup in the morning, and you should find relief from both stomach pain and nausea.

3) Fruit Juice to Fire You Up.  Although I rarely recommend fruit juice as part of a healthy diet (the fruit itself including the flesh and fiber is a better choice), post-hangover, it can definitely do a body good. The high fructose content in fruit juices offers an instant energy boost, which may jump-start your metabolism to help rid your body of the toxins from alcohol at a faster rate. 

4) Put in Some Potassium. When your body is dehydrated from overconsumption of alcohol, a very important electrolyte is flushed out of the body as well, and needs to be replenished-potassium. Try a banana, some fresh kiwi, or even a green drink with lots of spinach. All these foods are high in potassium, and can help restore your body's deficit.

5) Eggs Anyone?  Eggs are high in 2 specific amino acids (cysteine and taurine) that can protect the liver from alcohol-induced liver disease, by breaking down acetaldehyde (the headache-causing chemical that remains when the liver breaks down ethanol).

6) Steer Clear of the Coffee Corner.  Coffee contains caffeine (a diuretic), which can further dehydrate you-exactly the opposite of what you want post-hangover!

7) Skip the Exercise (or at least for the morning).  When treating a hangover, it is best for symptoms to subside before engaging in any strenuous activity. If your motor skills seems fine, and you can't resist taking a morning stroll, then bring along some H2O and enjoy your walk. Keep in mind, that you'll be losing more fluids as you exercise so replenishing those fluids are a must!!!! Want to head out to the gym for your favorite kickboxing or spin class? This unfortunately, is a bit too ambitious when you are hung-over. Spend the day repairing your body with fluids, vitamins, minerals, and rest.  Save the killer workout for tomorrow!

Prosthetics for Amputees

OHIO STATE TO HELP DESIGN ENHANCED PROSTHETICS FOR AMPUTEES
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently awarded support to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and community partners to improve the fit, function and comfort of prosthetic sockets for veterans.

As part of a VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2), the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, along with Ohio WillowWood and the University of Akron, will collaborate to develop a more effective prosthetic system for patients at VA medical centers across the country who have had transfemoral amputations. Unilateral transfemoral amputations involve removal of the leg at the thigh, while leaving part of the femur, or thigh bone, intact.

"This is an extraordinary Ohio-based industry-academia-government partnership that will generate real solutions for our amputees," says Dr. Chandan Sen, principal investigator of the project and professor and vice chair for research in Ohio State's Department of Surgery and director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Wound Center.

"Within Ohio State, partnership between the Colleges of Medicine and Engineering will be key to the success of this project, which is designed to create practical solutions for amputees in our society," Sen adds.
According to WillowWood, the proposed solution involves developing an improved suspension system and a socket system made from polymer materials that draw heat away from the limb for enhanced performance and comfort.

Throughout the 26-month project, transfemoral amputees will be provided with more durable prosthetic systems that are more comfortable and maintain fit and performance across a wide range of activities.

The Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies aims to advance life sciences research and education at The Ohio State University and throughout the State of Ohio by creating a multi-college environment that fosters interdisciplinary interactions, and advances and disseminates knowledge in this emergent field, with the final goal to deliver solutions in health care through effective public-private partnership. For more information about the Center please visit regenerativemedicine.osu.edu.
    

 

Homegrown, homemade foods

AgriLife Extension program reflects widening interest in homegrown, homemade foods

Backyard Basics seminar demonstrates past deserves preservation

By Paul Schattenberg

BOERNE — More than 70 people from throughout South Central Texas attended the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Don Strange of Texas, Inc. program "Preserving and Serving the Harvest" at the Don Strange Ranch in Boerne.

The program included demonstrations on food preparation and preservation basics by AgriLife Extension instructors and others, plus a menu of locally produced foods from executive chef Susan Johnson and her staff at the ranch.

The morning menu included buttermilk biscuits with specialty jams and jellies. The lunch menu included Reuben sandwiches with corned beef, pickled vegetables, potato salad and sauerkraut. During lunch, Johnson explained how each menu item was made at the ranch.

"This was one of the Backyard Basics programs being piloted by AgriLife Extension in several South Central Texas counties to provide information and hands-on instruction relating to the benefits of home food production, preparation and preservation," said Dr. Connie Sheppard, AgriLife Extension agent for family and consumer sciences in Bexar County, one of the program's coordinators.

During the day, AgriLife Extension personnel from Atascosa, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall and Wilson counties presented hands-on demonstrations at several indoor and outdoor sites at the ranch. They gave instruction on bread making, cheese making, drying foods, freezing fruits and vegetables and pressure canning. Additionally, members of the San Antonio Herb Market Association demonstrated how to grow herbs in a home garden and how to use fresh herbs in recipes.

Arias said the interest in canning, pickling and preserving homegrown and homemade foods is a good way for consumers to stretch food dollars and have greater control over the ingredients and preparation of their food.

"At Don Strange of Texas, we believe in serving fresh and wholesome foods," said Arias. "This program fits well with our desire to provide consumers the best tasting and most nutritious foods possible."

She added that she was glad to have had the opportunity to present a "community" program at the ranch as the facility is normally used for private parties.
Program attendees came from a multi-county area of South Central Texas. While most were from Boerne and San Antonio, others came from Canyon Lake, Corpus Christi, Dale, Hondo, George West, Ingram, Kerrville, Rockport and other towns.

"My wife and I have two young girls and we're here because we're interested in knowing more about what goes into the foods we eat and how to make better, healthier foods for our family," said Lance Lira of Boerne. "We want our daughters to learn how to make good, healthy foods so they can later share that information with their own children."

Sue Huggles of San Antonio, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, said she learned about the program while visiting the AgriLife Extension displays at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in February.

"I found out about the program while I was buying this year's rodeo tomato at the Bexar County Master Gardeners booth and visiting the AgriLife Extension kitchen at the pavilion," she said. "I came here today to see the different canning and preservation methods to find out which were the best and safest. I also wanted to see if I could get some new recipes and ideas."

Huggles said the Backyard Basics program at the ranch reminded her of her farm days in Iowa.

"We used to do a lot of this sort of thing on the farm, but now it's becoming a lost art," she said. "I'm glad to see there are still programs that show people how to make and preserve their own food."

This program and other Backyard Basics programs offered by AgriLife Extension serve to help address consumer concerns about where and how their food is produced and prepared, Sheppard said.

"Our Backyard Basics series has been designed in response to the resurgence of interest in home-based food production, such as growing vegetables and fruits or raising hens for fresh meat and eggs," she said. "The focus of the series is self-reliance and healthier living through homemade and homegrown foods."

Sheppard said additional Backyard Basics programs will be held throughout 2013. More information on upcoming programs can be found at http://backyardbasics.tamu.edu.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

 

PROBIOTICS OFFER A PROMISING SOLUTION FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Beltsville, MD, MARCH 2013 – April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month.  IBS is a chronic condition affecting between 15 and 20 percent of all adults in the Western world. However, IBS is difficult to identify due to the numerous symptoms associated with it. Almost 40 percent of IBS sufferers report symptoms severe and frequent enough to disrupt their daily lives, making it is a serious issue.

IBS is not technically a disease but, rather, a series of symptoms, which can often be controlled with a various lifestyle changes, such as diet, stress reduction, hydration, an increase in dietary fiber and a healthy balance of intestinal microflora, which can be achieved by taking probiotic supplements.

IBS symptoms range from annoying to debilitating, causing severe constipation in some, to chronic diarrhea, bloating, gas, fatigue, heartburn and depression in others. Often IBS is diagnosed by exclusion—more often described by what it is not rather than what it is—which can lead to overuse of the term.  While the direct cause of IBS is unknown, most medical professionals agree it stems from dysfunction within the intestines1. For the estimated 54 million Americans that it affects—75 percent of them female—the solution often compounds the problem.

Many medical professionals believe that IBS symptoms can be mollified by a course of antibiotics aimed at eliminating bacterial overgrowth. However, antibiotics not only eliminate harmful bacteria, they attack essential and beneficial bacteria as well. While antibiotics may offer some quick relief, it's not a long-term solution. Reversing the effects of IBS can be a slow process, but with an integrated approach that includes an appropriate probiotic supplement, results can be encouraging and long lasting.
 
One such approach is taking probiotic supplements to restore the proper microbial environment in the GI tract. Once achieved, this will help minimize the number and severity of IBS symptoms. The type of probiotic strains used and the amount of viable CFUs (colony forming units) a probiotic supplement contains is critical in providing the most effective results.

About Vidazorb®

Vidazorb® represents a group of superior shelf-stable, chewable probiotic formulations that provide essential support for core health needs. Research and development, together with a commitment to quality and efficacy, defines Vidazorb® as a brand of integrity and excellence. For more information, visit www.Vidazorb.com. For engaging, kid-friendly probiotic information, visit www.Zorbee.com. To learn more about the importance of, and science supporting, probiotics, visit www.YouAreWhatYouAbsorb.com. 

Vidazorb® uses clinically substantiated strains from Chr. Hansen. In studies on Chr. Hansen L. acidophilus, LA-5® and Bifidobacterium, BB-12®, these strains have been shown to be effective in counteracting antibiotic side effects, treating diarrhea and constipation, and reducing stool frequency in those with collagenous colitis (CC), among other benefits2.

 

Child abuse in 1950s

 

The nightmare of child abuse told firsthand 

New memoir lifts the veil on typical 1950's suburban nuclear family

Boston– Growing up in what appeared to be a fairly typical 1950's suburban nuclear family, author tells her own story of her heartbreaking and emotionally deprived upbringing in new memoir, Time After Time.
Time After Time is the story of author Susan Anderson's childhood raised by an abusive, yet competent mother inside an otherwise typical household of that time and place. Anderson uses the story of her childhood as an in-depth case study to clearly illustrate the difficulties of defining an emotionally deprived and abusive home.
With a doctorate in instructional leadership from the University of Massachusetts, Anderson speaks with compassion and candor about the silent epidemic of child abuse, emotional deprivation and the ripple effect it had on every member of the family.
Time After Time will create a dialogue in which family members, caregivers, school personnel, friends and neighbors can discuss alternative ways to intervene when there are suspicions of a child being emotionally abused and deprived within their own home.
"Love is easier to deal with: warm, flowing, renewing," Anderson said.  "Even the most astute, well-balanced adults have a hard time dealing with rage.  Some adults are so blinded by rage so much of the time that they try to get rid of it by harming a child: sexually, emotionally, physically.  That's one of the ongoing tragedies in our society today."
For more information, visit www.sunderlassieexpress.com
Time After Time
By Susan D. Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-4817-0607-0
Paperback: $19.95

About the author
Susan D. Anderson earned her doctorate in instructional leadership at the University of Massachusetts in 1980 and had a distinguished career in early childhood education and teacher education.  After a second career as a writer and manager in educational corporations, Anderson retired in order to write full time.  An accumulation of her signature "essays for the soul" can be found on her website, www.sunderlassieexpress.com.  Susan lives in the Connecticut River valley of western Massachusetts, where she is content to write, cook, garden and take photographs of her flowers.  Time After Time is her first book.

  

 

Scrambled Eggs with Salmon

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Chives
8 large eggs
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons milk
5 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips
or substitute a can of salmon or tuna

Beat eggs, 2 tablespoons chives and milk in bowl to blend. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Add egg mixture. Cook until almost set, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in salmon. Cook until eggs are cooked through but still moist, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer eggs to platter; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chives.

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scrambled-Eggs-with-Smoked-Salmon-and-Chives-103880?mbid=ipapp

Want to see how other cooks rated and reviewed this recipe? Go to http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scrambled-Eggs-with-Smoked-Salmon-and-Chives-103880?mbid=ipapp

 

Hair loss in women

Could your hair loss be telling you something? Are there more underling factors than just genetics and what is a normal amount of hair to lose in one day for a woman? Dr. Ryan Welter, Board Certified Hair Restoration Surgeon in North Attleboro, MA, has provided the helpful information below on hair loss for women below.

1.       According to the American Academy of Dermatology most people lose anywhere from 50-100 strands of hair each day.
2.       Men and Women's hair thin differently. Men typically have a receding hair line from their forehead while women's hair thins from the top third of their head.
3.       Underlining health issues include thyroid, PCOS or autoimmune disease.
4.       Hereditary hair loss affects 30 million American women according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

 

Defeating breast cancer

 

Author takes unconventional path to defeat breast cancer

New book explores preventative, holistic options for allowing the body to heal itself

 

HOUSTON – When Venus DeMarco was diagnosed with breast cancer, she sought help from conventional means: doctors and specialists. But after weighing her options, DeMarco realized that she didn't have to go through surgery, chemotherapy or radiation: the only thing she had to do was change her lifestyle.

In her memoir, The Healing Journey of my Bodacious Ta Ta's: Healed by Grace and on a Budget, DeMarco writes about using alternative methods to treat breast cancer. Instead of undergoing surgery, Demarco began a journey of physical and spiritual healing. The book follows DeMarco's journey through breast cancer treatment – from the time she was diagnosed in April 2009 to the present.

"I wrote this book because when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I decided to do it God's way, the natural way," DeMarco said. "I really want to inspire people to take charge of their own health and to prevent disease and cancer and to stop waiting around for cures when one's body has the ability to heal itself."

DeMarco believes that conventional cancer treatment only cures symptoms, not the cause, which leaves an opportunity for the cancer to return. She stresses the importance of "not becoming your disease" and offers guidance on how to do this: exercise regularly, rest often and follow a primarily vegan, raw and alkaline diet. She also acknowledges the power of faith and spirituality, including reading scriptures and removing stress and negative thoughts.

"This book was written to tell of my journey of faith and healing. It was written to inspire people to not always believe what they hear about cancer and disease," DeMarco said. "My faith is that my message will take the fear out of people's hearts and minds when it comes to the Big C."

DeMarco's goal is to help people understand that prevention is the cure and that the body is made to heal itself. Rather than responding to cancer with fear, she encourages women to take their health in their own hands, using preventative means to let the body heal itself.

"I very much want my message, 'Let's prevent breast cancer and not wait around for a cure' to be heard," DeMarco said. "I want to make a difference in people's lives, to make them aware of other possibilities. I would like to be known as the 'Prevention Warrior.'"

For more information, visit www.venusdemarco.org.       

The Healing Journey of my Bodacious Ta Ta's: Healed by Grace and on a Budget
By Venus DeMarco
ISBN: 978-1-4772-7466-8
Paperback: $14.95
Hardcover: $24.95
Available at www.amazon.com.

About the author
Venus DeMarco is an esthetician and has been in the skincare industry for 33 years. She owns Venus DeMarco's Personalized Skincare Clinic. On April 10, 2009 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of undergoing chemotherapy, she decided to take the natural route and let her body heal itself. She can be booked for her motivational speech, "Is it the fear or the disease?" She currently resides in Austin.

  

 

Poison Centers Protecting Health

Poison Centers: Protecting Health While Saving Americans Time and Money 

   American Association of Poison Control Centers Observes Annual National Poison Prevention Week

ALEXANDRIA, VA. – America's 57 local poison centers save lives 24 hours a day, seven days a week by providing free, confidential medical advice to people in poison emergencies, according to Marsha Ford, MD, FACMT, FACEP, president of the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Since 1962, the third week in March has been designated National Poison Prevention Week and has focused national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. America's 57 poison centers are committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of every American through poison prevention and free, confidential, expert medical services.

"National Poison Prevention Week is a great time to acknowledge the important, life-saving work done every day by the experts at America's poison centers," Ford said. "People who call their local poison center can be assured that the health care professionals who answer their calls have received the highest training possible. Despite the critical services provided, however, poison centers are in jeopardy after suffering federal funding cuts of 36 percent in 2011 and additional cuts at the state and local levels."

In 2011, U.S. poison centers fielded more than 3.6 million calls, including about 2.3 million cases of human exposures to poisons. Poison centers save lives by providing free and confidential health-care services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year in more than 150 languages. Highly trained, expert health-care professionals at poison centers across the country provide immediate advice to people who call with poisoning emergencies. Poison centers also save money. About 90 percent of the people who call with poison emergencies are treated at home following the advice of poison center experts – saving an estimated $1.19 billion in health-care costs each year.

"America's system of poison centers is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health programs in the nation," said AAPCC Executive Director Debbie Carr, MEd. "As our representatives in Washington, D.C., and in state legislatures across the country make decisions about funding for poison centers, it's important they carefully consider the impact of those decisions on the health and finances of the American people. The millions of Americans who rely on poison centers each year illustrate the importance of the poison center system that safeguards the health of our friends, neighbors and family members."

For more information, contact Loreeta Canton, director of public relations and member services for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, at 703.894.1858 or canton@aapcc.org or visit www.aapcc.org.

About the American Association of Poison Control Centers:
The AAPCC supports the nation's 57 poison centers in their efforts to treat and prevent drug, consumer product, animal, environmental and food poisoning. Members staff the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222 that provides free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from toxicology specialists, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians and poison information providers. In addition, the AAPCC maintains the only poison information and surveillance database in the United States, providing real-time monitoring of unusual poisoning patterns, chemical exposures and other emerging public health hazards. The AAPCC partners with federal agencies such as EPA, HRSA and the CDC, as well as private industry.
   

 

Early Signs of Prostate Cancer

Men with Early Prostate Cancer Should Be Offered Additional Testing to Confirm Severity of Disease

Research from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center Improves Decision Making for Patients and Their Doctors

NEW YORK (March 19, 2013) -- New research from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center suggests that men who are considering their treatment options for low-risk prostate cancer may benefit from additional biopsy testing before making a decision. Based on this research, doctors at the medical center are modifying their practices to more accurately distinguish early and low-risk prostate cancers from more aggressive disease.

"Active surveillance" is an alternative to immediate treatment of prostate cancer that allows men with low-risk tumors to monitor the disease with their physician and proceed with curative treatment at a later time, if ever. This approach delays, and may even prevent entirely, the possible side effects of radical surgery or radiation therapy.

There are two important factors for a successful active surveillance program. First is the accurate identification of men with low-risk prostate cancer. Active surveillance should be offered only to men with cancers that are considered at low risk for spread or growth beyond the prostate. Second, once a patient and his doctor choose active surveillance, the cancer must be carefully monitored to recognize if and when treatment is required. Monitoring includes regular blood tests, prostate exams, and repeat biopsies.

A standard prostate cancer biopsy takes 12 samples, known as cores, from different regions of the prostate. In men who have a persistently elevated risk of prostate cancer but have had a previous negative prostate biopsy, up to 24 cores are commonly taken. However, while 24 cores can offer a more accurate assessment, this approach requires more sedation and may increase the risk of complications.

In a new approach, doctors in the Department of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center are offering a 24-core repeat biopsy to men with low-risk prostate cancer who are being considered for active surveillance. The goal is to more accurately identify men most appropriate for active surveillance before entering them into the active surveillance program.

"In about one-third of men who enter active surveillance, a second biopsy performed one year later shows that they are no longer candidates for active surveillance, as the cancer has become more aggressive or extensive. They are then advised to receive treatment. It has been thought that the disease progresses over the course of the year," says Dr. Sven Wenske, a urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.

New published research suggests that those men who chose active surveillance and subsequently were thought to have "failed," or required treatment, a year later should not have been started on active surveillance in the first place. Researchers now think that their cancer did not progress or become more aggressive over the year, but that the initial biopsy may have been inadequate. This finding became apparent after two recent studies conducted in the Department of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.

In the first study, published in the November 2012 issue of the journal Urology, researchers retrospectively looked at 60 patients from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital who had been diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer and were considered candidates for active surveillance. All of the men had had an immediate repeat biopsy within, on average, two months after the initial biopsy with, on average, 17 cores. In about one-third of the men, this immediate repeat biopsy revealed a prostate cancer grade that made them ineligible for active surveillance. The men were then advised not to undergo active surveillance, but to consider one of the treatment options, such as removal of the prostate.

Two factors on the initial biopsy result predicted an upgrading of the cancer on the repeat biopsy: the presence of precursor lesions and grade of the cancer. "Interestingly, the proportion, one-third, of patients who are thought to show progression of their disease upon biopsy after one year of active surveillance is the same as the proportion of men in this study sample who showed features on their immediate rebiopsy upon entering the active surveillance program that no longer made active surveillance a viable option. Our suspicion is that these are the same patients, just identified before initiation of active surveillance and referred to appropriate treatment without delay," says Dr. Mitchell Benson, the George F. Cahill Professor of Urology and chair of the Department of Urology at Columbia University Medical Center.

To effectively identify which men are more likely to fail on active surveillance, doctors should perform an immediate repeat biopsy after the initial diagnosis, taking an increased number of tissue samples, according to Dr. Benson: "The 24-core biopsy offers additional clues to the cancer's aggressiveness and eliminates nearly all of the one-third of men who would have failed active surveillance at the one-year point. This will better reassure patients and may reduce anxiety about cancer progression.

"Effective treatment options are available, but prostate cancer grows slowly and not every patient requires immediate treatment, making active surveillance a valid option for many men. Therapies that may cause significant side effects, such as urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction, could be delayed or avoided entirely. Though treatment may eventually become necessary, through close monitoring of the cancer, quality of life could be significantly improved and maintained without risking significant progression of the cancer," adds Dr. Benson.

A separate study, published in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of Urology, showed that during active surveillance, repeat biopsies do not need to be performed on the transition zone of the prostate unless the cancer was initially found in that zone. The majority of cancers originate in the peripheral zone of the prostate and only approximately 10 percent in the transition zone. "This may help reduce the number of biopsies needed to be taken, thereby reducing side effects and complications," says Dr. Wenske.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men, affecting one in six men over their lifetime, and the second leading cause of cancer death.

For more information on active surveillance, visit: http://columbiaurology.org/specialties/cancer/prostate_cancer/active_surveillance.html.

The research was funded by the Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship Program at Columbia University Medical Center. Authors of the first study, "Role of Immediate Confirmatory Prostate Biopsy to Ensure Accurate Eligibility for Active Surveillance," are P. Motamedinia, J. RiChard, J. McKiernan, G. DeCastro and M. Benson. Authors of the second study, "Routine Transition Zone Biopsy During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer Rarely Provides Unique Evidence of Disease Progression," are J. RiChard, P. Motamedinia, J. McKiernan, G. DeCastro and M. Benson

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,409 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including 12,797 deliveries and 195,294 visits to its emergency departments. NewYork-Presbyterian's 6,144 affiliated physicians and 19,376 staff provide state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.

Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the MD degree. Among the most selective medical schools in the country, the school is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York State and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit www.cumc.columbia.edu.
    

 

Why AMA Opposes Chiropractors

Is It Greed That Pits Doctors Against Chiropractors?

Texas lawmakers filed a pair of bills Thursday and Friday that would enable chiropractors to make limited diagnoses on patients. This comes at a time when the American Medical Association and state medical associations across the nation are making the argument that chiropractors are not qualified to make a medical diagnosis. The AMA says that chiropractors have crossed the line into realm of practicing medicine. This raises what is a century old argument, are chiropractors medical practioners or not. Are they qualified to make a medical diagnosis? Is so why? If not why not?

Dr. JC Smith is a leading chiropractor and author of the book, The Medical War Against Chiropractors. He says yes chiropractors are qualified to make medical diagnoses. He says that without a doubt the only reason the AMA opposes chiropractors is because of greed. Dr. Smith states that chiropractors come up with alternative treatments that are more affordable for patients than procedures that doctors recommend. It is only fear of losing money that has the AMA opposing chiropractors. Dr. Smith goes further and says the AMA puts money over the well being of patients.

Repairing the heart with stem cells

Repairing the heart with stem cells, from the March 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch

BOSTON—Stem cells have the potential to grow into a variety of cell types, including heart cells. Could they possibly be used to repair and regenerate heart tissue damaged by a heart attack? To answer that question, the March 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch asked a leading stem cell expert to weigh in on this experimental treatment.

A recent study from Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles suggests that stem cells may, indeed, heal damaged hearts. The researchers treated 17 heart attack survivors with an infusion of stem cells taken from their own hearts. A year later, the amount of scar tissue had shrunk by about 50%.

These results sound dramatic, but are they an indication that we're getting close to perfecting stem cell therapy? "This is a field where, depending on which investigator you ask, you can get incredibly different answers," says Dr. Richard Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a leading expert on stem cell therapy.

"The field is young. Some studies show only modest or no improvement in heart function, but others have shown dramatically improved function," he says. "We're waiting to see if other doctors can also achieve really good results in other patients."

Studies are producing contradictory results partly because researchers use different methods to harvest and use stem cells. Some are taken from the bone marrow of donors, others from the recipient's own heart. It's not clear which approach works the best.

"Some investigators think this is just a few years away," says Dr. Lee. "And then there are others who feel that there is much more work to be done."

Right now, stem cell therapy is available only to people who participate in a research trial. Anyone who has had a heart attack or who is living with heart failure and wants to take part in a stem cell study can visit www.clinicaltrials.gov and search for trials in their area (for example, search "stem cells," "heart," "Los Angeles").

Read the full-length article: "Repairing the heart with stem cells"

Also in the March 2013 issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch:

• Update on hormone therapy
• Needling away chronic pain
• Preventive mastectomy—is it worth the risks?

Harvard Women's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $20 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/womens or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).