Speaker and Brain Health Expert Shares Ways to Alter the Brain’s Reaction to Fear and Stress
Chattanooga, TN, March 10, 2021 ― Hi, I’m your brain. And 2020 wreaked havoc on my chemical makeup. Forced social isolation, job loss, loneliness and other anxiety-inducing uncertainties continue to activate my stress pathways — thereby increasing your body’s inflammatory factors, diminishing immune response and increasing your vulnerability to viral infections and cancer. Is there anything you can do to rewire the way I react to fear and stress?
The good news is, the answer is yes, and Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist and founder of Come and Reason Ministries can explain how.
Dr. Jennings is a much sought-after speaker who regularly addresses non-medical professionals on Spirituality in Medicine, Depression and its Spiritual and Physical Connections, and Alzheimer’s Dementia. He also speaks to medical professionals on the topics of Psychotherapy in Clinical Practice, Major Depression in the Primary Care Setting, and the Neurobiology of Depression — among many others.
He expertly weaves spirituality with brain science to address fear, depression, anxiety and relationship issues. He recently explored at length the damaging effects of social isolation (https://comeandreason.com/index.php/en/blogs-main/903-social-isolation-during-covid-19) and its profound impact on physical and mental health, particularly for those already suffering from chronic conditions.
As for altering the way our brains react to stress, he suggests we can boost our resilience through physical exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting regular sleep, cognitive training, having a healthy relationship with God and spiritual development.
“Healthy spirituality confers resilience in a multitude of ways,” he says. “It develops your higher cortex, which calms your fear circuits.”
As the world searches for a clear path toward physical and mental recovery, Dr. Jennings is uniquely poised to address the very serious subject of brain health from both scientific and spiritual perspectives — a much needed and welcomed approach during these extremely distressing times.
Dr. Jennings operates a private practice in Chattanooga and has successfully treated thousands of patients. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Life-Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association.
He is also a prolific author whose books include The God-Shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life; Could It Be This Simple? A Biblical Model for Healing the Mind; The Aging Brain: Proven Steps to Prevent Dementia and Sharpen Your Mind; and The God-Shaped Heart: How Correctly Understanding God’s Love Transforms Us.
To hear his presentations and to learn more about Dr. Timothy R. Jennings and his approach to brain and body health, please visit: www.comeandreason.com.
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Post-Traumatic Thriving Shares Essential Elements for Authentic Healing
Los Angeles, CA, March 10, 2021 — Trauma has a way of showing up when we least expect it, and society sends many signals telling us that it’s admirable to put on a brave face and soldier on. But our grief is normal — even healthy, says world-renowned expert on disasters and trauma Dr. Randall Bell.
“The hallmark error is to continually dodge the pain. There is a time and place for avoidance. However, to heal and grow, we cannot doge the pain forever …,” he writes in his new book, Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience. “Suffering is our opportunity to stare our moral compass in the eye and deal with the problem in a dignified way.”
Dr. Bell undertook unprecedented research, and juxtaposes outcomes of scientific studies with stories of real people (many of them familiar) who have used their trauma as their fuel to thrive to reveal common denominators. He divides his remarkable insights into three sections: The Dive Stage, The Survive Stage and The Thrive Stage, and outlines a step-by-step process toward authentic healing.
To inspire and connect with readers who’ve experienced trauma, he shares stories of remarkable resilience, including the following:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy.
• A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals.
• A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times.
• A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork.
• The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships.
• A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more.
• A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Ultimately, Dr. Bell documents the science of happiness, as well as the individual styles and common thread that all post-traumatic thrivers have to emerge with a fulfilling life. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you.
As an economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history and is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience
How to Better Fuel Your Body if You're Trying to Build Muscle Mass
When you're lacking in the strength department, it can have you in a frenzy to build muscle mass. One trip online will reveal a ton of information, some good and some bad. We're going to help you sort through the masses and discover how to best fuel your body to build a massive amount of muscle mass.
Realize You Need Carbs Too
You may have heard that you need a lot of protein to build muscle. While that is true, that's not the only nutrient that you need. You're going to need some carbohydrates to fuel your body. Many people steer clear of carbs as they are known to induce body fat gain. However, you shouldn't. You should add carbs to every meal. Your body can absorb about 35 grams at each sitting.
Think About Your Protein
Protein is a must for anyone who wants to gain muscle. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion out there about how much and how often protein should be taken. As a general rule of thumb, a person looking to build muscle mass should be consuming about one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. Your body can typically use about 30 grams of protein in one sitting. Anything over that can't be utilized to build muscle. Some great ways to get more protein into your diet include artisan nutrition bars and protein shakes.
Increase Your Food Intake
Many people tend to get confused over their diet when it comes to building muscle mass. They think, if they replace their existing diet with one for building muscle mass, then they're okay. The problem is that they end up consuming the same amount of calories in a day, just from different food sources. To gain muscle mass, you need to eat more calories than your body is used to consuming on a daily basis. You can't eat the same amount of calories that your body is used to and expect to gain muscle mass.
Avoid Foods That Decrease Recovery
When fueling your body, you need to think about how each food interacts with your body. There are specific foods that will hurt your recovery from exercise and stunt your muscle mass growth. Some prime examples are processed foods, added sugar, and alcohol.
Fueling your body to enhance your muscle mass gains can be a great endeavor to undergo. By following the tips above, you'll be well on your way to more muscle mass. Just be sure to understand the plan and stick to it.
Glaucoma is a Leading Cause of Preventable Blindness: Don’t Skip Eyecare Checkups
New York, NY, March 10, 2021 — Blindness caused by glaucoma is insidious. In most cases, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. Many people do not even realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision. But Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York, wants you to know there is a way to prevent the devastating effects of glaucoma: Don’t skip your eyecare visits.
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:
1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping
2. Loss of visual field
3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG)
People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Blacks, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes.
The elevated intraocular pressure from glaucoma damages the optic nerve mechanically and creates decreased blood flow to the eye. The most identifiable cause of glaucoma is the enlarged lens or cataract in the eye. Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass has become the best option to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eyedrops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.
All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam. Screening should consist of an eye examination consisting of gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.
If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, Dr. Laroche recommends that you seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. DON’T GO BLIND FROM GLAUCOMA! People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, Dr. Laroche advises it's better to stay home and do telehealth visits or video consultations until the pandemic flattens. He also encourages people to wear face masks on visits and maintain social distancing, even if they are in a health clinic, and if you’re high-risk, consider adding eye protection when in public spaces.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.
“A healthy brain function requires a healthy vision. The brain is our most essential organ, and it allows us to control other organs. Normal and healthy vision contributes to improved learning and comprehension for a better quality of life,” says Dr. Laroche.
About Dr. Daniel Laroche
Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear.
Powerful True Story Inspires Others to Seek Adventure, Turn Each Day into a Gift
Fort Wayne, IN, March 10, 2021 — Brittany Moser’s short life was not defined by how she died, but rather, by how she lived each day to the fullest and the profound impact she had on those around her. Brittany died from a rare condition, Addison’s disease, in 2017 at the age of 32. She had been a happy-go-lucky flight attendant, soaring high above reality, when her diagnosis suddenly brought her down to earth.
Rather than buckle under the weight of fear, she chose to be fearless and embarked upon the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend — her father. Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Lifeis Brittany’s unforgettable story as told by her father, Philip Moser.
“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” Moser writes. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”
Free and Fearless is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on everyone who knew her. Philip hopes that by hearing her story, readers will be inspired by Brittany’s contagious spirit and unwavering desire for new adventures and experiences — even in the shadow of an incurable illness.
Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:
1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us; 2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible; 3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored; 4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures; 5. To embrace change as a natural part of life; 6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.
“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”
Author Philip Moser grew up on a farm in Angola, Indiana. After high school, he began working in different aspects of the grocery business, a career that continues to this day. He and his wife, Marilyn Wells, raised two incredible daughters, Camille and Brittany.
Held in the Past, Pushed to the Future: A Young Woman’s Journey
Detroit, MI, March 10, 2021— Niran, a Muslim woman coming of age in Detroit after emigrating from Iraq, walks a fine line between ancestral norms and the freedoms of a new generation as the protagonist of award-winning author Weam Namou’s new book, Pomegranate.
Inspired by her idol Enheduanna of ancient Mesopotamia, Niran navigates societal challenges, fights against cultural stereotypes and most of all aims to make her voice heard by all around her.
Enheduanna, the first known poet in world history, was a woman who lived more than 4,300 years ago. The High Priestess was a genuine historical figure, whereas Niran’s story is a mixture of real and imagined stories. They focus on Muslim women who cope with many issues as they transition from old traditions to a modern, western society. Author Namou admits that some of the tales involving the fictional Niran mirror her own.
Moving from war-torn Iraq to the U.S. was not easy for Niran, especially since it meant living as a liberal Muslim immigrant in a neighborhood of well-to-do, conservative Christians during the 2016 presidential election. As a young adult, Niran chafes under the tight rein of her headstrong mother who, enforcing tradition and obedience, stifles her children's individuality.
About the Author
Weam Namou was born in Baghdad to an ancient lineage called the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians who still speak Aramaic). She’s an award-winning author of 14 books, an international award-winning filmmaker, journalist, poet and Ambassador for the Authors Guild of America (Detroit Chapter). She hosts a half-hour weekly TV show and founded The Path of Consciousness, a spiritual and writing community. She created Unique Voices in Films, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and Namou’s work has been published in many national and international publications. One of her best-known books, The Great American Family, won the Eric Hoffer Award, and she wrote, produced and directed an award-winning documentary based on the same book. Additionally, she has written and directed Pomegranate the movie, which you can learn more about at www.PomegranateMovie.com.
For over a decade, Namou has been giving talks, presentations and workshops at libraries, colleges and universities, and for special groups. She is currently available both nationally and internationally via virtual platforms.
Pomegranate Publisher: Hermiz Publishing, Inc. Release Date: February 14, 2021 ISBN-13: 978-1945371004 Available at Amazon.com
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Resilience Without Regrets: Acclaimed Physician on Finding Miracles and Facing Adversity
Denver, CO, March 10, 2021 — Many people reach the end of their lives wishing they could change the past. Turning back the clock is impossible, but Dr. Harley Rotbart’s new book, No Regrets Living, offers sage guidance to help us better appreciate what we have in our lives, and take greater pride in what we’ve done with our lives — without spending precious time and energy wishing things had turned out differently.
In No Regrets Living, Dr. Rotbart describes the seven keys to a life of wonder and contentment: Belief, Discovery, Healing, Appreciation, Acceptance, Seeking and Growth, and how to cultivate each in your life. Woven into the timeless message of the book are especially timely observations on the COVID-19 pandemic from Dr. Rotbart’s expert perspective as an infectious diseases physician, including coping mechanisms and paths for going forward as individuals and as a society.
Dr. Rotbart is a man of science who also believes in, and “collects,” miracles. No Regrets Living is the much-awaited follow-up to his previous book, Miracles We Have Seen – America’s Leading Physicians Share Stories They Can’t Forget. In this new work, Dr. Rotbart reconciles science and faith from his unique perspective as physician, scientist, heart surgery patient and child of a Holocaust survivor.
“I have a simple definition of a miracle,” Dr. Rotbart says. “Miracles are objects and events in nature and in our lives that cannot be fully explained or re-created. Yes, like the unimaginable true stories written by physicians in the Miracles We Have Seen book, but I believe the inside of the living human beings I have seen in the operating room and the tiniest of human cells I have seen under a microscope in my laboratory are equally miraculous and unexplainable. And you needn’t go to medical school or use a microscope to appreciate the ubiquity of miracles. They are all around us — we only need to open our eyes and hearts to recognize them.”
A nationally renowned infectious disease specialist, Dr. Rotbart is also a pediatrician, parenting expert, speaker and educator. He is Professor and Vice Chair Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and author of more than 175 medical and scientific publications, and five previous books for general audiences: Miracles We Have Seen; 940 Saturdays; No Regrets Parenting; Germ Proof Your Kids; and The On Deck Circle of Life.
To learn more, please visit www.harleyrotbart.com, or connect with the author on Facebook (HarleyRotbartMd) or Twitter (@HarleyRotbart).
No Regrets Living: 7 Keys to a Life of Wonder and Contentment
Improve Your Life and Career by Making the Most of Happy Accidents
San Diego, CA, March 10, 2021— Perhaps you were meant to read this article and it was meant to change your life. Serendipity is all around us, and it’s up to us to be aware of it, to explore its potential impact on our lives and to follow its gentle nudge toward positive outcomes whenever possible.
“Most people go through life believing that unexpected, fortuitous events that often bring fame and fortune happen to only a lucky few individuals,” says Neil J. Farber, MD. “The truth is that unexpected events frequently happen to all of us. They may not bring tremendous fame or fortune, but they can be recognized and utilized to significantly improve one’s professional and personal life.”
Dr. Farber’s new book, Serendipity: Utilizing Common Unexpected Events to Improve Your Life and Career, thoroughly explores the role that serendipity could play in our lives and explains that recognizing serendipitous events is better achieved with a certain set of skills.
“You have to have a mind-set that allows you to think that such events canhappen,” he explains, adding that by practicing self-awareness and cultivating keen visual and auditory observational skills, we are more likely to spot even the most subtle of serendipitous happenings.
Serendipity describes how to understand the different types of serendipitous events and how they are common to all of us; how to recognize these events when they do occur; how to acquire the skills necessary to become more aware of serendipity; how to “connect the dots” to bring the serendipitous event to a fortuitous conclusion (that is, what skills, assistance and resources may be necessary); and what to do with the end product or idea if it is profitable, or as sometimes happens, when it is not.
Dr. Farber uses events recorded in literature and the history books, as well as events that have occurred in his own personal and professional life to create a helpful guide for recognizing and turning common events into meaningful moments.
Author Neil J. Farber is a Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine at University of California, San Diego, and a docent at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. He has been an academic internal medicine physician for 40 years, teaching, researching and providing patient care in medical schools initially on the East Coast. For the past 12 years, he was Professor of Clinical Medicine at University of California, San Diego, retiring at the end of April 2019. He has received numerous awards, including Top Doctor of San Diego five times, and is a member of the FDA Non-Prescription Drug Advisory Committee. He has published over 60 research papers and has had a multitude of serendipitous events occur, which have significantly (and positively) influenced his career and his personal life.
Serendipity: Utilizing Common Unexpected Events to Improve Your Life and Career
AbbVie pips Gilead to dominate Japan’s hepatitis C virus digital marketing space, says GlobalData
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapeutics market in Japan is highly competitive with stiff competition between Gilead and AbbVie. However, AbbVie has taken an edge over Gilead in terms of HCV-related digital initiatives, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
According to GlobalData’s ‘Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center’, the number of diagnosed prevalent cases of HCV in Japan is estimated to decrease from 1,152,875 in 2021 to 1,149,314 in 2025.
Leading direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) launched for HCV treatment in Japan include Gilead’s Sovaldi (March 2015), Harvoni (July 2015), and Epclusa (January 2019), and AbbVie’s Viekirax (September 2015) and Maviret (September 2017).
Venkat Kartheek Vale, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Japan had a high prevalence of HCV, which led to the increased uptake of marketed DAAs by AbbVie and Gilead due to high cure rates. While high cure rates are going to reduce the diagnosed prevalent cases and subsequently decrease the market size, AbbVie and Gilead are still trying to leave no stone unturned to sustain their presence and dominate the market by offering branded and unbranded digital support for patients.”
An analysis of the traffic over the last 18 months (June 2020 to February 2021 vs. September 2019 to May 2020) revealed highest traffic to the unbranded websites of BMS’ ‘Kanen-net.info’ and Mitsubishi Tanabe’s ‘Kankinou.net’ that support multiple liver diseases, followed by AbbVie’s dedicated unbranded site for HCV, ‘Cgatakanen-support.net’. Among the branded websites, AbbVie’s ‘Maviret.jp’ received higher traffic than Gilead’s branded websites.
Mr. Vale concludes: “The HCV treatment landscape witnessed a major transformation with the launch of novel DAAs by Gilead and AbbVie in the recent years with their drugs showing high cure rates thus making the companies the current market leaders. AbbVie’s digital initiatives to support Maviret have helped the company to position itself above Gilead, which has three marketed products including the recently approved Epclusa. Hence, an increased focus on strengthening digital presence is required from Gilead to compete with AbbVie.”
Comments provided by Venkat Kartheek Vale, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData
This press release was written using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GlobalData’s team of industry experts
About GlobalData
4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make timelier and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.
District Ventures Invests in Wellness Brand from Dragons' Den
Innovators behind the world's first mountable massager secure investment to grow product line and fuel expansion plans
TORONTO, March 9, 2021 /CNW/ -District Ventures Capital ("District Ventures") today announced the closing of an equity investment in Vertiball, the Fredericton-based company behind the world's first 360˚ movement, innovative personal muscular care device that treats muscle tension and back pain. The deal originated from a pitch on Season 15 of CBC's hit show Dragons' Den.
Founded by entrepreneur Curtis Kennedy, Vertiball uses trigger point therapy to treat muscle tension and back pain through its patented, industrial-strength suction cup technology and the 360˚ movement of a rotating precision ball. Kennedy, who's background is in mechanical engineering, made over 220 design iterations before going to market with the current version of the product. Alongside Vertiball's Chief Operating Officer, Aaron Turner, the two shared the 'back' story of the innovative start-up and pitched the concept to the Dragons – leaving with an investment from Dragon and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, Arlene Dickinson.
"At one point in our lives, we've all felt the unfortunate effects of muscle and back pain – and Vertiball brings to market an effective, portable tool to treat this common ailment," said Arlene Dickinson, General Partner of District Ventures Capital. "We are impressed not only with the innovative product that Vertiball has created, but with the sheer passion behind the concept and its development. We look forward to working with the Vertiball team as they continue to build the brand."
A proven method to naturally relieve muscle pain, Vertiball provides a variety of health benefits including improved circulation and flexibility, promotion of faster injury recovery, an enhanced sleep cycle and relief from tension-related headaches. The company is endorsed by professional athletes including CeeDee Lamb, Minkah Fitzpatrick Jr., and several other players from the National Football League.
"At Vertiball, we're committed to developing products and tools that improve overall health and help individuals reach their maximum potential," said Curtis Kennedy, Founder and CEO of Vertiball. "We're thrilled to partner with District Ventures – who not only share this vision but can provide us with the resources and tools we need to scale the business and succeed in the growing industry."
With an estimated annual revenue of over $29.5 billion, the physical therapy and rehabilitation industry continues to expand and address the growing demands of individuals suffering from muscle tension and back pain. On a mission to provide a portable, cost-efficient solution to this, Vertiball is available for purchase online, in physical therapy clinics across North America, and through a variety of e-commerce retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Target.
About District Ventures Capital
District Ventures Capital is a venture capital fund investing in innovative companies in the food & beverage and health & wellness sectors. The fund is led by General Partner, Arlene Dickinson. District Ventures is the leading ecosystem in Canada that focuses on the CPG space and brings capital, marketing support, programming, and commercialization as support to the companies it invests in.
