Now, More Than Ever, Fighting for Our Children’s Needs Must Come First
New York, NY, January 19, 2021— Children dream without boundaries; they aspire to become paleontologists, astronauts, doctors and teachers without considering socioeconomic barriers, discrimination, disease outbreaks, violence or any one of a host of other challenges impacting their likelihood of success. It’s up to us, as a society, to help each and every child fulfill his or her potential. In fact, the future of our nation depends on it.
NBC/MSNBC public health analyst, pediatrician and activist Dr. Irwin Redlener delivers a potent wake-up call that compellingly underscores the urgency with which we must work toward fulfilling the potential of all children in his inspirational call to action, The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America, which contains a new preface and afterword addressing COVID-19 and its impact on kids.
Inadequate education, barriers to health care and crushing poverty make it overwhelmingly difficult for many children to realize their dreams — and these issues have been dramatically compounded by the pandemic. Finding ways to alter these trajectories is serious, grown-up business, Dr. Redlener emphasizes, and it’s time for us to act.
“We need heartstrings to be tugged by the folks who work on the front lines … But we also need the hard-core, take-no-prisoners types who demand that those empowered to determine priorities and allocate resources understand and respond to the needs of children,” he writes.
In The Future of Us, Dr. Redlener draws upon his four decades of professional experiences to examine our nation’s health care safety nets and special programs that are designed to protect and nurture our most vulnerable kids, but that too often fail to do so.
The book follows Dr. Redlener’s long, colorful career, from his work as a pediatrician in the Arkansas delta, to treating child abuse in a Miami hospital, to helping children in the aftermaths of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. He has served on the board of USA for Africa, cofounded the Children’s Health Fund with Paul Simon (and persuaded Joan Baez to play a benefit concert) and dined with Fidel Castro. He once sat across the table from Michael Jackson, and he has traveled with presidential candidates. But his most powerful source of motivation remains the children who face terrible adversities yet dream of becoming paleontologists, artists and marine biologists. Their stories are his springboard for discussing larger policy issues that hinder us from effectively eradicating childhood poverty and overcoming barriers to accessible health care. Persistent deprivation and the avoidable problems that accompany poverty ensnare millions of children and impact the health, prosperity and creativity of the adults they become. Dr. Redlener argues that we must drastically change our approach to meeting the needs of children ― for their sake and to ensure America’s resiliency and influence in an increasingly complex world.
It is Dr. Redlener’s hope that readers will emerge optimistic about our future, with a deeper understanding of how investing in children today will increase our chances of a successful tomorrow. Fighting for our nation’s children is far from a lost cause, and nothing could be more important.
Author Irwin Redlener, M.D., is a pediatrician and founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, which works to understand and improve the nation's capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. In 2020, Dr. Redlener created the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative at Columbia. He is a public health analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and recently partnered with Cher in CherCares, a new program that assists communities struggling with COVID-19.
Dr. Redlener is also President Emeritus and Co-Founder of the Children’s Health Fund, a philanthropic initiative that he created with singer/songwriter Paul Simon and Karen Redlener to develop health care programs in 25 of the nation’s most medically underserved urban and rural communities. He currently serves as a special advisor on emergency preparedness to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and regularly communicates with leadership in U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, as well as Homeland Security.
He is also the author of Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now. For more information, please visit www.irwinredlener.org.
The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America
Make ‘Go on a Diet’ Resolutions Obsolete with the Whole Person Integrative Eating Program
San Francisco, CA, January 19, 2021 — What if you never again need to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or “go on a diet” because your most-of-the-time way of eating empowers you to eat and weigh less? Original, pioneering research by holistic nutrition researcher Deborah Kesten, M.P.H., and behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D.—authors of the award-winning Whole Person Integrative Eating: A Breakthrough Dietary Lifestyle to Treat the Root Causes of Overeating, Overweight, and Obesity—reveals that replacing the complex reasons you overeat— called“overeating styles”—with the scientifically sound Whole Person Integrative Eating (WPIE) dietary lifestyle (meaning, WPIE is a way of life; it’s not a traditional diet) may make weight-loss resolutions obsolete.
“Now is the time to ‘reset’ and rethink what and how we eat; to replace traditional dieting with a scientifically sound way of eating that lessens overeating and that leads naturally to weight loss, health and healing,” says Kesten.
Kesten and Scherwitz share a simple yet powerful premise: Identify the reasons you overeat (your overeating styles) and gain weight—with the illuminating self-assessment quiz—then overcome overeating and lose weight by replacing your overeating styles with the antidotes: the elements of the Whole Person Integrative Eating program.
By shedding light on the root causes of overeating, Kesten and Scherwitz present a program that empowers readers with a personalized plan, and in turn new hope and new choices to help them reduce overeating, lose weight and keep it off.
WPIE is not a diet that a person goes on … then off. It is a scientifically sound, dietary lifestyle designed to be practiced for a lifetime.
"If people follow the revolutionary program outlined in this game-changing, insightful book, it may be the most helpful step they can take toward losing weight and keeping it off," says bestselling author Kenneth Pelletier, M.D., Ph.D., clinical professor of medicine at University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco.
The authors’ paradigm-shifting message is that food influences not only the physical dimensions of health, but also our emotional, spiritual and social well-being. Their dietary lifestyle can build bridges between the millions who struggle with overeating and weight issues and the medical community. And it can inspire us all to re-envision our relationships with food, eating and weight, so that each time we eat, we are nourished … for life.
Deborah Kesten, M.P.H.,is an international nutrition researcher, award-winning author and health journalist, with a specialty in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease. She is also an experienced, expert speaker and presenter—from TV and podcast interviews to large conferences and small-group workshops.
Kesten served as Nutritionist on Dean Ornish, M.D.’s first clinical trial for reversing heart disease through lifestyle changes, the results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. She was Director of Nutrition at cardiovascular clinics in Europe and on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association, San Francisco.
Kesten has published more than 400 nutrition and health articles. Her first book, Feeding the Body, Nourishing the Soul, received the first-place gold award in the Spirituality category from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Whole Person Integrative Eating has been honored with the No.1 gold, best-book award in the Health category by Book Excellence Awards and is a No. 1 Amazon best seller. Kesten is a VIP Contributor at Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, and is married to behavioral scientist and co-author of Whole Person Integrative Eating, Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D.
Powerful True Story Inspires Others to Seek Adventure, Turn Each Day into a Gift
Fort Wayne, IN, January 19, 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.
Salvation: It Should Not Be Complicated or Confusing
Dallas, TX, January 19, 2021— “What do I have to do to be saved?” is the Christian faith’s most important question and one that Lucas Kitchen started asking as a young boy. It should have been an easy question to answer, though no one in the piney woods seemed to agree what that simple answer should be. Despite growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, confusion about the Christian faith plagued every step of Lucas’ journey.
In Naked Grace: A Quest For Clarity In A World Of Confusion, Lucas Kitchen uses wit, humor and visual storytelling to invite you to join his life-long quest for answers. This multi-decade pursuit took Lucas to some laugh-out-loud places. When the stakes were as high as they could be, the simple answer finally came.
The true-life story in Naked Grace explores the confusion that many Christians quietly experience on a weekly basis. As this book demonstrates: just because they are quiet doesn’t mean they get it. This self-deprecating tale will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with unanswered questions and is dying to know the truth.
One Verse Podcast host Jeremy Myers wrote, “If you have questions about eternal life, the message of the gospel, what it means to follow Jesus as a disciple, or how grace helps us defeat sin in our lives, read his book. I guarantee his story will resemble parts of your own and will help you ask questions and find answers about the Gospel.”
Lucas Kitchen is an Amazon bestselling author with over 20 books written. His writing has been seen and heard by millions, through viral videos, radio and books. Lucas' books have covered genres such as sci-fi, urban fantasy, memoir, biography, children's literature, Christian theology and more. In addition to his writing career, Lucas is a filmmaker, pastor and international speaker. He can also be heard weekdays on the syndicated radio show Grace in Focus. He holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in Bible, psychology and history/political science from Letourneau University. He has a Master of Theology from Liberty University. He lives in East Texas with his family.
Naked Grace: A Quest For Clarity In A World Of Confusion Publisher: Free Grace International ISBN-10: 1661761119 ISBN-13: 978-1661761110 Available from Amazon.com
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Ontario's doctors warn of looming drug shortages due to COVID
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2021 /CNW/ - With COVID cases skyrocketing and hospital admissions rising, Ontario's doctors warn that the province may once again face serious drug shortages.
The onset of the pandemic in early 2020 raised concerns about securing sufficient supplies of imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China and India, which supply most of the APIs used in North America. Between early March and mid-June of 2020, Ontario doctors and pharmacists were asked to dispense 30 days or less of medication at a time for Ontario Drug Benefit recipients to ensure there was an adequate supply during the first wave of COVID.
In August, Canada's doctors and pharmacists wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pointing to shortages of essential and critical care medications exacerbated by the pandemic, including propofol, ketamine, succinylcholine, fentanyl, midazolam and more. These drugs are essential in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in critical care and are also used in operating rooms, emergency departments and palliative care settings. Health-care professionals have also seen shortages in antibiotics.
In a white paper released today, A Remedy for Canada's Drug Shortage Dilemma, the Ontario Medical Association recommends that Canada increase domestic production of essential drugs and that all levels of government work together to ensure a sufficient stockpile of essential medications during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Chronic drug shortages have worsened during the pandemic and may become even more serious if hospitals become overwhelmed with COVID cases in the coming weeks," said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "Drug shortages can be catastrophic for patients, causing treatment delays, increased suffering, financial burden and an increased risk of overdose and underdose."
In addition to increasing domestic drug manufacturing capacity and ensuring a sufficient stockpile of essential drugs, the Ontario Medical Association recommends that:
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with pharmacy regulators, professional associations and key stakeholders such as hospice and palliative care physicians, should change legislation and policies to allow the safe return and distribution of high-demand unused medications in hospital and community settings, including Medical Assistance in Dying kits and symptom relief kits used in palliative care.
The province work with doctors, pharmacists, and other stakeholders to expand community programs to minimize the waste of drugs and support vulnerable populations that have difficulty accessing needed medications.
An ethical decision-making framework be adopted across the province to guide the allocation of drugs to patients during the pandemic and beyond.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments should work with the OMA, the Ontario Pharmacists Association, the Ontario Hospital Association, the Canadian Association of Pharmaceutical Distribution, Group Purchasing Organizations, Innovative Medicine Canada and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association to develop a centralized drug supply monitoring system to provide real-time updates on community drug supply and distribution, including reasons for and anticipated duration of shortages.
The OMA recommendations are based on lessons learned from the first wave of the pandemic, which did not overwhelm Ontario hospitals. Taking immediate action to address drug shortages is now more important than ever, as projections indicate increased cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks.
"Drug shortages seriously affect patient care and can force health-care providers to make very difficult choices," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "Mitigating and managing these shortages will require bold and innovative solutions and the full partnership, attention and commitment of doctors, pharmacists, private and public drug plans, regulators and governments."
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Why Protecting Your Skin is Important When Working Out
We all know that exercise is great for your health. From lifting weights to hitting the treadmill, every aspect of a properly planned workout has positive effects on your body. With that being said, there are certain risks that come with exercising as well. One of the most common problems that gym aficionados face is skin irritation. All that contact with clothes and equipment can cause rashes and other issues, especially when sweating causes excess moisture. This is why it’s so important to limit the extent of the damage to your skin.
Unsightly Rashes and Blisters
From blistered hands to skinned knees and everything in between, working out can leave a lot of marks on your body. A rash on your legs could make you dread bikini season, despite all those months of effort to get the body you’ve always wanted. Taking care to avoid skin issues will help you look and feel your best.
Negative Mental Associations With Working Out
If you want to develop a lifelong passion for working out, then the gym should become your happy place. You should fantasize about the weight room at work and dream about the treadmill at night. When your workout is harming your skin, however, you’ll associate the gym with your painful and unsightly condition. This, in turn, will make you hesitant to keep up your exercise routine.
Recurring Pain While Exercising
Not only are rashes and blisters grim to behold, but they can also be highly painful. Those pushups and crunches will bring more discomfort than satisfaction if you’re dealing with irritated or burning skin. Once you’ve dealt with your skin issues once and for all, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of working out without any of the painful distractions.
Dermatology
Dermatology refers to the branch of science that studies and cares for the epidermis (or the skin, which constitutes the body’s largest organ). It’s a major branch of medicine, helping people with all sorts of skin issues from rashes to cysts. If you’re a regular at the gym, you might find yourself frequenting a dermatologist’s office to combat regular flare-ups of persistent skin issues. While dermatologists are incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at healing their patients, you probably don’t want to get to the point where you’re spending more time at the doctor’s office than at the gym.
When it comes to working out, taking care of your skin is more than just an ancillary concern. Protecting your epidermis is key to a healthy, exercise-filled lifestyle.
Synctuition teams Up With Gympass To Support Mental Health
Today, Synctuition is proud to team up with Gympass, the largest fitness platform for wellness and healthy living. By working together, we seek to make deep relaxation, personal growth, and balanced mental health fun and accessible to millions of people worldwide.
For years, Synctuition has worked consistently to provide an effective and highly accessible mental health tool. Our commitment to our mission has taken us another step forward and our app has become one of the first mindfulness meditation programs to be added to Gympass’s membership packages. From now on, Synctuition will be available to download for millions of Gympass users globally.
This comes in a time of increasing uncertainty, as people are turning to digital programs to ease stress and cultivate optimal wellbeing. Through this partnership, Synctuition will be a helpful guide to those who are looking forward to strengthening their mental and physical health.
An unprecedented partnership to support mental health
2020 has been a challenge not only to physical, but also mental health. Both Gympass and Synctuition believe that, by joining forces, a positive difference can be made.
Chief Commercial Officer at Gympass, Marco Crespo believes that in such difficult and stressful times, mindfulness and relaxation can help people build much-needed resilience. He commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Synctuition as we continue to build out our holistic wellness offering. With the challenges that Covid-19 has brought, it is more important than ever for Gympass to support our clients and users with innovative mindfulness products like Synctuition.”
Michael Burich, the Co-Founder of Synctuition, sees this as an unprecedented opportunity to extend a helping hand in the midst of adversity. He said, “We’re delighted to be able to offer millions of more people around the world access to our platform. As we tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic together we believe it is our responsibility to help alleviate the stress people are under.” Burich also commented on the many benefits of mindfulness practices adding, “Just one Synctuition mindfulness journey a day can help users to decrease the negative effects of stress and improve self-esteem.”
About Synctuition
Synctuition is an Estonian born start-up offering a unique relaxation experience technology. By using the amazing power of 3D sound, Synctuition goes far beyond meditative relaxation providing an immersive mind travel experience that cannot be compared to any other audio mediation in the world. In its first year, it has become one of the world’s leading mindfulness apps with over four million users in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. In 2019 the startup was also selected by Google as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing startups in Europe.
Woojer is a pioneer in the field of haptic technology with a fundamental patent portfolio and products that deliver high fidelity tactile sensation which reproduce the rich emotion of sound.
Disease Experts Address Mistrust and Misinformation Among Black Adults to Increase Update of COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines
For Friday February 5: From 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM EASTERN
Recent surveys show that in the US, Black adults are more worried about co-infection with COVID-19 and influenza (flu) than White and Hispanic adults. However, despite this concern, a large percentage of Black adults say they will not get a COVID-19 vaccine when eligible, and they are either unsure about getting or will not get a flu vaccine this season. This reflects a long history of mistrust of the healthcare system and misinformation around vaccination that healthcare professionals must address.
With COVID-19 vaccinations now underway, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is set to release the latest survey results on beliefs and attitudes toward vaccination against flu and COVID-19 among US Black adults.
While there has been progress in flu vaccine uptake across the US, there is still a critical need to increase the number of people getting vaccinated, especially in communities of color who bear a disproportionate burden of serious flu-related illness and are also disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
NFID President Patricia N. Whitley-Williams, MD, says, “In the midst of the pandemic, we need to continue to focus on increasing vaccination rates among those who are at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 and flu, including Black adults, many of whom have chronic health conditions that put them at greater risk. We need to understand and acknowledge concerns among communities of color, so that we, as healthcare professionals, can help build trust in vaccines.”
On Friday, February 5, Dr. Whitley-Williams will be available to discuss the persistent gaps and racial disparities in vaccination coverage. She will review the new NFID survey findings and explain the urgent need to encourage individuals to get vaccinated against both flu and COVID-19.
Why Seeing a Chiropractor Can Help Your Back Injury
Nearly all people suffer from back pain at some point in life. For some people, the pain subdues after a few days, but the pain can persist for months or even years for others. If back pain is causing you discomfort or interfering with your everyday life, it’s time to visit a chiropractor.
What is Back Pain?
Back pain is a feeling of stiffness or tension in the back. It is a common health condition that obstructs people from taking part in their day-to-day life. Back pain’s main culprits are bending down in the wrong direction, an accident, or lifting heavy items. Chronic back pain doesn’t only affect seniors; it is also common in young and middle-aged adults.
Can a Chiropractor Help with Back Pain?
Before trying other types of treatments, people consider conservative approaches first. Some common conservative approaches to back pain include oral pain medications, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. Before embarking on surgery and injections, people try those kinds of treatments to resolve back pain.
What Kind of Conditions Does a Chiropractor Treat?
Chiropractors mainly deal with spine-related complications. It could be a pain in the upper back, lower back, or it might be neck pain. Back pain may result from bad sitting habits or injury from work or accidents. Additionally, chiropractors treat shoulder and knee injuries too.
What to Expect During Your First Chiropractic Visit
Your chiropractor will start by taking in-depth medical and back pain history during your first chiropractic appointment. The chiropractor will want to know when you started experiencing the pain you feel. They will also want to know whether the pain resolves by itself.
After understanding your medical history, the chiropractor will conduct a physical exam, including respiration, blood pressure, and pulse tests. Suppose your pain results from being involved in an accident. In that case, a car accident chiropractor will also perform neurological or orthopedic tests to determine your posture, muscle strength and tone, and range of movement.
Chiropractic care is not a one-day activity. Sometimes, a patient is required to see their chiropractor once or twice a week. If a patient has an acute condition, especially after an accident, they may be needed to see the chiropractor daily. How often to see a chiropractor depends on whether you have chronic or resolvable problems. People with chronic pain are required to see a chiropractor regularly, while those with resolvable pain may see a chiropractor once or several times in a lifetime.
How to Fuel Your Body up for a Workout Naturally
Have you ever struggled to finish a workout? Many times the reason is eating the wrong fuel before exercising. Learning how to eat for the most energy will help you make the most of your training sessions.
Antioxidant Nutrition Bars
Eating properly is easier said than done. Working is stressful and takes up large chunks of time. Cooking a healthy meal from scratch can take a lot of willpower. The key is to keep a few antioxidant nutrition bars handy. They contain a lot of nutrients like protein, fats, and fibers. Fats in nuts and organic plant-based sources are a great source of energy. Eating these in the middle of the day will revamp your energy levels. They also are a great choice a few minutes before a workout. Jecabar is an example of a nutritious choice. Bars like these come in multiple flavors to make it easier to form healthy eating habits.
Drink Plenty of Water
This seems obvious to most people. The problem is sometimes people simply forget. Hydration will give you greater endurance by helping your body perform respiration. Most people don’t realize their lungs contain a lot of water. That is why dehydrated people often struggle to breathe. The reason is water keeps the lung’s lining moist and effective.
Eat Plenty of Protein
A heavy workout will tear your muscles. This is a good thing because small tears make your muscles stronger. Your body will progress faster if you eat plenty of protein. The amount you should eat depends on how much muscle you want to build. Many experts recommend eating at least .36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Many weightlifters commonly eat over 100 grams of protein a day. This will make sure that there is plenty of protein to help build muscle.
Natural sources of protein are meats, nuts, and plant-based protein. Those who eat meat tend to stick to lean meat like steak, chicken, and fish. Nuts are also a healthy source of protein. Others will eat plant-based protein powder that is made of crushed peas, broccoli, and other greens.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
These are a strong source of amino acids and vitamins. A healthy mix of these helps a lot to speed your recovery time. People who eat a lot of fast food have slower recovery times than those with healthy diets. They also get sick more often. Dietary supplements can help, but they won’t replace a natural source that is easier to absorb.
A balanced diet will ensure you keep a steady supply of energy throughout the day. High energy is key to sticking to your workout routine. The key is trying out a mix of these proven methods to see what works for you.
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