50+ And Healthy Examines The Importance Of Mental Health As We Age
Chicago, IL, June 23, 2020 — The worldwide stay-at-home orders have turned weekend warriors into daily dog walkers, joggers and cyclists — all hoping to stay fit and avoid the “quarantine 15.” But there’s more to being healthy than having a fit physique. Mental health is equally important, but often gets buried beneath the stigma surrounding it.
“Many of you recognize that mental illness is often a taboo subject … due to seeming complexity, mystery and stigma,” explains Murali Rao, MD. “Unfortunately, the high discrimination of the subject leads to a statistic of nearly two-thirds of the world population refusing to seek help for mental health related issues.” Adding: “Though this primer is directed towards learning to help elders, the material can readily apply to any age group.”
Rao, an expert on clinical geriatrics and geriatric psychiatry, addresses the concepts of mental health and mental illnesses in the overarching context of healthy aging in 50+ and Healthy: What You Need to Know About Mental Health and Healthy Aging — for You and Your Loved Ones. This exceptionally strong, evidence-based guide emphasizes the importance of nurturing our mental health as we grow older.
Using easy-to-understand language, he explores common health-related conditions, how to recognize symptoms, practical approaches to treatments and his GAME PLANTMmethod for helping yourself and your loved ones, of any age, during times of distress or mental health crises.
For readers of any educational and professional background, 50+ and Healthy offers easily presented information and relatable case studies.
With this book, you can learn from a world authority about:
1. Healthy aging and mental health
2. Common mental illnesses, why people get them, how to identify them and how to manage them
3. Practical approaches for first aid and later interventions
4. Self-care for mental health and successful aging
If you are interested in healthy aging and how to help yourself, your family members and your friends with mental health, this book is for you. All proceeds from book sales go to a nonprofit organization engaged in mental health awareness education in the United States and India (www.nndcifoundation.org), founded by Dr. Murali Rao.
Author Murali Rao, MD, is a professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. He specializes in liaison and emergency psychiatry. Additionally, he serves as a member of multiple professional bodies including the American College of Psychiatrists, the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, CINP, the Indian Psychiatric Society and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
Dr. Rao has received multiple awards and fellowships, including Distinguished Life Fellow by the APA, Outstanding Academician Award by the Indo-American Psychiatric Association and the Master Teacher Award by the Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Rao has also had more than 80 journal publications, books and book-chapters. He has recently published trainee and trainer manuals on Adult Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Workplace Mental Health.
For more information, please visit www.nndcifoundation.org, or follow the author on Twitter at @MuraliRaoMD.
50 + and Healthy: What You Need to Know About Mental Health and Healthy Aging — for You and Your Loved Ones
Texas A&M System Brands Buildings at Texas A&M Innovation Plaza in Texas Medical Center
The five-acre mixed-use Texas A&M Innovation Plaza in Houston will be home to the Engineering Medicine program and more.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System has announced Discovery Tower, Life Tower and Horizon Tower as the names of the three buildings that comprise Texas A&M Innovation Plaza, its landmark 5-acre campus in Houston, Texas, at the prominent intersection of Holcombe Boulevard and Main Street near the Texas Medical Center (TMC). This campus sets a new standard for collaboration in engineering, medicine, research and education and is the first all-new mixed-use campus for the Texas A&M System in Houston.
The Texas A&M University System initiated the new campus by acquiring and renovating an 18-story office building at 1020 Holcombe Blvd. to be the home for EnMed, a unique two-degree program that provides students the chance to earn a master’s degree in engineering from Texas A&M University and a medical degree from the Texas A&M College of Medicine. Opening later this year, this building supports EnMed and an expanded array of Texas A&M’s engineering, research, innovation, medical and life science programs that are reflected in the newly announced brand: Discovery Tower.
Complementing the academic, research, discovery and innovation missions of the EnMed Building, Texas A&M Innovation Plaza will provide a welcoming, secure and vibrant experience to the campus population and visitors alike, with generous green spaces and lifestyle amenities not commonly found in the TMC area.
With groundbreaking scheduled in late 2020, the System’s public-private partnership (P3) developer is bringing additional investment of $401 million to fulfill unmet needs in the area with two complementary towers totaling an additional 1.9 million square feet.
“EnMed is just the first example of innovation that Texas A&M System intends to bring to the Texas A&M Innovation Plaza,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “We are excited to have such a visible location in the Texas Medical Center.”
Scheduled to be complete in June 2022, Life Tower is a 19-story, 714-bed student housing tower will overlook a scenic plaza flanked by a large garage with retail and dining at grade with convenient, affordable parking for 2,714 vehicles. Texas A&M medical students and Prairie View A&M University nursing students will be given priority for housing, but students from other institutions could fill open slots, if available.
Scheduled to deliver in January 2024 is Horizon Tower, a 17-story, 485,000 square-foot integrated building that will be built atop the 13-story parking structure. With generous, efficient floorplates and robust building technologies, Horizon Tower will be ideally suited to life sciences, clinical, biomedical, technology and office uses.
Accessible via Main Street, Holcombe Boulevard and Fannin Street, Texas A&M Innovation Plaza is also adjacent to the METRO TMC Station, providing convenient connectivity via bus and light rail service to the TMC, Museum District and Downtown Houston.
The developer for the P3 projects is Medistar Corporation, a long-time Houston-based developer. Infrastructure investment firm American Triple I Partners, founded by Texas A&M alum Henry Cisneros, is part of the financing team.
About The Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation with a budget of $6.3 billion. The System is a statewide network of 11 universities; a comprehensive health science center; eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M System educates more than 151,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $1 billion in FY 2019 and helped drive the state’s economy.
Physician-Created App Unveils Remote Check-In Feature to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Medical Practices
TAMPA, FLA.
DocClocker®, a pioneering app that allows patients – for the first time – to receive real-time wait time reporting of their medical providers, has been aggressively preventing the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) nationwide by enabling patients to avoid long waits in medical waiting rooms – limiting exposure risks. Today, the company announced their latest achievement in supporting both providers and patients during the pandemic: DocClocker Remote Check-In.
In the wake of COVID-19, healthcare providers are being forced to rethink the traditional waiting room experience. DocClocker, a medical wait time reporting app that was founded and is run entirely by practicing physicians, is taking that step with the launch of DocClocker Remote Check-In. For the first time, patients can now remotely check-in to their doctor appointments from their car, in addition to receiving real-time wait time reporting; preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus by limiting the exposure of sick patients in waiting rooms.
“Recognizing that the waiting room during the COVID-19 pandemic is a potentially risky place to be, the new DocClocker Remote Check-In enables the healthcare system to function while keeping current best practice recommendations to maintain social distancing,” said Dr. Eric Carter, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of DocClocker.
Healthcare organizations across the United States are successfully using DocClocker to improve patient outcomes, prevent the spread of illness, increase new patient appointment bookings, improve practice online reputation and searchability, and much more. DocClocker can be installed and implemented to any healthcare waiting room in America in mere minutes.
In addition to remote check-ins and receiving real-time wait times, patients can easily locate and select in-network medical providers; selecting by reviewing the provider’s specific information and a display of average wait times. Patients can manage appointments through the app, receive appointment reminders, write reviews and report long waits. DocClocker is free to all patients and is significantly more affordable than basic appointment management tools that have dominated the market in recent years.
About DocClocker: Developed by Fast Pathway Inc, DocClocker brings transparency to the doctor’s waiting room using modern technology to streamline communication between doctors, patients, and their families. For more information about DocClocker, please visit the app’s website at: https://docclocker.com/
Location Information: Fast Pathway Inc 2202 North Westshore Blvd., Suite 200 Tampa, Florida 33607
About Fast Pathway, Inc: Fast Pathway Inc is the developer and operator of the DocClocker® platform and maintains the cloud-based technology for subscribers and users.
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Premium North American Brand in the Emerging Functional Mushroom Market Expands Leadership Through Addition of Specialized Plant-Based Physician
VANCOUVER, BC, June 23, 2020 - Rritual, the premium brand in the emerging functional mushroom market, announced today that Dr. Mike Hart has been named as the President of North America’s leading mushroom adaptogens company.
Dr. Hart has more than 6 years of experience in plant based therapy, including owning and operating his own family medicine clinic in London, Ontario, Canada where he regularly integrates plant-based wellness techniques, seeing optimal success with his patients in supporting them to treat common symptoms such as pain, inflammation, insomnia, depression and much more. His mission is to help his patients integrate plant-based therapies to lead the healthiest lifestyle possible.
Rritual, the rapidly growing North American leader in the emerging functional mushroom market is transforming the functional food industry with their Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion's Mane mushroom focused super food product portfolio which currently includes elixirs, mixes and shots combined with synergistic adaptogenic herbs. Their data-backed, unique formulations for their premium, plant-based elixirs include key ingredients to help support cognitive function, stress relief, and boost immunity.
“Dr. Mike Hart is the perfect leader for Rritual.” Said David Kerbel, Chief Executive Officer. “Dr. Hart’s extensive plant-based medicine background, business development skills, passion for health and wellness, and extensive trusted platform significantly strengthens our rapid expansion, brand presence and scalability in the emerging functional mushroom market.” Kerbel added.
“I am very excited to be joining the Rritual team,” said Dr. Mike Hart. “I believe Rritual has a great business model and, product portfolio in addition to a talented, and passionate management team that uniquely positions it for success in the emerging plant-based industry.” “Their mission to help people adapt to modern life and prove that mushrooms are one of the world’s greatest superfoods, is a perfect fit with my own wellness practices as a Physician, and personally as an individual who is passionate about mental and physical health.”
“My belief is that mental fitness is a daily ritual, and Rritual’s product portfolio and approach completely supports my current research and values as a seasoned, plant-based practitioner, having the tools and products available to individuals to help support their mental and physical fitness is of the utmost importance.” Hart added.
Currently one of the world's foremost experts in plant-based medicine, In September of 2002, Dr. Hart began studying nutritional biochemistry at Memorial University and completed his degree in 2006. After completing his undergraduate degree he obtained his medical degree at Saba School of Medicine in the Netherlands Antilles from 2006-2010. In 2014, Dr. Hart became the first physician in London, Ontario, Canada to open a Cannabis Clinic. His passion for helping patients with wellness tools runs deep with having supported thousands of patients to live symptom-free and lead healthier lifestyles since he began practicing medicine. He is also the co-author of the Amazon Best Seller “Friendly Fire”: Why Vets Are Lighting Up and Ditching Pills to Treat PTSD.
Launched in 2020, Rritual is guided by a single purpose: to help each and everyone meet the demands of modern life with style and ease through mushroom adaptogens. Rritual makes premium plant-based elixir products in small batches featuring mindfully-selected medicinal mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs. To help support and achieve an optimal need-state, Rritual offers a range of products to fit every lifestyle. Rritual produces simple mushroom adaptogen products with limited, yet very purposeful and organic ingredients. Most of all, Rritual wants to help people adapt to the strain of modern life and prove that mushrooms truly are the world’s greatest superfoods. You can find out more about Rritual by visiting https://wearerritual.com/ or find them on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Dr. Michael Hart, M.D, is one the world’s most foremost experts on plant based medicine. In 2014, Dr. Hart became the first physician in London, Ontario, Canada to open a Cannabis Clinic. In 2016 he founded Readytogo Medical Clinic, where he currently acts as the lead physician and medical director. He is also the co-author of the Amazon Best Seller “Friendly Fire”: Why Vets Are Lighting Up and Ditching Pills to Treat PTSD and the Candian Medical Ambassador for Athletes for CARE. His outspoken stance has landed him on a variety of media outlets, including an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcastwhich received over 3.2M views to date. You can find out more about Dr. Hart by visiting his website: https://mikehartmd.com/ or find him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.
YIVO's Shine Online Educational Series Ventures Across Centuries of Jewish History & Culture, Discovering the Evolution of Ashkenazi Jewish Cuisine from Eastern Europe to the Streets of New York City To Unveil It's Modern Renaissance Throughout the 21st Century
Amid the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, "A Seat at the Table" Now Offered for Free with Over 10,000 Participants Signed Up To Date
New York City -- Monday, June 22, 2020 -- YIVO Institute for Jewish Research -- whose preeminent archives contain more than 23 million documents and artifacts about Eastern European Jewry -- collaborates with an esteemed cohort of chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, scholars, and writers for a one-of-a-kind seven-week educational course, A Seat at the Table: A Journey Into Jewish Food. Never before has the world had such unprecedented access to over 100 hours of inspiring digital content at their finger tips, including in-depth interviews, roundtable discussions, cooking demonstrations, and the debut of 300 archival objects for an inside look at an often mystified cuisine. Lauded purveyors of Jewish fare and culture lead a riveting exploration into the Ashkenazi Jewish experience, and its modern culinary renaissance.
A Seat at the Table: A Journey Into Jewish Food features cultural visionaries such as Joan Nathan (Jewish Cooking In America), Michael W. Twitty (The Cooking Gene), Alice Feiring (The Dirty Wine Guide), Mitchell Davis (James Beard Foundation), Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper (Russ & Daughters), Jake Dell (Katz's Delicatessen), Darra Goldstein (Founder, Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture), Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz (The Gefilteria), Lior Lev Sercarz (La Boîte), Adeena Sussman (Sababa), Ilan Stavans (Amherst College), Leah Koenig (The Jewish Cookbook), Michael Wex (Born to Kvetch), and more!
The dynamism of Jewish cuisine is at once steeped in tradition, and embedded with great curiosities of a traveling migration of people evolving flavors and ingredients as they trekked across Eastern Europe, the Americas, and ultimately the cosmopolitan mecca of New York City. For thousands of years, Jewish dishes were confluent with the seasons and practices of sustainability. Recipes use flavors and textures from garden root vegetables, whole grains, fresh herbs, beef, lamb, and accompanied by seasonal fruit drinks, jellies, and a plethora of other nutritious foods. The Jewish food repertoire was at the heart of families and annual holidays.
A Seat at the Table already has more than 10,000 online participants for an odyssey into the Ashkenazi Jewish kitchen through the lens of the brightest personalities within the field while supported by YIVO's extensive archives, including the largest collection of Yiddish cookbooks. Learn from experts the staples of Jewish food, sourcing of rich and flavorful ingredients, influence of South America on over 2,000 types of moles (served with latkes), lox slicing, the rise in national popularity of bagels, emergence of Jewish restaurateurs, evolution of Jewish delicatessens and cafes, cross-culturalization within immigrant groups on the Lower East Side (Jews, Chinese, Japanese), women's perseverance to provide nourishing meals, Vegetarianism, and much more.
"A Seat at the Table shows the diversity of Jewish culture and the richness of Jewish history.Jews in Eastern Europe found ways to negotiate difficult times (political, social, economic, cultural) -- the result is a cuisine that shows their culinary creativity, resilience, and ability to find happiness, meaning, and nourishment (spiritual and physical) even in challenging times." -Jonathan Brent (Executive Director and CEO of YIVO).
"A Seat at the Table takes a deep delve into YIVO's food-related archival collections, examining the full history of Ashkenazi Jewish foodways in collaboration with acclaimed scholars, chefs, and cookbook authors. The project lies at the center of YIVO's mission: rediscovering history, breaking through stereotypes, and reclaiming Jewish culture as a vibrant, living tradition -- one that can help shape our experiences." -Ben Kaplan (Director of Education, YIVO)
Authentic Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine often reflects Jewish spiritual resistance as Jews faced extreme circumstances in their fight for survival and freedom. While food served to sustain and comfort people during the most difficult moments, A Seat at the Tableoffers foodies the opportunity to discover the cornerstones of the Ashkenazi Jewish kitchen. A process of assimilation and openness to new lands, people, and cultures uniquely identifies Jewish food as a traveling immigrant cuisine. The arrival of 3.5 million Jews to America from the 1880s -- 1920s provided access to an abundance of new foods and opportunities. What had become emblematic of the Jewish holidays throughout generations of hardship became more integrated into everyday life. A tragic history came full circle to centuries past for a cherished existence in America with new beginnings.
YIVO's devotion to the study of Jewish history and folklore -- YIVO holds the largest collection of original Holocaust artifacts outside of Yad Vashem in Israel -- brings into focus its latest online educational program to center on Jewish food as the perfect aperitif for the greater understanding of Jewish culture. A Seat at the Table is among many exciting programs within the Shine Online Educational Series (LINK). Join YIVO and over 10,000 participants across the U.S. and 59 countries around the world for this powerful journey through Ashkenazi Jewish foodways.
To sign up for A Seat at the Table, please visit: yivo.org/Food.
Links to preview A Seat at the Table can be viewed below, and Artifacts & Recipes featured in A Seat at the Table can be downloaded at this LINK:
About YIVO Institute for Jewish Research The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research was founded in Berlin, Warsaw, and in Vilnius (Vilna) in 1925. Its mission is to document, study, and preserve Ashkenazi Jewish civilization in all its aspects, from culture and history to language, literature, and political movements. YIVO's headquarters were relocated to New York City in 1940 in response to WWII. Today, YIVO is renowned for its role as a research institute, educational center, and cultural organization, with a library of over 400,000 volumes in addition to its unparalleled archive with over 23 million documents and artifacts. YIVO is dedicated to digitizing and preserving its collections for current and future generations worldwide. YIVO also keeps this heritage alive through its countless public and educational programs, which are conducted in person and digitally for a global community.
For additional detailed information, please visit: yivo.org
Experience the Clean-Grown Coastal Flavor of Blue Dream CBD, the First CBD-Prominent Flower From Pesticide-Free Cultivator Autumn Brands
Enjoy a mellow summertime Sativa that offers a functional, euphoric high while relaxing the body and providing relief for sore muscles, aches, and pains
Santa Barbara California – (June 23nd, 2020):Autumn Brands proudly introduces Blue Dream CBD, a premium, mellow sativa that offers full-body relaxation accompanied by a light, euphoric high. Backed by decades of hard-won, sustainable farming expertise, 50% woman-owned Autumn Brands stands out as a sixth-generation, family-run operation with a health-centered holistic focus and refreshingly artisanal approach. Committed to producing potent, pesticide-free cannabis strains using innovative clean growing practices, no summer is complete without the West Coast cultivator’s latest - and first CBD-prominent - flower: Blue Dream CBD.
“Our newest strain offers a euphoric high with the tangible benefits of CBD,” explains Hanna Brand, Co-Founder of Autumn Brands. “Although Blue Dream CBD is technically a Sativa, I was instantly relaxed and able to fall asleep quickly at bedtime.” Using seeds sourced from the historic and widely-respected Humboldt Seed Organization, Blue Dream CBD is a cross between the classic Blue Dream and California Orange CBD. The resulting flavor profile is a refreshing palate of fruit, berries, and citrus enriched by aromas of spice and earth. Perfect for first-time smokers and those with a low THC tolerance, Blue Dream CBD provides a functional, mellow head high with amazing relief for sore muscles, aches, and pains.
Experience sun-grown Blue Dream CBD - the latest release from the Autumn Brands family - now available at select Southern California dispensaries in a pre-roll 7-pack (11% THC, 5% CBD, and 18.5% total cannabinoids) and in hand-selected flower form (10% THC, 7% CBD, and 20% total cannabinoids). Visit AutumnBrands.com to locate the nearest participating seller and browse a full selection of premium flower, pre-rolls, and pre-filled cartridges. Each features sun-grown, hang-dried buds hand-trimmed and cured to preserve maximum potency and full healing benefits. Follow on Instagram @AutumnBrands for the latest product releases and updates.
About Autumn Brands:
Autumn Brands is a licensed California cannabis cultivator dedicated to the synergy of health and wellness. The Autumn Brands’ family farm started in Holland more than a century ago, and today, sixth-generation farmers apply the same expertise garnered in growing the world’s finest tulips to producing pure and potent strains of cannabis in sunny, coastal Santa Barbara County. Autumn Brands is proud to be 50 percent woman-owned, free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. For more information, visitwww.autumnbrands.com or email leighanne@anderson-pr.com.
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The Warrior’s Meditation Shares Best-Kept Secret In Stress Relief And Self-Improvement
Portland, OR, June 23, 2020 — The Warrior's Meditation by Richard L. Haight, the award-winning author of The Unbound Soul, makes transformative meditation accessible to the masses, with short, daily sessions that don’t require periods of isolation.
“The Warrior's Meditation is unlike any other meditation. This method is flexible in application, which allows it to blend with whatever your day has in store,” Haight says.
Perfect for people of all backgrounds and skill levels, The Warrior’s Meditation teaches an instinctive, non-religious form of Samurai meditation that is both practical and extremely effective.
Through daily meditation, practitioners can experience the following cognitive and physical benefits, among many others:
1. Improved immune function; decreased cellular inflammation and pain.
2. Increased positive emotions; less anxiety, depression and stress.
3. Increased emotional intelligence and compassion; reduced feelings of insecurity.
4. Increased gray matter in areas related to paying attention, positive emotions, emotional regulation and self-control.
5. Improved memory, creativity and abstract thinking.
Life is busy, and few people have time to spend hours a day in meditation. With The Warrior's Meditation, readers can experience profound clarity and awareness wherever they are and eventually embody meditation as a way of being.
Author Richard L. Haight is a master-level instructor of martial, meditation and healing arts. He began formal martial arts training at age 12 and moved to Japan at the age of 24 to advance his training with masters of the sword, staff and aiki-jujutsu.
During his 15 years in Japan, Haight was awarded masters licenses in four samurai arts as well as a traditional healing art called sotai-ho. He is one of the world's foremost experts in the traditional Japanese martial arts.
Through his books, his meditation and martial arts seminars, Haight is helping to ignite a worldwide movement for personal transformation that is free of all constraints and open to anyone of any level. He now lives and teaches in southern Oregon.
The Warrior's Meditation: The Best-Kept Secret in Self-Improvement, Cognitive Enhancement, and Stress Relief, Taught by a Master of Four Samurai Arts
Publisher: Shinkaikan Body, Mind, Spirit LLC
ISBN-10: 0999210092
ISBN-13: 978-0999210093
Paperback available at all online bookstores.
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Discover Flex Disc:
One Workout Tool, Hundreds of Possibilities
Looking for a big picture approach to fitness that doesn’t include doing a million crunches?
Meet Flex Disc-- a unique Ground Movement Training (GMT) tool that uses low impact, omnidirectional movement to build strength, mobility, flexibility, stability, balance, and core strength.
One single move performed with the Flex Disc fires up the entire body, challenging it to stay balanced and in control. Simply add it to your favorite at home workouts to increase your range of motion and strength without putting more strain on your body.
Flex Disc Details:
Effective for anyone, any age, and any fitness level
No gym required! Use at home, in the garage, backyard, or on vacation
Compatible with hundreds of exercises and workouts from Yoga, Barre and Pilates to strength training and more
Use with hands, forearms, elbows, shoulders, the back, glutes, knees, shins, or feet
No assembly or batteries required
Easy to store and transport
Can be used on rubber, carpet, cement, and wood
Double ball bearing polyurethane wheels are non-marking
Additional accessories including a revolutionary ergonomic handle, are available for even more workout options
Get started with the:
Flex Disc - One 14” rolling platform $79.95
Flex Disc Mini - A set of 2 10” rolling platforms $99.95
Flex Disc’s unique, low impact, rolling platform creates a new fitness modality (GMT) designed to help grow your mobility, stability, balance, flexibility and core strength. It has been used effectively in physical therapy settings as well as with Pilates, Barre, gymnastics, dance and by the NHL, MLB, NBA, and US Military.
Safeguard Your Emotional Health During Any Crisis With These 7 Practical Steps
Boulder, CO, June 19, 2020 — In our interconnected world, global events impact all of us in one way or another. Knowing how to help ourselves, our families and our organizations navigate a crisis can profoundly affect our emotional health and well-being.
7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis: A Practical Guide to Emotionally Dealing with Pandemics & Other Disasters is a must-read for anyone seeking to thrive during challenging times. Written by clinical psychologist Elia Gourgouris and change management expert Konstantinos Apostolopoulos, this easy-to-read book offers powerful, yet practical, insights to help minimize the negative emotional impact of pandemics, natural disasters, financial challenges and other major disruptions.
“Not only will individuals and families find the book helpful in a crisis, so will first responders, healthcare professionals, mental health counselors and wellness coaches,” said Dr. Gourgouris.
Drawing from their real-world experiences, Dr. Gourgouris and Apostolopoulos explain the following seven keys to navigating any crisis:
1. Start with self-care. Be aware of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.
2. Practice awareness. Listen to your intuition or inner wisdom.
3. Choose flexibility so you can adapt, pivot and avoid unnecessary pain.
4. Act now! Preparation is key to your survival.
5. Take initiative by moving into action. Become the navigator in your life’s journey!
6. Cultivate a positive attitude filled with faith and hope.
7. Show kindness to others.
“Each chapter has an end section including points to ponder, questions to consider and action steps to take, so the reader can move beyond just surviving to thriving in a crisis situation,” added Apostolopoulos.
Author Elia Gourgouris, PhD, is the Founder of The Happiness Center, an organization of world-leading experts in the field of positive psychology. Dr. Elia's previous book, 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness, became an Amazon #1 best-seller. He is an international keynote speaker and happiness expert focusing on corporate wellness and leadership training. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is a UCLA graduate. Dr. Elia is certified by the American Red Cross in Disaster Mental Health Services, having assisted in the 1994 Los Angeles and 2010 Haiti earthquakes, the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and other crises. He's the co-host of The Kindness Happiness Connection podcast and a Thrive Global contributor. Please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thehappinessdoctor/, https://www.instagram.com/dr.eliag/ or https://www.facebook.com/DrElia.
Co-author Konstantinos Apostolopoulos is the Founder and CEO of Fresh Biz Solutions, a performance consulting and training provider. As an award-winning facilitator and coach, he has successfully delivered hundreds of custom learning events in the US, Canada and Europe for diverse audiences and industries. He is a regular contributor to Thrive Global and other industry publications. As a young man in Greece, he experienced firsthand the devastation left behind by natural and economic disasters. As an adult, he was fortunate to help play a small part in the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Today, he helps others navigate the challenges brought by major events in their lives. Please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkon/.
COVID-19 vaccine developers AstraZeneca, CanSino, Johnson & Johnson and ReiThera face multiple challenges, says GlobalData
While there has been widespread press for its COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, faces multiple challenges in the race to develop a successful product, as reported by Reynald Castañeda, Pharma Writer for the Investigative News team at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. CanSino, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and ReiThera, which are also studying their own adenovirus vector vaccines, are likely to have similar hurdles.
Castañeda explains: “Although it has advantages over other vaccine technologies for COVID-19, the respective companies’ adenovirus vector vaccines are likely to be tripped up by pre-existing antibodies to the vectors used and the need for a second injection to boost protection.”
According to GlobalData, there are at least 38 companies or universities with a recombinant adenovirus-derived vaccine asset for COVID-19 from preclinical to Phase II/III stages. On 3 June, the US Federal Government’s vaccine initiative, Operation Warp Speed, named AstraZeneca’s AZD122, as one of five finalists along with Johnson & Johnson’s candidate.
Castañeda comments: “AZD1222’s recent animal data leave questions about its utility to prevent virus spread. A future booster shot could improve this aspect.
“CanSino Biologics’ Ad5-nCoV and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines’ disadvantage is they use a human adenovirus vector. This means a significant chunk of people may already have neutralising antibodies against the vector, which decreases efficacy prospects. Phase I Ad5-nCoV data is underwhelming, which underscores this limitation. In contrast, AstraZeneca’sAZD1222 and Rome-based ReiThera’s vaccines use nonhuman vectors and so may not have this issue.”
CanSino’s Ad5-nCoV is already in a Phase II trial that has a primary completion date of January 2021. J&J’s Phase I/IIa will start in July. ReiThera will also begin clinical investigation in the summer. Phase I/II AZD1222 trial data are expected shortly, with the vaccine concurrently in a Phase II/III trial, with data timelines dependent on community viral transmission rates.
Castañeda notes: “Prior reporting has suggested that a standard trial meant for approval that starts in the summer is likely to require around 25,000–30,000 volunteers if the annualized incidence rate is 1.5%. While a human challenge trial design – where study participants would be intentionally challenged with the COVID-19 virus – could be considered to quickly gather protection data, such a trial design also has its own operational and ethical issues.”
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