Breast milk could help prevent heart disease caused by premature birth, RCSI study

DUBLIN, Nov. 27, 2019 -- Early use of breast milk could play a vital role in preventing heart disease in prematurely born infants, according to a paper led by researchers at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and the Rotunda Hospital.

The review article, published in the journal Pediatric Research, was written in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School, University of Oxford and University of Toronto.

One of the long-term health complications that young adults born prematurely may have is unique heart characteristics. These can include smaller heart chambers, relatively higher blood pressure, and a disproportionate increase in muscle mass in the heart.

One study cited in the article looked at 30 preterm-born adults who were assigned to receive exclusive human milk and 16 preterm-born adults who were assigned to receive an exclusive formula-based diet during their hospital stay at birth. They then underwent detailed cardiovascular assessment between 23 and 28 years of age, including an MRI of their hearts. As expected, all of the hearts of those born prematurely had smaller chambers than the hearts in people who were not born prematurely.

However, the study showed that the smaller heart chambers were less profound for the exclusively human milk-fed group in comparison to those who were exclusively formula fed, suggesting a potentially protective effect of human milk for heart structure.

The researchers then identified potential reasons for why breast milk results in a lower risk of heart disease. Breast milk could help prevent heart disease by better regulating hormones and growth factors, strengthening the infant’s immune system, reducing inflammation and by possibly improving the metabolism of the child.

Identifying the key components within breast milk that result in improved heart health could pave the way for a more targeted approach to improve long-term cardiovascular wellbeing for those born prematurely.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that premature birth results in long-term adverse cardiovascular effects with important clinical consequences. There is a distinct lack of preventative and therapeutic interventions available to alleviate those effects,” said Professor Afif EL-Khuffash, Honorary Clinical Professor of Paediatrics at RCSI and Consultant Neonatologist at The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.

“The current evidence comes from observational studies and highlights the strong link between early breast milk administrations and improvement in long-term heart health, but it lacks concrete mechanistic explanations. More studies on the composition of breast milk could make clear exactly what causes these health benefits, which could in turn lead to better treatment options.”

The collaborative research group is continuing to study the effects of human milk exposure on heart function in very premature infants by using novel scans to measure heart function. They hope to demonstrate that early human milk exposure in premature infants can lead to significant improvements in heart function over the first two years of age.  

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2020) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education. 

In Search of the Perfect Strain: Top Cultivator in California’s “Wine Country” of Weed Shares Generational Wisdom Behind One Family’s Decades-Long Pursuit of the Perfect Toke

Committed to purity and sustainability, Autumn Brands’ Head Grower talks sixth-generation Dutch farming techniques and the challenges of spearheading a “no-spray” operation

LOS ANGELES, California – 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. Running a large-scale cannabis operation presents a variety of challenges for any commercial grower. Every aspect of cultivation requires strategic precision, from selecting the hardiest strains to keeping up with increasing demand for product. In a notoriously competitive market, many sellers rely on harsh chemicals and pesticides to speed the growth process and ensure a strong final product. Under the watchful eye of Head Grower Johnny Brand, Autumn Brands far surpasses federal and state regulatory standards, offering powerfully potent strains of clean, pesticide-free cannabis from a name customers trust for quality and consistency.

“As no-spray cannabis farmers, we have few of the tools traditional growers use to battle things like mildew and mold,” explains Johnny Brand of Autumn Brands’ rigorous, hands-on approach. Once he establishes that a particular strain is not hypersensitive to the ravages of moisture, he tests 10 plants and observes their unique growth patterns through three distinct stages: first, he notes how easily clones take root and how quickly they grow. Next, Brand looks for plants that swell quickly, producing strong trichomes (the sticky resin glands responsible for their THC, CBD, and other cannabinoid content) and terpenes (which give each strain its unique flavor and aroma). Finally, post-harvest, the plants are dried, hand-trimmed, and lab-tested to verify THC and CBD levels, as well as other beneficial cannabinoids. 

“The full process takes around 6 months, and I’m constantly searching for new strains to test and grow,” says Brand. Fortunately, several family-owned greenhouses give the company a unique edge: the freedom to grow and test product year-round in conjunction with the weather. “Indoor grows can operate year-round, regardless of the weather. Outdoor grows can only cultivate in warmer seasons,” he explains. “We’ve grown in the same greenhouses for more than 27 years, as hard-won knowledge from my grandpa and my dad passed down to me. My favorite part of our approach is the ability to work with the seasons; some plants change color and growth speed depending on the weather - which makes the testing process especially challenging - but it’s also what keeps me engaged in the process.”

Autumn Brands brings an uncompromising work ethic, informed by generations of family farming, to the task of producing hand-selected, sun-grown buds - each hang-dried, hand-trimmed, and cured to preserve maximum potency and full healing benefits. Overseeing every stage of their no-spray growth process, Johnny Brand and his expert team deliver sustainably sourced, farm-to-consumer cannabis to a blossoming health and wellness market. Visit www.AutumnBrands.com to learn more and discover their full selection of premium flower, pre-rolls, and pre-filled cartridges. 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, visit www.autumnbrands.com or email leighanne@anderson-pr.com.

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Dr. Robert Amyot, cardiologist and patient safety advocate, joins the MEDFAR Clinical Solutions team to help support its international growth

MONTREAL, Nov. 27, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Cardiologist and patient safety advocate, Dr. Robert Amyot, is joining the MEDFAR Clinical Solutions executive team as Chief Medical Officer, at a time when the company is expanding its presence across Canada and internationally. By welcoming an experienced practitioner and manager aboard, MEDFAR, already a leader in Quebec in the field of electronic medical records, is further reinforcing the strength of its executive team.

"Having rapidly gained the trust of over 6000 healthcare providers and more than 1000 clinics across Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia, it was the ideal time to welcome Dr Amyot. His valuable expertise in patient safety and broader perspective on the protection of medical data will allow us to pursue our international expansion while remaining true to MEDFAR's values." said Elias Farah, co-founder and CEO of MEDFAR. 

A cardiologist by training, Dr. Amyot was a researcher and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, where he taught clinical cardiology and echocardiography. An entrepreneur at heart, Dr. Amyot also founded the company Vimedix, which developed the first ever virtual reality transthoracic echocardiography simulator, and whose first client was a Harvard University affiliated hospital. 

Following the acquisition of Vimedix by the multinational company CAE, Dr. Amyot joined the management team of the CAE Healthcare division where he worked for nearly 10 years, serving as Chief Medical Officer, and then as President. In 2018, he was inducted into the Simulation Hall of Fame of the National Center for Simulation in the US. He sits on several boards of directors, including the board of the Royal College International, affiliated with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

"I'm proud to be joining the dynamic MEDFAR team that is helping to shine the light on Canadian genius abroad," said Dr. Amyot. "MEDFAR has developed a visionary digital ecosystem at a moment when the adoption of information technology is revolutionizing healthcare systems around the world."  

About MEDFAR

MEDFAR Clinical Solutions was founded in 2010 by two aeronautical engineers who realised healthcare wasn't leveraging the full potential of technology. Supported by a large community of clinical experts and determined to evolve its solution with its users, MEDFAR was the first to certify a fully cloud based Electronic Medical Records in Canada, MYLE (Make Your Life Easy).

Committed to driving excellence and efficiency in healthcare globally, MEDFAR differentiates itself by solely focusing on clinics and offering an intuitive, end-to-end Clinical Management Solution that substitutes inefficient processes with a faster and safer technological alternative. www.medfarsolutions.com 

SOURCE MEDFAR Clinical Solutions

HOW TO AVOID HOLIDAY HEARTBURN AS EXPLAINED BY AN INTERNIST AND GASTROENTEROLOGIST

                                    www.niketsonpal.com

Even if you’re not a “foodie” most people look forward to indulging in the culinary delights of holiday time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This  means that even people who are typically disciplined eat too much in one evening, eat rapidly, imbibe amounts of alcohol they are unaccustomed to, and consume foods that may not be part of their regular diet because “tis the season.”  While nobody likes a medical grinch, there are ways to have gastronomic fun without paying the price with holiday heartburn. Dr. Niket Sonpal is an internist and gastroenterologist at Touro College of Medicine.  He shares his tips for having your holiday cake and eating it too.

Heartburn happens when stomach acid flows backward into the esophagus. It can also go by two names: GER (gastroesophageal reflux) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GER is also known as acid indigestion, happening only once in a while. GERD is chronic heartburn that can lead to esophageal cancer if left untreated.

Here are some tips for avoiding holiday heartburn

Eat light turkey, not dark

High-fat food can spell trouble if you're prone to heartburn, so do yourself a favor and skip the skin when it comes to turkey time. Your best bet is to eat turkey breast and avoid oilier dark meat. The same goes for gravy. If it's not fat free, it may be smarter to skip this dish.

Choose baked, not mashed

If you have chronic heartburn, you don't have to give up your favorite foods. You just have to choose wisely to save yourself some pain later on. For example, mashed potatoes can trigger heartburn, but baked potatoes may not. When it comes to dairy products, the less fat the better.  Limit butter and avoid sour cream.

Choose multigrain rolls or bread

When choosing grain-based food for the holiday, you can't go wrong with multigrain bread or rolls. Corn bread and white bread are good choices too,if you want to avoid heartburn.

One side dish that should be strictly for the kids, however, is macaroni and cheese. This is one of those dishes known to trigger acid reflux, according to the National Heartburn Alliance.

Selecting a salad

Salads are good news for those with chronic heartburn or GERD—if you have the right salad dressing and ingredients, that is. High-fat foods are a known trigger for acid reflux, so the National Heartburn Alliance recommends avoiding creamy salad dressings, as well as oil and vinegar. Your best bet is a low-fat salad dressing, and avoid tomatoes, raw onions, and other acid-aggravating ingredients. (Want fruit in your salad? Choose apples, not oranges, if you want to avoid heartburn.)

Avoid foods that cause heartburn.

People who suffer from heartburn often know the trigger foods that cause symptoms. Common foods include chocolates, caffeine and greasy foods. These foods relax the lower esophagus sphincter muscle, when this muscle is relaxed, the food will go back up and cause heartburn. Other foods that can trigger heartburn include acidic foods such as citrus fruits or carbonated beverages. This means avoid Champagne! 

Skip Mint Desserts

Candy canes and chocolate mint desserts are best left for others. These dangerous holiday delectables are notorious for helping acid reflux on its way.

Eat more ginger

Ginger is one ingredient that can help ease heartburn, if you don't get too much of it. (More than 2 to 4 grams per day can actually cause heartburn.)

Ginger is a natural match for root vegetable dishes commonly served during the holidays. Heartburn-friendly vegetables include carrots, cabbage, peas, broccoli, and green beans

Linger Over Your Food

Take the time to eat slowly and enjoy your food. Rushing through your meal or chewing with your mouth open can increase your chances of indigestion or heartburn. Linger over your food and allow yourself to feel full by giving your food time to digest.

Limit Alcoholic Beverages

Have to have that holiday egg nog? Limit it to one glass. This festive beverage can do double the damage. Not only does it contain alcohol that irritates your stomach but it contains the added dose of diary that can cause bloating and gas.

Cut yourself off.

After-hours holiday parties can keep you snacking all night, but eating too close to bedtime can make acid reflux worse. Stop eating and drinking (water included) three hours before bedtime.

Ditch the post-meal nap:

Sleeping right after eating can increase GERD symptoms. Instead of falling asleep, try going for a walk.

Dr. Niket Sonpal

 is a native of Long Island NY and a graduate of Medical University of Silesia – Hope Medical Institute in Poland. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, he was selected to be the 2013‐2014 Chief Resident at Lenox Hill Hospital–Northshore LIJ Health System. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Clinical instructor at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Brooklyn. Dr. Sonpal has completed his Fellowship in gastroenterology at Lenox Hill Hospital and will continue his work in the field of medical student and resident test preparation.

Dr Sonpal has spoken and presented at over 25 national and regional conferences on his research and is a regular participant in national courses, as well as offering presentations to medical students, graduates, and residents on the match process. Recently Dr. Sonpal was chosen as one of top ten national residents for the Medelita–‐Dupont Honoring Excellent Resident Observations also known as the H.E.R.O. Campaign. He is the co‐author for the best-selling Master the Boards: USMLE Step 2 CK, Master the Boards Step 3, And Master the Boards: Internal Medicine. He is also the Chief Operating Officer for Medquest Test Prep, Director of Medical Education for Picmonic Test Prep, and a recognized expert on medical test prep.Dr. Sonpal is also on the board of the NY‐ American College Of Physicians (NYACP), and AAPI–‐NYC–‐METRO as the MSRF liaison. He has recently become a board member for NYCMS (New York County Medical Society    

COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEAR’S EVE: HOW TO GET GREAT SKIN BEFORE THE BALL DROPS ON 2019

www.drmanishshah.com

As luck would have it, most women seem to experience skin care problems just when they want to look their best. Every woman can relate to waking up with a huge zit right at the tip of her nose, or huge dark circles under the eyes, and the list goes on. There are pre-emptive measure one can take with less than two weeks until the New Year to ward off these skin care evils. We turned to Dr. Manish Shah, a Denver board certified plastic surgeon for guidance on what to do without breaking the bank or having invasive surgery.

Facial Extractions by a licensed aesthetician- Dr. Manish Shah says, “When done correctly extraction facials can clear closed comedones (AKA those tiny, flesh-colored bumps that never come to a head, yet never really go away), remove whiteheads and blackheads, and give your skin a newer, fresher foundation for your skincare products to penetrate. Basically, extractions can be the kiss of life for your lifeless broken out skin.”

Drink Alcohol in Moderation

If you plan on ringing into 2019 with a few glasses of bubbly, Dr. Shah recommends moderating your alcohol consumption leading up to the big day. He explains, “Alcohol can dehydrate the skin and cause it to appear less fresh and vibrant, which can certainly hinder your skin care efforts.”

Cleanse your Face Every Night- You have just arrived home at 2 am from a holiday Party. It may be tempting to flop into bed without washing your face. Don’t do it! Dr. Shah says that, “Sun damage isn’t the only environmental factor you have to worry about. Small micro particles from air pollutants might just hurt your skin, too. Play it safe by remembering to take a minute to cleanse your face to remove debris that could be weakening your skin. In addition, that foundation and pressed powder you have been wearing all night can clog your pores and cause breakouts.” 

Start Exfoliating

Want brighter, younger-looking skin? It starts with a great at home exfoliator! Dr. Shah explains that, “As your skin replenishes itself, dead skin cells start to build up on the top layer, leaving you looking dull. Exfoliating regularly removes this layer, revealing fresh, healthy skin. Regular exfoliation also allows your moisturizer and other topical products to penetrate more deeply, making them more effective.” 

Clean Your Makeup Brushes

You would not eat food on dirty dishes, would you? Applying makeup with dirty brushes is not so different. Not only will dirty brushes give you a spotty application, but they can harbor bacteria, dirt and oil, leading to acne and breakouts which necessitates piling on even more makeup to cover it up. 

Don’t Squeeze Your Pimples!

Here's a secret that many a supermodel or actress use: Steroid shots. Dr. Shah explains that, "when we discuss treating acne with cortisone or "steroid" shots, we are referring to the process of gently placing a very dilute quantity of a "glucocorticoid" steroid into the cyst. Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid molecules that are naturally produced by our bodies and have numerous functions including the regulation of human metabolism, immunity, and inflammation. They have very potent anti-inflammatory effects, so they are often used to treat inflammatory diseases in medicine. They can be formulated as creams to treat skin rashes or as pills to treat systemic disease. They can also be injected directly into local areas of inflammation such as in arthritic joints and inflamed acne cysts. Within one or two days of injection into a cyst, the steroid will shrink the inflammation producing relief of pain and almost immediate cosmetic improvement."

Peels

Look for AHA/BHA/PHA peels that will exfoliate the skin and help release the top layers of dead skin cells allowing for a more radiant underlay to come through.

Microdermabrasion

This professional treatment exfoliates at a deeper level (similar to a peel), with a mechanical handheld device that buffs away the upper layers of the skin.

Add vitamin C to your routine.

Dr. Shah suggests applying several drops of vitamin C serum underneath SPF each morning to target free radical damage, help lighten brown spots, and even out your skin tone.

Moisturizer

It may seem obvious, but when it comes to dewy, glowing skin, moisturizing is essential. "When your skin is dry, it looks dull, so hydrating ingredients can help bring back that glow," says Dr.  Shah. For skin types already prone to shine, adding moisture may seem like the last thing you need, but an oil-free hydrator with ingredients like hyaluronic acid could actually help reduce your sebum production and even out slickness into a sleek glow.

About Dr. Manish Shah

Manish Shah, M.D., F.A.C.S. was born in Canada and raised in the Washington, D.C. area. He graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a degree in biomedical engineering. He then completed his medical training at the University of Virginia, earning his Medical Doctorate. During this time, he also completed a one-year fellowship in microsurgery research at the New York University School of Medicine / Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. As a prelude to his plastic surgery training, Dr. Shah completed a rigorous five-year training program in General and Trauma Surgery at Emory University and the Medical College of Georgia. His formal training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was completed at the Univ. of Tennessee College of Medicine – Chattanooga Unit. After completing his plastic surgery training, he moved to New York City when he was selected for the prestigious Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital. He underwent extensive, advanced training in aesthetic surgery of the face, breasts, and body at the hands of some of the most renowned cosmetic surgeons in the world. This fellowship is widely considered to be the best of its kind in the world. Dr. Shah is one of only a select few plastic surgeons in the country who have undergone formal post-graduate training in aesthetic surgery.

Dr. Shah’s specialties include revision facial aesthetic surgery, rhinoplasty (“nose reshaping”), and aesthetic surgery of the breast (breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction). He is, however, well-trained in all areas of aesthetic surgery.

Dr. Shah’s aim is to obtain a natural appearing transformation that complements the real you!

Dr. Shah is a past Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center based at Denver Health Medical Center, the Rocky Mountain region’s only academic Level I trauma center. He is a past Chief of Plastic Surgery at Denver Health Medical Center. He also maintains a private practice in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery on the Dry Creek Medical Center campus (DTC/Denver) and up in the Aspen Valley (Basalt – in the office of MD Aesthetics – Tim Kruse, M.D.).

Dr. Shah is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Shah is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Sheridan Team Designs NewPneu, a Cost-Effective System for
Diagnosing Childhood Pneumonia in Low-Resource Settings

For Immediate Release: November 25, 2019

Oakville, Ontario: A device designed by a team of faculty and student researchers at Sheridan’s Centre for Mobile Innovation(CMI) has the potential to impact the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia - a significant cause of death for children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. NewPneu is a mobile health solution that’s cost-effective, portable, easy to use and energy-efficient, all factors essential for use in low-resource communities. 

The team at Milton, Ontario-based telehealth company, Tech4Life Enterprises, approached the CMI’s Director, Dr. Edward Sykes, in 2017 about leveraging Sheridan’s expertise through an applied research partnership. Principal Investigator, Dr. Tarek El Salti, a professor in Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Computer Science (Mobile Computing)program and third-year student researcher, Warren Zajac, have since championed the project, bringing it from idea to proof of concept in just over a year. Financial support has been provided from Tech4Life and through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant.

NewPneu consists of a circuit board with biometric sensors to capture respiratory rate and blood-oxygen level (Sp02), two measurements commonly used to detect pneumonia in children, and an Android mobile health app to receive data via Bluetooth. Currently available pneumonia-detection systems are proprietary and cost approximately $990 EUR for the circuit board alone. Parts for Sheridan’s NewPneu board cost only $10 USD. Commercially available products can run for 24 hours before requiring a charge, while NewPneu runs for up to 156 hours with energy efficient components. 

With support from the Sheridan Research Ethics Board, the CMI team conducted human testing of NewPneu. Using a gold-standard, hospital-grade device for comparison, they gathered data from participants after three levels of physical activity – sitting, walking on a level surface and climbing a flight of stairs. In all three instances, the results from the gold-standard device and NewPneu were comparable with statistically significant correlations. “We were thrilled at this validation,” says Dr. El Salti. “It’s a testament to Warren’s hardware and software design skills.”

Tech4Life’s Global CEO and Lead Researcher, Dr. Shariq Khoja, is impressed by the work of Sheridan’s team in co-creating technology with potential to meaningfully address a major global health concern. “Sheridan’s team has shown great expertise, designing a device that can be scaled for use globally,” he says. “Health providers I’ve spoken with are intrigued by NewPneu and feel that it will strengthen health systems by empowering thousands of health providers in early diagnosis of pneumonia, saving the lives of young children.”

While communities with low resources are the intended target, the CMI team is also mindful of its application for addressing overcrowded emergency rooms. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, concerns related to pneumonia was one of the top 10 reasons people visited emergency departments in 2017-18. “Imagine anyone having access to an inexpensive, user-friendly NewPneu device so that basic biometrics can be taken and sent to a local health provider to confirm whether the patient needs to seek medical attention,” says Dr. El Salti. “Hospitals won’t be bogged down with people who don’t need emergency care.”

With the viability of the CMI’s design, it puts into questions why such a device hasn’t yet been created and commercialized. “There’s a lot of catching up to be done when it comes to innovations in healthcare,” says Dr. El Salti. “Addressing health-related issues from a medical perspective is one thing, but technology has a role to play. Interdisciplinary approaches like the one we take at the Centre for Mobile Innovation can bring about these cutting-edge solutions.” Zajac adds: “NewPneu is novel because it works with any Android device – something many people have access to these days – so the costs are automatically reduced by removing the need for a screen. Sometimes it’s a matter of applying technology we use every day in meaningful ways.”

NewPneu is catching the attention of members of medical and technology communities around the world. In October, Dr. El Salti and Zajac presented the system at the 10^th annual IEEE Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. This December, they’ve been invited to present at the 2019 Global Digital Health Forum in Bethesda, Maryland in front of thousands of healthcare and technology professionals. 

Learn more about Sheridan’s Centre for Mobile Innovation and Research at Sheridan

Spine Health at Thanksgiving Dinner

For Immediate Thanksgiving Release

1. Maintain good posture the entire time. Proper digestion only occurs when we are sitting up straight. Good posture is defined as ears aligned with the shoulders and the “angel wings,” or the shoulder blades, retracted. In proper alignment, spinal stress is diminished. Recent studies show that gastric emptying is significantly delayed in the supine position when compared to a sitting position.  

Furthermore, “If you’re slouched over your plate, food cannot travel to the stomach in time for your body to tell your brain it’s getting full; it can take twice as long; thus, causing you to eat twice as much leaving you full and tired.

2. A brief family meditation for peace and happiness. Coming back together as a family means leaving many personal worlds of happiness, sadness and development behind. Take time out to honor and recognize this transition. Sit quietly together, hold hands and briefly recognize the personal worlds. Then state an intention to have a great family get together.

Dr. Ken says: Meditation is the process of calming the body and mind while allowing a connection with the universe. We are all so busy with our day-to-day activities and thoughts that we lose track of our goals, our vision, and our life plan. This non-stop grind prevents us from being thoughtful and performing the tasks necessary for our well-being and body maintenance.

3. Deep Belly Breathing: Deep belly breathing helps with digestion of food by enhancing motion of the belly and its food contents. Deeper yet though it serves to improve the motion of the spinal segments, spinal cord and nerve roots, and it increases the cerebrospinal fluid motion and distribution. Deep breathing might also decrease the swelling of the deranged spine joints and the nerve roots causing less pain. Deep belly breathing in itself will help you to feel better.

Dr. Ken Says” A deep breath of clean fresh air is as soothing to the body as a large glass of cool water on a hot summer day” so place your hands on your belly and breathe deeply to feel your belly move. Repeat this all day.

4. Small bites and small breaks will allow you to enjoy a steady-paced meal without needing to slow down or stop eating entirely. Take small bites of the highly caloric sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing and cheesy casseroles, but load up your fork with Turkey and string beans. Take a 5-minute break between each helping to allow your stomach to catch up with your eyes.

 5. Chat, “Take time out to engage in and enjoy the conversations around the table. When you are actively engaged and fully involved in a fulfilling conversation then you spend less time eating and more time feeling externally better. The craving for food and internal satisfaction diminishes” Ask each person how they are doing. Find out about their little inner workings in life. Your family will manifest happiness, and then you become happier leaving you with less of a desire to binge. 

6. Savor your desserts. Use a demitasse spoon to eat. This spoon is diminutive, smaller than a teaspoon. Allow the dessert to sit on your tongue for a minute. Allow the two to 8 thousand taste buds on your tongue to delight in the vanilla or chocolate, cinnamon, and other contents. Feel the texture and temperature of each bite. Train your taste buds to enjoy and delight in the taste and textures. Otherwise you become involved in volume consumption. This is where you eat so much to feel that your belly is full.

Dr. Ken says, “Evening out the trajectory of a meal that can last 3-4 hours takes some purposeful technique. On average, it takes between 12-14 minutes for our bodies to recognize we’re full. Keeping this in mind, begin your dinner with small thoughtful fork-full and pay attention to your body’s signals. It will tell you when to take a break, so you can save room for dessert!

 7. Mini Chair Exercises (bends and twists) help you keep your blood pumping and metabolism working. Bending to the right or left (as if you were picking up a fork you dropped) and sideways twists (like you’re greeting a guest behind you) are two small, but effective ways to help your body digest.

Dr. Ken says, “Small range-of-motion exercises help ensure your body’s digestive functions keep up with your food in-take and your blood pressure remains stable. This will help ward off headaches, cramps and gas at the dinner table.

8. After Dinner Walk. Schedule a family walk after dinner. Walking helps digestion of food and builds a togetherness of the tribe. It is a great family routine to build. People start to feel better because the spine joints and the spinal nerves start moving with walking. One of the fastest ways to develop back or neck pain is to remain stagnant. When the spine joints and the spinal nerves do not move, then they can cause pain.

About Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj:

On the forefront of spinal surgery American surgeon Dr. Kenneth K. Hansrajis a spinal and orthopedic surgeon specializing in cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures for example laminectomies and spinal fusions. Dr. Hansraj believes in tailoring the operation to the patient using the latest spine technologies. Dr. Ken is a spinal surgeon at Nuvance Health based at The Vassar Brothers Medical Center in the Hudson Valley, NY

Dr. Ken is the author of the internationally bestselling book, Keys to an Amazing Life: Secrets of the Cervical Spine, (January, 2013), which he was inspired to write based on this concept. Dr. Hansraj is also the author of Bloodless Spine Surgery: Pictures and Explanations. His goal with each of his books is to bring years of accumulated expert medical knowledge to the public at-large in an easy-to digest format and to help countless individuals with ongoing spinal and health issues.

Dr. Ken Hansraj is TV and media trained and has extensive experience with national outlets such as CNN, HLN, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, NPR and has been featured globally. Cision® estimates his current media impressions at 9+ Billions.

FIT & BENDY

presents

Winter Gathering

The Fitness Flexibility Studio Builds Community Around A Unique Exercise Methodology That Empowers Office Workers & Professional Performers Alike to Feel Better In Their Bodies

HOLIDAY GATHERING

December 8th, 2019 | 3pm - 6pm

RSVP
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fit-bendy-friends-family-winter-gathering-tickets-82403221253

FIT & BENDY

2861 West Avenue 35, Los Angeles, CA 90065

323-379-2363 | fitandbendy.com

By the time Kristina Cañizares opened Fit & Bendy Studio last year, a community had already been forming around her unique approach to fitness and wellness. For years, Kristina had honed a new kind of methodology that goes deeper than aesthetics and weight loss, training people to build a genuinely healthy relationship with their bodies. In contrast to the high-intensity, work-til-you-hurt mentality that dominates our collective understanding of exercise, Kristina takes a holistic, more pragmatic and healthy approach to getting into shape, managing stress and maintaining wellness. On December 8th, from 3pm to 6pm, Fit & Bendy will be hosting a Friends & Family Winter Gathering to set the tone for the year to come. 

Most people understand strength and flexibility as two separate metrics of health. Some of the biggest body stereotypes in the collective are the skinny yogis who can bend into pretzels, and the granite body-builders who can barely move. In Kristina’s Flexibility Fitness, she asserts that flexibility and strength are inseparable, and the entire methodology is about building them alongside each other. 

Flexibility Fitness works by:

• Moving your body slightly beyond your comfortable range of motion.
• Exploring movement and isometrics that  build strength in the new position. 
• Building mobility  and power over time, together, for functional flexibility you can use.

This allows people to build strength in muscles that are neglected by traditional training—but are important for both basic and advanced functionality. Flexibility Fitness can help you sit more comfortably at your computer chair, and (if you do the proper training) contort more comfortably and safely into that aforementioned pretzel. 

“I have seen a lot of people have major transformations in what their bodies are capable of doing,” says Kristina. “Someone who couldn’t even walk half a mile was able to run a marathon. Someone who wasn’t able to play tennis can now go back to playing because their bodies are moving in a more healthy way. This type of training enables your body to do things that make it more fit. It makes you better at doing whatever it is you want to do, which leads to greater overall health.” 

A contortionist and performance artist by trade, Kristina initially built her fitness practice teaching fellow performers how to access their bodies more deeply. Before long, people in need of better everyday functionality were seeking her out as well. She found herself training an opera singer who wanted to improve her breathing mechanics, alongside a senior citizen who just wanted to live with less pain in his daily life. Her methodology helped both of them. 

“I’ve known from working with so many different kinds of people over the years that the need for functional flexibility and mobility training exists in extremely wide swaths of the population,” explains Kristina. “But people might not even understand that they need it. It’s not really talked about. It’s not part of the larger lexicon of what it means to have a healthy body. But I had this belief that if I built it, they would come.” 

After 6 years of working privately with clients and in small group settings at changing locations, Kristina opened the brick n’ mortar Fit & Bendy Studio last year, perched in the foothills of Glassell Park. The studio offers more than two dozen classes each week, Monday through Sunday, and has attracted over 10  teachers, highly skilled at the Flexibility Fitness method, and bringing their own diverse specialties to the mix. Instructor Lena Fumi started training with Kristina six years ago, when she had just started the business. Lena was 36 when she took her first class, with extremely tight shoulders and back from years at a desk job. Now, at 42, Lena is a sought-after contortionist working all over LA and is one of the most popular instructors at Fit & Bendy.

The journey here, as well as the development of the Fitness Flexibility methodology, was a healing one for Kristina. She found solace in movement at a young age, and used it to manage symptoms of a number of health conditions, including diagnoses of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. The methods that have become foundational for Flexibility Fitness calmed her nervous system enough that she is able to practice and strengthen her body without completely depleting it. The methodology was honed even further in her 30s, after overtraining destroyed several of her ligaments and produced a whole host of other injuries. Doctors warned she would have to retire. Digging deep, Kristina fine-tuned her skills and developed a practice for herself that allowed her to gradually bounce back. In addition to leading the thriving Fit & Bendy community, Kristina continues to work as an avante-garde performer at venues all over Los Angeles and beyond. 

She now offers the fruits of her healing to all who train at Fit & Bendy. The studio is located at 2861 West Avenue 35, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Classes can be booked at https://fitandbendy.com/schedule/ 

About Fit & Bendy

Fit & Bendy is a flexibility fitness company dedicated to unlocking the body’s range of motion. Our mission is to empower humans to stretch into the unknown and find joy in being alive. A healthy, high-functioning body must have both strength and flexibility in order to move through the world with grace and ease. Our methods safely and effectively build these two attributes together through a variety of techniques drawn from dance, circus, pilates, and the latest in sports science. 

FaB programs assist individuals at every level, from elite athletes and performers to people struggling with mobility for everyday living. At our Los Angeles facility we offer group classes, specialty sessions, workshops, and individual coaching. For our global community we have a line of DVDs and streaming videos, Skype coaching, and other online resources. We are dedicated to increasing access to safe, effective stretching techniques by offering courses for fitness professionals and enthusiasts to demystify flexibility training and its effects on the body.

About Kristin Cañizares

While Kristina had always been flexible, she did not start training contortion until she was 31 – about 20 years behind the recommended age. Throughout most of her 20s she had struggled with serious health problems and dance and movement became an integral part of her healing. In contortion she found a physical practice that was as mentally and emotionally challenging as it was physically demanding. She fell in love with the way that flexibility training opens both body and mind.

For five years she trained with renowned Mongolian contortionist Serchmaa Byamba at San Francisco Circus Center. Despite her advanced age, she was able to perform a contortion table act both as a duet with Serchmaa and as a soloist. She accompanied Serchmaa to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to train and learn more about the history and traditions of this beautiful art form.

However the rigors of full-time training began to take their toll, and by 2010 Kristina was suffering from multiple injuries that made her unable to continue. Doctors told her that she would need surgery, and her contortion days were over. After so many years of battling physical limitations in her 20s Kristina was unable to accept this diagnosis and began searching for other options.

She discovered that the intense stretching had weakened her muscles and connective tissue, resulting in instability and pain. She began to work with a physical therapist to strengthen overstretched muscles and regain her strength. She earned her Pilates certification through Body Arts and Sciences and applied that knowledge to her own training. Within a year she was performing again, and actually able to achieve movements that had always been too difficult before.

This method formed the foundation for Fit & Bendy. Kristina found that the methods that helped her recovery also helped her flexibility students at Cirque School LA where she founded the contortion and flexibility programs. In 2013 Kristina released her first DVD, Gent Bent, and went into private practice. Since then she has taught thousands of students all over the world and has continued to expand her knowledge of the body, most recently by learning the targeted strengthening practice of Muscle Activation Techniques.

Fit & Bendy Studios opened its doors on the eastside of Los Angeles in 2018. It is a hub for Fit & Bendy’s flexibility revolution and a home to some of LA’s top instructors who share FaB’s commitment to honoring the body and making the most of the meat suit.

QUEEN CITY HEMP CBD SELTZER LAUNCHES NEW SIX-PACK AND TWELVE-PACK SKUS ONLINE

America’s First CBD Seltzer Increases Retail Footprint and Expands Online Product Portfolio

CINCINNATI, OH., NOVEMBER 2019 –  Queen City Hemp, the pioneering brand responsible for creating America’s first CBD seltzer, today announced it is releasing six-pack and twelve-pack single-flavor SKUs of its popular CBD Seltzer for purchase. In addition, the company is expanding retail availability of its new six-pack SKUS through new distribution agreements with Stagnaro Distributing and Topicz.

The company’s popular CBD-infused seltzers, previously available by the four-flavor case online, can now be ordered in six-pack and twelve-pack single flavor packages, with free shipping nationwide. At retail, the seltzers will be available in singles and six-packs at hundreds of convenience stores and grocers in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Missouri. 

“Since introducing America’s first CBD seltzer in 2017, explosive consumer demand has led us to introduce new SKUS and prioritize the expansion of our retail footprint,” said Nic Balzer, Queen City Hemp Co-Founder and CEO. “These new distribution agreements allows us to enter new grocery and retail accounts in states where we’ve already established a strong customer base.”

Six packs of Queen City Hemp CBD Seltzer will retail for $24.99, with twelve-packs available for $44.99, adding to the brand’s lineup of $3.99 single-serve cans at retail and four-flavor cases that ship free nationwide with online ordering for $99. With on-trend flavors including Lemon Lavender, Guava, Blood Orange and Passion Fruit, each 12 ounce can contains 5 MG of full-spectrum, U.S. grown hemp-derived CBD and is free of calories, sugar, sodium and THC.

For more information about Queen City Hemp, please visit www.QueenCityHemp.com.

About Queen City Hemp 

Queen City Hemp is a Cincinnati-based company providing a variety of all-natural CBD infused products, from seltzers to hemp balms, vapes and tinctures since 2015. As the original zero calorie CBD seltzer created in the U.S., Queen City Hemp is committed to setting the industry standards for quality, transparency and consistency, and sources the highest quality ingredients to create a line of CBD-infused products that people feel good about consuming. To deliver on their promise of transparency, Queen City Hemp features all product testing directly on their website. All of Queen City Hemp’s products contain less than 0.3% THC and are created from 100% U.S.-based hemp.