Of the 43.5 million of those providing unpaid care to an adult or child in the last year, AARP shares that 60 percent are women. Following a somewhat exhaustive search, no data seems to exist reflecting how the laundry and household chores are divided between men and women. Based upon calls to my show and conversations had with many male caregivers, however, a growing trend seems to show that while their wives struggle to care for an aging parent, many men seem to overlook the growing pile of laundry in the home—as well as other things.
In addition, the iron seems to fall into disuse during lengthy caregiving stints. While food arrives in the home via carryout or delivery, the pantry itself lacks basics being restocked. If made, the beds don’t often see fresh linens, and the bathrooms …well, let’s just say that they don’t reflect a “freshness.”
For a wife following a heartbreaking day of watching a parent (s) slip away, arriving home to an untidy house, piles of laundry, a packaged meal, and a bathroom that, well …, only adds to the weariness.
As the baby-boomer population ages, the strain on American households will only increase. Shared responsibilities must become a conversation topic for the family unit. If not, resentment is only a hamper away.
To their credit, many men seem sincere in adapting to tasks previously assumed or regulated by women. The conversation about household chores among the sexes, however, is not about gender equality. It’s about love and consideration. Serving as a caregiver wears on the soul and body in ways only understood by those who’ve punched that clock. Years into the role, the little things increase in value to the family caregiver. Folded laundry, a clean bed, heart-healthy home-cooked meal, a well-stocked pantry, and timely paid bills.
All too often on Valentine’s Day, the traditional gifts of chocolate, flowers, dinner out, and sometimes lingerie serve as the expressions of love. For a caregiver, however, those things seem perfunctory or sometimes meaningless. Imagine crying your eyes out after bathing or wiping your mother who lives with dementia —and who curses at you while doing so, and then going home to a messy house and a needy husband.
What about that cries out “romance?” For that matter, how does it even reflect love?
Caregivers want to be seen. They want their pain acknowledged, and they don’t want platitudes or the low-hanging fruit of customary gifts. Picture instead, wonderful chocolates resting on a clean pillowcase in a freshly made bed. Or a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a scrubbed and sparkling bathroom. Instead of lingerie, men …lay out the most comfortable pajamas she owns.
Planning a meal requires a bit of effort. Simply firing up the grill isn’t enough. Setting a proper table and serving heart-healthy meals that reflect thoughtfulness and observation of what your spouse enjoys. When serving dinner, the keyword is “serving,” and cleaning is just as important as cooking. The task remains unfinished until the kitchen and/or dining room are restored to pristine condition.
Loving without expecting represents a higher form of love. Seeing and meeting the need without requiring recognition or even a “thank-you” expresses a deeper awareness and character. In the case of a caregiver, the greatest expression they may be able to give is to fall asleep while you tuck them into bed. Their rest can be all the recognition the spouse or partner of a caregiver needs.
February 14 becomes just another day when bent under the grief of caring for an impaired loved one. Yet that same day can signify a milestone in any relationship when a supporting partner pushes past the stereotypes and steps into a level of love that many desire, but few have the courage to offer—or receive.
A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference. – Winne the Pooh (A.A. Milne)
Peter Rosenberger hosts a radio program for family caregivers broadcast weekly on more than 200 stations. He has served as a caregiver for his wife Gracie, who has lived with severe disabilities for more than 30 years. He is the author of several books including Hope for the Caregiver @hope4caregiver
Want a better workout? You should go and love yourself.
For too long, people have approached exercise from a place of self-criticism. In an attempt to get motivated, we listen to a negative inner voice that tells us we’re lazy, we’re not good enough, we need to lose weight. Not surprisingly, neuroscientists say this kind of self-criticism can actually push us further away from our exercise goals.
Exercise is most successful when you start with self-compassion. February is the perfect time to show yourself some love as part of your workout routine.
The key is to celebrate what your body can do and to make the extra effort to maximize your exercise time. Regular exercise is a chance to take care of (not punish) yourself, says Kim Lavender, who specializes in the role of neurolinguistics in exercise performance, as national director of team training with GoodLife Fitness.
Lavender suggests these ways to add more self-compassion to your fitness routine.
Banish negative self-talk. If you’ve been using self-criticism in an attempt to motivate yourself to exercise, it’s time to switch that around. Find a more positive message that will motivate you to become healthier and happier. A great example is ‘If I make it to the gym three times this week, I’ll feel healthier, less stressed and more energetic.’ Write down your positive message and post it somewhere you can see it every day.
Don’t just burn and run. Instead of rushing to get home for dinner or back to work, allow extra time to warm up, cool down and stretch on either end of your workout. This focused pre- and post-workout routine helps put you in tune with your body, can help prevent injuries and encourage a better workout.
Start training for life. Fitness is not just about burning fat and sculpting muscles. To show extra self-love, incorporate fitness moves into your routine to build strength, endurance, and flexibility for daily activities.
Take care of your mental and physical health. When it comes to exercise, a lot depends on your state of mind. Minimizing stress, practicing mindfulness and getting mentally prepared will help you get the most out of your workouts. Take better care of your body by eating properly, sleeping enough and drinking lots of water. Also, take time for recovery after a tough workout…you’ll perform even better after a rest.
Wear your favourite workout gear. When you dress the part, it has an unconscious effect on your performance (it’s called enclothed cognition). The right fitness wear boosts your confidence and enables you to push yourself without being distracted.
Take a break from social media. It’s no secret that social media can prompt self-criticism. Not only that, but it’s distracting when you exercise. If you truly want to show yourself some love, shut down the ‘Gram when you work out. Disconnecting enables you to focus on yourself and take time away from the outside world. It helps clear your mind to focus on form.
Celebrate your achievements. Fitness can feel like a slog if you don’t take time to recognize your successes. Reward yourself when you make it to the gym three times a week, or you lift a heavier weight or keep going on the elliptical for an extra 5 minutes. Notice how your body, your mood, and your health is changing and mark those changes with a meal out, some extra ‘you time’ at home, or new fitness gear. Fitness is about challenging yourself and being consistent, and it all starts with confidence and self-compassion.
Cannabis cultivator Autumn Brands finds sweet smell of success
Neutralizing aroma, not masking, is key to compliance
SANTA BARBARA, CA – (February 12th, 2019). One of the biggest challenges facing cannabis cultivators is the plant’s scent. Not everyone loves it. And some people were making a big stink about it until Autumn Brands a Santa Barbara County cannabis farm, found a solution to defusing the odor issue while maintaining their exacting pure and sustainable growing standards.
Officially called the Waterless Vapor-Phase System, the proprietary technology is from Byers Scientific & Manufacturing. The system neutralizes the aroma, rather than scenting or masking it. Basically, it’s like this: odors are gaseous, surfing the air currents, and neutralization is predicated on physical contact. When the neutralizing agent comes into contact with the malodor, there is a chemical change and evaporation of the odor is induced.
In response to community concerns about odors, Autumn Brands investigated and experimented with a number of odor abatement practices. They found Indiana-based Byers Scientific & Manufacturing, which serves landfills, solid waste facilities, and similar operations, through the Internet. An industry partner supplies their cannabis-specific neutralizer.
Autumn Brands’ success with the Waterless Vapor-Phase System has translated into more than 14 cannabis farms in the Carpinteria Valley using it. The system also was referenced in Santa Barbara County’s Environmental Impact Report when crafting the cannabis ordinance.
“My business partner searched long and hard for an effective system. His legwork paid off,” said Autumn Shelton, CFO and partner in the 50-percent woman owned, family business. “We are all ‘concerned’ Carpinterians. We love our community, and we all love living here and taking care of odor has always been top of our list.”
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.
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and IBM Canada Announce First of its Kind Collaboration to Integrate Blockchain Technology into Clinical Trials
Blockchain technology has the potential to improve trust, transparency, patient safety and patient empowerment in clinical trials
BURLINGTON, ON and MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 12, 2019 /CNW/ - Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and IBM Canada announced today at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Orlando, Florida, their plans to explore the use of blockchain technology in clinical trials.
This collaboration underscores Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to healthcare innovation and marks the first time that blockchain technology will be explored in a clinical trial setting in Canada.
Based on the findings of regulatory authorities, processes to ensure the quality of clinical trials are frequently inadequate, and clinical trial records are often erroneous or incomplete, which may put patient safety and interpretability of trials at risk.
Significant opportunity exists to improve the quality of clinical trial processes and record keeping. Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and IBM Canada aim to test whether blockchain technology in clinical trials provides a decentralized framework that enables data integrity, provenance, transparency, and patient empowerment as well as automation of processes, ultimately improving trial quality and patient safety at reduced cost.
"Our guiding philosophy is to bring value to patients and the healthcare system through innovation," said Dr. Uli Brödl, Vice President, Medical and Regulatory Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. "The clinical trial ecosystem is highly complex as it involves different stakeholders, resulting in limited trust, transparency and process inefficiencies without true patient empowerment. Patients are at the heart of everything we do, so we are looking into novel solutions to improve patient safety and empowerment."
IBM Canada brings core blockchain technologies to this collaboration which provides patient consent, secure health data exchange and patient engagement. IBM's technology helps provide trust and transparency around the complex trial process.
"IBM is excited to collaborate with Boehringer Ingelheim to explore how blockchain technology could help improve the quality of clinical trials," said Claude Guay, General Manager, IBM Services, IBM Canada. "We've been using blockchain in other industries, and we are now investigating how we can use this technology to give Canadian patients the same level of security and trust when it comes to their personal health information."
By collaborating with leaders in other sectors to devise solutions that benefit patients and our healthcare system, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. continues to spearhead innovation and pave the way for future cross-stakeholder collaborations and partnerships.
About Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of Boehringer Ingelheim, a research-driven pharmaceutical company. In doing so, the focus is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients' lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.
Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the top 20 companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas: human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. Research and development expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 per cent of net sales.
As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success, rather than short-term profit. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment.
The Canadian headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1972 in Montreal, Quebec and is now located in Burlington, Ontario. Boehringer Ingelheim employs approximately 600 people across Canada.
About IBM Canada IBM Canada is headquartered in Markham, Ontario and is one of Canada's top ten private R&D investors. IBM has a unique approach to collaboration that provides academic researchers, small and large business, start-ups and developers with business strategies and computing tools they need to innovate. IBM is the leader in open-source blockchain solutions built for the enterprise. As an early member of Hyperledger and active contributor to the Hyperledger Fabric and Stellar blockchain projects, IBM is dedicated to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies supporting the development of openly-governed transactional business networks.
Lehi, Utah (February 2019) – BlenderBottle, the brand that revolutionized the portable mixer market, announces the launch of an all-new online experience at www.BlenderBottle.com.
The stunning new website, developed entirely in house, bears the creative mark of BlenderBottle’s pioneering design team. Rich with bright, bold, aspirational imagery, the site elevates the brand’s digital presence to a new level of visual excellence. The site’s performance follows suit, with intuitive, user-friendly functionality and enhanced mobile optimization.
“We’re thrilled with what our talented team has accomplished,” says Michael Sorensen, BlenderBottle’s Director of Marketing. “Our brand has evolved exponentially over the past several years in terms of cutting-edge innovations and jaw-dropping product designs. It was time to bring our digital identity in line with our product offerings and brand persona, while also improving the online consumer experience. Kudos to our creative and digital teams, as they’ve gone above and beyond in accomplishing the task.”
Pay a visit to the all-new BlenderBottle.com to learn more about the brand that transformed the health and fitness industry with the introduction of the BlenderBall® wire whisk in 2000 and the BlenderBottle® Classic™ shaker in 2004—still the world’s best-selling shaker cup. More recent additions to the line, such as the sleek, all-glass BlenderBottle® Mantra™ shaker and the momentously modern BlenderBottle® Radian™ shaker, highlight the BlenderBottle company’s trailblazing innovations in both technology and style.
About BlenderBottle
Founded in 2000, the BlenderBottle Company is a privately held manufacturer of premium and innovative products that help simplify everyday life. The company’s patented and best-selling products have been hailed by Good Morning America, Reader’s Digest, Self, the Today Show, Men’s Fitness, and others as some of the “hottest new products” on the market.
BlenderBottle® products are available in over 90,000 retail locations worldwide, and in over 70,000 retail locations in the U.S. alone, including GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, Whole Foods, Amazon.com, and online at blenderbottle.com. The BlenderBottle Company is located in Lehi, Utah and markets and sells its products to retailers and resellers worldwide. All BlenderBottle® products are backed by a Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. For additional information, visit blenderbottle.com.
4 WAYS TO AVOID DIVORCE MISTAKES
1. PREPARE TO LEAVE YOUR ABUSER AHEAD OF TIME.
Be prepared for your husband to take punitive action. He is very likely to drain joint bank accounts and hide financial assets once he becomes aware that you plan to divorce him. Read the free brochure, Breaking Bonds 11 Step Prep Guide, that is available on the Breaking Bonds website and take necessary steps listed there before you file for divorce.
2. KEEP DETAILED RECORDS OF VERBAL ABUSE, PICTURES OF PHYSICAL ABUSE, HOSPITAL RECORDS, AND EMAILS.
Keep well documented evidence of abuse and/or infidelity in a safe place outside the home. Your husband is likely to destroy any evidence that he can find once he becomes aware that you are leaving him. Give a copy to your attorney and bring these records to any negotiation, mediation or trial that you attend.
3. DON’T LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOUR ABUSER IF YOU HAVE LEFT THE HOME.
You may lose custody of your children if you leave them with your husband once you have left the home. The court may consider your leaving them behind to be abandonment or that you may be lying about the abuse. Call the police if your husband tries to intimidate you to leave without your children.
Do not leave without them.
4. DON’T USE THE SAME ATTORNEY OR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AS YOUR ABUSER TO SAVE MONEY.
Find an independent professional to represent your interests. Using the same one as your abuser, who may be sympathetic to him, may cost you a lot of money in the long run.
5. DON’T CALL YOUR ATTORNEY UNLESS IT IS REALLY NECESSARY.
It will cost you money every time that you call your attorney’s office. Read books on divorce and do research online for basic questions you have. If you have a dispute or problem, make sure it is important enough to increase your attorney bill. Deal with his paralegal when possible. Keep in mind that you will still be charged for his or her time, albeit at a reduced rate.
6. DON’T NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR ABUSER.
Disengage. He will try to wear you down through intimidation, protracted negotiations, and pointless arguments. You may think you have finally reached an agreement with him, but he will not keep his word, anyway. Don’t let him waste precious time you need to spend elsewhere.
7.ENFORCE A RESTRAINING ORDER IF IT IS VIOLATED.
Have the restraining order in hand when the police arrive. Write down
the date and time, and name and badge number of every law enforcement officer involved. Take pictures and go to the hospital if your abuser hurt you. Document everything. Don’t let him get a free pass or the next time may be a lot worse.
8. ANTICIPATE YOUR ABUSER’S ACTIONS TO PREVENT THE DIVORCE OR PUNISH YOU FOR LEAVING HIM.
Your abuser’s behavior may be fairly predictable, but he may become erratic when he realizes that he is losing control. Do what you can to protect yourself, your children, and your assets. If you suspect that he may become violent, leave immediately with your children.
9. BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN THE DIVORCE SETTLEMENT.
It is unlikely that you will receive more than half of the marital assets. Get professional advice and be realistic about what you can expect to receive as your share of the assets so that you are not wasting time and driving up divorce costs. In most states, inherited assets and gifts are not part of the marital estate. If you signed a pre-nuptial agreement before you married, your lawyer will advise you as to your rights.
10. DON’T TAKE THE HOUSE IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP IT AFTER THE DIVORCE.
If neither one of you wants the house, insist that the house be sold as part of the divorce agreement and that you split the proceeds. If you take the house, you will have to pay the expenses of maintaining it until it is sold and be at risk for a decline in housing prices. You will also have to pay the closing costs by yourself, which is patently unfair.
11. DON’T RELY ON YOUR ATTORNEY TO REMEMBER EVERY IMPORTANT DETAIL.
He or she is busy with other clients. Keep a log of the expenses that you are to be reimbursed for in the divorce. Bring it to the negotiations. Request that credit cards and other debts such as car loans be paid off before the assets are distributed in the divorce. If you signed for a card or car loan, even if the divorce agreement requires your husband to pay the debt, you are still liable if he fails to pay it. Creditors do not care about the terms of a divorce agreement. You signed a binding contract with them, so you will still owe it. Don’t let his debts become your problem and affect your credit score.
12. BE PREPARED WHEN YOU GO TO MEDIATION AND TO COURT.
Dress appropriately and arrive ahead of time. Act respectfully with the judge, the mediator, or opposing counsel. Limit your answer to only the question being asked and stay calm. Bring a typewritten list of how you expect the assets and debts to be divided. Make sure that your lawyer is on the same page with you and has a copy of your proposed division of assets in hand.
13. READ THE FINE PRINT CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU SIGN THE DIVORCE AGREEMENT.
Make sure that everything you discussed with your lawyer is in the document. If it is not in there, you won’t get it. Take responsibility for the outcome of your divorce. Protect yourself.
14. PRACTICE SELF-CARE TO STRENGTHEN YOUR RESERVES.
You need to keep your wits about you for many months until the divorce is final, so eat properly, and get enough exercise and rest to be at your best. Take bubble baths, listen to uplifting music, spend time with friends, meditate or pray. Do whatever you need to do to replenish your reserves when they become depleted.
If you do make a mistake, immediately forgive yourself and rectify it, if at all possible. If not, learn from it and let it go. You are human and will make mistakes.
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About Rosemary Lombardy:
Rosemary Lombardy is a financial advisor with over 35 years of experience. Although her professional expertise is in financial matters, her perspective on marital abuse, divorce, and recovery is deeply heartfelt and holistic. She draws on decades of personal experience, as well as the experiences of others who have gone through similar situations, to help inform abused women so that they will become empowered to leave their abusers and begin to heal.
Her former background in law, as well as being both a Catholic who has studied the Kabbalah and a Reiki master, have enabled her to provide practical guidance and spiritual techniques that women can use when they most need them. Her intention with Breaking Bonds is to offer a comprehensive plan to foster self-awareness, self-responsibility, empowerment, and critical thinking so that women can break the cycle of abuse in their families and truly heal to transform their lives.
Breaking Bonds: How to Divorce an Abuser and Heal - A Survival Guide [February 8, 2019] by financial advisor and candid abuse survivor Rosemary Lombardy, provides a safe haven for women to refer to throughout the many phases of divorcing an abusive spouse. Pairing essential financial and legal information with practical self-care tools and healing techniques, through Breaking Bonds, Lombardy helps women to minimize stress and feel empowered as they deal effectively with their abuser.
Specific details provided throughout the book include:
Financial and legal considerations—including things a lawyer or an accountant might overlook.
What to pack in a go-to bag if you need to plan an escape.
Life-changing – and, in some cases, life-saving – tips, such as to always back your car into the driveway and keep the driver’s door unlocked, with a hidden key, in case you need to escape in a hurry.
Strategies to minimize the damage he will try to inflict both financially and emotionally, how to deal with trauma, and be confident in a better life ahead.
Typical behaviors to expect from abusers and how to counteract them.
Mistakes that she and others have made—and the potential ramifications— so the reader can avoid similar negative experiences.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BEAUTY SLEEP IS A REAL THING!
PLASTIC SURGEON EXPLAINS HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR ZZZ’s
When it comes to your beauty routine, very few things are free, but sleep costs nothing and may be the closest thing to a fountain of youth. Dr. Manish Shah is a Board-Certified Denver, Colorado plastic surgeon. A 2017 study found that two days of sleep restriction negatively affected participant’s perceived attractiveness, health, sleepiness, and trustworthiness. Dr. Shah explains that, “Your body repairs itself and recovers while you sleep, and that results in a long list of benefits for anti-aging and appearance.” Most experts agree that 7-9 hours a night is ideal. It’s time to maximize your shut eye for anti-aging.
Here are Dr. Manish Shah’s Tips for Beauty Sleep
Sleep on Your Back
“Sleeping on your stomach or on of your sides means there is constant pressure on your face. Over time, this action will produce unwanted sleep lines. You can remedy this by sleeping on your back,” says Dr. Shah. This way you will not apply any pressure to your face. For many people though, this might be uncomfortable, and you can't control your involuntary sleep movement leading you to a side or stomach position. You can practice and can get used to it over time.
Use an overnight product and put a glass of water on your bedside table
Washing your face can dry it out and sleeping can also dehydrate skin, especially if you snooze in a low-humidity environment. While staying hydrated by drinking water can help to some extent, what your skin really needs at night is a topical moisturizer. For a more supercharged product, try an overnight sleeping mask such as https://brazilianskin.com/collections/all-product/products/acai-triple-stem-cell-complex-mask This is an Acai Triple Stem Cell Complex for $59.99. Potent Açai Triple Stem Cell Complex Mask is an overnight mask application crafted with an innovative, breathable, and nourishing film ingredient that functions as a transdermal penetration medium to facilitate the complete absorption of the “Grams Triple Stem Cell Complex.”
Pillowcases Make A Difference
Dr. Shah explains that, “While facial creasing has a lot to do with sleep positioning, a change in pillowcase might be the answer. There are numerous benefits of silk for good sleep. Silk pillowcases are a great way to wake up creaseless in the morning. The smooth texture of silk is gentler than cotton and may help prevent sleep wrinkles, as well as reduce skin irritation. Its tightly woven fibers also don’t draw out moisture and natural oils as cotton does, leaving your skin better hydrated.”
Stay away from salty foods and alcohol around bedtime.
If you're craving a midnight snack or drink, be mindful. While some foods, a light, carb snack like crackers or an apple, can actually help your sleep, many others can disrupt your sleep and wreak havoc on your appearance. Alcohol and salty food can have a dehydrating effect on the body. To compensate, your body starts collecting natural fluids around the eyes, among other places, leading to that dreaded puffy-eye look. Dehydration is claimed to lead to formation of dark circles under the eyes.
Wear your hair up — but not in a tight bun.
It's a good idea to keep your hair out of your face while you're sleeping to keep its natural oils from wreaking havoc on your complexion. But avoid pulling it into a really tight bun or ponytail because that can cause hair breakage, especially around the hairline. Dr. Shah suggests wrapping it up in a scarf (silk would be ideal).
Keep makeup remover by the bed
“No matter how tired/drunk you are, going to bed with your makeup on will only be worse the morning after (clogged pores, irritated eyes, oily residue etc.). Make it less of a chore by keeping some good-quality face wipes by the bed for a fast, effective cleanse. It's not ideal to rely on convenience cloths every night in place of a deeper clean, but on late nights they're skin saviors, says Dr. Shah.
Wear A Silk Sleep Mask
Avoiding light when you sleep is crucial to getting quality rest. Dr. Shah explains that, “An eye mask completely eliminates vulnerability to light, preventing it from interfering with your sleep. For the best results, use a silk eye mask. Since skin is susceptible to wrinkling, make sure that the material pressing against your face is as soft as possible.”
Keep the Temperature Low
At night, your body’s natural temperature declines. Keeping the temperature in your bedroom low is good for both your metabolism and your blood flow. Dr. Shah explains that, “This is important because improving your blood flow helps oxygenate your skin, keeping it plump and even-toned for the day ahead. Maintaining a cool temperature in your bedroom will also help reduce redness in your skin.” The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping your bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for an optimal night’s sleep.
Manish Shah, M.D., F.A.C.S. is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. After completing his formal plastic surgery training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Univ. of Tennessee College of Medicine, he moved to New York City and 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. 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!
Why a Bear Market in 2019 Could Spell Good News for Marijuana Proponents
Could the movement to legalize marijuana get a boost in the coming year?
If you want to know when the country’s anti-pot laws are likely to go up in smoke, keep an eye on the stock market, because predicting the fate of the country’s growing cannabis industry could hinge on what’s happening on Wall Street.
How so? Researchers at the Socionomics Institute (www.socionomics.net), which studies social mood and its influence over social attitudes and actions, long ago made an interesting observation: When the country’s social mood is positive, the prohibitionist view on marijuana tends to reign supreme. But when the mood darkens, society as a whole is more chill and tolerant of the drug.
“During times of negative mood, society’s priorities shift,” says Chuck Thompson, a researcher with the Socionomics Institute. “People have other, bigger worries and begin to view recreational drugs as less dangerous, even innocuous.”
Over the past century, Thompson says, governmental actions have reflected those changing attitudes about marijuana. During periods of positive mood, policymakers have stepped up regulation of cannabis. When mood has turned negative, they have become more 420 friendly.
The stock market proves to be a good indicator of the nation’s social mood, which means it also can double as an indicator of attitudes about marijuana. Thompson points to a few moments in the history of high times to illustrate that point:
In 1937, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was soaring, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which banned casual consumption of the drug, limiting its use to medical and industrial purposes. Even greater crackdowns happened during the period of positive mood from 1942 to 1966. And in 1989, after seven years of net rise in the stock market, President George H.W. Bush gave his famous “War on Drugs” speech.
In contrast, between 1937 and 1942 the nation’s mood soured. During the final year of that period, Thompson says, Congress launched its “Hemp for Victory” campaign to encourage farmers to grow the crop for industrial purposes related to the war effort during World War II. In 1977, at a time when social mood had been trending negatively for years as evidenced by a bear market in PPI-adjusted terms, President Jimmy Carter recommended that Congress legalize possession of small quantities of marijuana.
In November 2008, in the midst of the biggest bear market since the Great Depression, Massachusetts voters passed an initiative that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and Michigan voters passed a law loosening restrictions on medical marijuana. Only seven months later, Oregon passed a bill in favor of licensing hemp farming, and the “Green Rush” began to kick into high gear. Pot proponents expanded their infrastructure in a move that continues to pay dividends today.
At this point, 33 states and counting have legalized medical marijuana; 10 and counting have legalized its recreational use. Many of the industry’s biggest victories occurred in 2018, as stocks swung wildly. Yet federal legalization, the ultimate prize for marijuana advocates, has remained elusive. “We expect the scales to shift even more in favor of marijuana legalization as mood becomes more negative during the next major bear market,” Thompson says.
Even now, marijuana and peripheral industries offer opportunities and risks to U.S. speculators and ganjapreneurs. Dispensaries, growing equipment providers, and farming and manufacturing are among the industries profiting from changing state laws. “When negative social mood finally does bring the drug war to an end,” Thompson says, “marijuana will play an increasing role as a tax-generating industry in the United States and elsewhere.”About Chuck Thompson Chuck Thompson is a senior analyst at the Socionomics Institute (www.socionomics.net) and a staff writer for its monthly magazine. He has spent more than a quarter-century studying and writing about personal finance and cultural trends. He also served as a writer and editor in the radio and newspaper industries for eight years prior to making the jump to finance.
THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK: BUYING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ONLINE CAN BE DEADLY
Illegal online websites are the new millennium street drug dealers. Drug abusers are turning to these sites because, at the click of a mouse, they can “score” as many pills in one order as they wish. An increasing amount of people are ordering drugs over the web and dark web, according to a Global Drug Survey.
Finland has the highest percentage of people using the dark web to purchase drugs, with over 45 percent. England, the US, and Australia are the runners-up, with 24, 18 and 17 percent, respectively.
The Global Drug Survey asked respondents to compare drug deliveries to another product frequently delivered to doorsteps: pizza. Of 15,000 cocaine users, 30 percent said they could get cocaine delivered in less than 30 minutes. For pizza, this was only 16 percent. The report mentions the prevalence of camera surveillance in big cities as one of the reasons why “traditional street dealing is becoming less attractive to many suppliers and customers.”
Dr. Duy Nguyen a Psychiatrist at Beachway Therapy in Boynton Beach. Florida explains the major dangers of ordering controlled substances from these unlawful websites.
1. You Don’t Know the Dosage
Dr. Nguyen says, “Buying these substances without a valid prescription is illegal and potentially deadly. If a patient is given a prescription for 5 mg of Valium (a benzodiazepine) from a licensed medical doctor, they can be sure that when they fill it at a legitimate pharmacy, that they are getting exactly that dosage with the proper components of that drug. Conversely, when buying online, at best, a patient can get duped by simply buying a sugar pill. At worst, the pill can be laced with toxins or deadly drugs like Fentanyl.”
2.Without Regulation You May Be Taking Something Different Than What You Expect
“For any addict, it would be impossible to verify what is in the medicine they received from these illegal sites, says Dr. Nguyen. There is no lab one can take the online medications for testing prior to ingesting. Even the at-home testing kits can only confirm the presence of some of what is in a drug but cannot confirm exact compounds/substances the way a lab can.
There is also no way to know the dosage of things that may be mixed with the medication you ordered. You are at risk of having added agents from sugar to hallucinogens and beyond.
3.You May Think A Site Looks Credible, but You May Be Wrong
You may think a site looks authorized and that foreign health policies are what make this sort of activity possible, but you are wrong. A well-designed website may hide an online back alley for illegal delivery and dispensing of controlled substances. Much like the NABP’s study shows, websites will allude to Canadian connections and origins to make you feel more trusting of the transaction, but Dr. Nguyen warns that people need to “be vigilant of sites and transactions where you don’t need a valid prescription from a doctor with whom you have met in person. This is a clear clue that something is wrong.”
4. The drugs may be outdated.
Dr. Nguyen explains that “Expired drugs can be inexpensive, but they may be so old they have lost their effectiveness. You'll be wasting your money and risking your health for no therapeutic benefit or for a dangerously low amount of benefit.”
5. The drugs may be diluted.
Dr. Nguyen explains that “In particular, a liquid drug can be watered down. You might order a larger dose and receive a smaller one (e.g., you order 40 mg tablets and receive 20 mg, with no indication the dose is incorrect.) When you take the drug, you'll find that it doesn't have the expected effect because it's only a portion of the amount you should be taking.”
6. The drugs inside the bottle may be mislabeled or the wrong drug.
Dr. Nguyen shares that, “You might order a high-end branded drug, but what's in the bottle might be some other cheap substance manufactured to look like the drug you ordered. Sometimes you order one drug and they send you a different product, telling you it's identical to the drug you ordered, or that they saved you money by sending you the alternative.”
7. The drugs may be counterfeit.
Counterfeit drugs have made their way into the legal American drug supply and are being delivered to patients every day.
Final Advice from Dr. Nguyen
If you are taking drugs prescribed by your doctor and feel the need to turn to the Internet to get more then you are abusing the guidelines set by your prescribing doctor. This can definitely signal an addiction and abuse of the prescription. If you are turning to the Internet to purchase Benzos, Cocaine, MDNA, Opioids, etc. you must turn to a medical professional for counseling and next steps such as an in-patient detox followed by a drug and alcohol rehab. You are taking your life into your hands when you purchase illegal prescriptions online!
Beachway provides a continuum of care, from PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) to Outpatient services. The facility offers a fully individualized treatment plan that meets the clinical and medical needs of each client usually lasting between 30 and 90 days. Beachway provides an extremely low client to therapist ratio and under high-level professional supervision, clients can begin to recover in a safe, residential-like environment. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) motivational interviewing, addiction counseling, 12-Step orientation, DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy,) trauma-informed practices and a wide variety of supportive group therapies are offered.
Dr. Duy Nguyen, D.O. is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist in General Psychiatry who has experience with providing psychiatric care in a variety of settings including residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient mental health, and the VA Medical Center.
Dr. Nguyen obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kansas, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences, and completed general psychiatry training in South Florida at the Palm Beach Consortium for Graduate Medical Education at University Hospital in Tamarac, FL.
Dr. Nguyen is committed to providing a high level of evidence-based psychiatric care in the drug rehabilitation setting in addition to having a holistic focus on healing and recovery.
Precision BioLogic Launches Product to Improve Inhibitor Testing for People with Hemophilia A
CRYOcheck™ Factor VIII Inhibitor Kit Now Cleared for Sale in Canada, EU, Australia, and New Zealand
HALIFAX, Feb. 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Precision BioLogic Inc., a leading developer of hemostasis diagnostic products, is pleased to announce the availability of its new CRYOcheck Factor VIII Inhibitor Kit in Canada, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand following market authorization by Health Canada and respective in-country regulatory authorities last month.
The presence of factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors reduces therapy effectiveness and is one of the most complex and costly complications for people with hemophilia A. Because of this, it is important for clinical laboratories to have a testing system that can accurately and precisely quantify FVIII inhibitors in patient samples.
Precision BioLogic developed the CRYOcheck Factor VIII Inhibitor Kit to address this challenge. It contains standardized components and a validated procedure to prepare patient samples for performing a modified Nijmegen-Bethesda assay as per the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation1. A modified Nijmegen-Bethesda assay is used to determine FVIII inhibitor levels in people with hemophilia A.
Paul Empey, President & CEO of Precision BioLogic, notes that the launch of the CRYOcheck Factor VIII Inhibitor Kit is an important step forward for patient care. "Enhancing patient care is at the core of everything we do at Precision BioLogic," he says. "Our kit will standardize the preparation of patient samples for inhibitor titer measurement. This, in turn, will help labs deliver accurate results for the diagnosis and routine monitoring of FVIII inhibitors."
To eliminate FVIII depleted plasma as a potential source of variant and standardize inhibitor titer measurement, the kit was developed with the following components:
Imidazole Buffered Pooled Normal Plasma
Imidazole Buffered Bovine Serum Albumin
Negative FVIII Inhibitor Control
Positive FVIII Inhibitor Control
Like all of Precision BioLogic's CRYOcheck products, kit components are frozen, allowing for fast and easy preparation.
Precision BioLogic has submitted the kit to the U.S. FDA for clearance and hopes to be able to offer the kit to its customers throughout the United States in Q3 2019. The company is actively pursuing other opportunities to innovate in the field of hemostasis and diagnostics.
About Hemophilia A and Inhibitors
Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by insufficient clotting factor VIII (FVIII) in the blood. People with hemophilia A experience prolonged bleeding, which can lead to permanent joint damage and life-threatening hemorrhages. The standard treatment for people with hemophilia A without inhibitors is intravenous (IV) FVIII replacement therapy with recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) or plasma-derived FVIII (pdFVIII) concentrates. Prophylaxis, the regular infusion of clotting factor concentrates, is used to prevent bleeds thereby minimizing joint damage.
Unfortunately, up to 30% of people with hemophilia A develop inhibitors, an immune response to treatment with clotting factor concentrates. Inhibitors make it more difficult to manage and treat hemophilia. In fact, according to the World Federation of Hemophilia, apart from access to care and treatment, inhibitors are the most serious challenge in hemophilia care today.2 While routine blood tests may suggest the presence of anti-FVIII antibodies, specialized testing is important to confirm not only the presence of inhibitors but also the quantitation to effectively adjust treatment. Current methods for inhibitor testing vary from lab to lab.
About Precision BioLogic Precision BioLogic Inc. is a privately-held company that develops, manufactures and markets the CRYOcheck™ line of frozen products used by medical professionals and researchers around the globe to diagnose coagulation disorders. Precision BioLogic also has several active initiatives with pharmaceutical partners who seek to ensure that the diagnostic implications for their novel therapeutic agents have been well characterized. In November 2018, Precision BioLogic acquired Affinity Biologicals, enabling the company to expand its clinical and research offerings to include an extensive line of coagulation-related antibodies as well as other products and services. For more information, visit www.precisionbiologic.com.
1
Miller CH, Platt SJ, Rice AS, Kelly F, Soucie JM, the Hemophilia Inhibitor Research Study Investigators. Validation of Nijmegen-Bethesda assay modifications to allow inhibitor measurement during replacement therapy and facilitate inhibitor surveillance. J Thromb Haemost 2012; 10: 1055–1061.
