CARPINTERIA, CA., MARCH 8, 2018 - The first Whole Foods Market wouldn’t open in Austin, Texas, for another two years. The first Sprouts wouldn’t make its debut in Arizona for another 24 years. Vegetarians were relegated to the shadows in most supermarket settings, and for much of the population, the term Vegan sounded like something out of “Star Trek.”

The year was 1978 and the health food revolution was in its infancy. But a young man named Joel Dee with a vision of what the industry could one day become saw the future. And it was delicious.

As a young man, Joel worked alongside his two brothers and their father, Edward, in the family’s iconic New Jersey-based business, Smarties Candy Company. But, as fate would have it, Joel’s interests extended well beyond the confection industry.

“I was responsible for export sales at the candy company and found it difficult to maintain a healthy, satisfying diet while on-the-road,” Joel recalls today. “Health food stores sold wholesome foods that required a kitchen and a long cooking time, both in short supply to a `road warrior’ such as myself. Conventional supermarkets sold convenience foods that were laced with preservatives and artificial ingredients, which I was determined to avoid. To make things even tougher, I had recently become vegetarian, so my restaurant menu options were often limited to salad and potatoes... not exactly a balanced diet.”

Adds Joel, “I was a traveling salesman who needed portable, nourishing, easy to prepare vegetarian food without artificial ingredients, but I couldn’t find it anywhere in 1976 America. I wondered: Could I be the only person who wants this? I hadn’t planned to start a new business, but I felt somewhat obliged to.  If I wouldn’t take on the job of creating wholesome, vegetarian convenience foods, it occurred to me that no one else would either.”

With that motivation in mind, Joel began a two year effort to develop Miso-Cup® instant soup mix and, with its launch in 1978, Edward & Sons Trading Company, Inc. was born.

A History of “Firsts”  

As it turned out, introducing instant Miso-Cup soup would be only the first of numerous company innovations that would continue for the next forty years. In 1979, for example, Edward & Sons introduced Baked Brown Rice Snaps® whole grain, gluten free crackers, decades before American shoppers would demand gluten free groceries on a massive scale. Numerous “first-to-market” vegan organic products followed, including canned coconut milk, hearts of palm, pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges, Worcestershire sauce, croutons, panko, ice cream cones and many more.

According to Joel, “We tend to do`firsts’ because that’s what we’re passionate about. We are driven to provide new options to our health-aware consumers, while creating markets for our ethical organic farmers and packers around the globe. We’re proud of our activities that protect native forests and support conversion from conventional to organic farming, which nourishes the environment while enhancing the well-being of everyone along the supply chain from farm to table”

Indeed, Joel and his team have successfully developed so many different products over these past 40 years that they’ve chosen to create subsidiary brands to market and distinguish them all, including the flagship Edward & Sons® brand as well as Native Forest®,  Let’s Do Organic®, Let’s Do Gluten-Free®, More Than Fair®, Nature Factor®, Road’s End Organics®, Premier Japan® and The Wizard's®.

Regardless of the brand name on the package, however, all products under the Edward & Sons umbrella are defined by the company’s longstanding commitment to excellent vegetarian food and to its enduring motto: Convenience Without Compromise.®

As Joel sums up, “We remain a vegetarian company that’s mission-driven to offer consumers delicious and nourishing convenience foods free of artificial ingredients. That’s how we’ve run the business for the past 40 years and it’s how I envision Edward & Sons to be run for the next 40 years - and beyond.”

How Eating Disorders Impact Your Mental Health

Many people aren’t educated on the effects of eating disorders on a person’s mental health. This may include friends and family. Since a person’s emotions are so complicated, it may even be difficult for some doctors to distinguish symptoms.

It’s extremely important for the affected person’s friends or family to understand the person’s feelings. Here are some ways an eating disorder may impact someone’s mental health.

Fearful Anxiety

It can be frightening to go without food for days at a time. This can lead to anxiety and a negative state of mind. It’s difficult to think without the proper sustenance.

Eating too much can also make a person feel anxious. This leads to more eating and gaining additional weight which makes the person’s thoughts rush even more. Being bullied or abused in any way may lead to eating disorders.

Delusional Thoughts

The person may start to blur the differences between imagination and reality. They may have delusional thoughts about their own spiritual or religious beliefs. Destroying random household objects for seemingly strange reasons can occur.

He/she may hear noises that aren’t there like the radio playing when it’s not on. This hypersensitivity may lead to believing animals or statues are speaking to them.

Strong Emotions

Traumatizing feelings and unwanted emotions may be out of control in the person’s mind. Deep emotions can make a person feel like doing impulsive things like screaming. Or they could just cry deeply and a person may not understand why.

He/she may feel unloved, unwanted and misunderstood. Try not to be alarmed at their shocking depth. Imagine how you would feel in similar circumstances and just be there for them.

Lonely Isolation

Isolation can be the worst thing for a person with an eating disorder to endure. It’s important to have a support system. They need unconditional love right now. One option if a loved one needs help is Center for Change. In extreme circumstances, it may be necessary to get the additional aid that they may need.

If you know someone who has an eating disorder one of the best things you can do for them is to try to understand their feelings. Don’t assume they’re crazy because they may never forgive you for it and they might assume you don’t care about them. Get them help if necessary and give them the empathy that they may never receive otherwise.

New standards help both health care professionals and patients manage opioid use

Prostate Cancer Foundation BC Announces the Raymond James Father's Day Walk Run June 17, 2018

Q and A: How Design Thinking Helped Stanford Engineer Create “Wise Exercise” Program, Ocinator

What is Ocinator?

Ocinator is the GPS of fitness; it shows you the quickest way to getting a toned, athletic, and healthy body. Ocinator is a unique exercise program for busy adults and their families. It’s philosophy is “exercise wisely”. Ocinator releases a 20 minute daily at-home workout video. Each day’s workout features simple and non-exhausting exercises. This allows users to exercise consistently in order to gain and maintain fitness results. Ocinator Members also have access to The Ocinator Eating Guide, which makes eating healthily simple. Ocinator was created using Design Thinking, which I learned at Stanford.

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a systematic approach to solving everyday problems. It involves user-centered research to find and address a need that people have. Design Thinking is the foundation of the Product Design Major, which I completed, at Stanford. The creator of Snapchat was actually a Product Design Major at Stanford. Design Thinking helped him create Snapchat. He found that people had a need to send pictures quickly. The rest is history.

How did you apply Design Thinking to create Ocinator?

At first, I knew that most people want a program that will help them stay fit, toned, and athletic always.

Based on the current fads in fitness at the time, I thought that high intensity workouts with maximum effort would help people see results more quickly. Then, these quick results would inspire people to continue the program and exercise consistently. Boy, was I wrong.

I tested the program with busy adults and Stanford students. However, exhausting high intensity exercises, including jumping, left users sore for days, even weeks. Several people quit after one or two sessions because they were so sore. Exercising consistently is one of the most important factors in gaining and maintaining fitness results. Clearly, I had to change the program.

I found that busy adults, to exercise consistently, needed an exercise program that minimized workout time and exhaustion. I then researched and tested exercise methods that could help users see results as quickly as possible while minimizing workout pain.

I was pleasantly surprised with the results. After more testing, I found that these non-exhausting exercises worked more efficiently. Users were able to see toned muscles more quickly with these new exercise methods. They were now able to focus on sculpting their muscles into shape. Before, they had been focusing their energy on merely getting through the program.

Design Thinking helped me arrive at a program different than what I initially intended to create. Instead of a high intensity program, I created a program with simple exercises that does not leave users exhausted. And, as a bonus, these new training methods helped me create the most efficient exercise program that we know of.

What is “exercising wisely”? Does this mean that Ocinator exercises are more efficient?

Yes, exercising wisely means that Ocinator gets results efficiently. Users minimize time and effort when exercising. At the same time, they perform exercises that earn them fitness results more quickly than high intensity programs.

It seems counter-intuitive that non-exhausting exercises get results more quickly than high intensity exercises. How do you explain this?

Yes, it is certainly counter-intuitive. I was surprised that non-exhausting exercises earned users results over a shorter time span. And I was also somewhat disappointed that I had wasted so much of my own time performing high intensity exercises, which felt like torture. I could have been earning better-looking results while putting in significantly less effort.

One aspect is that non-exhausting exercises allow you to focus on your muscle movements. With non-exhausting exercises, you can focus on combining your breathing and feeling yourself sculpt your muscle into shape and improve your overall health. On the other hand, high intensity exercises make you focus on merely getting through the exercise, wiping away profuse sweat, catching your breath, and perhaps not vomiting.

Another aspect is exercising consistently. Non-exhausting exercises help people exercise every day without dealing with undue soreness. This is especially helpful for busy adults. Exhausting exercise just is not appealing for many people before or after a long day of work. So, instead of quitting or exercising once every week, as high intensity exercises prompt, non-exhausting exercises help many people consistently sculpt their bodies with exercise.

Professional athletes perform high intensity exercise all the time. Many of these athletes have great bodies. Should we not be using the same training methods?

Here’s an analogy I like to use: If your goal is to arrive at Rome as soon as possible, you should find the wisest path: the quickest, easiest, and smartest way to get there. Rome is like the toned and healthy body many busy adults would like to achieve. Ocinator is the quickest and easiest way to achieve that body.

On the other hand, Rome, the main goal for athletes, is not a toned an athletic body. Rome for athletes is becoming the best athlete they can possibly be. A toned and athletic body often comes along with excellent athletic performance. But it is not the main goal.

As you can see, busy adults and athletes have different goals. It is wise to plan the quickest, easiest, and smartest way to achieve your specific goal. Ocinator is the wise way for busy adults to achieve a toned, athletic, and healthy body.

How difficult is the eating component of Ocinator?

The Ocinator Eating Guide, which is accessible to Ocinator Members, is very simple. As you know, it requires a lot of work and research to make something simple. A lot of research and design thinking went into creating the Ocinator eating guide to simplify and make eating an enjoyable part of our users’ life. It is not a diet plan that involves counting calories or limiting carbs or any food group, or complicated research. Instead, it involves eating quality, healthy food and eliminating junk food, including products with added sugar and refined grain. The Ocinator Eating Guide details what healthy food is, what junk food is, how to eat healthily at home, and even what to order at restaurants.

How can readers learn more about Ocinator?

You can visit Ocinator.com. Our About Us, FAQ, and Blog pages have more information. For specific questions, email press@ocinator.com

Is the Solution to Cancer Already in our Medicine Cabinets? The Cancer Research Society Launches UpCycle, a New Funding Program to Encourage Research in Drug Repurposing

SOURCE Cancer Research Society

Sandwich Generation: Growing Dilemma for American Women

It’s a Tuesday morning and you’re sitting at your desk. Your coffee is still hot, almost all of your emails from the previous day have been opened, and you’re prepping for your afternoon meeting. Then, in a matter of minutes, a call from the school nurse comes through. Your child is sick and needs to be picked up immediately. As you coordinate those plans, the doctor’s office calls to remind you of your mother’s 2:00 pacemaker appointment for later that day, one that may have slipped your mind. If this scenario, in any variation of it, sounds familiar, you are in what researchers call the “Sandwich Generation”.

The Sandwich Generation can be defined as individuals aged 40-59 to who are responsible for raising children while caring for the needs of their parents. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that roughly one out of every eight Americans falls within this category. Mabel Yiu, licensed marriage and family therapist with Women’s Therapy Institute in Palo Alto, is all too familiar with helping individuals, particularly women, handle the day to day stresses of being a dual caregiver. As women stuck in the Sandwich Generation, the dueling lifestyles can create a number of psychological, emotional, and financial stresses.

According to Yiu:

• Though men can be in the Sandwich Generation,  families are more likely to adopt the “efficiency mentality”. This is the belief that since women are already taking care of children, taking care of aging parents may not seem as big a burden to add on. This mentality grossly underestimates the resources and time necessary to handle both responsibilities.

• One major factor that has played a role in the steady growth of the Sandwich Generation is that many couples are delaying the point at which they choose to start a family. This is in large part due to the ever-changing economic climate and student loan debt. Women are working to become more established in their careers and financially secure before opting to start a family.

• Single mothers are increasingly becoming the dominant demographic of the Sandwich Generation in comparison to married mothers.

•  Advances in the medical field have increased life expectancy, allowing aging parents the ability to live longer and healthier lives,  this means more resources is/are (need grammar help here) necessary to sustain living.Societal expectations of women caregivers in conjunction with the economy driving women to work have created emotionally and psychologically draining ‘round-the-clock lifestyles for women within the Sandwich Generation.

• It is very common for women in the Sandwich Generation to experience feelings of depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of emotional distress due to worries about outlook for the elderly parents, themselves and their own children (need grammar/syntax help here).

• The needs of the caregiver within the Sandwich Generation often go unaddressed, creating personal issues in areas such as health and finance.

• Despite the negatives, it is possible for the Sandwich Generation to meet the demands of child, parent, and self. This comes through support networks, communication, prioritization, and respite care.

• A positive that comes from Sandwich Generation is the familial bond created…strengthening the bond between elderly parent and adult children…grandchildren get to know their roots by being with their grandparents more.  (need grammar/syntax help).

• Planning, organization, and communication are three main skills that help those women within the Sandwich Generation to balance the constant needs of both children and parents.

How to Heal a Herniated Disc and Get Back to the Gym

Many people sustain injuries that result in a herniated disc. It can happen from lifting something heavy, or pushing or pulling something the wrong way. Fortunately, most herniated discs heal with time. However, it is best to consult a general medical doctor or a back specialist, who may want to have x-rays done to determine the extent of the damage. The following steps may lead to prompt healing.

Medical Exam

See your regular physician or a specialist for a thorough evaluation. In addition to the x-rays mentioned above, the doctor may restrict certain activities as well as recommend treatment like physical therapy or medication. It’s important to get the correct type of herniated disc treatment, if you find yourself in this position. Follow through with prescribed limits and treatments to ensure a speedy recovery.

Rest

Take it easy for several days to let the disc heal. This might include taking time off from work, depending on your job duties. The doctor will write you a note if needed. Avoid excessive walking or movement as well as any vigorous exercise. The doctor will advise you whether to sit or recline to provide maximum relief to the injured area, and may even suggest certain positions to use or avoid.

Medication

If medication is prescribed, take it as directed. Don’t take more than needed, as it may have adverse side effects or interact negatively with other medications you are taking. Over-the-counter medication may be adequate for treating pain and muscle soreness as needed. If physical therapy is prescribed, follow through with appointments to promote complete recovery.

Reduced Activities

Some people are eager to return to work instead of resting at home per the doctor’s recommendation. Others may miss their routine physical activities, like daily exercise, and decide they feel well enough to resume activities before healing is complete. The doctor can best advise you when to return to normal activities. Failing to follow his or her directives may slow the healing process of the herniated disc and possibly even compound the injury.

Drink Water

Water is helpful in lubricating the joints and promoting circulation throughout the body. Check with the doctor whether you should drink the usual amount of six to eight glasses of water per day, or if you should have less or more, depending on your overall health and other medications. Water is considered by some medical experts to be nearly a miracle substance in itself, so don’t neglect this important aspect of healing.

A back injury should be given serious attention, both medically and personally, to facilitate healing. Basic steps like these can help your herniated disc to heal quickly without complications. Be proactive for best results.

Dr. Merzenich Returns to Public Television

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) — The science of brain plasticity is the subject of special documentary program for public television entitled “Brain Secrets with Dr. Michael Merzenich,” which will begin airing nationwide next week. Dr. Merzenich is the co-founder of Posit Science, which makes the BrainHQ brain exercise and assessment apps.

The program will delve into Dr. Merzenich’s lifelong work in unlocking the secrets of a healthy and highly functioning brain. The program was developed as special programming for public television’s fundraising drives, and donors will receive a copy of Dr. Merzenich book Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life, as well as an annual subscription to BrainHQ, and a DVD library of five prior “brain fitness” specials featuring Dr. Merzenich.

Posit Science and Dr. Merzenich began working with public television more than ten years ago. At that time, their first such special, “The Brain Fitness Program,” became the most successful fundraiser in PBS history.

“We are honored by the opportunity to support public television,” said Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science. “We share a mission of providing everyone with access to tools that can improve the mind and enrich human experience. While I grew up with Sesame Street and Mister Rogers, these days I’m thankful that my entire family is nourished by programming that includes Masterpiece, Sherlock, Washington Week, the Great British Baking Show and, of course, Nova.”

Hosted by Maria Shriver, the “Brain Secrets” program delves into the latest discoveries about improving brain function — through interviews with Dr. Merzenich and other noted experts, including Dr. Arthur Toga at USC, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz at UCLA, Dr. David Bennnett at Rush, Dr. Judy Pa at USC, Dr. Rachael Seidler at the University of Florida, Dr. Jerri Edwards at USF, Dr. Emily Rogalski at Northwestern, and science journalist Sharon Begley at STAT.

Dr. Merzenich has dedicated his career to the study of brain plasticity – the ability of the brain to change chemically, physically, and functionally based on sensory and other inputs. Thirty years ago, scientists believed that brain plasticity ended with childhood, and that the adult brain was hard-wired and destined to wear out as you age.

Dr. Merzenich is credited with the seminal experiments that resulted in the discovery that plasticity is lifelong and present in nearly every part of the brain – from the cellular to the major systems level.  Based on the discovery that what you do changes the brain, Dr. Merzenich turned his attention to how plasticity could be harnessed to improve the human condition.

He became the first to apply plasticity to solve a practical problem, through his co-invention of the cochlear implant — which engaged the brain’s plasticity with new machine-made electrical inputs from sound waves, in order to restore hearing to hundreds of thousands of people.

Dr. Merzenich then pioneered how computers might be used to measure brain function, deliver the right stimuli, and drive the brain in a positive direction.

That ongoing work resulted in the creation of the brain exercises and assessments found in BrainHQ—shown to deliver benefits in more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles. Across varied populations, those exercises have driven gains in standard measures of cognition (e.g., speed, attention, memory), in standard measures of quality of life (e.g., mood, confidence, health-related quality of life), and in real-world activities (e.g, balance, driving, maintaining independent living).

For his body of work, Dr. Merzenich has been honored by each of the US National Academies (Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering), and has been made a Kavli Laureate in Neuroscience, which is often described as the highest honor in his field.

Dr. Merzenich brought together hundreds of university-based scientists to help design, test, refine and validate the exercises and assessment in BrainHQ, and, on a daily basis,  oversees ongoing science and research efforts – including more than 200 studies now in progress – at Posit Science.

While best known among researchers for his admonitions to do “more, faster,” his advice to everyone else is to be mindful of the power and opportunity of lifelong plasticity.

“Your brain – every brain – is a work in progress,” Dr. Merzenich notably observed. “It is ‘plastic.’ From the day we are born until the day we die. It continuously revises and remodels, improving or slowly declining, as a function of how we use it.”

Gynecological Model Turned Naturopathic Doctor Hosts Vagina 101 Event on International Women’s Day in Support of Local Women’s Charity

All proceeds from The Vagina Dialogues event hosted at The Drake Hotel by Dr. Marnie Luck, ND will be donated to Toronto women’s shelter, Sistering

February 21, 2018 (Toronto, ON): Today, Dr. Marnie Luck, ND announces the Vagina Dialogues event series, where the gynecological model turned Naturopathic Doctor discusses Vagina 101 and women’s issues of the day with a panel of Toronto’s most inspiring women at The Drake Hotel on International Women’s Day, Thursday March 8^th in support of Toronto women’s shelter, Sistering.

“Vaginal and hormonal health often remains a mystery to most women,” says Dr. Marnie Luck, ND and host of the Vagina Dialogues. “The Vagina Dialogues is a two-way interactive conversation, as opposed to monologues, giving women the opportunity to ask the questions about their bodies Google just can’t answer and learn everything health class never taught you, on a day made to empower us all.”

Vagina 101 will discuss questions like, “How do I maintain my fertility?”, “What happens to my hormones as I age?” or “Is this normal?”. Followed by a panel dialogue with some of Toronto’s most inspiring women, including Dr. Chery Rowe, MD from Sistering, Viktoria Kalanteris, Founder of Playful Loving, and Joyce Lo, Creative Director from The Drake Hotel. The panelists will tackle women’s issues of today including the media’s coverage of sexual harassment, body image and how it relates to social media, and redefining traditional roles between men and women.

As a gynecological medical model during her studies, Dr. Marnie Luck, ND became well-versed in vaginal health from a patient perspective. Throughout her training it became apparent there is a gap in women’s knowledge about their own bodies. Now, her practice focuses on educating women while treating everything from menopause, to menstrual concerns, to fertility.

Women-themed cocktails and delicious appetizers curated by the award-winning catering team at one of Toronto’s trendiest destinations, The Drake Hotel, will be served. Guests will also receive a health-inspired swag bag, including items from Province Apothecary and Sweet Spot Labs.

All proceeds from the Vagina Dialogues event will go to support local Toronto women’s drop-in centre, Sistering. The multi-service agency that has been serving the Toronto community for over 35 years, helps at-risk, socially isolated women who are homeless or precariously housed.