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The nonprofit Chopra Foundation in California is bringing its Sages and Scientists Symposium to Bentonville this weekend beginning Thursday. Itll be held at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Deepak Chopra, the foundations namesake and the co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., is the organizer of the conference. Chopra moved from India to the U.S. in his early 20s to continue his study of Western medicine. Following a residency in New Jersey, he landed in Boston, where he quickly rose to chief of medicine at New England Memorial Hospital.

Now 73 years old, Chopra is considered a pioneer of integrative medicine, which recommends mixing mainstream Western medicine with alternative treatments. He has written nearly 90 books on the topic, many of them The New York Times bestsellers.

Chopra organized the first Sages and Scientists in 2010 in Carlsbad, where it was held annually through 2014. The most recent Sages and Scientists was in Beverly Hills in 2016.

In a recent interview, Chopra discussed his rationale for choosing Bentonville for this years event, which will attract thought leaders from around the world. The interview has been edited slightly for brevity and clarity.

Paul Gatling: How did you decide on having Sages and Scientists in Arkansas? Whats the appeal of having the event here?

Deepak Chopra: We decided to do it at Crystal Bridges for two reasons. One is Alice Walton was very gracious to give us the venue to do the conference. I have been to Bentonville several times over the years and to Crystal Bridges. And of course Northwest Arkansas has a great tradition of various things: food, culture, music, film and so on. I have a special proclivity to be enchanted by this kind of culture, so we decided to come to Bentonville, Ark., and people are coming from all over the world.

Gatling: Whats your take on Bentonville versus maybe what your preconceived idea of Bentonville was before visiting? I cant imagine youve been to Arkansas too many times.

Chopra: I have, actually. I have been there several times. Over the course of a year I come out at least three or four times. I love the atmosphere. Bentonville, particularly, has grown over the years. I remember it from the late 1980s, and it keeps getting even more culturally, unusually attractive to me. People are unaware of the fact there are direct flights from New York and Los Angeles. Once they come there, they find it very enchanting.

Gatling: How long have you known Alice Walton?

Chopra: I have known her since 1988. I knew Sam [Walton] as well. And I have known the [Walton] family for several years.

Gatling: Sages and Scientists, in general, what was the goal when you first began to organize these events?

Chopra: To bring together luminaries and thought leaders in academia, and also entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, and also thought leaders in business and philanthropy in three areas. No. 1, well-being; No. 2, humanitarianism; and No. 3, a deeper understanding of the nature of reality or what we call the cosmos. We have thought leaders in every field, from machine learning to deep learning to understanding genetics and neuroscience and cosmology. We have the professor from MIT who created the VR for the landing on Mars. She very kindly accepted the invitation to speak about virtual reality and how that will have immense applications, not only for exploring intergalactic space but right here at home with the treatment of illness and disease.

Its going to be amazing, and every time weve done this conference, it has evolved to a new level of understanding. We have 3.5 days. The first day is the future of well-being and then the future of humanity and the future of the cosmos. Its a very ambitious program.

Gatling: You have said Sages and Scientists Symposium is a catalyst for your work to improve global well-being trends? Which trends need the most work? What is most concerning to you as a thought leader in that space?

Chopra: Right now, we know that only 5% of disease-related gene mutations are fully penetrant, which means they predict the disease. So if somebody has the BRCA gene for breast cancer, its almost 100% likely they will get breast cancer. But that applies to only 5% of all chronic illness, including cancers. For those kinds of mutations, there are new technologies emerging.

You may have heard of CRISPR, which is basically gene editing and splicing. Just like you can read a barcode of an item at the grocery store or cut and paste an email, you will soon be able to its already being done you can actually read the barcode of a gene and delete the defective gene and insert the healthy gene. Even that only helps 5% of chronic illness.

So 95% of chronic illness is related to inflammation in the body low-grade inflammation in the body, low-grade depression, anxiety, stress. If you pay attention to things like sleep, stress management, exercise, movement, yoga, deep breathing, healthy emotions and relationships, nutrition and the connection with nature that is why we also chose Northwest Arkansas then you can actually prevent a lot of chronic illnesses.

So the future of well-being is predictable. It requires your participation. Its preventable, and in many cases even reversible. We want to highlight what the future of health and well-being is. Right now, the discussions around health are not really about health. Theyre about insurance. Everybody needs to be covered, but I think people need to realize that a lot of disease is preventable, and they can participate in their own well-being.

Gatling: You are a proponent of alternative medicine. Whats your definition of alternative medicine? An alternative to what?

Chopra: So I dont use that word, even though I have been given that designation. Its integrative medicine, which means you use whatever works. Pharmaceuticals, surgery, radiation they all work in selective cases, and also particularly in acute illness. Integrative medicine means mostly lifestyle and stress management and nutrition and healthy emotions. Even things like good sleep. We have been doing studies on aspects of well-being, and we were among the first to be published in peer-reviewed journals how you can change the activity of your genes toward health and well-being or self-regulation, instead of inflammation.

Gatling: Whats the single biggest barrier thats keeping integrative medicine from the mainstream?

Chopra: There are special interest groups that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, and thats not going to change unless theres public awareness of what it means to be healthy.

Gatling: How would you say you spend the majority of your time these days? Writing, speaking, traveling, advising, podcasting? What occupies most of your time?

Chopra: Writing and public speaking, but also at the Chopra Foundation. We collaborate with other researchers at places like Harvard and Duke and Scripps [Health] and UCLA on looking at integrative modalities. And we publish a lot of research in peer-reviewed journals.

Gatling: Suicide prevention is something that you are specifically focused on through some of your podcast work. Why are those rates so high in America or around the world?

Chopra: This is an epidemic that has reached a proportion that we never envisioned, and a lot of attention has been brought to it recently because of very successful people, celebrities, committing suicide. It is the second most common cause of death in younger people as well, between the ages of 10 and 30.

We need to do something about it. If you bring awareness to people, if you help them create social networks, both online and offline much in the way of Alcoholics Anonymous without the stigma then we can actually do something about the epidemic. And we need to, for the next generation.

Gatling: What are your thoughts on technology today a necessity versus a necessary evil? Smartphones for example. Good or bad?

Chopra: I actually am a big fan of technology. I also think its part of our human evolution, and by itself its neutral. Neither good nor evil. Its up to us how we use it. You can use it to hack elections. You can use it to create a better world. Its all up to us. We should schedule technology time, just like we schedule other times for exercise, sleep, relationships.

Gatling: How old are you?

Chopra: I am chronologically 73, but biologically I feel very young.

Gatling: Still a practicing physician?

Chopra: I have a group practice in California, and I maintain my license in Massachusetts and also California. But I mostly consult with other physicians who are part of our group practice. Once in a while when I am in California I will see patients that are intriguing to our group. Our group practice [Mind-Body Medical Group] in San Diego has lots of physicians internists, oncologists and others who are trained in internal medicine and in some specialties, but also have expertise in integrative medicine.

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Q&A: Deepak Chopra on Bentonville, health and well-being - talkbusiness.net

From left to right: Don Noel, President of Port Orleans Brewing Co.; Chip Turner, District Manager at Winn-Dixie; Elizabeth Lapeyre, MD, Director, Integrative Medicine Program for Ochsner; Brian Moore, MD, FACS, Director, Ochsner Cancer Institute (Photo: Business Wire)

In October, Port Orleans Brewing Company teamed up with grocery chain Winn-Dixie for the Lend a Helping Can campaign to raise money for the Ochsner Cancer Institute. The campaign was overwhelmingly successful: on Thursday, November 14, the two businesses donated a total of $71,127 to the Ochsner Cancer Institute to help patients in their fight against cancer.

The Ochsner Cancer Institute treats more than 34,000 patients each year. According to Brian Moore, MD, FACS Director of the Ochsner Cancer Institute, The Ochsner Cancer Institute is committed to providing expert cancer care where its patients live, in large and small communities alike, and provides support and services to bring more good days to patients undergoing treatment. In the Spring of 2020, the newly expanded Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center will double in size and provide even more access to the latest cancer treatments, research, and multidisciplinary care that treats the whole patient physically, mentally, and emotionally. Philanthropic support from organizations like Port Orleans and Winn-Dixie make what we do possible. We are very thankful to them and all Lend a Helping Can participants.

While this years Lend a Helping Can campaign was the first time that Port Orleans Brewing Company and Winn-Dixie have teamed up together, both businesses have said that they look forward to expanding the partnership next year.

Its an honor to participate in this campaign with Winn-Dixie, said Zach Strief, Owner and Co-founder of Port Orleans Brewing Co. Our community is founded on the values of charity and service, so its important for us to also give back to the community that gives so much.

We cannot thank our customers and associates enough for their generous donations to such an important organization, said Joey Medina, Regional Vice President at Winn-Dixie. The incredible work that the Ochsner Cancer Institute does for the Gulf Coast region is crucial to the wellbeing of the communities we serve. It is an honor to build on our relationships with Port Orleans and Ochsner as we all continue to do our best to make an impact on the everyday lives of the people in our community.

Hey guys!

Were so grateful to our friends, our families, our neighbors, and especially our readers for chipping in, sharing, and donating to the cause of local progressive media. Your support has lifted us up so much and will most assuredly not be lost or forgotten.

If you care about local independent progressive media in an era where multi-millionaires such as John Georges are monopolizing our local press, then please donate any amount you can to make our operation a success. We can do this! Do not give up.

What else can you do if youve already donated and cant donate anymore? Share our content on Facebook and tell people about our fundraising operation. Call and email others who may be able to give. We believe in you because you believe in us and together we can ensure Big Easy Magazine becomes a progressive icon for New Orleans and an inspiration for the expansion of progressive media around the world.

Thank you,Scott PloofPublisherBig Easy Magazine

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Port Orleans Brewing Co and Winn-Dixie Team Up to Give Over $70k to Ochsner Cancer Institute - Big Easy Magazine

To evaluate the effects of Xiaojin Pill () in the treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD) in a rat model.

Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with 6 in each: sham operation, PD model, vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups. The rats in the sham operation group received penile tunica albsginea (TA) injection with 50 L vehicle, while the rats in the other 3 groups received 50 L penile TA injection of 50 g transforming growth factor (TGF)-1. Forty-two days after the injection, rats in the vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups received 0.5 mL water and Xiaojin Pill solution (107 mg/kg of body weight), respectively by gavage for 28 days, while those in the sham operation and PD model groups did not receive any intervention. After intervention, the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP2/9), nitric oxidesynthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured.

Rats in the PD model and vehicle control groups presented obvious fibrosis in corpus cavernosum (CC) and demonstrated a significantly increased expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the CC compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). In contrast, the expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the Xiaojin Pill group were significantly down-regulated (both P<0.01). In addition, the levels of NOS and MDA in CC were significantly increased while the activity of SOD was decreased in the PD model and vehicle control groups compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). After Xiaojin Pill treatment, the levels of MDA, NOS and SOD appeared to be corrected (all P<0.01).

Xiaojin Pill could reduce fibrosis in the CC by decreasing the expressions of MMPs, NOS and MDA, and by increasing the activity of SOD. Therefore, Xiaojin Pill might be a therapeutic option for PD.

Chinese journal of integrative medicine. 2019 Oct 24 [Epub]

Qiang Geng, Fu Wang, Qiang Han, Shao-Feng Chen, Bin Ouyang, Zhong Li, Yu Zhao, Qing-He Gao, Guo-Jin Yu, Jun Guo

Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China., Department of Andrology, Beijing's Capital Medical University Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Beijing, 100010, China., Department of Andrology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China., Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China. .

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31650486

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Antioxidant Mechanism of Xiaojin Pill () for Treatment of Peyronie's Disease in Rats Based on Matrix Metalloproteinases. - UroToday

People living with asthma use a variety of methods to keep their condition under control. Common methods include taking daily medicine to lower inflammation in the airways, and using inhalers for quick relief when an asthma attack strikes, according to theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Asthma

For some people, complementary treatment options can boost the effectiveness of conventional treatments and help keep symptoms under control. Two such complementary options include acupressure and acupuncture.

Acupressure is a form of massage (also known as bodywork) thats been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years as a treatment for illness and pain, according to theUCLA Center for East-West Medicine. Its based on the same ideas as another type of traditional Chinese medicine: acupuncture.

Both forms of therapy involve stimulating pressure points on the body, but in acupressure the practitioner uses the hands and elbows to apply physical pressure, and in acupuncture he or she inserts very thin needles in the skin; the needles are activated through gentle movements of the practitioners hands or with electrical stimulation, according toJohns Hopkins Medicine.

The idea is that by stimulating various pressure, or acupoints, on the body, you can work on bringing about therapeutic effects for a given condition, according to Malcolm B. Taw, MD, the director of the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine in Westlake Village and an associate clinical professor in the UCLA Department of Medicine in Los Angeles. A review published in 2015 in the journal Pain Medicinelooked at current research and evidence on the definition and function of acupoints and concluded that they may release certain substances or sustain certain changes in ways that adjust the function of specific organs, maintain homeostasis in the body, or affect symptoms of various diseases.

Pressing acupoints via acupressure, for example, can help release muscle tension and promote blood circulation, according to theMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. More specifically, applying pressure to acupoints can signal to the body to turn on self-healing or regulatory mechanisms, sending vital energy (known as qi, pronounced chee) through natural pathways in the body called meridians. Research suggests that once the pressure point is stimulated, the qi flows from the pressure point through the meridian and into the target area. Similarly, stimulating pressure points with needles via acupuncture is thought to stimulate the central nervous system to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain, which may kickstart the bodys natural healing abilities, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

There are many acupoints that may be used to treat asthma symptoms. A few include bladder 13 (located on the back), conception vessel 17 (located on the chest), as well as lung 1 and kidney 27, which are located along the front of the torso, according to Dr. Taw.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for relieving allergic asthma, according to Maeve OConnor, MD, the chair of the Integrative Medicine Committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and an allergist in private practice at Allergy Asthma & Immunology Relief in Charlotte, North Carolina. Allergic asthma is a type of asthma where symptoms are caused by allergens like dust, mold, pollen, and food, she notes.

RELATED: What Type of Asthma Do I Have?

In one study published in April 2017 in theJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, patients with allergic asthma who added 15 acupuncture sessions to routine care over the course of three months saw greater improvements in disease-specific and health-related quality of life compared with patients who received only routine care.

Another study found that patients with allergic asthma who received 12 acupuncture sessions that targeted the pressure points thought to be connected with asthma over four weeks reported a greater improvement in general well-being compared with a control group of individuals who received the same number of acupuncture treatments, but ones that didnt necessarily target pressure points linked to asthma.

Plus, blood tests of those individuals who received asthma-specific acupuncture showed reductions in inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that influence how other cells communicate) after four weeks. Why does this matter for people with asthma? Well, asthma is a condition that leads to inflammation of the airways. The study shows that acupuncture can influence the physiological processes found in asthma by lowering levels of specific mediators involved with inflammation, Taw says.

In addition, a review and meta-analysis published in the January 2019 issue of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that using acupuncture in addition to conventional asthma treatments led to a statistically significant improvement in symptom response rates, and resulted in lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein your body produces in response to infections and injuries. Too much IL-6 can contribute to chronic inflammation, according to research published in the October 2014 issue of Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. And as weve already seen, chronic inflammation is a hallmark of asthma. Therefore, the review and meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture may help lower inflammation in people with asthma by lowering levels of pro-inflammatory proteins like IL-6.

Ultimately, acupuncture is a good add-on to conventional asthma treatments, according to Taw. But acupuncture shouldnt replace your usual asthma treatments. We wouldnt advise patients to stay away from conventional treatments, Taw says. But if they wanted to add it on, we have no problem adding acupuncture to help with the symptom response.

While several studies have looked at acupunctures effects on asthma (including the aforementioned ones), few have investigated the effectiveness of acupressure for helping with asthma. And while acupressure and acupuncture are therapies that follow similar principles, we cannot conclude with certainty that acupressure will create the same effects shown in acupuncture research studies, according to Taw.

But Taw adds that there are few safety concerns for acupressure for asthma when it is done correctly, and may be worth trying for some despite the lack of evidence behind it. Acupressure is very safe, with minimal to no risk overall, Taw says.

But its always a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning acupressure or any other complementary treatment. You should be especially cautious with acupressure if youre pregnant, as stimulating certain pressure points such as the large intestine 4 (known as he gu) may induce labor and could cause harm, according to the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine.

Its possible to perform acupressure on yourself (the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine offers this handy guide to locating the various pressure points), but you may want to seek help from someone whos trained in this form of bodywork to better learn how to do it safely and effectively. Ask your doctor and people you trust for recommendations.

Studies have mostly focused on asthma and acupuncture, and so far, the research suggests that adding acupuncture into your asthma treatment plan may improve your quality of life, boost your immune system, and ease symptoms.

Unfortunately, the research on asthma and acupressure is lacking, so we cant know how effective it is. While acupressure and acupuncture are therapies along a similar continuum, we unfortunately cannot conclude that acupressure will also lower inflammatory mediators, improve quality of life, and reduce symptoms, Taw says.

That said, acupressure may help with symptoms, and there are very few safety concerns. But again, its a good idea to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about adding any new complementary therapy whether acupuncture, acupressure, or another modality to your care.

If youve talked to your doctor and have decided its a good idea to try acupuncture or acupressure, find a practitioner you trust. Receiving acupuncture treatment in particular from an unqualified practitioner may result in complications, mainly through the use of nonsterile needles or improper delivery of treatments, according to theNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Though relatively few complications have been reported, improper delivery of acupuncture treatments can lead to serious health effects, including infections, punctured organs, collapsed lungs, and central nervous system damage.

Ask your doctor and trusted friends for referrals, or find a practitioner through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

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Do Acupuncture and Acupressure Help With Asthma? - Everyday Health

Live stage productions seem to be leading the pack in the entertainment and cultural events field this weekend as we move into the middle of November.

Playhouses that have been preparing their season openers are ready to take them to the stage. Student actors at Florida Atlantic University will present their second production of the season, a 180-degree jump to comedy from the theater-of-mood wrought by Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya, the troupe's season opener.Plus, the newly renovated Kravis Center in West Palm Beach will offer a Broadway phenomenon.

The Museum of Discovery and Science will deliver a nontheatrical package: an uplifting tale of animals saved from extinction.

Heres a closer look at whats happening this weekend:

Friday, November 15

Youre in luck if your Halloween mask hasnt been packed away for next year. Its time for another fabulous party to benefit Beyond Nine Cat Rescue. This time, the theme of the festivities is Masquerade Madness, and prizes will be awarded for the best mask. Your $20 donation at the door Friday night includes valet parking, a cocktail of your choice, dinner, and dessert. Therell be a lot of great stuff in raffles and a silent auction.Established in 2007, Beyond Nine Cat Rescue is a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to giving felines the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and happy lives. It has about 200 cats waiting for forever homes, so give adoption serious thought. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, November 15, at Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, 1200 N. Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach; beyondninecatrescue.org. Admission is a donation of $20 at the door.

Student thespians at Florida Atlantic University are set to stage a production that Bostonians would call "a wicked pissa." Urinetown, a play by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, will run this Friday through next Sunday, November 24, at FAUs Studio One Theatre on the Boca Raton campus. Set during a catastrophic water shortage when the use of private toilets has been banned, this hysterical musical satire of corporate greed and political malfeasance has an unlikely hero: a man who needs to pee and refuses to pay for it. The winner of three Tony Awards, Urinetown is an outrageous, modern comedic romp. Make sure you visit the restroom before you take your seat. 7 p.m. Friday, November 15; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, November 16; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, through Sunday, November 24, at FAU's Studio One, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton; 561-297-6124. Tickets cost $22 via fauevents.com.

Fiddler on the Roof runs through Sunday at the Kravis Center.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Not many plays earn the descriptor beloved. Fiddler on the Roof is among the few and it's a distinction well earned and enduring. The tale of hard-working families in a small Russian village circa 1905, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Joseph Stein, is about to conclude its run at the revamped Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.Fiddler is based on Tevye and His Daughters, a series of stories written in Yiddish by Ukrainian writer Sholem Aleichem and first published in 1894. The musical centers on Tevye, the father of headstrong daughters seemingly bent on flouting his Jewish religious and cultural traditions. The classic production is rich with Broadway hits, including To Life (LChaim), If I Were a Rich Man, Sunrise, Sunset, Matchmaker, Matchmaker, and Tradition. The original Broadway show, which opened in 1964, was the first musical in history to surpass 3,000 performances. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, November 16; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-832-7469; kravis.org. Tickets start at $39.

Experience an unforgettable evening as South Floridas top female impersonators transform into legendary music stars. The show, Icons: The Art of Celebrity Illusion, brings Cher, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Judy Garland, and Liza Minelli together for one night only. Join host and drag superstar Nicole Halliwell for an hour of fabulousness, glamour, outrageous costumes, musical hits, and plenty of surprises. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15, at Mizner Park Cultural Center, 201 Plaza Rd., Boca Raton; 844-672-2849; miznerparkculturalcenter.com. Tickets cost $29.

The cast of Andy and the Orphans, a new comedy by Lindsey Ferrentino, opening Friday in Boca Raton.

Photo courtesy of Primal Forces

The theater troupePrimal Forces will open its sixth season this Friday (its second in Boca Raton) with a powerful and poignant comedy by Lindsey Ferrentino, Andy and the Orphans. The play, which debuted last year at New Yorks Roundabout Theatre, follows a Jewish family on a road trip that uncovers an old scandal and some shattering family secrets. I am honored to bring together such a distinguished ensemble cast for this production, director Keith Garsson says. Though the play is often hilarious, Garsson says it also "explores a real family drama and lays bare topics that are not as readily discussed." The plot involves a couple of unhinged siblings who, after their fathers death, reunite with Andy, their movie-loving brother neither has seen in years. Together they careen down the Long Island Expressway while navigating strip malls, traffic jams, and some serious and not-so-serious family drama. The cast includes Edward Barbanell, a longtime Coral Springs resident, who understudied his role in its original incarnation in New York City. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, through December 8 at Sol Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. Tickets start at $40 via primalforces.com or 866-811-4111.

Saturday, November 16

The Distinguished Speaker Series at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale is back for its 2019 autumn season. Visitors of all ages are invited to learn from renowned researchers and scholars, who will educate, entertain, and inspire new ways of thinking about marine-related topics. This event will include an AutoNation IMAX 3D Theater screening Saturday of the critically acclaimed documentary Back From the Brink, which explores true stories of animals rescued from the edge of extinction. Several screenings are planned for Saturday, along with a distinguished speaker presentation at 2:30. 9 a.m. Saturday, November 16, at Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free to museum members; nonmember tickets cost $16 to $19.

In an effort to face our nations growing health crisis, curb the opioid epidemic, and deal with mental health issues, Integrative Medicine US and Lost Legacy Martial Arts will host their second-annual Integrative Health Expo and Legacy Kung Fu Tournament this Saturday and Sunday. The goal is to engage the community in exercise, mindfulness, andlifestyle and dietary changes aspreventative healthcare. The free event will include classes forbeginners on tai chi, qi gong, yoga, boot camp fitness, break dancing, and stationary surfing, as well as exhibitors providing information about and treatments in acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, dentistry, CBD, and more. For details, visit integrativemedicine.us or lostlegacysystems.com. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, at Coral Springs City Gym, 2501 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs. Admission free.

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The Seven Best Things to Do in South Florida This Weekend - New Times Broward-Palm Beach

Deepak Chopra is one of the most influential integrative medicine and meditation experts in the world. However, he wasnt always the epitome of calm. Early in his medical career, as a resident, Chopra turned to smoking and alcohol to combat the stress he was feeling. But noticing that these habits werent working, on an impulse, he decided to change the course of his life. I was very busy taking care of patients. I wanted them to feel better, but I couldnt give them any advice because of my own situation, he tells Thrive. So I decided to be the change I was seeking in others. I started getting good sleep, cultivating healthy emotions like compassion, joy, kindness, and peace, changed my diet to a more plant-based diverse diet, exercised, and started yoga.

This was over 50 years ago. Since then, Chopra has written over 85 books, founded The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global, serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California in San Diego, and hosts the podcast Deepak Chopras Infinite Potential. TIME has described him as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.

Chopra sits down with Thrive to discuss his latest book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, how you can be present anywhere, how to handle criticism, and his advice for managing your relationship with technology.

Thrive Global: What is your morning routine?

Deepak Chopra: I wake up anywhere between 4:00 to 6:00 in the morning, depending on what time I go to sleep, but I get eight hours of sleep every night. Then I do about two hours of a combination of meditation, reflection, breathing, yoga, and I set my intentions for the day, which are always the same joyful, energetic body, love and compassion in the heart, reflective alert mind, and lightness of being. Then, I just do what needs to be done.

TG: For someone who wants to start meditating, what are your tips to begin the practice?

DC: Meditation simply means going beyond the conditioned mind or thought. You can be in that state any moment by being fully aware of any experience, like attending to your breath, to a thought, to a sensation in the body, to an image in the mind, or to using a mantra. So if you want to be in that space right now, close your eyes and ask yourself, I wonder what my next thought is going to be. And there is silence. Thats meditation. You can be in that state all the time.

TG: Often, people are hesitant resistant, really to change. What advice would you give to someone to embrace change?

DC: I think one can be stuck in a rut and a routine because of the addiction to security. Actually, the addiction to security is the biggest cause of insecurity. We dont live in the past. The past is the known. We live in the present that actually creates the future. So if youre not present to experience right now if youre not enjoying experience right this moment, because youre constantly thinking of the future then when the future arrives, even the future that you want, you wont be present for it. The key to actually creating a more meaningful life, a life of purpose, and ultimately a life of success, is to know that we live, breathe, and move in the unknown. Take a risk, otherwise youll be a victim of the past. If you want to be a pioneer of the future, take a little risk.

TG: You have written over 90 books, which is remarkable. What inspires you to come up with new material and new ways of sharing your experience?

DC: My training. Im a physician. My career has evolved from being an internist to being an endocrinologist to a neuroendocrinologist, to somebody interested in mind-body medicine, which then evolved to integrative medicine. Now, Im going a little bit beyond that, into a deeper understanding of what is fundamental reality. We think that reality is this body, this mind, and this world, but actually, theres a more fundamental reality beyond the conditioned mind. I am obsessed with what the wisdom traditions call higher states of consciousness. So every book that I write is actually just a little step further than the previous book, because I think of evolution as a spiral staircase. When I write books, I dont actually think about who Im writing for, or who the exact audience is. Im sharing my own evolution as it has occurred over the last 50 years.

TG: Are there any principles that have really remained steadfast from book one to book 90?

DC: The main principle that has stood through the whole range of books that Ive written, numbers one through 90, is healing. The word healing comes from the word wholeness, which means all-inclusive mind, body, spirit, environment, personal relationships, social interactions, work, well-being, social well-being, community well-being, financial well-being, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and spiritual well-being. Theres a lot to cover, but it all has to do with healing.

TG: With so many distractions around, whats the best way to quiet the noise?

DC: You can quiet your internal dialogue just by being present in the moment to any sensory experience. Right now, even with your eyes open, just be aware of sound, without labeling it, or be aware of your breath, or be aware of the sensations in your body, or simply ask yourself, Am I present? We are distracted by experience without ever being aware of who or what is having the experience.

TG: What is your relationship with technology?

DC: I believe technology is neutral. Technology can destroy the world, but technology today can also help us in rewiring. The internet is the global brain. Everything about the human condition is there. When we personally evolve in the direction of joy, empathy, and compassion, and we share our spiritual practice with others, then we create a sangha. A sangha is a community. Today, with technology, I personally have a sangha, or a community, of 15 million people and its growing. If we keep doing that, then technology becomes a divine tool to create joy and healing. You use technology, dont allow it to use you. Its that simple.

TG: How do you handle criticism?

DC: Social media is a reflection of who we are, collectively, just like the world is a mirror of who we are collectively. So if you really want to make a difference in the world, then you have to be independent of both the criticism and the flattery you get from people who engage with you. If somebody flatters me, I just acknowledge them with a thank you, but internally, it doesnt make a difference. If somebody criticizes me, sometimes I also acknowledge them with a thank you, but internally Im independent of both. If youre dependent on other peoples opinions of yourself, then be prepared to be offended for the rest of your life.

TG: What is your evening routine?

DC: I stop working at around 5:00. I engage with friends and family for a little bit. Usually I also go for a little walk, eat a very light meal before sunset, and ideally go to bed before 10:00 in a totally dark room with total silence and no technology.

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Deepak Chopra On Finding Calm Anywhere You Are - Thrive Global

Deepak Chopra, Special to SFGate

By Deepak Chopra, MD

It would be ideal if reality and our model of reality merged into the same thing. A model of reality explains how the universe was created and how it operates. You might think that this is a definition of reality itself, but it isnt, which can be illustrated by looking at the most popular model, known as nave realism.

In a nutshell, nave realism says that what you see is what you get. In other words, the reality presented by the five senses is reliable. Such a view appeals to common sense. It rests on experiences we take for granted. There is a physical world out there separate from our subjective experience in here. The physical world predates human beings by 13.8 billion years, going back to the Big Bang. If both of those things are true, then obviously what we think, feel, and desire in here has no effect on reality out there.

As unimaginably sophisticated as modern science has become, most scientists accept nave realism, usually without question, even though each of the common-sense facts just mentioned is known to be false.

Leave aside the obvious ways we cannot trust our five senses, which tell us mistakenly that the sun rises in the East, that a thunderclap happens after a flash of lightning, and that there could be no such things as small as bacteria and viruses, since they are invisible to our eyesight. Nave realism is wrong at a much deeper level, which has been grappled with by the most eminent physicists. It is wrong about mind; it cannot connect mind and brain; it has nothing to tell us about the origins of space, time, matter, and energy it is contradicted by the strange behavior of the quantum field; and it has no chance of linking the microscopic world with the macroscopic worldin other words, the so-called building blocks of reality live in a separate, totally closed-off domain from everyday reality.

These multiple failures are widely known among physicists but just as widely ignored. A great deal of science and most of technology can advance without a theoretical model of reality. Before he died Stephen Hawking published a book, The Grand Design, in which he conceded the high probability that scientific models will not succeed in matching the reality they are supposed to describe.

If science rolls along without a viable model of reality, that lack isnt incidental. We celebrate Galileo, Copernicus, Newton, and Einstein for getting something right, not simply for issuing metaphysical suppositions. So it is important to get things right now. If the present model of reality is, in fact, an abstruse collection of mathematical formulas suspended in a theoretical mathematical space, clearly something is amiss. In medieval times the world had to conform to divine law; now it must conform to mathematical law, yet the fallacy remains the same.

There is a way out. First, we acknowledge a simple truth: Models are right about what they include and wrong about what they exclude. Nave realism is dead wrong about consciousness because it excludes mind in favor of physical explanations. Secondly, we must accept that reality cannot be modeled. The whole enterprise of reducing the physical world into tinier and tinier building blocks has reached its useful limit. Leading theorists suggest that quarks and superstrings might not actually exist. More to the point, we live with space, time, matter, and energy and yet have no origins story for where any of them came from.

Without a model, whats left? Still standing is the one thing that permeates reality, brings the five senses to life, allows thoughts to arise in our heads, gives the world color and form, and tells us that we are alive: consciousness. The very thing that nave realism leaves out is the thing that holds all the answers.

There was a lamentable decline after the earliest decades of the quantum revolution, when all the greatest physicists tackled the problem of mind. In place of great thinkers physics turned to number crunching and atom smashing, which remains its chief occupation, now on a billion-dollar scale. There were exceptions like John von Neumann, John Archibald Wheeler, and David Bohm, who continued the search for a link between mind and matter.

Respected but sidelined in favor of bigger particle accelerators and telescopes, all of these thinkers now enjoy a latter-day revenge, so to speak. Having exhausted the models of reality that discounted and ignored consciousness, forward-looking physicists now realize that mind must be accounted for, which seems like a simple realization except that it was clouded behind a screen, the biggest factor being nave realism. Satisfied with the common-sense view of reality in their everyday life, physicists were happy to think of mind as not my job.

A huge hurdle remains, however, which is the enormous seduction of physical explanations. What is science without them? What is life if we get rid of relying on the five senses? These arent rhetorical questions. Life would be transformed if we abandoned the lure of the physical world and the mistaken data of the five senses. The human mind is uniquely able to go beyond appearances, and when we do, the destination is always consciousness. Theres no need to call it higher consciousness. A better term is total consciousness, the ground state of everything in existence.

Account for consciousness and you explain everything. No models are needed. The everyday mind is the arena of consciousness. Stick with it, experience it deeply, and be self-aware. Only then will reality be fully comprehended, absent any model at all.

DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. He is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego. Chopra is the author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book and national bestseller, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential (Harmony Books), unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.

Link:
The Most Popular Model of Reality Is Wrong - SFGate

Mayor Chris Cheshire

For the second year in a row, former mayor Chris Bell voted against having Chris Cheshire lead the City Commission.

Cheshire was selected by the majority of his fellow commissioners on Thursday night to serve a fourth year as the citys mayor. Vice Mayor John Gunter, who has been on the commission for 25 years, also was reappointed and said he was honored to serve because it might be his last term on the commission.

Bell, who also has served on the commission for 25 years and was a longtime mayor until redistricting took place in 2014 because of the expansion of The Villages into the city, said he voted against Cheshire again this year because the commissioners are supposed to take turns serving as mayor.

Its nothing against our current mayor, Bell said. I talked to quite a few people and assured them that the mayor was going to be selected on a rotating basis. So sooner or later, their district would actually be represented by the mayor.

For his part, Cheshire said hes honored to serve a fourth year as mayor and will continue to push for continued growth, commercial expansion and lower taxes. He said he believes there are plenty of opportunities ahead for the city, which can prosper with the correct kind of growth.

Im happy to continue serving the citizens of Fruitland Park and continue the way the city has been running, Cheshire said. Hopefully, were going to catch up with the growth and keep going. Its a good streak and I want to make sure it continues.

Cheshire is a longtime advocate of transparency in government and has been at the helm of the commission as it put the citys checkered past behind it. Those past issues included costly lawsuits, accusations of corruption and police officers with alleged ties to the Ku Klux Klan, among other things.

The city is looked upon a lot more highly than it was five, eight years ago, said Cheshire, who was first elected in 2012. For the police department, for the fire department and for the city in general, the level of respect is just much higher.

Cheshire, a doctor of Oriental Medicine who owns Mulberry Integrative Medicine and Faeve Plant Therapies in The Villages along with his wife, Meredith, also led the commission through tumultuous budget hearings in 2018 that saw large crowds of Villagers raise issues about how the city was spending money, especially when it came to the millage rate and the budget for the new library. At two different meetings in September 2018, Cheshire spent quite a bit of time educating the audience on the citys budget and why decisions were being made.

This past July, Cheshire oversaw the grand opening of the $3 million, 12,000-square-foot library as a large crowd gathered for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said that having such an outstanding library facility would make the city an even more desirable choice for families moving to the area. And he expressed thanks to everyone who came out to welcome the new library to the city.

As vice mayor in December 2014, Cheshire unveiled an aggressive agenda for the coming year in a speech that took some commissioners by surprise. In that meeting, he made it clear that his priorities would center on the County Road 466A corridor, the citys inadequate sewer treatment system, upgrading the volunteer fire department to professional status, improving public works, making changes in the police department as it geared up to provide protection in The Villages portion of the city, upgrading recreation facilities and programs to attract more working families and improving the citys code enforcement efforts.

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Ex-mayor votes against Cheshire's reappointment as mayor of Fruitland Park - Villages-News

Three scientists, along with their colleagues, seem to have made a pioneering discovery able to change the very definition of life expectancy and the concept of age. No, they didn't devise an elixir able to turn humanity into immortal Elves butthey did finda super-strong presence of a very rare kind of T-helper (immune) cells in the blood of people known as 'supercentenarians' (aged 110 and up). It appears very likely that the secret of those folks' longevity lies in the shield these shells form against cancer, viruses and the like, keeping their owners in excellent health their whole lives

The authors of the research Nobuyoshi Hirose (Centre for Supercentenarian Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo),Kosuke HashimotoandPiero Carninci (both of Riken Center for Integrative Medical Sciences) wrote toLive Science:'The key will be to understand what is their [these cells'] natural target which may help to reveal what is needed for a healthy, long life.'

The person officially recognized to have lived the longest was FrenchwomanJeanne Calment who passed away in 1997, aged 122.

The census held in Japanin 2015 registered 61,763 of 100-plus-year-old citizens, with only 146 of them having hit 110. In 2018, average life expectancy in the country was 81 year for men and 87, for women.

Hirose, Hashimoto and Carninciused full blood tests from seven supercentenarians, as well as test subjects aged from 50s to 80s, separating immune cells, and, with the help of the single-cell transcriptomics method, monitored the activity of each and every single immune cell, 'reading' the messenger RNA that hundreds of thousands genes created inside each cell, taking DNA's genetic instructions to the cell,where proteins form.

All in all, they got over 41,000 supercentenarian immune cells, and 20,000 from the other five.

According to the researchers, what made supercentenarian immune cells different is that they independently could attack and kill other cells.

The scientists emphasized that this was a very rare sort of cell, admitting to their own surprise. Normally, T helpers give orders to other immune cells, rather than fight. However, these T-helper cells, the CD4 CTLs, are cytotoxic, which means they can, and do, deal with enemies directly.

Interestingly, the group of 50-80 y.o.'s had a much lower concentration (2.8%) of such cells.

Compare to the 25% of super militant cells in supercentenarians - and you will understand why the report published on November 12 in Proceedings (the National Academy of Sciences journal) is sensational.

Does this mean that now scientists can just go ahead and mix up an elixir that will - if not make us ultimately immortal, then, at least - prolong our lives by decades? No. Not yet.

It's a big goal, and big goals need to start small. The researchers have already tried experiments on mice, and seen cytotoxic T cells go for viruses and cancers. Will they be able to observe the same in people?

The collaborators admit they hold their hopes high for learning all about why some people live past 110.

They say the answer may be 'some cancer antigens or some virus protein, but these are all speculations right now.'

The work is in progress. Let's just do our best to stay healthy and wait for the further, hopefully even more baffling, results of this promising research.

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Scientists Have the Key to Living Past 110, and They Aren't Letting it Slip - Asgardia Space News

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For Hennepin Healthcare, breaking ground on the Redleaf Center for Family Healing means healing and hope are just ahead for Twin Cities' moms, babies and families.

About 1 in 7 mothers experience depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy, according to Dr. Helen Kim, medical director for the Mother-Baby Program and co-founder of the Redleaf Center. Without treatment, the impact on a mothers mental health can be devastating and sometimes fatal. It can affect the entire family including future generations.

The Redleaf Center will expand on the space and services of Hennepin Healthcares Mother-Baby Program. The program is Minnesotas first intensive mental health program for pregnant and postpartum moms.

The Redleaf Center will support families through services that nurture the mind, body and spirit from comprehensive mental health and relationship support to on-site childcare, integrative medicine, a teaching kitchen, gathering space and more.

When a new mother is dealing with severe depression or anxiety at this critical time in her babys physical, emotional and cognitive development she may be unable to provide the care and attention her infant needs, said Kim. Thats why the Redleaf Center is so vital for childrens and families' well-being.

Todays groundbreaking ceremony drew leaders from health care, the community and local government, including Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene, District 3. Families who have benefited from the Mother-Baby Program also attended the ceremony.

The Center is a $30 million endeavor initiated by a $10 million donation from the Lynne & Andrew Redleaf Foundation. The ceremony took a moment to publicly announce a new gift of $2.25 million from the Pohlad family. Allie Pohlad, a member of the Pohlad family was in attendance.

The Redleaf Center is at the heart of Hennepin Healthcares investment in the health of our community, and it is only possible because of our donors' transformational gifts, said Theresa Pesch, president of Hennepin Healthcare Foundation.

Their compassionate and visionary philanthropy means that more moms across the Twin Cities will get the support they need to raise strong families. And we all know that strong families are the bedrock of strong communities.

The groundbreaking took place on Hennepin Healthcares Minneapolis campus, at the future site of the new 9,000-square-foot facility. It will be connected to Hennepin Healthcares HCMC Purple Building on the corner of Chicago Avenue and Sixth Street.

We see all kinds of moms from across the Twin Cities struggling to cope, added Kim. Treatment and care make a dramatic difference in the way they are able to connect with and care for their infants and themselves. It is absolutely lifechanging, said Kim. And soon we will be able to help many more families grow stronger together with the service and treatments they need.

Redleaf Center building construction is expected to be completed in November of 2020.

About Hennepin Healthcare FoundationThe Hennepin Healthcare Foundation guides those in the community who wish to support the mission of Hennepin Healthcare to provide outstanding care for everyone, while improving health and wellness through teaching, patient and community education, and research.

About Hennepin HealthcareHennepin Healthcare is an integrated system of care that includes HCMC, a nationally recognized Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and acute care hospital, as well as a clinic system with primary care clinics located in Minneapolis and across Hennepin County.

IMAGES/RENDERINGS/B-ROLL at hcmcnews.org

Original post:
Hennepin Healthcare Breaks Ground on Healing Center for Expectant and New Moms with Depression, Anxiety - Business Wire

As the official medical partner of the Chicago Red Stars for the last five seasons, IBJI has become more than just a supporter--we have developed a very close and integrated relationship with the team.

"With every win and loss the Red Stars encounter, IBJI is there by their side through the highs and lows," stated Matt Repa, IBJI Sports Medicine Business Development. "But this year was really something special, the teamwork and energy they've shown throughout the finals is a testament to the high level of commitment and dedication these athletes have."

Just as winning teams are developed over the course of many seasons, in 2019, IBJI expanded the care services offered to the Red Stars to strengthen and promote a playoff-ready lineup. Our goal, throughout the season, was to support the team in all areas and be a comprehensive sports medicine provider. The strength of IBJI lies in the "total package," which is a group of seven, led by medical director Roger Chams, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon; primary care sports medicine physician Angelo Savino, MD; physician assistant Molly Uyenishi, PA-C, MSMS; sports neurologist Anthony Savino, MD; head physical therapist Bria Wanzung, PT, DPT, ATC; high performance director Megan Young, PhDc, CSCS, USA-SPC, and head athletic trainer Megan Blackburn, ATC.

High performance director Megan Young, PhDc, CSCS, USA-SP, joined the group this year to contribute her expertise in strength and conditioning.

"In my first year with the club, it was a privilege to provide data-driven context around training and match demand for the coaching staff and individual athletes. Working on the performance side with some of the most elite footballers in the world; to assist and support them in physical training and development was a joy. These players, staff and club have a passion for the game and bringing home championships," Young said in regards to working with the Red Stars.

Medical director Roger Chams, MD, said, "It has been an honor and a privilege to take care of such incredible, dedicated athletes and phenomenal women role models. [The team] definitely put up a great fight! I am proud of everyone."

Integrative care and collaborative partnerships are important for any team to be successful. In IBJI's position, we have collaborative care, top to bottom. The players don't have to go out to different resources for everything--they have it all in-house. That allows the athlete to feel secure in communication and the collaboration of care.

General Manager of IBJI's Health Performance Institute, Cory Leman, MS, CSCS, states, "We've worked diligently to develop a model that not only improves athlete performance but also strives to reduce and treat injuries with cutting edge science. We take pride in helping to produce not only powerful athletes, but athletes that are marked by longevity and health."

We look forward to assisting in the health and training for the Chicago Red Stars, so that they can come back even stronger next season! IBJI also thanks Sam Kerr for her contributions to the team. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors! Learn more about our sponsorship with the Chicago Red Stars at ibji.com.

Continued here:
IBJI Stands by Chicago Red Stars Through Their First Championship Game and Wishes Sam Kerr Luck - Chicago Daily Herald

Yoga will eventually improve your flexibility, but you need to do it frequently to make a differenceGETTY IMAGES

1. Strengthen rather than stretch musclesPhysiotherapists say there are better things than stretching to improve muscle flexibility. Im not a huge fan of stretching, says Tom Goom, a physiotherapist and spokesman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Its actually not massively effective for lasting improvements in flexibility.

A far better route to better flexibility is through eccentric loading, or strengthening muscles when they are in a lengthened position and against a resistance, which often means using weights. Think of your muscles as a spring that needs to be able to store and release energy to move efficiently, Goom says. To do this muscles need a certain amount of stiffness and while prolonged stretching will temporarily increase the length of a muscle, its not a lasting

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Homemade sweets: Sugar is definitely bad for your health. But there's always scope for portion control and moderation. Diabetes, obesity, inflammation and high cholesterol are all conditions caused by a multiple factors, and not just sugar intake. Even if you want to lose weight, a little sugar in your diet will not harm your health. This stands true for diabetics as well.Highlighting the same is lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho on Facebook. In his live video, he talks about homemade Indian sweets as compared to commercially prepared sweets and desserts, and why the former is a clear winner.

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar is of the belief that you should eat homemade traditional sweets, especially during festivals. It is a way to bring families together and should be looked at as an opportunity to share culture with the younger generation. Laddoos, barfis, chikki, and multiple other sweets can be prepared at home with wholesome and nourishing ingredients that are not going to affect your weight or your health.

It is better to have homemade sweets rather than chocolates or fancy dessertsPhoto Credit: iStock

When you cook sweets, or any other food at home, it gives you complete control over what you are going to put in it. Ghee, jaggery, besan, nuts, sesame seeds, cardamom, cinnamon and a variety of other spices go in making Indian sweets. We have discussed health benefits of these ingredients at length previously.

Also read:People With Diabetes, Sugarcane Juice Can Be Your Best Friend: Here's Why

In one of her recent posts featuring kada prasad on the occasion of Gurupurab 2019, Rujuta informs that going gluten-free can increase risk of chronic inflammation, type-2 diabetes with obesity. Well, these aren't these the exact same condition you avoided gluten in the first place?

Kada Prasad on #GuruPurab If we go by the food and weight loss industry, Kada Prasad shouldn't exist. At various points in your life you must have come across the gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat and sugar is poison trends. The food industry was always ready with alternatives though, profits over people is their motto after all. But Kada Prasad is still here and will continue to always be. Just like Guru Nanak and the essence of his teachings staying strong and true to your beliefs against all odds and leading a label-free life. Science as usual has come around, it may be a few steps behind common sense and time tested wisdom, but it always catches up. This is what we know in 2019 - - going gluten-free led to increased risk to chronic inflammation, type-2 Diabetes along with obesity (diabesity), the exact same conditions for which you avoided it in the first place. - avoiding ghee led to an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency amongst many other issues. - avoiding sugar made from cane led to increased consumption of artificial sweeteners and the associated illnesses. Hopefully, we will listen to our inner voice, give up looking for health in packets, hashtags and labels and embrace a life of eating and cooking according to the region, season and tradition. #GuruNanakJayanti #Kadaprasad

A post shared by Rujuta Diwekar (@rujuta.diwekar) on Nov 12, 2019 at 3:35am PST

She goes on to add that removing ghee from your diet can lead to Vitamin D deficiency. Ghee contains fats that are essential for fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Assimilation of these vitamins in the body happen only in the presence of good fats in ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.

Ghee includes fats that can promote assimilation of Vitamins A, D, E and KPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:The Truth About Fats And Why They Are Extremely Important For You

Furthermore, if you go completely off sugar, then it can increase cravings and make you switch to artificial sweeteners-which come with their share of side effects and health risks.

The idea is to understand the importance of eating according to your location, culture and tradition for a healthy weight, blood sugar levels, digestion and much more.

Thus, you can have homemade sweets made with natural ingredients used in the right quantity, while practice portion control. This is including diabetes patients, people who are obese and those looking forward to lose weight.

If you are having commercially prepared sweets, chocolates and desserts, make sure they are prepared with minimum ingredients, suggests Luke.

Also read:Attention Diabetics! These Superfoods Are A Must For You To Control Your Blood Sugars Easily And Effectively

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.

Original post:
Homemade Sweets: Here's Why You Must Eat Them Without Worrying About Weight Gain Or Diabetes - NDTV News

One of the most common health challenges of our time ischronic stress, which, we know can cause, or play a major role in the development of chronic disease. In the midst of multiple demands in todays world, and the fast pace of life, its hard not to be in the fight or flight mode most of the time. We all feel the weight of the stress of work, family, health, social stressors, or unexpected events. The process of evolution hasnt yet caught up to the fast- changing world of multitasking, the speed with which we communicate, make decisions and create and execute our to-do lists. Its hard to be present and appreciate the moment. While naturally programmed to seek security and control, its hard for us not to worry about things that are uncertain (read: everything in life!).

It is no surprise that the U.S. adult population reports significant levels of stress about the future, finances, healthcareto name a few examplesin recent surveys of theAmerican Psychological Association.

We cannot control the outside world, but we CAN CONTROL how we RESPOND to it.

Here are simple, yet powerful tips of how you can cultivate a practice of mindful responsiveness and awareness, rather than be in a loop of never-ending stress, worries and negative thinking.

Whether meditation is new for you, or has been something youve tried but couldnt do, I invite you to view it with a beginners mind. Allow yourself to be patient even when those thoughts are racing, and you are not paying attention to your breath, mantra, or the object of your meditation. A key aspect of the practice of meditation is that we feel acceptance of discomfort, boredom or distraction. This acceptance will lead to a sense of comfort (even with discomfort!) and greater ease with which we practice, which will lead to a more consistent practice. The results are limitless and can range fromimproved moodin individuals with depression,better sleep, andless chronic pain. Beware, consistent practice can also lead to a complete mind and body transformation and a more optimistic outlook on life!

Here are some ofmy favorite meditation resources:

In order to realize our full potential and ease our bodies into the healing mode, it is necessary that we turn down the always on fight or flight mechanism, and activate our parasympathetic nervous system. Regular mindfulness and meditation practice will help with this.

I hope that as you create your own mindfulness journey, you let your inner beauty, love and compassion shine, and that you illuminate this world with kindness and wisdom that are more powerful than ever. I trust that you will find more peace and more ease, as you follow the steps here. Keep me posted on your journey!

Namaste,Dr. Bojana

*This article originally appeared on http://www.drbojana.com

See the original post:
How to reduce your stress and thrive, starting today! - Thrive Global

The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center is hosting today its sixth annual Unplugged for the Cottage fundraiser.

The Cottage educates to prevent sexual violence and child sexual abuse and provides in-house therapy to those who have survived it. They help survivors pay for referrals to other therapeutic resources when it is necessary.

The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center hopes that Unplugged for the Cottage will raise awareness about their cause and $10,000 to provide therapy to children and adults who have survived sexual abuse and assault.

It began as a music event for local musicians to show their support for our mission, said Sally Kimel-Sheppard, the executive director of The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center. We had a board member who knows a good bit of the local musicians here and she thought it would be a great idea for us to have a gathering where musicians who support the cause could come together and play acoustically.

This year, Caroline Aiken, Athens Tiny Jazz Arkestra, Betsy Franck and Diet Dangfly will perform. Kimel-Shepard says that the music is her favorite part because it is uplifting.

Mama's Boy, Ike & Jane, Sweetie Pie by Savie and several others will provide food for the event. Lori Karr will be recognized for working with The Cottage for 10 years.

There will be a silent auction, a donate-to-win and a cork pull. Most of the prizes for all of the activities are from local businesses because The Cottage wanted to make this event about the community.

Its a local event celebrating our communitys support of child abuse and sexual assault intervention that is done by the cottage, said Kimel-Sheppard.

Guests can donate for a chance to win a handmade wine rack, a Sarah Cook Painting or a pet portrait by Rebecca Pearson. The cost is $10 for one chance to win or three chances for $25.

In the silent auction, guests can bid on Art by David Hale, rounds of golf at the University of Georgia Golf Course and Athens Country Club, a basket from Thrive Integrative Medicine, a basket from Jittery Joes and more. Those who are not interested in those prizes can participate in the cork pull and try to win wine and spirits.

Winners of the silent auction and donate-to-win will be chosen the night of the event.

Unplugged for the Cottage will take place at Little Kings Shuffle Club from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be bought at the door or at northgeorgiacottage.org.

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Unplugged fundraiser benefits The Cottage - Bluffton Today

STATEN ISLAND -- With as many as 5,000 problem gamblers around the Island, the Gamblers Treatment Program at Richmond University Medical Center officially expanded to a new headquarters Friday.

Local elected officials, doctors from RUMC and representatives from the state and city cut the ribbon at the programs new headquarters at RUMCs Center for Integrative Behavioral Medicine at 1130 South Ave. in Bloomfield.

One of our main purposes was to bring this program and this type of program closer to the community and take it out from behind the black wall, from behind closed doors and make sure that those folks who are suffering from this addiction and other addictions and other behavioral health disorders do not feel embarrassed, said Rosemarie Stazzone, RUMCs chief operating officer and chief nursing officer.

RUMCs problem gamblers program launched in 1982 as one of three outpatient gambling programs in the state and currently serves as one of the only programs of its kind in New York City.

As gambling becomes more accessible over the Internet and on cell phones, officials said gambling is targeting the Islands youth in particular.

The accessibility to all forms of gambling has increased with the Internet, with legislative changes, with casinos, and gambling and the close proximity to Atlantic City, its certainly a great temptation for problem gamblers to continue their addiction or regress from breaking away from their addiction," said Dr. Daniel Messina, RUMCs president and CEO.

Messina said of the 5,000 gamblers around the Island, many of them are not enrolled in any kind of treatment program.

Dr. Joel Idowu, who chairs RUMCs Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, said gambling is an up and coming epidemic in the field of psychiatry and mental health and affects more men than women.

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RUMC expands its gambling treatment center to new Bloomfield headquarters - SILive.com

The Veterans Administration has traditionally been an incubator for innovations that improve quality of life not only for veterans but also for civilian populations around the worldideas like bar-coding machines, or the discovery that daily aspirin cuts the rate of heart attacks for certain patient populations. For many years and in a range of capacities, Penns School of Nursing has been a close VA collaborator.

In 2011,for example, in addition to her role at Penn, palliative care professor Mary Ersek became director of the Veteran Experience Center, a national quality-improvement initiative housed at Philadelphias Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. Rosemary Polomano, Penn Nursings associate dean for practice and a professor of pain practice, helped change the standard pain scale employed by the VA.

There are many examples of this partnership, with innovative solutions aimed at the largest integrated health system in the U.S. and the top employer of nurse practitioners, according to the Veterans Health Administration. Along the way, the VA has also built systems for tracking outcomes, leading to a treasure trove of data.

Its a great time for evidence-based research and training, saysCoy Smith, associate director of patient care services and nurse executive at the Philadelphia VA, as well as assistant dean for clinical practice at Penn Nursing. A lot of this work is transferrable to non-VA patients.

Here, a look at the work made possible because of the Veterans Health Administration-Penn Nursing collaboration.

Evidence-based health care practices are interventions based on the best, latest scientific findings. Penn sleep and health behavior researcher Amy Sawyer is currently leading 15 evidence-based quality improvement projects at the Philadelphia VA, on subjects like preventing injury in surgical patients and secondary traumatic stress in health care providers.

Change, no matter how you look at it, is hard, Sawyer says. Its hard to accept, and its hard to convey to others that change needs to happen. But implementing it can have real results, like with a recent occupational health project that involved switching the type of tuberculosis testing the VA used for incoming employees.

Unlike the standard test, called purified protein derivative or PPD, a newer test called T-SPOT.TB does not require a follow-up visit after 48 to 72 hours. During a PPD shortage two years ago, VA clinicians put in place the T-SPOT.TB procedure and followed it for a year. The program has since rolled out across the entire VA system, leading to a 29% increase in employee compliance, a 40% drop in costs, and a 50% reduction in time to clear new hires.

We used to think of quality improvement and research as separate, Ersek says. But over the years weve gotten more sophisticated. We use research methods. We sort of mimic, statistically, a randomized control trial.

To that end, Ersek and her team use the Bereaved Family Survey (BFS) in their VA work. The BFS, developed through a VA-funded research project and now used throughout the system, asks respondents to evaluate quality of care at the end of life. Its mailed to the next of kin of every veteran who dies at a VA facility or in one of several VA home-based primary care programs. Facility-level scores are calculated quarterly and sent to each facility. The Veteran Experience Center also works directly with care teams to help them interpret their scores and develop strategies to improve care and outcomes.

For example, we might identify chronically low scores on an overall item, as well as those related to communication for a specific facility, Ersek says. Training in family conferences might then follow. We continue to monitor their BFS scores during and following the training to see whether it had an impact on outcomes, she adds.

The survey is a unique way to keep a pulse on the quality of care at the VA for veterans and families, saysAnn Kutney-Lee, an adjunct associate professor of nursing who studies the effects of nursing care organizations on patient outcomes. We ask about communication with providers, whether their preferences were met for treatment, she says. We ask about emotional and spiritual support. Did they get the amount of support they wanted? Did they see a chaplain if they wanted one?

Veteran demographics are shifting from those who served in World War II and the Korean War to those who served in Vietnam. This has implications for end-of-life care, as veterans from the Vietnam era are more likely to have been exposed to dangerous combat situations, says Kutney-Lee. Many veterans were fighting in jungles and mountains; there were hidden explosives planted, all with a near-constant threat of being ambushed, she says. The nature of the direct combat situations was very different.

The way society welcomed them home was different, too. World War II vets were hailed as heroes, enjoying national support. Vietnam vets experienced the opposite, says Kutney-Lee. Things were thrown at them when they got off the planes. Today, they are less willing to talk about their experiences, something that can resurface, emotionally, at the end of life.

Its something Kutney-Lee and colleagues are trying to understand to better prepare health care providers to treat these vets. They are seeing higher rates of anxiety and post-traumatic stress, as well as more chronic illnesses that correlate with chemicals such as 2,4,5-T, an ingredient in the herbicide Agent Orange, to which many soldiers in Vietnam were exposed. In an effort to be proactive, the VAs Hospice and Palliative Care Program Office and the Veteran Experience Center are using the BFS and other data to create educational programs aimed at helping providers meet this groups unique end-of-life needs. We want the vets and their families experience to be as peaceful as possible, Kutney-Lee says.

She is involved in another project with Ersek andMargo Brooks Carthon, another Penn Nursing researcher, to study racial and ethnic disparities in quality end-of-life care for vets. Some of their work has found that the next of kin of African American vets were 50% less likely than other groups to report that their loved ones received excellent care at the end of life. The researchers want to know why.

One clue: Members of racial and ethnic minorities tend to be more sensitive to changes in nurse-staffing levels. The researchers hypothesize that in facilities where staffing is better, nurses are better positioned to meet the complex care needs of patients, which may also apply at the end of life. They have the resources they need and the time to spend with their patients, says Kutney-Lee.

Pain management entails a complex matrix of mind and body, which makes having a standard scale on which to measure pain crucial.

Penn Nursings Rosemary Polomano specializes in managing acute pain following combat-related injuries. After learning that clinicians in 28 facilities who used the standard numeric pain rating scale (0-10) found it inadequate to help patients and health care providers communicate about pain-intensity levels, Polomano collaborated with leaders from the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management and others to develop the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS).

The scale integrates word anchors (from no pain to as bad as it could be, nothing else matters) with color-coding and facial expressions to help patients rate their pain.

According to Polomano, DVPRS is now the official military pain scale, with the goal of being used in all Department of Defense health care facilities. Other health systems are free to use it too, Polomano says. It is in the public domain.

Polomano also teachesPain Science and Practice, a class open to students from Penn Nursing, Penn Dental, and Penns Perelman School of Medicine. This year, in partnership with the Uniformed Services University Graduate School of Nursing in Bethesda, Maryland, 30 active-duty military personnel from their nurse anesthesia program attended the class.

Nurses work at the heart of the changes in veterans care and, therefore, help to shape the future of American health care. Much of the VAs innovative models of care delivery are due to the leadership and contributions of VA nurses, says David Shulkin, a Distinguished Health Policy Fellow at Penns Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and a former secretary of veterans affairs. Its often their affiliation with leading academic centers like Penn that help to ensure the VA remains at the forefront of these innovations.

Ive often felt that the VA is the best place for advanced practice nurses, saysPatricia DAntonio, the Carol E. Ware Professor in Mental Health Nursing and director of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing. One of the best jobs she says she ever had was working with VA nurses to identify and help patients with compelling emotional or psychological needs. One patient, an outgoing, lovable former boxer, would sometimes lash out and punch someone when he got upset. The VA nurses developed a plan to appoint him an unofficial nursing assistant. He followed a nurse around, carried water, etc. He had a job to do, says DAntonio. With a new sense of purpose, he could control his anger. No more punching.

Ersek was similarly drawn to the VAs work. Being involved in the military, thats a big honor. Our mission as care providers is not about prestige, she says. We get to use rigorous research methods, but I like that we stop and say its not just an academic exercise; its about using these advanced analytic methods to improve care for veterans.

That sense of purpose goes a long way. I havent practiced clinically at the VA since 1992, says DAntonio, but I still describe myself as a VA nurse. Its part of my identity. Thats true for many among the ranks of Penn Nursing faculty, who work hand in hand with the nations largest integrated care system treating a unique patient population thats changing every day.

A longer version of this feature, by Louis Greenstein, originally ran in the Spring 2019 issue of the Penn Nursing Magazine.

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Working hand in hand with the nation's largest integrated care system - Penn: Office of University Communications

Recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) pledged support to the federal government to integrate traditional medicine into national healthcare, what is your take on this?That is hugely awesome and no doubt it is an encouragement for practitioners of traditional medicine that the days of more honour and recognition for our practice is here. As it is said, the future is here. With this kind of support from the global apex health body, it further goes to show that the world knows and confirms that indeed nature cures. Of course, this is not the first time we would be telling the masses that nature has cure for all that affects our body, but this kind of recognition speaks volume to the wide acceptability of our call. In no time, we would begin to see even medical doctors rallying around traditional medicine for integrative treatment for ailments just as we have seen in other climes where the practice of natural medicine has been more established and controlled. Even as natural therapies continues to bask in the glory of its richness and wellness as an efficient cure system, this kind of support at this time in our country is needed to harness all the potentials. We look forward to seeing in practice and learning of this healthcare system, which we believe will fight against incompetence and lack of best practice that ravages the traditional medicine.

What is the likely outcome of this synergy?If by this you mean the synergy the integration of traditional medicine into the healthcare system will birth, then one thing I would say is, let us look at the Chinese and the Indians. What did the synergy foster for them? A sustainable healthcare system, assured healthy living and a population living more hale and hearty. This is because with traditional medicine and implementation of best practice which is a function of structured learning, just as we have for the orthodox medicine, will not just treat the surface of ailments or treat the effects of diseases, rather traditional medicine will imbibe the very message of natural treatment therapies which is to treat the root cause of every diseases and create true cure for the body. As abundantly blessed as the Nigeria has been blessed with almost all kinds of herbal and other traditional medicine therapies, we are yet to harness this into both health wellness and economic growth. The reason for this being that there are a lot of quacks in the practice of traditional medicines.

But with a synergy like this, it will bring forth more standard which will enable us to sieve the shaft away from the substance, making the business of health primarily based not on making money but that of saving lives and empathising with those with ailments of different kinds. Lastly, with a synergy like this, we would find standards in our traditional healthcare management system just as I saw in my recent travel to Malaysia for an International Course on Neuroacupuncture and Non Invasive Pain and Paralysis Management.

How do you think traditional medicine can fit into healthcare?Traditional medicine, which is primarily about utilising nature in the process of administering cure, is synonymous to effective healthcare just as life is synonymous to living. Any healthcare system that is yet to embrace traditional medicine as a mode of treatment is not only lagging behind, it is almost nonexistent because the very basis upon which living is formed, that is nature, has been neglected. I remembered when I was learning at the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine where I first bagged my Doctor of Natural Medicine after having graduated from University of Ilorin as a first degree holder in Biochemistry, my learning made it clear that even the synthetic drugs used in curing humans has a greater element of natural cure in it. Why then would someone not want to go to natural cure through expert guidance and make-up to cure that which affects the body.

You have had success in treating patients with chronic and severe pain within few minutes, what can you say about this?We as doctors are only applying treatment protocols with best practice, we cannot totally lay claims to our knowledge and practice as the basis for the success. God Almighty cures and no doubt about that. But then as humanly possible, yes, it is true that I am having success in treating chronic pain related ailments such as sciatica, paralysis patients and so on and within minutes, my patient experience instant relief from pains they have suffered in years. In fact, my teacher that taught me this treatment system would treat over 200 patients in a day when I was learning with him. These are patients with different chronic pain and paralysis related health issues. So, the treatment methodology I employed is Non-Invasive Neuroacupuncture which I learnt during my last learning tour to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One thing I am passionate about is to continue to research and learn the best and less troubling ways to bring smile to the faces of my patients. This is why aside from putting a lot of efforts into research; I have interest in continuous learning which has made me travel to Colombo, Sri-Lanka where I bagged my Doctor of Medicine in Acupuncture. Still, I am not stopping. My aim is also to bridge calibre in Traditional African and Chinese Medicine to give pristine admiration to natural healing.

How does neuro acupuncture work? Arent there side effects of this therapy?No. Neuroacupuncture is a very good treatment procedure with no known side effects. This treatment is based on knowledge of traditional acupuncture and neurology. It is done by inserting acupuncture needles into loose areolar tissue layer of the scalp to stimulate the brain neurons of the underlying area. Since the skull protects the brain and there are no organs in the scalp to injure it is a very safe treatment. Its a non-invasive procedure and works by stimulating the brain cells that are related to the impaired functions. The mechanism is three-fold: to wake-up the brain cells that are not dead but lacking in proper functioning, to encourage the recruitment of healthy brain cells to perform the lost function and to promote a healthy reintegration of the brain system. It does not only treats pains but also paralysis, Parkinsons Disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, motor neuron diseases, Alzheimers disease, restless leg syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other neurological issues. Scalp acupuncture can help regain speech in all kinds of Aphasia: expressive, receptive, anomic or global. The speed and amount of recovery vary with the individual and the severity of damage but progress is usually readily seen within few minutes of treatment.

You treat people with cancer and other chronic diseases, is it only acupuncture that you are using or there is another treatment method you are adopting?First thing I will say here to clarify the misconceptions that there are some incurable diseases is that which I have said in past interviews. I as a person do not believe there are incurable diseases, but I know for sure that there may be incurable cases. So this has influenced my belief and interest in always researching on how we can improve on treatment because people are out there in pains and need healing. Why then would we not as practitioners continue to make research on how to improve the wellness of the people. So going back to the question, no, it is not Acupuncture alone that we use as the treatment protocol. We utilise a system called integrative system that allows us to use different therapies in treating our cancer patients. But then Acupuncture is an integral part of that protocol because it helps us manage pain for our cancer patients. We integrate different therapies in order to achieve success as early as possible. Our local herbs and spices play major role in treating these conditions, also, massage, diet and nutrition therapies. I combine as many therapies as possible. For cancer, up-to seven therapies will be combined depending on the type of cancer. I hold that not any therapy is self-sufficient. Every therapy has its own limitations. Combining them will bring meaningful results and may lead to cure in maturation of time.

Visit to your centre shows some children affected by Autism recovering fast, how do you manage to achieve this?Yes, we have really worked on autism and sincerely I would say that we can assist autistic children get better. We have been successful in about three cases and many more successes are approaching by Gods grace. The major treatment methods are herbalism and neuro acupuncture. Also, administration of Camels milk, black seed and natural honey have really been effective in alleviating the symptoms associated with autistic especially speech difficulty and walking. We appeal that the WHO and FG continue looking into traditional medicine. No doubt, there is a need for integrative medicine in order to achieve better results.

You have treated many HIV patients, but not many are too keen to face the media due to the stigma attached to it, what are you doing differently?Should I say its not curable so that I wont get held? Well, let me simply say the truth. There is no diseases that isnt curable if given integrative natural approach and enough treatment durations. HIV is one of the easiest diseases to treat but unfortunately many still believe its cure is just a claim. There are natural herbs and spices that get rid of this virus in the body within few months, no doubt. Some of what I use are garlic, Indian costus and black seed. They are very potent and give good result if taken for many months. How to prepare, required dose and dosages for different individuals is key and thats where I come in.

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Medical doctors will soon rally traditional medicine for integrative treatment of ailments - Guardian

A new study published today [Wednesday 6 November] in Psychological Medicine and led by University of Bristol researchers has found that tobacco smoking may increase your risk of developing depression and schizophrenia.

It is well-known that smoking is much more common amongst people with mental illness especially depression and schizophrenia. However, most studies that have looked at this association have not been able to disentangle whether this is a cause-and-effect relationship, and if so in which direction. Does mental illness increase the likelihood of smoking, or is smoking itself a risk factor for mental illness?

Researchers from the University's Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group (TARG) with support from Bristol's MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) and the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), used UK Biobank data from 462,690 individuals of European ancestry, comprising eight per cent current smokers and 22 per cent former smokers.

The team applied an analytic approach called Mendelian randomisation, which uses genetic variants associated with an exposure (e.g. smoking) to support stronger conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. They found evidence that tobacco smoking increased risk of depression and schizophrenia, but also that depression and schizophrenia increase the likelihood of smoking (although the evidence was weaker in this direction for schizophrenia).

The study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that smoking can have adverse effects on mental health. The same group published a similar study in British Journal of Psychiatry earlier this year in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, showing evidence that tobacco smoking increases the risk of bipolar disorder.

The UK government's mental health task force made the recommendation in their 2016 review that psychiatric hospitals should be smoke free by 2018. This new evidence adds further weight to support the implementation of smoke-free policies. Not only is there evidence that smoking can be detrimental for mental health, but much of the excess mortality associated with mental illness is due to smoking.

Dr Robyn Wootton, Senior Research Associate in the School of Psychological Science and the study's lead author, said: "Individuals with mental illness are often overlooked in our efforts to reduce smoking prevalence, leading to health inequalities. Our work shows that we should be making every effort to prevent smoking initiation and encourage smoking cessation because of the consequences to mental health as well as physical health."

Marcus Munaf, Professor of Biological Psychology in Bristol's School of Psychological Science and senior author on the study, added: "The increasing availability of genetic data in large studies, together with the identification of genetic variants associated with a range of behaviours and health outcomes, is transforming our ability to use techniques such as Mendelian randomisation to understand causal pathways. What this shows is that genetic studies can tell us as much about environmental influences in this case the effects of smoking on mental health as about underlying biology."

Paper

'Evidence for causal effects of lifetime smoking on risk for depression and schizophrenia: A Mendelian randomisation study' by Robyn Wotton, Marcus Munaf et al in Psychological Medicine [open access]

About the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group (TARG)TARG conduct research into the psychological and biological factors underlying health behaviours. We are part of the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC IEU) at the University of Bristol.

About UK BiobankUK Biobank is a major national and international health resource, and a registered charity in its own right with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, eye disorders, depression and forms of dementia. UK Biobank recruited 500,000 people aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010 from across the country to take part in this project. They have undergone measures, provided blood, urine and saliva samples for future analysis, detailed information about themselves and agreed to have their health followed. Over many years this will build into a powerful resource to help scientists discover why some people develop particular diseases and others do not.

About the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation's largest funder of health and care research. The NIHR:

The NIHR was established in 2006 to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research, and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to its national role, the NIHR supports applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, using UK aid from the UK government.

About NIHR Bristol BRCThe research centre, awarded to University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) and the University of Bristol by the NIHR, conducts cutting-edge research to develop new, ground-breaking treatments, diagnostics, prevention and care for patients in a wide range of diseases.

Led by John Iredale (Bristol Pro Vice Chancellor for Health) and Jonathan Sterne, NIHR Bristol BRC has research themes on Cardiovascular Research (led by Gianni Angelini) Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle (led by Andy Ness), Mental Health (led by David Gunnell), Perinatal and Reproductive Health (led by Debbie Lawlor) and Surgical Innovation (led by Jane Blazeby). The research themes are underpinned by cross-cutting themes in Translational Population Science (led by George Davey Smith) and Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Informatics (led by Jonathan Sterne).

A strand of population health science runs through all themes of the BRC, with a focus on translating scientific discoveries that have arisen from population science into better care for NHS patients.

About the MRC Integrative Epidemiology UnitThe Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol (IEU) is one of the MRCs flagship University Units. The IEU brings together an innovative collection of research programmes and cross-cutting themes, underpinned by core research activities that will collectively fuel a step-change in causal analysis and their application. The aim of the MRC IEU is to apply the novel causal methods developed in the IEU to key research questions related to causes of bone, cardiometabolic, reproductive, mental and other aspects of ill-health; and to ensure that the results from these studies are appropriately translated into clinical/public health practice and industrial partnerships. A major focus of IEU activities is the integration of omic measures (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic) into epidemiological investigations.

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November: Smoking and mental illness | News - University of Bristol

The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center is hosting today its sixth annual Unplugged for the Cottage fundraiser.

The Cottage educates to prevent sexual violence and child sexual abuse and provides in-house therapy to those who have survived it. They help survivors pay for referrals to other therapeutic resources when it is necessary.

The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center hopes that Unplugged for the Cottage will raise awareness about their cause and $10,000 to provide therapy to children and adults who have survived sexual abuse and assault.

It began as a music event for local musicians to show their support for our mission, said Sally Kimel-Sheppard, the executive director of The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children's Advocacy Center. We had a board member who knows a good bit of the local musicians here and she thought it would be a great idea for us to have a gathering where musicians who support the cause could come together and play acoustically.

This year, Caroline Aiken, Athens Tiny Jazz Arkestra, Betsy Franck and Diet Dangfly will perform. Kimel-Shepard says that the music is her favorite part because it is uplifting.

Mama's Boy, Ike & Jane, Sweetie Pie by Savie and several others will provide food for the event. Lori Karr will be recognized for working with The Cottage for 10 years.

There will be a silent auction, a donate-to-win and a cork pull. Most of the prizes for all of the activities are from local businesses because The Cottage wanted to make this event about the community.

Its a local event celebrating our communitys support of child abuse and sexual assault intervention that is done by the cottage, said Kimel-Sheppard.

Guests can donate for a chance to win a handmade wine rack, a Sarah Cook Painting or a pet portrait by Rebecca Pearson. The cost is $10 for one chance to win or three chances for $25.

In the silent auction, guests can bid on Art by David Hale, rounds of golf at the University of Georgia Golf Course and Athens Country Club, a basket from Thrive Integrative Medicine, a basket from Jittery Joes and more. Those who are not interested in those prizes can participate in the cork pull and try to win wine and spirits.

Winners of the silent auction and donate-to-win will be chosen the night of the event.

Unplugged for the Cottage will take place at Little Kings Shuffle Club from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be bought at the door or at northgeorgiacottage.org.

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Unplugged fundraiser benefits The Cottage - News - The Augusta Chronicle