Lamaze Launches Campaign Urging Women to Push for Better Care
Campaign features mothers speaking out about maternity care, role of childbirth education

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2012 — What do routine maternity care practices like early induction, confinement to bed and the overuse of cesarean surgery have in common? They are all increasingly applied practices that can actually make it more difficult to have a safe and healthy birth. Lamaze is launching a new campaign to encourage women to speak up and push for better care for themselves and their babies, and to spotlight the role that childbirth education has in equipping women with the information they need to be active partners in their care.

WHAT: Lamaze International launches the “Push for Your Baby” Campaign to give expectant parents the tools they need to push for the safest, healthiest birth possible.

WHERE: Push for Your Baby Webinar
To register for the webinar and for dial-in instructions, please contact Mollie Turner at mollie@jpa.com.

WHO: Lamaze International

Why “Push for Your Baby”?: Lamaze President-elect Tara Owens Shuler, MEd, LCCE, FACCE, CD(DONA), Director of Continuing Education, Special Projects, and Lamaze Childbirth Educator Program, Duke AHEC Program

Best Outcomes for Mom and Baby: Research Perspectives: Catherine Ruhl, MS, CNM, Director, Women’s Health Programs, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)

Best Practices vs. “Routine Care”: Allison Walsh, IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE, Lamaze Childbirth Educator

My Birth Story: Mom featured in the “Push For Your Baby” online video, to be housed on www.Lamaze.org and YouTube.com

WHEN: Tuesday, May 22, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

About Lamaze International

Lamaze International promotes a natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting practices. Knowing that pregnancy and childbirth can be demanding on a woman’s body and mind, Lamaze serves as a resource for information about what to expect and what choices are available during the childbearing years. Lamaze education and practices are based on the best and most current medical evidence available. Working closely with their families, health care providers and Lamaze educators, millions of pregnant women have achieved their desired childbirth outcomes using Lamaze practices. The best way to learn about Lamaze’s steps to a safe and healthy birth is to take a class with a Lamaze certified instructor. To find classes in your area, or for more information visit www.lamaze.org.

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World Leaders Convene to Address Global Crisis of Child Malnutrition
G-8 leaders urged to end child malnutrition in order to stimulate long-term economic development and greater progress against hunger and poverty

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 — In advance of the G-8 Summit at Camp David this weekend, U.S. and world leaders met on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. today to assess efforts to combat child malnutrition—a condition which results in three million preventable child deaths annually and drains billions of dollars in lost productivity and health care costs from poor countries. Participants at the “Scaling Up Nutrition: Calling All Champions” briefing called upon G-8 leaders to prioritize action on child malnutrition as part of their development and food security discussions at the G-8 Summit.

The briefing included President Jakaya Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania, high-level officials from the White House, Government of Canada, U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation, World Bank and the World Food Program.

Nearly 200 million children worldwide are chronically malnourished, resulting in huge losses not only in human potential but also economic productivity in some of the world’s poorest countries. “G-8 leaders have the opportunity to change the lives of millions of children by making a bold commitment to tackle malnutrition. Wiping out chronic malnutrition is the best first step toward helping developing countries’ economies,” said Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. “We know that malnutrition can lead to anywhere between a two to three percent loss in GDP” [gross domestic product].

President Obama, along with G-8 and African leaders, is expected to announce on Friday new efforts to advance global agricultural development aimed at addressing hunger and poverty in Africa.

Several speakers noted today, however, that action and investment targeted specifically at improving nutrition for women and children during the critical 1,000 day window between pregnancy and age two would promote even greater long-term progress on hunger and poverty alleviation.

“Good nutrition during the critical 1,000-day window from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday is crucial to developing a child’s cognitive capacity and physical growth. Ensuring a child receives adequate nutrition during this window can yield dividends for a lifetime, as a well-nourished child will perform better in school, more effectively fight off disease and even earn more as an adult,” said Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

“People are beginning to realize that agriculture is not just about growing more food. It is about growing more nutritious foods and making sure they are available and accessible to all, particularly women and children during the first 1,000 days. This is a welcome, and long overdue, change – and one that we must all act on as quickly as possible,” said Kathy Spahn, President and CEO of Helen Keller International.

Several speakers noted that earlier this week an expert panel of Nobel laureate economists known as the Copenhagen Consensus found that fighting malnutrition in young children is the number one investment that policymakers can make in order to improve global health and development. The research indicated that for every $1 invested in nutrition, as much as $138 in better health and increased productivity is generated.

“This research is especially timely in our budget-constrained environment. It is essential that the global community rally to mobilize not only more money for nutrition, but also more nutrition for the money already spent on hunger and poverty alleviation,” said Adam Taylor, Vice President, Advocacy at World Vision.

Many at the event called on the G-8 to commit to a concrete goal to reduce chronic malnutrition and that investments in food security, agriculture and health are specifically targeted to improve nutrition for women and children.

“Nutrition must be integrated into all of our food security efforts — from emergency food assistance and school meals programs, to the food grown by local farmers,” said Richard Leach, President and CEO of World Food Program USA. “This is an unprecedented moment in the fight against hunger where there is commitment among all sectors — public and private — to address the nutritional needs of vulnerable populations.”

“We know that investments in nutrition – particularly within the 1,000 day window between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday – are the most cost-effective development interventions available, bar none. The key is to generate the political will and commitment to make those investments both now and into the future,” said Ambassador Tony Hall, Executive Director of The Alliance to End Hunger.

The briefing also highlighted commitments from the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, an effort led by 27 developing countries to accelerate progress against malnutrition, in coordination with G-8 governments, donors and UN agencies.

“The United States has long played a vital role in mustering political will and resources to bolster global prosperity,” said Bread for the World President Rev. David Beckmann. “U.S. leadership can support the efforts of developing countries to focus on achieving greater self-reliance, productivity, and food security, and a reduction in chronic hunger and malnutrition – especially during the critical 1,000 days between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday.”

Event conveners included 1,000 Days, The Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World, CARE, ChildFund International, Concern Worldwide, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Helen Keller International, Save the Children, World Food Program USA and World Vision.

1,000 Days

1,000 Days champions action and investment to improve nutrition during the critical 1,000 days during a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday, when better nutrition can have a lifelong impact on a child’s future and help break the cycle of poverty. The 1,000 Days Partnership, launched by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, represents more than 80 organizations committed to improving maternal and child nutrition and supports the global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement which coordinates and accelerates international efforts to combat undernutrition.

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Chesapeake Regional Medical Center Integrates Advanced UV Germicidal Technology as Part of CDC / Duke Grant to Eradicate Infections

CHESAPEAKE, Va., May 7, 2012

Chesapeake Regional Medical Center rolled out the newest member of its environmental team last week, a five-foot, automated disinfection robot named Tru-D (Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfection). Implementation of the mobile, high-tech disinfection device is part of a $2 million CDC grant awarded to Duke University for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAI’s).

CDC funding and technology selection was highly competitive. Chesapeake Regional was one of only nine facilities chosen by Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON) to implement Tru-D disinfection. And, “we selected Tru-D because its automated system is proven to significantly reduce environmental pathogens and eliminate human error in the disinfection process,” stated DICON Medical Director Daniel Sexton, M.D.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data reveals that one in twenty inpatients will fight an infection that is associated with their hospital care, contributing to almost one-hundred-thousand fatalities annually. Government estimates peg annual costs for preventable infections at $33 billion, increasing hospital costs in an already tight marketplace. Contributing to escalating costs, Medicare and Medicaid no longer reimburse for many types of infections, leaving hospitals to foot the bill. Integrating advanced technology like Tru-D SmartUVC™ into daily cleaning protocols “would be worth it, to prevent infection,” stated Dr. Billy Richmond, Chesapeake Regional’s director of infection control.

Clinical studies that link environmental surface contamination to patient infection have resulted in strenuous hand washing requirements for healthcare workers. But according to Dr. Richmond, “It is not enough … as we approach 100 percent compliance with hand washing, we still have infections.” So, the focus now is to target contaminated, high-touch surfaces in a patient’s room. “Even if you have 100 percent hand-washing, if you go into a room and touch a contaminated surface, then you contaminate your hand,” Dr. Richmond stated.

Research indicates that three specific disinfection technologies – accurately dosed ultraviolet light treatment, bleach, and quaternary ammonium – all show a significant reduction of environmental biological contamination. Through this CDC-funded study, researchers will document HAI-reduction specific to each technology, and determine if a combination of these technologies might do a better job killing the infectious pathogens that cause healthcare associated infections, or HAI’s.

Fortunately, infections are rare at Chesapeake Regional, with 72 HAI’s and no fatalities reported out of 15,604 admissions over the last twelve months. Even so, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Cynthia Romero said she hopes these technologies help further reduce rates. “We don’t want patients to get sicker,” said Romero. “We don’t want them to stay longer and have worse outcomes. We want them to go home once their treatment is complete and to stay home, enjoy, and continue to heal.”

The Tru-D used by Chesapeake Regional emits a narrow-band of specifically dosed UV germicidal light to kill the environmental pathogens that commonly cause infections acquired at hospitals. Tru-D SmartUVC™ is the only portable UV disinfection system that precisely measures reflected UVC emissions with Sensor360™ technology to automatically calculate the pathogen-lethal UV dose required for each room, dynamically compensating for room size, shape and other dose altering variables such as the position of contents, windows, blinds and doors.

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New Research Reveals One Third of Young Athletes Sidelined Due to Preventable Injuries
Safe Kids Week Spotlights Youth Sports Safety

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2012

In a new study released today, parents report 1 in 3 children who play team sports sustain injuries severe enough to require medical treatment.

Coaching Our Kids to Fewer Injuries: A Report on Youth Sports Safety, a national survey commissioned by Safe Kids Worldwide and Johnson & Johnson, reveals misperceptions and uninformed behaviors are all too common, resulting in overuse injuries, dehydration, concussions or worse. For example:

Nine out of 10 parents underestimate the length of time kids should take off from playing any one sport during the year to protect them from overuse, overtraining and burnout. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), children should take 2 to 3 months, or a season, away from a specific sport every year. Young athletes are also encouraged to take at least 1 day off each week from organized activity.
More than half of all coaches believe there is an acceptable amount of head contact during play, described in the survey as “getting your bell rung” or “seeing stars,” without potentially causing a serious brain injury. The reality is it is hard to tell the degree of impact, and every precaution should be taken to protect kids from repeated concussions.
Approximately 4 out of 10 parents underestimate the amount of fluids a typical young athlete needs per hour of play. Children need to drink fluids every 15-20 minutes during physical activity to avoid dehydration.
The study revealed that 92 percent of parents say they depend on coaches to keep their kids safe, however:

Nearly half of all coaches indicated that they have felt pressure, either from parents or children, to play an injured child in a game.
Three out of 10 kids think that good players should keep playing even when they’re hurt, unless a coach or adult makes them stop.
While parents rely on coaches for the safety of their young athletes, only 2 in 5 parents know how much sports safety training their child’s coach has received. Even well-trained coaches report they would like more training, specifically on preventing concussions (76 percent) and heat illness (73 percent). What’s preventing coaches from getting more training? Cost, lack of time and lack of local sources of information are the main barriers coaches gave for not getting more education.

“The research findings are particularly alarming because experts tell us more than half of these injuries are preventable,” said Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “There is a gap between what we as coaches and parents can do to keep our kids safe and what we’re actually doing. With some simple precautions, we can change these troubling statistics and keep our kids healthy and enjoying the benefits of sports.”

“Culturally, there’s an attitude that injuries are a natural consequence of sports and that good athletes tough it out when they suffer an injury. But that attitude is hurting our kids,” said Carr.

Zackery Lystedt understands this attitude all too well. Lystedt was a middle school athlete when he resumed play after a tough hit during a football game and subsequently was severely injured. The story of his long road to recovery inspired more than half of the states to pass laws requiring that an athlete be removed from play if a concussion is suspected. “If you’re suspected of having a concussion, don’t go back into the game, no matter how you feel when the adrenaline is flowing,” said Lystedt.

“We all want kids to enjoy the benefits and fun of sports,” said Dr. Kurt D. Newman, President and CEO of Children’s National Medical Center. “By adopting some basic, proven practices, we can keep our kids on the playing field and out of the emergency room.”

The study coincides with Safe Kids Week (April 21-28), when Safe Kids Worldwide and its coalitions across the U.S. conduct education and awareness events to equip parents and coaches with the critical yet simple steps they can take to keep kids safe and active in sports.

About the Study

Safe Kids Worldwide commissioned Salter Mitchell to conduct youth sports safety polls among coaches, parents and children in the United States to guide its programmatic, advocacy and communications efforts. In February 2012, Harris Interactive’s Youth Omnibus online survey collected data on 516 children ages 8 to 18 who played a variety of sports. In March 2012, data from 750 parents and 752 coaches were collected through an online survey fielded by Survey Sampling International.

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Stem Cells in Breastmilk
Breastmilk contains stem cells — Taken to a higher level

BAAR, Switzerland, Nov. 10, 2011 REAL NATURAL — The theory developed in 2007 by scientists at the University of Western Australia (UWA) that breastmilk contains stem cells has been taken to a higher level with the latest discovery by one of the team’s newer members. UWA Ph.D. candidate Foteini Hassiotou has proven that stem cells from breastmilk can now be directed to become other body cell types such as bone, fat, liver and brain cells. Could this finally be the answer to ethically and easily obtaining pluripotent stem cells in a non-invasive manner? And what does this mean with regard to the unique power of breastmilk for the growth and development of babies?

Stem Cells in Breastmilk – Theory Becomes Reality

Following Hassiotou’s recent win of the 2011 AusBiotech-GSK Student Excellence Award for her research into breastmilk stem cells (Oct.17, 2011), Medela is proud to announce Hassiotou’s first presentation of her findings of stem cells in breastmilk in Europe early next year. She will share her findings during Medela’s 7th International Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium to be held in Vienna, Austria from April 20-21, 2012.

This discovery by Hassiotou, who is part of the Human Lactation Research Group under the direction of Professor Peter Hartmann at the University of Western Australia, may well be the answer to ethically and easily obtaining stem cells in a non-invasive manner. The value in harvesting stem cells from breastmilk lies in their incredible potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They have the ability to act as a type of “internal repair system.” With both types of stem cells (embryonic and adult), however, well-documented hurdles exist both from an ethical as well as from a practical harvesting perspective.

Medela has been working with the Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group since the mid-1990s resulting in numerous scientific breakthroughs including overturning a 160-year old anatomical model of the lactating human breast, and a unique insight into the sucking, swallowing and breathing mechanism that babies must master to feed properly. The Group has been working on the subject of stem cells for over five years.

“It is great to see the biology of breastmilk stem cells unfold and to be able to demonstrate new findings that take our knowledge a step further. Through the financial support of Medela it has been possible for me to conduct this research, which shows for yet another reason why breastmilk is so much more than nutrition for the baby,” said Hassiotou. “In addition, it is becoming clear that breastmilk can serve as an ethical, non-invasive and plentiful source for human stem cells—but a lot of questions still remain unanswered, especially about the function of these cells in the breastfed baby. I feel proud to be part of this exciting journey of discovery, and I plan to continue this research at The University of Western Australia.”

Medela is committed to supporting research into the unique composition and value of human milk.

“We are proud that Medela can support scientists in their work to uncover the power and promise of human milk,” said Renate Schreiber, CEO of Medela. “The existence of stem cells in human milk is very exciting and we are curious to better understand the contribution that these cells can make to the health of the baby.”

First Presentation in Europe at the Symposium in Vienna

Medela’s 7th International Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium to be held in Vienna, Austria (April 20-21, 2012) will focus on the unique components of human milk, the value of human milk in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), as well as latest recommendations for research-based practice. Hassiotou will be joined by several international experts who will share their latest findings on a number of related topics including the presence of oligosaccharides in human milk, the value of donor milk in NICU, medication in mother’s milk, etc. This annual event is attended by pediatricians, neonatologists, midwives and lactation consultants, all of whom have a special interest in learning more about breastmilk composition.

About Medela

Medela provides the most technologically advanced, superior-quality breast pumps and breastfeeding accessories to nursing mothers around the world. A longtime champion of breastfeeding, Medela is the only company to develop products based on research by the world’s leading lactation experts. As a result, Medela’s breast pumps are the number one choice of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities worldwide, including 80 percent of U.S. hospitals.

Medela has developed an extensive line of products to meet the diverse needs of nursing mothers. These products include hospital-grade, double and single electric and manual breast pumps; breastfeeding accessories such as pump cleaning products, breast care products and specialty feeding devices; and maternity and nursing intimate apparel.

Founded in 1961 by Olle Larsson in Zug, Switzerland, Medela continues to grow under the ownership of the Larsson family. Medela serves customers through a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries and its 15 subsidiaries in the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, France, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Poland, China and Spain. The company entered the United States more than 30 years ago; its U.S. headquarters are located in McHenry, Illinois.

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Mercury Coalition Urges World Governments to Negotiate Strong Treaty
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 31, 2011

Today, delegates from more than 100 countries began the third round of negotiations for a legally binding treaty on mercury. Environmental and health NGOs from the Zero Mercury Working Group are calling on governments to begin hammering out specific measures to curb the rising tide of mercury pollution worldwide.

Delegates have proposed extensive draft text and are expected to begin using it as the starting point for negotiations.

“Too many options are on the table,” said Elena Lymberidi- Settimo, ZMWG co-coordinator at EEB.   “It’s time to weed out the weak options on the way to building a strong mercury treaty.”

“Governments are halfway through the negotiation process, so it’s time to start agreeing on meaningful actions,” said Michael Bender, ZMWG co-coordinator at MPP. “Without coordinated action, mercury pollution will continue to threaten vulnerable populations worldwide.”

Meaningful actions include strong treaty measures to:

Phase out the use of mercury in products and industrial processes;
Reduce the global supply of mercury by phasing out mercury mining, and strictly limiting mercury trade to the few allowable uses under the treaty;
Require best available control technologies to minimize mercury emissions from new and existing priority sources, such as coal-fired power plants and nonferrous smelters;
Require governments to implement action plans to reduce mercury use and releases from artisanal small scale gold mining;
Improve global capabilities to safely manage mercury waste and respond to contaminated sites, including addressing the risks to vulnerable populations; and
Provide sufficient funding to assist countries within the developing world.

“The case for taking bold and decisive action is clear,” said Richard Gutierrez, Ban Toxics!, “In the process, we need to build off from well established values such as the precautionary principle, polluter pays, and environmental justice, among others.”

NGOs look forward to working with governments at INC 3 to achieve these objectives, so that by INC 4 the conceptual outlines of the treaty are clear.

More information:
ZMWG Preliminary Views on the INC 3 Draft Treaty text – English version

UNEP INC 3 Negotiations:

http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/tabid/434/Default.aspx

ZMWG is an international coalition of more than 94 public interest nongovernmental organizations from 52 countries from around the world that strives for zero supply, demand, and emissions of mercury from all anthropogenic sources.

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CDC Announces New Effort to Boost Number of Baby-Friendly Hospitals

ATLANTA, Oct. 13, 2011

Project aims to improve maternity care practices to support breastfeeding

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded nearly $6 million over three years to the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality to help hospitals nationwide make quality improvements to maternity care to better support mothers and babies to be able to breastfeed. The goal of the project is to accelerate the number of U.S. Baby-Friendly hospitals.

This project will address the need to improve hospital practices to support breastfeeding by helping hospitals move toward Baby-Friendly status. The core of the Baby-Friendly Initiative are the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a bundle of science-based practices established by the World Health Organization and UNICEF as global criteria to improve breastfeeding rates. These criteria are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“We know that breastfeeding rates are higher in Baby-Friendly hospitals, yet only 5 percent of babies in this country are born in these facilities,” said William H. Dietz, MD, Ph.D., director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “We need to help hospitals improve their maternity care to better support breastfeeding. This project takes steps to do that, and it offers real solutions to improve the health of mothers and babies.”

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant. A CDC report from August (www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Breastfeeding/index.html) highlighted the shortage of Baby-Friendly hospitals in the United States and outlined the importance of the hospital experience regarding infant feeding decisions.

As the award recipient, NICHQ will coordinate the following activities to increase the number of facilities in the United States designated Baby-Friendly:

Bring together staff throughout the hospital, including experts in breastfeeding and quality improvement, organization leadership, and other hospital workers to encourage system-level changes supportive of breastfeeding.
Complete a full range of activities to share best practices and lessons learned and develop evidence-based improvement plans.
Facilitate collaboration among facilities by enlisting experts in maternity care, breastfeeding, quality improvement, and other aspects of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.

For more information about breastfeeding, visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware Supports the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day”

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 13, 2011

As part of a nationwide effort to prevent medication abuse, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD) is supporting National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and taking place on Saturday, October 29.

“Unused prescription medicines that remain in homes can be misused or abused if they are not handled properly,” said Paul Kaplan, M.D., BCBSD Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “BCBSD continues to make patient safety a health care priority and encourages all Delawareans to take part in this nationwide event to safely dispose of their unused prescription drugs.”

More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2010 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Partnership for a Drug Free America reports that each day, approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time. Studies show that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, and often come from the home medicine cabinet.

A study by the Journal of Pediatrics reports a 30 percent increase in emergency department visits for children under age five due to medication poisoning for the period of 2001 to 2008. In addition, it’s noted that the usual methods of disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — pose potential environmental and health hazards.

The DEA will have twelve locations across Delaware available for the public to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs from 10 AM-2 PM on October 29. There is no charge for the service. For more information or to find a collection site near you, visit dea.gov, click on Got Drugs? You can then click on Find a collection site near you and enter your zip code.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. With more than 75 years of service, BCBSD offers a comprehensive portfolio of health benefits products to nearly 395,000 customers. BCBSD is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More information about BCBSD is available at bcbsde.com.

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MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com Shares Insider Secrets with Healthcare Community

MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com shares 7 secrets with the healthcare community that the insurance industry doesn’t want them to know.

Elmwood Park, IL. July 28, 2011

Capitalizing on the long-history and medical-liability-specific experience of its parent company, MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com is pulling the curtain back from the medical malpractice insurance industry in order to offer the healthcare community insight as to how this segment of the insurance industry operates and how they can get the best medical malpractice insurance terms at the best possible rate.

“We’ve been catering to the insurance needs of the healthcare community for more than 60 years,” said Jim Cunningham, president and chief executive of the Cunningham Group, parent company to MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com. “During my career, I’ve seen many physicians and surgeons get burned by inexperienced or less-than-scrupulous malpractice insurance brokers. With MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com, we see an opportunity to demystify the insurance-brokering process and help the healthcare community ensure that their best interests are being served.

“Just this week, we published online ‘The Seven Secrets Your Medical Malpractice Insurance Agent Won’t Tell You’. Written by one of our senior agents, who has 27 years of experience servicing the malpractice market, the article offers tips every healthcare professional should know when it comes time to renew their policy.”

“The Seven Secrets Your Medical Malpractice Insurance Agent Won’t Tell You” casts light on the medical malpractice insurance brokering process, sharing why certain brokers will try to steer a physician toward a policy that might not be in his or her best interest; why a website may appear to be a medical malpractice insurance broker, when it is simply trying to capture your information, in order to sell it to the highest bidder; and why the best brokers offer services that will assist you in lowering your practice’s risk and overall premium.

“Today’s medical malpractice insurance marketplace is changing at a rapid pace,” Cunningham said. “Insurers are consolidating, and new online brokers are popping up every day. It can be confusing, but knowledge is power, and we want to help the healthcare community acquire that power so that they can make the informed decision when looking for malpractice coverage.

“Publishing the ‘Seven Secrets’ article is just one more component of the strategy we have for helping educate physicians on how to get the best terms and best rate for their medical professional liability insurance. We also publish medical malpractice insurance rates for every state, which no one else does; offer advice on being prepared for a RAC audit; and detail information on what to look for when choosing an medical malpractice insurance company.”

About MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com
MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com is the premier online broker of medical malpractice insurance. With specialists in every state to help you meet your goals, and access to every medical malpractice insurance company, we’ve shared our expert advice with thousands of healthcare providers, physicians and healthcare facilities.

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ANH-Intl Press Release: EU Herb Directive Keeps Consumers in the Dark

Consumers Kept in the Dark As EU Directive Looks Set to Ban Majority of High Street Herbal Remedies — Indian and Chinese Herbs Hardest Hit

(PRWeb UK) February 16, 2011

Consumers across Europe will be denied the right to use the majority of herbal remedies currently available in health food stores and on the Internet when a new European law is fully implemented on 1st May 2011, according to data published today by the Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl).

ANH-Intl has collated and released a list of the 79 herbal products registered for use in the UK by its medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The list, which is based on data taken from the MHRA’s website, shows that only 34 plant species are included out of a total of more than 1000 that are commonly used as medicinal herbs. The ban applies to any herbal product that is not registered by 1st May, and is a result of the full implementation of the EU Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD).

Non-European herbal products will be hardest hit: so far, not a single herbal remedy used in the two biggest traditions, Ayurveda (from India) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been approved.

Nutritional supplements that include any non-approved medicinal herbs will also be banned.

Robert Verkerk PhD, Executive and Scientific Director of ANH-Intl, said, “We believe consumers have the right to see which products have so far been registered, what they have in them, what their intended uses are and who has registered them. We have therefore collated the data into a single list while also releasing other lists that show the extensive range of Indian, Chinese, Tibetan and even western herbs that will be subject to the ban.”

The new legislation claims to put consumer safety first making it mandatory to indicate possible side effects and interactions with other drugs on the labelling of approved herbal products. But health-conscious consumers are likely to be surprised to find a wide complement (over 100) of additive ‘nasties’ in most (but not all) of the registered products. These include the detergent sodium lauryl sulphate, the controversial sweeteners aspartame and sodium cyclamate, artificial preservatives, such as E215, E217 and E219, and various polymers, such as butylated methacrylate copolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The latter is recognised by government authorities to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Other key findings are:

* Twenty-seven of the 79 registrations are for just two herbs, Valerian (15) and Echinacea (12).
* Around one-third of UK registrations are from pharmaceutical companies whose core interests lie with conventional drugs rather than herbal products.
* The 79 registered herbal products are licensed to just 26 companies, mainly of UK, German or Swiss origin.
* Not one of the licensees is a supplier of Chinese or Indian (Ayurvedic) herbal products, these being the two most well-established herbal traditions in the world.
* Eighty percent of registrations are for products containing single herbs, rather than herbal combinations, which are common to the non-European herbal traditions.
* Only eight of the registrations (10%) are for products containing whole plant material; the majority of the remainder are alcoholic extracts stabilised in a chemical base, including various combinations of over 100 excipients.
* Smaller traditional herbal providers are notable by their absence.

Herbs that are popular with consumers that are among the thousands to be banned in May, unless registrations are granted within the coming 75 days, include:

Western herb examples:

* Herbal combinations for premenstrual tension using Red Clover and Chasteberry.
* Hawthorn for cardiovascular health.
* Meadowsweet for arthritic inflammation.

Ayurvedic herb examples:

* Bibitaki one of the three key ingredients in Triphala, among Ayurveda’s most widely used herbal products (for digestive health).
* Ashwagandha (sometimes referred to as Indian Ginseng) that is an ‘adaptogen’ used to balance the body.
* Arjuna for heart and circulatory health.

Chinese herb examples:

* Baikal skullcap used as an anti-inflammatory.
* Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia) as an immunosuppressant for those with autoimmune diseases.
* Chinese goldthread (Coptis) used for detoxification.

Amazonian herb examples:

* Cat’s claw as an anti-inflammatory.
* Pau d’Arco to help strengthen the immune system.
* Graviola used as an anti-inflammatory, especially with cancer patients.

One possible explanation given by ANH-Intl for the lack of licences granted to smaller traditional herbal companies on the THMP list is the “obstacle course” that they face in what is a very expensive, complicated and time-consuming registration process not suited to complex herbal combinations. Estimates for the registration range from £80,000 to well over £150,000 per product. Many in the natural products industry believe the costs are prohibitive and effectively result in selective discrimination.

Verkerk says: “We are planning to initiate judicial review proceedings of the EU Directive, starting in the High Court in London. We hope then to get a reference to the European Court of Justice. We are challenging on the grounds that the law is disproportionate, non-transparent and discriminatory, especially to the non-European traditions. We have already raised about £60,000 of our £90,000 target to fund legal fees for this initial phase.

“A major flaw in the legalisation is that, unlike pharmaceuticals, herbal products are made from biological sources, and as such do not react in the same way that conventional pharmaceuticals do in a laboratory environment. Trying to push these ancient traditions into a European straitjacket based around synthetic drug manufacture is like to trying to push a square peg into a round hole.”

For further information please contact:

Adam Smith, science & communications officer, or Sophie Middleton, campaign administrator, European office of ANH-Intl, tel: +44 (0)1306 646 600, email: info@anh-europe.org

Notes to the Editor:

Download UK list of registered herbal products: http://www.anh-europe.org/files/110210-UK-THR-LIST_ANH-INTL_F.pdf

Link to current ANH feature on EU herb crisis: http://www.anh-europe.org/news/75-days-before-eu-lock-out-for-non-european-herbal-traditions

List of endangered Chinese, Indian and Western herbs that may be subject to ban from 1st May 2011 assuming registrations are not forthcoming in the next 75 days: http://www.anh-europe.org/files/110216-ANH-endangered-herb-list-Feb2011.pdf

Link to Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.anh-europe.org/news/frequently-asked-questions-about-eu-herbal-registrations-and-bans

About the Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl):

Alliance for Natural Health International is an internationally active non-governmental organisation working towards protecting and promoting safe and natural approaches to healthcare. ANH-Intl campaigns across a wide range of fields, including for freedom of choice and the use of micronutrients and herbal products in healthcare. It also operates campaigns that aim to restrict mass fluoridation of water supplies and the use of genetically modified foods.

Through its work particularly in Europe (http://www.anh-europe.org) and the USA (http://www.anh-usa.org), the ANH works to accomplish its mission through its unique application of ‘good science’ and ‘good law’. The organisation was founded in 2002 by Dr Robert Verkerk, an internationally acclaimed expert in sustainability, who continues his leadership.

The ANH brought a case against the European directive on food supplements in 2003, which was successfully referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in early 2004 (Case C-154/04, Alliance for Natural Health and Others v Secretary of State for Health and National Assembly for Wales). The ruling in 2005 provided significant clarification to areas of EU law affecting food supplements that were previously non-transparent.
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Global Herbal Supplements and Remedies Market to Reach US$93.15 Billion by 2015, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Herbal Supplements and Remedies market. The global herbal supplements and remedies market is forecast to reach US$93.15 billion by the year 2015, spurred by increasing incidence of aging population and consumer awareness about general health and well being. Intrinsic benefits including greater efficacy, little or no side effects, economical and increasing inclination towards healthier natural herbs and botanical derivatives promise animated growth in the burgeoning market. However, scientific research and clinical trials corroborating safety claims of herbal supplements and remedies remain a critical factor in determining long-term success of the market.

San Jose, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) January 12, 2011

Herbal medicine plays a major role in the healthcare and functional foods market, both in industrialized and developing nations. The market for herbal supplements varies by region based on factors such as consumer awareness, product availability, and forms of delivery, product acceptance, and regional regulations. In the US and Europe, herbal medicines represent a major share of pharmaceutical market and are included in regular medical practice. However, the market is highly regulated and extremely difficult to enter, as companies need to pass through rigorous tests before mass production. In countries such as France, Germany, UK and India, herbal supplements along with pharmaceuticals are sold in drugstores.

Major manufacturers of herbal supplements and remedies are situated in developed countries, and include giant multinational pharmaceutical companies. Some of the smaller companies specializing in herbal products pose strong competition to these multinationals. Herbal supplements made in China have experienced significant demand in the EU and the US. Factors contributing to the growth include foray of premium and reputed companies from chemical and pharmaceutical industries, rise in consumer awareness, increased number of retail outlets along with e-commerce, coupled with efficient support and cooperation of medical and health professionals. A major trend observed in the market is a shift from single ingredient market to multiple ingredient-based medications for a particular condition. There is also an increased demand for herbal and botanical products in multi formula and combo packed format, as well as for chewable capsules and tablets. Women, particularly in the middle-aged bracket, form the major consumer group owing to their growing health-consciousness, increased concern for diet, and enhanced attention towards preventive healthcare.

The herbal and botanical supplements market is slowly crawling out of the vicious circle of negative publicity framed across certain controversial ingredients such as ephedra and kava. The market is struggling to gain back its lost glory. This is evident from the fact that herbal and botanical supplements sales in all the channels have shown signs of growth as the market rebounds from the recent downturn. The factors that bode growth in the market include widespread acceptance of functional foods, preventive health and alternative medicine regimens, supplier innovations and the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) for dietary supplements by FDA. In addition, demographic preferences have also prompted demand for herbal supplements. As the baby boomer generation ages, there is a greater urgency to maintain healthy lifestyles, focusing on alternatives for conventional medicine and general health. Herbal and botanical supplements were natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy; prostate health; brain health and cognitive function; and joint and connective tissue health. Phytosterols, green teas, antioxidant herbal extracts and natural sweeteners are the few supplements that successfully crossed the threshold of functional foods. Several botanicals such as ginseng, acaí, and guarana are already recognized as crossover ingredients.

The global herbal supplements and remedies market exhibited robust growth over the decade, with little or apparently no significant decline on account of the worldwide recession. The world market infact, exhibited steady growth for the crisis-ridden period of 2008-2009 and beyond. The importance of healthy diet and good lifestyle reigns in the minds of the consumer, which could not be dampened even by the financial meltdown witnessed in almost every other product segment worldwide. In fact, the recession may have actually prompted increased preference for dietary supplements. Escalating prices, tighter budgets and high health care and lifestyle costs have actually driven consumers towards the more economical, healthier and safer option of alternative medicine and dietary supplements for relief from physical and mental disorders. In the US alone, the sales of vitamins and supplements at the retail level recorded a significant increase of over 10% in 2008, as compared to the previous year. Recession in the European economy and the increased capital requirements for registration under EU regulation of companies expanded the resources of small companies and provided opportunities for acquisitions in herbal supplements’ market.

Europe represents the largest regional market, as stated by the new market research report on Herbal Supplements and Remedies, accounting for the single largest share of the world market. Asia-Pacific and Japan make up the other important markets for herbal supplements on a global basis. In terms of growth rate, the Asia-Pacific market, led largely by China and India, is set to pave the way with the highest CAGR of 10.7% through 2015.

Multi-Herbs dominates as the largest segment, capturing a significant share of the overall herbal supplements and remedies market worldwide. The segment is also forecast to race ahead of the other markets at the fastest compounded growth rate of 9.0% over the analysis period. Soy and Specialty Herbs are also expected to display strong growth potential in the future.

Key market participants profiled in the report include Amerifit Brands, Inc., Arizona Natural Products, Arkopharma SA, Bio-Botanica, Inc., Blackmores Ltd., Emami Ltd, Himalaya Drug Co., Imperial Ginseng Products Ltd., Indfrag Ltd, International Vitamin Corp [IVC], MMS Pro Professional Products, Natrol Inc., Nature’s Answer, Nature’s Sunshine Products, NBTY, Inc., Sundown Nutrition, Nutraceutical International Corp., Pharma Nord APS, Pharmaton Natural Health Products, Pharmavite® LLC, Potters Herbal Medicines, Ricola USA Inc, TwinLab Corp., and Nature’s Herbs.

The research report titled “Herbal Supplements and Remedies: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides comprehensive industry overview, market trends, distribution/retail structure, efficacy and side effects, product innovations, recent industry activity and profiles of market players worldwide. Analysis and overview is provided for major geographic markets such as US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of World. Market analytics are provided in terms of value (US$) for product segments including Ginkgo Biloba, Garlic, Ginseng, Echinacea, St. John’s Wort, Soy, Aloe Vera, Specialty Herbs, Multi-Herbs, and Other Herbal Supplements. The study also provides historic data for an insight into market evolution over the period 2000 through 2006.
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Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Tea Sponsors Tea Time at Long Island Committee on Sexual Abuse 2011 Conference at the Melville Marriott

Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Tea sponsors Tea Time at Long Island Committee on Sexual Abuse and Family Violence 2011 Conference at the Melville Marriott. Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Tea will be featuring and serving Soul of the Rose® an herbal tea blend crafted for healing the trauma of sexual abuse.

Melville, NY (PRWEB) January 31, 2011

Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Tea sponsors Tea Time at Long Island Committee on Sexual Abuse and Family Violence 2011 Conference March 4, 2011 8:30AM – 3:30PM at the Melville Marriott, 1350 Old Walt Whitman Road, Melville, New York 11747. Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Tea will be featuring and serving Soul of the Rose® an herbal tea blend crafted for healing the trauma of sexual abuse.

Throughout the world herbals teas have been recognized for their healing properties.

Herbs are the living medicine of the Earth. They are effective because of their natural affinity with the energetic and dense human body.

Soul of the Rose® – a wellness blend of cloves, alfalfa, rose hips and pink rose buds transmutes trauma into peace and joy and is especially beneficial to survivors of sexual abuse. This blend is especially therapeutic with Sacral Chakra issues. Soul of the Rose® balances the yin yang of the bodymind as it assists the sensual body: taste, touch, smell, sight to open to more intimate levels of healing.

Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Teas stimulate the energy body’s innate ability to heal. Sacred Rose® Tea blends are gaining popularity in the United States and Canada because of their plentiful health benefits, high levels of antioxidants, and no caffeine–not to mention their refreshing flavor. Sacred Rose® is committed to sustaining the creative life force of an emerging healthy planet one cup of tea at a time.
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Natural Healers Researches Natural Health Careers to Make the Prospective Holistic Health Students’ Job Easier
Despite the recent economic downturn, natural health degree careers and the alternative medicine industry are still experiencing a wellness boom, as holistic health fields demonstrate continued growth. Natural Healers, the Internet’s top natural health career site and school directory, recently launched in-depth personal training, chiropractic, nutrition, Reiki and reflexology career resource centers to help prospective students interested in a holistic health career find their niche in these thriving specialties.

Despite the recent economic downturn, natural health degree careers and the alternative medicine industry are still experiencing a wellness boom, as holistic health fields demonstrate continued growth. Natural Healers, the Internet’s top natural health career site and school directory, recently launched in-depth personal training, chiropractic, nutrition, Reiki and reflexology career resource centers to help prospective students interested in a holistic health career find their niche in these thriving specialties.

Each natural health career resource center provides career overviews in addition to each specialty’s education and training programs, certification, salary and career growth information. Students can also explore the different specializations–be it chiropractic, Reiki, or any of the other exciting natural health fields–to discover whether that particular natural health career fits their individual personalities and career goals.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job outlook for alternative medicine and holistic health for the next decade is positive with a ten percent average increase across the specialties. With all the interest and opportunity in natural health and alternative medicine, Natural Healers provides prospective students with a myriad of holistic health information for the wellness-minded career seeker. For example, the career centers boast interviews with students, professors and seasoned natural health career specialists to help students gain insight into the industry of their choice.

Product Manager Herman Chiang comments, “Our Natural Healers’ editorial team is focused on staying on top of emerging health and job trends–with the intent to continually increase the depth of our content for prospective students interested in holistic health. We believe the new Career Resource Centers achieve these goals. Our editorial focus speaks to the validation of the industry and the growing acceptance of diverse holistic health fields and careers.”

About NaturalHealers.com:
Natural Healers is a comprehensive education resource for people pursuing careers in the natural healing arts. Natural Healers is a complete complementary and natural health medicine and holistic health school directory and career center. Natural Healers provides information about massage therapy schools, acupuncture schools, chiropractic colleges, personal training certification and other natural health degree schools. Since 1998, Natural Healers has been helping match millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their educational needs. Natural Healers strives to be the finest resource available to prospective students and holistic health practitioners and is one of several unique Web sites owned by All Star Directories, Inc.

About All Star Directories:
All Star Directories, Inc. is one of the Internet’s fastest growing publishers of online and career school directories, matching millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their education needs. Recently, Inc. Magazine ranked All Star among the fastest growing companies in the country, and the Puget Sound Business Journal has recognized the company as one of Washington State’s fastest growing companies for five consecutive years. From leading research institutions to fast-growing online and for-profit schools, nearly 6,000 featured schools trust All Star Directories as the authority in online student recruitment. The All Star network of sites focuses on a wide range of fields, including All Allied Health Schools, All Art Schools, All Business Schools, All Education Schools, All Psychology Schools, All Criminal Justice Schools, All Computer Schools and All Nursing Schools.

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Bioforce Has Twelve Products Qualify Under New Traditional Herbal Registration in UK

Out of one hundred elite herbal products to earn this registration, twelve are from Bioforce

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has announced the number of herbal products registered under the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) hit the 100 mark today increasing consumer choice for safe, effective herbal products across the UK — and Bioforce USA has 12 of its products in the “top 100,” more than any other botanical supplement brand.

Bioforce USA’s A. Vogel herbal products that are registered in the THR are: Echinaforce, Echinaforce Junior and Echinaforce® Forte, Venaforce® Healthy Leg Tablets, Soothing Pine Syrup, St. John’s Wort Tablets, Prostasan®, Arnica Rub, Sage Menopause Tablets, Valerian Complex, Devils Claw Tablets* and Gingkoforce® *.

Pierce Sioussat, President of Bioforce USA, explained, “There are several reasons why so many of our products have passed this rigorous approval process. The long history of Bioforce’s organic, sustainable farming, GMP-certified manufacturing process and its award-winning research are represented in our high quality herbal products supported by clinically proven effectiveness, and years of consumer loyalty. Bioforce® is known for its unique approach of using freshly harvested plants to create its wide-spectrum fresh plant extracts. Fresh plant extracts are really coming in to their own as shown by the comprehensive published research from Bioforce® and brisk sales in 20 countries. In fact, now you are seeing other companies following suit.”

The MHRA is the governmental agency with responsibility for standards of safety, quality and performance of healthcare products in the UK. Under an EU directive they have developed a comprehensive vetting process for herbal remedies designed so that the public will no longer have to guess at the safety and quality of herbal medicines.

*not yet available in the US

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The Nature Conservancy Urges Passage of Omnibus Public Lands Management Act

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act (S.22) is the most comprehensive public lands bill the Congress has considered in recent years.

Arlington, Virginia (Vocus) February 10

While the nation’s attention is focused on the movement of the economic stimulus plan, another important piece of legislation is poised to become law. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act (S.22) is the most comprehensive public lands bill the Congress has considered in recent years. The bi-partisan Act addresses national, regional and local needs for the conservation of our forests, rivers, coastal and marine resources. Among the major national provisions of the Act are:

• The Forest Landscape Restoration Program (FLRP), which provides a new approach to forest restoration efforts. The goal is focus large-scale, sustainable, collaborative and science-based ecosystem restoration projects in areas at high risk for damaging wildfires.
• The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), which would help preserve coastal areas that are rich in conservation, recreation, ecological, historical or aesthetic value.
• The SECURE Water Act, which is aimed at addressing potential water shortages, conflicts and other effects of global warming. The bill provides for the creation of an intra-governmental panel to develop hydrologic models to assist federal, state and local water managers with adaptation strategies as they develop long-term water management and flood-hazard mitigation plans.

“The Public Lands Management Act is a significant step forward in ensuring the long-term health and sustainable use of our natural areas,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “These measures have strong local support and little or no opposition; it is my hope that the Act will pass unchanged so that it can be signed into law by President Obama.”

In addition to protection, the Act includes climate change adaptation planning measures. Adaptation – a process to help people, wildlife and landscapes withstand the impacts of climate change – is widely recognized as a key element of conservation planning.

“Many of the management strategies in the Act will help our lands and waters become more resilient to climate change,” continued Tercek. “Such adaptation programs are essential to safeguard both nature and people. The Nature Conservancy is pleased to see this reflected in the legislation.”

S.22 also includes provisions to:

• Protect close to two million acres of wilderness in eight states – including the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, Oregon’s Mt. Hood, and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
• Establish a 26-million-acre National Conservation Land System
• Preserve over a million acres of Wyoming for outdoor recreation
• Protect hundreds of miles of free-flowing rivers in six states, and
• Designate numerous new National Scenic Trails, Natural Historic Sites and National Heritage Areas across the United States

The House is expected to vote on the Senate-passed version of the Public Lands Management Act today.

For more information on the Act, visit http://s22.w-w-h.org/
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at http://www.nature.org.

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Snoring Reduced With Relaxation Tea… Could It Be?

Organic Relaxation Herbal Blend Help aids in Relaxation, Sleep and Snoring. Below is recent testimonial on how well the product works. This Herbal Tea can be purchased at Youmeandtea.com

East Setauket, NY (PRWEB) March 24, 2010

Organic Relaxation Herbal Blend Help aids in Relaxation, Sleep and Snoring. Below is recent testimonial on how well the product works. This Herbal Tea can be purchased at Youmeandtea.com

“I can’t believe my snoring has reduced so dramatically! My wife blesses you guys for introducing us to the valerian-containing ‘Relaxation tea’.

“It just so happens I earned a PhD in Pharmacology (the study of the molecular mechanism of action of drugs) and I have published over 100 articles, many in peer-reviewed literature. This experience has made me skeptical of the claims centered about complimentary and alternative medicines, many of which are poorly studied because they do not require Food and Drug Administration regulation.

“In this specific case, I tried Relaxation tea just because I occasionally enjoy an alternative to coffee, which I drink way too much of. After a single cup of Relaxation tea just before bedtime, I felt rested and fell asleep quickly. This is not unusual for me. But the next morning, my wife remarked that she too had a more restful night of sleep because my snoring was reduced in frequency and volume. My snoring is the bane of her existence. I had surgery, a pharyngeoplasty and a correction for a deviated septum. That helped reduce symptoms for about 10 years, but the problem returned.

“Skepticism over my wife’s claims got the better of me, and so I checked the medical literature just to find that the plant species, Valeriana officinalis, and the related species V. edulis, have been studied in prospective randomized clinical trials. As is true in nearly all areas of medical research, you can find articles showing positive effects and some that fail to show good outcomes. What you look for first, however, are adverse effects and they appear to be minimal among the reported studies of the alkaloids in valerium. While some report small statistically significant reductions in the latency to fall asleep, there have been no reports of any effect on snoring. So maybe there is something to this.

“Regarding use by patrons, I would feel comfortable recommending Relaxation tea as a sleeping aid to try. However, for those of us on a lot of other medications, particularly other sleeping aids and psychotropic drugs, it would be good idea to bring this fact to the attention of their person physician. Since products like these are outside the scope of the expertise of most clinicians, they can print the following articles and bring them into the office with them. One note of caution, since herbal medicines are not regulated by the FDA, dose of active ingredients may vary. So if you find a tea that works for you, go back to the same source to get it.

“I plan on using this product for as long as my wife sees benefit. I’ll keep you posted of any changes and thanks again, and best of luck with You, Me and…Tea,”
Jerry

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SabaiSpa’s New Herbal Ball Treatments Sweeping North America

SabaiSpa™ introduces the “Hottest” new Herbal, Aromatherapy treatment taking massage, facial, and spa treatments to a whole new level!”

The fastest growing treatments sweeping across North America are using the SabaiSpa™ Herbal Ball. These treatments have been recently featured at all of the major trade shows and magazines.

Featured on the cover this month’s Massage Magazine, and in the article New Technique, Thai Herbal Compress, you can read all about this wonderful therapeutic treatment! Many of the most exclusive hotels, destinations, resorts, and spa’s are incorporating the SabaiSeriesTM Herbal Ball Treatments as a way to differentiate and provide one of the worlds most exclusive ritualistic rejuvenating experiences. Achieving the State of Sabai is bliss!

SabaiSpa™ brings the Luk Pra Kob, translated from Thai as “pressing herbal sphere,” or Herbal Ball, as a method of treatment employed in traditional Thai Medicine. It is used to provide the same type of stimulation as acupressure along energy channels, known as Sen Sib lines in Thailand. Thai Herbal Ball massage is rapidly growing in the West due to the many added benefits that herbs and heat provide over most other traditional treatments. It is also beneficial as a method for relief of arthritis, back pain, sports injuries, fibromalgia, and other chronic modalities.

The herbal ball treatment is traditionally a hot treatment. The ball is pressed along the Sen Sib lines, or acupressure zones, of the body in a series of motions that include: a pressing with steady downward pressure; a “rock ‘n roll” or back and forth motion; a “rolling” or orbital circular motion; and a “dragging” motion, which is used to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage. The SabaiSpa™ Ball is used in combination with traditional Thai or Swedish massage, or as a tool to work on specific parts of the body that need special attention for muscular tightness or pain.

Some of the herbs in the SabaiSpa™ Ball include Lemongrass, Turmeric, Prai, Kaffir Lime, Camphor, and Tamarind. Commonly accepted benefits of these herbs include anti-inflammatory properties, especially when applied topically to contusions, or sprains; antiseptic properties that can soothe and heal the skin; and astringent values that draw out toxins to purify the skin, while at the same time having a cleansing affect that promotes healing and soothes the skin. These herbs are well-known in Thai saunas, hospitals, health clubs, and spas for their use in aromatherapy and upper respiratory therapy.

The blend of herbs used by SabaiSpa™ Products, is the traditional recipe of the Wat Po temple in Bangkok. SabaiSpa™ herbal balls, manufactured in Chiang Mai, are certified by the government as authentic. To ensure quality and consistency of treatment, we control the entire process– from the selection of quality of the herbs from the local Chiang Mai Farmer to the final deliver to their customers. This process includes the ball composition, kiln drying, sanitation, manufacture, Thai certification, packaging, and shipping.

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Tests Show RevGenetics Resveratrol Health Supplements are Top SIRT1 Activator Among Other Commercial Herbal Supplements

SIRT1 activation tests performed by BIOMOL Research Laboratories demonstrate the benefits of RevGenetics resveratrol health supplements.

RevGenetics announced today that tests performed by BIOMOL Laboratories demonstrate that RevGenetics resveratrol health supplements activate SIRT1 better than any other commercially available herbal supplements tested in the last five years. BIOMOL tests show that RevGenetics herbal resveratrol in its X1000 capsule has the ability to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene and was at times better than research-grade resveratrol.

“We are now at a point where the water/alcohol extraction process of resveratrol from plants allows the average consumer a quality product not seen in the past,” says Anthony Loera, President of RevGenetics. “We are proud to offer simply the best herbal resveratrol supplement, based on independently tested quality and the highest SIRT1 activation in an herbal supplement available today.”

In an e-mail from BIOMOL dated January 11, 2008, Mark Engleka, Ph.D., states the following regarding the RevGenetics tests: “In summary, your resveratrol performed as good or better than ours in stimulating the activity of SIRT1.”

RevGenetics X1000 capsules are not the first herbal supplement shown to activate the Sirtuin 1 gene, but the product has a retail price less than one-quarter of competitors’ prices and shows better SIRT1 activation.

“We believe our herbal resveratrol in the X1000 capsules will encourage people to seriously consider resveratrol to help maintain their quality of life,” Loera says.

As an herbal supplement, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This herbal product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Naturally Nova Scotia Makes Canada’s First Organic Herbal Tablets

Naturally Nova Scotia (NNS), Canada’s leading manufacturer and distributor of certified organic, whole food natural health products, is excited to be adding a brand new line to their innovative collection of products; Canada’s first line of certified organic herbal tablets.

Lawrencetown, NS (PRWEB) May 21, 2009

Naturally Nova Scotia (NNS), Canada’s leading manufacturer and distributor of certified organic, whole food natural health products, is excited to be adding a brand new line to their innovative collection of products; Canada’s first line of certified organic herbal tablets.

Traditional herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years to aid people with various ailments. Naturally Nova Scotia’s new line of Herbal Tablets combines whole herbs with potent herbal extracts to create highly effective, certified organic tablets. Products leading off the new line include a Digestive Aid formulated with natural enzymes from Pineapple and Green Papaya; Echinacea as well as an Echinacea and Acerola Berry combination; a Heartburn Relief formula made with Ginger; Maca Tablets for stress relief and energy, balancing hormones, and enhancing fertility; Milk Thistle to promote a healthy liver; St. John’s Wort to assist sleep and restlessness or nervousness; and finally a Women’s Balance formula specifically designed to relieve menopausal and premenstrual symptoms through a combination of Black Cohosh, Chaste Tree, and Dong Quai.

Each product is sold in environmentally-friendly glass bottles and contain only premium certified organic ingredients, with no fillers or synthetics.

NNS, founded in 1994 by Nancy Smithers, has since grown to include a 30,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility on a 250 acre organic farm employing more than 30 people. Organic is a growing and processing method that helps protect the health of people, plants, animals, and the environment. Organic products have been grown naturally, without using harmful hormones, antibiotics, steroids, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides. Organic farmers follow a holistic system that replenishes the nutrients and maintains the health of the soil by using renewable resources and conserving soil and water to sustain the environment for future generations.

Naturally Nova Scotia’s facilities are site licensed by the Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) in Canada and are GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliant. The company also manufactures other certified organic whole food products such as their Vitamin C Acerola line, and Vitamin D3.
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Natural Herbal Remedies, Including Apple Cider Vinegar Plus, Popular as Ever

Indiana Botanical Gardens, Inc. announces that natural herbal remedies , such as their Apple Cider Vinegar Plus™, are being rediscovered by consumers of all types. From generation to generation, the benefits are the same. IBG distributes their products under the name Botanic Choice.

Hobart, IN (PRWEB) December 9, 2009

Indiana Botanical Gardens, Inc. announces that their natural herbal remedies], such as their Apple Cider Vinegar Plus™, are being rediscovered by consumers of all types.

Indiana Botanic Gardens, Inc., (IBG) is one company that offers these natural health solutions, selling herbs under the Botanic Choice name.

Today, the user profile has broadened as people from all walks of life, regions of the country and economic backgrounds are realizing the benefits of herbs and natural products. In fact, it is actually a rediscovery of what previous generations had always known – natural ways of healing and simpler methods of living are the ideal.

When asked about their key to success, IBG president Tim Cleland, says, “Our family practices what we preach – we believe in a natural approach to health. I think this is the reason we have so many family members enjoying life well into their 80s and 90s.”

IBG continues to be an industry leader and first-source for all things herbal. The company is an active member of herbal trade organizations including the American Botanical Council, International Herb Association, Natural Products Association, and the American Herbal Products Association. Additional information about the company’s products and history can be found at http://www.BotanicChoice.com.

Customers can order their natural herb remedies via mail, phone or Internet from the Botanic Choice catalog. While Botanic Choice continues to sell single herbs, they have also developed a more advanced approach by blending several time-tested and now well-researched herbs and nutrients into single formulas that addresses a specific health issue. For example, Apple Cider Vinegar Plus™ to support weight loss, #739 Colon Cleanse Formula™ to aid healthy digestion and OptiGold™ to foster clear vision. Each formula contains an array of nutrients that work together to produce a desired health effect.
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Medicine Plants Makes it Affordable to Include Herbal Supplements in Diet

Leading Online Retailer Plays Important Role in Consumer Health during Recession

Bloomingburg, New York (PRWEB) June 9, 2009

Medicine Plants, a leading online retailer of herbal supplements, is encouraging consumers to stretch their health dollars during the recession by including herbal supplements in their diet to maintain good health. To that end, they are offering their products at the most competitive prices on the Internet.

As consumers seek to tighten their spending, Medicine Plants has ramped up their efforts to educate the public about the benefits of including herbal supplements in their diet. Through informative newsletters available on their website and e-mail marketing, Medicine Plants offers a wealth of information about the role herbal supplements play in overall health.

Herbal supplements, which are dietary supplements derived from plants and minerals, have long been used to heal various ailments of the body. The herbal supplements mainstream market channel accounted for $289 million in sales during 2008, which represents a 7% increase over the prior year’s sales. A recent report by HerbalGram has indicated that this increase may be due to consumers using herbal supplements to help manage some of their health needs during tough economic times.

“Herbal supplements can be a great way to help manage your health,” says Mary Cahill, Co-Founder, “When used in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise, herbal supplements can boost your health and serve as a powerful preventative tool. This can save a great deal of money on doctor’s visits, prescriptions and other healthcare needs.”

Medicine Plants has also maintained their commitment to low prices by providing the highest quality herbs for the lowest prices on the Internet. “If you find the same herbs for less, it is most likely indicative that they were not grown to meet organic, FDA certified or GMP standards,” says Cahill. To add further value, the company gives a 25% discount on any order of 12 bottles or more.
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Tai Sophia Now Enrolling for New Health and Wellness-based Graduate Programs

New Offerings Set Standard for Careers in Nation’s Emerging Wellness System

Laurel, MD (Vocus) January 19, 2010

Tai Sophia Institute, an accredited, non-profit educational institution focused on wellness studies, announced today that it is doubling its health and wellness-based graduate programs in 2010 following Maryland Higher Education Commission’s (MHEC) approval of the following five new graduate certificate programs: Health Coaching, Herbal Studies, Medical Herbalism, Transformative Leadership, and Wellness Coaching. Enrollment is now open for all five programs. Each program consists of 12 or 15 graduate credits and is offered in an executive format for nine to 11 weekends over the course of nine to 11 months to accommodate working professionals.

“The steps our nation is taking in updating how we approach health care are changes that Tai Sophia has advocated since its founding in 1974,” said Tai Sophia Institute President and Co-founder Robert M. Duggan, M.A., M.Ac. (UK). “The current sick-care/disease-focused health-care system isn’t sustainable and growing numbers of people are dissatisfied and longing to learn how to live well. Through our newly expanded offerings, Tai Sophia is educating the wellness workforce of the future and empowering individuals with sustainable, wellness-based practices.”

“Tai Sophia’s new graduate certificate programs offer health-care professionals and other interested individuals seeking advanced education new academic opportunities to bring valuable and highly relevant skills and competencies to their current work, springboard to a new career in the nation’s emerging wellness system, or apply new skills to their community, their families and themselves,” said Tai Sophia Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Judith K. Broida, Ph.D. “Tai Sophia’s signature blend of global wellness wisdom, drawn from ancient and contemporary healing traditions, modern science, and the timeless teachings of nature, clearly sets our programs apart.” Licensed professionals enrolled in the new graduate certificate programs may also receive continuing education credits toward their professional licensing requirements.

Graduate Certificate Programs

* Transformative Leadership. An experiential program, designed for established and emerging leaders as well as anyone seeking to be a catalyst for change, that teaches students the art of leadership in a way that creates sustainable change in themselves and in turn, the workplace and the larger community.
* Health Coaching. Designed for licensed or certified health-care professionals who want to learn skills to guide their patients and clients to adopt attitudes, lifestyle changes, and self-care approaches conducive to optimal health and healing.
* Wellness Coaching. The only program of its type in the country, Tai Sophia’s Graduate Certificate in Wellness Coaching offers a curriculum similar to the health coaching certificate for professionals who work outside a clinical setting, such as educators, life coaches, fitness instructors, and human resource professionals.
* Medical Herbalism. Designed for licensed or certified health-care professionals, the Graduate Certificate in Medical Herbalism provides a foundational knowledge of herbal medicine that emphasizes issues of quality, safety, and efficacy so that health-care practitioners can have informed conversations about herbal products with their patients and herbal medicine experts.
* Herbal Studies. For the herbal enthusiast and individuals who have a background or interest in horticulture and gardening, nutrition and the culinary arts and, the environment and sustainability, public health and education as well as parents and caregivers, the Herbal Studies graduate certificate teaches basic knowledge and skills to support self care through the incorporation of herbs into food preparation and a healthy diet.

“Tai Sophia’s new herbal graduate certificates are delivered by an internationally recognized faculty and address the clear need for education about herbs and herbal supplements at all levels, as evidenced by the $5 billion and still-growing herbal products industry,” explained Broida. “Health and wellness coaching are considered to be among the top, cutting-edge health-care careers for the next decade.”

Prospective students can learn more about all of Tai Sophia’s graduate programs at open houses on January 23 and March 20 and at an Herb Walk/Herbal Program Information Session on April 7. For more information and to register for these events, contact Graduate Admissions at 410-888-9048 ext. 6647 or admissions(at)tai(dot)edu.

About Tai Sophia Institute

Tai Sophia Institute, a private, nonprofit academic institution based in Laurel, MD, is a leading center for wellness-based education, client care and public policy discourse. Tai Sophia Institute is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In addition to the five new graduate certificate programs, Tai Sophia offers the nation’s first accredited Master of Acupuncture, the nation’s first and only Master of Science in Herbal Medicine, and the innovative Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change.

Founded in 1974 in Columbia, MD, and first opening the doors of its healing arts clinic in 1975, Tai Sophia Institute has evolved into a diverse health and wellness resource, providing accredited graduate academic programs, continuing professional education, community wellness programs, and clinical services in acupuncture, nutrition counseling, herbal medicine, and more through its Natural Care Center. The Institute’s 12-acre main campus also houses a bookstore, a library, herb and meditation gardens, and the Himmelfarb Gallery — all of which are open to the public.

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Diabetes Sufferers Find Control-sugarbloodlevels.com a Great Source of Information and Herbal Supplements

Elevated glucose, better known as diabetes, has reached epidemic proportions across the nation and the world. Control-sugarbloodlevels.com, designed by MPC Unlimited, LLC, was launched specifically to be the best one-stop site for necessary, factual information and the best, most effective supplements available on the market place Â? at a fraction of the cost of the big market stores.

La Coste, TX (PRWEB) March 17, 2009 -

sugarbloodlevels.com, a new site designed to give diabetes suffers the best diabetes supplements on the market place with complete information on each one. Furthermore, control-sugarbloodlevels.com is designed to offer these supplements at a fraction of the cost of the traditional stores.

Control-sugarbloodlevels.com has two key components to the site. The first is providing the best, most complete list of herbal supplements to purchase at inexpensive prices on the market. Herbal supplements are taking the lead as an alternative medicine to help achieve and maintain healthy normal sugar blood levels

Herbal supplements are safe with relatively no side effects even after prolong use, and are safe for children and young teenagers. The design of supplements is to be one aspect of a complete diet and exercise regiment, including walking or running with a well-developed diet.

The use of herbal supplements with a well plan and balance diet in combination with a well-developed and structured health fitness program will not only help and maintain proper sugar blood levels, but herbal supplements can also help users lower triglycerides which in turn provide for a healthy heart.
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New Line of Medicinal Herbal Tea Added to Natural Health Site AllAlternativeMedicine.com

AllAlternativeMedicine.com expands distribution of medicinal herbal teas with a new line of medicinal kosher herbal tea from Israel. In addition to medicinal teas, the Web site also features an array of natural health products and natural herbal remedies.

Staten Island, NY (PRWEB) May 16, 2009

Leading natural health site All Alternative Medicine Products LLC. announces its new line of medicinal kosher herbal tea from Israel, now available at the company’s Web site, AllAlternativeMedicine.com. The list of unique teas includes medicinal herbal tea for diabetes, allergies, insomnia, body and liver cleansing and detoxification, anxiety, laxative and digestion.

All Alternative Medicine Products, LLC. presents natural herbal remedies (medicinal herbal teas, pills, rubs, creams and other remedies) for weight loss, panic attacks, depression, pain relief, immune system strengthening, cold and flu symptoms and more. The company also provides a variety of natural body and hair products.

All products are carefully picked from thousands available in the market, and are made in precise therapeutic dosage from natural herbal ingredients. Most of them are made in Israel and are kosher.

The number of visitors to AllAlternativeMedicine.com has been growing steadily since its start in 2008. AllAlternativeMedicine.com uses effective, convenient and simple ways to present useful information and products to visitors. Comprehensive information on diagnosis, symptoms and natural remedies are also presented on the website.

Natural health and herbal remedies are gaining more popularity in the United States. More then 80 million Americans acknowledge alternative medicine remedies for a variety of health conditions versus traditional medicine.

Visitors to AllAlternativeMedicine.com can easily find the products or the information they are looking for. It is just one click away form the main page. Visitors can feel confident using the All Alternative Medicine products and natural remedies.

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Groundbreaking Symposium on Regulation of Herbal Medicines Planned

ACES, the Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies will present a one-day symposium titled “To Regulate or Not to Regulate: The Approach for Herbal Medicines.” This groundbreaking symposium brings together, for the first time, herbal practitioners, scientists, and the federal government, to give serious consideration to the pros and cons of regulation of medicines derived from plant materials.

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) April 11, 2008

ACES, the Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies will present a one-day symposium titled “To Regulate or Not to Regulate: The Approach for Herbal Medicines.”

This groundbreaking symposium brings together, for the first time, herbal practitioners, scientists, and the federal government, to give serious consideration to the pros and cons of regulation of medicines derived from plant materials.

The one-day symposium will be held from 9:30 A.M. to 6 P.M. on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, on UMBI’s Shady Grove Campus, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville MD. The registration fee of $20.00 will include lunch. Please RSVP to Meg Brewer, brewer@umbi.umd.edu, (240) 314-6274.

Herbal medicines, derived from plant materials, are a major component of traditional medicines, also known as complementary or alternative medicine. The World Health Organization estimates that the growing global market for herbal medicines currently exceeds $60 billion.

The roles played by government in promoting safe and effective use of herbal medicines currently differs dramatically between the United States and Europe. In several European countries, herbal preparations are standardized and quality-controlled in much the same way as pharmaceuticals. Approval of the safety and efficacy of such preparations is relatively rapid.

In the United States, in contrast, herbal preparations can only be marketed as food supplements, which means that they are not subject to the same sorts of standardization and quality control.

Consequently, herbal preparations have a very different status in the United States, as compared to Europe, These differences have major ramifications in terms of health and the economy.

Symposium at a Glance:

The first panel will consist of herbalists and practitioners who will share
with the audience their views on whether regulatory guidelines are needed or
not.

The second panel will feature scientists and physicians who are performing clinical trials on certain herbal remedies as therapeutics for human use.

Lunch time speaker, author Simon Mills will present the international view of the ever growing herbal supplement market and how other countries are dealing with the issue of regulatory guidelines in this field.

The third and final panel is the federal perspective that will cover current thinking and barriers as viewed by members from the FDA, NIH, USDA and NIST – all who have input on developing regulatory guidelines and standards for the use of herbal medicines.

Mr. Robert Duggan, President of the Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts will present the keynote speech, titled “Perspectives on Herbal Medicine: Where do we go from here?”

About ACES:
The Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies (ACES) is a new partnership of Frostburg State University, West Virginia University, and UMBI, the biotechnology institution of the University System of Maryland. ACES’ mission is to study native plants with medicinal or other useful properties, to promote conservation of those plants and Appalachian ecosystems as a whole, to preserve Appalachian culture as it relates to wild plant harvesting and traditional use, and to work with local businesses to bring economic benefits to the region from managed development of botanical resources.

For more information about ACES, please contact Linda Steele at 301-687-4137.
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All Natural Herbal Products to Treat Baldness and for Hair Loss Treatment Now Available in the U.S.

All-natural herbal products to treat baldness and to prevent hair loss from international leader in hair loss industry – 101 Hair Group now are available in the U.S. market. Our scientific formulas are based on a number of Chinese philosophical frameworks, including Yin-Yang, Five Elements, the Meridian system, and Zang Fu organ theory. Our natural products are the most effective and nontoxic way for hair loss treatment for men, as well as for female hair loss cures.

Redwood City, CA (PRWEB) November 13, 2007

101 Hair Group is pleased to announce that its all-natural herbal products for hair loss treatment are now available in the U.S. market.

Based on well researched scientific methods, 101 Hair Group’s products fill a needed market for Americans suffering from hair loss. Our herbal tonics, herbal shampoo, and herbal treatment essences can help anyone dissatisfied with hair loss, including those scared by the side effects of medications, those who want to avoid surgical procedures, and those who dislike the awkwardness and discomfort of wigs and hair pieces.

A pioneer in natural hair-loss treatments using herbs, 101 Hair Group studied the ancient Chinese medical traditions, assembled more than 100 different tonifying herbs, and refined and bottled them using modern technology. The formulas are based on numerous philosophies, including Yin-Yang, Five Elements, the Meridian system, and Zang Fu organ theory.

For example, according to Yin-Yang theory, hair loss is caused by a deficiency in kidney energy (Qi). Kidneys store congenital energy (Qi), which regulates the blood and regeneration of energy (Qi). When the flow of Qi is impeded and the energy channels are blocked, the head and extremities, including hair, are affected. Herbal treatments that include Radix Ginseng, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, and Radix Astraqali re-establish the natural flow and movement of Qi, helping hair growth.

How to stop hair loss? Our herbal formulas are the most effective and nontoxic products on the market to treat baldness and to stop hair loss, both for male and female hair loss.

ZhangGuang 101 Hair Group is the leading natural herbal solution provider for the hair-loss industry. 101 Hair Group has USD $140 million in fixed assets and 2500 consulting and service stores worldwide, including those in Japan, Canada, England, Australia, and more than 65 countries.

All products of 101 Hair Group have been certified by ISO 9000 and GMP standard.
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National Survey by Chi Herbal Finds 90% of Endurance Athletes Will Injure Themselves This Year

Chi Herbal, in conjunction with Active.com, conducted a nationwide survey of over 500 competitive runners, cyclists, and triathletes that found 9 out 10 sustained injury in a given year. Considering factors such as age, level of competition, warm up routines and money spent on nutrition, supplements and equipment, the survey revealed intriguing findings about injuries and injury prevention.

Sudbury, MA (PRWEB) April 4, 2006

The Chi Herbal Injury Index just released found that 9 out of 10 competitive runners, cyclists and triathletes sustained injury last year. Surprisingly, the injury rate remained constant regardless of age, gender, injury prevention strategies and spending on equipment and nutrition. Even those who spent more than 20 minutes daily on injury prevention sustained injuries 90 percent of the time.

Sponsored by Chi Herbal, a provider of time-tested, natural products that help athletes speed recovery, prevent injury, and maintain a healthy condition, and Active.com, one of the Web’s most popular resources for active lifestyles, the Chi Herbal Injury Index surveyed 510 competitive athletes nationwide. Paramount to a successful year is good health, but as endurance athletes ramp up their spring training for the season ahead, the odds are against making it through the season without some sort of problem: of athletes surveyed, 24 percent missed more than a month last year because of injury, with 50 percent missing two weeks or more.

Endurance training is a mental and physical challenge, repetitive by nature. The stress on particular joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments is analogous to folding a piece of paper on the same line several hundred times. Eventually the paper will tear along that line. According to the survey, athletes most often reported pain in their knees (49 percent), lower back (38 percent) and hips (26 percent). Notably, athletes reported getting injured despite 70 percent stretching before and 79 percent stretching after training.

“Good shoes and equipment, sound nutrition, proper stretching are important, but not the only keys to injury prevention, especially given the daily stress competitive endurance athletes put on their joints and muscles,” says Rob Lucier, cofounder, Chi Herbal. “Chi Herbal’s formulas help joints and muscles recover from stress quickly and effectively. Our completely natural formulas have been used in East Asia for centuries and now by top athletes here in the U.S.”

Chi Herbal’s topical products improve and balance a person’s Chi (pronounced chee), an East Asian term for the life energy that flows through the body. When Chi moves smoothly the body stays balanced, readily heals and functions optimally. Blocked or stagnant Chi decreases ability, limits recovery and reduces strength, often resulting in inflammation, pain or injury.

Extreme repetitive use or a shock to the body such as a sprain or muscle pull causes micro-tears, ruptures and other stressors that disrupt blood and Chi circulation. Chi Herbal topical formulas harmonize these stresses by increasing circulation and oxygenation and removing toxins, thereby decreasing swelling and pain and increasing function and strength. As a result, the unblocked energy channels (meridians) enable quicker recovery from daily strains or injury.

“Last summer I sustained a calf injury that sidelined me for nearly a month. Initially, I suspected it was simply a calf strain, but after more than a week of severe pain I needed something else. I tried the Athletic Herbal Wrap. The next day nearly all pain in my calf subsided and I began training on my bike. I was running within a week and have been virtually pain free since,” says Jason Johnson, marathoner, triathlete and Director of Business Development, Active Marketing Group. “Chi Herbal products give athletes a better way to recover quickly and prevent injuries to their joints and muscles so they can stay healthy through an entire season.”

Visit the Chi Herbal Injury Index for more detailed information.

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Natural Remedies On The Rise

Citing concerns about side effects of traditional medicine, more Americans are taking the natural road to health and wellness with herbal remedies.

Columbia, MD (PRWEB) February 3, 2006

In this town close to the famed NIH (National Institutes of Health), where all research for traditional medications and clinical trials for new medications begins, the tide is beginning to turn in favor of natural and herbal remedies.

Disclosures have made in the past year of dangerous side effects of medications previously thought to be safe, such as Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra (pain medications), Accutane (acne medication), Prempro (Hormone Replacement Therapy – for menopause symptoms) and now Ortho-Evra (birth control patch). The Federal Drug Administration, or FDA, publishes information on recalled prescription medications or new medication warnings on their website. These revelations have led to increased consumer awareness about the safety of traditional prescription medications and less willingness by the public to take them. As a result, 5 out of 10 Americans are seeking out natural remedies to cure or manage their illnesses.

When Christine Ellstein started taking HRT, she felt immediate relief from her debilitating symptoms. “I had hot flashes like you wouldn’t believe,” she said. “I was irritable all the time – you can’t imagine how miserable I felt. And this was every day.” She recalls finding out from her doctor that, because of the medical risks of HRT, she should stop taking the drug. “I was absolutely devastated,” she says. “I couldn’t imagine going a whole day with those kinds of symptoms, let alone a week or month.” That’s when she began doing research on herbal remedies. She settled on a natural remedy containing a soy product that she found at http://www.resolts.com, and hasn’t looked back since. “I was so skeptical at first,” she says, “but the product really worked. I wouldn’t go back to prescription medication for anything.”

Christine’s is but one of thousands of people that have tried natural remedies with good results. Some people take herbal remedies not because of a medication warning, but because they say they just don’t trust that anyone knows what the long term effects of prescription medications will be.

If you are considering taking an herbal remedy for a medical condition:

1. Do your homework. Look for statistics and testimonials about the natural remedy on the Internet or in the Library. Ask your friends or someone you trust for their opinion.

2. Consult your doctor. Let him or her know your concerns about traditional medications and that you are considering an herbal remedy. Be aware that some doctors will not support you and be prepared to seek a second opinion if need be.

3. Once you decide on a natural remedy, pay attention to your body. If you don’t feel well when you take one, stop immediately and consult your doctor.

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Hot Flashes? Night Sweats? A New Herbal Supplement May Help Eliminate Them

Biotrex(R) created Keishi+(TM) a hormonal support supplement consisting of herbal ingredients from Japanese, Chinese and Native American cultures combined into one easy-to-take tablet.

Huntington, NY (PRWEB) August 7, 2006

Hot flashes are the most common complaint of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Approximately 10-20% of postmenopausal women find such symptoms nearly intolerable. Hot flashes can make your life miserable but luckily for most women, they do go away on their own, usually within six months to a year. Nearly one-third of postmenopausal women experience disruptive hot flashes for 5 years after natural menopause and approximately 20% experience hot flashes for 15 years. That’s an awfully long time to endure uncomfortable hot flashes.

In other parts of the world, women have been relieving hot flashes for centuries using herbs! For the past 2,000 years Japanese women have been controlling their hot flashes with keishi bukuryo gan – a concoction of four herbs, along with a kind of mushroom, drunk as a tea. Unlike hormone replacement therapy, the Japanese herbal concoction seems to have few side effects. The Chinese also create herbal blends which they use to minimize hot flashes.

In the United States, Native American women have used Black Cohosh to reduce hot flashes. Black Cohosh is the best studied alternative herbal remedy for hot flashes. Biotrex(R) created Keishi+(TM) a hormonal support supplement consisting of herbal ingredients from Japanese, Chinese and Native American cultures combined into one easy-to-take tablet. Five botanicals from the 2,000-year-old Japanese Keishi Bukuryo Gan formula are combined with time-tested Chinese and Native American herbals and roots – 18 herbal ingredients in all – in what Biotrex believes to be the most complete hormonal support supplement available.

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Professional Herbalist Training Program Now Being Offered in Tampa Bay

Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies now offers a professional herbalist training program, beginning August 21, 2004. This will be the first program in the Tampa Bay area and will offer a supervised herbal student clinic at reduced rates for clients.

(PRWEB) May 22, 2004

Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies now offers a professional herbalist training program, beginning August 21, 2004. It is one of the few herbal training programs in the nation with a supervised, hands-on herbal intern clinic. Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies designed the program to be a stepping stone toward professional membership with the American Herbalists Guild. Students will have access to an on-site Chinese and western herbal pharmacy with more than 300 raw herbs and 100 patent formulas.

Training will provide students with a working knowledge of the traditional and modern uses of herbs from around the world with a focus on using traditional Chinese herbal systems to promote balance, health and wellness. These skills will allow dedicated students to work with the general public to promote health and wellness through lifestyle, diet and herbal formulation. Additionally, this yearlong course will prepare students to design herbal formulas and topical solutions; create herbal product lines; consult with medical professionals; and work with established herbal companies.

Enrollment is limited to 15 students. Tuition for the yearlong training is $4,500 and includes 425 classroom hours and 175 supervised clinical hours. Classes are conveniently scheduled for evenings and weekends. To learn more details about this new professional herbalist training program, visit Acupuncture & Herbal TherapiesÂ? open house on June 26 from 10a.m.- noon.

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Website challenges FDA ban on herbal remedies

Resistance to governmental control of natural herbal remedies is heating up on a website dedicated to preserving American’s rights to purchase and consume herbal products, particularly the much misrepresented herbal product, ephedra.

(PRWEB) January 26, 2004

In response to the FDA’s attempt to conduct the first-ever ban of a herbal dietary supplement, ephedra, public outcry is being heard loud and clear on the forum page of ephedra.com.

Since the FDA’s announcement of the intended ban of all dietary supplements containing the herb ephedra, a flood comments supporting the continued marketing of ephedra have been pouring into the website. Members of the ephedra.com forum are presenting mounds of information both contesting the alleged danger of ephedra, discrediting numerous studies, including those contracted for the FDA by the Rand Corporation, and providing information and research that clearly support ephedra, a herb that has been used for nearly 5000 years in China, as a safe product.

The FDA is being verbally pounded by ephedra.com forum members against the FDA for supporting unfair bias against dietary supplements in collaboration with the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a body of experts whose members are substantially comprised of pharmaceutical company executives. Other allegations being made on the website include the FDA’s use of ephedra’s unfair allotment of bad press with the eventual intent to regulate vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbal and various other nutritional supplements with the eventual intent to institute a system like the one in the UK, where many supplements have been banned or reduced to a point that many consumers feel that they are no longer effective. These public opinions only add to the sting of criticism by Chinese medical practitioners, who are ridiculing American’s for our ignorance of the safe use of herbal products and our public embrace of the hype surrounding ephedra.

“I can’t imagine how stupid the Americans must be,” said Chinese Herbal Safety Committee spokesperson Zhou Li Quing. “We’ve had this

stuff for like 5000 years. The Americans get it for a few decades and screw it all up. Morons.”

Members of the website forum at ephedra.com, contend that they have used the herb safely and with few, if any, side effects. Others are hoping to find a replacement for the ephedra containing supplements in the hope of fighting obesity and other conditions such as asthma.

Whether supported by the public or not, the FDA ban on ephedra containing herb products, excluding Chinese traditional herbal remedies and herbal teas, is due to begin in March, if the action passes congressional review.

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Cure for Common Cold Announced

Centuries-old secret Chinese herbal remedy introduced in America.

BERKELEY, CA (PRWEB) October 17, 2006

It may be Asia’s best-kept secret. Millions in China have cured their colds with an ancient herbal mixture virtually unknown in America. Today, Dr. Shen, a Chinese herb company in Berkeley, California announced the introduction of this cure in the United States.

The formula, available under the names YIN CHIAO and COLDSTOP, is a mixture of nine herbs such as honeysuckle and forsythia. It has been taken as a tea in China for over two hundred years according to Dr. Shen’s spokesman, Joel Harvey. “It was first documented in 1798 in China by Dr. Wuju Tong, but people were using it long before that. Yet, it was never shared with the Western world.”

Realizing that most Americans are not inclined to drink Chinese herbal brews, the company has packaged the mixture into pill form. DR. SHEN’S YIN CHIAO is now available through many vitamin and natural food stores, including most Whole Foods and Wild Oats Markets, as well as on the company’s website, WWW.DRSHEN.COM.

Harvey, an acupuncturist and co-founder of the Dr Shen line, was amazed when he and his family first tried Yin Chiao-ColdStop. “It worked for all of us – immediately, unmistakably. I thought, Why is this a secret? Why didn’t anyone ever tell us about this? We started Dr. Shen to share these kinds of secrets with the world.”

The company is hosting a series of free public classes on how Chinese herbs can be used to solve simple medical problems. The series, entitled Chinese Herbs: OLD IS GOOD, will meet on alternate Sundays in Berkeley, California. The first free class, Stopping, Relieving, and Preventing the Common Cold is being held on:

Sunday, November 19th, 11 a.m.

at Shen Herb

2322 5th St,

Berkeley, CA 94710.

Call 510-848-4372 for reservations as seating is limited.

More information is available at:

http://www.drshen.com/herbclass.htm

About Dr. Shen

Founded in 1991, Dr. Shen has grown from a local Berkeley acupuncture clinic to America’s largest manufacturer of authentic Chinese herbal products for the retail market. The company currently offers 15 different Chinese herbal remedies for allergies, hair loss, stress, menopause, and other problems. All of the company’s formulas have been in use for hundreds of years, displaying a long record of safety and effectiveness. Dr. Shen products are manufactured, tested and packaged in the United States under strict quality control GMP guidelines, and are available at http://www.drshen.com, as well as the shelves of many natural food and vitamin stores throughout the U.S.