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Better Living Through Well BeingHelping to verify the adage “laughter is the best medicine,” numerous scientific studies done in a clinical setting support the benefits of humor therapy. Studies done at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1989 showed that laughter stimulates the immune system, counteracting the immunosuppressive effects of stress. Modern humor therapy dates from the 1930s when clowns were brought into hospitals to cheer up children hospitalized with polio. Since then, laughter has been shown by science to release tension in the diaphragm and relieve pressure on the liver and other internal organs. It helps balance the body’s natural energy fields or auras, and people who have developed a strong sense of humor generally have a better sense of well-being and control in their lives. Patients can also help themselves to heal by adding more humor and laughter to their lives.Nonprofit founder and amateur comic, Peter Eichler, is spreading information and hope about Asberger’s syndrome through his stand up comedy routine at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. His organization encourages creativity, relaxation, and humor as a form of therapy, so he felt doing stand up comedy would be leading by example. Eichler’s own ‘aha’ moment came when he was 40. Insight into symptoms he had struggled with all his life seemed to fall into place when he learned of his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. Both his infant son and his birth father (he had been adopted) carried the same diagnosis. “There were three generations pointing the proverbial finger of Asperger’s right in my face,” said Eichler. He describes the revelation as “both liberating and nauseating at the same time.” Having also just lost his electronics contracting business in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina, he was ready to channel his passion and energy in a new direction. At that point, he dedicated himself to understanding the psychology of Asperger’s syndrome, and exploring therapies and possibilities for a better quality of life. Eichler says he hopes to communicate with others who share his condition and demonstrate that with proper support and therapy, they can lead a full life that includes creativity, laughter, and strong social bonds. He offers his own experiences as living proof that people with Asberger’s syndrome can not only survive, but thrive. Other articles in this Winter 2012 TMIS eNewsletter: A new research institute report lists ten health technology issues that hospital leaders should have on their watch lists for 2012. The list reflects the unbiased, independent judgment of the ECRI Institute’s multidisciplinary staff of clinical and technical researchers, engineers, risk management specialists, and healthcare planners and consultants. Hospital Technology Issues for 2012: 1. Electronic Health Records: Is your Hospital Making All the Right Connections? 2. Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery: Will Bariatric Services in Your Hospital Need to Expand to Meet the Needs of an Expanding Patient Population? 3. Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: Is Leapfrogging from Film to 3-D Digital Mammography the Right Decision? 4. New CT Radiation Reduction Technologies: Are You Doing Enough to Slice the Dose and the Risk? 5. Transcatheter Heart Valve Implantation: Is Your Hospital Prepared for a Surge in Demand for Hybrid Operating Rooms? 6. Robot-assisted Surgery: Are Costly Robot Wars Coming to Your Operating Room? 7. New Cardiac Stent Developments: Are New Devices on the Horizon Signaling a Personalized Treatment Trend for Coronary Artery Disease? 8. Ultrahigh-field-strength MRI Systems: What is the Big Attraction? 9. Personalized Therapeutic Vaccines for Cancer: Is Your Oncology Service Ready for Costly Implications? 10. Proton Beam Radiation Therapy: Should It Be Part of Your Strategic Plan? The complete 32-page white paper, including overviews and perspectives, can be downloaded for free at www.ecri.org/2012watchlist . *********************************** Acutely aware of the impact of the impending doubling of its senior citizen population, the State of Virginia has completed a statewide survey that examines the views of its seniors and baby boomers on aging. The results of this survey of 5,000 Virginians aged 50 to 105 suggest that the boomers will bring different perspectives and expectations to their senior years and will likely redefine what it means to grow older in the state. Older Virginians (65+) feel more prepared to navigate the challenges of aging than do the boomers (ages 50-64). Far fewer boomers believe their community is prepared to meet the needs and lifestyles of an older population than do the older Virginians. The state’s Agencies on Aging plan to continue to work in partnership with the Virginia Department on Aging to conduct the survey every three years to follow the transition of boomers into their senior years and help work to ensure residents the best place to live, work, and play at any age.*********************************** World-renowned integrative doctor, Dr. Isaac Eliaz, shared the latest research on the role of Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) in the treatment of cancer at the International Oncology Conference. He explained specifically how MCP directly attacks cancer by binding to galectin-3 molecules (“sticky” surface molecules that promote angiogenesis and metastasis) and blocking their harmful effects, so cancer cells cannot spread and grow. “Over the last decade, a large body of peer-reviewed research has revealed that many of our most serious health concerns are associated with elevated levels of galectin-3 molecules. Modified Citrus Pectin, derived from citrus peels, is the only proven natural galectin-3 inhibitor and thus offers a powerful and all-natural way to address elevated galectin-3 for cancer, metastasis, and other chronic life threatening illnesses.” said Dr. Eliaz.This is how MCP works: Food-grade pectin is a complex carbohydrate, a soluble form of fiber, and is not digested by humans. However, when citrus pectin is modified to reduce the length of the fiber chains and the amount of bulky cross-linking side groups, it can be made absorbable. As a result, MCP enters the circulatory system and reached targeted areas of the body. Dr. Eliaz, who is considered the leading expert in the field of Modified Citrus Pectin research, having used MCP in his clinical practice for over 15 years, presented recent research on the highly successful treatment of breast and prostate cancers using MCP. *********************************** I am grateful to be in a collaborative business with many talented and skilled professionals. Additional feedback and recommendations for our products and services at TM Information Services are always welcome. - Mary M. McLaughlin
Better Living Through Well Being
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