Articles Written By: Todd

Nearing Equality: Gender Pay Gap is Eroding

Date: June 14, 2013  Author: Todd 25 views Leave a comment
Recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that women now earn 82 percent as much as men, up from 64 percent in 1980. This latest figure represents median annual earnings for full-time, year-round workers, including self-employed, but not seasonal workers.
 
Progress has also been made in gender segregation within the labor market, with many previously male-dominated fields including law, banking, medicine and civil service jobs such as bus drivers and mail carriers opening up to women. In 2012, President Obama cited his signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as a second-term issue for addressing gender discrimination.
 

Camp Revamped: Anti-Bullying Tenets Enhance Summer Fun

Date: June 13, 2013  Author: Todd 20 views Leave a comment
Summer camp counselor and children with catamaran
Many summer camps have taken steps to prevent bullying, reflecting mainstream trends. Attendees at Camp Dark Waters, a Medford, New Jersey, residential camp for ages 7 through 16 founded on Quaker principles, are asked to abide by a list of Anti-Bullying Campers’ Rights:
 
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with kindness. No one will laugh at me, ignore me or hurt my feelings.
 
I have the right to be myself. No one will treat me unfairly because I am fat or thin, fast or slow, strong or weak, boy or girl. I am different because I am myself.
 
I have the right to be safe. No one will hit, kick, push or pinch me. I will be free from physical threats.
 
I have the right to hear and be heard. No one will yell, scream or shout and my opinions and desires will be considered in any plans we make.
 
I have the right to learn about myself. I will be free to express my feelings and opinions without being interrupted or punished.
 
Bullying campers are warned, and if they fail to honor these rights, they’ll be sent home.
 
 

Honoring Veterans: Helping Troops Return Home to Meaningful Work

Date: June 13, 2013  Author: Todd 29 views Leave a comment
GB_0513_VeteransCouple
Colin and Karen Archipley, owners of Archi’s Acres, in Escondido, California, celebrate Memorial Day daily by helping combat vets return home to a fresh start doing meaningful work through their Veteran Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT) program. Established in 2007, they can now list 160 ongoing agribusinesses nationwide led by program graduates. “This instills confidence in the veterans as together, we tap into their abilities to adapt and overcome, to take on a challenge and to know themselves and seek improvement,” says Colin, who served with the Marine Corps.
 
This year, the couple is expanding the program by launching 10 one-acre certified-organic hydroponic greenhouses as incubators sparking future VSAT-graduate businesses.
 
For information, call 800-933-5234, email Karen@ArchisAcres.com or visit ArchisAcres.com.
 

Calm Restless Legs Naturally

Date: June 12, 2013  Author: Todd 56 views Leave a comment
HB_Image_Natures Rite_Restless Legs 2
Restless Legs Syndrome (RSL) can wake both sufferers and their partners at night, and more people suffer than realize it. Even when both continue to doze through a bout of restlessness, it hampers the quality of sleep and can cause them to begin the day fatigued. Some people only notice that a problem exists by its absence―when a vacation or business trip prompts sleeping in separate beds, the calmer partner will enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.

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Love Your Liver

Date: June 12, 2013  Author: Todd 45 views Leave a comment
HB_Image_Bell Lifestyle
When it comes to achieving good health, taking care of your liver should be a top priority. After all, the liver is the central processing department of the body; responsible for hundreds of functions that impact your hormonal health, nutrition, digestion, cholesterol levels and more. 

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Fewer Scans May Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Date: June 12, 2013  Author: Todd 44 views Leave a comment
HB_0513_BreastCancer
While screening for breast cancer is important, women should avoid unnecessary medical imaging, according to a recent report issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) which identified two factors that increased the risk for the disease: post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy and radiation exposure from medical imaging.
 
Physician Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco, who contributed to the IOM report, notes that CT scans and other forms of medical imaging have revolutionized medicine and can be lifesaving. However, she recommends that women engage their doctors in the decision-making process and discuss the necessity and safety of all potential radiological scans.

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The Life Oasis Educates, Empowers and Inspires

Date: June 11, 2013  Author: Todd 51 views Leave a comment
NB_Image_Life Oasis
The Life Oasis, a business and life solution center that serves as a resource by providing workshops, classes and private consultations, recently opened its doors in South Bay. The basis of their method is the belief that business and personal aspects of life share a symbiotic relationship. As a result, they encourage taking a balanced approach to development.

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The Exercise Advantage

Date: June 11, 2013  Author: Todd 58 views Leave a comment
HB_0513_WalkingShoes
Taking a brisk walk or bike ride may stave off cognitive decline better than reaching for the daily crossword puzzle, says a new study published in the journal Neurology. Researchers at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh reviewed the medical records of more than 600 Scots born in 1936 that were given MRI scans at age 73.
 
“People in their 70s that participated in more physical exercise, including walking several times a week, had less brain shrinkage and other signs of aging in the brain than those who were less physically active,” says study author Alan J. Gow, Ph.D.
 
Surprisingly, the study showed that participating in mentally and socially stimulating activities, such as visiting family and friends, reading or even learning a new language, did little to ward off the symptoms of an aging brain. Study participants will undergo a second MRI scan at age 76, and researchers plan to compare the two scans to see if the links between exercise and better brain health hold up.
 

Natural Oils Lower Cholesterol

Date: June 10, 2013  Author: Todd 56 views Leave a comment
Oil difference
According to new data presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions, people that switched to cooking with a blend of sesame and rice bran oils experienced noteworthy drops in blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels. The 60-day study in New Delhi, India, involved 300 participants and showed that cooking with a combination of these oils in a variety of ways worked nearly as well as a commonly prescribed high blood pressure medication.
 

Yoga Reduces Depression in Pregnant Women

Date: June 10, 2013  Author: Todd 56 views Leave a comment
Pregnant woman sitting with closed eye and doing yoga.
Pregnancy hormones are known to cause myriad physical and emotional symptoms, including unexplainable mood swings. The fluctuations are more serious for one in five expectant moms because they also experience major depression. Now, a groundbreaking study by the University of Michigan offers new hope. Pregnant women identified as psychiatrically high-risk that participated in a 10-week mindfulness yoga intervention experienced significant reductions in their depressive symptoms. Mothers-to-be also reported stronger attachment to their babies in the womb.