Wny Health Magazine 01 04 2015 by Community Papers of WNY

COMPLIMENTARY

PO W

Y. c

JANUARY 2015

Community Papers

of Western New York, LLC

wnyhealthmag.com

contents

welcome

2015

in this issue...

features

3 37 Ways to Kick-Start

22 Animal Conservation

7 Living to 100:

24 Help Your Pets

Your New Year

What’s the Secret

Clutter Leads to Chaos Make a Clean Sweep

6 9 17 34

On Being Silent Meditation can help you to learn about the silence within

by Spaying and Neutering

Habits:

How They Form & How to Break Them

26 Risky Mistakes Pet Owners Make

editors ’ corner Dear Valued Reader:

Meet Sampson The Buffalo Zoo’s New Baby

A Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes

We’re Online: w WNYHealthMag.com facebook.com/wnyhealth pinterest.com/wnyhealth2004

t @WNYHealthMag All content within WNY Health©, is provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. WNY Health© is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of WNY Health©. wnyhealthmag.com is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advice on any of the sites. Always consult your own medical practitioner if you are in any way concerned about your health.

Take the Pledge

This issue of WNY Health© is dedicated to animal conservation. We would like to thank the Buffalo Zoo for partnering with Community Papers of WNY and WNY Health© magazine. This partnership seeks to improve upon our understanding and participation in creating a better world and environment for all animal species. Such improved understanding includes greater support for rescued animals, contributing to research and conservation efforts of watch-list and endangered species, and ultimately doing our part as a responsible and caring community. The Buffalo Zoo is not only a venue for family recreation, but a venue that is accredited by the Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums. This accreditation speaks not only to the exceptional care that is put into the health and well-being of over 150 represented species, but also to the Zoo’s dedication to education and conservation efforts. More often than not, as you will learn in this issue, an institution like the Buffalo Zoo is the best and sometimes only means to ensure the continued existence of many species currently endangered as a result of human action or inaction. While we are highlighting the Zoo’s newest addition Sampson the giraffe, he is intended to be the face of, countless species around the globe that are fighting for their survival. Finally WNY Community Papers and WNY Health© thank you, the readers, for taking the time to learn about these important issues which affect our ability to have a healthy and balanced global community. Through our research, we learned that the Buffalo Zoo is so much more than simply the Wildest Place in Town.

Dr. Janet Gane

Celebrating 2015 with

37 Ways to Kick-Start Your New Year Excerpts taken from Success.com

Expand your thinking with new experiences.

hat are you going to do now to make sure you have your best year ever? What one thing will mean the difference in actually achieving your goals rather than chalking them up to yet another year’s unfulfilled resolutions? Try a few of these recommendations in 2015:

Each month for 30 days in a row, commit to doing something new that you have thought about doing, but have not done, and notice how it affects your life. Some possibilities: do aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, listen to only positive music, don’t read the newspaper, stop watching television, eat only vegetarian or raw food, verbally appreciate at least 10 people a day, get eight hours of sleep, meditate

for 20 minutes, visualize your goals as already complete, do 20 minutes of yoga, read a self-help book every morning for 30 minutes, plan your next day’s schedule and prioritized to-do list before you leave work, do five things every day that forward your No. 1 goal, spend an hour with your spouse, call one of your children on the phone, write a handwritten thank-you note to someone, drink 10 glasses of water, take a nap, listen to a motivational CD on the way to work. © WNY Health|January 2015

that you need to break out into a brilliant new future. —Srikumar Rao, professor teaching personal mastery and the best-selling author of Are You Ready to Succeed?

Find a mentor.

Write letters to three people in your life, to let them know what they mean to you.

START A BUSINES PLAN

If you’ve been sitting on a business idea for a while and haven’t acted on it, it’s time to do something about it. Write down your ideas and start working on a business plan. If you don’t know how, buy a book on starting a business and read it, or check the Internet for tips.

Make a commitment to fitness. Don’t just make a resolution and join a fitness center you won’t see after February—make a commitment and build fitness into your schedule. Join a class at your fitness club, an exercise group or a team sport.

Find a volunteer opportunity at Volunteer.gov. America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal.

PRACTICE THE ONE-ADAY PRINCIPLE. You can’t delight everybody all the time but you can do something extraordinary for someone each day. Find a customer, colleague, relative or a friend each day and do something remarkable. Using the one-a-day principle will make your business and life remarkable.— Mark Sanborn, leadership development speaker and author of the best-selling book The Encore Effect

Increase your awareness of your thoughts. Become aware of what leaves your mouth. Words have power! As you develop a keen awareness of your communication, you become empowered to purposefully choose language that inspires and empowers you to realize your vision. If you catch yourself speaking about limitations or problems, give yourself the chance to look for solutions and possibilities. Holding yourself to a higher standard in your choice of language is key to achieving consistent outstanding results. —Niurka, speaker, author, entrepreneur, trainer

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Take stock and charge forward. Ask yourself: What battles did I fight and not win last year? Are any of those battles worth continuing?

15 16

Schedule family time.

Set up a schedule that is devoted only to family. Maybe it’s playing a game with the kids twice a week or going to get ice cream.

LOSE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS. Quit worrying about trying to please everyone.

STOP USING THE “BAD THING” LABEL. Whenever something happens that is not in line with our desires, we get disappointed. We stick the label “bad thing” on it. And when we do, we experience it as such. In truth, we do not know whether something unexpected is “good” or “bad,” and we may never know. When Greyston Bakery filled its first order for brownies for Ben & Jerry’s, the thin brownie sheets stuck together in 50-pound lumps and could not be separated. You could certainly label this a “bad thing.” But Ben pondered what to do and ultimately Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream was born— one of Ben & Jerry’s most popular products. So don’t stick a label “bad thing” on whatever happens to you that you don’t like initially. Who knows, that may be the very thing

Reach financial goals. Evaluate your cost-of-living expenses and see where you can cut back. Get a whole new hairstyle or haircut.

Keep friends close. Don’t let work schedules and family obligations get in the way. Reconnect the old-fashioned way by writing, sending cards throughout the year, and phone calls.

Create an environment fostering your success. You might not even realize to what extent you are influenced— negatively and positively—by things and people around you. Start a journal to keep track of these influences so you can eliminate the negative and increase the positive.

Write your top 10 goals for this year and post them where you can see them.

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY. Put the 80/20 rule to serious work, and focus on the 20 percent of your work that generates 80 percent of the revenue.

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Take daily steps toward achieving your long-term vision. Daily choices make a big difference in long-term happiness. Les Brown says, “Greatness is a choice; it’s not our destiny.” Break down your vision into daily, actionable goals that you can measure.

Refresh your network. Have a host of contacts you’ve lost touch with over the last few months? Pull up those numbers and refresh your network!

Automate bill payments.

Do something that scares you.

Be a student of all you do. You must become an expert in your field. How? Read! Ask questions of mentors and peers. Attend training. Start today by identifying areas for improvement, looking for training opportunities in your field, and signing up for seminars and webcasts, reading or listening to personal development material, seeking out people you would like to emulate and approaching those you’d like as your mentors. —Stedman Graham, speaker, entrepreneur and author of You Can Make It Happen: A NineStep Plan for Success

Have gratitude. Take a life inventory. How are your relationships with friends and family? How often do you laugh? Are you doing the things you love the most? Be sure to delight in all the amazing aspects of your life. —Sandra Bienkowski, SUCCESS columns editor

Stop smoking.

REVIEW YOUR EXPENSES AS A COUPLE. The first of the year is a great time for couples to sit down and take a good look at their financial goals and habits. Are you both on the same page about your long-term plan?

community project, invitation or event, we are also saying “no” to the serendipitous benefits that arise. Rather than waiting for these events to present themselves, start today by actively seeking opportunities to meet people, gather new ideas, learn more about your industry, and just connect and share.—Susan RoAne, networking expert, speaker and author of the best-selling How to Work a Room

Take a dance or fitness class.

Slow down to speed up. It’s easy to stay busy, moving as fast as you possibly can. But what’s the point of spending your days climbing a mountain, only to realize at the end of this new year, you’ve climbed the wrong one? The best business people are staggeringly focused on their vital few—those few priorities that will yield explosive results. And the way to build this type of business focus just might surprise you: Slow down. Think and build effective strategies that go the distance.

Clean out your closet and donate unwanted clothes to charity.

Schedule a regular date night on your calendar with your spouse.

Cut up credit cards.

31 32

Plan a trip to a place you have always wanted to go.

Write a not-to-do-list. There is a difference between being busy and being productive. What are you wasting time on? What are you doing that doesn’t produce revenue? Here’s a powerful exercise. In 15- to 30-minute increments, keep track of each of your activities during the workday. Do this for a week. Then annualize the total amount of time for each activity that doesn’t lead to a sale or increased cash flow. How much more would you make per year if you did not do those activities any longer? How much more free time would you have for family? For health? Put those things on your not-to-do-list and pay people to help you with the stuff that doesn’t produce the sales and lifestyle success you desire. —Todd Duncan, sales expert and author of the best- selling High Trust Selling: Make More Money in Less Time with Less Stress

SAY “YES” WHEN YOU WANT TO SAY “NO.” In this new year, we want to increase our possibilities, options, and opportunities. When we say “no” to a business, social or

Lower your blood pressure. Cut your sodium intake. The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 2,300 milligrams daily, which is about a teaspoon of salt. Some people—middle-aged and older adults, people with high blood pressure and African-Americans— need less than 1,500 milligrams per day, the AHA says. Start by reading product labels for sodium content. Be wary of processed foods and soups, sugar-free items; even raw poultry can contain added salt. Baking soda also contains about 1,000 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Ask restaurant servers for low-sodium options—you’d be surprised how eager they are to help. Look for low-sodium options, such as bread and deli items and, of course, fresh produce.

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Feature

Clutter Leads to Chaos – Make a Clean Sweep

rganizing your home, office, and even your life, can be overwhelming at times. The start of a new year is the perfect time to reorganize and purge the things you don’t need anymore. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it in the past year – get rid of it. That doesn’t mean you need to throw it out, donating items you don’t need anymore is a great alternative. Whether you’re just plain messy, a pack rat, an avid collector, or even on the hoarding spectrum – help is out there. Collaborative Therapy is a new approach to addressing the complex needs of the clutterer and hoarder. Clients can get assistance in removing excess items, identifying emotional and physical connections to objects, develop long-term solutions, and learn to

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make more effective decisions when de-cluttering. This type of therapy is especially useful in hoarding situations when the hoarder doesn’t recognize they have a problem. Compulsive hoarding is an anxiety disorder that makes it difficult to impossible for people to get rid of things. Severe hoarding can interfere with a person’s activities - such as cooking, cleaning, showering, and sleeping. Junk mail, containers, newspapers, and clothes are held onto long after they are useful. It’s not just objects that people hoard. Dogs, cats, and other animals can become victims as well. Hoarders often feel an emotional attachment to these items and fear there will be consequences

if they part with them.

being able to access the home.

Features of hoarding include: • Large amounts of clutter that create chaos in the home • Rooms that can no longer be used as they were intended • Moving through the home is difficult • Exits are blocked

The chart below, provided by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, shows the 5 levels of the hoarding scale. The ICD considers Level III as the pivot point between a household that might be assessed as cluttered, and a household that has deeper issues.

These types of extreme hoarding situations can cause safety hazards and even illness, not to mention keeping emergency personnel from

Source: Excerpts from Randy Frost, Ph.D. International OCD Foundation and Sherri Papich - The Institute for Challenging Disorganization.

Living to 100: What’s the secret? with for decades. How long are you likely to live? Will your later years be blessed by healthy aging or marred by a host of illnesses? Certainly, the answers to those questions rest partly with the genes you’ve inherited. Yet at the turn of the millennium, more than a third of deaths in America were tied to smoking, poor dietary choices, and inactivity.

tarting in the year 2012, 10,000 people a day will start turning 65. We are aging differently than previous generations, however. Physically and mentally, the health of today’s 70-year-old now equals that of a 65-year- old in the 1970s. In that period, deaths from heart disease and many cancers have dipped. And while most older adults have at least one chronic health problem, disability has slowly but significantly declined.

Our life expectancy continues to inch upward, a happy trend, although some wonder if we could be doing better, since the United States has been slipping downward in longevity rankings compared with many other countries. Infectious disease and acute illnesses, once the leading causes of death, have given way to chronic ailments and degenerative illnesses — like heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease — that people often live

pill, no secret potion can make us long-lived and healthy. But if you bring to your life appreciation and respect, and embrace aging with good humor, grace, vigor, and flexibility, you will — at the very least — be happy to grow old. Source: Harvard Medical School

This report attests that the actions you take today matter. Simple lifestyle choices have an enormous impact on your longevity and quality of life. What is essential for healthy aging? Full engagement with life. People who are curious, open, and eager to make connections with the world most enjoy the last decades of their lives. Even in the face of disabilities, these people seem to thrive and find joy despite their challenges. Depressed, anxious, or grumpy people in good health can also live long lives, but take far less pleasure in them. No magic

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Feature

On Being Silent

Doris Richardson-Edsell is a Licensed Registered Nurse, Certifications include: Basic Life Support: CPR and AED, Yoga for Therapeutic Rehabilitation, Silver and Fit Instructor Certificates, and a member of the National Exercise Trainers Association.

Meditation can help you to learn about the silence within By Doris Richardson-Edsell, Yoga teacher and medical nurse

There is something enriching about not speaking, especially for an entire day. When you are silent, things become clear in your mind, body, and soul, and then you get in touch with that deeper part of yourself. It is there right in front of you, but you do not always see your spiritual self that wants to take care of you; offering your internal guidance that helps you to just “be.” When you find that pleasant area in your mind, you will know it well as it speaks to you; telling you that today will be good, and that all days are valued, even the ones where you are struggling with life; the good and bad days need to be honored. Find time today to just be in silence, whether it is a mindful, meditative walk or just being with yourself in the silence of your home, focusing on your breath and nothing else. It does not have to be a long time, just time to be without distractions and noise. Time to think about nothing but your slow breath; a mindful way to get in touch with yourself and your inner soul.

Music Soft music in the background helps to find silence for the day. It soothes your soul and gives peace and harmony to your day. Find a way that is yours alone; silently sitting, lying down or walking in silence. Beginning a meditative way about yourself can be enriching; you begin to speak slower, do everything more mindfully, and your body thanks you with a slower pulse and lower blood pressure. Some people will begin to notice the change in you; commenting on how peaceful you appear.

Beginning your day in a graceful way When your day begins with slowing yourself down to see where you are going and taking the time with each step that you need to do, you become calm and centered. And you find that listening to your body and its needs for the day, brings you to a place where you are taking care of all of your many selves; mind, body and soul. These are the many ways to begin each day with a smile.

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Habits: How They Form and How to Break Them Excerpts taken from npr.org

hink about something it took you a really long time to learn, like how to parallel park. At first, parallel parking was difficult and you had to devote a lot of mental energy to it. But after you grew comfortable with parallel parking, it became much easier — almost habitual, you could say. Parallel parking, gambling, exercising, brushing your teeth, and every other habit-forming activity all follow the same behavioral

and neurological patterns, says New York Times business writer Charles Duhigg. His new book, The Power of Habit explores the science behind why we do what we do — and how companies are now working to use our habit formations to sell and market products to us.

How Habits Form

It turns out that every habit starts with a psychological pattern called a “habit loop,” which is a threepart process. First, there’s a cue, or trigger, that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and let a behavior unfold.

“Then there’s the routine, which say — to completely focus on is the behavior itself,” Duhigg something else: like the radio, or a tells Fresh Air’s conversation you’re Terry Gross. “That’s “Changing a habit having. what we think about on a vacation when we think about “You can do these habits.” complex behaviors is one of without being the proven The third step, he mentally aware of it says, is the reward: all,” he says. “And most-successful atthat’s something that your because of the ways to do it.” brain likes that helps capacity of our basal it remember the “habit ganglia: to take a loop” in the future. behavior and turn it Neuroscientists into an automatic routine.” have traced our Studies have shown that people habit-making will perform automated behaviors behaviors to a — like pulling out of a driveway part of the brain or brushing teeth — the same way called the basal every single time, if they’re in the ganglia, which same environment. But if they also plays a take a vacation, it’s likely that the key role in the behavior will change. development of emotions, “You’ll put your shoes on in a memories and different order without paying any pattern recognition. Decisions, attention to it,” he says, “because meanwhile, are made in a different once the cues change, patterns are part of the brain called the broken up.” prefrontal cortex. But as soon as a behavior becomes automatic, the That’s one of the reasons why decision-making part of your brain taking a vacation is so relaxing: It goes into a sleep mode of sorts. helps break certain habits. “In fact, the brain starts working “It’s also a great reason why less and less,” says Duhigg. “The changing a habit on a vacation is brain can almost completely one of the proven most-successful shut down. ... And this is a real ways to do it,” he says. “If you advantage, because it means you want to quit smoking, you should have all of this mental activity you stop smoking while you’re on a can devote to something else.” vacation — because all your old cues and all your old rewards aren’t That’s why it’s easy — while there anymore. So you have this driving or parallel parking, let’s

Dr. J. William Canavan Dr. Debra Ehrig Dr. Susan Fischbeck

ability to form a new pattern and hopefully be able to carry it over into your life.”

Marketing Habits

It’s not just individual habits that become automated. Duhigg says there are studies that show organizational habits form among workers working for the same company. And companies themselves exploit habit cues and rewards to try to sway customers, particularly if customers themselves can’t articulate what pleasurable experience they derive from a habit. “Companies are very, very good — better than consumers themselves — at knowing what consumers are actually craving,” says Duhigg. As an example, he points to Febreeze, a Proctor & Gamble fabric odor eliminator that initially failed when it got to the market. “They thought that consumers would use it because they were craving getting rid of bad scents,” he says. “And it was a total flop. People who had 12 cats and their homes smelled terrible wouldn’t use Febreeze.” That’s when Proctor & Gamble reformulated Febreeze to include different scents. “As soon as they did that, people started using it at the end of their cleaning habits to make things smell as nice as they looked,” he says. “And what they figured out

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“What we know from lab studies is that it’s never

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is that people crave a nice smell when everything looks pretty. Now, no consumer would have said that. ... But companies can figure this out, and that’s how they can make products work.” Companies can also figure out how to get consumers to change their own habits and form new ones associated with their products or stores. The megastore Target, for example, tries to target pregnant women, says Duhigg, in order to capture their buying habits for the next few years. “The biggest moment of flexibility in our shopping habits is when we have a child,” he says, “because all of your old routines go out the window, and suddenly a marketer can come in and sell you new things.” Analysts at Target collect “terabytes of information” on its shoppers. They have figured out that women who buy certain products — vitamins, unscented lotions, washcloths — might be pregnant and then can use that information to jump-start their marketing campaign. This can get tricky: One father was upset after receiving coupons for baby products in the mail from Target, addressed to his teenage daughter. “He went in and said, ‘My daughter is 16 years old. Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?’ and the manager apologizes,” Duhigg

says. “The manager calls a couple of days later ... and the father says, ‘I need to apologize. ... I had a conversation with my daughter, and it turns out there’s some things going on in my house that I wasn’t aware of. She’s due in August.’ So Target figured it out before her dad did.”

eat. And it was impossible for me to stop from reaching over and grabbing his chicken nuggets. It was a struggle every night not to eat his dinner because a 2-year-old dinner is designed to taste delicious and to disintegrate into your mouth into carbs and sugar. And so, I was really interested in this, and I wanted to exercise more and I wanted to be more productive at work.”

On Rewards

“The weird thing about rewards is that we don’t actually know what we’re actually craving.”

On Spirituality & Habits On Breaking Habits

“What we know from lab studies is that it’s never too late to break a habit. Habits are malleable throughout your entire life. But we also know that the best way to change a habit is to understand its structure — that once you tell people about the cue and the reward and you force them to recognize what those factors are in a behavior, it becomes much, much easier to change.”

“When Alcoholics Anonymous started, there was no scientific basis to it whatsoever. In fact, there’s no scientific basis to AA. The 12 steps that are kind of famous? The reason why there’s 12 of them is because

the guy who came up with them — who wrote them one night while he was sitting on his bed — he chose them because there’s 12 apostles. There’s no real logic to how AA was designed. But the reason why AA works is because it essentially is this big machine for changing the habits around alcohol consumption and giving people a new routine, rather than going to a bar or drink. ... It doesn’t seem to work if people do it on their own. ... At some point, if you’re changing a really deep-seated behavior, you’re going to have a moment of weakness. And at that moment, if you can look across a room and think, ‘Jim’s kind of a moron. I think I’m smarter than Jim. But Jim has been sober for three years. And if Jim can do it, I can definitely do it,’ that’s enormously powerful.”

On His Bad Habits

“I felt like I had a lot of habits that I was powerless over. ... I have a 3-year-old and a 10-month-old. And I remember when my 3-year-old was 1 1/2 or 2. I was writing the book. We would feed him chicken nuggets or other stuff for dinner, which was the only stuff he would

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Eating “Low Fat” Will Not Lead to Long Term Health The “low fat” craze came about in the late 80’s, early 90’s in the hopes of decreasing obesity and heart disease. The thought being, “fat makes you fat and clogs your arteries, which will lead to heart disease.”

Promoting a low fat diet has not served us when it comes to health. The results have included an overproduction of fake and processed food, outrageous sugar consumption, and maybe worst of all, a fear of eating foods high in healthy fats.

This mindset may be far from the actual truth. Obesity, Type II Diabetes and heart disease numbers have soared, not dropped. Early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s are also linked to a low fat diet.

Avocado, coconut oil, almonds, walnuts, first cold pressed olive oil, flax and chia seed should not be avoided. These fats should be consumed at a minimum of 2-4 tablespoons per day. Coconut oil has been shown to improve memory and cognition in those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Eat the whole avocado for goodness sake. Your brain will thank you!

Do you have bumps on the back of your upper arms? This is a telltale giveaway that your diet is lacking important healthy fats. Dry eyes, depression, and a short attention span are other common symptoms. During the winter months, one should increase their consumption of healthy fats in order to minimize risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Animal fats are not as dangerous as once thought, but should be consumed at a much lower percentage than the healthier fats. inflammatory issues down the road.

How could this be? Well if you think about it, what do you eat if you eat low fat? In a perfect world, you would tell me vegetables, grains, lean fish, and meat. However, people tend to gravitate to a high carbohydrate diet when eating low fat. Breads, pastas, rice, and cereal become the norm when eating low fat. Add skim milk or fake, man-made butter spreads, and the recipe for disaster begins. A low fat diet results in a low HDL (good cholesterol) which helps protect us. Those who avoid fat typically have high triglycerides, which is a telltale sign that this individual's diet is too high in sugar and food that breaks down into sugar. This individual is bound to have

Many vegetarians could actually be more correctly labeled as “carbotarians.” These types of vegetarians do not eat the majority of their diet in living foods, rather breads and grains. This is not a healthy way to live. If you make the choice to be vegetarian, you must focus on getting an abundance of protein through plant sources (spinach and spirulina), and healthy fats in order to keep the body balanced and free from deficiencies, such as Vitamin B-12 and D3. This way of eating actually fasttracks diabetes, as many low fat foods are high in sugar. For those who are still buying foods labeled

“low fat,” look at the sugar content of this product and compare it to the regular—or unprocessed version. If you are attempting to avoid diabetes, heart disease, or maybe just trying to lose a few pounds, avoiding fat may not be helping you at all. Fats are necessary in order to absorb Vitamins A, D, E and K. Deficiencies are very common in people who are avoiding fats.

I hope I have shed some light on why you NEED healthy fats in your life, and more reasons to stop consuming man-made versions of foods that offer no health benefits. Source: Catherine Stack Doctor of Naturopathy, Award Winning Author CEO Journey II Health, LLC Certified Nurse Midwife, Kaleida Health

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Battling Ebola: A View From the Front Line, Part 5 By Jeri Sumitani, Special to WebMD Health News

Editor’s note: Jeri Sumitani is a U.S.-trained physician assistant who volunteered to help with the Ebola outbreak at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She will be chronicling her experiences during her six-week stay. Read Parts 1-4 at www.WebMD.com

Day 10 Despite the Ebola outbreak, life in Freetown is business as usual. I had some time in the morning today, so a fellow volunteer and I went fabric shopping in the city’s central business district. These cheerfully colored African fabrics called lappa are multipurpose and often worn by women as wrap skirts, as slings to carry babies on their backs, as a food wrapper, and as towels. Some have very traditional African designs, while others have images of electric fans, shrimp, Barack Obama, and other random things that make you wonder what the designer was thinking. “Kick out Ebola!” signs and posters were plastered all over, but for an entire morning I almost forgot about the pain and agony taking place within the walls of the isolation unit at Connaught. It’s always promising to see human resilience in the face of catastrophe, and to me the vibrant lappa perfectly captures the Sierra Leonean spirit amid the surrounding devastation. Among the unit workers, bed 13 had come to be known as the “bad luck bed.” One of the nurses pointed out quite accurately that every patient we have had in bed 13 for the past week died. In fact, we had just lost the patient in bed 13, which ironically opened up a bed space to be occupied by someone from the “tent of horror” outside. Later, while at work, I suited up in my PPE to decontaminate and prepare the bed for the next occupant. When I walked into the

room, I noticed a body in bed 13 – for a moment, I thought that maybe the nurses hadn’t gotten around to body-bagging the patient who had just passed away. But the body was warm and alive. Mr. Ibrahim from bed 10 had decided to relocate himself into bed 13. His original bed was completely soiled with feces and vomit. Fair enough, I thought. I hailed the cleaners over to chlorinate bed 10 and replace the sheets, thinking once it was all straightened up, Mr. Ibrahim would move back. Except he didn’t. He was too weak and ill to walk back, and we decided it would be easiest if we left him in bed 13. Over the next six hours, Mr. Ibrahim continued to deteriorate. Every time I approached, he would look up at me with jaundiced eyes and a painful expression. He was too weak to say anything, but he would very clearly mouth the words, “Kill me,” while motioning with his hand as if to slit his throat. I kept giving him the maximum amount of drugs for nausea and pain medications I could, just for some relief. By the end of my shift, he had started vomiting blood, an indication that he was in the final stages of his disease. His Ebola test came back positive as expected, but none of the Ebola Treatment Units had capacity. I knew he would likely end up dying in this isolation unit this evening. Just prior to the end of my shift, I made my final rounds. When I came to bed 13, Mr. Ibrahim again looked directly into my eyes, still in pain, still vomiting blood– I had maxed out on everything that could possibly help his symptoms from our very limited dispensary. I gave him some Diazepam in the hopes that it would relieve any anxiety he may have been experiencing. I figured if I were about to die, I

would be scared and anxious and would want anything I could get to help me slip into a comfortable coma. I continued on to beds 14, 15, and 16. By the time I headed for the decontamination room, one of the nurses told me Mr. Ibrahim had passed away. I felt sick to my stomach as I circled back to bed 13. He was lying on his back, eyes half open, dead. His expression wasn’t one of pain and agony though; he looked peaceful, even comfortable.

I’m not sure why he left such an impression on me – I never once heard his voice, but I could ‘hear’ him clearly until the very end. I looked at him one last time because I wanted to burn his image into my memory. “I’m so, so sorry, Ibrahim,” I said out loud. That was all I could say. I decontaminated and left. Stupid bed 13. He was supposed to be in bed 10. He was supposed to survive.

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Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders Workshop at Museum of disABILITY History Recommeded for Educators, Human Service Professionals, and Parents By Nicole Forgione Marketing and Communications Manager, People Inc. On Saturday, January 24, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Museum of disABILITY History will host a unique Dialogues on disABILITY Workshop called “Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders in the Classroom.” It will be presented by Susan Conners, M.Ed., president and founder of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater New York State.

performance and behavior, as well as classroom strategies. The workshop is recommended for parents, educators and human service professionals. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for occupational, physical and speech

therapists will be provided, along with certificates of attendance. The workshop is $40 for adults and $10 for students. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. It is advised to register early as the workshop will be limited to the first 80 participants. To reserve your spot, complete the registration form available online at

The workshop will focus on a number of topics, including criteria for diagnosing Tourette syndrome, associated disorders and their behaviors, impact on

museumofdisability.org or call 716-629-3626 with payment information. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Psychology: A simple trick to improve your memory By Tom Stafford

One of the interesting things about the mind is that even though we all have one, we don’t have perfect insight into how to get the best from it. This is in part because of flaws in our ability to think about our own thinking, which is called metacognition. Studying this selfreflective thought process reveals that the human species has mental blind spots. One area where these blind spots are particularly large is learning. We’re actually surprisingly bad at having insight into how we learn best. Researchers Jeffrey Karpicke and Henry Roediger III set out to look at one aspect: how testing can consolidate our memory of facts. In their experiment they asked college students to learn pairs of Swahili and English words. So, for example, they had to learn that if they were given the Swahili word ‘mashua’ the correct response was ‘boat’. They could have used the sort of facts you might get on a high-school quiz, but the use of 14 © WNY Health|January 2015

Swahili meant that there was little chance their participants could use any background knowledge to help them learn. After the pairs had all been learnt, there would be a final test a week later. Now if many of us were revising this list we might study the list, test ourselves, and then repeat this cycle, dropping items we got right. This makes studying (and testing) quicker and allows us to focus our effort on the things we haven’t yet learned. It’s a plan that seems to make perfect sense, but it’s a plan that is disastrous if we really want to learn properly. Karpicke and Roediger asked students to prepare for a test in various ways, and compared their

success – for example, one group kept testing themselves on all items without dropping what they were getting right, while another group stopped testing themselves on their correct answers. On the final exam differences between the groups were dramatic. While dropping items from study didn’t have much of an effect, the people who dropped items from testing performed relatively poorly: they could only remember about 35% of the word pairs, compared to 80% for people who kept testing items after they had learnt them. It seems the effective way to learn is to practice retrieving items from memory, not trying to cement them

in there by further study. Moreover, dropping items entirely from your revision, which is the advice given by many study guides, is wrong. You can stop studying them if you’ve learnt them, but you should keep testing what you’ve learnt if you want to remember them at the time of the final exam. Finally, the researchers had the neat idea of asking their participants how well they would remember what they had learnt. All groups guessed at about 50%. This was a large overestimate for those who dropped items from test (and an underestimate from those who kept testing learnt items). So it seems that we have a metacognitive blind spot for which revision strategies will work best. Making this a situation where we need to be guided by the evidence, and not our instinct. But the evidence has a moral for teachers as well: there’s more to testing than finding out what students know – tests can also help us remember.

Health Data Outside the Doctor’s Office By Jon White, rwjf.org

Health primarily happens outside the doctor’s office—playing out in the arenas where we live, learn, work and play. In fact, a minority of our overall health is the result of the health care we receive. If we’re to have an accurate picture of health, we need more than what is currently captured in the electronic health record. That’s why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked the distinguished JASON group to bring its considerable analytical power to bear on this problem: how to create a health information system that focuses on the health of individuals, not just the care they receive. JASON is an independent group of scientists and academics that has been advising the Federal government on matters of science and technology for over 50 years. Why is it important to pursue this ambitious goal? There has been an explosion of data that could help with all kinds of decisions about

health. Right now, though, we do not have the capability to capture and share that data with those who make decisions that impact health— including individuals, health care providers and communities. The new report, called Data for

Individual Health, builds upon the 2013 JASON report, A Robust Health Data Infrastructure. It lays out recommendations for an infrastructure that could not only achieve interoperability among electronic health records (EHRs), but could also integrate data from all walks of life—including data from personal health devices, patient collaborative networks, social media, environmental and demographic data and genomic and other “omics” data. This report, done in partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) with support

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from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, comes at a pivotal time: ONC is in the process of developing a federal health IT strategic plan and a shared, nationwide interoperability roadmap, which will ensure that information can be securely shared across an emerging health IT infrastructure. Data sharing is a critical piece of this equation. While we need infrastructure to capture and organize this data, we also need to ensure that individuals, health care professionals and community leaders can access and exchange this data, and use it to make decisions that improve health. Initiatives like Blue Button and OpenNotes are already empowering patients and allowing them to take a more active role in their care. But giving individuals access to integrated streams of data from inside and outside the doctor’s office can increase the ways in which people engage directly in their own health and wellness.

Broadening data beyond the four walls of the doctors’ office will give health care professionals a more holistic view of their patient’s health. Sharing that data among members of the health care team will also lead to greater care coordination. Ensuring this data is used in meaningful ways will of course require training our health care workforce to a higher level of quantitative literacy. Efforts now under way like County Health Rankings guide community leaders in setting priorities for improving health. With access to more data, communities can make faster, smarter decisions that support health—creating healthier homes, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. For example, if a city wants to plan bike infrastructure, they could invest millions in conducting studies into where bike lanes should go, or they instead could quickly access information generated by bikers, such as Map My Ride or Strava, to see where people are actually riding. While there are an enormous number of uses for the data that we can imagine and many more we cannot yet anticipate, it will be vitally important that we all make every effort to protect the privacy and security of these data. The report highlights numerous ways to protect the data in ways that benefit health and wellness, while also prompting accelerated innovation. We’re excited by the potential to take this emerging data and turn it into useable information to build a Culture of Health—a nation where everyone has the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives. © WNY Health|January 2015

7 Facts That Prove Your Day-To-Day Choices Can Actually Have An Environmental Impact Excerpt from the Huffington Post

veryone thinks their contribution to being sustainable won’t make a difference. That is simply untrue.

The power of one person “going green” can have a much bigger impact on the world around us than we realize. According to the NRDC, a pound of carbon dioxide could fill a balloon the size of an exercise ball -- and the average American releases the equivalent of 57 pounds of carbon dioxide, or 57 of these balloons, into the atmosphere every day. Below are some examples that illustrate how even our seemingly small environmental efforts are changing the world around us.

Participating in Meatless Monday: Can save the equivalent of 1,089 balloons of carbon... if not more. Putting aside factory farming and welfare considerations, the methane emissions, water consumption, and other environmental issues surrounding the meat raised and slaughtered in the U.S. are significant; more than 59 pounds of carbon emissions are released to create just one pound of consumable beef (and nearly 90 carbon emissions are released to process one pound of consumable lamb meat). By participating in Meatless Mondays and cutting back on eating meat just one day per week, you could be saving more than 1,000 pounds of carbon emissions every year. Taking public transportation to work twice a week: Can save more than 2,000 carbon-filled balloons every year. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average American drives about 37 miles per

day. That includes going to work, the grocery store, your friend’s house, and more. Imagine if you swapped out just one of those daily trips with a bike ride -- a zeroemissions transportation method. Even if that trip is only 2.5 miles each way, or a 5 mile trip overall, you would be saving literally thousands of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere, AND doing some good things for your health. If your family only uses reusable bags for a year instead of onetime use plastic: Can save 2,095 balloons of carbon. By swapping out your plastic bag use, you could be saving enough petroleum to power a car for 108 miles. Americans use an exorbitant amount of plastic bags -- about 1,500 annually per family, according to the NRDC. Not only does this lead to a shocking amount of waste, but those bags use a massive amount of oil to be produced. In America, 12 million barrels of oil are used every year in

order to produce 30 billion plastic bags.

for a mile on the electricity used to power a toaster for only 20 minutes.

Switching out just half of your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs: Can save nearly 2,300 balloons filled with carbon per year.

Installing rooftop solar panels: Can save more than 14,000 carbon-filled balloons per year.

Artificial lighting is important. It allows us to see when no natural light is available, and it helps create the right mood for one’s home. When you take the environment into consideration while selecting the right lighting, it can have a surprisingly huge impact. While there are a number of different energy-saving lightbulbs, CFLs (or Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs) are gaining popularity for their energy efficiency, long shelf life, and affordability. According to the Energy Star website, the average U.S. home has at least 40 places to put a lightbulb. If you switched out just half, or 20, of those incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs, you would be releasing 3,701 pounds of carbon emissions per year, as opposed to 6,000 from incandescents only. That could save you nearly three times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Making your second car an electric vehicle: Saves the equivalent of 5,000 balloons filled with carbon per year. Believe it or not, electric vehicles are more than just a fad; they actually came about before gas powered cars and make a significant environmental difference. According to the alternative fuels data center, conventional gas cars release 13,043 pounds of carbon emissions annually, on average, while electric vehicles release 8,035 pounds. But if you’re still concerned about the significant amount of energy used when driving an electric vehicle (even if your car is being powered by the worst of the worst), think of it this way: a 3 ton EV can be powered

As many of us know, energy usage is not an all-or-nothing deal. In fact, most conventional energy distributors use a combination of different resources to provide you with energy. But what would happen if you installed solar panels on your roof, and only used conventional means to make up the difference? Even if you are only generating a fraction of your energy off-the-grid, you could be saving a considerable amount of carbon emissions. According to

the Union of Concerned Scientists, solar power ranges from 0.08 to 0.2 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour. Traditional energy, like coal, can have life cycle emission rates of up to 3.6 pounds of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour. Let’s say you powered your home for 12 kilowatt-hours per day with solar energy instead of coal; you would be saving 14,892 pounds of carbon emissions every year! So how much of a difference would you really make by implementing these changes? According to our calculations, the above adds up to more than 27,808 pounds of carbon emissions being saved every year. Next time you swap out a incandescent lightbulb for a fluorescent, use your own shopping bag, or opt to ride your bike instead of driving a car, remember that these small steps are bigger than they seem.

Meet Sampson Community Papers of WNY, LLC. and The Buffalo Zoo announce the zoo’s newest arrival.

feature

n October 28, 2014 the Buffalo Zoo formally announced the birth of a male giraffe calf, born to mother, 5-year-old A.J., and father, 3-yearold Moke. This announcement was great news for the Zoo that entered its traditional off-season period after Labor Day, but which is open year-round with multiple indoor exhibits such as M&T Bank Rainforest Falls, the gorilla house, and the giraffe house. One component of the Zooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is, after all, for the recreation of WNY families. At a deeper level, however, a fateful call from Dr. Janet Gane of Community Papers of WNY opened a door for the Zoo to highlight two additional and critical components of its mission. First, that the Zoo is an active participant in conservation efforts for red-listed and endangered species around the globe; and second, that the Zoo has the responsibility to educate the general public about those efforts and what actions can be taken to curb species decline.

In the context of this editorial, giraffes are native to the plains of Africa, but in the span of just fifteen years, their numbers have decreased by 43% from 140,000 in 1999 to fewer than 80,000 today. Poaching and loss of habitat by human action are contributing causes of this decline, which is not a story exclusive to giraffes. In partnership with Community Papers of WNY, Sampson the baby giraffe is allowing us to bring attention to the larger issues of animal health, welfare, and conservation, for which the Buffalo Zoo is grateful.

Pictured Top Right: Left to Right Rachel Gottlieb, Public Relations Coordinator, Buffalo Zoo Malia Somerville, General Curator, Buffalo Zoo Todd Geise, Marketing Manager, Buffalo Zoo Donna Fernandes, Ph.D., President & CEO, Buffalo Zoo Bob Casell, President, Community Papers of WNY, LLC. Rick Dvorak, VP & GM, LAMAR Outdoor Advertising

Sampson was born on Friday, October 24, 2014

ÂŠ WNY Health|January 2015

Did you

-Donna Fernandes, Ph.D, President & CEO, The Buffalo Zoo

ow?

Giraffes have no front teeth in their upper jaw.

The Buffalo Zoo’s Acquired Species and Births in 2014 Acquisitions: 18 Species, 27 individual animals Addax Addax nasomaculatus African pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Blue-crowned motmot Momotus momota Capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris Carpet/Diamond python Morelia spilota spilota Eastern indigo snake Drymarchon corais couperi Eastern screech owl Megascops asio Green iguana Iguana iguana Guatemalan beaded lizard Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti Lady Ross’ turaco Musophaga rossae Mojave desert sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes Morafka’s desert tortoise Gopherus morafkai North American porcupine Erethizon Red-rumped agouti Dasyprocta leporina Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes Silver rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus domestic silver Births: 19 species, 3,193* individuals *includes our Pureto Rican crested toad and Blanding’s turtle conservation releases (about 2900 of the 3193 are the toads alone) Annam leaf turtle Mauremys annamensis Blanding’s turtle Emydoidea blandingii Chinese three-striped box turtle Cuora trifasciata Common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus Desert grassland whiptail Aspidoscelis uniparens Eastern massasauga Sistrurus catenatus catenatus Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Japanese macaque Macaca fuscata fuscata Mangrove snake Boiga dendrophila North American river otter Lontra canadensis One-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis Panamanian golden frog Atelopus varius zeteki Puerto Rican crested toad Peltophryne lemur Reindeer Rangifer tarandus Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis canadensis Snow leopard Uncia uncia Solomon Islands leaf frog Ceratobatrachus guentheri Spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta Yellow-banded poison dart frog Dendrobates leucomelas

Giraffe Facts

www.giraffeconservation.org

Height (average adult)

5.3 m (17 ft 4 in) 4.3 m (14 ft 2 in)

Weight (average adult)

5.3 m (17 ft 4 in) 4.3 m (14 ft 2 in)

Size relative to a 6’2” man

Largest

recorded at 6 m (19+ ft); heaviest recorded at 4,200 lb

Foot size (average adult)

30 cm diameter; hoof 15 cm, 10 cm

Defence

Forelegs and hing legs can deliver a lethal kick.

Speed

50 kph for sustained periods; calves less than 3 m high can easily outrun adults

Means of feeding

Browsing, with a prehensile tongue (50 cm long) and upper lip

Diet

Tree leaves, fruits, pods and shoots

Social behaviour

Ranges from solitary (often older males) to large, loose and mixed herds. Known as fission-fusion society, whereby individuals or smaller groups readily merge with or split from the herd; differ from one population to another.

Senses

Colour vision, acute sense or smell, good hearing

Sleep

4.5 hours, mainly at night; either standing or lying down.

Longevity

+/- 25 years

Age at sexual maturity

3-4 years; in oestrus 1 day every 2 weeks. restricted by competition from larger bulls

Breeding lifetime

Throughout life; recorded mating within weeks of giving birth.

Offspring

Single calf, rarely twins; known to stay with mother until 22 months old, but often independent much sooner, depending on the gender.

Is this the dawn of a new era for giraffe conservation? We certainly hope so, though there remains much to do.

19 19

Giraffe Facts Continued...

Raju Cries Tears of Joy

• Giraffe are already extinct in at least seven countries in Africa. • Just like human fingerprints no two giraffe have the same coat pattern. • Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate. • Giraffe tongues are bluish purple. • Both male and female giraffes have ‘horns’ at birth. These ossicones lie flat and are not attached to the skull to avoid injury at birth. They only fuse with the skull later in life. • The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world. Even newborn giraffes are taller than most humans. • Female giraffe give birth standing up. Their young fall about 2m to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth. • A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to awkwardly spread its front legs or kneel to reach the ground for a drink of water. • Giraffe only need to drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat. • About 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year. Reference: Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), Copyright 2014.

aju, the elephant, was left bleeding from spiked shackles and living on hand-outs from passing tourists after he was captured and tied up by his ‘owner’.

they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him.

But, after 50 years of torture, the animal cried tears of relief after he was rescued by a wildlife charity in a daring midnight operation – fittingly on American Independence Day.

‘Until we stepped in, he’d never known what it is like to walk free of his shackles – it’s a truly pitiful case. ‘But today he knows what freedom is and he will learn what kindness feels like and what it’s like to not suffer any more.’

The North London-based charity, Wildlife SOS, stepped in to save Raju from dying in his bonds, after learning of his plight in India. Every day, the majestic animal was forced to hold out his trunk and beg for a few coins from passers-by – surviving only on plastic and paper for food. However, last week, a 10-strong team of vets and wildlife experts from the charity, were joined by 20 forestry department officers and six policemen to seize Raju from his suffering in the Uttar Pradesh area of India. The mission took place under the cover of darkness, as fewer people would be around for the dangerous rescue and the animal could be protected from the searing heat of the sun. Pooja Binepal, the charity’s UK spokesman, described the rescue as ‘incredibly emotional’ for the team. She said: ‘Raju has spent the past 50 years living a pitiful existence in chains 24 hours a day, an act of intolerable cruelty. ‘The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. It was so incredibly emotional for all of us. We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed. ‘Elephants are not only majestic, but

The daring rescue came exactly a year to the day since the charity was alerted to Raju’s plight by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in India. A confiscation process went through the courts as Raju’s owner did not have any legal documents for his possession, meaning the charity could rescue him from suffering. It is not known exactly how Raju came into his plight, as little is known about his early years, but the charity believes he was poached from his mother as a young calf. Ms Binepal said: ‘The poachers either slaughter the mother, or they drive the herd into traps that are small enough only for the babies to fall into. The mother cries for her baby for days after he’s been stolen – it is a sickening trade. ‘The calves are then tied and beaten until they submit to their owners – their spirits are effectively broken. ‘We discovered Raju’s case was particularly tragic. ‘He’d been poached as a calf and then he has been sold on and sold on. Incredibly we believe he has had up to 27 owners – he’s been treated as a commodity every two years of his life.

‘By the time we found him in July 2013, he was in a pathetic condition. He had no shelter at night, and was being used as a prop to beg from dawn until dusk from tourists visiting the sites of India. ‘He hasn’t been fed properly and tourists started giving him sweet food items and because he was in a state of hunger and exhaustion, he began eating plastic and paper. ‘His nails are severely overgrown, he has abscesses and wounds because of the shackles and continually walking on a tarmac road has led to his foot pad overgrowing.’ Once the court order was finally issued, a team led by Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan, carried out two days of surveillance before launching the rescue. Mr Satyanarayan said: ‘As we watched we quickly realised we had to act as quickly as possible as his situation was so desperate and the cruelty so extreme so we decided to move the rescue forward by a day. ‘The chains around his legs had spikes which were cutting into his flesh – and each time he moved puss would ooze out of wounds. Pain and brutality were all he knew. ‘His cruel handler even tore out the hair from his tail to sell as good luck charms. The exploitation and abuse just had to stop.’ However, even on Thursday evening as the mercy mission began, Raju’s owner tried to prevent his rescue. Mr Satyanarayan said: ‘He began to shout commands to terrify Raju – and try to provoke him. ‘It created an incredibly dangerous situation as a bull elephant could snap a human like a tooth pick if he becomes afraid or angry.

‘When that failed he then put a series of chains around his legs in an attempt to prevent us removing him – so viciously tight that were cutting into his legs. ‘But we stood our ground and refused to back down – and as we did so, tears began to roll down Raju’s face. Some no doubt were due to the pain being inflicted by the chains, but he also seemed to sense that change was coming. It was as if he felt hope for the first time in a very long time. ‘We knew it was now or never so we made the drastic decision to move his transportation truck closer and then walk him 200 yards. ‘Every step would have been agony, but we had to take him, or he could have vanished forever. We decided we’d remove the shackles once we’d got him to safety.’ Incredibly, Raju calmly complied, despite every step causing searing agony. ‘It was as if he knew we wanted to help him,’ Mr Satyanarayan said. Once he was loaded, and given additional sedation, a convoy then escorted the five-and-a-half tonne elephant, 350 miles on the back of an open-top lorry to the charity’s Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura. ‘Incredibly he stepped out of his truck and took his first step to freedom at one minute past midnight on July 4th, which felt so extraordinarily fitting,’ Mr Satyanarayan said. ‘The other elephants in the sanctuary awoke from their sleep as we pulled in and came to have a look – it was an extraordinary moment.’ Raju was then fed bananas, banana leaves, mango and bread and biscuits and given water before the charity’s head wildlife vet, Dr Yaduraj Khadpekar, began the painstaking process of removing his shackles. Mr Satyanarayan

‘We all had tears in our eyes as the last rope, which held the final spike, was cut and Raju took his first steps of freedom.

‘When he is ready he will initially join two companion elephants called Rajesh and Bhola, who once also suffered unthinkable cruelty. ‘They’ve both been rehabilitated and once he settles he will learn how to live again by following their example, before he joins the rest of the elephants – including five flirtatious females to live out his days.

‘The entire team were exhausted, but incredibly elated as he has suffered such unthinkable abuse and trauma for so, so long. He’d been beaten so badly, his spirit is broken.’

‘But for the moment he’s tasting freedom for the first time in his life and he’ll spend the rest of his life in a safe compound living out his days in dignity, free from suffering, and pain.’

Over the weekend, Raju received emergency medical attention to his wounds as well as a proper bath and food.

The charity has now launched a campaign to raise £10,000 to help Raju begin the start of his new life in a new enclosure, which will allow him to roam with his adoptive family.

said: ‘It took him and two handlers 45 minutes to liberate him as they’d been wound round his legs to prevent their removal and to cause pain if anyone tried to take them off.

‘It will be a long rehabilitation process, but we will teach him that humans don’t mean pain and brutality, but it’s going to take time,’ Mr Satyanarayan said.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Animal Conservation E

very human life on Earth depends on a natural world capable of supporting our needs. But we are taking more from nature than it can replace, weakening the Earth’s ability to provide the clean air, fresh water and food we depend on. That is why CI is working at every level — from remote villages to the offices of presidents and CEOs — to help move whole societies toward a healthier, more sustainable development path that values and accounts for nature’s role in our well-being.

Take the Pledge I recognize that I need nature. I recognize that nature gives me the air I breathe, the food I eat, the water I drink and much, much more. I recognize that without people like me who raise our voices to protect the planet, we’ll continue to take more from nature than nature can give. I’m going to help turn the tide. I pledge to protect the planet that provides. And I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors — so they, too, can understand and appreciate nature’s value. 8,132 People have taken the pledge so far

Nature + You People need nature to thrive. It’s true for everyone. Including you. Every meal you’ve ever eaten … every breath you’ve ever taken … every job you’ve ever had … everything you’ve ever owned … Nature made it all possible. © 2014 Conservation International

Did You Know?

• To protect the giraffe’s brain from sudden changes in blood pressure when it lowers its head to drink, it has valves to stop the back-flow of blood and elastic-walled vessels that dilate and constrict to manage flow. NASA has done research on the blood vessels in giraffe legs to get inspiration for human space suits. • A giraffe heart weights approx. 11kg and is the biggest of any land mammal. It is used to pump 60 liters of blood around its body every minute at a blood pressure twice that of an average human.

Hoarding By The Humane Society of The United States What is animal hoarding? According to the Hoarding Animals Research Consortium, the following criteria are used to define animal hoarding:

• More than the typical number of companion animals • Inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care, with this neglect often resulting in starvation, illness, and death • Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household, and the human occupants of the home Nearly 250,000 animals are victims of animal hoarding each year. This abuse differs from other types of animal cruelty in that the perpetrators don’t always accept or recognize the cruelty they inflict on their animals. Rather, animal hoarders usually ardently believe they are saving or rescuing the animals they imprison. How does it cause animal suffering? Animals kept in hoarding conditions often suffer extreme neglect, including lack of food, proper veterinary care, and sanitary conditions. Officers investigating hoarding situations often find floors, furniture, and counters covered with animal feces and urine. In extreme cases, decaying animal carcasses are found among the living animals. Insect and rodent infestations are also common.

Are there other concerns? Aside from obvious animal suffering, animal hoarding presents health hazards for the human occupants of the home. Child and adult protective services can be called to intervene when the hoarder’s neglect extends beyond the animals. Filthy conditions under which animal hoarders live also attract disease vectors such as insects and rodents. This can also threaten neighboring households. Often a house that is home to a hoarding situation must be condemned by the health department due to unlivable conditions. Finally, animal hoarding places a tremendous strain on alreadyoverburdened animal shelters, which lack the space or resources to deal with an influx of hundreds of animals, many of whom are usually in dire need of medical attention. Holding these animals pending the outcome of a court case may displace otherwise adoptable animals and lead to their euthanasia. Treatment options Although what causes animal hoarding is still poorly understood, there is a general consensus that animal hoarding is a symptom of psychological and neurological malfunctioning, which might involve dementia, obsessivecompulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder. Treatment is difficult and has a low rate of success. Typically a combination of cognitivebehavioral therapy and some type of psychopharmacological intervention is recommended. Removing animals from the hoarding situation can temporarily help solve the problem, but without long-term psychological intervention, animal hoarding has

a nearly 100 percent recidivism rate. It is recommended that animal control, social service agencies, and health and housing agencies work together to treat each animal hoarding situation as a long-term project. Intervention also should involve the family of the hoarder, and any other involved members of the community. Charging options The animal cruelty laws of all states have provisions stipulating minimal care standards (e.g., food, shelter, veterinary care, and sanitary conditions) for animals. Legislation has been enacted in a few states specifically addressing animal hoarding. In situations where the animal hoarder is unwilling to accept help and the animals’ conditions do not warrant animal cruelty charges, non-animal agencies often step in to force change. For example, fire departments can cite hoarders for fire code violations, health departments can intervene where there are disease issues and housing code violations, and county zoning boards can step in to force change if there are local ordinances regarding the number of animals a person may keep. The charges may be necessary to help the hoarder

understand the gravity of their situation. Sentencing options The HSUS recommends that convicted animal hoarders be sentenced to mandatory psychological evaluation and treatment and that they be restricted to owning a small number of animals; two is a reasonable number. A lengthy probation period, during which the hoarder must agree to periodic unannounced visits from animal control to ensure compliance, is vital. In cases where animal suffering is extreme (and depending on the mental and psychological capacity of the hoarder), we favor jail time, both as a punitive measure and to help hoarders understand the serious nature of their actions. Visit video.humanesociety.org to see informative videos on hoarding.

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peration PETS believes whether you’ve recently adopted a pet or you’re considering it, one of the most important health decisions you’ll make is to spay or neuter your cat or dog. Spayingremoving the ovaries and uterus of a female pet-is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits. Neutering-removing the testicles of your male dog or catwill vastly improve your pet’s behavior and keep him close to home. In addition, the health benefits include prevention of pyometra (pusfilled uterus) and breast cancer in female pets, and the prevention of testicular cancer and certain prostate diseases in male pets. Operation PETS’ mission is to end pet overpopulation, with all its tragic consequences, by making spay/neuter surgeries affordable

and accessible to qualified pet owners, feral cat caregivers, rescue & adoption organizations, and shelters. We target companion animal populations that are most in need of spay/neuter services. Free roaming cat caregivers help combat overpopulation by sterilizing street cats, using a common method, Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR). Operation PETS welcomes these feral/free roaming cats at their clinic. Since opening July of 2008, 47,000 animals have been altered at Operation PETS. The most common reason pet owners do not schedule their pet’s sterilization is “they just did not get around to it”. Stop procrastinating and make this your New Years’ resolution. Spay/Neuter Help Available Call 716-783-8998 or www.operationpets.org

Healthy Pets By Sonya Collins WebMD Magazine

hey’re wrapped around almost as many wrists as watches are. One in 10 Americans has a fitness tracker. These wearable devices track your steps, calories burned, and a bundle of other stats. Now, novel trackers that hang from a collar log our fourlegged friends’ activities, too. Think a pet fitness tracker sounds a little over the top? Consider this: More than half of dogs and cats are overweight or obese. Pets have the same weight-related health problems as people. So why not try the same strategies to boost exercise? At around $100 to $200 each, about a half-dozen pet activity trackers hit the market this year. A number of veterinarians think the gadgets will revolutionize pet care. “Some of these devices will blow your mind. They’re going to change the way I talk about physical activity with my clients,” says Ernie Ward, DVM, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. How much fitness does your furry friend need? Pooches should walk or play for 30 minutes a day. Kitties should get in three daily bouts of play at 5 minutes each, Ward says. So far so good -- but do you think your pet is exercising while you’re at work? You should

think again. “Most people are under the misperception that when they leave the dog out in the backyard, he’s running, galloping, and playing all day. And it’s just not true,” Ward said. “These monitors are extremely valuable to me as a veterinarian because they verify just how inactive your pet really is.” The device tracks activity of varied intensity from walking to aerobic play as well as periods of rest. Some devices also monitor breathing and heart rate. They send all this data to your phone, often wirelessly, so you can check in on the pup when you’re away. Several of these gizmos connect to caregivers’ phones, too, so when the pet sitter shows up, you’ll know. The devices’ apps compare your pet’s activity to that of pets the same age and breed. They help you set fitness goals, track progress, and log meals. One thing you’ll probably learn is how much more exercise your pet needs. Keep in mind, the exercise guidelines are general. Your vet knows best as to how much your pet needs and can handle.

that a cat that once got up and walked around the house several times a day now isn’t moving at all? Or that a dog that used to play for the first 20 minutes after you left for work, now only runs around for 5? “I have that hard data in front of me that says 6 months ago you were walking for 40 minutes a day and now you’re walking 22 minutes,” Ward says. “There may be a legitimate cause, but these monitors can also help me uncover hidden disease.” Some studies show that just

wearing a fitness tracker motivates people to move more. Likewise, you may be motivated to move your pet more once you’ve attached this gadget to his collar. “If all Americans would adopt this one simple rule -- walk your dog for 30 minutes a day -- not only would our dogs be healthier, but we would be, too,” Ward says. About a half-dozen pet activity trackers hit the market this year, at $100–$200 each.

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Risky Mistakes Pet Owners Make Excerpt from Webmd.com

Letting Your Dog Walk You

A poorly trained dog can pull you over while you’re out for a stroll. According to the CDC, tens of thousands of people end up in the ER every year because of petrelated falls. Many of these falls occur during walks -- either when a person trips over a dog or is pulled or pushed by one. Experts say obedience training is the best way to make sure your pooch doesn’t take you down during the morning walk.

Not Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

Millions of cats and dogs live on the street or end up euthanized because of unwanted litters. Still, many people are reluctant to spay or neuter their pets. The fact is, spaying and neutering is a healthy choice for your pet. It reduces the risk of breast cancer in females and testicular cancer in males. Neutered males are also less likely to run away from home, mark their territory, or exhibit aggressive behaviors.

Keeping the Food Bowl Full

With the best intentions, some people keep their pets’ food bowls full at all times. This is one of the most common mistakes pet owners make. The problem is that cats and dogs often eat more than they need. If food is constantly available, they will take in too many calories and put on too much weight. To avoid this, follow the suggestions on the pet food label or ask your vet for guidance.

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Providing Too Little Attention

Just like children, your pets will get bored if you don’t play with them. And boredom can lead to troublesome behaviors like chewing, digging, barking, and whining. Bored cats may resort to scratching and excessive meowing. Fight boredom by hiding treats for your pets to find around the house. Provide toys your cat can chase.

Teach dogs to play fetch, tug-of-war, or hide-and-seek.

Providing Too Little Exercise

Just like people, pets need exercise to stay healthy. Couch potato pets are prone to obesity, which raises their risk of respiratory problems and joint problems. The right amount of exercise for a dog depends on the breed and size, but vets recommend at least a half-hour each day. Taking brisk walks with your dog can help you get in shape, too.

Forcing Cats to Be Vegetarian

Vegetarian people sometimes want their pets to share their lifestyle. The trouble is cats are “obligate carnivores.” This means they must eat meat to survive. They depend on nutrients, such as the amino acid taurine, that are only found in animal tissue. Dogs may be able to handle a well-balanced vegetarian diet, but check with your vet first.

Misreading Body Language

Sure, you love your dog. But do you really understand him? If you think a wagging tail is always a good sign, you could be in for a nasty surprise. When a dog wants to threaten someone, he may hold his tail high and wave it stiffly back and forth. Mistake this warning for a sign of playfulness and you could get bitten. To avoid misunderstandings, learn about your pet’s body language.

Making Your Cats Share a Litter Box

Multiple cats plus one litter box equals a formula for elimination problems. That’s a nice way of saying your cat may choose to pee or poop on the floor. Cats can be very picky about their litter box. If it’s dirty or smells like other cats, they may not use it. Experts recommend having one litter box for every cat in your home, plus one extra. It may be helpful to space out their boxes around the home.

Not Socializing Young Pets

It’s important to provide puppies and kittens with positive human interaction during their first seven

weeks of life. This includes handling and play that fosters trust in people. Reputable breeders will begin this interaction, and you can continue the process when you bring your pet home. To develop a strong bond, play with your new puppy or kitten every day.

Leaving a Dog Alone Too Long

Spending 8-10 hours alone in a crate, tiny laundry closet, or even outdoors is too much for most dogs. It can lead to separation anxiety and destructive behaviors including chewing, soiling, digging, and nonstop barking or howling -- even depression in a timid dog. Better choices are doggie day care, a mid-day visit from a pet sitter, or a canine companion. Adult dogs can go 4-5 hours in a crate, but need

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Some people expect their pets to know right from wrong without being told. But human etiquette does not come naturally to dogs and cats. You need to make it clear that jumping up on people, scratching the furniture, and peeing on the carpet, are unacceptable. Be consistent about the house rules, and reward your pets for good behavior. If you need guidance, consult a trainer promptly.

If an emergency forces you to evacuate your home, what will you do with your pets? Leaving them behind is not an option if your community is threatened by fire, flooding, or hurricane-force winds. And not all Red Cross shelters allow you to bring your pets. It’s best to identify pet-friendly shelters and motels ahead of time, so you can keep your pets with you during an emergency.

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A member of the rescue team holds 3-year-old Karina Chikitova, who was lost in Siberia for 11 days. The heroic puppy, Kyrachaan, is seen here. The dog's name means 'little one' in the local language.

Puppy Helps 3-year-old Girl Survive for 11 Days in Siberia Excerpt from www.nydailynews.com This puppy, named Kyrachaan, rescued 3-year-old Karina Chikitova, who survived 11 days and nights on her own in Siberia’s wilderness. Every night the youngster had cuddled up to the pet dog, which emergency services believe had carefully chosen a safe place to sleep in a region that is infested with wild bears and wolves. But the secure nests mostly in long grass that the dog helped to find apparently also made it very difficult for rescuers to find the girl. Pictures of Karina Chikitova from rescue services quickly went round the world, but it still took 11 days before she was found. The Sakha region is known as the coldest in Siberia and

even at this time of year in the height of summer the night time temperatures are rarely above 40 degrees.

Rodion had taken the girl with him when he went off to a remote region where he was involved in a firefighting operation.

her ordeal including that her dog Kyrachaan, which means ‘little one’ in the local language, had looked after her.

The youngster who had not taken any food with her when she wandered off and got lost had reportedly recognized berries from trips in the woods with her grandmother and had eaten some, but was still extremely thin and weighed just 22 pounds when she was finally found.

He had left on July 29 but the girl’s mother was unable to check the story until August 2 because the mobile phone reception where her husband was working was almost non-existent. Therefore it was several days before the family realized that nobody had her at all. The rescue operation itself only started August 3.

She had followed after her father when she saw him leaving but got lost, and when rescuers realized that the dog was also missing they carried on the operation long after they would otherwise have given up hope of finding her alive. The hope that proved correct was that the animal might have helped her to survive the cold nights.

Rescuers even came across several bears before finally finding the child, covered in mosquito bites and with scratches to her feet, but otherwise conscious and able to talk.

The ordeal for her family, however, is not over after social workers confirmed they were investigating them for neglect in failing to report the child’s disappearance in the first four days.

Amazingly she was missing for four days before anyone realized she was gone because of a mix-up between her parents and her grandmother over who was caring for her. Emergency services said that the parents had asked the grandmother to care for the child, but she had mistakenly thought that her son

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HEALTHY CONNECTIONS Around WNY Your “go to guide” for health seminars, events, support groups and opportunities all around WNY.

If you’d like your organization’s meetings listed, call (716) 668-5223 Ovarian Cancer Support Groups - Monthly Meetings open to women with Ovarian Cancer. For more info. contact Kathy Kurtz, LMSW Facilitator at kkurtz@ wnyovariancancerproject.org or (716) 675-0301 Sponsored by WNY Ovarian Cancer Project www.wnyovariancancerproject.org Trinity Old Lutheran Church in Amherst - Monthly Respite Care Program for those with Alzheimer’s and dementias. Volunteers, trained by the Alzheimer’s Association, and guests will participate in a variety of activities, as well as having a nutritious lunch. Trinity Old Lutheran is wheelchair accessible and is located at 3445 Sheridan Drive, near Sweet Home Road. The program is held on the first Wednesday of the month, from 10:30AM to 2:30PM. For more information, or to register for the program, please contact Sue Wloch at (716) 836-4868. This is a FREE program. Alzheimer’s Association - For more information on support groups, respite services, education & training, and Memory Wellness Programs, please call the WNY Chapter at (716) 626-0600. AIDS & HIV Support Groups - HIV positive gay/bisexual men, Friends & family members, Gay/bisexual prevention group, Women’s group. Contact AIDS Family Services at (716) 881-4612 x 20. Hepatitis and Liver Disorders Support Group - Meets at ECC North Campus, Williamsville, every 3rd Monday of the month, 6:30PM -8PM. Building S, Dental Hygiene Conference Room. Anxiety and Depression Support Group - The group meets every Thursday, 2:30PM-4:30PM and the 1st, 2nd & 4th Thursday 6:00PM-7:30PM, at the Mental Health Association, 36 Pine Street, Lockport, NY 14094. Info: (716) 433-3780. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) - Chapter meets every Thursday morning at 9AM, at St. Luke’s Church, located at Union Rd. and Maryvale Dr., Cheektowaga. Meetings are held in church basement. New members are welcome.

Erie County Senior Services has New Website - Go to www2.erie.gov/ seniorservices to find out details about programs and resources for seniors, families, and caregivers, 24hours a day/7 days a week! Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group - For those who care for people with Alzheimer’s or other memory problems. Meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday each month from 1PM–3PM, At the Mental Health Association, 36 Pine Street, Lockport NY 14094. Info: (716) 433-3780. WNY Brain Aneurysm Support Group - Meets the 3rd (third) Thursday of each month at Millard Suburban Hospital, 1540 Maple Road, Williamsville, NY. 6:30PM-8:00PM in the Board room on the lower level. Find out more information at bafound.org or email wnybafound@gmail.com . Game-Anon Can Help - If you are affected by a loved one’s compulsive gambling problem, then call the WNY hotline at (716) 254-4941 and speak to someone about getting support in coping with the gambling problem or to find the time and location of a meeting near you. You can visit the national website at www.gam-anon.gov Grandparents as Parents Support Group - Come join other grandparents and relatives raising a child in absence of the natural parent. Child and school issues discussed, help with entitlement programs, peer support and more. Please call (716) 343-2908 or go to http://www.lifesorchard.com/ for more information. Life’s Orchard is located just off the Harlem exit of the 33, at the Maryvale Presbyterian Church. Thyroid Cancer Support Group – Meets the 3rd Saturday of each month, 10:30AM-11:45AM, St. Amelia School - Room 30, 2999 Eggert Rd., Tonawanda, NY. Contact Nancy at (716) 833-2330 for further info. Stay Fit Dining - Offers Seniors Over 60, a hot and nutritious lunch for a $3.00 confidential donation (no one is refused due to inability to pay). Food Stamps and EBT may be accepted too. There are 47 sites throughout Erie County every weekday. Call (716) 858-7639 for a location convenient to you or more info!

Adult Sibling Group Support (ASGS) - Held every fourth Monday from 6:30PM-8PM at the Hospice Life Transitions Center, located at 150 Bennett Road, Cheektowaga. If you have lost a loving sibling and need support, we are here to help. For more info call Shauna at (716) 984-5867

US Too! Prostate Cancer Support Group - Meets 7PM, 1st Tuesday every month, Veteran’s Hospital, Room 301, Buffalo and 1st Thursday, 7:00PM, every month at St Joe’s Campus, Harlem Rd Cheektowaga. Info: (716) 743-7595. National Parkinson Foundation Western New York Chapter (NPFWNY) - For information about on-going activities and group support, call (716) 218-1027 or visit www. npfwny.org.

Caregivers, Take Care of Yourself - There are classes and seminars, transportation options and safe driving assistance, support groups, and much more to help you better face the demands and challenges of caregiving. Info: (716) 858-8526.

Bereaved Parents of WNY - For those who have experienced the loss of a child any age, any reason. Meetings held 2nd Friday of the month 7:30PM Life Transitions Center 150 Bennett. More info at (716) 675-3844 or visit www. BPWESTNY.BPchapter.org or email amisita@roadrunner.com.

FREE 10 Minute HIV Testing Available - “Getting tested saved my life!”- AIDS Community Services, 206 South Elmwood Ave, call (716) 847AIDS(2437). WNY Mitochondrial Disease Support Group - Meets every 3rd Thursday of the month, 6:00PM-8:00PM, United Methodist Church, 5681 Main Street, Williamsville. For more info please contact Linda Roesch at mito_linda@ yahoo.com. Info: (716) 681-8662 The WNY Migraine and Headache Disorder Support Group - Meets at 7PM on the third Tuesday of each month, in the All Care for Women building, 6095 Transit Road, East Amherst, NY 14051. Gay & Lesbian Youth Services (GLYS) of WNY - Provides safe space, cultural & leadership opportunities, resources, referrals and much more for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth, their families, and friends. Visit our website at glyswny.org.

Brain Tumor Support Group – Meets 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM, Dent Institute, 1st floor, 3980 Sheridan Dr., Amherst. Info: (716) 250-6004. Stroke Support Group - Meets every 2nd Thursday on the month, at Buffalo General Medical Center, 100 High Street, Buffalo, NY. This discussion group is for stroke survivors, their caregivers, family, and friends. It is held on the 5th floor in the Rehabilitation Medicine wing from 4PM-5PM. Info: (716) 859-7110. Always welcoming new members!

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How Extreme Isolation Warps the Mind Excerpt from BBC.com • By Michael Bond

arah Shourd’s mind began to slip after about two months into her incarceration. She heard phantom footsteps and flashing lights, and spent most of her day crouched on all fours, listening through a gap in the door. That summer, the 32-year-old had been hiking with two friends in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan when they were arrested by Iranian troops after straying onto the border with Iran. Accused of spying, they were kept in solitary confinement in Evin prison in Tehran, each in their own tiny cell. She endured almost 10,000 hours with little human contact before she was freed. One of the most disturbing effects was the hallucinations. “In the periphery of my vision, I began to see flashing lights, only to jerk my head around to find that nothing was there,” she wrote in the New York Times in 2011. “At one point, I heard someone screaming, and it wasn’t until I felt the hands of one of the friendlier guards on my face, trying to revive me, that I realised the screams were my own.” We all want to be alone from time to time, to escape the demands of our colleagues or the hassle of crowds. But not alone alone. For most people, prolonged social isolation is all bad, particularly mentally. We know this not only from reports by people like Shourd who have experienced it firsthand, but also from psychological experiments on the effects of isolation and sensory deprivation, some of which had to be called off due to the extreme and bizarre reactions of those involved. Why does the mind unravel so spectacularly when we’re truly on our own, and is there any way to stop it?

We may crave solitude occasionally, but in the long term it’s not good for us physically or mentally Secondly, we derive meaning from our emotional states largely through contact with others. Biologists believe that human emotions evolved because they aided co-operation among our early ancestors who benefited from living in groups. Their primary function is social. With no one to mediate our feelings of fear, anger, anxiety and sadness and help us determine their appropriateness, before long they deliver us a distorted sense of self, a perceptual fracturing or a profound irrationality. It seems that left too much to ourselves, the very system that regulates our social living can overwhelm us. Take the 25,000 inmates held in “super-maximum security” prisons in the US today. Without social interaction, supermax prisoners have no way to test the appropriateness of their emotions or their fantastical thinking, says Terry Kupers, a forensic psychiatrist at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California, who has interviewed thousands of supermax prisoners. This is one of the reasons many suffer anxiety, paranoia and obsessive thoughts. Craig Haney, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a leading authority on the mental health of inmates in the US, believes that some of them purposefully initiate brutal confrontations with prison staff just to reaffirm their own existence – to remember who they are. Coping strategy Social isolation is not always debilitating, however. Are some better than others at coping? And

can you train yourself to resist the worst effects? Here scientists have fewer hard answers, but we can at least look to the lessons of individuals who thrived – or floundered – under isolation. When Shourd was imprisoned in Iran, she was arguably among the least-equipped people to cope, because her incarceration came out of the blue. People in her circumstances have their world suddenly inverted, and there is nothing in the manner of their taking – no narrative of sacrifice, or enduring for a greater good – to help them derive meaning from it. They must somehow find meaning in their predicament – or mentally detach themselves from their day-to-day reality, which is a monumental task when alone. Hussain Al-Shahristani managed it. He was Saddam Hussein’s chief nuclear adviser before he was tortured and shut away in Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad after refusing on moral grounds to cooperate on the development of an atomic weapon. He kept his sanity during 10 years of solitary confinement by taking refuge in a world of abstractions, making up mathematical problems which he then tried to solve. He is now deputy energy minister of Iraq. Edith Bone, a medical academic and translator, followed a similar strategy during the seven years she spent imprisoned by the Hungarian communist government after World War Two, constructing an abacus out of stale bread and counting out an inventory of her vocabulary in the six languages she spoke fluently. Some believe a military background may help prevent the worst effects of isolation Such experiences may be easier to take if you belong to a military organisation. Keron Fletcher, a consultant psychiatrist who has helped debrief and treat hostages, says mock detention and interrogation exercises of the kind he himself underwent while serving with the Royal Air Force,

are a good preparation for the shock of capture. “They teach you the basics of coping,” he says. “Also, you know your buddies will be busting a gut to get you back in one piece. I think the military are less likely to feel helpless or hopeless. Hopelessness and helplessness are horrible things to live with and they erode morale and coping ability.”

Bernard Moitessier and Donald Crowhurst, two of the competitors in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe round-the-world yacht race. The trophy, offered to the first sailor to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, was won in 313 days by Robin Knox-Johnston, the only one out of nine starters to finish.

the world again. “I continue nonstop because I am happy at sea,” he declared, “and perhaps because I want to save my soul.”

Extreme reality Psychologists who study how people cope with isolation have learnt much from solo explorers and mountaineers. For many adventurers deprived of human company – albeit voluntarily – the landscape itself can serve as an effective surrogate, drawing them out of themselves into the beauty or grandeur of their surroundings. Norwegian psychologist Gro Sandal at the University of Bergen in Norway, who has interviewed many adventurers about how they cope in extreme environments, says that transcending the reality of their situation in this way is a common coping mechanism. “It makes them feel safer. It makes them feel less alone.”

He seemed to relish being alone with his boat, but not as much as Moitessier, an ascetic Frenchman who practised yoga on deck and fed cheese to the shearwater birds that shadowed him. Moitessier found the experience so fulfilling, and the idea of returning to civilisation so distasteful, that he abandoned the race despite a good chance of victory and just kept on sailing, eventually landing in Tahiti after travelling more than halfway round

What message can we take from these stories of endurance and despair? The obvious one is that we are, as a rule, considerably diminished when disengaged from others. However, a more upbeat assessment seems equally valid: it is possible to connect, to find solace beyond ourselves, even when we are alone.

Crowhurst, meanwhile, was in trouble from the start. He left England ill-prepared and sent fake reports about his supposed progress through the southern seas while never actually leaving the Atlantic. Drifting aimlessly for months off the coast of South America, he became increasingly depressed and lonely, eventually retreating to his cabin and consolidating his fantasies in a rambling 25,000word philosophical treatise before jumping overboard. His body was never found.

Source: Based on the book The Power of Others by Michael Bond (One World Publications). Excerpt from BBC.com.

A similar psychological mechanism could explain why shipwrecked mariners marooned on islands have been known to anthropomorphise inanimate objects, in some cases creating a cabal of imaginary companions with whom to share the solitude. It sounds like madness but is likely a foil against it. Take the way sailor Ellen MacArthur nicknamed her trimaran “Mobi”, during her record-breaking solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005. During the voyage she signed emails to her support team “love e and mobi”, and in her published account uses “we” rather than “I”. Sailors have been known to combat the loneliness of the ocean by anthropomorphising inanimate objects There is no more poignant illustration of the power of solitude to sink one person while lifting up another than the stories of © WNY Health|January 2015

Sandwiches: How They Stack Up Excerpt from WebMD

At many popular sandwich chains, you can unwittingly gobble up a diet disaster -- unless you know how to order. Browse our gallery of sandwich items that may be packed with hidden calories.Then check out the better options at the same restaurants. And beware the turkey sandwich, which has become a blank canvas for fattening additions of all kinds.

1. Quiznos

Not Often

The large Italian Meatball Sub is loaded with meatballs, double mozzarella, and marinara sauce. It weighs in at an amazing 1,530 calories, 81 g fat, 28 g saturated fat, and 3,580 mg sodium. That’s more fat and salt than anyone should eat in a day.

Any Day

A small Turkey Lite sandwich is a slim, tasty choice with only 310 calories, 6 g fat, and 1.5 g saturated fat. But it has a lot of sodium with a whopping 1,270 mg. Fat-free balsamic vinaigrette replaces mayo for great flavor with no fat. Choose wheat bread, and this small sandwich makes you feel full thanks to high fiber in the bread, plus lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers and the satisfying lean protein in the turkey. If you need more, a piece of fruit can complete this healthy meal.

2. Arby’s

Not Often

Arby’s Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Market FreshSandwich has bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ranch sauce -- all adding up to a colossal 800 calories, 35 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, and a shocking 2,250 mg sodium. “Market Fresh” has a healthful ring, but the fat and calories put this sandwich closer to a greasy burger and fries.

Any Day

A plain, Regular Roast Beef Sandwich is a decent choice for controlling calories. But skip the melted cheese, mayo, and the “horsey” sauce (50 calories and 5 g of fat in a tiny packet.) Arby’s sauce adds flavor with zero fat and only 15 calories. The nutrient tally before additions is 360 calories, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat. The high sodium content may be a dealbreaker for some at 970 mg.

3. Burger King

Not Often

“Crisp” is a red flag for high-fat, fried food. And the Tender Crisp Chicken Sandwich is a classic example of fried chicken on a bun slathered with creamy, high-fat dressing. It tops out at 700 calories, 42 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, and 1,430 mg sodium -- about the same calories and fat as a Whopper with cheese.

5. Subway

Any Day

The TenderGrill Chicken Sandwich on a Ciabatta bun is a juicy, grilled chicken filet topped with lettuce and tomato. Dressed with mayo, it has 410 calories, 16 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 830 mg of sodium. Skip the mayo for a slender 320 calorie sandwich. Pickles, onions, and mustard add kick without too many extra calories.

Not Often

The 6-inch Chicken and Bacon Ranch Melt is a fatty choice at a restaurant better known for its healthy options. This 6-inch sub weighs in at 570 calories, 28 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, and 1,050 mg sodium.

4. Panera

Not Often

The Signature Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French Bread contains 840 calories, 38 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, and 2,140 mg of sodium. The special sauce, bacon, and cheddar help turn chicken, a lean type of protein, into a calorie bomb. Unfortunately, many of the hot panini, signature, and café sandwiches hit the 700-900 calorie range.

Any Day

Keep your personal calorie count low with the 6-inch Black Forest Ham Sandwich. This 6-inch sub has 290 calories, 4.5 g fat, no saturated fat, and 800 mg sodium. The restaurant has other low-calorie choices: roast chicken, roast beef, club, turkey breast, turkey breast and ham, veggie delight, or sweet onion chicken teriyaki.

6. McDonald’s

Not Often

Any Day

Smoked Turkey Breast on Country Bread is a better choice at Panera. The restaurant uses 99% fat-free turkey and adds lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard for 430 calories, 3.5 g fat, and 1 g saturated fat. Sodium is high at 1,790 mg. Hats off to Panera for offering an apple as a side dish instead of bread or chips.

The Crispy Chicken ClubSandwich has fried chicken, bacon, and mayo, which push this to 670 calories, 33 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, and 1,410 mg of sodium. Get grilled chicken instead of fried, mustard instead of mayo, and this becomes a better choice.

Any Day

The Honey Mustard Snack Wrap pleases the palate without plumping your waistline. Each flour tortilla contains grilled chicken, shredded cheese, and lettuce for 250 calories, 8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, and 650 mg sodium. Ranch or chipotle versions have just a few more calories.

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A Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

Did you know that a fire, national disaster, or the loss of power from high winds, snow, or ice could jeopardize the safety of your food? Knowing how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help minimize the potential loss of food and reduce the risk of foodborne illness. POWER OUTAGES We practice basic safe food handling in our daily lives, but obtaining and storing food safely becomes more challenging during a power outage or natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. Steps to Follow to Prepare for a Possible Weather Emergency: • Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food. • Make sure the freezer is at 0°F (Fahrenheit) or below and the

refrigerator is at 40 °F or below. • Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers after the power is out. • Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately-this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. • Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased. • Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold, if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers. •Group food together in the freezer—this helps the food stay cold longer. Steps to Follow During and After the Weather Emergency: • Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). • Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. • If the power has been out for several days, then check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer or food thermometer. If the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below, the food is safe. • If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, then check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe. • Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items after 4 hours without power. • When in Doubt, Throw it Out! REMOVING ODORS FROM REFRIGERATORS & FREEZERS Refrigerators and freezers are two of the most important pieces of equipment in the kitchen, for keeping food safe. We are instantly reminded of their importance when the power goes off, flooding occurs, or the unit fails, causing food to become unsafe and spoil. The odors that develop when food spoils can be difficult to remove. To Remove Odors from Refrigerators and Freezers If food has spoiled in a refrigerator or freezer and odors from the food remain, they may be difficult to remove. The following procedures

may help but may have to be repeated several times. • Dispose of any spoiled or questionable food. • Remove shelves, crispers, and ice trays. Wash them thoroughly with hot water and detergent. Then rinse with a sanitizing solution • Wash the interior of the refrigerator and freezer, including the door and gasket, with hot water and baking soda. Rinse with sanitizing solution as above. • Leave the door open for about 15 minutes to allow free air circulation. If odor remains, try any or all of the following: • Wipe inside of unit with equal parts vinegar and water. Vinegar provides acid which destroys mildew. • Leave the door open and allow to air out for several days. • Sprinkle fresh coffee grounds or baking soda loosely in a large, shallow container, in the bottom of the refrigerator and freezer. • Place a cotton swab soaked with vanilla inside the refrigerator and freezer. Close door for 24 hours. Check for odors. If Odors Remain If odors cannot be removed, then the refrigerator or freezer may need to be discarded. If you need to discard the refrigerator or freezer, discard it in a safe manner: Depending on where you live, your appliance will be picked up by your solid waste provider, a recycler, a retailer (if you buy a new unit), or program sponsored by local or regional utilities.

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity” - Henry van Dyke (1852-1933) Author, Educator, Clergyman

“Finally, The SOLUTION for Agonizing Foot and Leg Pain!” Buffalo, NY. If you’ve been told there’s nothing that can be done about your foot pain, read on… If you suffer from: • Burning Pain • Leg Cramping • Sharp Electrical-Like Pain • Pain When You Walk • Difficulty Sleeping from Leg and Foot Discomfort • Prickling or Tingling of the Feet or Hands

However after just two weeks of treatment, she canceled her surgery because the pain was gone. Podiatrists have told our patients, “Whatever you are doing is working... keep doing it.”

Then I’d like to personally invite you into my office for a FREE TREATMENT.

Patient, J.S. age 75, recently said, “I walked an hour longer shopping with my wife than I have in years.” He typically could only walk for 20 minutes, but he walked almost 2 hours, and that was after just one treatment.

Now you might ask, “Why would a doctor give away a FREE TREATMENT?”

The procedure in our office is very relaxing... in fact some of our patients fall asleep during the treatment.

Well, allow me to explain.

One female patient just reported that after two treatments, she was able to put on sneakers and go and exercise for the first time in two years.

In my office, I see patients who suffer from excruciating pain, throbbing, burning, stabbing and/or tingling in their feet and legs. These patients have usually been told that there is nothing that can be done for them, or they have been given drug therapy, which hasn’t helped them. Typically, these patients come to me very skeptical that I can even help them. So to alleviate any undue stress, I tell them this, “Have a treatment or two on me, until you get some pain relief.” You see, I want to show you, just like I have shown these other patients, that we offer real solutions in our office that will help you become pain-free and/or free of your numbness and tingling...and I want to demonstrate that to you without you having to worry if you will be wasting money. How do I get such great results? Well, first of all, I get to the bottom of the problem. I will explain to you why you are having this problem in the first place and what you can do to help reverse this degenerative nerve disease and eliminate your numbness, tingling and pain. We also have breakthrough technologies that are helping patients daily become pain free and symptom free! We have several therapy modalities to help reduce and reverse the numbness, tingling and burning. Many of our patients whose pain would get worse at nighttime, finally have their first restful night in years after just one treatment. Come in and discover the answers that we have for you. Patients call this, “The wonder cure!” Just recently, a patient came in who was scheduled for surgery because she had suffered with bone spur pain for 14 years.

Here’s what other patients have said about the treatments: “I was on 14 medications and my doctors had told me I may need to have my foot amputated. I hadn’t been able to wear shoes other than sandals for years because of my swollen and painful feet. After going through this program I’ve lost weight and my foot pain is gone. I can now wear normal shoes.” Patient, N.S., Age 58 “I drove 120 miles to get this treatment because I had not been able to feel my feet for 15 years. I work on a farm and I would stumble and fall because I could not feel the ground under my feet. I’m getting older and I can’t afford to fall and break something. After the treatments, I was able to feel my feet and toes again. Now for the first time in over a decade I have feelings in my feet.” Patient M.H., Age 85 “I can FINALLY wear sneakers! I now walk 3-4 days per week, which I haven’t been able to do for four years! I feel wonderful and much better since I started my program. If you have neuropathy, come on in! What I’ve experienced so far has been phenomenal!” Patient G.D., Age 51 Now it’s your turn to see if our Neuropathy Pain Relief Treatment will help you to reduce or eliminate your foot or leg pain, like it’s done for so many other patients! The process to get going is very easy. Simply call our office today and ask for your FREE Neuropathy Pain Relief treatment. Our staff will get you in as soon as possible, so…

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Dr. Anthony J. Bianchi D.C.

Attend a FREE SEMINAR where you will learn all about this Breakthrough Neuropathy Protocol. Seating is Limited so Register Now - Call (716) 213-6824 • Home Care Programs Now Available