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January-May, 2009 Nancy will teach in Chicago and in Indiana. To arrange for private instruction, contact her by email: nancy.yoga@gmail.com

WSJ – December 16, 2008 Does Calcium Lessen The Symptoms of PMS? By Laura Johannes Summary:Several studies show calcium eases PMS-related symptoms which take place in the latter half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation begins. Dr. Shys-Jacobs, an assistant professor at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, believes PMS is your body’s way of telling you, “Honey! You are calcium- and vitamin-D-deficient.” She believes that women need added calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium to reduce PMS symptoms, and owns a company which sells Premcal which contains these supplements.

Several researchers agree with Dr. Shys-Jacobs: In its 2000 guidelines, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports positive research on calcium, but says more studies are needed. Dr. Steven Sondheimer, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, agrees that calcium supplements are a good remedy along with improved diet and exercise. And, at Duke University’s Duke Integrative Medicine Center, Dr.Shelley Wroth recommends a daily cocktail of calcium plus vitamin B6 and magnesium.

WSJ – November 26, 2008 Submitting to the Science of Prevention by Laura Landro
Summary: Several medical groups are partnering in an effort to answer the question, “How to reverse the growing burden of chronic disease in the U.S. Experts believe that the answer is to shift the focus from diagnosing and treating disease to maintaining good health and prevention.

Although researchers expect that one day decoding the human genome to identify who is at risk for a wide number of diseases, these developments may be a long way off and genetic tests alone have limitations in terms of predicting disease. Lifestyle, environment and behavior have a strong influence on how genes affect health.

Emory is testing volunteers on four processes in the body that studies show may indicate something is about to go wrong long before standard tests can detest it. These are inflammation, immune function, the inefficient use of oxygen and the capacity to regenerate stem cells in the blood. While these are not specific for a single disease, their functions essential to preventing most common diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, says Kenneth Brigham, vice chairman for research at Emory’s Department of Medicine.

Emory plans to use data from its study of 600 of its employees to help identify areas for workplace interventions, and is randomly assigning half the participants to health coaches to determine their effectiveness. However, Douglas Campos-Outcalt, associate chairman of the University of Arizona’s department of family and community medicine, says the premise that people will change behaviors if they know their risk profile is largely unproven. “Ninety percent of the things you need to know to make positive lifestyle changes you can get from a minimum battery of tests and taking a good medical and family history.”

You can go to the following sites to get more information on personalized and predictive medicine: Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute: predictivehealth.emory.edu

Personalized Medicine Coalition: personalizedmedicinecoalition.org

Ohio State University Center for Personalized Medicine: cphc.osu.edu