Putman Media Wins 17 Publishing Awards

Putman Media Wins 17 Publishing Awards

Putman Media, Inc. (www. putman. net), a privately held business-to-business media firm with 70 years of experience serving manufacturing communities, has been bestowed with 17 awards from the 2008 American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards and the 2008 Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) for outstanding achievement in publishing. These awards honor Putman's magazines for editorial, graphic and strategic excellence.

Itasca, Ill (PRWEB) August 19, 2008

Putman Media, Inc. (www. putman. net), a privately held business-to-business media firm with 70 years of experience serving manufacturing communities, has been bestowed with 17 awards from the 2008 American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards and the 2008 Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) for outstanding achievement in publishing. These awards honor Putman's magazines for editorial, graphic and strategic excellence.

The Journal from Rockwell Automation and Our Partners won the 2008 APEX Awards for "Best Custom-Published Magazines & Journals" and for "Cover Design" - December 2007 issue. The "Best Custom-Published Magazines & Journals" prize recognizes the magazine as a whole for content, design, fulfillment of its mission for the customer and overall quality.

Magazines that received 2008 ASBPE National Azbee Awards include:
Control Design, Honorable Mention for Magazine of the Year, Under 80,000 Circulation. Control Design is dedicated to the special information needs of industrial machine builders. Food Processing won the Silver Award for "Life on Mars" by Editor-in-Chief Dave Fusaro, December 2007, Individual/Organization Profile, Under 80,000 Circulation. Food Processing is dedicated to the food and beverage industry. For Regular Column, Staff Written, Under 80,000 Circulation, Control magazine Executive Editor Jim Montague, Silver Award for "Control Report," May and December 2007 issues. Control serves users of control, instrumentation and automation technologies.

National Azbee design honors were bestowed to:
The Journal from Rockwell Automation and Our Partners, a bimonthly custom magazine published for Rockwell Automation: Gold Award for "Stand Out From the Crowd," Cover, December 2007 issue, Under 80,000 Circulation. The Journal also won the Silver Award for Table of Contents Page or Pages, June 2007 issue, Under 80,000 Circulation. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, devoted exclusively to help drug industry professionals: Silver Award for "2007: Facing a Year of Uncertainty," Cover, February 2007 issue, Under 80,000 Circulation.

Magazines that received 2008 ASBPE Regional Azbee Awards include for editorial excellence include:
Editor-in-Chief Paul Studebaker of Plant Services, Bronze Award, Editorial/Editor's Letter, 80,000 or More Circulation, "From the Editor," March and September 2007 issues. Plant Services is dedicated to excellence in maintenance, reliability and asset management Plant Services, Gold Award, Regular Column Contributed, 80,000 or More Circulation, "Crisis Corner" by Joel Leonard, March and May 2007 issue. Plant Services, Silver Award, Regular Column Contributed, 80,000 or More Circulation, "Energy Expert" by Peter Garforth, June and December 2007 issues. Chemical Processing, covering U. S. chemical manufacturing processing operations, won the Silver Award for How-To Article, Under 80,000 Circulation, "Properly install column internals" by Editor-in-Chief Mark Rosenzweig, Managing Editor Ken Schnepf and Art Director Derek Chamberlain.

2008 ASBPE Azbee Regional design awards include:
Chemical Processing, Gold Award, Front Cover - Photo, Under 80,000 Circulation, for "Chemical Industry Sees Green," January 2007 issue. Wellness Foods, a bimonthly magazine providing the wellness foods and beverages market with information about ingredients, regulations, formulation and more, won the Silver Award, Opening Page/Spread - Computer Generated, Under 80,000 Circulation, "Heart Healthy Naturally," February 2007 issue. Control, Gold Award, Opening Page/Spread - Photo, Under 80,000 Circulation, "Built to Last," February 2007 issue Food Processing, Silver Award, Opening Page/Spread - Photo, Under 80,000 Circulation, "Your Prime Choice," February 2007 issue. Plant Services, Gold Award, Opening Page/Spread - Photo, 80,000 or More Circulation, "To the last byte," April 2007 issue.

About Putman Media, Inc.
Putman Media, Inc. (www. putman. net) strives to be an exceptional media company as judged by the communities it serves. Putman consistently delivers unique, relevant and integrated media services and solutions that enable its customers to compete in an aggressive, high-speed environment. Its titles include Plant Services, Chemical Processing, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking, Food Processing, Wellness Foods, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and www. KnowPharma. com, and The Journal from Rockwell Automation and Our Partners.

About the American Society of Business Press Editors
The ASBPE (www. asbpe. org) is the professional association for full-time and freelance editors and writers employed in the business, trade and specialty press.

About the APEX Awards
Sponsored by the editors of the Writing That Works, a division of Communications Concepts, Inc., the APEX Awards (www. apexawards. com) is an annual international competition for writers, editors, publications staff and business and nonprofit communicators. The APEX Awards honor excellence in corporate communications.

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Doctor Disability Insurance Urges Public to Draft a Will, No Matter the Size of Your Estate

Doctor Disability Insurance Urges Public to Draft a Will, No Matter the Size of Your Estate

Being prepared for the worst case scenario can help secure the safety of financial security for you and your family.

San Clemente, CA (PRWEB) September 26, 2009

The sudden death of worldwide celebrity Michael Jackson earlier this year resulted in controversy over his estate because the only will he had was 5 pages and written in 2002. Jackson's expansive estate, assets, and guardianship of his children had to be sorted out by executors and family members. If Jackson had an updated will, the entire process would no doubt have gone much smoother. Doctor Disability Insurance (http://www. doctordisability. com) (http://www. doctordisability. com (http://www. doctordisability. com)]) suggests everyone, no matter the size of his or her estate, should secure a well-documented will.

Jackson's outdated will has shed some light on the importance of wills for everyone, not just senior citizens or those with severe health problems. "Being prepared for unexpected events certainly prevents a greater burden on loved ones and family members," said Charles Krugh, President of Doctor Disability Insurance. "The USA Today states that those who are younger than 50 and in good health can get by with a no-frills will that simply states your final wishes and the division of your assets." Krugh also explains that another way to be prepared for crisis and accidents is disability insurance (http://www. doctordisability. com/), which can provide an affordable security blanket and peace of mind should the unexpected occur.

Doctor Disability Insurance provides disability insurance quotes from many major insurance companies, including MetLife, Guardian, Principal and Standard and information on the likelihood of disabilities and the financial harm it can do to a family. "When doctors are educated about all the options they have regarding disability insurance, they will find the best option for themselves and their family." Krugh went on to say, "The process of comparing different insurance policies will also help doctors realize how crucial it is to be prepared for the worst case scenario." The Doctor Disability Insurance website can help doctors research insurance options, get a free quote, and find the answers to frequently asked questions.

Don't leave your family picking up the pieces; secure a will and look into your disability insurance options today. For more information on your insurance options visit DoctorDisability. com or call 866-899-7318, before it's too late.

About Doctor Disability
Doctor Disability Insurance is based out of San Clemente, California and has an "A+" rating by the Better Business Bureau. The company specializes in dentist and physicians disability insurance (http://www. doctordisability. com/insurance/physician). Doctor Disability Insurance is run by President and CEO Charles Krugh, who is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Visit DoctorDisability. com or call 866-899-7318 to discuss our options.

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Inaugural Charity Campaign With "Garden Of 100 Million Flowers" Launched On Christmas Eve

Inaugural Charity Campaign With "Garden Of 100 Million Flowers" Launched On Christmas Eve

An innovative new site at http://www.1friend2another. org launched on Christmas Eve at 12:00pm EDT on December 24, 2008. This site has several internationally newsworthy "firsts": (1) A virtual Magic Rainbow that shines above the White House grounds, where anyone can plant up to seven flowers; (2) A Mount Rushmore scene displaying what our greatest Presidents said and where visitors can voice their advice to President-Elect Obama; (3) A giveaway the Book Of Time, a compendium of time-saving tips that can increase anyone's free time by hundreds or thousands of hours, and soon to be translated into seven languages; (4) The ambition of this site is to raise $20 million for charities, in an ongoing effort dubbed the "Inauguration Charity Campaign"; (5) Visitors can participate in "The Contest With Unlimited Prizes!": Anyone who leaves a comment for Barack Obama will receive a valuable prize (mostly by download, but a few by mail); and (6) It is site is specially designed to support the media: Reporters and bloggers can actually track the growth of the "Garden of 100 Million Flowers" in real time and personally verify its explosive growth. "We believe this site will grow through word-of-mouth to well over 100 million flowers because it's exceptionally fun, beautifully designed, and socially very useful and charitable," said David O. Snow, Director of the Consumer Freedom Alliance.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) December 24, 2008

An innovative new site at http://www.1friend2another. org (http://www.1friend2another. org) will launch at 12:00pm EDT on December 24, 2008. "We believe this site will grow through word-of-mouth to well over 100 million flowers because it's exceptionally fun, beautifully designed, and socially very useful and charitable," said David O. Snow, Director of the Consumer Freedom Alliance.

Six Newsworthy "Firsts":

This site has several internationally newsworthy "firsts":

- When people walk the Magic Rainbow that shines above the White House at our site, they will come across five scenes, one of which enables them to plant up to seven flowers. The garden starts at just over 7.5 million flowers (our guesstimate for how many flowers are planted in Washington, at least in the summertime.) "To reach our goal of 100 million flowers, the site needs to attract at least 20 million people. We believe we'll do it, using the incredible power of word-of-mouth on the Internet," said Snow.

- Its "virtual garden" is located on the White House grounds at a time when the inauguration of a new president is near. In the Mount Rushmore scene, everyone can read what our greatest Presidents said, and anyone can voice their advice to President-Elect Obama. Although the site uses the White House as a familiar landmark, its usage implies no political or partisan purpose.

- Perhaps most importantly, the site gives away the Book Of Time, a compendium of time-saving tips that can increase anyone's free time by hundreds, perhaps even thousands of hours over their lifetime. Gaining just 50 hours of free time each year over twenty years means 1000 more hours of free time. If 100 million people take advantage of this free book, that's a staggering 100 billion hours that all those people can enjoy with their friends and family. "It's a truly revolutionary book, and we encourage everyone to visit its support site at 10Freedom. com to find out why," said Snow, the book's Author.

- While most sites that are designed to spread by word of mouth are launched in support of corporations, this one is designed to inspire people worldwide to give huge sums of money for charities. In an ongoing effort dubbed the "Inauguration Charity Campaign", our goal is to raise $20 million for charities at a time when donations are dwindling for many of them. "Our philosophical goal is to disseminate very high-quality consumer information in support of charities," said Snow. "With this information, we can teach people to live better. The more people live right, the less likely they will become a burden on charity, so spreading good teachings is an excellent way of being charitable in and of itself."

- Visitors can participate in "The Contest With Unlimited Prizes!" Anyone who leaves a comment for Barack Obama will have their remark immortalized for posterity by having it presented along with comments left by others to his planned Presidential Library. And by simply leaving a comment, everyone will receive a valuable prize (mostly by download, but a few by mail.) No one is asked to give us any of their contact information in order to participate in this contest. At a minimum, every visitor will receive a prize package worth $25, including a sequel to The Book Of Time as well as some other really nice downloadable prizes to be named later. As the site evolves, we project that other kind-hearted humanitarians will contribute their own prizes to be given away in this contest.

A Prize For Everyone: You will receive a prize package worth $25, including a sequel to The Book Of Time. That in itself should be worth $25 to most people, plus we'll add at least a couple of other really nice downloadable prizes to be named later.

- This site is specially designed to support the media. Reporters and bloggers can actually track the growth of the "Garden of 100 Million Flowers" and personally verify its explosive growth. First, after the site is launched at noon EDT on December 24, reporters should press the "=" key (the equal sign), as soon as the site has loaded into their browser. When they do, they'll be treated to a secret way that they can personally track the snowballing traffic, as the site grows at exponential speed. Journalists will immediately receive a special link that lets them email their contacts about the site, then track how many times their contacts forward it to others, and so on to "six degrees of separation" and probably even beyond that

Second, we are keeping a journal on FaceBook to allow anyone to follow our progress:

Inauguration Charity Campaign @ http://www. facebook. com/profile. php? id=1092339744 (http://www. facebook. com/profile. php? id=1092339744)

Of course, the six supported charities themselves are allowed to track the success of their email campaigns in the same way that reporters are. You can read more about the participation of these charities (Pajama Program, Homes For Our Troops, OliviaAppeal. com, Medical Teams International, Mercy Corps and Cars for Causes) at http://www.10freedom. com/donate. pdf (http://www.10freedom. com/donate. pdf).

A Paradigm Change In Self-Help Publishing:

By launching this site, the Consumer Freedom Alliance hopes to entertain and enlighten people worldwide, while generating a large amount of money for charities. The ultimate goal of the CFA is to create "edutainment" sites that are so unprecedented in their entertainment value and usefulness that millions upon millions of people will want to spread high-quality information to many of their friends.

"The world's finest minds are already beginning to use the Internet to spread their teachings to millions, and we intend to support this developing trend every step of the way," said Snow. "We realize this site will generate worldwide interest, so we're including charities from Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom in the Book Of Time." The Canadian charities are the Vancouver Foundation and SOS Children's Villages Canada. The UK charities are Booktrust, Action For Children, MacMillan Cancer Support, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals. The Australian charity is the aforementioned OliviaAppeal. com, Olivia Newton-John's campaign to build a sophisticated cancer research and treatment center in Australia.

This campaign ultimately will not be limited to only English-speaking countries. Time is universally valued by everyone, so we have commenced fulfilling our humane responsibilities by initiating the translation of the Book Of Time to Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Russian.

The Consumer Freedom Alliance is an ambitious consumer publishing company founded in 2005 with the motto "Health, Safety and Financial Freedom for All." Its mission is to persuade consumers to read, utilize and pass along helpful tips so that all consumers may benefit.

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DuPont Adds Cotton to India Seed Product Lineup

DuPont Adds Cotton to India Seed Product Lineup

Strengthens Growing Seed Business in India

Hyderabad, India (Vocus) June 26, 2009

DuPont today announced it has made two cotton acquisitions in India to enhance its product lineup and strengthen its growing business here. DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred has purchased the cotton seed business of Nandi Seeds, based in Mehboob Nagar, Andhra Pradesh, India, and acquired cotton germplasm from Nagarjuna Seeds, based in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

“These acquisitions will help us enter the cotton seed market here and meet the needs of Indian farmers who grow more than 9 million hectares of cotton each year – more than anywhere else in the world,” said K. V. Subbarao, country manager -- Pioneer India. “Cotton is a natural fit for Pioneer in India. It completes our high-value product and service offering to farmers and enables us to further strengthen our growing seed business here.”

Pioneer currently offers corn, rice, pearl millet, sunflower and mustard in the Indian market and has grown revenue 40 percent annually for the last five years to reach about $70 million in 2008.

“Agriculture, food and nutrition is a key growth segment for DuPont in India, and these acquisitions are part of the company’s strategy to expand its presence here,” said Balvinder S. Kalsi, president -- DuPont India. “We are positioning our market-driven science company to grow at a faster pace by leveraging opportunities that will enable us to contribute to India’s sustainable economic development.”

This is the latest in a series of investments by DuPont in India. Pioneer recently announced the opening of a new corn research center in Bangalore to speed delivery of new, improved products to market and meet the growing demand for food and feed. The new Bangalore center is the fifth field research facility in India for Pioneer and will develop high-yielding hybrids adapted to the unique growing conditions in the area. DuPont has significantly increased its seed research investment in India in 2008 and has increased capacity for product development and evaluation across the country.

DuPont also recently established the DuPont Knowledge Center (DKC) in Hyderabad, India, which includes the Biotechnology Research Center, a key location for global biotech research. This biotech center is the first integrated agriculture and industrial biotechnology research center for DuPont outside the United States, and is one of five global agricultural biotech research facilities where DuPont conducts biotech discovery work. The other research facilities are in Wilmington, Del., U. S..; Johnston, Iowa, U. S.; Redwood City, Calif., U. S.; and Beijing, China.

Pioneer has been selling hybrid seed in India for more than 30 years and is one of the nation’s leading suppliers of improved seed genetics. Pioneer supports the sale of its products to more than 1.5 million customers in India with an extensive sales and agronomy team that works closely with Indian farmers to get the right product on the right hectare to maximize their productivity and profitability.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world’s leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

DuPont India is a subsidiary of DuPont. The DuPont association with India extends back more than 200 years, since the first shipment of raw materials for black powder for explosives was imported from India into the United States in 1802. Today, DuPont India, with more than 1,000 employees, markets a wide range of products in various market segments. The company has six production facilities in India in three locations for DuPont Crop Protection, DuPont Engineering Polymers, DuPont Refinish, and Pioneer® hybrid seeds.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company’s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “intends,” “projects,” “indicates,” and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in DuPont’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance, and seasonality of sales of agricultural products.

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and Pioneer® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

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New Best Practices Guide on Employee Benefits: Benchmarking Tool Showcases Employee Benefits Strategies of The Principal 10 Best Companies

New Best Practices Guide on Employee Benefits: Benchmarking Tool Showcases Employee Benefits Strategies of The Principal 10 Best Companies

Employers have long known that employee well-being impacts job performance. Now a new benchmarking guide from the Principal Financial Group delivers best practices in employee benefits that help employees get both financially and physically fit resulting in fiscal fitness and a competitive edge for the business. Companies can use the guide to benchmark their current practices and get new ideas.

DES MOINES, Iowa (PRWEB) January 29, 2008

 The Formula for Success outlines the benefits best practices of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security--2007. Selected by an independent panel of benefits experts for excellence in helping employees achieve long-term financial security, the winning companies say the key is more personalized help -- such as one-on-one health coaches in wellness programs and workplace financial guidance.

In the best practices guide, which is available at no charge at www. principal. com/bestguide (http://www. principal. com/bestguide), employers and their financial professionals can find:

A benchmarking chart for comparing their employee benefits to those of The Principal 10 Best Companies and national averages

Detailed tactics and real-life examples of their success

Engaging case studies that illustrate the universal challenges faced by employers today -- and the innovative tactics The Principal 10 Best Companies used to overcome them

Easy-to-use, interactive checklists of best practices that can help them fine-tune their employee benefit programs

"The Principal 10 Best Companies help their employees achieve financial fitness by providing the benefits and the education employees need to feel secure about their financial futures. At the same time, a growing emphasis on physical fitness improves employees' quality of life and helps prevent costly illnesses. Wellness screenings at these companies caught high cholesterol, diabetes and prostate cancer -- including that of one winning company's CEO," said Renee Schaaf, vice president, the Principal Financial Group.

It all adds up to happier, healthier and more dedicated employees and ultimately a competitive edge for the company. The leaders of these organizations say their investments in employee benefits help them recruit and retain the best employees, as well as cut training costs, enhance customer service and boost productivity. As Dan Robinson, CEO of Placid Refining Company, LLC, said, "If people feel they have a good benefit package, they'll give 110 percent to the employer. The return is very loyal, hardworking employees."

"The Principal 10 Best best practices guide is a good benchmark for employers to know what the best are providing, what's out there in the marketplace and what kind of benefits those they are trying to hire could find elsewhere," said Dallas Salisbury, president and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute and judging panel member of The Principal 10 Best Companies.

Financial fitness for employees

"The Principal 10 Best Companies go the extra mile to help their employees achieve financial fitness by offering automatic savings tools and one-on-one meetings at the worksite," said Schaaf. PMSLIC Insurance Company brought in a financial planner to meet individually with employees and their spouses. "The planner gathered data and put together financial plans that employees needed to meet their goals," said Julie Burns, vice president of human resources at PMSLIC Insurance Company.

Physical fitness for employees

While all of The Principal 10 Best Companies offer some form of wellness program, some companies have been at it longer than others. Badger Mining was a pioneer when it started its worksite wellness program 10 years ago. Listen to an audio interview about Badger's wellness program. Watch a video about Badger Mining Company.

Fiscal fitness for the business

The Principal 10 Best Companies say their investments in employee benefits pay off -- especially when it comes to attracting and retaining top employees. The winners have turnover rates significantly lower than others in their industries, with an average annual voluntary turnover rate of 7.7 percent, compared to the national average of 21.6 percent. Listen to audio interviews with winning companies about how their employee benefits give them a competitive advantage.

About The Principal 10 Best Companies program

The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security is a nationwide program that recognizes small and medium-size companies, between five to 1,000 employees, that excel in providing for employee financial security. To qualify, all entrants must have been based in the United States and have provided a broad range of employee benefits for at least five years. Qualifying companies must have, at a minimum, offered "traditional" employee benefits, such as those relating to retirement, health, life or disability. Nominations and entries for the 2008 program will be accepted beginning February 1, 2008. Learn more about how to nominate a company or enter your company.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group (R)(The Principal (R)) is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $306 billion in assets under management and serves some 18.3 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www. principal. com.

LEARN A LESSON FROM YOUR KIDS THIS SUMMER

LEARN A LESSON FROM YOUR KIDS THIS SUMMER

What can children teach adults about living a happier, less stressful life? You'd be surprised.

(PRWEB) June 6, 2003

Now that school is out and summer vacation has officially begun, many parents will find themselves spending more time with their kids. Humor Therapist Jacki Kwan says that parents should take advantage of this time, “because your kids can teach you valuable lessons in living a happier, less stressful life.”

“Humor is something we all need in our lives, and children are humor experts,” says Kwan. “Spending time with kids can help us to rediscover our sense of humor.” According to Kwan, children laugh approximately 60 times a day, while the average adult laughs only 10 times per day. “Somewhere through the years we seem to forget that laughing makes us feel good and washes away the pressures of the day-to-day routine. In today’s fast-paced, bottom-line oriented world, the inner child in most of us tends to get squashed. When this happens, our sense of humor gets squashed along with it. So many people are filled with stress, anger, and frustration, and that’s what comes out.”

Kwan further asserts that finding humor in a situation is a matter of allowing that little childlike part of yourself to come out and play. “Regardless of how you perceive yourself, you do have a childlike essence within,” she says. “If you can unleash your inner child, you will learn to laugh more, which will leave you feeling lighthearted and carefree, not to mention a lot less stressed.” So this summer, when your children laugh, laugh with them. You’ll be amazed at what a little extra laughter a day can do for you.

Jacki Kwan is a Licensed Certified Social Worker at the Clinical Level, a Master Practitioner of Neuro-linguistic Programming, a Registered Laughter Leader with the World Laugher Tour™, and a Therapeutic Clown. She is the creator of HA! HA! LOGY®, a multi-faceted therapeutic humor program for healthcare facilities, and leads Laughter Club sessions at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the Washington, DC area. Jacki has been presenting workshops on humor and health since 1994.

You can learn more about how to add more humor to your life in Jacki KwanÂ’s book, Almost Home: Embracing The Magical Connection Between Positive Humor & Spirituality (Cameo Publications, $14.99, ISBN 0-9715739-1-3). If you are interested in reviewing Almost Home or inviting Jacki Kwan to be a guest on your radio/television program, please contact Paula Duncan at 1-866-372-2636 or send an email to marketing@cameopublications. com

Fight Holiday Stress with Stress-Busting Foods

Fight Holiday Stress with Stress-Busting Foods

From houseguests and parties to shopping and cooking, the holidays can serve up a jumbo portion of stress. Fight back with foods that soothe the nerves and offer a sense of calm.

Bellingham, WA (Vocus) October 25, 2010

The holidays are meant to be a joyful time of celebration with family and friends. But often, all that celebrating – and the work it entails behind the scenes – can lead to some serious holiday stress.

According to nutrition expert Gloria Tsang, founder of HealthCastle. com, foods can be used to calm the nerves, rather than resorting to popping a pill, or trying to cram "relaxing" activities into an already over-packed schedule. "We all have certain foods that just make us feel good," Tsang says. "But there are also foods that really do have calming properties based on how their specific nutrients are used by the body."

Here are HealthCastle. com's top 5 recommended foods to calm those frazzled holiday nerves:
Whole-grain pasta/popcorn: These good carbs can boost serotonin (the "feel-good" brain chemical) to help reduce stress. Use whole grains to give your favorite comfort-food pasta an extra serving of soothe.

Tea: Just holding a warm mug can calm us down, but not if it's full of caffeine. Green, white, and black tea have half of coffee's caffeine, and are loaded with beneficial flavonoid compounds, too.

Dark green vegetables: Vegetables like broccoli, kale, chard, bok choy, and green beans contain high levels of B vitamins, a group of stress-relieving vitamins that can also help address anxiety and depression.

Nuts and seeds: The protein in nuts and seeds can take the edge off gnawing afternoon hunger that may itself be stressing you out. Plus, they contain high levels of B vitamins, and magnesium – another mineral involved in serotonin production. Stick to 1.5 oz or less per day, though, as these stress-relievers are high in calories.

Citrus fruits: Winter fruits like oranges, grapefruit, and kiwis are all excellent sources of Vitamin C – a potent stress-busting vitamin. Plus, the Vitamin C found in citrus fruits is involved in the production of collagen, which helps keep your skin firm and reduces wrinkling, to help you hide the effects of stress on your skin.

With so many extra tasks to take care of – from holiday shopping to preparing that big holiday meal – the holidays can be a surprisingly stressful time. By adding these top stress-busting foods to your diet, you can calm your nerves and reduce your stress levels without having to pop a pill. That should help keep your holidays merry and bright. More healthy eating tips from registered dietitians are available at http://www. HealthCastle. com, an official USDA MyPyramid Partner.

About HealthCastle. com: HealthCastle. com is the most comprehensive nutrition community run by Registered Dietitians on the web. The dietitians at HealthCastle. com have been sharing their passion for nutrition and health since 1997. For fun and practical healthy eating tips, exclusive nutrition guides, and nutrition podcasts, visit http://www. HealthCastle. com.

Twitter: http://twitter. com/HealthCastleGlo
Facebook: http://www. facebook. com/healthcastle

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