Archive for November 20th, 2009
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Chana Bernstein, Founder, Saret Charitable Fund
For the person on your shopping list who loves jewelry, be sure to visit Saret, Treasures of Hope, in Glen Ellyn’s Baker Hill Shopping Center. The shop is chock full of work from artisans in Italy, India, Nepal, Israel, Peru, China, and the United States.
Italian art glass necklaces and pendants sparkle in a rainbow of colors. Semi-precious stones in unique designs are abundant. The jewelry sales, along with natural body and home care products, all support the Saret Charitable Fund.
Saret is a grassroots, not for profit, philanthropic organization that assists DuPage residents in need of immediate assistance. Saret helps homeless families secure housing, offers financial assistance to people who are desperately ill and unable to work, makes temporary loans to those in need, and helps people find work to support themselves.
Chana Bernstein is the founder and president of Saret Charitable Fund, and has guided the group for 24 years. The organization’s name comes from a two year old Cambodian girl living in Wheaton. While Saret Yann was being treated for a liver disease that took her life, volunteers assisted the family and later founded the charity in her name.
Today, the retail store is just one part of the fundraising effort that helps local residents. Other programs include an Adopt a Family Project, and Car Donation. Volunteers are always welcome.
To learn more about Saret Charitable Fund, contact Chana Bernstein at (630) 842-8876 and visit www.saretcharitablefund.org.
Saret Treasures of Hope is at 866 Roosevelt Rd. in Baker Hill Shopping Center, (4 doors down from Chicks N Salsa), Glen Ellyn. (630) 790-4600
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Go ahead, peek into that tiny drawer in your jewelry box or the corner of your dresser where you keep all the broken and mismatched jewelry. If you are like most women, you have: 1) a single stud earring whose twin went down the drain; 2) a pearl or beaded necklace with a broken string; 3) a cocktail ring with a stone missing; and / or 4) a long, karat-gold chain that is hopelessly tangled.
Steve Woodworth, of Matthew Erickson Jewelers, Aurora (Fox Valley), says “The best thing about fine jewelry–aside from its beauty–is that it can be recycled, restyled and redesigned by our experts to produce a piece that will give you years of wearing pleasure.”
Gold and platinum can be melted down; diamonds and gemstones can be reset into stylish pieces. It’s time to gather all those damaged pieces and have them recycled into something you can enjoy.
In addition to damaged and broken jewelry, how about that old diamond stick pin you inherited from your aunt? Or that ring from Grandma that is several sizes too small? Keep the sentiment, but change the design.
For example, some clients have turned a single stud earring into a modern, bezel-set pendant. Others have popped the diamonds out of the ring and used them to create a scintillating pendant or to frame a sparkling colored gemstone in a contemporary ring.
A single gold earring? Change the ear wire into a bale and wear it on your favorite chain. Finally, any pearls, gold or gemstone beads can easily be matched to recreate a longer version of the original necklace or reworked into a fashionable bracelet.
A current Holiday special allows customers to double the cash back in store credit on gold sales. Visit Matthew Erickson Jewelers at 4421 Fox Valley Center Drive (located in the outer ring of Westfield / Fox Valley mall), Aurora, (630) 820-0300, www.matthewericksonjewelers.com
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Linda Scott, VA Loan Specialist
November is a month to reflect and give thanks. On Veteran’s Day, November 11th, we thanked our Veterans for their sacrifices which have kept our country free.
Our Veterans receive home loan benefits through the GI Bill originally passed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1944. Through the GI Bill, Veterans are able to secure federally guaranteed mortgage loans with no down payment. This feature has helped many Veterans and their families turn the dream of home ownership into a reality.
VA loans will guarantee a maximum of 25% of a home loan amount up to $104,250 to the lender, which limits the maximum loan amount to $417,000. Generally the reasonable value of the property, or the purchase price, whichever is less, plus the funding fee may be borrowed. Veterans are not automatically eligible, so they must meet the program’s qualifications.
VA guaranteed loans are made by private lenders, such as banks and mortgage companies, to eligible veterans for the purchase of a home, which must be used for their own personal occupancy. Banks and mortgage companies will pre-qualify the veteran and determine his/her eligibility for the program.
Some of the highlights of the program are:
• No down payment
• VA funding fee can be financed
• Seller can contribute up to 4% towards closing costs
• Competitive interest rates / 30 year fixed rates
Glen Ellyn Bank and Trust participates in the VA Home Loan Programs. Interested Veterans please call Linda Scott, VA Loan Specialist, at (630) 588-4079. Glen Ellyn Bank and Trust is located at 500 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn.
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Discover the benefits of hot stone therapy with Hot Stone Envy, one of Massage Envy’s new Signature Services.
Hot Stone Therapy melts away tension, eases muscle stiffness, and increases circulation and metabolism. Each 90-minute Hot Stone session features the placement of smooth, water-heated stones at key points on the body to allow for deeper relaxation of the muscles. Professional massage therapists then incorporate a customized massage to create a healing and relaxing experience.
Hot Stone Therapy is ideal formuscular aches, back pain, stress and anxiety, poor circulation, rheumatic and arthritic conditions, and fibromyalgia.
Hot Stone Therapy is gaining popularity for its ability to provide deeper muscle and tissue relaxation, which in turn releases more toxins and improves circulation. The benefits of Hot Stone Therapy have even been used in the treatment of insomnia and depression.
Experience the calming, soothing benefits of Hot Stone Envy today, at Massage Envy, Glen Ellyn at 709 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn (630) 790-4400.
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Clarice Loiacano, Clarice’s Creating Beautiful Looks
Notes from Clarice Loiacano, Clarice’s Creating Beautiful Looks
A client told me that her husband once asked why nothing was listed for Clarice’s in the family budget. “It’s in the household line,” she said, “because a happy me, makes for a happy household!”
Her rationale was one of the best I’d heard. Spa treatments, like facials and pedicures, shouldn’t just be for special occasions. They are one of the best ways to take care of yourself, physically and emotionally.
Many are unaware that stress-related conditions account for 80% of all visits to dermatologists and skin care specialists. It affects every element of your skin, alters your genetic code, and shortens the productive life span of skin cells. It makes every skin condition worse–for instance, stress is the #1 rosacea trigger and one of the top triggers for acne. Even worse, stress affects the aging of women six times faster than men!
How can you alleviate stress in your life? Remember to take some time for yourself each day. Take a bath, listen to soothing music, put some aromatherapy or scents around the house–and make regular visits to your favorite spa!
At Clarice’s, our goal is to make your spa visit an experience. We’ll help you relax, but take a clinical approach, to help with whatever skin conditions you have. Call (630) 690-2266 and visit www.creatingbeautifullooks.com.
Posted by Laura Nelson on November 20, 2009
Dr. Ruth Martens, M.D., D. Ht.
By Dr. Ruth Martens, M.D., D. Ht
On October 24, 2009, President Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a National Emergency in response to the report that deaths from H1N1 have topped 1000 in the US. I am baffled by the attempts by the CDC, the President, and WHO to panic the population–not just of the US, but of the world–when there are ample reports that this flu is mild to moderate, most people recover well without medication or hospitalization, and most deaths are in those people with underlying conditions.
The numbers themselves are a problem. In late July, the CDC recommended testing for H1N1 be stopped unless the person was hospitalized or immunocompromised with flu or in patients who had died from influenza-type infections. This means that reports of X number of flu cases were based on patients presenting with symptoms that looked like influenza. This wouldn’t be a problem if most of those folks actually had the flu. It turns out symptoms can be deceiving.
CBS News has done a three month investigation using statistics kept by the states (which is where the CDC gets its information) and found that most people with “flu-like symptoms” don’t have H1N1 and it is likely, they didn’t have flu at all. It is also curious that CBS had difficulty with CDC because they didn’t want to release the state by state information, so CBS went directly to the states.
So why the panic? Fear is used as a tool and it is effective when trying to get a person, or in this case, a population to do something they may not want to do. Would you rush to get a new vaccine that had only been tested on a few thousand people for a few weeks when the last time a vaccine for swine flu was created the program was discontinued because it was associated with paralysis? It is being pushed for pregnant women, young children and those with chronic disease. Even fewer of these people were in the test group to determine safety. You might be interested to know that many healthcare providers are not vaccinating themselves or their children.
There is an added concern. This is the first year more than one flu shot has been recommended for anyone (2 for adults-H1N1 and seasonal, 4 for young children). There is NO safety data on giving more than one flu shot to anyone. The general population is going to be the test group. You should also know that vaccine manufacturers are immune from lawsuits arising from adverse events after any vaccine is given. The government has already put out a notice that any adverse event after the vaccine is given will be considered “a coincidence”. This should make you pause.
Why would our President and our government mislead the public, increase panic and push, in some states mandate that people get vaccinated? That has yet to be seen, but as I always say, follow the money. The government has given 1 billion dollars to pharmaceutical companies to create the new swine flu vaccines and another 5 billion to states and federal health agencies to promote and deliver the influenza vaccines to people. The vaccine industry is a 20 billion dollar industry.
It is interesting to note that researchers in Europe have predicted that the CDC vaccination program will have little effect on the total number of people infected by H1N1 influenza virus because the vaccines will arrive too late. The virus is already active and should peak by late October. By year end, 63% will have been infected. This means by year end, the majority of the US population will have natural immunity. (Immunity from the flu shot does not last).
You can improve your immune response by taking a high quality multivitamin, avoiding sugar (decreases immunity), eat your fruits and veggies, get your sleep and exercise regularly. But you knew that.
A longer version of this article (and my past articles) are available on my website: www.martenshealth.com in the Health Articles Folder.
For more information, visit www.cbsnews.com (Swine Flu Cases Overestimated?); www.nvic.com (National Vaccine Information Center); www.mercola.com (H1N1 Swine Flu Alerts).
Dr. Martens is a family physician specializing in natural medicine and homeopathy in Wheaton. For more information or to make an appointment, call (630) 668-5595.
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