PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Health & Living

1. Beauty: Spray-On Tans
2. Dining: Upscale Dining in a Down Economy: What Consumers Can Expect
3. Fitness: Stay Workout-Motivated
4. Health: Prevent Vocal Nodules, Polyps and Swelling
5. Health: The Hidden Reality of Massive Weight Loss
6. Home: Bedbugs on Thanksgiving Dinner Guest List?
7. Pets: Elderly Dogs Make Great Pets
8. Pets: 'Fur Shui' Improves the Quality of Life for You and Your Pets
9. Publishing: Authors Guild v. Google Ruling

1. BEAUTY: SPRAY-ON TANS. DR. JOSHUA FOX, founder of ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY in
New York and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology: "Sun-
damaged skin is prone to premature aging, causing wrinkles, uneven skin tone,
enlarged pores and age spots. UV exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer,
which strikes 1 million Americans each year, nearly double the number of all
other cancers combined. Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, and it is
thought to be almost exclusively caused by sun exposure or the use of tanning
beds. Fortunately, spray-on tans are a new alternative to 'baking' on a tan
and can provide a realistic, natural-looking tan without any UV exposure at
all. Based on the available research, spray tans are a safe alternative to any
UV-based tanning process because they color the skin using an FDA-approved
compound called DHA that simply tints the dead skin cells at the very top
layer of the epidermis. While a spray tan does not actually fade, it will
disappear as the layer of skin is sloughed off -- usually within a week." News
Contact: Melissa Chefec, mchefec@optonline.net Phone: +1-203-968-6625
(11/7/08)
2. DINING: UPSCALE DINING IN A DOWN ECONOMY: WHAT CONSUMERS CAN EXPECT. DAVID
SADEGHI, COO of BIG STEAKS MANAGEMENT, operator of eight Ruth's Chris Steak
House locations on the East Coast and four upscale concept restaurants in
Baltimore: "Up to this point, it's been uncommon for fine-dining restaurants
to discount. Now they are changing with the times to stay competitive, meet
economic challenges in-house, and keep dining out affordable. Guests can
expect to see increased happy-hour specials, fixed-cost menus offering a set
list of items for a set price, and lite-fare menus offering the same high-
quality food in smaller portions. With these discounts, restaurants are trying
to appeal to new demographics and strengthen connections with regulars. At the
same time, many restaurants are also aware of the need to discount
strategically, to keep brand perceptions, values and guest expectations intact
when the economy becomes less challenging." News Contact: Amanda Karfakis,
amanda@vitaminisgood.com Phone: +1-410-732-6542, ext. 22 (11/7/08)
3. FITNESS: STAY WORKOUT-MOTIVATED. ELLIE PETERSON, inspirer and president of
ELLIE'S MEDITATIVE MOVEMENTS, a company that has created a distinctive workout
technique that combines exercise movements with spoken positive affirmations
like "I am healthy" and "I release tension," offers three tips to stay
workout-motivated: "1) Set realistic fitness intentions. 2) Vary your workouts
-- incorporate cardio, flexibility, balance and strengthening movements into
your routines. Your body will appreciate the changes. 3) When you fall short
of achieving your intentions, acknowledge that you are worthwhile and capable.
This helps you to accept the disappointment so you can start each new day with
optimism." Web site: http://www.meditativemovements.com (11/7/08)
4. HEALTH: PREVENT VOCAL NODULES, POLYPS AND SWELLING. DR. BEHROOZ (BRUCE)
TORKIAN, M.D., a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon and
otolaryngologist practicing in "the golden triangle" in Beverly Hills, Calif.:
"Entertainers aren't the only ones who tend to abuse vocal chords.
Professional speakers, choir singers, teachers, anyone can overuse their
voices without knowing it." Torkain has patients who use their voice
professionally and can give solid tips and medical advice about how to avoid
straining the vocal chords and what to do if you "lose your voice" or (think)
you have vocal nodules, polyps and/or swelling in the throat area. News
Contact: Linda Arroz, makeovermedia@mac.com Phone: +1-818-752-9168 (11/7/08)
5. HEALTH: THE HIDDEN REALITY OF MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS. GAVIN DRY, M.D., a
board-certified plastic surgeon in Kirkland, Wash., is available to comment on
the aftereffects of massive weight loss in terms of extreme loss in skin
elasticity: "With the rise in obesity statistics, we continue to see more
cases of extreme weight loss through bariatric surgery or otherwise. These
patients see the pounds diminish but are often left with stretched skin that
can make them feel disfigured. Surgery becomes an unexpected necessity." Dry
is one of 12 plastic surgeons serving on the National American Society of
Plastic Surgeons' Post-Bariatric Task Force. News Contact: Mary Douglas,
mary@limelightpartners.com Cell: +1-425-221-1552 (11/7/08)
6. HOME: BEDBUGS ON THANKSGIVING DINNER GUEST LIST? JAMES BELL, CEO of
PROTECT-A-BED in Haverford, Pa., which developed a scientifically proven
bedbug entry-, escape- and bite-proof mattress protector: "Colleges and
universities all over the country are battling a virtual bedbug epidemic. And,
because of a growing bedbug infestation problem in college dormitories all
across America, parents should know their children might not be showing up
alone on Thanksgiving. Bedbugs spread quickly throughout rooms and dormitories
because they hitchhike on students who visit each other regularly, which is
how, this Thanksgiving, they can end up on mom's and dad's doorstep, too.
Parents can add one more item to the shopping list before they return to
college: an encasement system to prevent bed bugs from infesting their
mattresses and protecting their students." News Contact: Laura Deaton
Morarity, ldeaton@wordsworthweb.com Phone: +1-513-271-7222, ext. 15 (11/7/08)
7. PETS: ELDERLY DOGS MAKE GREAT PETS. MARK ROBINSON, founder and owner of
HANDICAPPEDPETS.COM and inventor of Walkin' Wheels for pets, is knowledgeable
about our senior four-legged best friends. In an effort to educate the public
on the many benefits of caring for a canine senior citizen, the ASPCA has
designated November as Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month: "It's an unfortunate reality,
but in the case of animal rescue, older dogs are much less likely to find
homes because they are considered 'less desirable.' Thousands of us are caring
for an elderly or disabled pet with special needs -- senior, geriatric,
injured, recovering from surgery, cancer, terminal illness, arthritis,
paralysis and more. I hear from them everyday on my blog, bragging about how
they have, in fact, taught their old dog a new trick. Senior dogs are mellower
and can make training easier because they focus better than a puppy can.
Helping your senior dog to be well-trained has health benefits because experts
say that exercising the brain keeps senior dogs young. The same principle
applies to senior citizens when their doctor recommends they do crossword
puzzles and other brainteasers to keep sharp and alert. Matching a senior dog
with a senior human is good for both dog and human. It's a win-win." News
Contact: Susan Hartzler, susan@alphadogpr.com Phone: +1-818-998-6299 (11/7/08)
8. PETS: 'FUR SHUI' IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YOU AND YOUR PETS. PAULA
BROWN, feng shui practitioner in Encinitas, Calif., and author of "Fur Shui,"
offers a serious, but lighthearted, overview of how we can easily improve the
quality of life both for our furry (and non-furry) friends and for ourselves:
"Animals are full of natural energy and have a pervasive desire to provide
emotional support to their caretakers. Our pets have the power to improve our
health, protect our homes, and commiserate with us on work, money and love.
All owners need to do, is learn to tap into that energy. By understanding the
simple principles in 'fur shui,' you'll immediately enjoy an animal's point of
view of feng shui (Black Hat is now Black Cat). Animals can make a home a
joyous, active, positive place if they are loved and happy. By using the basic
knowledge of feng shui and applying it to your pet's life and home, you can
certainly help keep the chi moving and growing. Simple suggestions, like where
to place your pet's water dish to feeding them in a square yellow dish for
optimum health, are just a couple things owners can learn about in fur shui."
Brown: +1-760-753-1954 News Contact: Susan Hartzler, susan@alphadogpr.com
Phone: +1-818-998-6299 Web site: http://www.furshui.com (11/7/08)
9. PUBLISHING: AUTHORS GUILD V. GOOGLE RULING: LANDMARK SETTLEMENT FOR BOOK
AUTHORS. RUSSELL WILD, president of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF JOURNALISTS AND
AUTHORS (ASJA) in New York: "The Authors Guild recently announced a landmark
settlement of a lawsuit against Google that will result in payment made to
book authors for electronic reproduction and distribution of our work. This
may be a first step to protecting authors' copyrights from being
electronically infringed upon. Under the provisions of the settlement, a new
Books Rights Registry will do for authors what ASCAP now does for songwriters:
to monitor use and collect fees. The person who holds the rights to a book
will be paid when it's pulled up on Google, downloaded at a public library, or
otherwise accessed in digital format. More than 70 percent of ASJA members
write non-fiction books, as well as magazine articles. We applaud this first
step toward fair use of our work in the new digital age." News Contact: Risa
Hoag, risa@gmgpr.com Phone: +1-845-627-3000 (11/7/08)
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