Five Cool Places for Health and Wellness | Laini's Little Pocket Guide

They say you can?t take care of others until you can take care of yourself. Well, here are our suggestions at Little Pocket Guide of how to go about doing just that: five cool places for health and wellness.

by Carrie Havranek

We?re lucky here in the Lehigh Valley. We?ve got a lot of people who are dedicated to the connection to mind, body and spirit, whether that?s massage, yoga, chiropractic, health food, supplements, or herbs. Here are five cool places for health and wellness?broadly speaking.

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Interior of Nature's Way Market in Easton, PA. Photo by Laini Abraham.

1.?Healthy Alternatives and Cafe Santosha, Trexlertown.

Once you?re finished shopping for your weekly dose of healthy food, take a break at the onsite Cafe Santosha, which serves healthy, delicious food for every palate?carnivore to vegan, with items that are gluten free, too. Owned by nutritionist Diane Burg, Healthy Alternatives is in the most unassuming location?a strip mall of all places?but is anything but cookie cutter in its approach. Don?t miss the soups.? 7150 Hamilton Blvd., Trexlertown; 610-366-9866.

2. JBN Wellness Center, Bethlehem.

You might be surprised to find out there?s a whole group of wellness businesses in the middle of an industrial park in Bethlehem, but there you have it. Just Be Natural Fitness and Nutrition Center is the flagship business there, but you?ll also find Kula Heart Yoga, MultiSport Fitness, chiropractors Dr. Philip O?Brien and Christopher Amato, massage therapist Heidi Zimmerman, and reflexologist and health coach Stephanie M. Shelly, among others. People refer to this as the ?JBN Building? in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park V, off 512.

3.?Nature?s Way, Easton

One of the oldest health food stores in the Valley if not the oldest, Nature?s Way Market has been serving people for 37 years with its helpful service, extensive selection of herbs, natural supplements, homeopathic remedies, and vitamins. It?s also a full-stop grocery store, with local, fresh, seasonal produce, local honey and dairy and meats, lots of options for vegetarians, and an enviable bulk section that includes fresh peanut butter. Free mini-consultations are available with the on-staff herbalist David Harder on Thursdays. 143 Northampton Street, Easton; 610-253-0940.

4.?Rest Urban Wellness Studio, Easton

Rebecca Stephens opened this oasis in downtown Easton five years ago and offers a number of modalities from massage to reflexology to biofeedback to applied kinesthesiology, and more. The difference? The massage she specializes in is two hours, which she says you really need? in order to receive the full mind, body, and spirit experience. ?I give the massage I would like to get,? she says. 24 N. 2nd Street, Easton. Find her on Facebook or call 908-892-1910.

5.?Vitality Natural Healthcare Center, Emmaus.

It?s not surprising that a natural health and wellness center is based in Emmaus, the home of Rodale. For fifteen years, it?s been the center for chiropractor Dr. Darin Mazepa, but a visit here is about much more than just getting an adjustment. He?s a practitioner of Network Spinal Analysis, a blending of chiropractic, acupressure, craniosacral and other modalities, designed to stimulate the body?s natural capacity to heal. You can also receive nutritional counseling, and endocrine testing, along with therapies involve herbs, music, and more. 134 Main Street, Emmaus; 610-965-0023.

What about you? What?s your favorite place for health and wellness?

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who believes yoga, farmers? markets, Reiki, and regular visits to her chiropractor help her stay well. Laughter helps, too.

Movie Review: Unforgivable | Movies & TV | Arts & Entertainment ...

French film noir set in Venice

By Joe Bendel Created: June 28, 2012 Last Updated: June 28, 2012

Andr? Dussollier and Carole Bouquet in the drama 'Unforgivable,' a film about a crime writer in Venice and the obsession with his wife?s whereabouts. (Courtesy Strand Releasing)

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Evidently, Venice is a lot like New York. You will find a lot of writers and realtors there.

One fateful day, a French mystery novelist walks into a former fashion model?s real estate agency. It will be the start of a very complicated relationship for the lead characters in Andr? T?chin??s latest pseudo-thriller, Unforgivable, which opens this Friday in New York.

There seems to be an inverse relationship between Francis?s creative productivity and his domestic happiness. He came to Venice to write in seclusion but took up with Judith instead. At least she had the perfect rental for him: a secluded old villa on the island of Sant?Erasmo.

Happy with his new home and lover, Francis has not written a word in months. Fortunately or unfortunately, that will all change when his ostensibly grown daughter Alice comes to visit.

Either to get back at Francis or her vastly more responsible ex, Alice disappears without warning, apparently taking up with a penniless aristocratic drug dealer. Not inclined to let things be, Francis hires the half-retired private detective Anna Maria, a woman from Judith?s past, to shadow his daughter across the continent.

As Francis?s escalating emotional neediness turns to jealousy, he hires Anna Maria?s delinquent son to shadow Judith in turn.

Based on Philippe Djian?s novel, Unforgivable is a perfect example of T?chin??s knack for skirting the boundaries of the thriller genre without fully crossing over. He toys with plenty of noir conventions, such as a mysterious disappearance, a smarmy underworld figure, and a whole lot of skulking about the streets of Venice.

Yet, T?chin? is more concerned with his characters? extreme emotions?the passion, jealousy, and contempt driving their actions.

Carole Bouquet and Andr? Dussollier. (Courtesy Strand Releasing)

Perfectly cast as Francis, Andr? Dussollier projects the appropriate sophistication, arrogance, and insecurity, while still connecting with something fundamentally human and sympathetic about the character.

However, the real pleasure of Unforgivable is seeing Carole Bouquet (the most underappreciated Bond Girl ever in the pinnacle film of the Roger Moore era, For Your Eyes Only) as Judith, the mature femme fatale. Indeed, it is a smart, delicately calibrated performance.

Capitalizing on the mysterious Venetian backdrop, Unforgivable is like film noir for those who avoid onscreen violence and cynicism. It is literate and worldly, yet compassionately forgiving of its characters? self-defeating foibles (title notwithstanding).

Highly recommended for French film connoisseurs, it opens this Friday (June 29) in New York at the IFC Center downtown and the Beekman Theatre uptown.

Unforgivable

Director: Andr? T?chin?
Cast: Andr? Dussollier, Carole Bouquet, M?lanie Thierry
Running Time: 111 minutes
French with subtitles

Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles please visit http://jbspins.blogspot.com

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

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Beyonce Tribute to Michael Jackson: Remembering the King of Pop, Pure Swag

Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009, or three years ago this week. In a touching tribute to MJ, Beyonce remembers the artist who changed her life forever.

The "Crazy in Love" singer and new mom wrote a touching message on her website about Jackson on Monday, Michael Jackson's death anniversary.

Beyonce, 30, said her first producer had her listen MJ's "Who's Loving You" on repeat. "What he wanted me to learn was his soul," the star recalls.

"You could hear his soul. It's something that's God given."

"For whatever reason he could evoke more emotion than an adult," she went on. "It was these little things he did that were pure swag."

And the mother of Blue Ivy Carter and wife of rapper Jay-Z credits the King of Pop for teaching her that "sometimes you have to forget technique."

"Michael Jackson changed me forever, and helped me to become the artist I am," Beyonce writes, adding simply "Thank you Michael."

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol, given to him by Dr. Conrad Murray. He was only 50 years old.

[Photo: WENN.com]

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Consumer confidence slipped in June

In this June 13, 2012 photo, job seekers have their resumes reviewed at a job fair expo in Anaheim, Calif. More Americans sought unemployment aid last week, suggesting hiring remains sluggish. The Labor Department said Thursday June 14, 2012 that weekly unemployment benefit applications rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000, an increase from an upwardly revised 380,000 the previous week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

In this June 13, 2012 photo, job seekers have their resumes reviewed at a job fair expo in Anaheim, Calif. More Americans sought unemployment aid last week, suggesting hiring remains sluggish. The Labor Department said Thursday June 14, 2012 that weekly unemployment benefit applications rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000, an increase from an upwardly revised 380,000 the previous week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

In this June 19, 2012,photo, a shopper is reflected in a microwave oven on display on a showroom floor at Lowe's store in Atlanta. Consumer confidence fell in June for the fourth month in a row as lingering worries about the economy outweighed relief at the gas pump, according to a private research group. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Americans can't seem to shake their uneasy feeling about the economy.

Consumer confidence fell in June for the fourth straight month as worries about jobs and the overall economy outweighed relief at the gas pump and an improvement in the housing market, according to a private research group.

The decline was modest; the Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index fell from 64.4 in May to 62 in June. But the four-month slide from 71.6 in February is significant and corresponds with a slowdown in hiring by U.S. companies over the same period.

The index is widely watched because consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. A reading of 90 indicates a healthy economy. The index hit an all-time low of 25.3 in February 2009.

The latest survey shows that despite lower gas prices, Americans are still worried about stagnant hiring, low home values, the choppy stock market and a worsening European economy that some fear will hurt the U.S.

"We're trying to break free from this orbit, and we haven't been able to," said Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wells Fargo Economics. "Job market concerns will always trump swings in energy prices."

Alyson Seligman, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., agrees. Seligman, who runs a small public relations firm, said lower gas prices haven't caused her to feel much more confident in the economy.

"Anything can turn on a dime," she said. "You have to be prepared."

Worries about job and income growth weighed the heaviest on Americans in the index, which was based on a survey conducted from June 1 through June 14 of about 500 randomly selected people nationwide. The margin of error for the index is plus or minus 5.5 points.

Those stating jobs are "hard to get" increased slightly to 41.5 percent from 40.9 percent, while those expecting more jobs in the months ahead declined to 14.1 percent from 15.4 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes declined to 14.8 percent from 15.7 percent.

Consumers' dwindling confidence since February corresponds with a sharp slowdown in hiring. Hiring averaged 96,000 during the combined period of March, April and May. That marked a slowdown from the average of 252,000 a month in the prior three months.

The strong hiring during the winter helped lift the Consumer Confidence Index from 40.9 in October to the highest reading it had been in a year during February. But in the following months that hiring has slipped, so has consumer confidence.

Meanwhile, a measure of the number of people applying for unemployment benefits over the past month has reached a six-month high, the government said last week. That suggests June could be another lackluster month for hiring. The government releases June data on July 6.

Americans also are grappling with declines in their retirement funds. After rallying earlier in the year, the stock market has lost its steam since the beginning of May amid concerns about the economy both here and abroad. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen nearly 6 percent since early May.

On the news of declining consumer confidence, major stock indexes drifted between slight gains and losses on Tuesday, following steep losses the day before.

Still, Americans have some reasons to be optimistic. A widely watched home price index, released Tuesday, showed that home prices rose in nearly all major U.S. cities in April. That's the second straight month that prices in The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index have increased in a majority of U.S. cities.

Additionally, gasoline prices have fallen sharply from a peak of $3.94 in early April to a national average of $3.40 per gallon Tuesday, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and the Oil Price Information Service. And experts say gas could fall another 11 cents by July 4.

Despite those two positives, Americans are cautious about spending. Several companies, from restaurants to home goods sellers, have said recently that customers are pulling back on spending unless they are lured into stores by big discounts.

Bed Bath and Beyond last week forecast lower earnings for its current fiscal quarter that started in late May and said it needed to use more coupons to get people to spend. Furniture chain Ethan Allen Inc. said customer traffic is slowing and shoppers are taking more time to make purchasing decisions.

And Darden Restaurants Inc., which operates Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, expects earnings that are short of Wall Street expectations and said customers were turned off by a $1 increase for Red Lobster's dish "Festival of Shrimp."

Given growing uncertainty about the economy, Michael P. Niemira, chief economist at The International Council of Shopping Centers trade group, on Tuesday trimmed his sales forecast for June by a 0.5 percentage point.

He now expects revenue at stores opened at least a year to be up 3 percent to 3.5 percent. That follows a 4 percent rise in May.

____

AP Economics Writer Chris Rugaber contributed to this report in Washington.

Follow Anne D'Innocenzio at http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio

Associated Press

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LDK Solar, News Corp., Seagate are Tuesday movers

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Facebook's Find Friends Feature Tiptoes In, Tiptoes Out

Facebook rolled out a new mobile social discovery tool recently, only to deactivate it hours later and pull it from its iOS and Android apps. The service, which Facebook called "Find Friends Nearby," was designed to help Facebook users find other users who were in the same vicinity.

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Panel: Doctors should screen patients for obesity | Health and Fitness

Doctors should check weight and height for all patients to determine if they?re obese and refer them to intensive diet and exercise programs if necessary, according to new guidelines from a U.S. government-backed panel.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said the guidelines echo its 2003 recommendations on screening for obesity, but take into account more recent evidence that adults can lose weight and keep it off with the right help.

?The good news is that even what you might consider to be modest rather than radical weight loss has tremendous health benefits,? including lowering diabetes risk and blood pressure, said Susan Curry, a member of the task force and dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health in Iowa City.

?Losing 5 percent of your body weight has tremendous health benefits, and intensive behavioral counseling programs help you do that and sustain it,? Curry told Reuters Health. ?Your primary care provider can, we hope, help you to find evidence-based programs.?

The need to address weight gain nationally has grown as America tallies the health and economic costs of its obesity epidemic. More than two-thirds of the country?s adults can be classified as overweight or obese.

Effective weight-loss programs, Curry said, include both nutrition and exercise support. They should help people address any barriers they have to making ? and maintaining ? changes in their lifestyle.

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (a ratio of weight in relation to height) of 30 or above. That?s equal to a five-foot, six-inch person weighing 186 pounds or a six-foot person at 221 pounds.

In evidence considered by the task force, intensive behavioral programs with at least 12 sessions typically helped people lose between nine and 15 pounds (4 and 6.8 kg), or about 6 percent of their original weight.

Those types of programs may also have an effect on diabetes risk, blood pressure and stomach fat, according to the new guidelines, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. But there are still questions about any long-term impacts those interventions have on heart disease and death, for example.

Do drugs work?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved orlistat ? marketed as Xenical and alli ? for weight loss, but Curry and her colleagues said there wasn?t enough information about how well people fare when they go off the drug to make any recommendations related to its use.

Robert Klesges, a preventive medicine researcher from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, said once people stop taking orlistat, they tend to gain back any weight they lost.

With behavioral interventions including lifestyle changes, ?relapse? tends to be smaller, he told Reuters Health.

Klesges, who wasn?t involved in the new study, recommended people trying to lose extra weight incorporate meal replacements into their diet and weigh themselves regularly.

?Exercise is very important, (but) it?s much more important for weight-loss maintenance than weight loss,? he said. Some of the benefits of exercise, he said, come from the fact that it?s pretty difficult to eat a candy bar while running on a track, and people often don?t have much of an appetite for snacking right after they work out.

The task force didn?t review bariatric surgery as a potential intervention for obese people in the new guidelines.

According to data from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, about 220,000 people had those procedures in 2009.

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/26/panel-doctors-should-screen-patients-for-obesity/

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