Monday, April 26, 2004

Chicago Public Schools to Ban Soda, Candy

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Public Schools will ban soft drinks, candy and fat-laden snacks from school vending machines, replacing them with healthier offerings, district officials said on Tuesday.

Chicago, the nation's third-largest public school district, joins other major school systems that have already expelled food or drinks seen contributing to a childhood obesity epidemic from their facilities.

"Students spend a large portion of their time at school, and we need to do more to promote healthy eating habits," said Arne Duncan, the school system's chief executive officer, in a statement. "This is an important step toward getting junk food out of our schools."

The Chicago district said it is seeking proposals to replace its exclusive and expiring beverage contract with Coca-Cola with offerings restricted to 100 percent fruit juices in elementary schools and at least 50 percent fruit juice in high schools. Other acceptable beverages will be water and noncarbonated sports drinks.

Representatives for Atlanta-based Coke could not immediately be reached for comment. Under the existing contract, the school system made about $4 million a year or 52 percent of the sales, while Coke got the remaining 48 percent, according to Mike Vaughn, a school district spokesman. On the snack front, products in school vending machines must have not more than 30 percent of their calories from fat and no more than 40 percent sugar by weight. Candy and chewing gum would be banned outright.

Vaughn said the new policy on snacks would taken up by the board of education in May with the aim of having the policy in place by next fall. The district's move comes as public awareness over the obesity crisis heightens. Food and drink makers have also tuned into the problem, in part to defend against litigation blaming their products for making people fat. And some nutritionists have cautioned against many of the juice alternatives to soft drinks, which can be deceptively high in sugars.

McDonald's Corp., last year the target of a well-publicized obesity lawsuit, late last week launched an anti-obesity push that includes the launch of a new healthier version of its kid-oriented Happy Meals for adults.

The largest U.S. school system in New York City has already ousted soft drinks, replacing them with juice and other products from Snapple, a unit of Cadbury Schweppes Plc. Schools in Los Angeles banned soft drinks as of January and will ban the sale of so-called junk food starting in July.

Thursday, April 08, 2004

NATURAL THERAPISTS WELCOME IN CYPRUS!
Are you a qualified, professional Natural Therapist looking for a change? Want to join a group of professionals in a cutting-edge, dynamic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus, catering to the needs of local and international clients?

Now that Cyprus is due for EEC accession on May 1st 2004, if your country is a member of Europe then you will not require a work permit, which makes things a lot easier for those wishing to emigrate. Unfortunately it is a lot more difficult for Americans and other countries not part of the EEC.

This is the first such CAM Centre in Cyprus and also covers the Middle East and surrounding countries.

The Centre is presently seeking the following specialties:

Holistic Dentist
Holistic Medical Director
Chiropractor
Colon Hydrotherapist
Acupuncturist
Other specialists can also be considered, but all must be professionals in their own right with adequate training at recognised schools in Europe.

The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Centre is a large complex comprising of Natural Medicine specialists such as Naturopaths, Herbalists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Holistic Dentists, Nutritionists, Homeopaths, Colon Hydrotherapists, Psychotherapists, Sexologists, Aromatherapists, Reflexologists, Vodder Lymphatic Drainage Therapists, Physiotherapists, etc.

The Centre is equipped with the latest technology including Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), otherwise known as Thermography, VEGA Allergy testing, BICOM Bioresonance Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber, Infrared sauna, ozone steam cabinet, Iridology, Live Blood Analysis, Biological Terrain Analysis, Heart Rate Variability Testing, Metabolic Typing, Autonomic Response Testing and a lot more.

Therapists work autonomously by simply renting a serviced office on the premises which includes secretarial, appointment booking service for clients, and all other office services such as telephone, ADSL connection, fax, VISA, conference/workshop facilities, etc.

The Centre is in a perfect location in the Larnaca countryside just metres away from the Archangelos River surrounded by calm and tranquility. It is only 10 minutes drive from Larnaca town centre, and about 20 minute drive from the sea.

The Centre is active in serious research and has its own in-house laboratory - main areas of research are in heavy metals and cancer and chronic diseases.

Attached to the Centre is a School of Natural Medicine that will be issuing Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Natural Medicine, with the appropriate clinical experience given by our team of practitioners. All practitioners are welcome to participate in teaching and research if they desire.

If any therapists are interested in further details please contact Dr. Georgiou on +357 99 682083 or email drgeorge@avacom.net

You may get a glimpse of some of the treatment modalities on Dr. Georgiou's web site at www.naturaltherapycenter.com - more treatment modalities and therapists are presently being added.