| Tropical tastes bloom in Toronto
Theresa Dyer, a part-time worker in a car parts factory, had no idea that she had a green thumb until she began volunteering in the Caribbean kitchen garden at Toronto Botanical Garden this spring. "I'm getting to know a part of myself I didn't realize even existed," says Dyer, who comes from Jamaica, lives in an apartment and has never gardened before. Working in the garden, she says, "gives me a burst of joy and I love it." Dyer is one of several volunteers from the city's ethnic communities helping Cathie Cox, horticulturist for the botanical gardens, to grow traditional herbs, fruits and vegetables. The goal is to feature a different culture each year. "As one of the most multicultural cities in the world, Toronto offers not only a rich mixture of languages and cultures, but myriad cuisines, as well," says Cox, who is fascinated by that varied offering of foods.
Heat treatment for winter ailments
SHANGHAI: The best remedy for winter health problems is heat. This traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment is drawing many people to hospitals. Hundreds of people can be found each day in the wards of Shuguang Hospital, a famous TCM center in Shanghai undergoing heat therapy, about half of them children. They lie face down to receive tiefu treatment - the application of heat-giving medical plasters that are placed on the back. Some are attached to electrodes for more heat. Asthma and other respiratory infections are becoming more common today, especially among children, Wang Ziying, a spokeswoman for Shuguang Hospital, said. The hospital treats an average of 500 patients with tiefu every day. Its curative effect is starting to spread as more parents bring their children to the hospital for treatment.
Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy and children
Does your child have allergies, eczema, ear aches, digestive issues, or problems with attention, sleep or eating? Homeopathy can be a safe and effective treatment for these conditions. What is homeopathic medicine? It is a holistic medicine that recognizes that mental and emotional symptoms coexist with physical symptoms. It can effectively alleviate childhood anxieties, fears, tantrums, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder without side effects. Additionally, it can help children become more resistant to colds and flu. How does it work? Homeopathy turns on the "self heal" switch. Chinese medicine calls it the "chi." Naturopathic medicine calls it the "vis." Homeopathy calls it the "vital force." They all describe the energy inhabiting the human body that when stimulated moves the human system toward greater health.
What's happening in your backyard? Get the latest coverage and analysis of local London issues
There's still a year to go before the 2008 Summer Olympics open in Beijing, but the guessing games have already begun for Team Canada. Who's going? How many medals can we win? And, how will our athletes ever be able to cope with the host city's horrendous smog problem? About one in six summer athletes use asthma inhalers to help open up breathing airways in the lungs. But because the pollution in Beijing is so foul, many athletes who never before had trouble breathing may suddenly find themselves slightly short of breath -- a small reduction, but one that may mean the difference between winning a medal or failing to. "There's no doubt this is the most polluted place in the world," said the Canadian Olympic Committee's environmental physiologist, Jon Kolb.
Club meetings
Kids welcome with parental supervision. Call 774-6646 or see www.fotas.org. ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES: The Southern Oregon Antiques and Collectibles Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at the Redman Lodge, 125 N. Holly St., Medford. For information, call 535-1231. APPLIQU SOCIETY: The Appliqu Society meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second and fourth Friday of the month, at JoAnns Fabrics. Call 535-8740. ASHLAND ET/PARANORMAL FILM SERIES DISCUSSION GROUP: Meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at Nuwandart, 258 A St., Suite 2, Ashland. Call 535-7112. ASHLAND FOREIGN AFFAIRS SEMINAR: Meets at 10 a.m. on the second and third Thursday of the month at the Unitarian Center, Fourth and C streets, Ashland. Call 482-4755. ASHLAND HILLCLIMBERS: The Ashland Hillclimbers meet at 9 a.m.
One more year... and counting
There's still a year to go before the 2008 Summer Olympics open in Beijing, but the guessing games have already begun for Team Canada. Who's going? How many medals can we win? And, how will our athletes ever be able to cope with the host city's horrendous smog problem? About one in six summer athletes use asthma inhalers to help open up breathing airways in the lungs. But because the pollution in Beijing is so foul, many athletes who never before had trouble breathing may suddenly find themselves slightly short of breath -- a small reduction, but one that may mean the difference between winning a medal or failing to. "There's no doubt this is the most polluted place in the world," said the Canadian Olympic Committee's environmental physiologist, Jon Kolb. "The thing that causes it is obviously the massive population growth and increase in automobiles.
Gruber treats whole person
At Happy Toro Acupuncture in Toro Park Estates, Robert Gruber tries to help patients find relief from a variety of ailments. "I was drawn to acupuncture in 1978 after finding relief from a prolonged bout of bronchial asthma, which wouldn't respond to Western medicine," Gruber said. "At that time, acupuncture was just starting to be recognized in the Western world - even though its origins date back over 4,700 years." .
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