Gainesville Today

Discovery to Recovery

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:32:00 EST

America has an addiction problem. Addiction is a complex disease that alters the lives of athletes, physicians, celebrities and everyday people. Anyone who knows an addict, from family to friends to co-workers, is affected. It is not a disease that is easy to understand and can include illicit drugs, prescription drugs, tobacco, alcohol or food. Drug use and abuse (including tobacco) is the nation's number-one untreated health problem, responsible for more than 50 percent of the deaths in the United States this year, according to the Center for Disease Control and the American Medical Association/JAMA. Deaths that are, for the most part, preventable.

The common denominator, in almost every instance of addiction, is the hijacking of the brain. Thus, while first use is voluntary, addiction is considered a brain disease.

Biological, ......

Unlock Your Brain's Potential

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:05:00 EST

What do top-performing athletes, elite musicians and attention deficit disorder sufferers have in common? They take their brain to the gym for a revolutionary, computer- based technique known as EEG Biofeedback. This ‘brain training’ therapy, available at Neurofeedback Associates of North Florida in Gainesville, also helps students succeed academically and athletically.

“Neurofeedback is painless, easy, fun and anyone can do it. It’s a great alternative to medications,” said Therapist Tom Swisshelm, MEd, EdS, who recommends it for ADD, depression, migraine headaches, sleep disorders, dyslexia, drug/alcohol/smoking addiction and other mental and emotional disorders. “Neurofeedback trains the brain to work in a more balanced way. It can help people focus on job performance, organization or just ......

Innovative Back Solutions: Spinal Decompression

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:21:00 EST

Myriam Benitez, a local certified nurse’s assistant who works in an oncology ward, was involved in a car crash at 43rd Street and University Avenue. In the weeks that followed the accident she began to suffer debilitating neck and low back pain. The pain was so bad that she began to wonder if she would even be able to continue in the career she loved so much.

“I love helping people,” says Myriam. “I couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to return to work. My doctor was prescribing pain killers and muscle relaxers. I knew that was no way to live and I also knew that this was not going to fix the injury. My pain continued to worsen and then my attorney told me about a place that specializes in non-surgical treatment for back injuries. It was Innovative Back Solutions right here in Gainesville. ......

The Best Keepers of the Land: Pope Farms Land Management

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:27:00 EST

Farmers have always been the “best keepers of the land,” and Alachua County native Dale Pope reflects this philosophy in his business, Pope Farms Land Management. Whether you own less than one acre of land or 200 acres, land management is an ongoing process, and you can count on Pope’s company to consistently provide quality, attentive customer service.

“We encourage our customers to be involved in what we are doing to their property, and we like to establish a long-term relationship with each of them,” Pope, whose family has a long history of farming and ranching in Alachua County, said. Pope Farms Land Management provides comprehensive landscaping and lawn services to commercial, industrial parks, private landowners and upscale residential properties. Through the Florida Division of Forestry, the ......

SunState: A Member Friendly, Community Credit Union Arrives in Jonesville

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:36:00 EST

SunState Federal Credit Union officials are eager to bring their ‘Black Tie’ service to the Jonesville area with the opening of a new branch scheduled for October. The new branch will offer a full range of financial services and innovative technology designed to serve the credit union’s expanding member base.

The warm and friendly feeling that is the cornerstone of SunState’s 50-plus year history will be immediately felt by members when they enter the lobby of the new, spacious facility, now under construction. “Members are sure to enjoy the warmth and openness that is designed into this new branch,” Cathy Ratliff, a longtime familiar face with SunState, said. Ratliff will serve as branch manager. The Jonesville branch will feature state-of-the-art teller stations, designed to provide efficient ......

Brain Works: A Simple Program Makes a Big Difference

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:44:00 EST

Sometimes, the small things make a big difference. Things like a severely brain-damaged child responding to a smile from his parents, being able to eat solid food or developing the ability to communicate his needs and feelings can make a world of difference to his family.

For 4-year-old Riccardo Alabiso’s family, these seemingly small developments, which were achieved through Tomatis-based auditory training, were huge achievements. His parents’ hope for improvement was strong. Salvatore and Claudia brought Riccardo to Gainesville to work with Diane Daniels, MA, EdS, Director of Brain Works, a brain and auditory training center.

Auditory training involves listening to a program of selected frequencies within classical music that stimulate (1) the auditory system to tune out background noise and decrease sound ......

Gainesville Community Band: The Sound of Music

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:27:00 EST

The love of music is a common bond shared by members of the Gainesville Community Band. It dates back to junior high, high school and college when the 80 members played in respective bands across the country. Some went on to perform as professional musicians while others found careers far removed from the music world. The camaraderie for the band continues to shine for this diverse group at concerts throughout the Gainesville area.

“We have people from all walks of life who come together to enjoy playing music,” said Bill Dishman, trumpeter and GCB president. “The band is an outlet for people to continue their musical endeavors after their associations with school and college bands have ended.” Dishman and his wife, Karen, a guidance counselor at Buchholz High School, are among several married couples who ......

To Serve and Protect

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:34:00 EST

The Woodville Karst Plain is a hydrogeologic zone in northern Florida that includes a vast network of water-filled caves carrying billions of gallons of water per day to some of the world’s largest freshwater springs. Fascination with these caves, and with their broader environmental significance, has compelled members of the Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP) to dedicate themselves for nearly three decades to the organized exploration, survey and documentation of these underwater labyrinths.

The group’s dedication received special recognition from the Florida Government in March. During a Florida Cabinet Meeting at the Capital, the WKPP was presented with a resolution in recognition of their exceptional volunteer service to the State of Florida. Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink sponsored the resolution ......

For Many Women, the Future is Rising

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:42:00 EST

“If You Had All the Time and All the Money in the World, Would You Still Be Doing What You’re Doing?”
- Deepak Chopra

There is an ancient suburban ritual, a tradition going back many generations. Women, and sometimes men, gather in a living room or kitchen to buy things.

Saturdays or early evenings will find them pouring over catalogs and sipping coffee while they chat and catch up. The stranger in the room is there to sell them things. She may perform a ritual like “beautifying” the guests, draping them with sparkling jewelry or even giving them dainty, sexy nightgowns to try on. Most famously, they sit around a table and giggle as they “burp” plastic containers.

Rising International parties are Tupperware with a twist. Its motto, “End Poverty from your ......

CREATEchic: Flattering Swimsuits for Your Shape

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:54:00 EST

Welcome to Fashion
Gainesville Today’s STYLE Know-How

Your closet should be a place of bliss—not where you hide skeletons or those awful gifts you couldn’t return. But for most, turning your closet into a fashion-haven is easier said than done.

The endless amount of fashion rules and trends could puzzle even the most fashionista of brains. Luckily, CREATEchic is making its debut by breaking today’s trends down into a language that we can all understand.

Whether you’re in search of personalized style advice, fashion-trend updates, health and beauty tips or local fashion event coverage, or you just want to know where to shop in Gainesville, here you’ll find the hottest and latest fashion-forward topics every month from the Gainesville Today fashion ......

Essence of Life: Staying Positive Amidst Life Challenges

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:07:00 EST

What I love about life is that it’s a process that’s happening to us all. Life does not discriminate as it relentlessly pushes us forward, consistently teaching us lessons for our highest good.

Sometimes life lessons don’t always feel great when they’re happening, but after we go through it, we can look back, find value and see personal advancement. This is how we stay in the positive flow of life. In fact, a great quote by Winston Churchill is, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

This quote is evidence that everyone, even fabulously successful individuals, experience life’s ups and downs. It is by consciously navigating through these turbulences that we become successful - since making us successful is its purpose.

These ......

Gator Watch: Track and Field It's Great to be a Gator

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST

“It’s great… to be… a FLORIDA GATOR!” It’s a chant heard many times at Florida athletic events, and this time it followed the SEC outdoor track and field championships when the women’s team captured the conference title last month.

“If you had told me earlier this year that the women were going to win, I [would have] told you we had a chance,” Head Coach Mike Holloway said. “But to watch these ladies trust and believe in each other, trust and believe in the coaching staff and have it come together was incredible.”

The men also did well at the event, placing second and claiming individual titles in the 4x100 relay, 200 and 400 meter dashes and, for the first time ever, the decathlon. It was a great start to the postseason ......

10 Things I Love About Gainesville: Mark S. Gold M.D.

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:35:00 EST

10 Things I Love About Gainesville

Mark S. Gold, M.D.
Donald R. Dizney Eminent Scholar and Distinguished Professor
University of Florida College of Medicine and McKnight Brain Institute
Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Anesthesiology, Community Health and Family Medicine
Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry

10. Role models like Davis Rembert and Don Dizney. Thanks to Davis and Don for helping everyone learn about giving selflessly to improve the quality of life of everyone. And that giving is enriching and rewarding.

9. The Department of Psychiatry – the Peace Corps of Medicine. It’s easy to be an advocate for researchers and clinicians. Florida ranks 48th out of 50 states in terms of access to mental health treatment, so there is an overwhelming demand. Springhill ......