Posted by Elena del Valle on April 6, 2020
Video: Discovery en Español
Looking for more information on the COVID-19 pandemic in Spanish? At 9 p.m. E/P Wednesday April 8, 2020 Discovery en Español will air COVID-19: Pandemia 2020, a 43-minute special. The original program was in English. The Discovery en Español version will be in Spanish. Scroll down to watch a video clip in Spanish.
The special features suspenseful background music, news clips, domestic and international archive footage and on camera interviews with a handful of individuals from Mercatus Center at George Mason University, University College London, Council on Foreign Relations, The New York Times, and University Wisconsin-Madison.
The special outlines the general way the disease spread throughout China and other countries around the world in months, prompting a widespread quarantine in China, quickly mimicked by other countries.
It explains that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refused to adopt the COVID-19 test offered by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), insisting on developing its own. This caused grave delays as the initial tests were faulty. According to one expert interviewed on the program flattening the curve efforts will result in the same number of people being stricken by the virus. It will take longer than without the social isolation measures.
The program was produced by ITN Productions for the Science Channel. The executive producers for ITN Productions are Ian Russell and Sarah Jane Cohen; Nick Powell is the producer. The executive producer for Discovery and Science Channel is Gretchen Eisele. The special will repeat on Sunday, April 12 at 10 p.m. and will also be available in the Discovery en Español Go app.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 16, 2020
Shiva Nag Kompella, Ph.D., post doctoral research associate, University of Manchester
Photo: Shiva Nag Kompella
A podcast interview with Shiva Nag Kompella, Ph.D., post doctoral research associate, University of Manchester is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses how air pollution is breaking our hearts with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Shiva is an electrophysiologist who works with Holly Shiels, a senior author of Poly-aromatic Hydrocarbons in Pollution: A Heart Breaking Matter published in the Journal of Physiology January 2020.
He completed a Ph.D. degree in biomedical sciences from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, followed by two years of postdoctoral work at the University of Sydney, where he worked on the development of small peptides and molecules for novel therapeutics. With a strong background in ion channel pharmacology, he is currently investigating the cardiotoxicity of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at the cellular level.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Shiva Nag Kompella” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the March 2020 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 12, 2019
Bottle of Lies
Photos: Ecco, Roberto Falck
Investigative journalist Katherine Eban dedicated 10 years of her life to researching and writing about the generic drug industry boom in the United States. Along the way she read official documents, spoke with whistleblowers, lawyers and government employees, uncovering disturbing truths about the quality and trustworthiness of the drugs that many would prefer remain in the dark. This year her findings became available to the public in Bottle of Lies The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom (Ecco, $28.99). There is also an audio edition narrated by Eban. A paperback edition is due May 2020.
The 482-page non fiction book is easy to read and engaging, more like a novel than a non-fiction expose. It outlines the events that led to the blossoming of a huge generic drug industry in the United States and the myriad problems she uncovered. It is divided into 28 chapters and seven main parts: Shifting Ground, India Rises, A Cat-and-Mouse Business, Making A Case, Detectives in the Dark, The Watershed, and Reckonings.
“The book is entirely non-fiction, Eban said by email. “Every detail in the book is supported by documentation, interviews, or source recollections, and no names have been changed.”
When asked about her personal motivator, she replied, “My reporting on the generic drug industry actually began a decade ago, when I was contacted by the host of an NPR radio show, The People’s Pharmacy. The host, Joe Graedon, said that patients were contacting him with complaints about side effects from their generic drugs. He suggested I look into the question of what is wrong with the drugs. It quickly became apparent to me that just documenting patient concerns would not get me very far in answering that question. I realized the answers most likely lay in the manufacturing plants and boardrooms of the companies making our drugs – which meant in India and China.
My effort to answer that original question — What is wrong with the drugs? — turned into a global mystery that kept me reporting and digging.”
Katherine Eban, author, Bottle of Lies
The primary target audience for the book? “Anyone and everyone, the author said. “The story is real-life global thriller with big money and life-and-death consequences at its core. Anyone who enjoys a page-turning detective story, who wants to learn about the dark side of globalization, or who takes any medicine at all, is the ideal reader.”
About the book project overall the author said, “The biggest challenge was: how was I, as an independent U.S.-based journalist — without a newsroom, a team of colleagues, or other resources at my disposal — going to be able to penetrate an industry, and companies, that were based on another continent? The difficulties of a global investigative project were unrelenting.
The most rewarding was finally being able to get real insight into those distant manufacturing plants, and to convey that to readers. The reaction has been immense. I am flooded with emails from grateful readers, almost all of whom are consumers of generic drugs. They feel enlightened by the book.”
Eban said that since the book came out, she has been contacted by Congressional committees, interested in investigating the problems she raised. One measure of success, the author said, would be to help fix the problems her book exposes.
Click to buy Bottle of Lies
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2019
Jennifer Marcenelle, CEO, Burn Bright Today
Photo: Jennifer Marcenelle
A podcast interview with holistic nurse Jennifer Marcenelle, CEO, Burn Bright Today is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses gemstone therapy to combat burnout with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
She the founder Burn Bright Today. Jennifer, a Board-Certified holistic nurse with over 30 years of experience in the medical industry, also has the following M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., H.B.C.-H.N. credentials to her name. She is a certified Gemstone and Diamond Therapy Associate Practitioner. When she was 44, she had a health crisis and near suicide from burnout. Following those experiences she has dedicated her career to helping people move from Burning Out to Burning Bright.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Jennifer Marcenelle” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2019 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 18, 2018
Amelia Geary, director of Program Development + Quality, Orbis International
Photo: Geoff Oliver Bugbee
A podcast interview with Amelia Geary, director of Program Development + Quality, Orbis International is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses eye healthcare and world’s only flying eye hospital with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Amelia has worked in the international non-governmental organization sector for 15 years, with a professional focus on program design, management and implementation. She obtained her master degree in International Affairs with a focus on infrastructure development from Columbia University. Her career has spanned across Africa, Asia and Latin America, where she delivered programs in prevention of blindness, maternal newborn and child health, water and sanitation, nutrition and training of medical professionals.
Prior to joining Orbis, Amelia worked with several emergency and development organizations, including Action Against Hunger – USA, United Nations Development Programme, The World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, and Concern Worldwide.
Amelia first joined Orbis in 2007 as the Flying Eye Hospital program manager. She returned in 2014 to her current position.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Amelia Geary” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2018 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 2, 2018
Ira Pastor, CEO, Bioquark
Photo: Bioquark Inc.
A podcast interview with Ira Pastor, CEO, Bioquark Inc., is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses regeneration, repair and rejuvenation with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Ira has over 30 years of experience across multiple sectors of the pharmaceutical industry including pharmaceutical commercialization, biotech drug development, managed care, distribution, and retail. According to his biography, prior to working at Bioquark he served as vice president, Business Development for drug development company Phytomedics Inc., raising $40 million of private equity, consummating over $50 million of licensing deals, and bringing a lead drug candidate from discovery stage to Phase III development.
Prior to that, he was employed by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals in sales, marketing, and business strategy positions. He has also served as vice president of Corporate Development for the pharmacy benefit management company Prescription Delivery Systems (acquired by Cigna Health Insurance). He is board member of RegenerAge SAPI de CV, the Reanima Project, and member of the World Economic Forum’s Human Enhancement Council.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Ira Pastor” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the April 2018 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 19, 2018
Click to enlarge – Carmen Mohan, M.D., Ruth Parker, M.D. and Jeff Galloway, co-authors, The Women’s Guide to Health
Photo: authors photo by Nikki Strayhorn, book cover courtesy of Meyer & Meyer Sport
A podcast interview with co-authors Jeff Galloway, Carmen Mohan, M.D., and Ruth Parker, M.D., is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, they discuss The Women’s Guide to Health Run Walk Run, Eat Right, and Feel Better (Meyer & Meyer Sport, $12.95) with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Jeff, an Olympic athlete, has spent more than 50 years developing, practicing, evaluating, and teaching his Run Walk Run method. He has coached over one million runners to their goals through his retreats, clinics at events, and individual consultations, running schools and books.
Carmen is an internal medicine physician, health media consultant, and marathon runner who prescribes food and exercise as medicine. A competitive runner in college, she suffered injury after injury until beginning Run Walk Run.
Ruth is a primary care doctor trained in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is a lifelong athlete who has completed 28 marathons using Run Walk Run. According to her biography, she is nationally known for her work in health literacy.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast ” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR ” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the March 2018 section of the podcast archive.
Click to buy The Women’s Guide to Health
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 15, 2018
Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., author, The Toxin Solution
Photo: Joseph Pizzorno
A podcast interview with author Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses The Toxin Solution (see Naturopath discusses hidden toxins in our lives and how to be rid of them) with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
He has been an academic, intellectual and clinical leader in functional integrative and natural medicine for four decades. Pizzorno is also editor-in-chief, Integrative Medicine, and A Clinician’s Journal; as well as president, SaluGenecists, Inc., and treasurer, board of directors, Institute for Functional Medicine, and founding president, Bastyr University.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast Joseph Pizzorno, ND” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR ” and click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home from the RSS feed. Some software will not allow flash, which may be necessary for the play button and podcast player. If that is your case, you will need to download the file to play it. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the January 2018 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on December 1, 2017
The Toxin Solution
Photo: Joseph Pizzorno
We are surrounded by invisible toxins that are making us chronically sick. They are in the food we eat, our tap water, household cleaning products and health and beauty aids. “They damage every aspect of our physiological function and play a role in virtually all diseases.” So says Josepth Pizzorno, N.D.
After years of research and clinical work in the medical field and nine months of writing he published The Toxin Solution: How Hidden Poisons in the Air, Water, Food, and Products We Use Are Destroying Our Health–and what we can do to fix it (HarperOne, $15.99) this year.
In his 280-page hardcover book with lengthy end references, written for a broad audience, he explains how toxins have permeated our lives and proposes a nine week detox program. The book is divided into eight chapters and eight appendices. He explains that toxins are not the only cause of illness, but that they magnify existing issues. They are linked to all chronic diseases such as cancer, dementia, diabetes, and heart disease, he says.
When asked if the average person may affect change to maximize their chances of getting rid of or not be affected by the toxins, he replied by email, “Yes. Paying attention can eliminate 90% of toxins.”
Readers following his eight week plan and a bonus week at the end, he says, may learn how to avoid toxins, boost their defenses by strengthening their detox organs such as the gut, kidneys and liver; and help their bodies excrete and release toxins and repair toxin damage. For example, in the chapter Clean Up Your Gut he discusses nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory drugs, alcohol, high fructose corn syrup and shares information on the correlation between soft-drink consumption and fatty liver disease.
To a question about the source of greatest concern when it comes to toxins the author said, “The surprising answer is arsenic. #1 according to the CDC, which I have independently confirmed looking at a lot of research.”
In the book he says that the average person’s detox capacity is severely diminished by the time he or she reaches old age. When asked about the best way to stay ahead of that issue he replied, “Avoiding toxins. Yes, simplistic, but they poison the actual systems we use to get rid of them. Also, optimizing nutritional status helps protect the detox enzymes by helping them work better and be less susceptible to toxin damage.” When asked if there is a facility or retreat he recommends for people unable or unwilling to follow the detox regimen he proposes he replied, “True North. healthpromoting.com/”
Pizzorno is a leading authority on science-based natural and integrative medicine. He founded and served twenty-two years as president of Bastyr University, among the country’s first and largest fully accredited universities of natural medicine. He is the coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and Textbook of Natural Medicine. He is a founder and board member of the Institute for Functional Medicine and founder and editor in chief of Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, a peer-reviewed journal in integrative medicine. He travels world-wide, consulting, lecturing, and promoting science-based natural medicine.
Click to buy The Toxin Solution
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 20, 2017
The New Health Rules
Photos: Artisan, Timothy White, Brad Hamilton
As our country’s population ages and the average age nears 80 many in their golden years are concerned about quality of life. Young and old are taking account of their health habits, seeking to live not just longer, but healthier lives. At the same time, there is so much conflicting health and nutrition information floating around it is challenging to know what to believe. Toward that end an integrative medicine doctor and a writer teamed up to share their ideas about wellness in a book that strives to provide short and easy to read health rules.
For people who want a minimum of reading they provide short descriptions, many single paragraphs, without ambiguity paired with full page color photos. Each one stands alone in The New Health Rules Simple Changes to Achieve Whole-Body Wellness (Artisan, $14.95), a 224-page softcover book by Frank Lipman, M.D. and Danielle Claro published in 2014.
The book, a New York Times bestseller, is divided into six sections: Introduction, Eating, Moving, Boosting, Healing and Living. The authors were unavailable to reply to questions submitted by email more than two weeks in advance to the book’s publishing company.
Frank Lipman, M.D., co-author, The New Health Rules
In the book, the authors discuss a wide range of wellness topics. For example, in the Living section they recommend readers make sure to drink clean water (they explain that the substances added to tap water such as chlorine and fluoride are bad for the hormonal system). Other recommendations include meditation; walking outside instead of on a treadmill whenever possible; eating grass fed beef, if you eat beef; eating real food (plant foods that require refrigeration); and eating gluten free (most people are mildly sensitive and some highly sensitive, the authors say) non packaged foods.
Danielle Claro, co-author, The New Health Rules
Lipman, according to his biography, is physician to many celebrities such as Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Donna Karan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal among others. He is also an international speaker on health and wellness. Claro, deputy editor, Real Simple, is a writer, former professional dancer and yogi. She has written two New York Times bestsellers and launched an indie lifestyle magazine, according to her biography.
Click to buy The New Health Rules
