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Cancer survivor tells how he did it with alternative, integrative methods

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 28, 2013

You Can Beat Lung Cancer

You Can Beat Lung Cancer

Photos: Carl Helvie, Francisco Contreras, Tanya Harter Pierce, Bernie Siegel

Carl Helvie, RN, DrPH, now 81 years old, was told 38 years ago that he had lung cancer and only six months left to live. He recovered with alternative healing methods in lieu of traditional cancer medical treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy. Today, he’s healthy, takes no prescription medications and is one of the longest living cancer survivors, according to You Can Beat Lung Cancer: Using Alternative/Integrative Interventions (Ayni Books, $26.95). The 312-page softcover book published this year is divided into four main sections: an overview of lung cancer, the author’s own experience, medical issues, and holistic treatment options.

“Harsh chemicals, devastating surgeries and painful procedures for conventional cancer treatment are not your only option,” said Helvie in a press release. “I saw that lung cancer survival rates had not changed over time and wanted people to know there are other non-toxic, non-invasive treatment options that are successful and I could speak as both a profession health care provider and educator and also as a long term survivor who use non-toxic interventions,” he said by email when asked why the wrote the book now.

Helvie relied on holistic natural methods to treat his condition: supplements, herbs, enzymes, diet, prayer and meditation. His quality of life since the diagnosis of lung cancer has been superior than people often expect at his age. He points out that many older Americans have some form of chronic illness and by age 75 may be taking five prescribed medications daily.

Helvie is not surprised by the recent findings of a team of researchers in Washington State who discovered that chemotherapy fuels the growth of cancer cells, making it more difficult to destroy them in subsequent sessions.

Carl Helvie, RN, author, You Can Beat Lung Cancer

Carl Helvie, RN, author, You Can Beat Lung Cancer

“No I do not receive money for services or products. As a cancer survivor and registered nurse I believe in helping others and the help I can provide should be offered for free,” said the author by email in response to a question about whether he sells products or services to treat lung cancer. “I communicate with around 60 cancer patients monthly and provide encouragement, support, and resources as best meets their needs. God saved my life when I had cancer and I believe in offering whatever I can as futher evidence that God is in all of our lives.”

Francis Contreras, MD

Francisco Contreras, M.D.

Tanya Harter Pierce, MA, MFCC

Tanya Harter Pierce, MA, MFCC

A registered nurse with two masters and a doctorate in public health and wellness, Dr. Helvie has decades of experience as a nurse practitioner, educator, author and researcher. According to promotional materials, he has published eight books and was a contributor to others, and has published or presented 100 papers and articles in the United States and abroad. Also, he developed and published a nursing theory used worldwide, and established a nursing center to provide primary care for homeless and low-income individuals and families. He hosts the Holistic Health Show on BBS Radio, counsels cancer patients, markets his books and is in the process of establishing a holistic cancer foundation.

Bernie Siegel, MD

Bernie Siegel, M.D.

Francisco Contreras, M.D., president and chairman, Oasis of Hope Hospital; Kim Dalzell, Ph.D., RD, LD, who has helped people with nutrition and cancer; James Forsythe, M.D., HDM, who practices integrative medical oncology and anti-aging medicine; Tanya Harter Pierce, MA, MFCC, author, Outsmart Your Cancer; and Bernie Siegel, M.D., a physician and author, also contributed to the book.


You Can Beat Lung Cancer

Click to buy You Can Beat Lung Cancer


Media Relations Director

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2013

Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates

The Media Relations Director is a senior strategist who develops, coordinates and executes media relations, marketing and other communications strategies designed to help beat back the attacks, build power for Planned Parenthood, bring people into our movement, win big issue fights, promote policy and advocacy goals, and protect our brand. Click to read the entire ad for Media Relations Director

US demographic profile changing faster than expected

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 24, 2013

US States Majority Minority Toddlers

States with Majority Minority Toddler Populations 2012 – click to enlarge

For years there has been debate about the demographic face of America. Experts have estimated growth, births, deaths and juggled data to predict what our country will look like in coming decades. Newly analyzed Census 2010 information points to an unprecedented change in our nation’s racial and ethnic profile in 14 states. Data on ten of the states is represented in the graphic in this article. Four additional states were excluded to keep the graphic size manageable: New Jersey, New York, Mississippi and Delaware.

Non Hispanic whites are dying at a faster rate than they are born. This was anticipated. The speed at which it is happening is what is unexpected. Three states, Texas, New Mexico and California, have already reached majority-minority status, according to The Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization.

William Frey, senior fellow there, indicated in a recent article (Shift to a Majority-Minority Population in the U.S. Happening Faster than Expected) that the country is at the beginning of “an inevitable transition that affords us new opportunities.” Booming minority births, fewer births and more deaths among whites, and immigration are driving these changes, according to his article.

Four Tasks to Take On Before Launching a Business Blog

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 19, 2013

By Edward M. Bury, APR
Edward M. Bury, APR

Edward M. Bury, APR

Photo: Edward M. Bury

The numbers are astounding. And, as you read this, they continue to grow. And grow.

The subject in question is the online communications medium once known as a “weblog,” but much better known today as a blog.

Want some statistics? A site called Worldomenters.info reports that more than 3 million new blog posts are published daily. WordPress, a very popular open source platform content management system reported that it registers around 100,000 new bloggers each day.

Read the entire Four Tasks to Take On Before Launching a Business Blog

Ethnic food preparation at home to remain popular

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 17, 2013

Homemade hummus

Homemade hummus, a spread made with mashed chickpeas, oil, garlic, and lemon juice  

Photo: HispanicMPR

Americans like ethnic foods. That market segment is estimated at $8.7 billion for last year. Young adults and families with children like to prepare ethnic foods at home. Nine of ten adults 25 to 34 years of age in the United States who took a Mintel survey said they prepared ethnic food at home the previous month.

Among older adults 65 and older who took the survey 68 percent responded positively to the same question. Most people with children at home, 91 percent, said yes to the question compared to 78 percent among people with no children.

Mintel analysis in Ethnic Foods US January 2013 indicates the 12 percent growth in ethnic food sales between 2007 and 2009 was due to people eating in restaurants less often and dining at home more often to save money. While growth of ethnic food slowed to 4.5 percent from 2010 to 2012, according to Mintel that market segment is forecast to grow 20 percent between 2012 and 2017.
Hispanic food among survey takers was the most popular. More than half, 58 percent, said they prepared Hispanic food within the last month versus 55 percent who indicated they made Italian dishes and 44 percent who chose Asian food.

“The popularity of Hispanic food is likely due to how mainstream it has become in the US and the ease and convenience of preparing it,” said John N. Frank, category manager, CPG food and drink, Mintel, in a press release. “The endless supply of Mexican, Cuban and other Hispanic-based restaurants have given home cooks infinite possibilities for re-creating these restaurant-style meals at home.”

The largest (in terms of sales) of the ethnic food market’s five segments, per Mintel data, is Mexican/Hispanic although the growth for that type of food was negligible from 2010 to 2012. The next segment, while much smaller, corresponds to Asian food which had a 10.2 percent dollar sales increase and a 1 percentage point market share growth in the same time period.

Mediterranean/Middle Eastern foods, the third largest segment while much smaller than the other two, grew the most in those two years and is forecast to grow the most in dollar sales between 2012 and 2017. The ethnic food category, Mintel research indicates, responds to price and deals. Survey respondents exhibited low brand loyalty.

Authenticity is the top ethnic food characteristic, according to a July 2012 article (Research Spotlight: Ethnic Foods: Flying High) in SpecialtyFood.com. The article suggests that food manufacturers and marketers would increase consumer interest in their products, women and seniors in particular, by providing and promoting products with health benefits which interest both segments.

Entrepreneur discusses importance of being a business icon

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 14, 2013

Cracking The Icon Code

Cracking The Icon Code

Photo: David Fagan

Influence, credibility and exposure combined can act as catalysts to success for business leaders who know how to leverage them, according to David T. Fagan, author, Cracking The Icon Code Learn How to Earn an Icon Status and How to Net 6 Figures from Your Image, Expertise and Advice (On the Inside Press, $14.95). He believes it’s good to establish complimentary relationships but that at the end of the day it’s a free capitalist market and competition is necessary.

In the book, he goes on to say that people who sell a product or service for a living need to establish good contacts and show their clients what makes them worth buying from compared to doing nothing or buying from a competitor. Being bold, causing a little controversy and speaking out about a topic can be beneficial, the author points out.

The more someone can do for others the more influential he or she is, he says in Chapter 4 where he provides a test for readers to determine their Icon Influence Factor. To lead, he points out, it’s necessary to have a high score. In the same chapter he has Credibility Competency Score and Exposure Energy Score tests. He dedicated two chapters to websites as marketing tools and discusses the value of media, writing a book and other ways a reader may spread his reputation as an icon.

The 157-page softcover book published this year is divided into 40 short easy-to-read chapters. Fagan is former chief executive officer of Guerrila Marketing. Books he authored or co-authored include: Guerrilla Rainmakers, The Inside Drive, How to Raise an Entrepreneur, Secrets of Peak Performers, Mad Ads: Madison Avenue Advertising on a Main Street Budget, and Zero to Hero in 90 Days or Less.

Chief Communications Officer University of Michigan Health System

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 13, 2013

Ann Arbor, MI

The University of Michigan Health System is one of the largest and most respected health care complexes in the world. It is comprised of world-class hospitals at its main campus, health centers and clinics throughout Southeast Michigan, the University of Michigan Medical School and its Faculty Group Practice and the clinical activities click to read the entire Chief Communications Officer University of Michigan Health System

With video podcast with Hamilton Brown, senior brand manager, Procter and Gamble Company about the first Gain web novela

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 10, 2013

Hamilton Brown, senior brand manager, Procter and Gamble Company

Hamilton Brown, senior brand manager, Procter and Gamble Company

Photo, videos: Fleishman-Hillard Miami, Procter and Gamble Company

A podcast interview with Hamilton Brown, senior brand manager, Procter and Gamble Company, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses the first Gain web novela with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast. Scroll down to watch behind the scenes video of the filming of Aroma de Amor in Spanish.

Hamilton leads the Gain Fabric and Home Care Megabrand with sales of over $1.5 billion dollars. He is responsible for the delivering business, sales, volume and profit objectives, development of business strategy, advertising, and leading multifunctional teams to deliver consumer inspired innovation to the marketplace.

His previous assignment was as global brand manager of Old Spice.

Hamilton’s business leadership accelerated the brand’s global footprint through the delivery of product innovation and advertising campaigns that drove share growth around the world. He was the co-creator of The Man Your Man Can Smell Like concept featuring Isaiah Mustafa which won five Cannes Lions. Prior to his career at Procter and Gamble, he worked as an architectural engineer for four years with the SmithGroup. Hamilton is a resident of West Chester, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Hamilton Brown” or click on the play button below. You may download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home by clicking on “Get HMPR Podcast” above the podcast player. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2013 section of the podcast archive.



Outsource company executive touts benefits of sending jobs abroad

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 7, 2013

Outsource Smart book cover

Outsource Smart book cover

Photo: McGrall Hill

Daven Michaels, founder and chief executive officer, 123Employee, believes paying consultants outside a company to do work owners and managers can’t or don’t want to do will save the company time and money. In Outsource Smart Be Your Own Boss without Letting Your Business Become the Boss of You (McGraw Hill, $22) he explains his thinking. The more an executive can delegate, the better he says in the book. And, the more work a company can hire out the more money it saves on employee costs. In his book, he proposes that for every task there is a contractor available.

The 226-page softcover book published this year is divided into twelve chapters: The Outsourcing Paradigm, The New Definition of Insanity, Outsourcing 101, How to Hire and Train an Outsource VA, Legal and Financial Realities: How To Manage an Outsourced Virtual Assistant, The Marketing Funnel: Outsourced List-Building and List Creation, Outsourced Website Creation and Maintenance, Outsourced Article Marketing and Blogging, Outsourced Video Marketing, Outsourcing the Google Ranking Race, Quality Control in Bad Times, Quality Control in Good Times. 

The author reasons that an executive who is working 16 hours a day should delegate or outsource any task below his pay grade. The alternative is that he is working extra hours at minimum wage performing tasks someone else could be doing more profitably. The top outsourcing countries, according to Michaels, are India, Philippines, Canada, Ireland and Russia followed by China, Mexico and South Africa. Each region, he explains, has areas of specialization.

Listen to podcast with Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Georgia Grady College about using social media to build business

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 3, 2013

Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., APR

Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., professor, HW Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

A podcast interview with Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., APR, associate professor, University of Georgia Grady College, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, she discusses using social media to build business with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

As an associate professor of public relations at the HW Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Dr. Sweetser’s research focuses on the use of Internet technology in political public relations and communication. Specifically, she has researched digital tools like Twitter, Facebook and blogs with regard to the personalization they offer organizations. She has looked at this in public relations contexts as well as in political campaigns. In addition to a rich life in academia, she keeps one foot squarely in the day-to-day practice of public relations through her affiliation with the U.S. Navy as a drilling reservist. In 2011, she was deployed to Afghanistan where she worked the news desk for the war and served as a NATO spokesman for important world events such as the death of Osama bin Laden.

During her time at war, she was able to serve as an adviser to the government of Afghanistan sharing her knowledge about social media and its best practices from a government communication standpoint. She held large group training sessions with government communication officials as well as one-on-one sessions with the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior. She regularly turned to Twitter as an information dissemination tool during crisis. Kaye earned her doctoral degree from the University of Florida. She has been at the University of Georgia since 2006.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D.” click on the play button below. You may download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home by clicking on “Get HMPR Podcast” above the podcast player. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2013 section of the podcast archive.