Back to the regular PEERS blog schedule…

Good morning and happy Friday.

We met yesterday for our last October meeting and quickly realized, “Oh no! Next week will be November!!! Already?” Which played into Lora’s {Initials Inc} commercial quite well as she announced that there’s ONLY 2 months left for holiday shopping. Holidays and the new year seemed to be on everyone’s mind… Mary and Janelle {Drs. Bugni, Laster, & Jensen} are a general practice dental office and are accepting new patients, especially with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all that candy around the corner. Amy from Carefree Massage offers gift cards for her warm and cozy massages. New member, Tami from University Honda, only has 5 2012 Civics left! An affordable commuter car with excellent fuel economy is hard to pass up this time of year. Elaine {Simply Home Professionals} just renewed her contractors licence(s) and is ready to take on your next home improvement project. Tara {Jeff Mills State Farm} pointed out that your home-owners insurance doesn’t necessarily cover your in-home business. It’s always smart to regularly review and update policies with your agent. Shelley {Alta’s Antiques & Collectibles} would everyone to attend the Downtown Albany trick-or-treat bash this Saturday Oct 27th. …and then stop in to the antique mall for some shopping. Bonnie {Rice’s Gift & Pharmacy} also had some holiday goodies to pass around. Rice’s is a great place to shop for unique gifts. Peg {Pathfinder Travel} reminded us to ALWAYS get trip cancellation insurance. Many people travel for the holidays and well… stuff happens. Don’t get caught without it, plus it’s really cheap. Karen {KidSpirit & GOTR} shared that next week there’s no school on Wed, Thurs, or Fri. Need a fun and safe place for your kiddos to be for the day? Check out their ‘No School Days’ programs. Julie {Tobias Weiss Design} wants you to have great art and graphics for your business cards and print media. But what if you already have some great art? She can help you size it appropriately for all your different printing needs! Lori {Thank You People} suggests standing out from the usual Christmas cards by sending a Thanksgiving card. It’s never too early to tell people that you appreciate them. 🙂 Need a new portrait for your holiday cards or to send as gifts? Amanda {Amanda Photographic} says that the rain can’t stop her from taking awesome family portraits for you. New member, Maureen from Valley Eye Care, encourages EVERYONE to get an annual eye exam… yes, even if you don’t wear glasses. Many eye diseases/conditions have no outward or visible symptoms and like always it’s best to catch it as early as possible. Anne {Remax Integrity} was very excited to share that she was able to help a first-time home buyer get a FIXED 3.25% interest rate after she completed the FTHB course at Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services. She also received 2 grants toward her home purchase! We had a guest yesterday: Cory from Heresco Chiropractic. She’ll visit again next week and hopefully we’ll get to learn more about their office.

Joni {Essentially Healed}was our first speaker yesterday giving us the down-low on essential oils. As a life-long Girl Scout, preparedness has always been very important to her, and her ability to care for her family is no exception. So like most parents she kept her medicine cabinet stocked with the products likely to be used… but they rarely were, and would expire with most of the contents unused. When Joni started her education on essential oils, their uses, and benefits she was also very pleased the learn that they don’t expire. This feature alone would save her time making trips to the pharmacy and money. She shared with us that essential oils are fast acting, have few if any side effects when used correctly {except that you smell wonderful!}, and help your body achieve its natural balance. Some of the oils can be taken orally; under the tongue or in a capsule, others are best used locally on the skin, or even better on the bottom of the foot. Why the bottom of the foot? The skin is less sensitive – especially on babies and children, the pores are bigger, and our feet have reflex points that link to every other part of our bodies. Joni gave us a list of essential oils that should be in every medicine cabinet: Clove – pain and toxins, Frankincense – inflammation and more, Lavender – calming and stress reduction, Lemon – cleansing and mood elevation, Lemongrass – cramping muscles, Melaleuca – soothing and healing, Oregano – immune system support, Peppermint – indigestion and cooling. If you’d like more information on oils or purchasing contact Joni via her web page or facebook.

Nadine was our second speaker and though her businesses are well known within our group and community she decided that with so many new members since her last presentation that she would give an overview of what she does at the Gluten-Free RN and RN On-Call. At RN On-Call Nadine works mostly with health care management and patient advocacy. When many of her clients come to her they’re taking up to 20-30 medications that, while built over time, are infrequently reviewed by the patients {likely multiple} doctors. Her main objective is to help her patients live healthier, longer, and with more independence {from a nursing facility}. For many patients approaching the end of their life they, and their families, have a lot of questions and need more constant or on-demand care. As a independent RN she is able to arrive at a moments notice to give care or be with a patient at the hospital. For more information check out her web page here.

Her second and closely related business is as the Gluten-Free {GF} RN.

Did you know that gluten has the same effect on your brain as morphine? That our brains and bodies CRAVE it? I know mine did {17 months sans gluten has been tough, but worth it!}. Nadine’s office is a well of information on Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance; gathering information from around the globe including GF research centers on the East Coast and Chicago. 10 years ago Celiac Disease seemed very rare {it wasn’t}, but with better testing methods and recognition of symptoms the numbers are growing at an alarming rate! Celiac used to be thought of as a GI tract disease, however only 29% of Celiac patients suffer from GI issues. Where 51% suffer from neurological and skin issues.  Surrounding this is a new-ish $2.5 million industry of GF products like breads, flours, and more to accommodate not only Celiac patients, but those choosing a GF or Paleo Diet to improve their health.

Nadine felt us with a simple statement: Food is medicine. What we put in our bodies day in and day out has a very POWERFUL effect on us. Most of our aliments can be corrected through a healthy GF or Paleo diet. For more information check out her web page or facebook.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday Oct 27th 11:00am-3:00pm – GF Holiday Food Fair.

Sat. Oct 27th 9:00am Runaway Pumpkin Half-Marathon in Lebanon, Ore. GOTR & KidSpirit will have a water station.

Tues. Oct 30th  2:00pm-5:00pm Facebook 101: Pages for Businesses Workshop @ Market of Choice Community Room.