The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 4, 2013 A-9 Gift ideas for the athlete in your life With this ring... The quest for the perfect gift is a familiar journey for many holiday shoppers. As any veteran shopper knows, some people are easy to shop for, while others baffle even the savviest of shoppers. But recognizing loved ones' passions and finding gifts that suit those interests can make shoppers' quests for the perfect gifts that much easier. Every person is unique, and the things that drive one person may be foreign to another. But nearly every family or group of friends has an athlete in their midst, and gifting the family athlete can be both fun and easy. The following are a few gift ideas, broken down by sport, for shoppers looking to please their favorite athletes this holiday season. with a few gifts designed to do just that. Weightlifting belts can help prevent injury by supporting lifters' backs as they workout. For lifters who don't tip the scales, a dip belt makes an ideal gift. Such belts allow men and women to add weight to their body when performing exercises like dips, pull-ups and chinups. That extra weight helps athletes challenge themselves and build strength and muscle. Workout gloves also make great gifts for weightlifters, helping to protect their hands from developing potentially painful and unsightly calluses that often result from weightlifting. A new gym bag is another potential gift for the family weightlifter. Such bags make it more convenient for athletes to carry their accesThe Weightlifter sories, such as belts, gloves, Weightlifting is now em- athletic shoes, or even tabbraced by people of all shapes lets to use while on the and sizes. This activity is of- treadmill or elliptical maten recommended as an inte- chines. gral part of a successful exThe Ballplayer ercise regimen, so shoppers can help their favorite fitness Whether shoppers' fafanatics make the most of vorite ballplayers are still their weightlifting routines taking cuts at fastballs or have moved on to slow-pitch softball, these players will appreciate gifts they can put to good use on the diamond. Softball bats can be quite expensive, but the right bat can make a big difference in the batters' box. Additional equipment shoppers can consider is a new mitt, a sleek pair of sunglasses to make watching for flyballs that much easier or batting gloves to lessen the bit of chilly air many hitters are aware of come early spring when the last of the winter weather just won't go away. The Martial Artist Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Thanks in large part to its increasingly strong presence on television, mixed martial arts has inspired athletes across the globe to embrace various forms of martial arts training, and gift options abound for such athletes. Belts, mats and striking pads can help athletes hone their skills both in the gym and at home, while instructional DVDs can help nov- ice martial arts enthusiasts practice before finding martial arts facilities in their neighborhoods. The Yogi Though its status as a sport is open to debate, yoga can be just as strenuous and physically demanding as more traditional physical activities. Yoga serves many purposes, and more and more athletes have begun to embrace yoga to improve their flexibility, balance and strength. While yoga does not require much in the way of supplies, yoga enthusiasts do need yoga mats and clothing that allows them to perform the various poses a typical yoga session demands. Holiday shoppers may even want to buy the athletes on their lists a few sessions at their nearby yoga studios in an effort to supplement their existing workouts. Many who try yoga often find it has a positive effect on their normal workout routines, so even if your favorite athlete has never tried yoga, he or she might find it's just the thing to take his or her workout to the next level. 25th anniversary 'Tis the season for sharing... germs The hustle and bustle of holiday celebrations will soon be upon us. The office parties are already in full swing and storefront windows are all decked out in holiday glitz. Your Christmas lights and decorations are up and all that is left to do is entertain family and friends. This time of year can be wonderful, but it also brings a certain amount of stress. The last-minute shopping, family visits, kids running around the house and over-crowded shopping centres is exhausting just to think about. All of that added stress also can affect your immune system. Hugs and handshakes represent golden opportunities for viruses, parasites and bacteria to join in the spirit of Holiday sharing. You wonder how you will ever Bruce and Jody Croak re- tersburg. cently celebrated their 25th She is the former Judy wedding anniversary. Query. They were married Dec. They reside in Petersburg ommended that all members of the family take probiotics 3, 1988, at Sts. Peter and and have three children, Paul Catholic Church in Pe- Hunter, Noah and Demi. every day." Jolicoeur recommends Probaclac as the ideal solution since it provides probiotic complexes that are designed specifically for every Analiese Amora age group: children up to the To Cenobio and Kaitlyn age of 15; adults (can be taken from the age of 15); and Rayos, a daughter, Analiese older adults (age 50 and up). Amora, on November 15, Maintaining a healthy in- 2013 at 6:13 a.m. weightestinal flora helps to pro- ing 7 lbs. and 12 ozs., and tect against the penetration 20.5 inches long. Grandparof bacteria, parasites, and vi- ents are Bill and Stephanie Clark, of Petersburg, Judith ruses, Jolicoeur advised. "Did you know that the in- English, of Lansing, Mich., testinal mucous membrane and the late Cenobio Rayos acts as the 'cornerstone' of I. Analiese has an older sisyour overall health? Two- ter, Katalyna. thirds of the immune-defence cells in your body are found there. Therefore, your immune system is enhanced when you take probiotics." Area Hugs and handshakes represent golden opportunities for viruses join in the spirit of Holiday sharing. make it through the season without catching something. And then you may ask yourself: Can probiotics really boost my immune system? The answer is yes. According to dietitian and nutritionist Annie Jolicoeur, many clinical studies have demonstrated the benefits of probiotics in terms of preventing and treating the common cold, the flu and gastroenteritis. "Taking probiotics reduces the severity and duration of symptoms like fever, coughing, runny nose, and even diarrhea," explains Jolicoeur. "Therefore, it is rec- births Free mammograms Dec. 12 at Winslow Community Center Due to the large number of women being detected with breast cancer, the St. phibian species in a wet- Mary's Center, St. Mary's land reduced infections by Hope Resources will be proRibeiroia ondatrae and oth- viding free mammograms, er parasites, a phenomenon Thursday, Dec. 12, from 10 known as the "dilution ef- a.m. to 3 p.m. EST, at The fect." Increasing the num- Winslow Community Cenber of other parasite spe- ter. The mammograms are cies further reduced trematode infections, highlight- provided to all women 40-95, ing the important role of those with limited income or parasites in regulating dis- without insurance, also to ease transmission, Hover- women with insurance, but man said. The most diverse you need to provide an insurwetlands suppressed transmission of Ribeiroia ondatrae from ramshorn snails – the trematode's intermediate host - to frogs by more than 50 percent. "We always think about the negative connotations of parasites, but having more parasites is not equivalent to greater disease risk," Hoverman said. "Most parasites are fairly benign. Disease risk is really defined as how many virulent parasites are in a community." Loss of biodiversity increases disease risk in frogs are declining due to dwindling habitats and a rise in infectious diseases such as ranavirus and Ribeiroia ondatrae. To determine the relationships between disease transmission, amphibian diversity and parasite diversity, Hoverman and researchers from the University of Colorado combined data from 345 wetlands, a laboratory experiment and a controlled outdoor experiment. "Most disease studies focus either on host diversity or parasite diversity," Hoverman said. "But what we were able to do here was bring those two things together so we could look at the relative contribution of changes in host and parasite diversity on disease risk." In all three settings, higher host and parasite diversity resulted in fewer Ribeiroia ondatrae infections in Pacific chorus frogs. Increasing the number of am- ORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE EALTHCARE TRAINING AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE (li m ng big t you bri our ments le ents to y ke orna Keepsa tle mom s. es and lit member alway mileston tree to re s Christma New Arrivals ents G w/ $ IFT purc 25 hase Bracelet Filled with Christmas Joy. SPECIALS Family $510 Robert Stephens Husband/Wife $385 NEW NewburghARRIVALS WilloW TRee ColleCTibleS PReCiouS MoMenTS Certified Medical Assistant Certified Medical Assistant Certified Medical Collectibles And ornaments Classes available in available in Assistant Classes Ty PluSH Ft. Branch Ft. Branch Classes available in CAndieS by libS jmcfaul@vinu.edu it 1 Precious Mom Dental Assistant with RadiologyDentalAssistant with Certification Dental Assistant with Radiology Certification Classes in Jasper, Radiology Certification Classes in Jasper, Jasper, BloomingtonClasses in and and Newburgh Bloomington CLASSES BEGIN BEGINCLASSES BEGIN FEBRUARY 2014 FEBRUARY 2014 For complete details contact: FEBRUARY 2014 ete details contact: Continuing Education at For complete details Education at 812.481.5937or contact Continuing 37or jmcfaul@vinu.edu Education at nu.edu 812.481.5937 or FREE 1 AINING YEAR MEMBERSHIP New Arrivals completionONE semester! completion in in ONE semester! Fort Branch Fitness Center eas Giving Id AINING t Great Gif AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE arn a certificate ofTRAINING HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE TRAINING etion inEarn a certificate of of ONEa certificate Earn semester! Bloomington and Newburgh the r c u st o m er ) The study addresses a paradox of disease ecology: In highly diverse communities, potential hosts are less likely to become infected with harmful pathogens, even though these communities contain more parasites overall. In complex wetland systems, frogs may carry a greater number of parasites, but hosts and parasites work in tandem to prevent infections by the most virulent pathogens. Reducing parasite diversity as well as host diversity greatly increases a frog's risk of contracting a crippling parasite such as Ribeiroia ondatrae. The implications of losing biodiversity go beyond wetlands, Hoverman said. "What is amazing is that we're finding these principles hold true for basically all disease systems, whether human, animal or plant. Because human activities are linked to the loss of biodiversity, there are growing concerns that we could inadvertently influence the emergence of infectious diseases." About 43 percent of global amphibian populations pe Amphibians in speciespoor wetlands have a higher risk of becoming infected with a virulent parasite than those in wetlands with a rich diversity of species, according to a Purdue University finding that sheds light on how biodiversity moderates the transmission of infectious diseases. In wetlands with a wide variety of both amphibian and parasite species, Pacific chorus frogs are far less likely to become infected with Ribeiroia ondatrae, a trematode that causes limb malformations in frogs and newts. "The loss of species diversity has major implications for how harmful and deadly diseases are transmitted in nature," said Jason Hoverman, an assistant professor of vertebrate ecology. "While the risk of getting infected with this trematode is largely a factor of how many trematodes are present in the community, we found that disease transmission is also impacted by the number of host species and other parasite species in the system." ance card for billing. To be eligible it must have been at least one year since the last mammogram. Appointments are recommended by calling Hope Resource Center, toll free 877580-3883 or 812-485-5725. Walk-ins are accepted, time permitting, but appointments have first priority. The Winslow Community Center encourages all women of the area who qualify to take advantage of this important service. And Jelly belly Single $210 Ne Arrivw als Jim S Student/Senior $160 h Ornam ore en Santa ts Snow or man Free Gift Wrapping with Purchase. Rewards Card Get credit for dollars spent in store. 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