Anita Reed-Hooper graduated from Professional Massage Training Center in Springfield, Mo in 1995 and is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Nurse. Originally from Northern California, she moved here to be near family in 1992. Her mother resides in Bolivar. She has family in California, Texas, South Carolina and Maine and enjoys traveling and visiting them.

She is excited to join Designed 4 Healing, Inc as a massage therapist and will be taking appointments Monday – Thursday afternoons and one Saturday a month. She practices Swedish, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy and Infant massage.

She is married to Rod Hooper of Urbana and between the two have 5 children and 4 grandchildren. For 11 years, they have been very involved in dance at Center Stage Dance Studio in Bolivar, attending classes and performing in competitions and local events. She is the dance team coach and school nurse at Skyline. She and two of her daughters have practiced Tae Kwon Do with Mid Lakes Martial Arts in Hermitage where she attained her Black Belt in 2005. Teaching others how to manage stress, build confidence and practice self care has been a life journey.

Anita was recently featured in the Women’s section of the Buffalo Reflex honoring successful women in the area. Call 417-326-7845 today to schedule your therapeutic massage.

One of the most asked questions I get is; How many supplements must I take and for how long?
What a great question, I never get tired of answering. Why? That question tells me that the person knows that supplementation is necessary and not always do we take a supplement for life.
Now, let me go into that a little deeper. What supplements would we start with? I have a top five that I work with in the beginning.
Vitamins &  Minerals – Years ago, this would not have been the case. In today’s world of processed foods and “fast food” we do not get a good amount of vitamins & minerals that are recognized by the body as useful.
Fats – With all the worry about an obese country, we listen to advertisement that tell us to eat “no fat” & “low fat” and yolk-less eggs and chicken. We need the good fats that are found in animal fat like butter, cream (yum!) and eggs. And, you can supplement these oils.
Pro-biotic – Our ancestors ate fermented food which kept the beneficial bacteria in our guts at a good amount. With all the dead food we eat today, we must supplement.
Anti-oxidant – Free radicals damage cells. It’s like rusting from the inside out. The pollutants in our air, food and water dramatically increase the number of free radicals we produce. In addition to the enormous stress, cigarette smoke, cell phones, radiation and prescribed drugs, even exercise contributes to the production of free radicals.\
Immune Support – This almost can go without an explanation. The fad just recently was to use anti-bacterial everything. If our bodies have no opportunity to protect, it then grows weak at protecting. We have created a “sterile” environment. The healthiest people are those who are exposed to a lot and become “immune” to it.

Second part of the question – How long. My answer : UNTIL!
Until you change the quality of the food you eat. Until you stop exposing your self to chemicals that are in our food, water and the products we use. In the process of moving towards a healthier diet & lifestyle , the amount of supplements can lessen.

Last night on Dr. Oz he introduced a fairly new drug called Gleevec.  I believe it’s worth checking out for those with cancer already.  It was originally introudeced for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), but it now being used for 10 different cancers. 

Gleevec (STI571)  is the first of a new class of antiproliferative agents called signal transduction inhibitors, which interfere with the pathways that signal the growth of tumor cells. Gleevec (STI571) is targeted to the specific biochemical abnormality found predominantly in a form of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Gleevec (STI571) kills the abnormal cells while having little effect on normal cell growth. Laboratory studies have shown that Gleevec also inhibits an enzyme called C-Kit which is present in a relatively rare form of cancer called GIST (Gastro Intestinal Stromal Tumor).

In the cases shown on Dr. Oz’s show, the patients did not lose their hair or have the terrible side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.  It will not work for all cancers, but I believe it is definately something to check out.

Also, he susgested using most produce as cancer prevention foods.  If it’s God-given foods, I believe He created them with a purpose for health and healing.   Watch out for Genetically Modified foods and use organic when possible.  Relieve your life of stress when possible by relaxing, meditating on God’s Word, having fun, and loving others.

Fruits and veggies are an important choice in a healthy diet, but many contain pesticide residues.  And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off with water. You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.  Also, it’s important to use produce washing products or other home remedies like salt water, vinegar, or food-grade peroxide.

Here’s a list of foods to buy organic.  Check with your local grocer and see if they will carry organic.  It’s worth the extra expense for the following foods.  Also, you can check with your local co-ops and farmer’s markets.

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals.  There are over 60 different chemicals used on crops.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides are applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives might be watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they’re most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 50 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn’t eliminate chemical residue completely, so it’s best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

Blueberries
Blueberries are treated with as many as 50 pesticides, making them one of the most toxic berries on the market.

Nectarines
Nectarines rank up there with apples and peaches among the worst tree fruit. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don’t offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They’re often heavily sprayed with insecticides. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

Spinach
Spinach can be tainted with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it has high amounts of pesticide residues. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

Potatoes
America’s popular spud can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically.. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape’s thin skin. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

Did you know there is a local buying co-op in Bolivar where you can buy organic fruits & vegetables (frozen, canned, dried, etc), healthy cereals, gluten-free products, personal care products and much more. 

They’re called “Temple Maintenance” and you’ll love it.  They are set up online, so you can view sales items or even the full catalog online and place your entire order online.  You can also see who would like to split cases and how many products are left to purchase to fill a case.  Products are ordered once a month and there are no minimum orders.  Pick-up is at the KYOO radio station.

Joyce Hamann is the person in charge and her email address is: hamannj@gmail.com