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Longtime North Shore resident Gale Gand may best be known for her culinary expertise, but as a mother and business owner she has successfully juggled the demands of parenthood and a professional life. Just add choreographer to her impressive resume that includes 2001 awards for Outstanding Pastry Chef by The James Beard Foundation and Pastry Chef of the Year by Bon Appetite magazine.

She will be sharing her unique stories and experiences at the 2011 North Shore Women’s Conference on Friday, May 6, at the Skokie Banquet and Conference Center.

“I am usually the only woman in a man’s world so that brings some funny and not so funny experiences,” she said.

Gand has plenty of experiences to draw from. She is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality, root beer maker and mom. Her work life includes being the executive pastry chef and partner of the renowned four-star Mobil, five-diamond AAA, Relais & Chateaux Relais-Gourmand restaurant Tru, with Rich Melman and culinary partner Rick Tramonto.

Victoria Case, the executive director of the Deerfield, Bannockburn and Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce says Gand is perfect for the conference because she is not only a business owner but also a mother who balances the demands of family and work.

“She is a small town girl who has become a celebrity chef,” Case said.

For her part, Gand says her business helps her achieve that work life and family balance.

“Meals are like a fabric draped over everything a family is,” Gand said. “We come together to share food as well as everything that happened that day.”

Sharing information is exactly the point of the women’s conference.

Case developed the idea of the Women’s Conference four years ago with the then Wilmette Chamber of Commerce’s Julie Yusim.

“Woman are the decision makers in the household,” Case said., thinking back to the conversations she had with Yusim. The pair created the conference on that core idea and enlisted other chambers to help them create the conference.

Yusim has since left the Wilmette Chamber but she and Case created a solid foundation for the event that has sold out of both vendor spots and luncheon tickets the past three years.

“We had 16 chambers that first year and now we have 21 participating,” Case said. “We could not do it without these other chambers and it benefits all the members throughout the North Shore.”

This year’s event will include 75 vendors as well as six breakout workshops. Anyone can browse through the vendors and network for free, but to hear Gand and enjoy the luncheon the cost is $30.

The conference is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to the public. The luncheon and Gand’s prsentation is noon to 1:30 p.m. and costs $30. To make a reservation for the luncheon go to dbrchamber.com or call 847-945-4660

It was late on a Sunday evening. Not typical doctor hours. But Cullen didn’t panic.

She turned to one of the trusted tools she has come to rely on since Niall Cullen was diagnosed with colon cancer: her cell phone.

She called his oncologist, Dr. Philip A. Philip of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. Philip immediately arranged for Niall Cullen to be admitted to the Karmanos wing at Harper Hospital in Detroit. Once there, the attending physician used his cell phone to e-mail a photo of Niall to Philip and other physicians handling his case.

Increasingly, caregivers like Cullen and patients are texting, e-mailing, even using Skype to reach health care providers. Many doctors and patients find that newer technologies help strengthen their communication.

“Certainly the explosion in the use of smart phones will mean more and more patients will be communicating with their health care providers using either e-mail or text messaging,” says Philip. “I feel that with improved communication options for patients and families, better care can be provided, and patient or family concerns addressed in a more timely fashion or in real time.”

In Niall Cullen’s case, doctors quickly developed a treatment plan that eliminated the hives and got him back to work as a software salesman within a couple of days.

“I fear what could have happened had I not been able to get hold of Dr. Philip,” says Kristen Cullen, 40. “They told me that on a scale of 1 to 10 for adverse reactions; he was at Level 9. It was life-threatening if he hadn’t been seen and treated as quickly as he was.

“My phone is my lifeline to his doctors,” Cullen says.

While many patients find such technology extremely useful, some doctors remain reluctant to use it even though the demand is pushing more and more doctors to communicate electronically.

A national poll of 1,612 parents showed that more than half of them would find electronic communication with their children’s health care providers very helpful, but fewer than 15 percent of those parents were actually able to communicate electronically with their child’s pediatrician or other health care providers.

“The study found a big gap between what parents can currently do and what parents feel would be helpful,” said Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan. Davis, a pediatrician, says he is comfortable with electronic communication.

“My e-mail address is on my card,” he says.

But Davis said he recognizes that some doctors are concerned about medical liability, privacy and compensation. While there are no universal guidelines for electronic communication between physicians and patients, most doctors use it only with patients with whom they have already established a relationship.

“We need to see electronic messaging as a replacement for a phone call,” Davis says, “not as a substitution for a visit.”

Davis and others expect electronic communication to increase due to demand.

“I think it’s inevitable that physicians will move more toward it, if only because society expects and insists on it as the progressively dominant form of communication today,” Davis said.

Dr. Philip of Karmanos expects e-communication to increase and agrees it’s a good thing. He e-mails patients regularly. He has also put out-of-town relatives on speaker phone during consultations with patients.

“In addition to offering an additional communication option e-mails are easier to handle because unlike a telephone page that needs immediate attention I can reply to the e-mail without having to interrupt something that I am doing,” the doctor said. “I can also reply to e-mail even if I am out of state or the country.”

Philip says technology also allows some exams to take place without an office visit.

“Patients who start on a new treatment that is expected to cause some major side effects can have their condition monitored in real time using the Internet, including the uploading of digital photographs,” he says.

Dr. Tsveti Markova, a family medicine physician with the Wayne State University Physicians Group, says the health system’s movement toward becoming more patient-centered demands e-communication and in some ways it’s easier for doctors.

“Most of us would rather intervene sooner than later,” Markova says. “E-mailing and texting is fine as long as the communication is secure.”

Kristen Cullen believes technology saved her husband’s life. She keeps her phone with her constantly, and sometimes has her laptop at her side. When there’s a new development, she e-mails his doctors with an update. Doctors usually respond shortly thereafter with a text, an e-mail or phone call.

Niall Cullen used his smartphone only once to communicate with his doctors. On Father’s Day a couple of years ago, he e-mailed a photo he took of one of his son s at Little League championship game in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“Thanks for giving me another Father’s Day,” his message read.

By Cassandra Spratling, Detroit Free Press/(c) 2011, Detroit Free Press.

Peter Manschot woke up in a hotel room and found his wife, Emily, sleeping in the bathroom.

“I felt really bad,” says Manschot, 63, of Novi, Mich. “She was curled up with blankets and whatever pillows she could scrounge, trying to make a bed out of the bath tub.”

It was the only place she could sleep because he was snoring so loudly.

Manschot’s snoring was a symptom of a much bigger problem. He is among the estimated 18 million Americans with obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic condition in which the airway is blocked during sleep. It prevented Manschot from breathing and caused him to snore.

“Basically, I was waking up 30 or 40 times an hour,” Manschot says. Doctors evaluated him, and “they said on a scale of 1 to 10, I was a 12. They could hear me down the hall with the doors closed.”

The prevalence of sleep apnea is expected to grow with the rise in obesity and the aging population, because age and weight are two factors that increase the chances of developing the chronic condition in which the back of the throat relaxes and the airway becomes blocked.

For some, surgery can alleviate the problem. For others, the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine opens up the airways and allows for more normal breathing during sleep.

Manschot was prescribed a CPAP machine — the most common treatment for sleep apnea. The machine pumps air through a hose and into a mask that fits over a person’s mouth and nose, or just over the nose. The machine gently blows air into the throat, artificially holding the airway open.

“Now, I’m sleeping through the night and have been for years,” Manschot says. “I think it’s immensely benefited me.”

Emily Maschot is thrilled that her husband is now sleeping through the night — it means, she is, too. “I think it has saved our marriage,” she says, “and maybe even saved his life.”

Untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity and diabetes.

Neither the CPAP machine nor surgery helped Tom Norgiel, 50, of Walled Lake, Mich. For years, he’d searched for a way to get a good night’s rest. He was diagnosed about eight years ago with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Doctors tried to treat the problem with a CPAP machine, but he didn’t like using it. Some people find the masks uncomfortable and the machines too loud.

About five years ago, Norgiel had surgery to try to improve his breathing at night. Surgery usually involves shrinking, stiffening or removing excess tissue in the mouth and throat or resetting the lower jaw, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“I had implants put into my mouth,” Norgiel says. “It supposedly makes your soft palate more rigid.”

But it didn’t help.

Then, Norgiel visited Dr. Bruce Luria, a Dearborn dentist who makes a dental device that looks like a mouth guard. The appliance forces Norgiel’s jaw forward slightly, pulling his tongue from the back of his throat and opening up the blocked airway.

“When I have that thing on, I don’t snore a bit,” Norgiel says. “It’s like night and day. “It’s made a huge improvement for me. I sleep a lot longer.”

The use of dental devices to treat sleep apnea is growing in popularity, according to Sheri Katz, the president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, a national organization that provides training and resources for dentists and orthodontists who treat sleep apnea. And that popularity is expected to surge even more.

Beginning this year, Medicare is going to consider coverage for custom-fabricated dental devices to treat mild and moderate cases of sleep apnea — although a pay structure has yet to be determined. Many insurance companies also cover at least some of the cost of these devices.

“If a patient is covered for CPAP, most insurance companies will cover oral appliance therapy under the right protocol,” Katz says. “It’s also covered for people who have severe sleep apnea and have failed to use CPAP.”

Symptoms of sleep apnea

One of the most common signs of obstructive sleep apnea is loud, habitual snoring, although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

Other signs to watch for:

Sleepiness

Morning headaches

Memory or learning problems and not being able to concentrate

Feeling irritable, depressed or having mood swings or personality changes

A dry throat when you wake up

Source: National Institutes of Health

Sleep apnea risks

Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. If left untreated, it can lead to increased risk of:

–High blood pressure, stroke, obesity and diabetes

–Heart failure, heart attack and irregular heartbeats

–Having work-related or driving accidents

Source: National Institutes of Health

By Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press/ (c) 2011, Detroit Free Press.

Arthur cried when he realized he successfully dropped 20 pounds. He stood on the scale, faced his team and tearfully thanked his friends for their support.

His 20 pound weight loss wasn’t the result of a summer long exercise program. As a contestant on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” Arthur lost 20 pounds in one week.

Medical professionals recommend losing one to two pounds in order to avoid medical complications such as muscle loss or gall stone development. But contestants on reality programs are regularly losing massive quantities of weight in short time periods and many in the medical field are concerned.

“I think they’re awful, I really do. I tell my patients not to watch them,” said Jennifer Ventrelle, a registered dietician and certified personal trainer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

“The Biggest Loser” and its spin-off “Losing it With Jillian” are just two of many weight loss programs Ventrelle advises her patients to avoid. MTV has introduced several weight loss programs such as “Fat Camp” and the 2011 “I Used to be Fat.”

On “I Used to Be Fat,” participants spend a summer losing as much as 90 pounds. In one episode, Gabriella, 18, lost 90 pounds by exercising several hours a day while eating a restricted calorie diet.

Exercising in excess while eating a restricted diet may produce interesting television but it can lead to medical problems in real life, Ventrelle said.

“These people are exercising five to six hours a day. That’s completely absurd,” Ventrelle said. “It’s dangerous to put people on such an extreme exercise regime.”

When denied adequate fuel, Ventrelle said the body can enter starvation mode in which it hoards fat. The metabolism slows and the body begins to break down muscle.

“If your body is starvation mode it will reach for your muscle stores before it reaches for fat store,” Ventrelle said.

Employing a low-calorie diet in an attempt to lose weight also deprives the body of calcium, iron, vitamins and minerals. Ventrelle said gallstones can develop as a result and bone density can diminish.

Dieters also using extreme exercise to lose weight are at risk for injury. Since the bones weaken in starvation, the body is more likely to suffer sprains or breaks.

“Their bones are already stressed from being so heavy and when you’re putting intensity on joints carrying so much weight then you run the risk of injury,” Ventrelle said.

Dieters copying reality weight loss shows are also at risk for quitting or regaining the weight, said Stephanie Vander Veur, a researcher with the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia.

“People come to programs like ours for and lose one to two pounds in a week and they’re disappointed; it sets up unrealistic expectations for the general population,” Vander Veur said.

Viewers have the satisfaction of watching participants on reality weight loss programs lose as much as 90 pounds in a one-hour program. Off-screen, the process can take up to two years.

“We’re asking them to burn 500 to 1,000 calories a day their either through exercise or reducing their caloric intake,” Vander Veur said.

For obese patients, Vander Veuer initially recommends burning calories through reduced caloric intake and adding exercise as part of a lifestyle change.

“Realistically most people don’t have time to exercise every day,” Vander Veur said. “The average is 100 calories burned per mile walked. If you’re asking someone to burn by walking five to ten miles per day, that’s not going to happen.”

Obese dieters may also be uncomfortable with excessive exercise and workouts may feel like punishments. Instead of attempting to log daily exercise hours, Ventrelle said new exercisers should start with one to two exercise sessions and work up to five 30 to 60 minute sessions per week.

“I recommend things that are going to be sustainable,” Ventrelle said. “Losing the weight is comparatively easy to keeping the weight off.”

Vander Veuer agrees and said weight loss researchers are struggling to understand how massive weight loss can best be maintained.

“How do we help people maintain weight loss? I don’t know if we know the answer. It’s a huge concern in the field,” Vander Veuer said.

Regaining weight does not only return a patient to the medical problems associated with obesity, but it also opens up new medical concerns connected to yo-yo dieting.

“I’ve seen that people go on these shows and gain their weight back, and that’s more damaging to your body. Yo-yo dieting damages your metabolism, stresses the heart and body organs,” Ventrelle said.

Weight gain — even if a slight one or two pounds — is presented as scandalous on weight loss reality programs. Contestants on “The Biggest Loser” are weighed in front of the full cast and often stammer apologies or promises to work harder.

“I can’t think of another way to make people feel more disadvantaged and shamed,” Ventrelle said. “Punishing and kicking them off the show for not maintaining an unrealistic expectation. I think it can damage someone’s self-esteem.”

(c) 2011, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

That’s fine when it comes to dollars in the collection plate or hours spent volunteering, but not so with certain items consumed in the name of health. Think nuts, red wine, dark chocolate, coffee.

Nuts, for instance, once thought to be merely delicious and fattening, are — well, delicious and fattening. They’ve also been shown to be full of all sorts of such good things as omega-3 fatty acids. Thus dietitians recommend an ounce of them (especially walnuts and almonds) several times a week for health benefits.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that if one ounce is recommended a few times a week, two ounces every day would be better? No, says Linda Michalsky, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

“A handful of nuts is good, but just a handful. Palm-size. A small woman’s palm’s size, not the whole Planters jar.”

Too many nuts equal too much fat and too many calories. Unless, of course, you’re compensating by cutting back on something else, which is not very likely.

“I’m a chocoholic,” says Michalsky, a registered dietitian who holds a doctorate in nutritional sciences. “I make the choice between putting butter on a sandwich or having chocolate later on. But too much dark chocolate won’t be good for anybody. It’s moderation. I’ve been preaching moderation for decades. It all comes down to a general balanced diet.”

Her moderation soapbox is shared by fellow experts, including Amanda Smith of the University of Texas at Dallas.

“Overconsumption of anything can lead to negative effects,” says Smith, assistant director of the school’s Student Wellness Center. “What has us concerned are studies coming out about things like red wine. They tell you a glass a night is healthy. But we Americans are so into, ‘If one is good, 14 are better.’”

Someone who reads that coffee can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease might up their intake of drinks that include coffee, which usually come with a high-calorie price tag. A health-conscious person could take “dark chocolate has healthy flavonoids” to mean a candy-bar buffet. Good health isn’t something you reach and then are set for life. It’s a journey.

Regarding the studies, Michalsky offers this caveat: “Most of the pure studies are saying that doing this or that may have a beneficial effect,” she says. “They’re not saying you should go out and do it. Coffee isn’t bad for you in certain amounts, or alcohol if you’re already drinking it.”

Remember these when deciding what to eat or not to eat:

No one thing can make you healthy. “Variety gives you a wider variation of nutrients, some we haven’t even discovered yet,” Michalsky says.

Portion sizes count. “You could get fat on oatmeal, peanut butter and grilled chicken,” says Amy Goodson of Texas Health Fort Worth Hospital. “Excess calories, whether you eat chocolate or whole-wheat pasta, can add weight.”

Think it through. “Caffeine is addictive. Consuming too much increases your heart rate,” Smith says. “Yes, wine has cancer-fighting agents. But if you drink too much, you need to worry about alcohol dependency. People just think of the good parts, not ‘how can this affect me negatively?’”

Take small steps. “At least have something healthy in your diet,” Michalsky says. “What’s the best thing to do? Everything in moderation.”

Amy Goodson, who works at the Ben Hogan Sports Medicine Center of Texas Health Fort Worth Hospital, offers suggestions and guidelines for foods and drinks whose benefits are often touted.

RED WINE

Benefits: Resveratrol, which helps lower triglycerides and can increase levels of HDL (the good cholesterol).

Amount recommended: No more than a glass a day for women, two for men. “Note that a glass is 5 ounces,” Goodson says. So if you use a huge goblet, don’t fill it twice and toast to your health.

Cautions: It causes dehydration, reduces mental acuity for up to two days and is harmful to your liver. Excessive amounts can also drive triglycerides up.

DARK CHOCOLATE

Benefits: It’s been shown to lower blood pressure and to reduce the risk of stroke.

Amount recommended: Nothing specific, but “in small amounts” is stressed. Goodson suggests one Hershey dark-chocolate kiss. Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern, says the amount could be higher — 1.5 to 2 ounces.

Cautions: Chocolate is calorie-heavy, but Sandon says if you’re otherwise eating healthful foods in healthful amounts, “You can incorporate 200 discretionary calories in a day.” Dark chocolate, she says, “is healthy for the body and the mind. Mostly the mind.”

NUTS

Benefits: They provide unsaturated or monosaturated fats the body needs. Almonds and pistachios are good sources of fiber.

Amount recommended: An ounce several times a week. That’s about 20 almonds or 40 pistachios or 14 walnut halves.

Cautions: Again, calorie intake and fat. Each almond has about seven calories; 49 pistachios equal 160 calories. Plus, sugar and other tasty toppings add even more calories.

By Leslie Barker Garcia, The Dallas Morning News

(c) 2011, The Dallas Morning News.

At 9:55 p.m. Friday, Kane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of shots being fired in the 600 block of South Sumner Avenue, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

Read more on Chicago Breaking News.

The teen, whose exact age and identity were not being released tonight, was declared dead about 5:30 p.m. at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, about two hours after the shooting, according to a release from the Aurora Police Department.

Read more on Chicago Breaking News.