SOME Healthy Eating TIPS At The Office
1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
This may seem a bit out of place in an article about healthy eating, but I assure you it isn’t. Being well rested is one of the first steps to eating well and feeling at your best.

When you are overtired you will more than likely find yourself reaching for food and copious amounts of coffee, as a way to keep your energy levels up.

I recently came across this quote, which is so very true,

Learn that the primary keys to health are good nutrition, pure water, adequate sleep, routine exercise and happiness.

I couldn’t agree more!

2. Eat Some Breakfast
Don’t let the familiarity of this advice make you skip over this tip.

People who eat breakfast are more likely to eat better throughout the rest of the day. And, if you want to be on top of your game, go for a higher protein choice, like eggs, rather than loading up on the normal carb-heavy breakfast cereals.

Protein will help you feel more satisfied, and fewer cravings later in the day will mean you’ll be less likely to be tempted by unhealthy, high sugar snacks, or overeat at mealtimes.

If you’re in a rush, go for a healthy smoothie made with one scoop of whey protein powder, a frozen banana, one cup of milk or water, a big handful of spinach, and a handful of fruit, like berries.

3. Take Food With You
I don’t need to tell you that homemade trumps store-bought lunches in terms of cost, ingredients, and even taste.

And I know, it is difficult to find the time for making your own lunch, but I’m afraid you just have to make the time.

Your lunch doesn’t have to be complicated — just throw some items into a lunchbox (lettuce, tomato, sugar snap peas, etc., a boiled egg/a tin of tuna/other lean meat). Then, all you have to do is chop it up at lunchtime.

Pair that with a piece of fruit, some natural yogurt, and/or some unsalted nuts, and you’re sorted for lunch and snacks throughout the whole day… easy!

4. Remember, Drinks Count
I find that if people associate drinking tea or coffee with eating cookies or cake, etc. the best solution is to cut back on their tea and coffee consumption.

It’s all about cutting the unhealthy diet associations.

Also, don’t forget that drinks count towards your daily caloric intake. Some count in a huge way, too.

Soft drinks are a no-go area, as is creamy coffees, and fruit juice. Instead, stick with unsweetened tea, coffee and other hot drinks, like green tea.

But remember what I said above, if you associate a hot drink with eating unhealthy snacks, think about avoiding them completely, or at least cutting back your hot beverage consumption, and going for water instead.

5. Don’t Be Easily Led
I know, this is nasty advice — you just know you’ll want those donuts that are being passed around the office!

But, if you’re committed to your diet plan, and you’ve planned ahead with your own healthy snack, you can say NO! to the unhealthy food, if you really want to.

If you’re trying to cut back on sugary junk food, the simplest way to do this is to avoid buying it. If it isn’t sitting on your desk staring you in the face, it will be a lot easier to avoid eating.

I know this. I rarely buy candies and biscuits, but when I do, you can be sure I want to eat a cookie with my afternoon tea, rather than my normal snack of nuts or fruit mid-afternoon.

Take my advice, and make your life a lot simpler by not buying the junk food in the first place.

If your work involves frequent meetings where there will be lots of cake and other high-calorie goodies, I challenge you to stand out from the crowd by bringing your own healthy snacks to the meeting with you. Chances are you’ll inspire others to do the same through time.

All you need are some fruit or nuts and a bottle of water — it’s very easy really. And, it’s so much easier to say no the the goodies being passed around when you have your own snack right there in front of you — believe me, I’ve been there!

6. Prepare For Late Nights
If you know there’s a good chance you’ll have to stay late at the office, don’t wait until you get home at 8pm to get some food. By that stage you’ll be so famished, tired, and grumpy, that the last thing you want to do is make a healthy meal for yourself.

Much better to take something along to work, which will tide you over until you get home. This will also help you to stay strong, and avoid the drive-thru on the way home.

If you’ve got access to a fridge at work there really is no excuse. Why not make extra food the night before a long day at work, then pop your leftovers into a container to take with you the following day?

7. Slow It Down
You know it, I know it, but for some reason it’s like we’re preprogrammed to wolf our food down, like it’s about to run off our plates.

So, instead of slamming your lunch into you while staring at your computer screen, take a little advice from our sophisticated French friends, by slowing things down considerably at the dinner table.

Eating more slowly allows your brain and your stomach to get into sync with each other, and realize that it’s time to stop eating.

tricks for back pain
1. Exercise your back regularly – walking, swimming (especially
back stroke) and using exercise bikes are all excellent to
strengthen your back muscles but anything that you enjoy
and helps you keep active will be beneficial.
2. Keep active and moving even when you have pain. Gentle
walking and stretching will prevent stiffness. Also try to
avoid long periods of bed rest as this is counterproductive.
3. Always lift and carry objects close to your body, bend your
knees and your hips not your back and never twist and bend
at the same time.
4. Try to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle as this will help
prevent back pain. Quit smoking as it increases your chances
of developing back pain.
5. Use painkillers when pain occurs to allow you to carry on
being active. If pain is persistent see your GP as they may be
able to prescribe stronger painkillers or investigate further.
6. Consider your work environment. If you work in an office look at your workspace and ways to adapt it to help you
manage your back pain. If your work is more manual in nature try to be aware of and work according to health and
safety procedures such as manual handling or loading procedures.
7. Try to carry loads in a rucksack and avoid carrying single sling bags.
8. Always try to maintain good posture. Avoid slumping in your chair, hunching over your desk and walking around
with your shoulders hunched up.
9. Always use a chair with a back rest and sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a foot rest. Don’t forget to change
your sitting position every few minutes.
10. If you do suffer from back pain caused or made worse by being at work, talk to your employer or HR department.
They may be able to help you come up with adaptations to your work environment, patterns and activities in order
to help you better manage your back pain.

Tips to Avoid Back Pain you’ve been sidelined by a sore back, you’re not alone. Four out of five people experience back pain at some point, making it the fifth most common reason for visiting the doctor. Back pain takes various forms, from a persistent dull ache to sudden sharp pain, and has many causes. Sometimes it results from a sprain, fracture, or other accidental injury. It can stem from a disease or medical condition, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs). Many people develop back pain in part because they’re overweight or sedentary. The good news is that most lower back pain usually gets better within a few days or weeks, and surgery is rarely necessary. What’s more, simple self-help strategies such as these can be surprisingly effective at preventing back pain and keeping it from returning:
 1. Get more exercise. If your back is hurting, you may think the best way to get relief is to limit exercise and to rest. A day or two of rest may help, but more than that may not help the pain. Experts now know that regular physical activity can help ease inflammation and muscle tension.
 2. Watch your weight. Extra pounds, especially in your midsection, can make back pain worse by shifting your center of gravity and putting strain on your lower back. Staying within 10 pounds of your ideal weight may help control back pain.
 3. If you smoke, stop. Smoking restricts the flow of nutrient-containing blood to spinal discs, so smokers are especially vulnerable to back pain.
 4. Sleeping position. If you’re prone to back pain, talk with your doctor about the best sleeping position. Sleeping on your side with your knees pulled up slightly toward your chest is sometimes suggested. Prefer to sleep on your back? Put one pillow under your knees and another under your lower back. Sleeping on your stomach can be especially hard on your back. If you can’t sleep any other way, place a pillow under your hips.
5. Pay attention to your posture. The best chair for preventing back pain is one with a straight back or low-back support. Keep your knees a bit higher than your hips while seated. Prop your feet on a stool if you need to. If you must stand for a prolonged period, keep your head up and your stomach pulled in. If possible, rest one foot on a stool -- and switch feet every five to 15 minutes.
 6. Be careful how you lift. Don’t bend over from the waist to lift heavy objects. Bend your knees and squat, pulling in your stomach muscles and holding the object close to your body as you stand up. Don't twist your body while lifting. If you can, push rather than pull heavy objects. Pushing is easier on the back.
 7. Avoid high heels. They can shift your center of gravity and strain your lower back. Stick to a one-inch heel. If you have to go higher, bring along a pair of low-heeled shoes and slip into them if you become uncomfortable.
 8. Stash the skinny jeans. Clothing so tight that it interferes with bending, sitting, or walking can aggravate back pain.
 9. Lighten your wallet. Sitting on an overstuffed wallet may cause discomfort and back pain. If you’re going to be sitting for a prolonged period -- while driving, for example, take your wallet out of your back pocket.
 10. Pick the right handbag or briefcase. Buy a bag or briefcase with a wide, adjustable strap that’s long enough to reach over your head. A messenger bag (like the ones bike messengers wear) is made to wear this way. Having the strap on the opposite shoulder of the bag distributes the weight more evenly and helps keep your shoulders even and your back pain-free. When carrying a heavy bag or case without straps, switch hands frequently to avoid putting all the stress on one side of the body. To lighten the load, periodically purge bags, cases, backpacks, and other carriers of things you don't need.
 11. Forget about back braces. Various back supports are available, from elastic bands to special corsets. They can be helpful after certain kinds of surgery, but there is not much evidence that they help treat chronic back pain.

Food poisoning
Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses or toxins in the food we eat. Some of these toxins are found naturally in foods, while some have accumulated in the environment.
If you have food poisoning you’ll probably have gastroenteritis symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhoea or vomiting, or flu-like symptoms. Food poisoning can also cause serious long-term problems like kidney failure.

Some wild mushrooms, including the death cap, are extremely poisonous. You should not eat wild-harvested mushrooms unless they have been definitely identified as safe. Seek immediate medical treatment If you think you may have eaten poisonous mushrooms.

Large fish, such as shark, swordfish and marlin, may accumulate relatively high levels of mercury. You should limit your consumption of these fish, especially if you are a child, are pregnant or planning pregnancy. Occasionally people die from food poisoning.
Symptoms and causes of food poisoning
You may be sick with food poisoning but not know what food caused it or even that you have it. Different bacteria and viruses can have different effects:

Salmonella: gastro and flu-like symptoms usually appear between 8 and 72 hours after eating the infected food and last for two to five days.
Campylobacter: gastro symptoms appear in two to seven days and last about five days.
Listeria: gastro or flu-like symptoms usually appear after about three days for milder cases and up to 70 days for the severe form, with the illness lasting longer if it is more severe.
Norovirus or rotavirus: severe gastro or flu-like symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after exposure and last one to three days (norovirus) or up to eight days (rotavirus).
E. coli: gastro symptoms usually appear in three to four days and last about a week.
High-risk groups for food poisoning
If you’re pregnant, elderly or very young, or your immune system is weak through illness or drugs, you’re at greater risk of food poisoning and possibly serious complications.

If you’re pregnant, Listeria can cause you to miscarry, even if you don’t know you’ve been infected. If you notice symptoms - usually like a mild flu but also diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea - contact your doctor immediately.

Processes affecting food nutrient content

A variety of things can happen during the growing, harvesting, storage and preparing of food that can affect its nutritional content. Processes that expose foods to high levels of heat, light or oxygen cause the greatest nutrient loss.
Fertilisers

Most plant crops are produced with the aid of fertilised soils. High use of nitrogen fertilisers tends to reduce the vitamin C content in many fruit and vegetable crops. It does not seem to make any difference to the plant’s nutrient value whether the fertiliser is organic or not.
Milling

Cereals such as wheat can be ground to remove the fibrous husks. The husks contain most of the plant’s dietary fibre, B-group vitamins, phytochemicals and some minerals.

That is why products such as white bread are less nutritious than wholemeal varieties, even if they have been artificially fortified with some of the nutrients that were lost after milling. It is impossible to add back everything that is taken out, especially the phytochemicals. The ‘fibre’ that is added back to some products is often in the form of resistant starch, which may not be as beneficial as the fibre removed.
Blanching

Before a food is canned or frozen, it is usually heated very quickly with steam or water. The water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin C and B-complex, are sensitive and easily destroyed by blanching.
Canning

Food is heated inside the can to kill any dangerous micro-organisms and extend the food’s shelf life. Some types of micro-organisms require severe heat treatment and this may affect the taste and texture of the food, making it less appealing. Preservatives are generally not needed or used in canned foods.

Water-soluble vitamins are particularly sensitive to high temperatures. Many people believe that canned foods are not as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, but this is not always the case, as fresh food often deteriorates more rapidly than canned foods.
Freezing

The nutrient value of a food is retained when it is frozen. Any nutrient losses are due to the processing prior to freezing and the cooking once the frozen food is thawed.
Pasteurisation

Pasteurisation involves heating liquid foods such as milk and fruit juices to specific temperatures to destroy micro-organisms. The nutrient value of milk is generally unaffected. In the case of pasteurised fruit juices, some losses of vitamin C can occur.
High pressure processing

This alternative preservation method subjects a food to elevated pressures, with or without the use of heat to kill micro-organisms. This method has been used in foods such as fruit juices. As heat is not required, this process impacts less on the vitamin content, flavour and colour of foods.
Dehydrating

Drying out foods such as fruits can reduce the amount of vitamin C they retain, but it can also concentrate other nutrients, particularly fibre in plant foods. Dehydrating food also makes food products more energy dense, which may contribute to weight gain. If a dehydrated food is reconstituted and cooked with water, further nutrients are leached out of the food and lost in the cooking water.

Cord Blood Banking Basics

GK: When you are pregnant, you have a lot of choices to make in relation to the birth of your baby. From where to how you want to deliver, making sure that both you and the baby are healthy is the most important thing when considering your options and doing what is best for your family. Cord blood banking is one such opportunity, but many families are unfamiliar with the process and its benefits.

When you bank cord blood, which is the blood found in the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn baby, you are able to collect and preserve stem cells that can be used for research and treatments later on. Tissue and blood from the umbilical cord are currently being studied in the treatment of cerebral palsy, autism, Type 1 diabetes, and hydrocephalus. These stem cells are also being successfully used to treat over 80 different diseases, including leukemia.

Research the benefits of preserving cord blood with a private cord blood bank, and work with experts directly, to ensure you have everything you need before your baby comes.
Dedicated to the wellness and health of mommies and babies, healthy mama brand and Americord are partnering for this year’s Cord Blood Awareness Month, running throughout July. The cord blood banking industry has never been more appealing, and mothers around the world are anxiously searching for the safest and most affordable answer. Luckily, Americord embodies an ideal solution: safe and economic, while ensuring exceptional quality. So partnering with healthy mama brand was a no-brainer! Healthy mama brand offers a myriad of products to help mommas every step of the way. Designed by mommas, healthy mama presents a line of state of the art products for all mothers that are safe, natural, and affordable!

For this year’s Cord Blood Awareness Month, we’re partnering with healthy mama brand, as two organizations committed to the well-being of all mothers. Umbilical cord blood and tissue banking is becoming more common but expecting moms and dads are sometimes still unfamiliar with their options. Stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are valuable, untouched stem cells that can only be collected at birth and we’re here to spread the word! Americord is dedicated to helping families access the highest quality cord blood banking for the best value. For Cord Blood Awareness Month, we hope to educate parents on the benefits of cord blood and tissue banking and how to help keep their family happy and healthy!

What Is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is a type of insurance coverage that covers the cost of an insured individual's medical and surgical expenses. Depending on the type of health insurance coverage, either the insured pays costs out-of-pocket and is then reimbursed, or the insurer makes payments directly to the provider.

In health insurance terminology, the "provider" is a clinic, hospital, doctor, laboratory, health care practitioner, or pharmacy. The "insured" is the owner of the health insurance policy; the person with the health insurance coverage.

In countries without universal health care coverage, such as the USA, health insurance is commonly included in employer benefit packages and seen as an employment perk. Is health insurance coverage a human right or another product one can buy? In some countries, such as the United Kingdom or Canada, health care coverage is provided by the state and is seen as every citizen's right - it is classed along with public education, the police, firefighters, street lighting, and public road networks, as a part of a public service for the nation.

Health insurance documents In other countries, such as the USA, health insurance coverage is seen somewhat differently - with the exception of some groups, such as elderly and/or disabled people, veterans and some others, it is the individual's responsibility to be insured. More recently, the Obama Administration has introduced laws making it mandatory for everybody to have health insurance, and there are penalties for those who fail to have a policy of some kind.

Everybody at some time in their life, and often on many occasions, will need some kind of medical attention and treatment. When medical care is required, ideally the patient should be able to concentrate on getting better, rather than wondering whether he/she has got the resources to pay for all the bills. This view is becoming more commonly held in nearly all the developed nations.

Managing diabetes - researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portlant, Oregon, found that diabetes patients need continuous health insurance coverage for the long-term proper management of their disease .

Since the late 1990s, millions of US citizens have found themselves with absolutely no health cover at all. A collection of several different studies and surveys puts the number of "uninsured" Americans at over 50 million; tens of millions more have inadequate insurance.

A Commonwealth Fund 2011 report informed that 26% of all US citizens of working age experienced a gap in health insurance coverage; many lost their health insurance when they either became unemployed or changed jobs.

Children in the USA with private insurance are considerably more likely to have a primary care physician in America compared to those with public insurance or no insurance at all, according to a study carried out by researchers at the Children's Hospital, Boston. The authors added that levels of treatment in emergency departments varied significantly, depending on what type of health insurance they had.

Americans with long-term or serious illnesses are the least able to pay for their medical bills among the leading developed nations in the world, a Commonwealth Fund International Survey reported in November, 2011.

The Affordable Care Act made it possible for young adults aged between 19 and 25 to join or stay on their parents' health plans in 2011. A Commonwealth Fund report informed that 13.7 million young adults remained or got onto their parents' health plans; this included 6.6 million people who would not have been able to do so if the Act had not been signed.

According to an eHealthInsurance survey carried out in 2010, the average monthly premiums among its customers were $167 per month for an individual, with an average deductible of $2,632. Family plans cost an average $392 per month with a $3,531 deductible. Two broad types of health insurance or health coverage Broadly speaking there are two types of health insurance:
Private health insurance - the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that the US health care system is heavily reliant on private health insurance. 58% of Americans have some kind of private health insurance coverage.
Public (government) health insurance - for this type to be called insurance, premiums need to be collected, even though the coverage is provided by the state. Therefore, the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom is not a type of health insurance - even though it provides free medical services for its citizens, it does not collect premiums - it is a type of universal health coverage.

Examples of public health insurance in the USA is Medicare, which is a national federal social insurance program for people aged 65+ years as well as disabled people, and Medicaid which is funded jointly by the federal government and individual states (and run by individual states), SCHIP which is aimed at children and families who cannot afford private insurance, but to not qualify for Medicaid. Other public health insurance programs in the USA include TRICARE, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Indian Health Service.

Which Vegetables Are Best?

It’s hard to go wrong when eating vegetables, especially if you choose those that appeal to you. However, if you want to take your health up a notch, opt for vegetables that are locally grown, organic, and in season. This will ensure you’re getting the freshest vegetables without added toxins, like pesticides.

Growing your own vegetables is one of the best ways to get inexpensive fresh produce. Replace your lawn or shrubs with a vegetable garden — just be careful about your local zoning laws – or use containers. If a garden is not feasible, join a local food coop or frequent farmers’ markets (many of these now accept food stamps, too).

Generally speaking, you can eat as many green leafy vegetables as you want while high-sugar vegetables (like beets and carrots) should be eaten in moderation. My recommended list of vegetables provides a guide to the most nutritious vegetables, and those to limit due to their high carbohydrate content.

If you want more details about the specific nutrients and health benefits of different veggies, we've compiled an extensive review of the health benefits of vegetables in our Mercola Food Facts Library. However, as a general guide, the following list of vegetables details some of the best and worst vegetables for your health.
Eating Enough Vegetables Lowers Your Risk of Cancer and Premature Death
As mentioned, eating vegetables isn’t only important for reducing your risk of breast cancer. This is one health habit that can lower your risk of multiple types of cancer as well as your risk of numerous chronic diseases. One study found:14

Those who ate five to seven servings of vegetables and fruits per day had a 36 percent lower risk of dying from any cause
Three to five servings was associated with a 29 percent lower risk
One to three servings was associated with a 14 percent lower risk
But perhaps most strikingly of all, people who ate seven or more portions of vegetables and fruit a day had a 42 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, compared to those who ate less than one portion. They also enjoyed a 31 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 25 percent lower risk of cancer. Vegetables had a larger protective effect than fruits.

So while consuming small amounts of whole fruit is fine (and even beneficial) if you’re healthy, your focus should be on vegetables. When broken down by vegetables only, each additional daily portion of fresh veggies lowered participants’ risk of death by 16 percent compared to 4 percent for fresh fruit.

The fact of the matter is vegetables contain an array of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to get anywhere else. Plant chemicals called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens, while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Vegetables are also one of the best forms of dietary fiber.

Luteolin in Celery May Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Luteolin is an anti-inflammatory plant compound found in certain vegetables, including celery, peppers, and carrots. It’s previously been linked with lower rates of age-related memory loss in mice.2

And now researchers have found it may slow the development of breast cancer – particularly that caused by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

In the past, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was widely prescribed for treating menopausal symptoms and even for preventive purposes, based in part on early observational studies that had suggested it could help protect women against heart disease, weak bones, as well as dementia.

All of that changed in 2002, when the 15-year Women's Health Initiative (WHI) abruptly ended its combination of estrogen and progestin therapy study because their data revealed higher rates of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots in the population taking the hormones compared to those receiving a placebo.

Researchers from the featured study explained that benign lesions in breast tissues may turn into tumors if they received a “trigger” such as progestin, which attracts blood vessels and “feeds” the lesions, allowing them to expand.

When this occurs, the breast cancer cells “take on stem cell-like properties, which can make them harder to kill,” the study’s lead researcher stated.3However, when breast cancer cells were exposed to luteolin in the lab, their viability markedly decreased.4

Not only did the blood vessels feeding the cells decline significantly, but also their “stem cell-like properties” were reduced, resulting in an anti-tumor effect. The researchers then tested luteolin on mice with breast cancer and similar benefits were observed.

The researchers are hoping to develop a luteolin-based drug that could be injected into the bloodstream to fight aggressive and hard-to-treat forms of breast cancer.

However they suggested that, in the meantime, women continue eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. In addition to celery, peppers and carrots, luteolin is also found in thyme, parsley, and broccoli.

Ways to Give

Charitable giving helps us provide the margin of excellence you have come to expect in your community hospital. Gifts to Inova, which are governed by volunteer trustees who are members of our community, are gifts to a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare provider that puts the health of our community as its number one priority.

Honoring your generosity

We are grateful for your support and are pleased to recognize your gift in many ways such as inclusion in our Annual Honor Roll of Donors. Friends who make an annual gift of $1,000 or more become members of ourFounders' Circle societies. As a Founders' Circle member, your name will be listed on a donor wall in the lobby of the hospital or program facility to which your gift is designated. You will also be invited to selected events and will receive special updates from Inova Health Foundation.

Individuals who have made a generous gift to help build the Inova Comprehensive Cancer and Research Institute – a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer – are honored on our ICCRI Honor Roll. We are grateful for their commitment to our lifesaving mission.

Another way to memorialize your family or a loved one is through a naming opportunity at one of our Inova facilities located throughout Northern Virginia. Please contact us to discuss your specific areas of interest or to determine how you and our hospitals can achieve maximum benefit.

Cord blood helps with rare disease November 11, 2015|By Cindy Tumiel, San Antonio Express-News Doctors have found a way to use umbilical cord blood as a "poor man's gene therapy" to fix a rare but deadly inherited disease that strips babies' brain cells of their protective coating and routinely kills children by the time they are 2.For seven years, doctors have been using cord-blood transplants to treat infants born with Krabbe's disease, a genetic disorder in which children are born lacking an essential enzyme that helps form the protective sheath around delicate brain neurons. Without this enzyme, brain cells become damaged as children's motor and mental development deteriorates until they die. Cord blood from the placenta is rich in stem cells--progenitor cells that can become a variety of tissues in the body. And the Krabbe's disease study demonstrates the possibility of using cord blood to treat 40 or more rare but deadly inherited enzyme or metabolic defects, said Dr. Maria Louisa Escolar, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina and the lead author of the study. A study of the first 25 patients was published earlier this year in the New England Journal of Medicine. One patient underwent a cord blood transplant in 2000 when she was 10 days old. The child now lives in Missouri and, except for some problems walking, is a typical 5-year-old excited about kindergarten, said Dr. Donna Wall, director of the pediatric blood and marrow transplant program at the Texas Transplant Institute in San Antonio. "We're kind of in new territory," said Wall, who helped treat the child when she lived in St. Louis. "The fact that she is 5 years old shows we have changed the nature of the disease." The treatment involves using chemotherapy to obliterate a baby's own bone marrow, then giving the infant a cord blood transplant to set up a new blood-building system, Escolar said. "Now all of the cells that control the blood all have the enzyme that the babies are missing," she said. "With the transplant, we are doing poor man's gene therapy," said Wall, referring to the still-unperfected effort to knock out a defective gene and replace it with a functioning one. With cord blood, "we are putting in a new blood-building system that has normal amounts of this missing enzyme," she said. The study involved 25 children--14 who already showed symptoms and 11 who were diagnosed before birth after having a sibling die from Krabbe's disease. All are still alive, with the oldest now 6 1/2 years old. Krabbe's disease occurs about once in every 100,000 births when a child is missing an enzyme called galactocerebrosidase, or GALC. Without this enzyme, the brain begins to lose myelin, a fatty covering that protects nerve cells in the brain. Babies with the condition typically develop normally for a few months, then become irritable and begin regressing from developmental milestones. They cry excessively, grow stiff, suffer seizures and have trouble eating. Most infants diagnosed with the disease die by age 2. "My son started dying the day he was diagnosed," said Beatriz Herrera of Ft. Worth, Texas, whose son Andres died from Krabbe's when he was 17 months old. Little information or treatment was available when Andres was diagnosed in 1995, Herrera said. Since then, families have found a support network through Hunter's Hope, a foundation established by former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly, whose son Hunter was born with the disease. Through it, Herrera has become an advocate for other parents and for efforts to raise money for more research. The foundation also is part of efforts to establish standards for newborn screening tests that can pick up Krabbe's and other genetic disorders.