Blood Donors to Receive Cookies?
OAKLAND, CA.- Thanks to a generous donation from the Girl Scouts of Northern California there's still a chance to get your hands on a box of their delicious cookies.
The Girl Scouts have donated 725 cases of cookies to the American Red Cross and its blood donors.  And starting on May 7, all presenting donors at the Red Cross' Bay Area blood donor centers will receive a box of Girl Scout Cookies.*
At 12 boxes to a case, that's 8,700 boxes of cookies that are up for grabs!
The donation consists of 10 different varieties of cookies, including Samoas(r), Do-Si-Dos(r), Tagalongs(r) and Trefoils.  Cookies will be available at the donor centers until supplies run out.
The Red Cross operates five Bay Area blood donor centers: 6230 Claremont Avenue in Oakland; 140 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill; 5556-B Springdale Avenue in Pleasanton; 39227 Cedar Boulevard in Newark; and 2731 N. First Street in San Jose.  Call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment.  Hours of operation for each donor center are also listed on the website.
Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet height and weight requirements (at least 110 pounds based on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.  Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive identification.

Women, Stress And Heart Disease
(NAPSA)-When it comes to heart health and women, the role played by stress can't be stressed enough. This is in addition to other factors, such as diet, physical activity, and genetics that are known to contribute to heart disease in women.
According to the American Psychological Association's (APA) 2008 Stress in America survey, women report experiencing higher levels of stress than men-33 percent of women report an average stress level of 8 or above on a 10-point scale (vs. 27 percent of men).
"The link between high levels of stress and heart disease is well known and very real," says Katherine Nordal, Ph.D., executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Association. "The good news is that by being proactive in their health care decisions and making healthy lifestyle choices, women can successfully manage their levels of stress and minimize their risk of heart disease."
In fact, the tools used to prevent stress are also those often employed to prevent heart disease. A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as regular physical activity such as walking, yoga or dance, all contribute to a healthy mind and body.
APA offers the following tips on how to manage your stress:
•     Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed?    
•     Identify your sources of stress. What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Is there anything you can do to change the situation or reduce your stress?
•     Learn your own stress signals. People experience stress in different ways. Learn to gauge your stress signals.
•     Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and over/undereating) to cope.
•     Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities such as meditation, exercising or talking things over with friends or family.
•     Take care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and engage in regular physical activity, such as yoga, taking a short walk, going to the gym or playing sports.
•     Reach out for support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.
To learn more about stress and mind/body health, visit the American Psychological Association's Help Center at www.apahelpcenter.org.

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