Test Your Scleroderma Knowledge

Scleroderma Foundation eLetter

eLetter #421

Greetings!

Support the Scleroderma Foundation

Combined Federal Campaign

The Scleroderma Foundation has once again been accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign, the world's largest workplace charity campaign.

Federal civilian, postal and military donors may pledge now through Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, to support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health and human service benefits around the world.

The Combined Federal Campaign is an easy way for federal employees to donate to the Scleroderma Foundation. To participate, ask your supervisor or human resources department how to donate to the campaign in your workplace. When filling out any designation forms, enter the Scleroderma Foundation CFC No. 10089, and designate how much money you would like to donate to the Foundation each pay period.

Find out more about the Combined Federal Campaign at www.opm.gov/cfc.

What Are Autoimmune Diseases?

With more people being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases including high-profile individuals such as golfer Phil Mickelson (psoriatic arthritis) and tennis player Venus Williams (Sjogren Syndrome), The Huffington Post examines autoimmune diseases and why they are the second most common cause of chronic illness in the U.S.

Test Your Scleroderma Knowledge

Scleroderma is a complex autoimmune disease. How much do you know? Test your knowledge with this quiz from About.com.

The Science Behind Relaxation

In the past 30 years, there has been considerable interest in the relaxation response and how inducing this state may benefit health. Research has focused primarily on illness and conditions in which stress may play a role either as the cause of the condition or as a factor that can make the condition worse.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine takes a closer look at the evidence behind relaxation and stress relief as an effective part of a treatment plan. Learn more.

Eating Out: Low Sodium Diets

For many people, eating out is something they do to relax and socialize. You don't have to give this up when you are on a low-sodium diet, but it is important to be more careful about what you order in a restaurant. Sodium is not just in table salt. You can also find it in sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Asian foods often have MSG as well as soy sauce, which is also very salty.