kudos


Chuck & Don’s Raises Minimum Wage K


udos to Chuck & Don’s, a Minneso- ta-based pet-supply retailer with 25 locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Colorado, which has taken significant steps to invest in its team members to support the company’s future growth plans. Last January the company raised its minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, $2.85 more than the federal minimum wage. “For those who were making $9 or


$10 an hour, their wages went up pro- portionately, so they went from $9.50 to $11 or whatever the case might be,” says co-founder Chuck Anderson. The raise is in addition to healthcare


benefit improvements made in anticipa- tion of the Affordable Care Act. In early 2013, Chuck & Don’s invested $150,000 in healthcare benefits, boosting offerings and choices for employees. The company will invest $250,000 in healthcare pack- ages in 2014.


“Health care is critical,” states Bob


Hartzell, Chuck & Don’s CEO. “We’re not waiting for mandates to do what’s right for our team members and their families. We want everyone who contributes to the company to share in its successes, from the part-time team members to our man- agers and corporate office staff.” The company believes that by in-


vesting in its team members, employees in turn will treat Chuck & Don’s as a career versus a job and help to invest in the company’s future growth. Chuck & Don’s is a privately held company, with 142 full-time employees and 153 part- time employees. Chuck & Don’s advocates respon-


sible pet ownership and commits to meaningful corporate citizenship that makes a positive difference in the communities in which it operates.


For more information, visit ChuckAndDons.com.


8 NA Twin Cities Edition


healthbriefs


Ginger and Turmeric Protect Skin from Sun S


cientists from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University have found that extracts from ginger and turmeric


may help prevent DNA damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, a leading cause of melanoma and other skin cancers. Fifteen herbal extracts were created; each was applied to human keratino-


cytes, the predominant cell type in the outer layer of skin that can be damaged by the sun’s rays. The researchers measured the ability of each herb extract to absorb ultraviolet radiation and act as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals. Turmeric and ginger extracts absorbed a significant amount of UVB rays before they could damage the skin, according to the results, published in Photo- chemistry and Photobiology. Each was found to stimulate the synthesis of thiore- doxin 1, an antioxidant protein that appears to protect keratinocytes from DNA damage and toxicity to living cells.


Essential Oils Effective in Fighting Candida, MRSA E


ssential oils show promise in preventing infections from the fungi Candida albicans and the bacteria methicillin-re-


sistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to several recent studies. Romania’s Polytechnic University of Bucharest researchers found that topical application of the essential oils from Salvia officinalis (sage) and Anethum graveolens (dill) provided significant inhibition against the C. albicans fungi when compared with a standard antiseptic dressing. Scientists from England’s Manchester Metropolitan


University compared the effects on three strains of MRSA in wound dressings containing the essential oils of patchouli, tea tree, geranium, lavender and grapefruit seed extract against a


conventional antibacterial dressing of silver sulfadiazine cream. Each oil was applied independently and in combination with wound dressings. Grapefruit seed extract and geranium oil were found to most effectively inhibit the MRSA strains.


I


SUN’S RAYS MAY HELP HEART HEALTH


n addition to triggering vitamin D production, the sun may have other health benefits. University of Edinburgh researchers studied 24 healthy volunteers that used lamps that produce ultraviolet A (UVA) light mimicking the sun’s UVA rays, compared with similar lamps that only pro- duce heat. Two sessions under the UVA lamps significantly lowered blood pressure and boosted nitric oxide levels in the blood. The latter is linked to better circulation. The scientists concluded that the combined effect may help prevent heart disease.


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