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Biodots can't cure "hurry sickness"; they only help diagnose the problem. Lisa Marraro's clients, nevertheless, can't wait to try them.
"When I mention the biodot, most people jump at the chance to test one. They'll put it on right away, wanting to see if they can make it change colors," said Marraro, a family nurse practitioner and co-founder of Synchrony Applied Health Sciences, a 2-year-old stress management consulting firm in Del Mar.
"Later, they learn to use it as a tool to help monitor their stresses and pressures," Marraro added.
Biodots are tiny biofeedback devices --pill-sized circles filled with microencapsulated liquid crystals -- that react to skin temperature changes. Applied to the front of the hand, the dots change color as blood vessels tense or relax.
For $5, Marraro's "hurried-sick" clients can buy a box of 50 biodots, along with a color monitor chart, to help identify excess stress.
Actually curing the malady, however, takes a combination of diet, exercise, sleep, educational training and time, she said.
"We're not into...