MAKING HE GROCERY LIST

   In a recent item “Food for Thoughts,” we covered many of the basic nutrients but in order to put this into practice here are a few items to include in your grocery list or grow them in your garden.  As an example, how about mentioning walnuts which were included in yesterday’s green spinach salad here at Carrington.  Sprinkled in with some of those tender spinach leaves we find walnuts.  One walnut fits nicely into the palm of your hand yet when cracked and kept cool in the frig this small powerhouse when planted can grow into a tree as tall as a 10 story building and produce macronutrients like zinc, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, omega-3s, vitamin E that can  relieve brain inflammation and protect neurons.  Patients with depression often have low levels of vitamin E in their blood.

   Potatoes sometimes have a bad rap but remember the blue or red skins have as many nutrients as broccoli.  Their special nutrients known as kukoamines can lower blood pressure which protects the brain with its folate and iodine which in turn is a mood regulator for proper functioning of the thyroid.  Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world.

   Wild-caught salmon has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and countries having the highest fish consumption have lowest rates of depression, bi-polar disorder, post partum depression and winter blues.  A 2008 study found fish oil to be as effective as Prozac for treating depression.  For memory retrieval beets are the best as an excellent source of the B vitamins, crucial for a good mood and brain-processing speed.  Uridene, an important nutrient in beets is as effective as prescription anti-depressants when combined with omega-3s oil.

   Chile peppers and garlic are spicy because they contain a fat-soluble molecule called capsaicin.  Our brains are loaded with receptors for capsaicin and we respond by releasing endorphins to give a calming effect.  Tap into garlic and find a source of chromium to influence the regulation of serotonin – the happiness chemical.  Honey contains B vitamins, folate, iron and manganese together with 181bioactive compounds to boost energy production for the brain.  So instead of white sugar add a little honey, or pure maple syrup – manganese, zinc and calcium.  Blackstrap molasses contains B6, magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, selenium, and more iron than a chicken breast. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHTS

   Want to be smarter with less stress and more energy?  Emerging research from the fields of neuroscience and nutrition shows that by changing what we eat, our moods can be more stable, improve our focus and boost our brain health, all while thinning our stomach.  It includes foods that are rich in nutrients like vitamin A an E, iodine, magnesium, calcium, iron, fiber, all that silently builds contentment, all “foods for thought and a great mood.”

   If you do better by making lists, the first thing to do is to remind yourself to reduce the amount of processed food we eat.  Too much sugar is added to so many processed foods that shrink key brain areas involved in mood regulations.  In any situation two thoughts may come to you – one that wishes to verbalize your appreciation and express to your youngster how great his table manners have become by eating more slowly and nutritiously.  Before it gets expressed, this complimentary angle may change and one might think to save time by choosing to express your thought negatively by saying, “It sure looks better than the way you used to gulp your food like you can’t stand to stay at the table and eat with us.”  It’s more readily received if that thought had been switched to a more acceptable one like:  “I notice that you are enjoying fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods that sharpen your brain and your school report cards show it does.”

      Do you want more brain cells?  Then start with an egg which is rich in B12, crucial for avoiding depression, irritability, depression and cognitive decline.  So add some early morning sunlight or vitamin D pills, since deficiencies can lead to lethargy, weight gain, depression, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.  The standard barnyard egg is a nutritional powerhouse. 

   To promote production of neurotransmitters include vegetable oils that have Vitamin A, promoting production of neurotransmitters.  Grass fed beef contains heme iron, the most absorbable form since the brain needs a constant flow of vitamin B12 suggesting improvement of academic performance.  Dark leafy vegetables are among the most nutrient dense food we eat, found in folates like arugula and spinach.  Greens are rich in calcium that releases neurotransmitters every time a neuron fires which maintains a healthy gut crucial for the proper absorption of other nutrients.  Even potatoes that have a bad rap unless you eat the skins that contain iodine that protects the brain, critical when diagnosed with depression, the first thing a psychiatrist may want to ask you about. 

CHALLENGING THE DAY

   Muscle power grows with the exercise taken.  Our lives are full of temptations that tax self control and drain our will power but a new and growing body of research says we can make it through the day and it’s not as hard as you may have imagined.  According to Roy Baumeister, PhD, director of social psychology at Florida State University, willpower functions like a muscle.  It can be strengthened to make you more productive, less stressed and happier.  All that is needed are a few healthy habits to keep your willpower tank full.  Dr. Baumeister monitored workers in Germany and was surprised to find that people spent 3 to 4 hours per day resisting desires.  He was surprised and puzzled to find that people with strong self control spent less time resisting desires than other people did.  The explanation began to emerge.  They were better at proactively arranging their lives to avoid problem situations.  They are the ones who take their car to the garage before it breaks down and steer clear of all-you-can eat buffets.  They set themselves up so they have a realistic chance of succeeding.

   “You can’t control surprise stresses so be prepared and don’t dawdle,” says Dianne Tice, PhD, a psychologist at Florida State University. “Impulsiveness is likely behind it.  When anxious or bored we may give in to the urge to improve our moods by doing something negative.  We’re mostly kidding ourselves and get sick more than those working on a schedule.  It is time to bite the bullet.  It’s hard to work when you’re tired and hungry.  You may be tempted to miss regular meals and not get a good night’s sleep and what you save in time you pay for later.  The next time you feel your will power begins to flag, grab an apple or a few almonds and be sure to get your rest and reward yourself often in other ways.  Make a weekly chart showing a line sloping downward.” she adds.  Going for a short run with one of your children can put a new perspective on the day.  Time alone with Dad is always special and it will give Mom time to individualize quiet moments with another family member, friend or plans for upcoming holiday get-togethers so important at the Christmas and Easter seasons.

   If we can keep those will-power muscles exercised and tuned into this extended way of thinking they get strengthened and the weekly chart you made and your mirror will bring delight to your day and likely add another decade to your life of good health and well being.  This helps us understand the results of this new way of thinking tested at Florida State University. 

GRANDKID'S GAZETTE DECEMBER 2011

   This is an exceptional Christmas celebration since the members of two churches had the opportunity to attend Christmas celebrations within a few days of each other and together will soon bring us into the New Year of 2012.  The first performance was at Grace Bible Church where my four great grandchildren and their parents attend regular services.  A few days later the next one was held at the Alliance Church.  Both were attended by packed crowds.  We were taken back in time to the manger scene with the Wise men and saw them coming from the East in appropriate regalia to see the newborn babe who would grow in wisdom and stature and bring light to the world.  This wisdom sounds much like the Golden Rule of Life that I first heard about in the late 1920s at a small Alberta country school.  Although this rule and way of living is said to be recommended by all religions and be part of the life’s journey of each individual, it is obvious that the effort to put it into practice is challenging.  “Whatever you would like people to do to you, do you also to them.”  The daily decisions that help carry out this rule and then put it into to practice are all a part of life’s challenges and daily decisions of life’s journey here on Earth.

   Another part of the performance included scenes of Noah and his fellow carpenters preparing to withstand the Great Flood that had been predicted.  If a tiger or other animal’s head slid off and until recovered we could guess who the performer was.  But it was all great fun to watch and see how efficiently all the scenes were directed by a few adults.  We parents and grandparents thought they were all wonderful as we watched lines of children of various ages with shiny tiaras dancing on their heads as they marched back to the stage.  We all clapped with delight.  Too soon it was time to depart and the back pews were first to leave to make space available. This provided a safe mini-stage for my youngest great grandchild whose steps danced back and forth with one hand clutched to the back of the next pew for safety.  Her three older sisters kept a close eye on their small sister whose quick steps and smiles of delight showed she was enjoying her little step dance.  Suddenly her joyous smile bent itself into a downward frown.  Mommie was missing from the little crowd nearby.  Her three sisters quickly pointed to their mother walking back in viewing distance and the just-over year-old dancer returned to her happy performance.  Mommie was safely back and that was after all the most important performance of all for the small dancer.   

 

  

  

   

BUILDING BETTER BONES

          

   Brittle bones for decades focused on post-menopausal osteoporosis women, but up to one-quarter of hip-fracture victims are men and their one-year survival rate is significantly lower than that of women with the same injury.  Researchers had “put blinders on and focused almost exclusively on compensating for the loss of estrogen at menopause,” says Stavros Monolagas, M.D, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.  “But men also lose bone and, for most of their lives, at about the same rate as women.”  Research by Monolagas, who directs the university’s Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases has led to a broader view about the factors responsible for bone loss and where and when to target prevention and treatment. 

  Even bone mineral density testing, long considered the standard measure for determinant of bone strength than researchers once though, studies revealed that half of osteoporosis-related fractures occur in people whose bone-density readings would have ruled out the disease.  “If you think of it from an engineering point of view, the strength of the structure depends on several components, like the size and shape of the bone, not just strong building material, says Angels M. Cheung, M.D., founding director of the osteoporosis program at the University of Toronto.  “While bone density remains the best measurement for determining fracture risk, newer assessment tools consider many other factors that contribute to it, such as age, low body mass, lifestyle factors and medication,” she adds.

  Bone density may appear to be solid but it is living tissue in constant flux, old bone is being reabsorbed and new bone forming in its place.  “The honeycomb-like inner layer of bone, which provides structural support, starts declining immediately after people reach their peak bone mass,” Manolagas says. “Around age 65, the harder outer layer starts to become porous.  These and other age-related changes lead to an increased fracture risk.  People who smoke, have a poor diet, or are very thin increases their risk.  Strong muscles will provide solid support and improve balance.  Exercise promotes strength so incorporate resistance exercises into your fitness program.”  Dr. Norm Shealy, president of the Holistic Medication includes exercise in every possible way, even at his office.  After writing more than a dozen best selling books he continues to keep alert by sitting on an exercise ball at his office desk.  Ask your supervisor about doing this.         

 

     

  

  

THE JOYS OF HELPING OTHERS

   There are a number of organizations that offer help to students and others who feel they would like to find a vocation that would be helpful to all who face the challenge of finding their life’s work while still being helpful to others.  After Helen Krueger had completed her studies in Canada, she applied to an organization, The Worldwide Evangelization Crusade. They did not offer a regular monthly salary but helped guide applicants with the legalities such as visas and other details like finding a partner with whom they could work safety in requested areas.  Helen tells us that during World War II all mail was opened and examined.  She wondered if letters sent to family and friends told of their safe arrival in Africa. She typed her letters on very thin paper making carbon copies so she could mail half a dozen or so in the same envelope.  She asked her Canadian recipients to help save high postage rates from overseas, but otherwise never requested money.

  In those early years, the Upper Volta was still considered part of the French West Africa colony.  A missionary on his way to Nigeria passed through a fierce tribe known as the Lobi.  A prominent leader in this tribe called Tigite, had decided to become a witch doctor and after a series of rites was ready to be sworn in the next day.  That night he had a vivid dream that told him not to become a witch doctor, to destroy all the idols and threats of curses and wait for a white man who would come and tell him the true story of God. The next morning he called his village together and told them of his dream.  He destroyed all their idols that could include placing curses on individuals for gain.  One day when Helen and her partner arrived at a similar village, they saw the trial of a woman who was being accused of adultery.  Their witch doctor had prepared a potent poison and was about to force her to drink it saying that if she died from the poison, that would prove she was guilty.  The trial was delayed.  After a ten year wait, Tigite’s dream of 10 years before was realized.  Later when Helen visited his village again a church had been erected and Tigite still sat in the front row at this church.

  After retiring from his teaching position in the mid l990s, John Krueger, Helen’s younger brother started an organization called International Fellowship that starts group farms in Kenya, Africa.  A family who joins the group and is willing to adopt four orphan children, will live there and work on this farm raising vegetables, cattle, and other farm products.  For example when one type of produce does not do well because of lack of rain, the dry land crops on the hills will produce enough food for all families there. 

         

   

THE SOURCE OF FUNDS

   The question comes to mind, “Where do the funds come from for Helen Krueger’s type of missionary work?”  From the time she left home to attend high school in Medicine Hat, Alberta, help came from her parents in Orion, a 65 miles drive.  School buses were not available at that time.  For her board and room a church family, the Keyes, in that city added her to their own family of two children near the same age for a modest $30.00 a month and treated her as their own.  It was so reasonable our parents brought farm produce like butter and eggs to the host family whenever they came to the city and the family deducted it from her monthly board and room making it a wonderful opportunity for Helen to receive her higher education.  A warm friendship continued throughout the years with correspondence which Margaret, the Keyes daughter, kept and sent back which helped Helen over half a century later put a book together.  The Keyes son, Bob, sent money each month to support Helen’s work in Africa.  Our family also sent help when special needs arose, like a small kerosene refrigerator, and later a car.   Helen never asked for any money or had fund raisers.  She and another Bible student who worked with her in Africa prayed for their necessities and they seemed to miraculously arrive at the right moment.

   Let’s spend a day with Helen during her early years in Ivory Coast.  First aid after minor accidents, dressing ulcers and pulling teeth were morning and afternoon duties on her schedule.  About 5:00 pm the heat is bearable so she and Juliette, another helper missionary, are ready to leave for an evening meeting. Helen explains:The French commandant, or Government Administrator found out I was from the wild west and offered me the use of his horse that needed to be exercised more often.  The guardian for the horse brought it over, all ready to mount.  The cook boy came along to translate our French into their native language.  We followed footpaths through the bush, hurrying along both coming and going before darkness to be sure not to encounter a snake or a scorpion.  Juliette and our cook boy rode bicycles and I rode upon the horse.  Some of the natives called out in French “ca va,” meaning ‘does it go well’ Finding a few hills too steep for bicycles, a rope would be attached to them and then to the horse to be pulled up the hills.  At the meeting we sang native choruses and told again the old Gospel stories, emphasizing believing and then practicing the Golden Rule that could bring peace and joy to all in their daily lives instead of devil worship and constant fears of curses from witch doctors.”  The “practicing” part seems to be the challenge for us here in our country as well.             

    

THE DENTAL MISSIONARY FINDS HER WAY AROUND

   Helen prepared for her life’s work by taking a general nursing course as well as studies in dental work.  Upon arriving in a village and before taking care of their non-urgent health needs she would ask the village chief if she could present a program including music and song telling them about her spiritual work.  Africans are very musical and loved the time given to song with the help of her accordion.  “The first few years we used our own feet for travel” she tells us, “If we heard a truck was going near our destination we paid for a ride, sitting in front with the driver or in the back on top of a load of coffee bags or some other produce.  Sometimes travel was in an open windowed charcoal-burning train crowded with people, chickens, goats, sheep or dried fish.  If there was a wind and the train made a fast curve, pieces of burning charcoal would blow in the open windows and burn holes in our clothing or skin.  If the train did not have enough power to make it up a hill because the charcoal was not burning hot enough, it would stop until the fire got hotter.  One always brought food along because there were no fast-food places along the way.”

    Through her letters to us or when visiting us when she was on furlough, we learned of adjustments required for living in another culture.  A close school and church friend in Alberta kept all her letters in case she might write a book about her time in Africa.  When it was necessary for her to return to Canada due to breaking her hip she wrote about her 52 years in the Ivory Coast.  It may be out of print now.

   On one occasion Helen needed a ride to Diebongon, a two day trip.  After several days of search she learned that two Frenchmen were going by pick-up to choose a site for building a school in that village.  The two men agreed to take her with them.  Over the rocky roads Helen saw, for the first time the Lobi women whose clothing is a sheaf of leaves tied in front and back.  They paused to let the vehicle pass.  “For an evening meal the men asked their African cook to kill a chicken for dinner and invited me to eat with them.  An old army cot had been given to me and a small round hut with a straw roof was granted me to set up my camp bed.  I was using it for the first time.  It had a canvas sling for a mattress.  The first time I turned over the canvas started tearing down one side.  There was no chair or box to sit on and I realized many unpleasant creatures would be crawling on the floor.”  Helen said she spent the night hanging on to one side of the bed where the canvas had not torn and praying for those in need and the mission in Africa.      

     

THE DENTAL MISSIONARY

   “The tooth lady has come again!” the children shouted as they ran through the sandy paths to bring the good news and help throughout Ivory Coast villages in Ivory Coast, Africa.  The village women looked up from their early morning chores, laid down gardening tools, and prepared to make the most of this special day.  The news spread quickly as the small “town criers” all helped direct the tooth lady to the home of the village chief who would show her where she could park her bicycle and dental tools and stay for the night if she wished.  When first arriving in Ivory Coast walking was the only form of travel. From where the plane landed she faced a 300 mile walk across Liberia, covering 30 miles the first day, and switching to 20 miles each day until arriving in Ivory Coast.  Later a horse was loaned to her but this day a bicycle brought her to this small outback village.  A tall shady tree became her dental office and a wood stool provided a seat for the client.  Half a dozen tooth extractions could be completed in an afternoon.

   The tooth lady was my older sister Helen, who in October of 2011 has just celebrated her 90^th birthday with family and friends in Kamloops, B.C.  My younger sister Esther and her husband Lloyd, Helen’s appointed mentor and guide through the challenges of a new life back in Canada after 52 years in the Ivory Coast.  After breaking her hip when still living in Ivory Coast it became necessary for her to return to Canada for a retirement. A daylight apartment in the Howard home provided a pleasant residence for her for nine years and after several more broken bones now lives in a care home.  But let’s go back to the Ivory Coast and check out an afternoon of dental work.  Bicycle and tools are parked near the grass hut provided by the village chief. 

   The first dental patient this day has brought her two best friends to be with her for support and comfort since the “crash dental course” she Helen took in Toronto before leaving Canada did not permit the use of an anesthetic.  Neither French officials nor city dentists complained since the people in these remote villages lack funds to pay for dental work or bus fare to get to the nearest city.  A solution of salt water is kept nearby for rinsing the mouth after a successful extraction.  Another day we will rejoin her as she recounts the long wait in Brazil during the Second World War where all planes were needed for the war effort.  She met another Canadian missionary with whom she could work with for general safety.  Ivory Coast had a wonderful leader, Houphuet Boigny, who stayed on after independence from France in 1960 until his death in 1995.  The people deeply mourned their great loss.          

                      

THINK THIN AND OUTSMART TEMPTATION

 Our minds contain such a strong primal urge that the best defense is to avoid them entirely, and “lead yourself not into temptation.”  The standard advice for getting svelte and firm is to eat less and move more.  Some researchers have turned to brain science.  Diets fail because they set people up to battle their own biology.  Unlike in earlier generations, the food landscape in our modern developed world, teems with readily available, calorie-dense food along with sophisticated marketing and is designed to draw us to products that tap into hardwired cravings for fat, salt and sugar. 

 According to Dr Bradley Appelhans, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, our brain is actually set up to overeat in the environment like the one we have today.  Their findings suggest that dietary advice centered on willpower alone might be doomed to failure.  “We think the focus should shift from advising people to make tough choices to help them minimize the number of choices they have to make,” Appelhans says.  These strategies, gleaned from recent research on the brain and eating behaviour, can help you do just that.  The old joke about being on a “see-food” diet – whenever you see food, you want to eat it – harbours more than a grain of truth.  The pleasure and satisfaction you experience when eating delicious food becomes linked in the brain with the sight and smell of that food.  Whenever you see these sights and smells again, it activates the so-called reward circuit, a powerful neurological pathway deep within the brain.  The same circuit drives the motivation for alcohol use, gambling and smoking.  Even a picture on the menu taps into a deep well of stored associations, the aromas and the flavours, the way it feels in your mouth, the fun you’ve had while eating.”

 “The first thing I ask patients is ‘What’s on your counter or when you open your fridge,” asks Applehans.  Every time you pass by brownies in the kitchen, or a candy jar at work, you have to override your instincts, and at some point your resistance may falter.  Make it easier by tossing out the junk food and stocking your pantry, frig and desk with healthy foods.  Make sure you have to go out of your way, rather than just a few steps to your freezer.  Eat no white potatoes, especially French fries, according to a decade long study analysis of data by 120,000 doctors and other health professionals published June 23, 2011.”  Recall the standard advice of the first paragraph, “Eat less and move more.”

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS AND CHALLENGES

   A plethora of choices greet us from the pages of our newspapers and flyers offering bargains for the upcoming holiday season.  Search for work during this downturn and lack of jobs available presents challenges.  Most seniors in care homes have given up their cars needed for shopping or work.  For example, the Handy Dart (for less than two dollars) asks the potential rider to call to set a time for its arrival.  The driver graciously loads our walkers for us.  When appointments or our shopping duties are complete, we phone Handy Dart to tell where we are in town for pickup. 

   Scroll back to the 1920s, the decade I was born and note the comparison.  The father in the family would be hitching up the farm’s team to horse and wagon as our mother is handing him a short list for baking powder or cocoa, the items she cannot grow in her garden.  She also brings a scoop containing the bricks she keeps in the coal stove oven to place on the floor boards of the wagon for heat during the 20 mile return trip to and from town.  A Chinese restaurant and a general store carried the few items needed and then he and my older brother turn a corner in town and arrive at the post office for the once a week mail pickup.  Local news and weather promises a snowstorm and wagon wheels will be replaced with sleigh runners.  My brother has rigged up a barb wire telephone line attached to the fence posts and each family answers to their number of rings.  In about 1928 we’ve sold enough grain (29 cents a bushel) to buy a radio and an Edison cylinder player.  Post office gossip hints of an upcoming depression and soon would come true. 

 Scarlet fever vaccinations were not available and our parents lost a 3 year old son in the mid thirties.  They prayed one of their descendants would become a doctor and help prevent such sadness.  After World War 2, funds for university education were not available.  Office work as a secretary paid $l.25 an hour.  In later years I offered to pay the interest needed for tuition fees required for any relatives who had registered at the UBC to become medical doctors.  Two of them registered in pre-med studies at UBC but did not complete their doctor’s degrees.  Parkinson’s disease was claiming my husband’s life and I had trusted the parents of these two students with over $30,000 to pay the interest on their loans.  Their parents are now retired with government pensions and spend winters in tropical lands and say they use their extra funds for missionary work.  Here, exercise classes help me regain my walking balance.  Words of encouragement and cheer are often written on the class chalk board like - “The divine in me honours the divine in you.”  

  

          

BEST BRAIN FOODS

What should I eat? – At lease one dark green vegetable a day, such as broccoli, romaine lettuce or spinach.  At least one orange vegetable, such as carrots, sweet potatoes or winter squash, should be eaten. This information is from Canada’s Food Guide.

When our mothers added to that information that fish was good brain food she was right since scientists have confirmed this.  Sharpening mental alertness and helping sustain a steady supply of blood to the body’s central command centre is important to bolster brain function. Topping the list of plant chemicals (called polyphenols) a recent study found that many plant foods increase the clearance of toxic proteins in the brain.  According to Leslie Beck, a registered dietician and nutrition writer, “In Alzheimer’s disease – AD – brain cells become clogged with these protein toxins.”

While researching her latest book, “Longevity Diet (Penguin Canada” evidence suggests that a berry-rich diet activates the brains natural house-cleaning process, helping it remove toxins and other compounds that can interfere with brain function.  Rosie Schwartz, a registered dietician and author of “The Enlightened Reader’s Whole Foods Guide” Viking Canada 2003) suggests that blueberries in particular benefit the brain.  As with tests with animals, blueberry juice improved the performance in memory tests in older participants with related memory decline.

Certain spices used in curries, especially curcumin (found in turmeric) have been implicated in the lower than average incidence of Alzheimers disease in curry-eating populations notes the authors of “The Rising Tide:  the Impact of Dementia on Canadian society,” a report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Society. Part of the reason is that spices and herbs like curry, ginger, and garlic help cut back on the use of salt.  “If you’re eating herbs and spices, you eat less salt, which can lower your blood pressure,” Schwartz observes.

An omega-3 fatty acid “DHA” is the only one that makes its way to your brain,” Beck says, “and keeps the lining of brain cells flexible so memory messages can easily pass between cells.  Bell peppers, lentils and small amounts of nuts, especially almonds, need to be included to decrease the risk of diabetes.  We’ll be talking more about the value spinach and whole grains like quinoa in future postings.

  

                                                                  

         

                            

                                     

                  

                            

                                               

POUND-MELTING PLAN

    This is a solution for those who are too short of time to join the gym and thus give them more time to spend with family in the evenings.  Instead of starting up the car to rush off to work, recall the time wasted in long line-ups or stalled in traffic, or been delayed at a red traffic light.  Do your body a favor and build health with a brisk walk to work instead.  Walking invites short cuts to work, thus saving the price of gasoline and improving the quality of air for everyone.    

     While at work refresh yourself with a small glass of water, stand up for refills and trips to the bathroom.  Instead of a water bottle on your desk keep a small glass to refill often.  These refreshing walks will clear the mind for new ideas at your work desk.  Instead of eating lunch at your desk that might scatter crumbs on your papers, walk your lunch outside or go to another location.

     One could also purchase a stamina 15-0125, an inside folding cycle for about $70.00.  Brainstorming moments are needed at times and this could also give you time for those coming up with new ideas needed by the firm, and even result in a promotion.  Walk around during break time mid morning and mid afternoon.  Stand while you are opening and reading your mail and that will help the blood supply move around in the body and stimulate the brain.  Instead of a sit-down meeting, ask your boss if you can talk and walk. For the ladies keep flat shoes under your desk for better movements.

      If you must drive, “waist dance” to the radio or tap out a beat on the steering wheel while driving.  Visit a store instead of shopping online.  Bag your own groceries.  Walk between stores that are in close proximity (don’t drive).  When picking up your children from school get out of your car, greet them with a hug instead of waiting in the car at curbside.  For family fun, pick your own apples, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables.  Go for a family hike on weekends.

HIGHWAY TO HOME AND HEALTH

     When starting a new medication, drug-safety strategies are important when operating a car or other powerful equipment.  “Much of the information is on either the medication label or the attached information sheet,” says Dennis Bryan, past president of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, including potential side effects.

     The recommended amount to take and frequency of dosage and if on a full or empty stomach is also important, and what to do if you accidentally miss a dose, or how you feel when you begin taking a dose, and how quickly or slowly you metabolize drugs, especially when you are taking a given medication for the first time.  Most warning labels won’t tell you when it is safe to get behind the wheel of your car.  “A good rule is to avoid driving for the first week after starting a new prescription, or changing the dose or how it interacts with other drugs,” advises Richard Marottoli, an associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine.  “Even a small amount of beer, wine, or hard liquor can unexpectedly cause severe intoxication.”

     Between 1991 and 2010, prescriptions for opioid analgesics, a type of narcotic painkiller, increased sixfold from 30 million to 180 million.  Similar side effects that can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, slows reflexes, and can impair judgment and physicians should be warning patients.  Check with your pharmacy as well.  The AAA foundation is developing an online program called Roadwise Rx which will allow people to research the driving-related effects of various drugs as a free service.  Hopefully, this Christmas or any other holiday will not find drivers behind the wheel while impaired and have a terrifying lesson or fatality.  After an accident from being rear-ended one lady was put on a narcotic painkiller for a few weeks and took a painkiller every night at 9:30.  One afternoon her back pain flared up while at work and she took her painkiller – on an empty stomach.  She almost got home safely, when her vision blurred and she could barely steer straight as she entered her driveway.  She veered on to the path beside it and heard a sickening thud.  Stumbling from her SUV she found she had run into a tricycle belonging to a three year old living next door.  “My neighbor’s son could have been on that trike – or my own son.”

SENSIBLE SLIMMING STRATEGIES

   This week a special day for prevention of Diabetes was declared nationwide.  Hear is the story of Dr. Travis Stork, MD, who tells how he ate his vegetables out of a sense of duty until he met his fiancée, Dr. Charlotte Brown.  “Dr. Charlotte is great at hiding the vegetables so I don’t even know they are there” he tells us.  ‘She throws them in an omelet, in the marinara sauce, or a spicy fajita, and you don’t have to load them up with butter or sodium.  I feel so much better than I ever did in my bachelor days.”  He has now signed up with “The Doctors,” the Emmy winning health-advice program he hosts on channels across the country.  The show was a surprise hit when it debuted in 2008 as he motivated daytime audiences to make needed changes and not have to meet him later in the ER.  The patients who frustrate him most stem from needless weight gain, creating the skyrocketing incidence of adult and childhood obesity that can result in the scourge of type 2 diabetes. 

    The main word of advice from Dr.Travis is to start first thing in the morning with this mantra “well begun is half done” and that’s how it is with weight control.  A study from the University Massachusetts Medical School showed that people who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be obese than breakfast eaters.  Going hungry can slow the metabolism – your body’s fat burning engine by up to 10% according to the University Pittsburgh Medical Center.  Scrambled eggs with whole grain cereal with Greek yogurt, toast with peanut butter and a smoothie, made with fruit or berries, ½ cup milk or yogurt and l Tbsp. of almond butter.  “Your benefits will stick with you all day long,” says Dr. Travis, and adds “For most people gradual weight loss is the way to ensure to keep it off.”

    “Taking a walk after dinner in the evening or watching a funny movie can keep stress levels at bay. When feeling stressed the body produces a hormone called cortisol – a powerful hunger inducer – and that hormone can cause your body to store fat, and taking pills is not the ideal way to calm down.  A Tufts University study found that pills increase levels of anxiety.  The best way to beat a craving is to keep a steady supply of fuel all day long and Dr. Travis recommends eating five times a day, the three regular meals and healthy snacks between meals, fruit, a piece of cheese, or a whole grain cracker with peanut butter.  Replace large dinner plates with small ones.  As your dishware shrinks, from 12 inches to 9, so will portions.

     

     

ULCER BUG MAY TRIGGER PARKINSON'S

   Does a bacterial bad guy connected to ulcers and stomach cancer and is its name Helicobacter pylori?  Previous studies have suggested that people with Parkinson’s are more likely to have had ulcers.  About 60,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the United States.  Researchers gathered recently at the 2011 ASM Meeting to study more on this notorious bacterium to pin at least some of the blame for Parkinson’s disease.  Visit www.sciencenews.org/asm2011.

   Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the air may have profound effects on underground microbes.  Researchers led by Zhili He of the University of Oklahoma in Norman compared soil microbial communities that developed under current atmospheric conditions under the elevated levels of carbon dioxide that are predicted for 2050.  Fewer bacteria and less diverse microbe mixtures were present under elevated carbon dioxide conditions, Dr. He reported May 23.  Some of the differences in the bacterial mixes could be attributed to carbon dioxide directly, but the gas can also change microbial communities indirectly by altering plant physiology and soil conditions.

   Cell phones may mess with body’s bacterial guests.  Weak magnetic fields that are generated by cell phones, microwave ovens and other consumer devices may alter the growth of friendly microbes in the body.  Exposure to weak fields caused E. coli bacterial to thrive, but impaired growth of a common skin bacterium called Staphyloccus epidermidis and also a pathogenic common skin bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, reported Sanghoon Kang, a microbiologist at the University of Houston,-Clear Lake on May 24.  I don’t have a good answer to why,” Kang said.  It’s also not clear whether bacteria in the body would be affected in the same way as those grown in the lab.

WHITE KNIGHTS CONQUER CANCER

   A Hawaiian study looking at the diet history of 582 people who had lung cancer and 582 without the disease found that people who ate the most apples, onions and white grapefruit had roughly half the risk of lung cancer than those who ate the least amounts of these foods.

    Roll back to my Blog dated October 29^th called “Five each Day” which stated that eating just one serving of watermelon or pink grapefruit each day could reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer by 82%.  It would be good to have both pink and white grapefruit on hand and eat one serving of both pink and white grapefruit each day to heal both kinds of cancer. 

    In another study, Finnish researchers found that men who consumed more quercetin were 60% less likely to have lung cancer than men with fewer intakes.  Basil laboratory studies suggest that compounds with basil will help disrupt the dangerous chain of events that can lead to cancer.  Basil’s ability to prevent cancer was not linked to one particular compound in the herb but instead to several compounds working together.  Basil is a rich source of antioxidants.  Per 100 grams it has more antioxidant content than dark chocolate, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries according to these researchers.  If you have a taste for this food at least you know you are helping yourself to an extra dose of antioxidants, of great benefit against an environment that has pollution, ultra violet light, radiation and car exhaust that vastly increases free radical production.

    Brazil nuts are very important to keep in mind also.  Eating just one of these nuts a day could help ward off colon cancer.  They are high in the trace mineral selenium and doctors at the University of Arizona found that men with high levels of selenium are six times less likely to develop colon cancer than men with low levels.

ANALOGICAL VIEW OF VERNON'S 43RD AVE

ANALOGICAL VIEW OF VERNON’S 43^RD AVENUE

   Taking an analogical view PB writes a letter to the editor about narrowing 43 Ave being compared to the human body with veins, arteries and capillaries doing its tour of duty around the body.  Carrying the blood components in the veins, arteries and capillaries, oxygen as red blood cells with plasma lead the way.   The white blood cells can be called the emergency vehicles, ambulance, fire truck and police.  These first responders help the blood to clot and keep the patient from bleeding to death when large commercial vehicles block the way.

   When the body is filled with the wrong foods, narrowing of the arteries takes place making it difficult for the blood to sustain life.  The Vernon city bus needs part of 43^rd Avenue as a part of its route.  Traffic snarls can result in slowing down emergency vehicles.  The law states to let vehicles pass quickly and efficiently, so the artery must not be narrowed.

    Letters to the editor often bring out interesting points on other subjects that may not be otherwise noticed.  HH writes, “We, the taxpayers, are not only paying the B.C. employee’s salaries, but we are also paying for their MSP (medical services premiums) as stated by the taxpayers association.  It is appalling that people who make the huge salaries have to have the poor little guy and gal who make a fraction of what they make cover their medical services premiums.  I sent my invoice back to Christy Clark and said that since she is OK with my paying her taxes, then she should be OK paying mine.”      

           

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE

   The southern valleys of British Columbia offer butternut squash with its bright orange flesh that tells us it is loaded with beta-carotene.  Served with a little heart-healthy fat such as olive oil we can enjoy cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.  Picked with stem-on without soft spots, this squash can be stored well in a cool dry place for several weeks.  If we buy them peeled and cubed it saves time and effort, so check the date for freshness and keep chilled.  A roasted squash salad can be made quickly by placing unpeeled half inch slices (with seeds removed) on a baking sheet on non-stick broiler foil.  Broil 5 inches from heat for 9 minutes or until it begins to turn a golden brown.  Cool.

  Whisk together 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp honey and 2 tsp. Dijon mustard in a large bowl.  Add 4 cups of baby spinach, 1 cup torn radicchio, 3 Tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds and stack between squash slices on four plates.  This is meant to serve four.  Sometimes the elderly cannot tolerate seeds so this can be avoided by grinding them in a nut grinder and placed in a table shaker to be added individually as the each person wishes.  I believe the chefs here at Carrington cook for around 160 people so reach for your calculator or simply multiply ingredients by 40.

   Roasted Squash and Apple Soup:  * Halve a 2 pound butternut squash while the oven is being heated to 400 degrees F.  * Peel and core 1 pound Granny Smith apples and cut into wedges.  * Put squash and apples, cut side down on large baking sheet lined with non-stick foil.  Roast, turning apples until squash is tender and apples are golden brown, 25 minutes for apples and 45 minutes for squash.  * Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot over medium heat.  Add 2 chopped onions and four tsp chopped garlic and cook 6 minutes.  * Add 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth and bring to a simmer. * Scoop half of squash into blender with half of apples and half of the broth mixture.  Puree until smooth.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Season soup to taste if needed.  Serve in bowls topped with fresh apple slices and a drizzle of maple syrup.

   Other favorite family flavorings can be substituted so it can be served two or three times a week and even substitute for as a dessert that’s even better than pumpkin pie, especially then a little creamy topping is added on top.

  

 

FIVE EACH DAY

   It’s been known for a long time that people who eat the most fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods are less likely to get cancer than those who fill up on the other less wholesome foods.  Research suggests that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day reduces cancer deaths by 35%.  Another study found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables slashes the risk of pancreatic cancer (a particularly deadly kind – in half).  The reason why plant foods offer such powerful cancer protection is because certain substances found only in plant foods and known collectively as phytonutrient (phyto – a Greek word meaning plant – have the ability to stop cancer.)  Eating just one serving of watermelon or pink grapefruit a day, research has shown, can reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer by 82%.  Both these fruits are high in a phytonutrient called lycopene.  The month of November is a reminder for men to get a checkup and to caution each other about the need for a medical checkup.  Many men are growing a mustache or facial hair of some kind to remind their counterparts that a checkup would be a good idea.

  While we are shopping near the vegetable bins we could check out some mushrooms that pack quite a punch when it comes to preventing breast cancer.  Researchers in Hope, California, a Duarte, California, a cancer treatment center, have found that the mushrooms suppress estrogen production, particularly in post menopausal women.  Mushrooms contain a phytochemical called conjugated linoleic acid that inhibits aromatase, the protein in the body that makes estrogen, says Dr. Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the department of surgical research at City of Hope.  Shitake mushrooms have long been used in Japan to shrink tumors.  These large meaty black mushrooms contain a complex sugar called lentinan.  Dr. Robert Murphy, ND, a naturopathic doctor in Torrington, Connecticut said that tumor growth is inhibited when they fed lentinan in the form of dried mushroom powder to laboratory animals. 

   Vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale or turnips are excellent vegetables to serve several times a week.  A dash of Parmesan cheese or other favorite flavoring can encourage children to like them.  Harvard Medical School researchers suspect that these cruciferous vegetables protect from acquiring many forms of cancer. 

   

HOW AMERICA GOT SO FAT (And So Sick)

HOW AMERICA GOT SO FAT AND SO SICK

   Renowned preventive cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD has devoted decades of helping Americans improve their health by trimming their waistlines and exercising regularly.  In answer to the many questions he receives in this connection he has put together a valuable new book, “The South Beach wake-Up Call,” and warns we’re raising a generation that could be the first in modern history with shorter life spans than their parents.

   We could begin by pointing a finger at the motor car in relation to its increase of 75 percent of the portion of all trips made less than one mile.  That mile could have given the owner the enjoyment of a healthy brisk walk and added years to his lifetime.  A sideline benefit would be improving the quality of the air and the environment in general.

    Right in our own kitchens the amount of added sugar that we consume per day is 35 teaspoons and is disguised in sport drinks and generous desserts.  We compensate by taking pills and going on fad diets.  The fast food and sedentary lifestyle is trumping the advances in medical science that has been responsible for decades of decreasing death rates.  Whatever shape health reform takes, our health care system will be bankrupted by the sheer number of sick people.  Dr. Agatston adds, “I predict that our current population between the ages of 30 and 45 could have the dubious distinction of being the sickest generation.  For the first time since I have started practicing cardiology more than 30 years ago, heart attacks are on the rise for this age group.  Without immediate intervention we will see a reduction of life span.”

   To fully understand the epidemic of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases it is good to look back at the generation of fast foods sedentary lifestyle and failing health.  Dr. Agatston talks about portion distortion.  We expect king-size servings, when smaller ones would completely satisfy and be healthier.  In 1983 we were satisfied with one cup of spaghetti and three small meatballs.  In 2003 it is two cups of spaghetti and three large meatballs.  This will increase the calories content from 500 to l,025.  A few more tips from the cardiologist includes drinking water before meals, a brisk walk or run an hour per day for people who have lost weight long term (90%) and dog owners are more likely to get 2.5 hours of exercise a week (34%) are more likely to lose long-term weight.  

    

GARDENING WITH HELP FROM THE BIRDS

     We are saying goodbye to many of our land birds as they depart for warmer climes.  But sea birds continue to help provide nourishment for us and throughout the entire world all seasons of the year.  In the 1800s the world’s shipping lanes were very busy, but the huge oil tankers were not among them.  Nor did we have to cope with oil soaked birds that may have landed in tailing ponds or on other beaches and lakes. 

     Instead sea birds were providing our soils with a valuable fertilizer called guano that is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and which now is largely replaced by commercial fertilizers.  Sea birds such as pelicans, gannets, gulls, petrels, penguins and cormorants are very busy checking out warm rest areas in rainless coastal regions, or on islands where these birds gather together in the Chincha Islands off the coast of Peru.  In the early 1800s the deposits on some of these small islands were more than 100 feet deep.  Many deposits are still found on South Pacific islands.  There are large deposits of bat guano in caves in New Zealand.  Farmers were able to raise organic foods for over a century.

     But other inland birds are active and helpful as well and we have some inland forest species that are the size of chickens, chiefly in Central and South America.  One wild turkey species called guans has glossy back plumage and is usually dark green, crested in white, with a slate blue throat.  It survives chiefly on insects and berries and ranges as far north as Texas.

Many of them roost in tall trees and more kinds of geese, ducks and related varieties have been found in Canada as our climate warms up.

     One easily corrected problem with the vessels that brought guano in the l800s was its potent fragrance.  Too many harmful fumes emanated from the hold below decks could cause breathing difficulties for the sailors.  Large size print was inscribed on all sides of the vessel.  “SHIP HIGH IN TRANSIT,” as the crew enlarged the size of the first letter in each word.  

 

   

      

THE TRUE COST OF ORGANIC FOODS

Most people agree that organic food is better than ordinary chemical fed foods that can bring damage to the soil.  Dr. Arthur Agatston asks how best to respond to this query.  Organic soil contains billions of living creatures that absorb water and help prevent the type of catastrophic flooding we’ve been seeing lately.  The application of agricultural chemicals in conventional farming kills off that microbial life causing soil genocide.  Too many chemicals can leave soil dead and empty and kill off both good and bad bacteria in the body as the soil becomes a dead and empty filter that cannot protect the plants, says Arthur Agatston, MD.

Many communities have thriving co-ops that buy organic produce that help sustain local farms.  There are ways to eat organic and another one of them is buying at Farmers Markets and making inquiries of the sellers.  Even the pricier chains often have sales.  If you have space in your back yard sprinkle several varieties of lettuce seeds and other greens between the other colorful flowers and have fresh minute-old lettuce for your salad.  I once worked for an attorney who told me his wife planted greens among the flowers and they could enjoy having fresh lettuce at their evening meal.  Even some flowers can be eaten as you search out the best and safest ones and you don’t have to buy a processed or junk food sandwich.  The clerks at health food stores will tell you about their favorite flowers to grow and add to their salad.

Adapted from “The South Beach Wake-Up Call:  Why America Is Still Getting Fatter and Sicker Plus 7 Simple Strategies for Reversing Our Toxic Lifestyle, by Arthur Agatston, MD.  

VOICES FROM THE EARTH

A continent both bold and new, through voyagers came into view,

  Soaring mountains sent their falls of clear and sparkling streams for all.

Flakes of gold gleamed from her sands, diamonds sparkled through the land.

  Fertile soils their bounty shared, as Mother Earth her secrets bared.

Plants for food that promised health, enough for all, she shared her wealth.

  A Pipe of Peace with burning fire, in symbols spoke of man’s desire,

To share this peace and harmony, enjoy Earth’s bounties equally.

   In gratitude Thanksgiving Day, was called to help all show the way.

To share its bounty each year new - all nations were included too.

   Mother Earth supplied it all, Heavens bounties were on call.

But Pipe of Peace soon was spurned, as lust for power, eyes soon turned.

   And in exchange for gifts of worth, man pillaged and ransacked the Earth.

With chemicals he mixed her foods, laughed at warnings, acted rude.

   And from the Earth they asked for more of all her inner oil stores.

Preserved throughout the centuries old, “But use with care,”

       her warning told.

   “Wasteful ways – polluted air, is harming quality of fare,”

Growth of food cannot sustain as streams hold poisons and acid rain.

   “We’re at the crossroads,” Earth’s voice speaks,

         “Hear the rumblings from the deep.”  

   

  

THANKSGIVING - GRANDKID’S GAZETTE OCTOBER 2011

“Thanks to Grandma S., our parents, and Uncle K for organizing a nice thanksgiving which included a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the choice of pumpkin and lemon pie”. This mantra was voiced by her four beautiful grandchildren, from ages eight years to the youngest who is working toward her always smiling two-year birthday. Her fifth grandchild had to remain at the coast to work on a Christmas game, because Christmas will soon be here. Grandma’s pies were delicious but the lemon pie had a little edge over the pumpkin pie.

All four grandchildren seemed to really like each other as they paused at intervals to include the younger ones in games. At times each one found a few minutes to cuddle on Mommy’s comforting lap. Her gentle voice with kisses and hugs assures them of Mommy’s ever present love and then they took turns climbing on Daddy’s lap for his cuddles. The St. George grandmother played a few piano tunes with the eldest grandchild. When they heard these grandparents would be leaving in a couple days to return to their cross-border home, they considered what they might do to stop such “foolishness” when those grandarents claimed there would be less snow on the streets there.

Great Grandma decided she wanted to kneel for a close visit with the youngest grandchild, one and half years old. Miss N decided to speak up in her former “heavenly” love language, as her arms reached for my shoulders to try pick me up. Her arms were too short for the reach and a nearby arm rest would solve the problem. One hundred and eight pounds apparently was just a little much for her but she gets credit for the attempt. I decided this one had a quick mind that will always be thinking ahead and able to assess any difficult situation and find its solution.

Late in October Miss M will be four years of age and her cheerful smile carries the sincerity that rivals that of any cabinet minister. She will be a great public speaker. At seven years of age her sister, Miss J will always be near and volunteer to help as a mover and shaker. She has an encouraging smile that will make any necessary move a cinch. “At your service,” her voice exudes with pleasure and delight. And what is that I hear in the background as musical notes dance from grandmother’s piano – the player, Miss T will soon be asking for official piano lessons.

IS THIS A CRIME SCENE?

ELDER ABUSE - It is time to face reality. No one should ever be pressured, forced or tricked into giving money – even to loved ones. If someone you trust is taking advantage of you, help is out there. Learn the signs of financial abuse to protect yourself and the people you love. To find out more from the Government of Canada about preventing elder abuse call toll free 1-800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). I called that number and a very helpful gentleman in Ottawa answered. He identified those to contact locally in my own province, and sent some brochures with more details to pass along to help others.

TALENTS, TIME AND TREASURES

Thank you Lord for your gift of life, With Talents, Time and Treasures, Given from Heaven for Earthly life, To practice with God’s measure. Gifts to share with those in need, Inspiring them as well, Sharing joys with family, As hearts ring happy bells. Recall this title - three gifts of words Join the second letter of each, They spell A I R – Confirming that It’s the way our hearts use speech. Sensing those who’ve earned Heaven’s trust, There is no time for delay, Flashing from those Heavenly spheres, Your answer is on its way. “How can each one help the Earth?” Mother Earth asks each day, Her call says, “We need oxygen, Please help so all can stay.” She’ll honor us as we honor her, With our Talents, Time and Treasures Creator has designed the game We must live His rules and measure. Each person and each business place, Have souls that tell what to do, Each to practice God’s great Golden Rule, “Do to others you’d like done to you.” The gift to us is oxygen for breath, Life’s protective air, Gifts of trees and plants serve oxygen, The mix we all need for Earth’s care.

THE INJURED TREE

High on a hill a bent plum tree

Lies half prone, though it started free,

A lightening bolt or a vagrant board,

Bowed it low where the damage scored.

Its neighbors proud, stately and prim

Tower above with their branches trim.

Yet a special charm catches the eye

As that lowly branch its leaves held high.

Summer will pass and a message tell,

That a child can reach its fruit so well,

A sturdy bole – a fine seat make

And handy for rest as its fruit we take.

A mishap when young, still its branches are trim.

And bring us its fruit from deep wisdom within.

Sharing its beauty and service free,

A beautiful message, like that injured tree.

The message to all, soft breezes will tell,

Its sturdy root has nourished it well,

The sun and the rain no favorites show,

As nestling birds dance in the evening glow.

No need to feel old, tired or bent,

To practice on Earth, you asked to be sent,

To learn and to grow and helping another,

Those in your ken, for all men are brothers.

God sent us His son, an example to see,

How to put into practice a happiness tree,

How to live His example - the Golden rule shows

Accepting - with practice, your soul self can grow.

IMAGING TECHNOLOGY IS ON THE RISE BUT CARRIES A RISK

The use of advanced medical imaging in emergency rooms – including radiation-emitting technology is on the rise. CT and nuclear scans as well as MRI which doesn’t use radiation – grew significantly between 1999 and 2008.

During the past 30 years the average amount of radiation that Americans have been exposed to has doubled. While the output from natural sources hasn’t changed the dose from medical imaging procedures has spiked more than six fold times. The epicenter of this explosion is computerized tomography, or CT scans. They take rapid multiple images, or slices of a body area, provide a finely detailed, three dimensional picture in less than a second – and impart a dose of radiation equivalent to 100 to 500 chest X-rays. In 1980 fewer than 3 million scans were performed with CT technology. Since then the annual number approaches 80 million and it’s increasing by approximately 10 percent each year. Medicare spending on CT scans ballooned from $975 million in 2000 to roughly $2.2 billion in 2006, the most recent year in which data was available.

The cost is more than monetary. Overall, slightly less than1 in 1,000 people who have a CT scan could develop cancer as a result of radiation exposure, estimates the National Research Council, an independent group that provides advice on health policy. Specific CT procedures can carry a much higher risk. In the December 2009 the Archives of Internal Medicine, for example, researchers estimated that one in every 270 40-year-old women who undergoes CT angiography (a test for clogged arteries that delivers a radiation dose equal to 42 mammograms) will develop cancer.

In one study, only 9 percent of ER physicians knew that CT scans increase the risk of getting cancer. Do you really need that scan? While patients rarely have the medical expertise to fact-check their doctor’s orders, it is wise to seek out a second opinion if you spot check these things.

CARING FOR YOUR KIDNEYS

Blood passes through tiny filters in both kidneys. In a recent study it was found that more than two-thirds of the people with severe kidney disease never received care from a kidney specialist. Another clinical study noted that the aggressive use of the drug darbepoetimetin alfa (Aranesp) to combat anemia in kidney patients with type 2 diabetes increased the risk of strokes. Stents have been widely used to open narrow kidney arteries but may not be worth the risk.

These filters sort substances the body needs – like calcium, sodium and water – separating them from wastes and excess fluid or urine. Kidneys also produce hormones that help regulate blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.

With advancing age, kidneys may shrink and lose their filtering capacity. They become more susceptible to damage from diabetes and high blood pressure. Forty-four percent of severe cases are caused by diabetes and 27 percent by hypertension, according to a study published in January 2010, in the New England Journal of Medicine. The loss of filtering capacity can cause anemia, bone disease, worsening high blood pressure and clogged and damaged arteries. Heart disease is a major killer of people with chronic kidney problems, in fact, they’re more likely to die from heart problems than ultimate failure of the kidneys.

A lady in our local Quilting group told us this morning that her son has just received word from the Vancouver General Hospital that her son is doing well after receiving a kidney from his daughter who is the mother of his two small grandchildren.

Symptoms of kidney disease aren’t always specific. It can cause insomnia, a poor appetite, upset stomach, and weakness until the organs have lost their filtering capacity. Once a year to three years it is appropriate for people with diabetes or high blood pressure or relatives with kidney failure t take a blood sample to measure levels of creatinine, a waste product in your blood that comes from muscle metabolism.

FIND TIME FOR A MILE WALK TO TUNE UP THE BODY

Folks stepping out for a walk at the pace of 4 mph (around 30 steps a minute) fared better at fighting age-related weight gain than those strolling at a leisurely pace. But either way a walk limbers up the entire system and sets every joint up for the excitement of the day.


Since there is only one over-the-counter weight loss aid with FDA approval, unlike the many dizzying tries in all diet categories, we can let the body help us along by tuning it up and keeping all systems moving well. And don’t forget that all body cells are talking to each other all the time. It could be called your inner t-phone. Their silent words may be saying, “How about a little lube job to smooth up those joints and keep them supple so they can move the whole system along with ease.” A spoon is the only tool required to get things rolling and in tune. A tablespoon of flax or fish oils can join in with the help of a muscle to deposit your whole grain cereals in your breakfast dish. I take two tablespoons of these mixed oils at my breakfast meal. The oils even make your cereals or toast taste kind of creamy after you have laid aside the orange or grapefruit peelings that have started the breakfast meal. Those fruit slices and other juices make you want to stretch your arms out and join over your head, eager to meet the excitement of the day. Later when you meet other walkers, a nod or a smile together with pleasant thoughts cheers your day as you think of something you admire about them and how these thoughts help shape the day with delight for both of you and keep everything in tune.

IS THE SIXTH MAN-MADE DESTRUCTION UPON US?

Scientists have determined that there may have been five mass extinctions in the history of our planet. They could have been created by natural causes and wiped out as much as 75 percent of life each time. According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, we may be in the midst of a sixth mass extinction. This one, according to the study, is man-made. Habitation loss, over-hunting species and climate change caused by fossil-fuel, green-house gases are the sources of this slow scourge. Except for the mass extinction caused by a comet colliding with earth, which killed quickly, the other four extinctions have occurred over hundreds of thousand years caused by global warming or cooling. This sixth extinction which began perhaps 200 years ago is happening rapidly.

Using a combination of deep ground radar, digital mapping, and underwater technology to survey an ancient site near Cadiz, Spain, an international team of archaeologists led by the University of Hartford (Connecticut), their results will be shown on a National Geographic special. The investigation began with the discovery of several “memorial cities,” presumably built in Atlantis’s image by its refugees after the continent’s likely destruction, perhaps by a tsunami.