REAL TIME COUPON FEATURES ON TRI-CITIES ON A DIME

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S COLD DAY?


LAUGH FOR THE DAY - METHODS FOR STAYING WARM


BEST AND WORST FOODS TO EAT WHEN YOU ARE SICK

Dear Readers:

As a retired RN, I have known for years that certain foods can make you feel better or worse depending on your ailing condition.  Today I came across an article that gives you guidance as to what foods work best and what foods make you feel worse depending on what is ailing you.  Below is an excerpt from the article and a link to the entire article.
When you're under the weather the last thing you want is to eat something that makes you feel worse. But what if the last thing you want is chicken soup or crackers, and you're craving ice cream or a glass of wine? It depends on what's wrong with you, experts say. Here are common symptoms and expert suggestions on foods that help—and hinder—relief. 

Here is the link to the complete article: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20899454,00.html
 

F-15 MANEUVERS THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON - COCKPIT VIEW

Hold on tight:   Oh, yes, did I mention this was slowed down by 50%?

SMILE FOR THE DAY - BABY LOGIC


Saturday, February 21, 2015

LAUGH FOR THE DAY - DRIVING ON ICE


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - CHILDRENS' PLAY


ARTICLE FROM HEALTH. COM ABOUT MYTHYS AND THE MICROWAVE OVEN

5 Myths and Facts about your Microwave

Did you see American Hustle? Remember that scene where Jennifer Lawrence’s hilarious, mouthy character Roslyn almost burns down the house by putting a meal in the microwave that’s covered with tin foil? In a fit of anger, she tells her husband, Irv, (played by Christian Bale) that he never should have brought that thing in her house anyway—since microwaves make food less nutritious.

That’s not true of course. (In fact, in case you missed it, the movie’s claim even resulted in a lawsuit last year.) But it is a fact that microwave cooking has sparked a number of myths since the “space oven’s” creation. Read up on the most common microwave myths, and which ones are legit.

Myth: Microwaving food is a danger to nutrients.
Nope, you shouldn’t be overly concerned about microwaves messing with nutrients.

“There is no specific harm of microwaving with regard to nutrient levels,” said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University’s  Prevention Research Center.

In fact, any type of cooking can chemically change a food and it’s nutrient content: Vitamin C, omega-3 fats, and some bioflavanoid antioxidants are more sensitive to heat in general, Katz said.  Nutrients from veggies can also leach into cooking water. Since you’re apt to use less water when cooking in a microwave, your food might even be better off.

Fact: You should be careful with plastics.
Microwaving plastics is definitely a no-no because it can lead to the containers breaking down and allowing more chemicals like BPA and phthalates to leach into your food. Many companies today make BPA-free and “microwave safe” containers. However, in a 2011 study in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers tested 455 plastic products, from baby bottles to food containers, and found nearly all of them still leached estrogenic chemicals, which have been linked to obesity and some forms of cancer. Even plastics marketed as BPA-free were guilty. The ubiquity of plastics makes it hard to avoid them completely. But the best advice is to avoid them when you can, and always transfer food to a glass or ceramic dish before microwaving, Katz said.

Myth: Reheating pasta can make it healthier (for now, at least).
A recent experiment on the BBC investigative health program Trust Me, I’m a Doctor sparked buzz after finding that when pasta was cooked, cooled, then reheated in a microwave, it reduced participants’ post-meal rise in blood glucose by 50 percent. The reason, researchers said, is that pasta that’s cooled and reheated acts like resistant starch, preventing the gut from breaking down carbs and absorbing them as sugar. But don’t get too excited. That was one study including a measly nine volunteers, so Katz said to take it with a grain of salt for now. His advice: stick with whole-grain pasta instead, which experts know is healthier. (Due to the higher fiber content, blood sugar does not spike as quickly as it does after eating refined pasta.)

“For sure, whole-grain pasta has a lower glycemic effect than refined pasta, whether or not it is reheated,” he said.

Myth: Microwaves cook food all the way through.
When it comes to cooking, microwaves penetrate food to a depth of 1 to 1.5 inches, according to the USDA. So heat won’t be able to reach the center of really thick pieces of food, Katz said. This is especially dangerous for poultry or red meat because you can get food poisoning from undercooked meat. You’re better off using your microwave as an assistant in your kitchen, for re-heating food you already cooked or thawing something you’re about to cook.

Fact: Microwaves are safe.
The reason it’s called a “microwave” is because it emits microwaves, a type of electromagnetic radiation, to heat your food. It’s absolutely an old wives’ tale that microwaves are the same as cancer-causing radiation. All they do is cause the molecules in food to move and the molecular motion is what causes the heat, Dr. Katz explains. And you can’t get cancer just by standing next to a microwave oven either: The microwaves are mostly contained within the oven itself when it’s on, and any that leak out are limited to a level far below what could actually hurt you, according to the American Cancer Society.
This article originally appeared on Health.com.

Friday, February 20, 2015

A DAY IN HISTORY - FEBRUARY 20, 1945


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - SOCIALISM


CONSIDER THIS!

I couldn't agree more.  I have often said, "If those in the food industry got together with those in the funeral home industry, they would find a way to "pickle" us before we die!"  

Thursday, February 19, 2015

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - COMMON SENSE


THE IMPORTANT SPICE RECALL YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD ABOUT.

The important spice recall you may not have heard about
  
Published February 19, 2015

If you have friends or family with food allergies (as I do), this may be the most important post you share all week: There is a giant, ongoing recall of cumin and products containing the spice due to undeclared peanut proteins.  What’s unusual is this recall has been building since December, with more and more foods (from taco kits and Cajun seasoning mix to beef and chicken) added and major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods yanking products off their shelves. 

Thankfully, no deaths have been reported, which is especially lucky considering that peanuts are one of the foods most likely to trigger a fatal anaphylactic reaction, according to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).  (The others are tree nuts and crustacean shellfish.)    

The exact danger posed by a contaminated food “depends on the ingested quantity and the degree of sensitivity,” explains Dr. Sami Bahna, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  “The reaction can vary from minimal rash to chest wheezing to airway obstruction, or anaphylactic shock.  Some patients need to have an epinephrine auto-injector for immediate use.”  (My second-grader, Gus, is both peanut- and tree nut-allergic and must have his EpiPen with him at all times.)    

To stay safe, first check your kitchen (including the fridge and freezer) and dump not only the recalled foods but any others that clearly contain cumin.  Here’s where it gets tricky.  You can’t always tell which spices are in that can of soup or frozen chicken patty, because manufacturers aren’t required by law to specify exact spices—they are allowed to group them under “spices.”  How can that be?    

“Competition among food manufacturers requires some secrecy about the ingredients or recipes,” Bahna said.  “It took many years to get legislation to require the food industry to list on labels the 8 major food allergens.”   Allergic Living points out that cumin is likely to be in many Tex-Mex and Indian foods, making them suspect.  (As those of us whose kids have food allergies know, we’re always in “better safe than sorry” mode.)  Also key: Sign up for USDA food allergy alerts so you’ll be first to hear if new products are pulled.    

The welcome news, according to Bahna, is that these scares may be a little less scary in the not-too-distant future: “Research studies are going on for desensitization.  In a few years, we expect the development of effective, safe protocols for building tolerance—at least against accidental exposure in the highly sensitive.”  Here’s hoping.  This article originally appeared on Health.com.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS VITAMIN D IN KIDS? READ AND FIND OUT!

Dear Readers:

There was something to say about the days when I was a kid.  No TV or very little, no computers, computer games, or cell phones.  If you wanted something to do you went outside and played with your friends and got plenty of sunshine (Vitamin D) (didn't have sunblock in those days, which affects the absorption of this important vitamin).  Of course, I realize that the neighborhood isn't as safe as it once used to be, but still, sunshine as a source for Vitamin D, as you will see by this article, is very important in your adult years.  

Below is an excerpt from the article with a link provided for the complete article. 

Low vitamin D in youth linked to higher risk of heart issues in adulthood

A new study has found that adults who had low levels of vitamin D as children and teens may be at a heightened risk of heart issues.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, examined the relationship between low levels of vitamin D and increased thickness of the arteries, also called increased carotid intima-thickness (IMT). The researchers analyzed 2,148 volunteers and measured their vitamin D levels from ages 3 to18. An optimal vitamin D level is between 30 and 50.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - GOOD LEADERS


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT


IF YOU LIKED CONWAY TWITTY AND "HELLO DARLIN" - THEN YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS

HERE IS THE LINK

UPDATE - THE EGGS HAVE HATCHED IN THE NEST AT ROME, GA AT BERRY COLLEGE - LIVE EAGLE CAM

UPDATE:  2/17/15 - Looks like the eggs have hatched.  Rough weather to be a new baby eagle.

UPDATE:  1/9/15 - Looks like we have a 2nd egg laid today.  Mom on nest keeping the future eaglets warm.  

Dear Readers:

Since October I have been watching the mom and dad eagle clean up, reinforce their nest they used last year.  Yesterday, mom eagle was preparing the nest by digging a hole in the center as if to create a well where the egg/s could be laid.  This morning she was on the nest and when she got up to move, I noticed there is one egg in the nest.  If things happen like they did last year, there may be another egg in a couple of days.  

I keep a link to the eagle web page in the column to the left under "Paws & Stripes".  There is also a link to the page under the picture.

  The picture below is the mom eagle on the nest tonight.  
 

Monday, February 16, 2015

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - WISDOM


THE RETURN OF THE EGG

Dear Readers:

If you have followed my web page for awhile, you probably have figured out that I am an egg advocate.  Back in the 70's (yes, I am that old and older), the medical community made the egg the villain of cholesterol.   It became the "anti-food de jure" of the medical community.   Oh, sigh!  

Anyway, I kept on eating them mainly for all of the other good things that are in the egg, i.e. lecithin to name one.  Lecithin is a source of choline, an essential nutrient.  Clinical studies have shown benefit in acne, in improving liver function, and in lowering cholesterol. 

Here is an excerpt from a recent article with the link provided to the complete article.  
"Compared to other animal products, the average egg actually contains relatively low amounts of saturated fats— about 1.6 grams per egg yolk. Studies from the Harvard School of Public Health and the British Nutrition Foundation have also found that eggs have clinically insignificant effects on blood cholesterol, and are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eating only the egg white has been popular because it’s considered pure protein and doesn’t have the fatty content of the yolk, but some dieticians argue that consuming both the fat and protein can have a positive health benefits when it comes to blood sugar."

Here is the link to the complete article:  http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/02/11/new-dietary-guidelines-may-ok-eating-eggs/