Saturday, February 25, 2012

This Album Feeds Children

Most of my charitable giving goes to the Children's Hunger Fund. This is really a first class organization routinely evaluated and praised by many. CHF operates with total financial integrity and efficiency, and are consistently ranked by CharityNavigator.org, MinistryWatch.org, and Forbes.com as one of the most cost effective charities in the nation.

Children's Hunger Fund has been selected to receive 100% of the proceeds (not profits, but proceeds) of ALL sales for Mark Swayze's new release, This Album Feeds Children. Mark is the worship leader at a major church in San Antonio and has become a dear friend of CHF.

Children's Hunger Fund - Mark Swayze Album

Mark and the band have created some incredible worship songs that will encourage you and help focus your heart. I invite you to listen for yourself, and I encourage you to support this Texan who has a huge compassionate heart for children suffering around the world.


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Monday, February 20, 2012

Heart Attack Info and New Aspirin

MyAchingKnees received this Public Service Bulletin and wanted to pass it on for consideration. I say consideration because after all it contains a recommendation to buy a particular vendor’s product.

Heart Attack Info and New Aspirin

Bayer is in the news for making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets and could help heart attack victims.

About Heart Attacks

There are other symptoms of a heart attack besides the pain on the left arm.

One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating, however these symptoms may also occur less frequently. There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.

The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep, did not wake up.

However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.

If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. They supposedly work much faster than the tablets.

Afterwards: CALL 911

- say "heart attack!"

- say that you have taken 2 aspirins.

- phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by

- take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and.....DO NOT lie down.

Maybe a good idea to keep aspirin by your bedside.


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Monday, February 13, 2012

Toxins in Foods

The Chair of Health contends that we have to eat right, take quality supplements, and, get some sort of physical exercise. The fourth leg of that chair is to avoid toxins. As the world gets more populated,...as we demand a quicker solutions to problems great and small, our ability to avoid toxins is going to be based on knowledge of where toxins are found. Aside from the occasional press release about e coli or other toxic substances found in a batch of baby food or canned soup, some foods can routinely be found to have toxins either natural or through the processing procedure. When researching some of these we found this article on arsenic found in fruit juices.

Toxic Levels of Arsenic Found in Popular Juice Brands

Arsenic has long been recognized as a poison and a contaminant in drinking water, but now concerns are growing about arsenic in foods, especially in fruit juices that are a mainstay for children.

Controversy over arsenic in apple juice made headlines as the school year began when Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” told viewers that tests he’d commissioned found 10 of three dozen apple-juice samples with total arsenic levels exceeding 10 parts per billion (ppb). There’s no federal arsenic threshold for juice or most foods, though the limit for bottled and public water is 10 ppb. The Food and Drug Administration, trying to reassure consumers about the safety of apple juice, claimed that most arsenic in juices and other foods is of the organic type that is “essentially harmless.”

But an investigation by Consumer Reports shows otherwise. Our study, including tests of apple and grape juice, a scientific analysis of federal health data, a consumer poll, and interviews with doctors and other experts, finds the following:

* Roughly 10 percent of our juice samples, from five brands, had total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards. Most of that arsenic was inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.
* One in four samples had lead levels higher than the FDA’s bottled-water limit of 5 ppb. As with arsenic, no federal limit exists for lead in juice.
* Apple and grape juice constitute a significant source of dietary exposure to arsenic, according to our analysis of federal health data from 2003 through 2008.
* Children drink a lot of juice. Thirty-five percent of children 5 and younger drink juice in quantities exceeding pediatricians’ recommendations, our poll of parents shows.
* Mounting scientific evidence suggests that chronic exposure to arsenic and lead even at levels below water standards can result in serious health problems.
* Inorganic arsenic has been detected at disturbing levels in other foods, too, which suggests that more must be done to reduce overall dietary exposure.

Tainted brands include Minute Maid, Mott's, Gerber, Welch's, and Great Value (Walmart) among others. See results from tests on other apple and grape juice brands.

Our findings have prompted Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, to urge the FDA to set arsenic and lead standards for apple and grape juice. Our scientists believe that juice should at least meet the 5 ppb lead limit for bottled water. They recommend an even lower arsenic limit for juice: 3 ppb.

“People sometimes say, ‘If arsenic exposure is so bad, why don’t you see more people sick or dying from it?’ But the many diseases likely to be increased by exposure even at relatively low levels are so common already that its effects are overlooked simply because no one has looked carefully for the connection,” says Joshua Hamilton, Ph.D., a toxicologist specializing in arsenic research and the chief academic and scientific officer at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.

As our investigation found, when scientists and doctors do look, the connections they’ve found underscore the need to protect public health by reducing Americans’ exposure to this potent toxin.


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Monday, February 6, 2012

Best Foods for the Winter

This is from an article titled "The 6 Best Foods for Winter" by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding on Yahoo! Health

It’s the first snow of the season, and it’s so heavy and wet that it clogs your snowblower. You have two choices. Option 1: Shove your arm between the augers and remove the blockage. The downside: You’ll lose your arm in the process, and having it reattached will probably bankrupt you. Option 2: Turn off the machine, grab a broom stick, and chip at the blockage until it crumbles.

You might be thinking, “What kind of lunatic would choose option 1?” Well, lunatics like the American people. The U.S. spends more than $2 trillion on health care each year, with much of that cash going toward the treatment of obesity-related complications like heart disease and diabetes. We’re fixing our health problems retroactively, with medication and surgery, even though we could prevent most of them by making smarter choices about what we eat.

There’s no better time to put this notion to the test than the winter months. Winter is not necessarily conducive to good health; the season conjures up images of calorie-loaded comfort foods, fireside naps, and runny noses. Read on for six everyday foods that will keep you healthy and strong from December to March and beyond, compliments of the all-new Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide, which includes thousands of smart swaps that can help you shave 20 pounds or more in just 6 weeks.

Best Winter Food #1: Oatmeal

What it does: Helps you avoid the winter blues

Why it works: Sunlight signals your body to produce the feel-good hormone serotonin, so winter’s short, dark days may leave you in a less-than-cheery mood. If the doldrums persist, you may even find yourself suffering a serious form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). But don’t let Jack Frost get you down: Whole grain carbs like oatmeal can give your winter mood a much-needed boost. In a MIT study, researchers found that eating plenty of carbohydrates keeps serotonin levels up and can even prevent cravings for sweets. Refined carbs like doughnuts and white bread can be tempting winter comforts, but these foods will cause your blood sugar to quickly spike then plummet, leaving you in worse spirits than you were before. To stay happy and healthy, opt for whole grains instead.

Best Winter Food #2: Walnuts

What it does: Keeps your skin from drying out

Why it works: The winter months bring drier air (blame frigid winds and indoor heating), which can suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving it dull, tight, and itchy. Applying moisturizer can help, but the omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like walnuts will combat your dry-skin problem from the inside. Omega-3s help maintain healthy cell membranes, including those found in your skin. When your skin cells are strong they are better able to retain moisture, helping your skin avoid a reptilian fate.

MyAchingKnees tip: Try Walnuts in Steel Cut Oats. You can sweeten with lite Brown Sugar or Honey.

Best Winter Food #3: Garlic

What it does: Wards off cold and flu viruses (and vampires)

Why it works: British researchers recently discovered that garlic may prevent you from getting sick. In the 12-week study of 164 healthy adults, the group of participants that received a garlic supplement reported only 24 colds, while the group that received a placebo reported 64 colds. One explanation is a chemical in garlic called allicin, which may stimulate the production of infection-fighting white blood cells. Whatever the reason, adding garlic to your meals may help you stay above the weather. Just don’t eat too much—you want to keep disease at bay, not your friends and family.

MyAchingKnees tip: Garlic is a natural fly and mosquito repellent as well.

Best Winter Food #4: Winter squash

What it does: Prevents weight gain

Why it works: A 2006 Bastyr University study found that participants who routinely ate more fiber than the national average of about 14 grams per day were less likely to be overweight than those who consumed less than 14 grams. Fiber-rich foods, like squash, contain relatively low calories, and they’re digested more slowly, keeping you full long after you eat them—an important defense against the season of overindulgence otherwise known as winter. With about 9 grams of fiber per one-cup serving, eating winter squash (like acorn and butternut varieties) is a great way to load up on fiber and prevent post-holiday eaters remorse. Winter squash is also loaded with carotenes, which have been shown to reduce the risk of a variety of diseases from cancer to heart disease. Most winter squash is available year-round, but its peak season is early fall through late winter.

MyAchingKnees tip: A great way to cook squash is to slice it up, lightly coat in virgin olive oil, toss with your favorite seasoning mix, then cook on the grill in a deep dish pan.

Best Winter Food #5: Chicken Sandwich

What it does: Keeps your energy up

Why it works: Darkness signals your body to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for making you sleepy, so the shorter days that come along with winter can cause you to feel like hitting the sack instead of the gym. But eating complex carbohydrates—most abundant in whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes—along with some protein can help you stay awake and energized. This combination, found in foods like a chicken sandwich on wheat bread, boosts energy in two ways: Your body digests the complex carbs slowly, keeping your blood sugar stable, and the protein helps you stay fuller, longer.

MyAchingKnees tip: Not a big Chicken fan, but I recently found thing chicken breasts at my grocery store. Easy and quick to grill and make a sandwich of. A Chipotle glaze adds a great deal of flavor. You can cut up the chicken and use in a salad as well.

Best Winter Food #6: Chicken Soup

What it does: Helps you breathe easy

Why it works: Chicken soup has long been touted at the best home remedy for cold and flu season, and it really can help. Hot liquids temporarily clear your sinuses, and a University of Nebraska study found that chicken soup may even reduce inflammation in your nose and throat. Plus, most chicken soups are low in calories and saturated fat, and high in fiber. For the healthiest version, try making the soup yourself with plenty of veggies and whole wheat noodles. If homemade isn’t an option, try Campbell ’s Healthy request Condensed Chicken Noodle soup, which has only 60 calories per cup. And remember, chicken soup may keep the doctor away, but some chicken-based meals could send you straight into the waiting room.

MyAchingKnees comment: I really like this article since it starts off warning us about that "The U.S. spends more than $2 trillion on health care each year, with much of that cash going toward the treatment of obesity-related complications like heart disease and diabetes". Obesity and heart related problems are symptoms of poor nutrition. Other indicators that the resulting inflammation is causing other problems for you too, are joint pain, lethargy, high cholesterol, back pain and a host of other problems.

Eat Better and Change your Life.


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