Todays Health Articles

April 30th, 2012

Purple Foods

Today’s health can consist of foods that can be very colorful to the eye, and purple foods should be considered not only for their appeal but for their many health benefits. I know that some may be familiar to you and others may not, but are we taking advantage of these healthy foods?  Are we just passing them up as we walk down the grocery aisles for our more familiar items. I know purple carrots  have not found their way into my diet. Perhaps because we are afraid to try out new foods. Yet for some, purple foods are very common to their daily diet. Today, I hope that some of these nutritious purple foods will find their way into your diet, or at least be considered in the future.

Why You Should Consider “Purple Foods”

 Many of these Purple foods are loaded with healing antioxidants. It’s a scientifically-proven fact that thdarker the food, the higher the antioxidant level.Antioxidants are so important to the body, they have the ability to mop up free radicals and keep you looking younger, and longer.

Thus, dark foods with a purple pigment, such as purple onions, concord grapes, purple cabbage, black mission figs, prunes and blackberries, are known for having amazing healing powers.

Did You Know?

The purple pigment in all of these purple foods, fruits and vegetables, contain flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help decrease blood pressure. Resveratrol helps relax the arterial walls, decreases the pressure in the arteries and allows better circulation. Produce with purple hues contain a variety of polyphenols that can reduce the inflammatory response in the body.Inflammation is considered to be the root of all major diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and immune dysfunction.

Reasons to Eat More Purple Foods:

* The resveratrol found in purple grapes, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, red wine and grape juice can inhibit the spread of colorectal cancer in animal studies. Studies  have also show that resveratrol can induce cancer cell death in cases of prostate, breast, skin, liver, lung and blood cancers. The curcumin in turmeric seems to boost its anti-cancer activity so have a glass of pinot noir (the type of wine highest in resveratrol) next time you have curry.
* A 2011 study found that anthocyanins from blackberries reduced stomach ulcer formation in rats. Researchers  now believe this is because the antioxidants in blackberries  may prevent oxidation and boost the activity of other important antioxidants, such as glutathione, that are naturally present in the body.
*Black rice, which has more anthocyanins per gram than blueberries, is a delicious antioxidant grain that has been found to reduce damage to the liver incurred by excessive alcohol intake.

*Black currants can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol by up to 13 percent while raising “good” HDL cholesterol. Black currants and bilberries have more anthocyanins than blueberries. Wild raw berries have higher antioxidant content than frozen varieties.
*Vegetables such as purple cauliflower, purple carrots and purple cabbage contain the same plant pigment, anthocyanin, that is responsible for the UTI-fighting power of cranberries. Lab studies show that anthocyanin compounds fight H. pylori, the bacteria that promotes stomach ulcers and urinary tract infections.

*Diabetes benefits from the Anthocyanins within the purple carrots, may help with the effects of diabetes. Notes from a December 2001 article in Nutrition Science News indicate these benefits. Diabetes causes damage to blood vessels, which are made from collagen. These beneficial antioxidants neutralize enzymes that damage collagen and connective tissues. Excessive damage can lead to frequent high blood sugar levels, causing further damage to blood vessels. Anthocyanins help repair and restore collagen, making blood vessels strong and improving blood flow.

 Todays Health Comments

Today purple foods should be part of our diet, yet many of these foods are neglected to eaten. Perhaps some are not even available in your grocery store. I found that to be true in my area. Others may be out of our budget, as healthy foods, many times are more costly.Although many of the purple foods are very affordable and should be considered in your daily diet. My favorite are the berries which I enjoy with my breakfast cereals. I also enjoy most all of them at various times of the year. Like all fruits and foods that are seasonal…it allows you to enjoy them and not get tired of eating the same ones all the time.

Todays Health Article

April 20th, 2012

TURMERIC

Today many spices have been under the close watch  of nutritionists and many studies have been initiated due to turmeric‘s popular demand. Many of us choose to eat healthy, and spices such as turmeric, have a place in maintaining  a healthy body. Turmeric is not just an ordinary spice with a few health benefits, it should be used by everyone all the the time, because it touches a large part of our having a healthy body.

Turmeric History

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for 4,000 years to treat a  large variety of health conditions.  General studies indicate that turmeric might help prevent infections and some cancers, reducing inflammations, and treat digestive problems.

Turmeric has widely been used in cooking and gives Indian curry its flavor and it’s yellow color. It is also used in mustard and to color butter and cheese. Turmeric has also been used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. This has been used as an anti-inflammatory to treat digestive and liver problems, skin diseases, and wounds.

It is also a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants scavenge molecules in the body known as free radicals, which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death. Antioxidants can fight free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

In addition, turmeric lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation. It also stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots.

 Health Research

Turmeric may be helpful for the following conditions:

• Indigestion: Turmeric stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile, which some people think may help improve digestion.
• Ulcerative colitis: Turmeric may help people with ulcerative colitis stay in remission. Ulcerativecolitis is a chronic disease of the digestive tract where symptoms tend to come and go.
• Stomach Ulcers: Turmeric does not seem to help treat stomach ulcers. In fact, there is some evidence that it may increase stomach acid, making existing ulcers worse. (See “Precautions” section.)
• Osteoarthritis: Because of its ability to reduce inflammation, researchers have wondered if turmeric may help relieve osteoarthritis pain. One study found that people using an Ayurvedic formula of herbs and minerals with turmeric, winter cherry (Withinia somnifera), boswellia (Boswellia serrata),and zinc had less pain and disability..
• Heart Disease: Early studies suggested that turmeric may help prevent atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque that can block arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke. In animal studies, an extract of turmeric lowered cholesterol levels and kept LDL “bad” cholesterol from building up in blood vessels. Because it stops platelets from clumping together, turmeric may also prevent blood clots from building up along the walls of arteries.
• Cancer: There has been a great deal of research on turmeric’s anti-cancer properties, but results are still very early. Evidence from test tube and animal studies suggests that turmeric may help prevent or treat several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon cancer. Its preventive effects may be because it is a strong antioxidant, protecting cells from damage. More research is needed.
• Bacterial and Viral Infections: Test tube and animal studies suggest turmeric may kill bacteria and viruses. But researchers don’ t know whether it would work in people.
• Uveitis: A preliminary study suggests turmeric may help treat uveitis, an inflammation of the eye’ s iris. In one study of 32 people with chronic anterior uveitis, turmeric was effective as corticosteroids, the type of medication usually prescribed. More research is needed.

Todays Health Article

April 2nd, 2012

Carrots

Today’s article about carrots was delayed until today, thinking that this article might get confused or taken as another April Fools Joke. For some reason, carrots seem to be getting a bad rap about this time of the year. It is not just our carrots though,  as food this time of the year, has been portrayed several ways as unhealthy. It is not hard sometimes to get sucked into the se April Fools Jokes. That is just my thought.  You may ask Why? Well has not man become so creative in his means of enticing or convincing us to to eat his products, that it’s easier today to believe… just about anything that is thrown upon us, whether it is right or wrong.

The problem is, if the facts are true then we will benefit from the fact, and can adjust perhaps our eating habits, or ignore and take the chances with our health. On the other hand, these pranksters who create these hoaxes can rally and stir up sometimes  a big hornet’s nest for those who like their vegetables. Many times as well, it creates an financial impact on those who need to sell their product as well.

Recently I was reading a Comment on Facebook, and this article was brought to mine, “How We All can get Sucked In”.  Baby Carrots was the conversation.

Baby Carrots

Now not too long ago, the  “baby carrot“  was entered into the food industry, its name fitting for its size.  It’s original origin, from an immature carrot, this baby cut carrot,  became known as a “baby carrot”.Thus it was a mature carrot that had been cut and peeled in the “baby-cut” style

For those of you who have raised carrots, not all are alike. These vegetables have to be thinned so the remaining have room to grow, and even then you still get carrots that take on fingers that grow into odd shapes. Now as a farmer or just a novice gardener, you soon realize that the harvest of carrots can be wasteful, yet these thinned carrots, or imperfect ones still tasted good.

So an idea crossed a California farmer’s mind to reclaim what would other wise be a wasted product and with a little innovation from a couple pieces of machinery, a green bean cutter and a potato peeler, baby carrots came to be.

Today though many of the Baby Carrots have been bred to be used at the baby stage, one such is the Amsterdam Forcing.  The reason behind this was to eliminate such processing and still have a sweeter carrot than their full grown relative.

The Carrot Hoax

This was the email that was started in 2008

“Subject: baby carrot : Important Information!!

The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots . most people probably know this already.

What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?

We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen.

Please let us make this information available to as many people as possible. If you care about your family and friends, pass it on.

The Truth about Baby Carrots

The  true Baby Carrots are carrots grown to the “baby” stage. These carrots can be readily identified by the fact that there is a true top on each carrot. Some farmers leave a little bit of green on the top of the carrot to prove that it is a true baby carrot. Some people prefer these baby carrots due to a belief that they are more natural or nutritious. These carrots are usually a lot more expensive then the second kind of baby carrots.

Manufactured Baby Carrots, or “baby-cut” carrots are more common and also less expensive then the true baby carrots. As mentioned earlier. these carrots, baby cut carrots, came from the idea of cutting these carrots down to 2 inch sections, peeling them and selling them as baby carrots.

The White Discoloration

This is common with many fruits and vegetables, including carrots. It happens when they are cut, peeled or bruised,  displaying a discoloration  caused  by enzymes. This reaction is called melanosis.

You may be familiar with the brown discoloration which forms on an apple when you bite into it and then leave it on the table for a short while, that is the melanosis.

In carrots this process causes a white discoloration, known as white blush. Therefore, carrots left in your fridge for a few days do not turn white because they are leaching chlorine, that whitening is caused by tissue damage.

Chlorinated Water

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency “Vegetables may be washed in chlorinated water in order to reduce microbial contamination. This water would be very much like your tap water. While it is “the same chlorine used in your pool”, it is also the same chlorine used in your municipal drinking water, and in your salt.There are strict guidelines as to how long vegetables may be submersed in the chlorinated water and they have to be thoroughly rinsed afterward.”

Todays Health Comments

This is sad that our food, carrots in this example of how some truth is diluted with facts that are not only harmful but are targeted to scare you into not eating them. Yet if you think about it how many times have you washed your vegetables under the tap water? It is the same example illustrated here. Many times it is best to check out these kind of emails before forwarding them to your friends. The delete button to the trash bin is the best bet.

Todays Health Article

March 19th, 2012

Today we will shortly be amongst the legality decisions regarding our health care. I am not a profound lover of politics, as to the value it has presented itself. Many times honesty, morality, and personal responsibility has been compromised or lacking,  which seem to be overwhelmingly lacking in our past.

Having said all that, I still try to follow what’s going on. The  big question is… Why should I even care? Well like it or not… because we all need to know what’s going on.  For one reason, if I plan to vote, and how can I expect things to get better (or not get worse) if  we do or do not do anything about it.

For those who have not caught up on what’s happening with the Health Care Reform bill, this may be the last time, until 2014 to speak out. Just to review for a moment, your health care is being decided as we speak. Though the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, now the law (along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010) is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress. 

documentation of  http://housedocs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon.pdf

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Full title	The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Acronym	PPACA
Colloquial name(s)	Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Reform, Healthcare Reform, Obamacare
Enacted by the	111th United States Congress
Effective	March 23, 2010 Specific provisions phased in through to 2020
Citations
111–148
Stat.	124 Stat. 119 through 124 Stat. 1025 (906 pages)
Codification
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as the “Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009″ (H.R. 3590) by Charles Rangel (D–NY) on September 17, 2009 Committee consideration by: Ways and Means Passed the House on October 8, 2009 (416–0) Passed the Senate as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” on December 24, 2009 (60–39) with amendment House agreed to Senate amendment on March 21, 2010 (219–212) Signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010
Major amendments
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011
Supreme Court cases
None

With PPACA reforms, certain aspects of the private health insurance industry and public health insurance programs, increases insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions, expands access to insurance to over 30 million Americans, and increases  the projected national medical spending ^{( 8 to 900 + million)}  while lowering projected Medicare spending.

OPPOSITION  TO HEALTH CARE

A majority of the states, and numerous organizations and individual persons, have filed actions in federal court challenging the constitutionality of PPACA.

As of January 2012,

Two of four federal appellate courts have upheld the bill.

A third declared the individual mandate unconstitutional.

The fourth ruled the federal Tax Anti-Injunction Act prevents the issue from being decided until taxpayers begin paying penalties in 2015.

The Supreme Court has scheduled six hours for oral arguments March 26–28, 2012, and will issue its decision by the end of June.

Today’s Health Comments

This is probably one of the more important reforms our health care has seen. It is certainly one of the most confusing, costly, and longest written bill ( over 2000 pages) if you so desire to read, and our health care is on the line. To bring this to our laps and say you will own health insurance under these terms presents a legal issue, and government control. If you choose not to abide by such law, you will be penalized by taxes. This almost reminds me why we had a Tea Party many years ago and separated our connection with the then government control. That is the direction this bill enacted into law… Now we are being confronted with its terms and conditions… and who has the time to read 2000 pages. There is no doubt that we need an health care reform in this nation… What is your Solution?

Further Reading

Is-our-health-a-forcast-of-facts-guidelines-reform-and-legal-actions.html

Understanding-todays-health-care-reform-may-only-be-a-disappointment.html

Todays Health Article

March 16th, 2012

Today’s health article brings to your attention, those seeking the use of the electronic cigarette or commonly known as the e-cig, are falling into some unscrupulous hands. Today with the increasing popularity of the e-cig, it is no wonder everyone is finding their way into this needed marketplace. Unfortunately, for those entering online perhaps for the very first time, to purchase, are falling into the scams and the unscrupulous activities of taking your money, little about you! This can not only be discouraging but is of no benefit for those who are in need of the E-cig or change.

The E-Cig

For the most part, the E-cig is really not known well to the masses of the general public, yet most who are smokers have heard of these devices. The E-cig is a vapor driven cigarette, using an electronic battery, and your favorite flavor is inhaled through this process. Therefore ,with the E-cig, there are no burning chemicals, nor tars to inhale into the lungs, yet the feed of your nicotine addiction, is without the lighting up. For many, they find the E-cig more beneficial for their health, because nicotine in itself is really not life threatening. In fact, this  E-cig, is considered in the same health risk as caffeine is to a cup of coffee. With all that said there has been an increasing demand for this E-cig. It is not an instrument or a cessation product to quit smoking, yet some say the E-cig has helped. Again the E-cig has more or less has taken on it’s own path to not only to help save dollars vs. the cost of regular cigarettes, but for the hard core smokers, it is an option for their nicotine addiction.

The Free E-cig  SCAM

It does not take much time now days to google in- “Free E-cig Scams” and become some what shocked… the numerous articles written about the free E-cig packages being offered to those in need. In fact if you spent much time at all online looking to buy E-cigs, the free trials are every where, including fake testimonials and review sites that have been duplicated by those eager to entrap you to various sites. My WARNING TO YOU…THESE ARE SCAMS!

  Once you have entered your name, address, email and phone number you are usually taken to a second page.  The second page usually shows a special discount and asks for you to pay a small amount for shipping and handling.

 What you need to read is the fine print!

The fine print will show you have 14 days for your trial, then you will be charged $100+.  Then you are also signed up for the automatic refill cartridge wit orders of $50+ and another $10 for shipping and handling.  Many times, the E-cig starter kit doesn’t arrive until after the 14 day trail period.  Even worse is when the customer doesn’t notice the charges on their credit card until after the electronic cigarette company sends the first month refills.  By then it’s too late.  You’re hit with or $150 of credit card charges and stuck with some of the worst quality e cigarettes you can buy!

Words Such as…

The terms and conditions of the agreement and legally binding contract you will be entering into by making this purchase.

The General Agreement usually goes something like this:

By clicking to order, you agree to our terms and conditions and are enrolled in the  XYZ, at Associates Automatic We Ship, Refill, and Bill your credit card. You will be charged  to cover the shipping & handling of your Risk “Free Trial Offers for electronic cigarettes or  E-cigs of the XYZ Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit. This S&H fee is non refundable.

If after certain number of days (10 to14 usually)from ordering  your free kit from XYZ ,  the Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit must be returned with a valid Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. The starting date is when order and you may not even receive until the days have run out. Now this set of circumstances allows your credit card to be  billed for the full purchase price of the starter kit (Usually 1 Arm and 1 Leg).

 Beware of this …The 10 to 14 day Risk Free Trial includes transit time.

“The day you order the product counts as day one of your free trial regardless of the time of day.”

So, if it takes 3 days to get to you…oh well, now you have 7 days left to use it and if you decide to return it….well it has to be in their hands before the 10 Day trial period is up. You 10 Day Trial just turned into 4 Days. Yes, they do have it down to the SECOND, don’t be late!

If you are looking for a trial offer most reputable companies will give a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. You stand a better chance with these companies and chances are you will be satisfied with their product.  . Not only that, you will find the prices are much more realistic. A couple of the reviewed vendors have FREE shipping.

When you are enrolled, they will typically ship you the refill cartridges every 30 days with your first order being sent out on day 23 so that you will receive the order by day thirty (30).

The monthly charge is (typically) around $60 per month for shipping and handling, a total cost that is way too much

A “Note” that is usually included:

You agree that you voluntarily purchased products from this Website and you will NOT dispute, in the form of a charge back to your bank or credit card company, all or any portion of the associated costs for products and/or services. You further acknowledge that you have read entirely, understand and agree that the cancellation policy herein shall be your sole method for exchanging or requesting a refund, that no refunds or guarantees are available for the monthly shipments (the Cartridges), and that you will not attempt to charge back or otherwise attempt to manipulate this agreement to which you are bound by voluntarily accessing and ordering products and/or services from XYZ, LLC and Associates. Fraudulent charge back attempts will result in a penalty fee of $100 being charged to your card for processing fees.”

The Solution

In most cases it is extremely time consuming and not without difficulty to get your money back from these type of programs. it is best to look for those who are reputable, who offer the 30 day free trial, purchase through accounts that protect you as well as the vendor. These programs such as EBay, Amazon, Clickbank and many others control this type of activity.

Building a relationship with an online supplier by comments or seeking information about the site… how the site might look regarding its business. An example…all products sold, as mention have an identification number, and a transaction number to your card. You might be 1 step ahead before ordering to check them out on the Internet under E-cig scams! Many fall to these sites quickly if people are disgruntled.

Today’s Health Comments

Although I have never smoked… If I were looking for a solution to this habit, perhaps this might be an answer to many people’s use of the nicotine habit. Many studies have indicated the beneficial results of e-cigs. The task at hand is not being scam for the solution to better health. Many reputable suppliers on the Internet amongst those who are enticing the free trials. Those words should be a heads up to read the fine print before giving away your credit card information…and the cost of what might be a nightmare later. I hope this is helpful and not too discouraging for those who are seeking the E-cig  for a healthier life.

Todays Health Article

March 14th, 2012

Today with all of the attention being directed upon what we should and should not eat to have a healthy way of life, some foods may surprise you. In fact, what may be shared here today, may be actually adding pounds to your waistline, and you are not knowing it. These fattening foods that I’m going to talk about … most people falsely believe these are foods which are “healthy”.

Today’s Health Article

March 11th, 2012

Today’s article may be a little close to my heart, actually it is all about health and relationships, or not so good relationships. I  truly believe they( relationships), good or bad can have an impact on healthy lives, as well placing our health at risk. I thought about this, not that this has not written about before, but that I might share  some simple light upon this subject that I have experienced, or has been a greater part of my life. Going one step further, this date is actually my wedding anniversary, and am declaring this proudly, 34 years today. I believe that with great conviction, with out psychoanalysing the topic and becoming boring, there could be health benefits by the friends we keep, and whether our marriages are successful or not.

For some whom are seeking better health, may turn to doctors, the self-help books or herbal supplements. But what you may have overlooked is  an equally great or very powerful weapon that could help you fight off  illness and depression, speed up your recovery, slow down your aging, and prolong life. This is none other than your friends.

Healthy Friendships

•  A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends.
• A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight.
• And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.
• “In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”
• In a new book, “The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a 40-Year Friendship” (Gotham), Jeffrey Zaslow tells the story of 11 childhood friends who scattered from Iowa to eight different states. Despite the distance, their friendships endured through college and marriage, divorce and other crises, including the death of one of the women in her 20s.
• While many friendship studies focus on the intense relationships of women, some research shows that men can benefit, too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-age Swedish men, attachment to a single person didn’t appear to affect the risk of heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease, but having friendships did. Only smoking was as important a risk factor as lack of social support.

Today, so it seems, people with  the stronger friendships, feel better and that there is someone they can turn to. Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.

Unhealthy Friendships

The unhealthy friendships can take on several traits or common characteristics that might lead you to unhealthy risks

It is natural for every one of us to be envious of a friend’s job, of their marital relationship, or of their ability to have what  we cannot. Resentment or jealousy may become prevalent. This maybe where communication has broken down, and you are feeling a little hurt. Sometimes when this happens the striking out,or the tearing down can leave you exhausted.

 There may be times when your friend’s needs are more important than yours and vice verse, so its important to give and take. The problem is some friends, find the taking a lot easier than the giving… and this always turns out to be  unhealthy, you may run out energy to continue to give. Other words reciprocation is valuable to generate and continue to feel you are their friend as well.

Because if this does not happen, misery sets in, and misery loves company just as well.  Now when things are bad, we love to have others in the trenches with us. Friendships should be positive, ideally, and not bring us down.

Results and unhealthy friendships… these relationships can eat away at your spirit, your self-confidence, and your trust in one another. According to a new UCLA study, bad friends are bad for your health. Researchers asked 122 healthy adults to keep a diary of social interactions for 8 days. Their findings? Those with negative social experiences had a higher level of inflammatory proteins that can lead to heart disease, depression, and cancer when compared to than those who noted fewer negative experiences.

Marriage Relationships and Their Impact

Today’s marriages may not be a true of the reflection of past studies, as our social behaviors have changed, or so come to be understood. Yet a study back in 1858 by William Farr, an epidemiologist, set out a study what he called a “conjugal condition” of the people of  France. He divided the adult population into three distinct categories: the “married,” consisting of husbands and wives; the “celibate,” defined as the bachelors and spinsters who had never married; and finally the “widowed,” those who had experienced the death of a spouse.

The work became a  groundbreaking study that helped establish the field of medical statistics. This study showed showed that the unmarried died from disease “in undue proportion” to their married counterparts. And the widowed, Farr found, fared worst of all.

Contemporary studies, for instance, have shown that married people are less likely to get pneumonia, have surgery, develop cancer or have heart attacks. A group of Swedish researchers has found that being married or cohabiting at midlife is associated with a lower risk for dementia.

A study of two dozen causes of death in the Netherlands found that in virtually every category, ranging from violent deaths like homicide and car accidents to certain forms of cancer, the unmarried were at far higher risk than the married.

For many years, studies like these have influenced both politics and policy, fueling national marriage-promotion efforts, like the Healthy Marriage Initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From 2006 to 2010, the program received $150 million annually to spend on projects like “divorce reduction” efforts and often cited the health benefits of marrying and staying married.

Some of today’s most interesting research on the relationship between marriage and health is being led by a pair of researchers at Ohio State University College of Medicine. The duo, Ronald Glaser and Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, are also, fittingly, married to each other.

Unhealthy Marriages

Last year, The Journal of Health and Social Behavior published a study tracking the marital history and health of nearly 9,000 men and women in their 50s and 60s.

The study, which grew out of work by researchers at the University of Chicago, found that when the married people became single again — either by divorce or because of the death of a spouse — they suffered a decline in physical health from which they never fully recovered. These men and women had 20 percent more chronic health issues, like heart disease and diabetes, than those who were still married to their first husband or wife by middle age. The divorced and widowed also had aged less gracefully, reporting more problems going up and down stairs or walking longer distances.

Today’s Health Comments

Today more so, marriages  are impacted by social characteristics and our health is the result of that as well. We may not even think about the relationships that are formed by our friends or our marriage at the time of their inception, But these relationships, our friends, and even our marriages can go bad, dragging and tearing us down along with them. Our health deteriorates and our longevity of life as well. On the other note, these same relationships can lift us up when we need it most, surely bring laughter and joy to our hearts and very being, thus encouraging us to take that risk of being rewarded for great relationships with our friends, and having a great marriage. I can only say that these are the dearest and most valuable aspect in my life, no price could be paid for this blessing

Raw Hamburger

Today, once again, ground beef or raw hamburger, as we commonly call it, has been tampered with. Now, not all of your hamburger has been  messed around with, but more than you could probably imagine. The numbers are indicating that about 75% of all hamburger is now finding  this ingredient within it”s package. It is not only hamburger that this process is being used. However, hamburger is what we are gong to talk about here.

It is no new news that the price of meats have been soaring  upwards in recent years, with steaks becoming pricier,  hamburger has become more prevalent on the dinner table now days. Although hamburger, or ground beef, as it may also be called, it too has risen. This is where some processing companies have gotten a little creative.

Pink Slime

It is this boneless lean beef trimmings referred to as Pink Slime. This product is passed through a centrifuge. This is rotating unit, called the rotor which has fixed holes drilled at an angle (to the vertical). Test tubes are placed in these slots and the motor is spun. As the centrifugal force is in the horizontal plane and the tubes are fixed at an angle, the particles have to travel only a little distance before they hit the wall and drop down to the bottom.

This typical beef production process results in beef trimmings, consisting of fat and meat, that frequently had been cooked down to recover the oils from the trim because it was not profitable to otherwise separate the meat from the trimmings.

However, today much of these beef trimmings are sent as USDA-approved cuts of meat to special separation plants, where centrifuges separate the beef from the fat.

The Product

The product is sold in the US by a number of beef processing companies, including Cargill Meat Solutions and Beef Products, Inc. This lean beef sold by BPI has become known for increasing the pH of the beef trimmings by adding ammonium hydroxide to destroy pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella, while the Cargill product uses antimicrobial treatments that lower the pH.

This beef product ( “lean, finely textured meat”) is USDA-approved and is a component in the majority of hamburger beef patties sold in the United States, in which up to 25 percent of the additive beef is used in the final product.

The process was pioneered by Eldon Roth, who in the 1980s founded Beef Products Inc., to produce frozen beef. In the 1990s, in the wake of public health concerns over pathogenic E. coli in beef, Roth developed a process to use a puff of ammonia gas to raise the pH and kill any pathogens that may be found in beef trimmings purchased from other meat production houses.

The Food Safety

Nancy Donley, president of Safe Tables Our Priority, Carol Tucker Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Safety Institute, and other food safety experts support the technology-based approach to food safety.

Food safety experts in 2011 acknowledged the role of such processes in protecting the United States’ food supply against events such as the European E. Coli outbreak.

On December 24th, 2011, McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell announced they would discontinue the use of BPI products in their food.^[6] BPI officials said they still have other fast-food chains as customers but would not identify them.^[7]

According to the Washington Post, the process involves taking USDA-approved beef trimmings, separating the fat and meat with centrifuges, then squeezing the lean beef through a tube the size of a pencil, during which time it is exposed to ammonia gas. The combination of the gas with water in the meat results in a reaction that increases the pH, lowering acidity and killing any pathogens such as E. coli.

In July, 2011, Beef Products Inc. announced that it would become the first beef processor to voluntarily begin testing for an additional six strains of E. Coli.^[8] According to the New York Times, the launch of this type of testing stems from the recent E. coli outbreak in Europe and frustration at delays by regulators to classify new types of E. coli as adulterants.

The Pink Slime is not without Controversy

A December, 2009, New York Times article called into question the safety of the meat treated by this process, pointing to occasions in which process adjustments were not effective. The following week, the paper published an editorial, “More Perils of Ground Meat,” reiterating the concerns posed in the news article. Several days later the editorial was appended with a retraction stating that it had “mischaracterized the safety record of ground meat produced by Beef Products Inc” in the original news article (since corrected). Furthermore, as of January 12, 2010, “No meat produced by Beef Products Inc. has been linked to any illnesses or outbreaks.”

An episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution depicted his interpretation of the production process, in which Oliver douses beef trimmings in liquid ammonia in front of parents. Food safety expert Dr. Gary Acuff of Texas A&M University was interviewed^[about the process in response to the Oliver segment.

On December 24th, 2011, McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell announced they would discontinue the use of BPI products in their food.  BPI officials said they still have other fast-food chains as customers but would not identify them.

ABC News was flooded with questions from concerned viewers following last night’s report on pink slime.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture told “The Daily” online newspaper that it’s buying 7 million more pounds of the “slime” for school lunch programs across the country.

“All USDA ground beef purchases for the National School Lunch Program must meet the highest standards for food safety,” the USDA said in a statement to “The Daily.” “This includes stringent pathogen testing and compliance with all applicable food safety regulations. USDA would only allow products into commerce or especially into schools that we have confidence are safe.”

Today’s Health Comments

Today the question is why not let hamburger just be hamburger. After all hamburger is all the beef that nobody wants any way. You do not hear of the sirloins or the fillet minion being ground up and sold for 2 bucks a pound. But now we hear after all these years the Pink slime is been added for years and had a stamp of approval from the USDA. That is just wonderful that my hamburger has been filled with ground up intestines and other undesirable parts, that were only fed to our dogs. I have always enjoyed a hamburger now and then, but we always have bought from a local market that butchers their own meat… organic is the best when we are talking about good hamburger.

Todays Health Article

March 1st, 2012

Today, going back to my boyhood years, life was simple, yet very routine. My parents owned a small farm about 10 miles from a  small rural town. Our farm was nestled on a wash board dirt road between two mountain ranges and was positioned at the end of a large valley. I only threw that in for reference to what is to follow later. And the use of the telephone, a 16 party line, was a mere waste of time for emergencies because you had to ask for half the neighborhood to get off the phone so you could call out. Lastly, if you saw a car or 2 go by in a day, that was about normal. In those days you were  very dependent on your own actions, regarding medical help, or anything else for that matter.

The routine  for the day,was every morning you got up and headed out the door with our cattle dog, Shep, to gather up the milk cows and bring them to the corral ( the holding place) so they could be brought into the barn to be milked. With having a dairy farm, we also had other animals too, but that is how we supported ourselves. Now this  occupation  was 24/7 job, because these animals,  did not take the week ends off, and neither did the work.

That is the life of a dairy farmer in short, you worked from early morning til sometimes very late at night. Most of the time you just accepted the work, for the fact, it is your way of life.  With this life there are health risks that can be encountered… some can be dangerous and others just came with bruise or two, when you might get kicked by a cow with an attitude that day.

The Unexpected Happens

Sometimes though the unexpected happens, somebody throws you that curve ball, and life just changes in a matter of seconds. With having a dairy farm, comes mending fences on a regular basis. I and my dad was mending a fence at the end of the meadow, stringing new barb wire fence and replacing some fence posts. It was a hot summer day, though there was some white fluffy clouds lingering around, letting us be blessed with some intermittent of shade that felt good. Now next to this place where we were placing this fence, was a small hill full of brush grown up about head high and small bunches of Oregon grape, a purple berry that actually makes great jelly, but would be my tragic moment for the day.

Well it was about lunch time,  and my mom had walked down to where we were working and had brought us lunch. We were wandering around looking at the large amounts of Oregon grape that were  just about ready to be picked. My mom had called me over to a particular bush…WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED IN SECONDS!

OUT FROM THE GROUND…

Pours a swarm of bees, bursting upon my mom and me… it happened so quickly I and was in state of frantic! I had them all over me and I could feel them stinging!  In moments notice, although at that time, I was always very afraid of water, I could only think, that if I ran and jumped in to our small pond of water that was nearby, I might escape the wrath of these angry bees that I had disturbed. So off I went running, tearing my T-shirt off and lunging into the mossy, slimy outskirts of the pond. Now forgetting my fear of the water over the  thought of being stung countless times. Now to my surprise, the bees did not like what I had dunked them into either…  feeling the relief of no more stings.

The Outcome

Now thinking the worst was now over, though now looking like some science fiction character from the bog, I thought I had escaped with just a few stings,  I  had overcome that crisis, from which surely was going to be many, many stings, had I not jumped into the pond. Now my mom had not done such a frantic move of fear, and was only stung a couple of times as well, and now looked much better than I. Perhaps in some way, these angry defenders sense my fear and headed directly to their weaker target… me!

Now you may have to sensed my adrenaline was at its max… I was hot, and had feared these angry bees were about to make me into a pin cushion! Then life  in a matter of seconds… I knew I HAD NOT WON THIS BATTLE YET!  It had just begun... they were getting in the last strike! My body was sensing life unknown to a 14 year old.

I was starting to to feel tingly, my skin was getting red, and hives were becoming prevalent, and my eye were burning, body aching,  I had never felt in such a way… and now was feeling another state of panic, as to what was happening to me. I still remember the bumpy tractor ride across a half mile of meadow and my dads conversation that now had an extreme sense of urgency about it. “We have no time to waste” he continued to repeat to my mom. ” We must go as we are, no time to change clothes”

Now we lived on 3 miles of the 10 on a narrow dirt road, but that day, My dad took upon himself to become a very careful, but I had never seen the end of the speedometer before. For he knew, from working in the woods, how others
had died that year from not getting the medical attention  necessary. When Anaphylaxis allergy occurs you have little time to waste. My time was just about up… see we had no hospital in this little town… just a house doctor ( a doctor operating out of his house), so you just had hope and pray he was not out delivering somebody’s baby.

The Trauma

The trauma was about 2 miles away and about 8 minutes of driving, I no longer was breathing very normal, in fact I was gasping for every breathe and it was getting harder and harder. The fear of the last breath was becoming a reality and I knew I was getting close. My parents looks on their faces told the whole story and quite frankly, was of little help, yet they continued to calm me and to not fight, but to hold my breathing till I needed another, which now was much harder because I was getting less oxygen intake. Finally I remember my dad telling me to “Hold on”… we are at the Doctors office, and then I passed out from suffocation.   Remembering nothing of the shot, NO Epipen had not yet been created, so the poisonous snake bite serum was the anecdote. I remember how badly the injection stung and the slapping on the face. I was actually very comfortable in the subconscious world ( another article I should write) and did not want to come to. Now understanding the fear that my parents must have went through and how happy their faces were when I decided to come back. Since the Doc had told my parents I had less than a 50% chance of survival, based on the condition I was already in.

The respect of the conditions, that I might be placed in, has given me a  whole different outlook on life and a greater respect for those bees just defending their way of life. I have spent lots years learning how I might conquer this allergy, and may have . Yet I do not take any chances, if the symptoms start to occur, for little time is in my favor, I call 911 immediately.

Todays Health  Comments

Today life is too short, to take risks of a bee sting. Your life can be taken in a very few seconds if allergic. In the past, my life expectancy was about 5 minutes more or less. I now know more and my life is respected more.  I have over come some of the fear today  due to the success of the Epipen and shots of Epinephrine. Though even that has only been a stay of relief til I had reached the ER room. I think back about the near episodes of death knocking on my door, life has been traumatic at times due to these bee stings.  Life can be much healthier once you have come to understand these symptoms. Another tip is read this article….A Harmless Buzz for Some People, Deadly for Others!

Todays Health Article

February 25th, 2012

 American Heart month

In February, it is the time when the health industry tries to raise and promote heart awareness, staying fit through exercise, good nutrition,and your cholesterol levels.  Yet there have been misconceptions and lack of understanding for years, I believe decades that I truly did not fully understand what was being shoveled out. Perhaps others like myself bought into this concept as well, not really grasping the fact we were being misled, and hopefully not intentionally lied too!

The Misconception

Now you have to bear with me for a moment while I calm my composure, and write this in simplistic terms. Everywhere, I literally mean everywhere, there   are those whom are telling you…WATCH YOUR CHOLESTEROL!!!!  Continuing on, that there are either the “Bad” or the “Good”, what other choices do we have, and if it gets “TOO HIGH, LOOK OUT”, you could be at risk! We are talking about serious risk of Heart disease or perhaps death!  Now to make matters worse we have bought into this concept, and are buying drugs to lower our cholesterol when its the very nutrients that our heart needs to run effectively.