NIFTY KITCHEN GADGETS

Kitchen gadgets that might just change your life Published October 15, 2014 Let's face it; some kitchen gadgets are all hype. You see an advertisement for a handheld tool that promises to make even the most laborious cooking techniques quick and easy to accomplish, and so you purchase it in hopes that you'll eat healthier or cook more. But when you get the gadget home, it either doesn't work or isn't as useful as you thought it would be and it sits in a drawer, taking up space and reminding you of money wasted. Before you swear off kitchen gadgets altogether though, consider a few of the classics; there are some kitchen gadgets that are incredibly useful and reliable, kitchen gadgets that totally deliver on their promise to make cooking easier. One of the things to look for when you're considering purchasing a new kitchen gadget is its usefulness. In order for a kitchen gadget to be worth the money you'll spend on it and the space it will take up in your kitchen, it either has to serve multiple purposes or be meant for an ingredient or technique that you use routinely. Be wary of single-purpose kitchen gadgets like an egg slicer, for example, unless you eat a ton of boiled eggs. A gadget is also useful if it does something that another kitchen utensil cannot do easily. In the case of the egg slicer, unless you're eating large quantities of boiled eggs, you can easily cut slice an egg with a knife, eliminating the need for a special slicing tool. Similarly, you don't need a special tool to crimp the edges of empanadas or hand pies when a simple fork will do the job just as well. A gadget like a garlic press, on the other hand, is the type of kitchen tool you'll use virtually every time you cook and it is well worth the small amount of money you'll spend on it. If you're unsure which kitchen gadgets are most useful, we've rounded up eight that are super useful for anyone who cooks. 1. Garlic press iStock Possibly the greatest kitchen gadget ever invented, the garlic press minces cloves of garlic in one, easy, mess-free motion. If you use a lot of garlic in your cooking, this gadget is a major time- and flavor-saver. 2. Microplane spiral slicer iStock Whether you're trying to go gluten-free, carb-free, or are simply trying to eat more vegetables, this spiral slicer from Microplane will make cutting carrots, zucchini, cucumber, and squash into long noodle-like ribbons easy. In less than a minute you'll have a bowl full of raw vegetable "noodles" that can replace pasta or be used to make a salad. 3. Food Huggers silicone food savers YouTube/FoodHuggers If you always seem to have half of a fruit or vegetable on hand, you're probably tired of trying to fit it in to an airtight container or zipper lock bag to save the unused half. Food Huggers silicone food savers are easy to use and fit a variety of foods from halved lemons to avocados. They can also replace lost tops on glass jars! 4. Wayfair apple slicer iStock Whether you like to make apple pie or whether you have kids who love to snack on apples, this apple slicer from Wayfair.com is a must-own. It quickly and easily takes the core out of the apple and slices it into pie-perfect (or snack-perfect) slices. It even gives you the option to cut the apple into 8 or 16 slices with a simple twist of the base.

 

CAN ANDROIDS BE FAR BEHIND

Your typing style can reveal your emotions, study suggests Published October 14, 2014 While computers outperform humans in most mathematical tasks and can do complex calculations that people never could, there's one area where machines haven't quite achieved humanlike smarts: emotional intelligence. But now, a new computer program can recognize people's emotions based on how they type, paving the way for computers that could one day be smarter than humans - a concept called "the singularity. In a new study, researchers asked a small group of people to type a block of sample text, and then analyzed the keystrokes and characteristics to see if they could identify any of seven different emotional states: joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, shame or guilt. The emotions that the program recognized with the greatest degree of accuracy were joy (87 percent of the time) and anger (81 percent of the time). "If we could build any system that is intelligent enough to interact with humans that involves emotions - that is, it can detect user emotions and change its behavior accordingly - then using machines could be more effective and friendly," the researchers, from the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh, wrote in the study. The researchers noted that emotion-detecting systems could be used in applications like online teaching: An emotionally intelligent online system could change its look, teaching style or the contents of its lectures to better adapt to a particular student's emotional state, they said. In the first part of the study, 25 people, ages 15 to 40, retyped two paragraphs from Lewis Carroll's famous novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," and picked one of the emotions that they felt while they were typing: joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, shame, guilt, feeling neutral or tired. The last two options were added in case an individual did not identify with any of the original options. In the second part of the study, the researchers used software that collected text samples from users, who were prompted every 30 minutes to enter their mental state, choosing from the following possibilities: joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, shame, guilt or none of the above. In this part of the experiment, the text that the users typed did not come from a particular source assigned to them, but was collected during their regular computer use. The researchers used a special type of software that ran in the background to record all keys pressed by the users as well as the users' press and release times. The researchers then extracted 19 keystroke attributes from the collected data. Some of the attributes included typing speed in 5-second intervals and the time elapsed between when a particular key was pressed and released. To analyze the sample texts, the investigators used a standard database of words and sentences that were associated with the seven different emotional states. The newly described emotion-detecting system "does not look like a breakthrough," Myounghoon Jeon, an assistant professor of applied cognitive science at Michigan Technological University who was not involved in the study, told Live Science. "But [the researchers'] effort to integrate the existing methods looks fair, positive and promising. However, Jeon said the method of detecting emotions in text that was used in this study has some limitations. For instance, unlike speech-recognition technologies or devices used to detect facial expressions, it is based on something a person has to do, as told by someone else. Therefore, if a person is truly sad or angry, they may not be able or willing to type something they are told to type because of the emotions they are feeling. Still, the new system could be a valuable tool for online counseling sessions, Jeon said. For example, in some cultures where online counseling is particularly popular, psychiatrists may be able to estimate a patient's internal state even without the person verbally articulating it them.

 

GOOD IDEA

We can already do this with FACE TIME if your doctor will participate.

 

Google Tech Google testing service to connect patients with doctors over video chat. By Dante D'Orazio. The internet's good for many things, but it's never been a great source for medical advice. It looks like Google's testing out a new program that could change that. The new service, currently being tested with a limited number of users, connects people searching for health conditions with doctors over video chat. The feature was first revealed by a Reddit user who posted a screenshot of the service online, and Google representatives later confirmed its authenticity to Engadget . In a statement released to Gizmodo , the company explained that "When you're searching for basic health information from conditions like insomnia or food poisoning our goal is provide you with the most helpful information available. We're trying this new feature to see if it's useful to people. According to reports, the service ties into Helpouts , a marketplace where "experts" can charge to give lessons and advice over video chat. It's unclear what the future of the program is, but the wording presented in the screenshot posted to Reddit suggests that it will cost money if it progresses past the testing phase. Depending on the ease of use and the cost of the service, it could be nice option to have online. Google did not immediately return request for comment.

 

PASS THE CHEETOS PLEASE

The real reason why you binge eat By Christa Sgobba Published October 12, 2014 After you've double-fisted Cheetos, you're probably looking for an excuse to explain that empty bag. Unfortunately, you can't equate those salty snacks with a compulsion: A review from the U.K concluded that the food you eat doesn't have any addictive properties. However, you might be able to blame the way eating makes you feel. According to the review, there is no sufficient evidence to support the idea that any particular food, nutrient, ingredient, or additive--with the possible exception of caffeine--can cause changes in the brain to trigger future consumption, as is the case with substances like drugs or alcohol. So there's nothing chemical in sugar, fat, or salt that makes us need to come back for more. But food does exert a pull on us. Tasty high-caloric options like candy or pizza can motivate us to eat even when we're not hungry, said study author John Menzies. That's because we find food rewarding, and we gain pleasure from the taste and feeling of fullness that eating provides. What's beyond doubt is that humans have a sweet tooth, but it's the pleasure of eating, not the neurochemical activity of sugar, that drives this," he said. It's just like other pleasurable activities that trigger addictive-like behavior, like sex or gambling. The brain associates positive feelings with eating, which drives the desire to chow down. Do This To Control Your Overeating The good news: Because the "addiction" is related to the act of eating, not something inside your favorite snacks, you have the ability to control its belt-busting implications. And the best way to do this is to work on modifying your behavior and your environment, said Sofia Rydin-Gray, the director of behavioral health at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. You don't have to necessarily take yourself away from settings where you know you're prone to stuffing your face--like sprawled on the couch in front of Sons of Anarchy--as long as you run some snack interference first, she says. Try not to keep your trigger food readily available, because if you see it in front of you, you're more likely to automatically grab it and start chowing down, she says. Instead, ask yourself what it is about that food that starts you salivating. Then, plan out a healthier snack that includes those same attributes. Let's say your snack of choice is a big bag of chips. If it's the saltiness you're after, swap out that bottomless vat with a pre-portioned serving of salted nuts. It'll help satisfy the same craving, and portioning it out beforehand means you won't mindlessly eat more than you planned. Don't try to go from Doritos to celery sticks, though. Choosing something just because it's "healthy"--especially if it's not what you're craving and you don't even really like it--can make you feel frustrated and unsatisfied. This could trigger an emotional eating episode later on, said Rydin-Gray.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP

8 foods to help you sleep By Patricia Bannan Published October 11, 2014 According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 63 percent of Americans say their sleep needs are not being met during the week. Whether your lack of shut-eye is due to a difficult job, a stressful environment or jet lag, not getting enough quality sleep can lead to serious health problems, including depression and heart disease. But before you reach for that prescription sleep aid, take a look at what you're eating. Here are eight foods rich in sleep-inducing ingredients that can naturally help you get more z's. Fish is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that raises serotonin levels that are needed to make melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to control your sleep and wake cycles. In addition, most fish (cod, salmon, halibut, tuna, trout, and snapper) provide vitamin B6, which is also needed to make melatonin. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that participants who ate tryptophan-rich foods showed a reduction in sleepiness and sustained alertness early in the morning, most likely due to improved sleep overnight. DAIRY There may be something to that old adage that a glass of warm milk will help you sleep. Dairy products like yogurt, milk and cheese are rich in melatonin-boosting calcium, and a number of studies are finding that being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep. CHERRIES Cherries, especially the tart varieties, are one of the few food sources of melatonin, the sleep hormone that regulates your internal clock. In one small study, participants drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice in the morning, and another eight ounces in the evening, for two weeks and reported better sleeping habits. BANANAS Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of magnesium. Both minerals help to relax overstressed muscles. In addition, magnesium deficiencies are related to restless leg syndrome, which interferes with a good night's sleep. Bananas also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that has been linked to sleep quality. NUTS Nuts are rich in magnesium and also provide calcium - two minerals that help promote sleep. The unsaturated fats found in nuts also improve your serotonin levels, and the protein nuts provide can help maintain a stable blood sugar level, which helps promote sleep. HUMMUS Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), the main ingredient in hummus, are not only rich in tryptophan, but also in folate and vitamin B6. Folate helps to regulate sleep patterns, especially in older people, and vitamin B6 helps to regulate your body clock. DARK LEAFY GREENS Dark leafy green vegetables (such as spinach, Swiss chard, kale, turnip greens and collard greens) are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium - three minerals that play an important role in helping you sleep. Calcium helps the body generate melatonin, the hormone that helps your body maintain its sleep-wake rhythm. Potassium and magnesium are minerals that help relax overstressed muscles. TEA A smart, soothing beverage to drink before bedtime is an herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint. Herbal teas are naturally caffeine free and some have sleep-inducing properties. Chamomile is an herb that has been successfully used for insomnia for thousands of years, and peppermint has been shown to reduce stress and promote sleep. In addition to herbal teas, green tea contains theanine, an amino acid that helps reduce stress and promote relaxation. Choose decaf green tea so that the caffeine does not keep you awake.

 

Saturday, October 11 update

good evening everyone,
It has been a busy week as usual. Barbara and Cindy traveled most of Southern Arkansas. I had the privilege of seeing friends old and new in the village today for iPad training. My next event is October 25 in Paragould if Ms. Bonnie can arrange for the church.

November is shaping up to be a busy month! On the first we will have ipad training at the center and on the 8th.....everyone's favorite......Thanksgiving Celebration! Call Krystal to get on the list for any or all of the events. One request, if you live in the Links service area, please rely on Links for your ride. We are having huge crowds and it takes a very long time to get everyone to and from the Center.

Until tomorrow --keep smiling and count your blessings!
Dr. Janet

P.s. Happy Birthday, Sarah!

SIMPLE IDEAS WORTH MILLIONS-DO YOU HAVE ONE

Who Knew? Human Tales Behind Useful Inventions BY ALANA HOROWITZ FROM BUSINESS INSIDER Bendable Straw Sitting in his brother's soda shop, Joseph Friedman observed his daughter as she struggled to drink a milk shake through a straight paper straw. An inventor, he thought of a way to help her out and fix this drinking conundrum for good. Friedman decided to insert a screw into the straw and wrap it with floss to create a ribbed texture. When he removed the screw, the straw bent over the rim of the glass, and his daughter was able to drink her milk shake with ease. Friedman patented his idea in 1937 and founded the Flexible Straw Corporation (which was later renamed the Flex-Straw Company) in 1939. He sold the patent rights to the Maryland Cup Corporation, which now sells about 500 million of the straws every year. Upright Paper Bag In the 1860s, Margaret Knight was working in a paper-bag factory when she noticed how difficult it was to pack things into the flimsy, shapeless sacks. So she decided to invent a handy machine that folded and glued paper to make a flat-bottomed bag. Unfortunately, Knight couldn't obtain a patent until she made her very own prototype of the device out of iron. Meanwhile, Charles Annan-an employee who worked at the shop building Knight's prototype-copied her idea and got a patent for it. Knight sued Annan for copyright infringement. Annan had argued that because Knight was a woman, she couldn't have been the true inventor. But Knight's sketches won her the case. To protect her ideas, she made her own paper-bag company. Intermittent Wipers On a rainy night in 1963, engineer Robert Kearns tried to squint through the sporadic showers that blurred his windshield. In the 1960s, windshield wipers typically had two settings, high and low. If rain wasn't steady, driving could be extremely difficult. Kearns wondered why windshield wipers couldn't react like blinking human eyes and respond to all kinds of precipitation. He built a model of his idea, patented it in 1967, and sent it to the major American car companies, but none bit. However, they suddenly started to use his wipers in their cars without asking for his approval. After battling Ford, Chrysler, and other manufacturers, Kearns won more than $30 million. Pop-Top Soda Can E rnie Fraze, the owner of a machine tool company, was attending a picnic in 1959 when he realized he didn't bring a can opener, a tool necessary to open the fully sealed flat-top soft drinks that were popular in the 1950s. The result: He had to pry them open using a car bumper. Later that year, he designed a pop-top can that could be opened with a removable tab. Eventually, his company began mass-producing these cans for soft drink and brewing companies. By 1980, Fraze's company was making more than $500 million in annual revenue from his invention. Shoe Scale The son of a shoemaker, Charlie Brannock wanted to figure out the best way to measure feet and, in turn, help his father's business. The only way to determine shoe sizes in the early 1900s was by using an inaccurate wooden block. While attending Syracuse University, Brannock used a toy construction set to build a prototype of a device that accurately measured foot size. The Brannock device has since become a staple for shoe stores all over.