FOODS TO HELP YOU LOOK YOUR BEST

Food Superfoods That Enhance Your Appearance BY DORI.  BELL  

PEPPERS AND BROCCOLI Vitamin C increases production of collagen, the skin's building block. In other words, fewer fine lines around your eyes and mouth. Serving size: 1 'cup' fresh or ½ 'cup' cooked per day .  WILD SALMON Omega-3 fatty acids help the skin retain moisture, making it soft and supple. The nourishing ingredient also maintains the scalp's natural oils. Serving size: 4 to 6 ounces, 3 times per week. .  BLACKBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES Ellagic acid protects against UV rays and can help prevent wrinkles. Serving size: ½ 'cup' fresh or frozen per day.  TOMATOES Lycopene may help prevent sun damage. The potent antioxidant works best when cooked, so homemade marinara sauce and tomato soup are both great options. Serving size: Aim for at least 1 portion (about ĵ 'cup' of sauce or 4 tomato slices) 5 times per week..  DARK CHOCOLATE Cocoa flavonols improve circulation and blood flow to the scalp, delivering nutrients that may help keep it and your hair healthy. Serving size: 1 ounce or 150 calories per day.  SWEET POTATOES Beta-carotene destroys free radicals, preventing damage to skin cells. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A, which fights signs of aging. Serving size: One per day. Swap in carrots, cantaloupe, or mangoes for a comparable effect.

HAS YOUR SLEEP GONE TO THE DOGS

Family Let Sleeping Dogs Lie One exhausted pet owner defends his decision to share the bed BY BILL BAROL.  

One night in 1998, my wife and I fell asleep, our very young puppy, Mojo, on the bed between us. When we woke up the next morning and discovered there hadn't been any disastrous consequences, a thought balloon bloomed over our heads: Dog sleeps on bed. Snuggles with humans. Kind of nice. The reason I remember this: It was the last good night's sleep I ever got. There are no hard numbers on how many pet owners "co-sleep" with their animals, but two studies presented at last year's annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies confirm what any pet-loving idiot like myself can tell you: There are a lot of us, and we are walking around like zombies. One study surveyed 298 patients at a family practice clinic. About half reported sleeping with pets (more dogs than cats), and of those, 63 percent of respondents who shared a bed with a pet more than four nights a week reported poor sleep quality. I'm no sleep scientist, but these figures seem low to me. Then again, I'm usually pretty foggy. At my recent annual physical, my doctor asked me how I was sleeping. Not well, I told him. I suspected the dogs had something to do with that. "You have your dogs in the bed with you and your wife? Yes, I told him. "What kind of dogs? Labradors, I told him, hearing how ridiculous it sounded. He blinked and said incredulously, "Labradors? Plural? Yes, I said in a meek voice. That's right-my wife, Jennifer, and I share our king-size bed with 11-year-old, 60-pound Roxy and four-year-old, 55-pound Scout. (Mojo went to her reward several years ago. She was well rested.) Roxy and Scout are small as Labs go, but their lust for a good night's sleep is outsize. They don't mind colonizing a disproportionately large swath of our bed to get it. If you were to watch a time-lapse video of a night in our bedroom, you would see Roxy and Scout sprawled peacefully across the vast middle of our enormous bed, the area that would correspond to the Midwest on a map of the United States, while Jennifer clings precariously to the Atlantic seaboard and I try to avoid plummeting into the Pacific. I know this is bad for me. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School reports cheerily that "a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, [and the] ability to learn and retain information and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality. Yet night after night, my wife and I-two adults who train our dogs rigorously, insist on their good citizenship, and are otherwise firmly unsentimental about our status as pack leaders-decline to kick them out of our bed, and we wake up grouchy and stiff. As do many of the friends and acquaintances I informally polled for this story. One, who sleeps with a 25-pound wheaten, compares it to "trying to share our bed with a piano bench. Another was at least willing to do something about it. One recent night, when her two-year-old Great Dane jumped on the bed at 2 a.m., she "put up with it for about an hour. Then I moved to the couch. Don't misunderstand. I don't discount the psychological satisfaction of curling up next to a slumbering dog or, I guess, cat. Psychologist Stanley Coren cites speculation among anthropologists that human-animal co-sleeping may even be encoded in people's DNA , or animals'. It's hard to ignore the elemental comfort of Roxy's muffled snores or the whispery exhalation of Scout's breath. The sounds say the day is done and the pack is together and safe. Who am I to buck DNA ? Even if tonight, at about 3 a.m., when I'm feeling less broad-minded, I give Scout a vicious shove that doesn't wake her up. Even then, I will sleepily but deliberately act against my own physiological best interests and allow her to stay right where she is. 

 

WHAT'S IN YOUR HOUSE DUST

What the dust in your home reveals about you By Elizabeth Armstrong Moore Published August 27, 2015.  

Last year, volunteers mailed in dust samples taken from above interior and exterior door frames in 1,200 homes across the US as part of a citizen science project called Wild Life of Our Homes . Now, scientists are reporting in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B that our dust reveals a lot about who we are and where we live. There are 9,000 unique species of microbes in our dust, reports the BBC , with an average of 7,000 of those being bacterial. There are also insect parts, pollen, dead animal cells, dry wall powder, carpet fibers, and soil particles. "I don't want any readers to be paranoid about this," Noah Fierer, a microbial ecologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder said.  . "Most of the organisms are completely innocuous, and some may be beneficial. The No. 1 thing researchers can now predict about a home based on a simple analysis of dust? Whether cats or dogs live there. The type of fungi tends to be indicative of a home's geographical location, but bacteria change depending on who lives there-and that doesn't just mean what types of pets, but even whether a home is inhabited primarily by men or women. "There are some kinds of bacteria that are more common on women's bodies than on men's, and we can see the impact of that on the bacteria found in house dust," says Fierer. And while most of the fungi and bacteria are likely harmless, some could be linked to diseases and allergies, something scientists want to study further to discern how our dust specifically affects our health. (Did you know there's more dust in the world now than ever?)

Nite from Janet

Hi all!
Week two is in the bag and I am already on a countdown to May! The fall weather has been a welcome change and I can't wait until October. I think that is my favorite month, no allergies!
Krystal is preparing our last orders of the year. If you need anything please call her.

Take care.
Dr. Janet

DO YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?

Why you talk in your sleep Published August 27, 2015.  

Sleep talking can be embarrassing and even disrupt other sleepers, but most people don't even realize they're doing it. We got this email from a viewer: Dear Dr. Manny, My roommate tells me that I talk a lot in my sleep, but I don't know why. What does it mean? And what can I do to stop talking in the middle of the night? Thanks, John Research shows that sleep talking is harmless and completely normal, particularly in males and children. But for more on how to stop yourself from sleep talking, we checked in with an expert. "Stress, sleep deprivation, fevers, or alcohol can especially trigger sleep talking. Sometimes your words can relate to past events or experiences, but most often it makes no sense at all," said Dr. Shelby Harris, Psy.D, director of behavioral sleep medicine at Montefiore Medical Center. "The good news is that it usually only lasts for a short period of time. 

OOO THAT TICKLES

Why Can't You Tickle Yourself?      

If you want to probe one of the great mysteries of the human mind, all you need is a duster and your feet. Sit back, take your shoes and socks off, and gently stroke the feathers against your sole. Now ask a friend to do the same for you. If you are like most people, you will be left stone-faced by one but convulsed in ticklish agony by the other. Why? Once the domain of childhood curiosity, the question of why we can't tickle ourselves is now exciting neuroscientists. To understand their interest, consider this: Every time your body moves, it creates sensations that could potentially confuse you in all kinds of ways. Just imagine the chaos if every time one of your hands brushed your leg, you assumed that someone was fondling or attacking you. Being able to distinguish between your movement and the actions of others is therefore a central part of our sense of self and agency, aspects of the psyche that even the smartest robots can't replicate-yet. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, of University College London, was one of the first to investigate the way the brain makes these lightning-fast decisions about the self and others. She scanned subjects' brains as her colleagues tickled the palms of their hands and as the participants attempted to do so themselves. From the resulting brain activity, Blakemore concluded that whenever we move our limbs, the brain's cerebellum produces precise predictions of the body's movements and then sends a second shadow signal that damps down activity in the somatosensory cortex (where tactile feelings are processed). The result is that when we tickle ourselves, we don't feel the sensations with the same intensity as we would if they had come from someone else, and so we remain calm. Blakemore suspected there could be ways to fool the process and allow people to tickle themselves. So she designed a machine that allowed her subjects to move a stick that gently stroked a piece of foam over their palm, sometimes instantaneously and at other times with a delay of up to 200 milliseconds. It turned out that the greater the delay, the more ticklish the foam felt, perhaps because the cerebellum's predictions no longer matched what the person was actually feeling. Many others have since tried to find ways to trick the brain into tickling itself. For instance, controlling someone's foot movements with magnetic brain stimulation, so that the hand tickles the foot against the person's will, seems to do the trick. But other experiments have produced puzzling results. One study tried to give subjects an out-of-body experience before tickling them, by fitting them with video goggles that let them see from the eyes of the experimenter and by synchronizing their movements. Even with the subjects confused about which body they inhabited, they were largely unmoved when they pressed a button that tickled both bodies simultaneously. Another experiment, in which expert lucid dreamers­ tried to tickle themselves in their sleep, also failed. It may seem random, but understanding the self-tickling barrier could answer more practical questions, like why many schizophrenics can tickle themselves or whether robots ever could. "Your inability to tickle yourself suggests neurologically based definitions of self and other," writes Robert Provine of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "Developing a similar machine algorithm may lead to 'ticklish' robots [that can] distinguish touching from being touched and may provide a [new] construct of machine personhood. If so, a duster could soon provide a bizarre new test for artificial intelligence: Just aim for the robot's feet and see if it laughs.

 

HANDYMAN CHECK LIST

13 Things a Handyman Won't Tell You BY MICHELLE CROUCH.

  1. If your handyman says he can "do it all," that's a red flag. I've seen a guy who advertises on his truck that he mows grass, paints, does renovations, and builds houses. That's not the guy you want to hire. Actually, a sure sign that you can trust me is if I tell you I'm not the best person to do a particular job and give you the name of someone else. 2. Before you call me about your clogged sink or shower drain, try a plunger or a Zip-It drain-cleaning tool. Neither requires you to take anything apart, and both often do the trick in just a minute or two. 3. Offering me water or some cookies is great, but if you really want to show me hospitality, let me know that it's OK for me to use your bathroom. It's always a pain to have to jump into my truck and drive somewhere to answer nature's call. 4. The advantage of hiring a handyman from a national franchise is that he's usually screened and trained and has a boss you can complain to if there's a problem. But you may also end up with an employee who doesn't care as much about quality, and you almost always will pay a higher price. 5. Sometimes I still have to look up how to do something before I do a job (YouTube is the best!). A good handyman stays up to date on new products and trends and is always open to learning something. 6. Houses don't take care of themselves. It's on you to inspect yours at least once a year: Do you need to caulk around your windows and doors? Do you have any rotted wood? Are any shingles loose? It's a lot less expensive to hire me to address those things than to replace them after years of neglected maintenance. 7. If I'm any good, I really don't need to advertise, because I get plenty of work through word of mouth. When I started my business, I put a magnet on my truck with my phone number. After about six months, I had to take it off because I was getting too many calls. 8. I may give you a different price than the one I gave someone else for the same job. Why? Some of us charge more when we're really busy. Or if I go into a house and it's positively filthy, I'll raise the price because I don't want to work there. 9. Before you throw something out, ask whether I can repair it. I've fixed broken doors and window frames, furniture, toys, and even a medical bed. One time, my neighbor put his lawn mower out on the curb and headed to the store for a new one. I rescued and fixed it before he got home with the replacement. 10. On a budget? Ask if there is any way you can help out in exchange for a lower price. Even if you're not handy, I may reduce my rate on a big job if you can haul materials for me or if you are willing to clean up the work mess at the end of each day. 11. If a handyman asks to be paid in cash, he probably doesn't have a business bank account, or he might not be claiming all his income on his taxes. If I don't have the integrity to pay my taxes, do you think I'll have the integrity to do good work when you're not looking? 12. Sure, I would be happy to fix your sticky door or tighten that faucet now that I'm here. But don't act surprised when I charge you for it. We make a big part of our living from those "while you're here" jobs. 13. Please. Do. Something. With. The. Dog. And I don't mean lock him in the bedroom, where he'll bark all day while you're gone. See if someone can keep him for the day.  

 

GUMMY BEAR TRIVIA

Things you didn't know about gummy bears By Dan Myers Published August 24, 2015.  

Who doesn't love gummy bears? Those sticky, chewy little bear-shaped gelatin-based candies are one of the most popular treats around, and they come in a wide variety of flavors and colors. But even if you never rode the school bus without a few in your pocket, we bet that there are some things you didn't know about this tiny treat. We tend to not give much thought to the history of gummy bears, but they've actually got quite an interesting backstory. They were invented in early 1920s Germany by Hans Riegel, a confectioner from Bonn who two years prior had started the Haribo candy company. Their earliest incarnation of what Riegel dubbed Gummibären, the considerably larger Tanzbären ("dancing bears"), were inspired by the trained bears Riegel had seen over the years at European street festivals and markets. They were a success from the start, and even stayed popular during Weimar Germany's hyperinflation period by remaining very affordably priced. Eventually they shrunk to their current size and were renamed Goldbären, and today Haribo's Gold-Bears are their flagship gummy bears. Today, it's impossible to visit a corner store or candy shop without encountering several varieties of gummy bears, and they range in size from teeny-tiny to several pounds. They're made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid, and gelatin; nobody ever said that they're healthy (they're essentially just empty calories), and because they're so sticky, they may cause tooth decay. But as with any candy, moderation is best. So read on to learn how gummy bears got their name, what the flavor differences are between the main manufacturers, how they're made, what exactly jelly babies (their British equivalent) are, and the story behind the popular Disney cartoon that they inspired. Hopefully by the time you're finished you'll have a greater appreciation for this little bear-shaped candy. 1.  Their Name Was Derived From the Original Main Ingredient  The "gummy" in gummy bear comes from the original thickener used by Riegel, gum arabic (the resin of an acacia tree). He called the product Gummibären, and the name stuck. 2.  Their Popularity Sparked the Gummy Boom  All the gummy products you see today, from worms to frogs, cherries and other fruit, sharks, and even hamburgers, were inspired by the success of the original gummy bear. 3.  Haribo and Trolli Are the Largest Producers Ferrara Candy Company In the United States, Haribo gummy bears come in five flavors: raspberry (red); orange (orange); strawberry (green); pineapple (colorless); and lemon (yellow). Trolli's gummy bears are sold in the same colors, but their red is strawberry-flavored, green is lime, and colorless is grape. 4.  They're Made in a Machine Called a Starch Mogul  To produce gummy bears, the design is carved into plaster by an artist, then duplicated in a tray filled with cornstarch called a starch mogul (the shape of the gummy is stamped into the starch first). The hot liquid is then poured into the molds, and after they set, the molds are turned out and the starch is recycled. 5.  Halal Gummy Bears Are Produced in Turkey  Haribo uses animal-derived gelatin to make its gummy products, so in areas where pork can't be eaten they need to be made with bovine gelatin. In Turkey, there's a Haribo factory that does just this, making halal/kosher gummies. Some gummy bears are made with starch or pectin instead of gelatin, and so are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

 

KEEP ACTIVE-MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY

 

Study identifies nine risk factors of Alzheimer's disease Published August 21, 2015.  

 

New research  found that nine risk factors may be the cause of two-thirds of Alzheimer's cases, . The analysis of more than 300 existing studies identified the potentially fixable factors as: obesity, carotid artery narrowing, low educational attainment, depression, high blood pressure, frailty, smoking habits, high levels of amino acid homocysteine, and type 2 diabetes in the Asian population. Additionally, they found evidence that some high blood pressure treatments in the form of hormones, vitamins and drugs reduced high blood pressure. Researchers noted that their findings are purely observational, but believe that the information could aid medical professionals in guiding their patients to specific lifestyle changes to target reducing worldwide Alzheimer's cases. According to the Alzheimer's Society, the form of dementia impacts 1 in 14 people over age 65. There is currently no cure. The disease affects memory, thinking and behavior. .

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS

For seniors, any exercise may be better than none Published August 21, 2015.

  

Even 15 minutes a day of brisk walking, cycling or swimming could help older adults live longer, according to a review of past research that found any physical activity is better than none. For people over age 60, meeting current U.S. guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous exercise was linked to a 28 percent lower risk of dying over about 10 years, compared to being completely sedentary. But even lower levels of exercise were tied to a 22 percent reduction in mortality risk. "When our older patients cannot do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week because of chronic diseases, we (the 2008 guidelines) recommend them to be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow," said lead author Dr. David Hupin of the department of clinical and exercise physiology, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France.  But, Hupin's team writes in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the 150-minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise suggested in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans could be too much for some older adults, discouraging them from exercising. The authors point out that more than 60 percent of older adults don't meet that requirement. For the new study, Hupin's team looked at whether less exercise could still be beneficial. They analyzed data from past studies covering a total of 122,417 men and women between the ages of 60 and 101 in the U.S., Taiwan and Australia. The studies evaluated participants' physical activity levels and their risk of dying from any cause over about 10 years. Theyalso factored in participants' self-reported health status, physical or mental illnesses, weight, cholesterol and other details. Hupin's team standardized participants' exercise amount and intensity into units known as Metabolic Equivalent of Task, or METs, representing the amount of energy expended per minute in a specific activity. Resting expends 1 MET, moderate activity like walking uses 3 to 5.9 METs and vigorous exercise like running uses more than 6 METs. A weekly exercise "dose" was low if it totaled 1 to 499 METs, moderate at 500 to 999 METs and high if it was more than 1,000 METs. The mortality rate was 22 percent lower among people in the low METs category than among those who did no exercise at all beyond the activities of daily living. For people in the moderate METs category - which is equivalent to the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise - there were 28 percent fewer deaths compared to those with no exercise. People who expended at least 1,000 METs per week had a 35 percent lower mortality rate. The link between exercise and mortality risk was especially strong for cardiovascular disease and less so for cancer, the researchers note. Older women showed an even greater benefit from exercise than men, with their mortality risk decreasing by 32 percent compared to men's 14 percent in the low-METs category. One reason could be that women underestimated their exercise level and men overestimated theirs, the authors write. The researchers recommend 15 minutes per day of exercise based on these results, but Hupin said adults who couldn't even meet that goal would benefit by merely moving around more on a consistent basis. "Scientific evidence is now emerging to show that there may be health benefits from light physical activity and from replacing sedentary activities with light intensity activities, when the dose of (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) is held constant," Hupin said. "They must become less sedentary: cooking or working at a standing desk, rather than sitting. "Age is not an excuse to do no exercise," he said. Thomas Buford, who directs the Health Promotion Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville, said that while the study offered great examples of exercise, such as walking briskly, bicycling and swimming or gymnastics, he agreed that even increasing exercise in small bouts would help. "For each individual, they would have to be tailored depending on their physical abilities," Buford said.

Finally, it is the weekend!

Wow! I signed in to offer my wit and wisdom for the morning to find Bob and Johnye had already posted today after a great week of useful information. Please let them know how much you appreciate the hard work...and this blog is hard work....they do when helping me out. They have really stepped up and I can't give them enough credit!

Well, week one of school is in the books! Even after all these years the first day is exciting but I sure was ready for that closing bell each day! I came home the first day counting days to retirement....do you think that means I am getting old???

I am working on a project for the Feds regarding Older Blind Programs across the nation. WE HAVE THE BEST! Our people and supporters make this the great program it is but we blow the others out of the water!!!

Time to do laundry so the rat race can begin again...take care and stay healthy!
Dr. Janet

GOOD LUCK ON THIS

6 genius tips for reducing your wait time at the doctor's office By Elizabeth Renter Published August 21, 2015.

Imagine walking into your doctor's office at your appointment time and being promptly ushered into the exam room, where your physician is waiting. Now snap out of it. Most Americans accept that waiting is a part of every doctor's appointment. Recent research indicates that we're spending slightly less time in the waiting room than in years past, but the lag still reduces patient satisfaction, according to surveys. Doctors know this, but sometimes there isn't much they can do about it. You can't usually eliminate the wait, but you might be able to reduce it or at least make it useful.  Wait times are actually decreasing It might not feel this way, but doctor's office wait times are decreasing, according to a Vitals survey released earlier this year. They dropped an average of one minute, to about 19 minutes and 16 seconds, between 2014 and 2015. Of course, your location and the type of doctor you're seeing matters. Emergency doctors and pain management specialists kept patients waiting the longest- more than 24 minutes on average- and doctors across Alabama averaged wait times of more than 23 minutes.  Vitals attributes the decline to various factors: an increase in the number of urgent care centers, more personnel- such as nurse practitioners- to share the patient care responsibilities and a focus on raising patient satisfaction levels. But when you're on time or early to your appointment, even 19 minutes can seem far too long to wait. Why we wait In a 2014 survey of more than 20,000 American doctors, the Physicians Foundation found that 81 percent were at full capacity or overextended, up from 75 percent in 2012. That's true despite the fact that doctors are seeing fewer patients per day, on average: 19.5, compared with 20.1 in 2012 and 23.43 in 2008. And it's not that they aren't putting in enough time at the office. Respondents reported logging an average of 53 hours per week. One issue is that there is no way to predict how a doctor's day will unfold, says Dr. Sachin Jain, chief medical officer of Cerritos, California-based CareMore Health System. "Unpredictable situations come up- new challenging diagnoses such as cancer, social problems and behavioral health issues- that often require physicians to suspend 'sticking to a schedule' and focus on the patient in front of them," Jain says. Doctors are often notified first thing in the morning of a patient hospitalization, he adds. This becomes a priority and can throw the entire day off schedule.  Another problem: planning for patients who don't show up. To remedy this, Jain says that many practices double-book. The doctor will still stay on schedule if about half of patients are no-shows. But if everyone keeps their appointment, patients will see significant delays. Minimize your wait - or make the most of it It can't hurt to tell your doctor or the office staff if you feel you're waiting too long, but be prepared to hear that other priorities required attention, Jain says. "If the issue is really just poor practice management, then physicians should own that, too," says Jain, "and patients should really signal to them that they expect and want . You can't make your doctor move faster or prevent other patients' medical emergencies, but you can potentially minimize your wait and make the most of your time in the lobby. Here are 6 ways to reduce your wait time at the doctor's office: 1. Ask about wait times when you're looking for a new doctor. You can also ask if the clinic double-books or if they have additional medical staff, such as nurse practitioners, to reduce your wait time. 2. Consider using an urgent care center when you're in a hurry. But remember: Your insurance may not cover quicker providers at the same level as your regular physician. 3. When making an appointment, ask the receptionist at what days and times the clinic is least busy. 4. Find out how long you can expect to wait when you check in. If your wait takes longer, ask the receptionist when you might get in. This will let him or her know that you're conscious of how the doctor is valuing your time. 5. Come prepared. Print and fill out any new patient paperwork beforehand. 6. While you wait, make a list of your current medications, your symptoms and any questions you want to ask the doctor. This helps ensure your time in the exam room is used efficiently. It can be frustrating when you're on time and your doctor isn't. Rather than hoping he or she will be prompt next time, plan ahead to minimize the stress (and hopefully the length) of the waiting game, and don't be afraid to voice your concerns about significant delays. 

HELPFULL HINTS FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL

Lowering your cholesterol without medication By Dr. Manny Alvarez Published August 20, 2015.  

Medications are just one way to deal with high cholesterol. There are many other natural options to bring down your levels, too. A healthy diet without saturated fat will help decrease your LDLs, also known as the "bad" cholesterol. Here are some tips to lower your cholesterol without needing a prescription. Avoid foods like egg yolks, fatty meats and full-fat dairy products. Incorporating salmon, nuts and oatmeal into your diet can also help to lower your cholesterol naturally. Exercising is another solution. And it doesn't require being an extreme athlete or running marathons. It doesn't matter what you do, just get moving-anything that will get your heart rate pumping will help. Being overweight can contribute to high cholesterol levels. So if you drop some extra pounds-chances are, your LDLs will follow. Still not happy with your cholesterol level? You can also try supplements. But check with your doctor before you try them out. Niacin and soluble fiber can help, and studies show that artichoke leaf will do the trick as well.

WHAT DO YOU DREAM

Why your eyes dart around when dreaming By Tia Ghose Published August 18, 2015. 

The vivid, bizarre images that infuse dreams are formed when people make the darting, rapid eye movements characteristic of a certain stage of sleep, new research suggests. The findings confirm a long-held scientific hypothesis that such rapid eye movements during sleep reflect a person viewing their dream-world in the same way that they would take in a scene when awake. "There was this idea that we scan the dream image, or the mental image when we dream," said study co-author Yuval Nir, a sleep researcher and neuroscientist at 'Tel Aviv' University in Israel. "But it's been very difficult to prove it."  ] What dreams are made of  The mystery of why humans dream has long fascinated scientists and philosophers. Are dreams hints of a person's deepest, most subconscious longings, as Sigmund Freud proposed? Are they the way the brain works out real-life problems? Or are dreams the day's mental debris, which the brain sweeps up every night as a person slumbers? Yet despite years of study, scientists had few answers about this mysterious space between sleep and wakefulness. For about 60 years, researchers knew that people dreamed during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Many hypothesized that the darting of the eyes corresponded to people "seeing" images in their dreams, but there was no way to know for sure, Nir said. But then Nir and his colleagues found a unique way to test out the idea. Some people with epilepsy continue to have many seizures despite medication, and instead must have electrodes implanted in their brains. The electrodes send small electrical jolts to the parts of the brain responsible for the seizures, and often the treatment completely eliminate the seizures, Nir said. But the electrodes can also detect and record the electrical firing from individual neurons, or brain cells. Sight in sleep So Nir, Dr. Itzhak Fried, a cognitive neurophysiologist at UCLA, and their colleagues asked 19 people who were having brain implants for epilepsy if they would also be willing to have some of their brain activity recorded while they slept.  The brain recordings revealed that every time the dreamers moved their eyes, neurons in the medial temporal lobe of the brain showed a burst in activity, the researchers reported.  (. )     .  In past studies, Fried had found that the medial temporal lobe lit up when people looked at images of famous people and places, such as the Golden Gate Bridge or Jennifer Aniston; simultaneously, they also made eye movements similar to those found during REM sleep. In 2010 Fried and his colleagues published a paper in the journal Nature showing that neurons in this brain region were under voluntary, conscious control when people were awake. The new study finally confirms the long-held hypothesis that eye movements during REM sleep correspond to people visualizing imagery in their dreams, said Dr. J. Allan Hobson, a psychiatrist and sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, who was not involved in the current study. Many other parts of the brain were also active during REM sleep, and the team still isn't sure how those brain regions are involved in dreaming, Nir said. Theoretically, researchers could one day read someone's dream activity using brain-firing data, determining whether the person was visualizing, say, an adorable kitten versus a scary monster . To do that, researchers would have to record someone's brain cell-firing signals during sleep, and then wake the person up to ask about the dream that individual was having. They would also need to collect data on the brain's electrical firing signals when the person viewed those same images during wakefulness. "This is the Holy Grail that we'd like to do someday."   . "The only thing is, it's quite challenging to collect dream reports in this particular setting. After all, people undergoing brain surgery are already stressed about their health and are distracted by other concerns; waking them up in the middle of the night would be too intrusive, Nir said. Purpose of dreams? Though the study focuses on the mechanics of dreaming, it has other implications, Hobson said. "I think this data is just another nail in the coffin in the idea that dreaming is a sort of symbolic distortion of past activity," Hobson said, referring to Freudian ideas that dreams have symbolic significance that must be interpreted. Instead, because the same types of visual activity are under a person's conscious control when the individual is awake, the dream-state brain-cell firing "shows very clearly that dreaming is a form of consciousness ," Hobson said. "You might call it an altered state of consciousness, an alternative state of consciousness. As for the purpose of dreams , that is still an open question.

 

THOSE AMAZING SERVICE DOGS

Researchers make vest that gives service dogs a voice Published August 17, 2015. 

 

Georgia resident Barbara Currier is hypoglycemic, a condition that is marked by a deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream, so if her blood sugar drops unexpectedly, she will pass out. But Currier's Border Collie Blitz is trained to notice her blood sugar falling before she has an episode- usually about 30 minutes prior- to alert her to start eating.  But if Currier ever lost consciousness, Blitz wouldn't have a way of alerting medics to get her help in time- until now. Currier and Blitz are using a new technology created by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers that enables Blitz to pull a tab on his vest and alert authorities of an emergency. "They can tell the difference between this explosive and that explosive," Melody Jackson, director of the Center for BioInterface Resarch at Georgia Tech and an associate professor. They  (hearing dogs) can tell the difference between an alarm and a doorbell. But they have no means of expressing themselves. So, we're just giving them a voice. The vest, which Georgia Tech has dubbed the FIDO vest, has a voice box that says, "Excuse me, my owner needs your attention" whenever Blitz pulls a tab. In a medical emergency, Blitz may also pull a tab that automatically calls 911, or if a severe storm is en route, a hearing dog could pull a tab and send its deaf handler a warning text like, "A tornado siren just went off. We need to get to the basement.  The FIDO Project is still in the works, and researchers  are next trying to make the technology sturdy enough to withstand dogs' lifestyles. "They do lie down. They shake. They itch. They move, and they jump in and out of cars," Jackson told the news station. The finished product, however, has the potential to save lives, she said. "This could change the game for a lot of people," Jackson said. 

THE MANY FACES OF COCA-COLA

Surprising facts about Coca-Cola By Marcy Franklin Published August 14, 2015.  

It's easy to jump on the "down with big soda" train, seeing as more and more evidence links Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and their thousands upon thousands of products with obesity , aggression , and health problems galore. But did you know that back in the day, soda's leading lady, Coca-Cola, was in fact produced, and marketed, as a health tonic? Because we obviously can't get enough of soda, we took a trip down memory lane to discover just how Ameica's sugary drink of choice came to be. Coca-Cola, which was first served in 1886 (as a fountain syrup; it was first bottled in 1891), today has more than 40 percent of the market share of sodas. But the drink has a long, twisting road as to how it came to be. We got a peek at Mark Pendergast's the third edition of the book For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Definitive History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company That Makes It, that gives an in-depth picture of the cultural and societal factors that made Coca-Cola into what it was. From the "nerve tonic" it was originally sold as to the intoxicating soda it is today, Coca-Cola was eventually crowned the queen of all sodas , even amid the competition. "Coca-Cola is the world's most widely distributed single product, available (legally) in every country in the world except North Korea and Cuba," said Pendergast in a Q&A. "It is the second best-known word on Earth, after 'OK. In the vast sweep of human history, Coca-Cola has not been around that long, and no one can predict far into the future. But I do not foresee another brand becoming as iconic any time soon. We'd have to agree. We learned more than we ever thought we could about Coca-Cola's reign over the world 1.  It was invented as a medicine.  When Coca-Cola first appeared on the market in the 1880s, it was marketed "nerve tonic," made to help ease the woes of modern civilization. More and more people were displaying signs of what was called "neurasthenia," or neurotic and psychosomatic symptoms. Coca-Cola would change all that. 2.  Available in over 200 countries.  Coke is the world's most widely distributed product, and is sold in more than 200 countries - that's more countries than there are in the United Nations. 3.  It was even prescribed to "cure" addiction.  Coca-Cola, at the time, was said to cure opium and morphine addiction - and even Sigmund Freud was a believer. Freud was excited by Coca-Cola because he said it cured him of periodic depression and gave him a sex drive. That explains a lot. 4.  The name is actually pretty nutty.  Ever wondered where the "cola" part of the name came from? The kola nut, it turns out. The kola nut, found in Africa, where it had been an integral part of life for centuries, was said to have lots of medicinal effects, and the alkaloid better known as caffeine. 5.  The original formula was derived from wine.  Coca-Cola spawned from cola wine (so that cola-flavored wine "debuting" in France isn't so new, after all.) It was because of Prohibition and the temperance movement (Atlanta was one of the first dry cities in America) that promoted execs to make Coca-Cola non-alcoholic.

 

GOOD NEWS-NO STICKING COMING SOON

Google to develop wearable glucose-monitoring device Published August 14, 2015.  

Google has announced that it plans to develop a bandage-sized wearable glucose monitoring device with DexCom, a manufacturer of continuous glucose monitoring systems. . The companies say the device will be low-cost, disposable and helpful for patients with all types of diabetes. The technology also will be connected to cloud storage and provide real-time information. DexCom, which is based in San Diego, California, said the collaboration aims to create products that are significantly smaller and less costly than existing technologies. More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in four are unaware that they are affected by the disorder, in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Physical activity, diet and medication are used to manage diabetes, as well as tracking personal glucose levels. Google and Dexcom said their new product could eventually replace finger-stick glucometers used to self-monitor blood glucose. According to DexCom, the new wearable will become commercially available within the next two to three years.  

ARE YOU A HOARDER?

10 things to know about compulsive hoarding By Linda Melone Published August 13, 2015. 

You're buying things a second time because you lost the first ones you purchased. You can't fit your car in the garage because it's jam-packed with junk that you just can't bear to throw away. If this sounds like you, you probably aren't a hoarder-particularly if all you need is a long weekend and a little help to clear up your clutter. Hoarding is a serious mental illness that affects 2 to 5 percent of the population, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Not all people go to the extremes featured in hoarding reality shows, but if clutter is affecting your social life, job, family relationships, or personal safety, you could have a problem. Here's what you need to know. Hoarding starts with normal clutter It's one thing to always have a pile of mail on your kitchen counter or a messy bedroom closet (they're never big enough). It's another thing to store boxes in your oven. "When you cross that line and go from using places that are supposed to be for storage, such as closets, to filling your bathtub and dining room table with boxes, you're on your way to hoarding," said Matt Paxton, extreme cleaning specialist and TV personality on Hoarders: Family Secrets. Hoarders have good intentions Hoarders have the best of intensions and the worst follow through, said Patrick McGrath, PhD, Chicago psychotherapist.  Hoarding: Buried Alive. "They see a lawn mower on the side of the road and think, 'Oh, I can fix that,' forgetting they have 17 in their yard already. They're always getting ready to do something but never get to it.  Hoarding is often triggered by a major loss The death of a loved one, divorce, or other traumatic event-even a date gone horribly wrong-can trigger hoarding. "The hoarded stuff doesn't die, and it will never leave you," McGrath said. "So hoarders are connected to their stuff by memories. It's an emotional connection. Everything has meaning, so by tossing it out you're disrespecting it and the person connected to it. This connection often makes it extremely upsetting for the hoarder to throw things out and let them go. Hoarders suffer serious consequences Filling a house with stuff makes for many health hazards. "Fires and mold are problems, and injuries can occur when people trip and fall while making their way through little paths in their home they create," McGrath said. "In some cases a service person can't access a furnace when it dies because the hoarding takes up so much room. Hoarding also creates strained family ties when, for example, grandkids aren't allowed to visit their hoarding grandparents. "People don't understand the appeal of the hoarded items as the hoarder does," McGrath said.  Hoarding starts in adolescence Although hoarding usually doesn't manifest fully until adulthood, the seeds of hoarding are typically planted in adolescence, said Gail Gross, PhD, a nationally recognized family and child development expert.  The average age when symptoms first appear is 13, according to the APA. "There may be a genetic link to hoarding," Gross said. In fact, a 2008 study published in the journal Genes, Brain and Behavior suggests that a certain gene may lend itself to a greater susceptibility to hoarding. Hoarding symptoms also tend to run in families, according to a 2015 study.  Hoarding differs from collecting Collectors usually keep their items displayed, organized, and even wrapped and sealed, McGrath said. Hoarding is willy nilly all over the place. It also interferes with your life. A large collection of horse memorabilia, for example, that is displayed in a clean, organized way is not hoarding. But if the items start to pile up, become moldy and dirty, and end up being stashed in the bathtub, that's hoarding, McGrath said. There's no organization to the clutter, which is often stacked precariously or tossed into piles.  Hoarding is its own mental illness Initially thought of as a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding is now considered a separate affliction on its own, McGrath said. Known as "hoarding disorder," hoarding affects a person's ability to maintain relationships, hold down a job, and function normally in general. Hoarders are often indecisive, prone to procrastination and perfectionism, disorganized, and easily distracted, which can contribute to the overall severity of the hoarding. Hoarders become socially isolated If a loved one stops inviting you over to their home, they could be embarrassed by the clutter. "They may meet you at the end of the driveway but not allow you to come inside," Paxton said. "Sometimes you can look toward the top of the windows and see boxes and other items stacked up. There may be no place to sit or visit comfortably. In addition, children of hoarders often won't bring home friends because the mess embarrasses them. Hoarding is not about monetary value It's never about the monetary worth or value of the item itself, Paxton said. "It doesn't matter what it's worth, it's about control. We've found everything from famous artwork to $18,000 in cash in a rat's nest to piles of used diapers. On some level, hoarders believe that these items will serve them in the future, Gross said. "They feel less anxious and more comfortable by possessing them. In fact, just the thought of eliminating or clearing the clutter creates anxiety, stress, and dysfunction. Overcoming hoarding requires therapy Aside from a temporarily cleaner home, hiring a crew to clear out a hoarder's house will do nothing for the person in the long term. In fact, taking things away will only backfire. "Many hoarders experience a subset of problems that tend to get worse over the years, such as alcohol and drug abuse or anxiety," Gross said. "Cognitive behavioral therapy is most successful, especially when incorporated with medication if necessary. This approach enables hoarders to lower their stress and anxiety and eventually learn to let go of unneeded objects and clutter. "Through behavior modification and cognitive behavioral therapy, hoarders can give voice to their depression, stress, or anxiety while helping to find healthy ways to reduce their stress, relax, and self manage the hoarding," Gross said. 

 

A beautiful Arkansas Saturday

Good morning everyone,
A beautiful Arkansas morning is shaping up in my world. I love the lower humidity but remember it will still be very warm later this afternoon. Children return to school on Monday  so WalMart will be calmer on Monday and my world will be louder!

The cookbook is shaping up. Thanks to all who have contributed. We still need recipes from a few specific areas which I will post soon.

Have a great day and help someone!
Dr. Janet

ARE YOU WASTING MONEY?

Ways you're wasting money at the supermarket By Dan Myers Published August 13, 2015.          

Visiting your local supermarket is like running a gauntlet of temptation. It's so easy to see something that you didn't even realize you wanted and put it in your cart without thinking about it. But if you're not careful, you can end up spending a whole lot more money than you were planning to. Supermarkets are engineered to get us to spend as much money as possible, and they do a very good job of it. They put pricier items literally front and center; brands pay a lot of money to be positioned at the "endcaps" of aisles, where more people will see them. Pricier items are positioned right at eye level, while less-expensive alternatives are usually down at the bottom of the shelf. And while milk and eggs are usually at the back of the store because that's the area closest to the loading docks, stores are also well aware of the fact that they're making you walk through the entire store (and be exposed to thousands of tempting items) just to find the staples. If you're trying to save money at the supermarket, keep in mind that supermarkets are specifically designed for the exact opposite of that; they don't want you to try to save money, because if you did, they'd go out of business. Even the coupons are intended to get you to spend more: If you spend $2.99 instead of $3.99 on a pack of hot dogs you wouldn't have otherwise purchased, that's still three bucks you wouldn't have spent without that coupon. They're also banking on the hope that you'll make impulse buys -which is why gum, candy, and magazines are there for the taking while you wait your turn to check out. So don't forget that supermarkets work really hard to get you to waste money. But with a little bit of knowledge, will power, and planning, you can beat them at their own game and not spend a penny more than you need to. 1.  By Going to the Store Hungry  It's been proven that when we food-shop on an empty stomach, we're more likely to buy unnecessary things. Hunger is a great motivator, and it also gives you eyes that are bigger than your stomach. Shop on a full belly and you'll be more likely to stick to your list. 2.  By Bringing Your Kids iStock Dovetailing on the above tip, if you bring your kids with you to the supermarket, you'll be far more likely to make impulse buys. When kids see something that they want, they don't give up until they get it, and in many cases it's easier to just spend the few extra bucks to make them happy than to deal with nagging. Either become a master at saying no, or leave the kiddies at home. 3.  By Not Making a List...or Not Sticking to It  The easiest way to keep from going overboard at the supermarket is to take a full inventory of your kitchen, make a list of the items that you need, and write them down. When you're at the supermarket, make it your goal to not buy anything that's not on your list, as tempting as it might be. 4.  By Buying Name Brands AP File Photo For most food items, the generic stuff is just as good as the name brands - and a whole lot cheaper. Sure, the taste might not be identical, but you'd be surprised by the quality of a lot of generic or store-brand foods. Even if it's just 50 cents cheaper, the pennies add up. 5.  By Buying Pre-Cut Produce  It may save you a couple minutes of slicing and dicing to buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables in their neat little containers, but the added convenience will cost you several dollars more than buying them whole. Also, once produce is sliced, it immediately begins to break down, so if you buy your produce whole you'll save money and end up with a higher-quality product. Use the opportunity to practice your knife skills! 

 

SMILE BIG

5 foods that brighten your smile By Tanya Zuckerbrot Published August 11, 2015. 

Check out these foods that do double duty by naturally cleaning and whitening teeth: Strawberries This ruby red fruit contains malic acid, an enzyme and natural astringent that helps remove surface stains from tooth enamel. Strawberries are a healthy snack, of course, but for more tooth-whitening power try adding some mashed berries to your toothbrush before scrubbing. Follow with a baking soda and water rinse to flush away any acidic residue. Carrots In addition to their crunchy and abrasive texture, carrots also stimulate saliva production, which helps prevent plaque build-up. According to a study published in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, saliva works like a wound-healing disinfectant, breaking down food particles left in the mouth while cleaning food and dead cells from the teeth's surface and gums. Carrots also neutralize acid in the mouth, which aids in the regeneration of tooth enamel. Coconut Oil Brushing, oil pulling, and rinsing your teeth with coconut oil can ensure pearly white teeth. The lauric acid in coconut oil naturally whitens, while its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties help fight plaque formation and gingivitis. Seed & Nuts Thanks to their coarse, crunchy texture and high fiber content, seeds and nuts are great for removing plaque and surface stains. They're also rich in protein and calcium, which promote strong teeth, gums, and bones. While sesame seeds scrub away at plaque, nuts like cashews also contain saliva-stimulating nutrients that help prevent build-up of plaque and enamel-eroding bacteria. Baking Soda Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is one of the active ingredients often used in commercial teeth whiteners and toothpastes. It naturally removes surface stains while reducing plaque and bacteria that cause bad breath. Brushing your teeth with baking soda is simple: Dip your wet toothbrush in some powder and brush thoroughly for about two minutes before rinsing with water. For a fresh minty aftertaste, mix the baking soda with 2-3 drops of mint essential oil.

MORE THAT JUST FOR BAR-B-Q

What's the deal with activated charcoal? By Cynthia Sass,  Published August 08, 2015.  

Throughout my career I've seen dozens of supplements come and go in terms of trendiness, from herbs and amino acids, to antioxidants and extracts. A few years ago it was raspberry ketones and green coffee bean extract (remember the Dr. Oz controversy?) , but more recently detox teas and now activated charcoal seem to be popping up as the latest natural remedies. Early on in my career I worked in a hospital, as well as a substance abuse rehabilitation center, so I am familiar with the medicinal use of activated charcoal. Similar to common charcoal for your grill, activated charcoal is typically made from peat, coal, wood, or coconut shells, treated in a way that makes it very porous, or "activated. It's used commonly in emergency rooms to treat poisoning and drug overdoses due to its ability to "trap" chemicals and prevent them from being absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood. Apparently health enthusiasts theorized that if activated charcoal can "soak up" dangerous substances, perhaps it should be used routinely, as a way to cleanse the body of other toxins we're exposed to like pesticides and chemicals in food packaging. Sounds logical, right?  It does to a legion of juice drinkers out there: After Juice Generation started adding two teaspoons of the stuff to it's concoctions, juices with activated charcoal became the company's best-selling line. There are also myriad activated charcoal supplements you can buy online, promising to help with gas, and some people are even using it to whiten their teeth. Unfortunately, though, it's not that simple. Here are three things you should know about activated charcoal before reaching for it. Activated charcoal can bind to beneficial substances too Activated charcoal doesn't distinguish between wanted and unwanted substances. That means it can also bind to nutrients, including vitamin C and B vitamins, as well as other dietary supplements, and prescription medications, preventing them from getting into your bloodstream.  In other words drinking it in juice, for example, may actually make the produce you're gulping less healthy in some ways, not more. The most important thing to remember about anything claiming a "detoxifying" benefit is that your body is equipped with a liver, kidneys, lungs, and digestive system, which work around the clock to perform "detoxing" functions. If you want to help them out, the best things you can do are to drink plenty of water, eat foods that naturally enhance your body's ability to "detox," such as beets, ginger, turmeric, and cruciferous veggies (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale), and not consume artificial additives and processed foods. Activated charcoal can actually cause digestive distress The use of activated charcoal to help with gas isn't well studied and the research is conflicting, but it has also been known to cause nausea and vomiting. It can also trigger constipation, slow the movement of food or waste through the digestive system, or even lead to a serious intestinal blockage. And one recent report from George Washington University suspects that activated charcoal may have caused colitis (inflammation in the colon) in one patient who repeatedly used it to detoxify his body on his own. In other words, it's unclear how it will affect you individually.  There is no known safe dosage Because activated charcoal is not routinely used preventatively, studies haven't been conducted about its long-term effectiveness, or safety, much less an optimal amount to take. So while it may seem beneficial and benign, you could be harming your health in ways we don't yet understand. Bottom line: activated charcoal has been used as medicine for years in emergencies. And some physicians may recommend it to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy or long-term dialysis. However, more research is needed in both of these areas, and in my opinion it's too early to embrace as a home remedy or everyday wellness strategy. 

 

Tuesday news

Good morning everyone,
Looks like another hot day so please stay cool, stay in and stay hydrated. Just a reminder, I go back to school today so please leave me a message if you call during the day. You may reach Krystal, Barbara and Cindy during the day.

Have a great day!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

DON'T PUT THAT IN THE DISHWASHER

Kitchen items you should never put in the dishwasher By Sheela Prakash Published August 07, 2015.         

The beauty of a dishwasher is that you can just toss everything in it after dinner, let it run, and sit back and relax, right? Unfortunately, that's not exactly the case. The rough cycle that gets your plates and bowls sparkling clean can do some kitchen equipment more harm than good, potentially ruining them. Keep these items out of dishwasher and hand wash them instead: 1.  Wooden (and bamboo) everything  Keep those cutting boards, spoons, and big salad bowls out of the dishwasher-the hot, wet environment of a cycle can be extremely damaging. Prolonged exposure to water (especially hot water) can make wood and bamboo warp or crack. It'll also strip off its protective layer of oil and open up the grain so that it not only looks less lovely, it feels rough to the touch. . 2.  Cast Iron  Washing your skillet in the dishwasher can not only cause it to rust, it will also remove it's precious seasoning that prevents food from sticking. 3.  Good cutting knives  It's fine to throw your butter knives in there, but keep that chef's knife or any other good quality knives out of the silverware basket. The dishwasher can dull those knives faster than hand washing can. 4.  Anything insulated  Want that travel mug to keep your coffee hot? Wash it by hand. The vacuum seal between the inner and outer shell can break and the space can even fill with water when it's is washed in the dishwasher. 5.  Aluminum  You may think you're being clever by throwing the aluminum tray you used to bake a potluck lasagna in right in the dishwasher to clean it and reuse it, but unfortunately you're not. Since the containers are lightweight, they can bump around in the machine and leave black marks on the other items in there. The same goes for any aluminum cookware you may own. 6.  Copper  If you own anything made of copper, strictly hand wash it-dishwasher detergent is more powerful than regular dish soap and can discolor it. 

Happy Sunday!

Good morning all,
Looks like it will be s warm day--please take care, wear loose clothing, stay hydrated and keep smiling! Thanks so much to Bob and Johnye for helping me with the blog. The least I can do is give them a break. Tomorrow, I will meet with Sarah and we will decide how to proceed on the cookbook. It is beginning to come together and is very exciting.
Have a great day!
Dr. Janet

Paragould update

Good evening all,
We are back from a fun trip, long day in Paragould. We had a great time, good food, fellowship and lots of information exchanged. Someone said it was information overload! A special thanks to Dr. Boehm for surviving the ride on my car (I took the Cash to Bono dirt road short cut!) --he politely suggested I stay on paved roads coming home. It was a great day and I look forward to seeing every again real soon.
Stay healthy,
Dr. Janet

YOU MIGHT HAVE THE SOLUTION AROUND THE HOUSE

6 homemade remedies for common illnesses By Lacie Glover Published August 05, 2015.  

Going to the doctor can be a hassle and an expense that simply doesn't seem worth it when you have a mild or moderate problem. And it can be tempting to find alternative remedies for what ails you online, but beware. "You have to be careful with home remedies because they're usually not supported by controlled research," says Dr. Raymond Casciari, retired chief medical officer at St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, California. Methods like buttering a sunburn or smothering head lice with mayonnaise, for example, simply do not work. Feeding a cold, even when you're overfeeding it vitamin C supplements, isn't supported by science, either. And of course, chronic or life-threatening conditions are complex and should be treated only by a licensed clinician.  a few home remedies are backed up by research, however, and others have so much anecdotal evidence that they're safe to trust, Casciari says. Try these 6 do-it-yourself ideas to ease your discomfort - and the potential hit to your wallet: 1.) Chewing gum for heartburn If you get a fiery feeling in your throat after eating a fatty meal, keep a stick of chewing gum handy. In three separate studies since 2001, scientists have directly measured a reduction in acid reflux in subjects who chewed sugar-free gum after a meal designed to give them heartburn versus those who didn't. "The saliva you secrete when chewing gum really has a calming effect on acid reflux," says Casciari. That explanation also is supported by the researchers who conducted the study.  2.) Oatmeal or cucumber for skin irritation Oats have anti-inflammatory compounds that are effective when applied directly to the skin. "This is one of the better-known treatments for poison ivy or irritated skin," says Casciari, and it also helps some people with itching due to eczema. Add a 'cup' of finely ground oats to a warm bath. A lesser-known remedy for sunburn pain is cucumber, but you'll need a food processor. After turning a cucumber into paste, apply it to sunburned skin. "It will have an immediate calming and cooling effect," says Casciari, who says to leave it on just until it dries.  3.) Ginger for motion sickness If you're prone to motion sickness, ginger root can relieve your symptoms. In a small study published in the American Journal of Physiology, researchers induced nausea by spinning subjects in a large drum after a heavy meal and by injecting vasopressin, a hormone that can cause nausea. Ginger helped ease the nausea of the subjects who were spun but had no effect on nausea induced by vasopressin. Even though the study was small, Casciari says this remedy works. "I use ginger all the time because I tend to get air and sea sick, and I find it's really effective," he says. He suggests drinking ginger ale, eating a ginger candy, or dissolving a teaspoon of ginger powder in a 'cup' of water or tea. 4.) Saltwater for sinus congestion If you use over-the-counter meds for sinus congestion, you may be able to get the same relief for a lot less money.  Nasal irrigation with a saltwater solution relieved the symptoms of sinus congestion and improves sinus-related quality of life. To clear your sinuses with saltwater, use half a teaspoon of salt for every 8 ounces of warm water. You can use a neti pot or a squeeze bottle to pour the solution into your nostrils while leaning over a sink to catch the drainage.  5.) Apple cider vinegar for nail fungus or acne "Apple cider vinegar is an interesting thing- it's an antibiotic," Cascari says. While he says it has several applications, the most effective one may be for nail fungus. To treat fungus, soak toes or fingers in apple cider vinegar for 20 minutes twice a day until symptoms resolve. You can also use apple cider vinegar to combat acne. "It has astringent properties and kills the bacteria on your skin," Casciari says. "It also shrinks down the blood vessels around the acne," he adds, which makes the bump smaller. Soak a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar, and apply it to affected skin after washing. 6.) Tart cherry juice for insomnia Consuming montmorency cherry juice increases melatonin levels in the body.  Melatonin is a hormone instrumental in sleep regulation, and subjects in a  study saw significant increases in sleep time and quality. The most significant effect of the tart cherry juice, which was also found in a 2009 industry-funded study, was reducing the amount of time it took participants to fall asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try drinking a serving of tart cherry juice that lists montmorency cherries in the ingredients. Hopefully, you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time. 

 

Friday update

Good morning everyone,
Hope you are all staying cool in this brutal heat! Remember to drink plenty of fluids! Ihave a busy day scheduled with the WSB board meeting this afternoon and our trip to Paragould tomorrow. Anxious to catch up with my Greene County friends. That is always one of my favorite places to visit.

Take care and stay cool!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Vacation is over......

Good morning all,
The wonderful beach vacation is over and it is time to get back to reality! Hopefully I recharged my batteries enough to push me thru to the Christmas Break. We have lots going on in our Older Blind Program. Saturday Dr. Boehm and I will be in Paragould. Come have lunch with us and visit! We will be at 3rd and Meuller Church of Christ from 11-2.  See you there...
Until tomorrow,
Dr.  Janet

GUIDELINES FOR DISPOSING OF UNWANTED ITEMS

5 things that don't belong in the trash. 

 

So you've finally committed to decluttering and have even done the hard work of gathering everything that you no longer need or want. Here is a guide for safely getting rid of five perplexing items. Paint Water-based, latex paint can be dried out at home and put in regular household trash. Larger amounts require combining the unused paint with absorbent materials such as cat litter or sand. Oil-based paint is considered household hazardous waste and should never be thrown in the trash, even if it is dry. Instead, take oil-based paints to your local hazardous waste facility for proper disposal. Medication Many of us have been told that it's OK to flush unused or expired medication. Although that method of disposal is safe for some medications, there are better alternatives. Medicine "take-back" programs provide one easy solution and are often held multiple times throughout the year. Check the website of your local law enforcement agency for dates. The site earth911.com recommends putting medication into a sealable plastic bag and adding water to dissolve the pills; add coffee grounds, kitty litter, sawdust or anything else unpalatable to prevent a child or a pet from being tempted by the contents. Seal it and throw it in the trash. Household cleaning The best and most effective way to dispose of household cleaning supplies and chemicals is to use them or give them to someone who can. If neither is possible, it is safe to put most common household cleaners -- such as water-soluble gels, liquids or powders -- down the drain mixed with water. VHS tapes, cassettes, CDs, DVDs There are increasingly fewer options for donating VHS tapes and no real options for donating cassette tapes, so one option is to take them to your local dump. DVDs and CDs can still usually be donated to your local library or hospital, but call to confirm that the facility wants them before making a trip. Batteries Every state but California allows you to put single-use alkaline batteries in the trash, but they are recyclable, and most local recycling facilities accept them. Rechargeable batteries must be recycled. They can be taken to your local waste facility or to a Best Buy -- the stores accept rechargeable batteries weighing less than 10 pounds, as well as laptop batteries, battery backups and cellphone batteries. Small "button cells" such as those found in hearing aids and watches contain silver oxide and mercury and must also be recycled. They can be taken to your local recycling facility, or Batteries Plus store. 

ARE YOU CONSIDERING A PLANT BASED DIET?

Reap the benefits of a vegetarian diet- without ditching meat entirely By Dr. Jennifer Landa

Published August 03, 2015.  

 

) Last month, a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine showed that vegetarian diets result in more weight loss than non-vegetarian diets. While the study is new, we've known for a while that vegetarians may experience a variety of health benefits, including reduced risk of hypertension and diabetes. Just a few months ago, the JAMA Internal Medicine reported that a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, and studies have shown that it can even lower your chances of getting cardiovascular disease . But does this mean that going vegetarian automatically makes you healthier than a meat eater? Not necessarily. While you can never go wrong with eating more vegetables, a vegetarian diet may or may not be for you. I once tried going completely vegan, and it made me feel physically weak, but Venus Williams sticks to a raw vegan diet and does great on it. I'm not here to tell you that you should or should not be a vegetarian, but I will tell you that it's essential to follow a diet that is right for your body. Whether you're like me and don't want to nix the meat completely or you feel better on a vegetarian diet, there are ways to better your eating habits so that you can have greater shot at getting those health benefits that vegetarians have the potential to enjoy. Here's how: Big plates, right portions. Vegetables are packed with nutrients and fiber, and they're good for your health all around. A lot of people think that to lose weight you need to eat less food, but vegetables are a great substitute if you're someone who likes to eat larger portions. You don't need to gorge yourself on them, but they make great snacks and even better main courses. Get a big dinner plate and load three-quarters of it with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower - whatever your preference, and leave the leftover quarter for your protein. By the end, you'll still feel full and will have gotten at least one-third of your daily veggies, which is a portion you should aim to get at every meal. Swap out meat for plant-based protein three times a week. Rather than eating meat or fish every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, look for alternative plant-based protein sources for at least two or three nights a week. Quinoa, a grain-like seed that's packed with protein, has become increasingly popular and pairs nicely with vegetables. Edamame, which are immature soybeans, can be eaten as a snack or a main dish. Lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, and nutritional yeast (also a great source of B vitamins) are also a great way to add protein to a meal. And even eggs in a breakfast sandwich can be substituted for sausage or ham. Don't become a "pastatarian" Going vegetarian by no means guarantees better health- but that depends on how you go about it. Many people gain weight by becoming "pastatarians," meaning they cut out meat but mainly consume pasta and bread. If you're going to go vegetarian for health reasons, don't go into it thinking you're just "not eating meat. Instead, go into it with the mindset that you're choosing healthier, plant-based options. Whether you're vegetarian or a meat eater, your meals and snacks should include lots of bright, colorful veggies. Be smart about how you eradicate meat from your diet (if you choose to do so), and make simple changes that incorporate more vegetables and plant-based proteins into your meals. By doing so, you'll enjoy better health and decreased risk of disease. 

MORE GOOD ADVICE FOR DIABETICS

Skipping breakfast may be bad for diabetics Published July 29, 2015.  

People with type 2 diabetes who skip breakfast and fast until noon may have blood sugar spikes throughout the day, a small study suggests. When 22 patients with type 2 diabetes missed their morning meal, they had higher-than-usual surges in blood sugar after lunch and dinner, the study found. Skipping breakfast was also linked to less efficient processing of glucose by the body, or a reduced ability to convert blood sugar into energy. The researchers had expected that skipping breakfast wouldn't be healthy. But they were surprised at the extent to which glucose metabolism suffered, simply because participants hadn't eaten breakfast, said Daniela Jakubowicz of 'Tel Aviv' University. "This means reducing the amount of starch and sugars in lunch and dinner will have no effect on reducing elevated glucose levels if patients also skip breakfast," she said. . Globally, about one in 10 adults have diabetes, according to the World Health Organization. Like the patients in this study, most have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and aging and occurs when the body can't make or process enough of the hormone insulin. Previous research has linked skipping breakfast to an increased risk for weight gain and diabetes, Jakubowicz and colleagues note. The current study involved 12 men and 10 women who were about 57 years old on average, and overweight. On test days, patients were asked to fast overnight, then come to the clinic for blood tests and either two or three meals, depending on which part of the experiment they were completing. Participants consumed the same balanced meal with the same number of calories for lunch and dinner. Two to four weeks later, they repeated the process, but switching to either eat or skip breakfast - whatever they hadn't done in the first phase. On test days when patients skipped breakfast, their blood sugar was 40 percent higher after lunch and 25 percent higher after dinner than on the days when they had three meals. Skipping breakfast may have made it difficult for the pancreas to produce the right amount of insulin to properly control blood sugar, Jakubowicz said. Normally, beta cells in the pancreas release insulin in response to elevated levels of sugar in the blood. Missing the morning meal may cause the beta cells to "forget their vital role," she said, delaying the release of insulin and allowing blood sugar levels to remain high for longer periods of time after lunch and dinner. Because the study only included people with diabetes, it's not clear whether healthy people would experience similar blood sugar spikes after skipping breakfast, the researchers acknowledge. It's also unclear how long the blood sugar spikes might last. It's also possible that the last meal the night before might influence blood sugar the following day regardless of whether or not they ate breakfast, said Tanya Zilberter, a researcher in metabolic diseases with the Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes in Marseille, France. A late dinner might lead to high blood sugar the next day, Zilberter, who wasn't involved in the study, said.  "It might be that the duration of the overnight fast matters more than the timing of the first meal of the day," Zilberter said. 

 

A LITTLE HUMOR TO START YOUR WEEK

Men Are Just Happier People –

 

What do you expect from such simple creatures?

 

Your last name stays put.

The garage is all yours.

Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack...

You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.

You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.

You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay.

Wrinkles add character.

Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

You know stuff about tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

If someone forgets to invite you,

He or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.

Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, even decades.

You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.

One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.

You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.

You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives

On December 24 in 25 minutes.

___________________________________

NICKNAMES

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

  

If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

 

EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50.

None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

 

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators... YEP!!!

 

MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

 

BATHROOMS

A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.

The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

 

ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

 

FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

 

MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

 

DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

 

NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

 

OFFSPRING

Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends,

favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

 

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!