Helpful spices

5 spices to keep in your medicine cabinet
By Jacqueline Silvestri Banks Published June 03, 2014 FoxNews.com

Our kitchen cabinets are filled with spices, yet we tend to take them for granted. Spices can do a lot more than flavor your dinner. Some spices can help reduce inflammation, stop a bloody nose, or soothe an achy stomach. Here are some super spices that pack more health benefits than you might have known.

Turmeric
Lovingly referred to as the "queen of spices," turmeric boasts antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is what makes this spice so special and turmeric happens to be one of the only readily available, edible forms of it.

A 2007 study also showed curcumin to have anticancer properties, with the potential to fight malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease. Since it tends to lose its punch fairly quickly, make sure you buy this spice in small quantities or opt for fresh turmeric root. Turmeric goes well in lentil dishes, curried chicken salads, or over a green salad and adds extra healing power to homemade chicken soup when you're under the weather.

Cinnamon
According the American Diabetes Association, regular consumption of between one and six grams of cinnamon helps reduce blood glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It can also help manage short-term spikes in blood sugar, making it a perfect addition for high carbohydrate foods such as oatmeal and rice pudding, which tend to spike blood sugar levels. Cinnamon also contains strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties making it an excellent addition when trying to fight a cold. Besides adding it to your food, try sprinkling some in your coffee or even using it in a face mask combined with a little coconut oil to help fight acne.

Cayenne pepper
This powerful spice has been used as a healing spice throughout history. Capsaicin, which gives the spice its kick, can boost metabolism, helping to burn extra calories as well as increasing enzyme production. It is thought to act as an anti-inflammatory and is so powerful that capsaicin can be found as the active ingredient in both over the counter and prescription ointments for arthritis and muscle pain. Using this spice regularly can add some kick and anti-inflammatory benefits to your diet. It's also the best spice to keep on hand if you frequently get nosebleeds - one teaspoon of cayenne pepper mixed into a glass of water is believed by some to help stop nosebleeds.

Ginger
While best known to help soothe a queasy stomach, ginger is also thought to help reduce pain and inflammation thanks to gingerol - a chemical found in ginger. If you suffer from arthritis, frequent migraines or menstrual cramps, adding some ginger to your diet just might help reduce the pain. Fresh ginger is more potent than the powdered variety and it makes a delicious addition to herbal teas and baked goods and can even be added to fruit or vegetable juices. Or try making your own ginger oil to treat achy muscles by mixing a few spoonfuls of ginger with sweet almond oil.

Cloves
This is the best spice to have on hand if you tend to suffer from frequent toothaches. All you have to do is put a few whole cloves in your mouth, then gently bite on them to release the oils and move them around to your sore teeth. According to Ayurvedic medicine, clove tea can help reduce, or even prevent, colds while also working as a natural expectorant to get rid of excess phlegm. While generally safe when used daily, taking some of these spices in very large dosages can have negative side effects. Always check with your doctor before using medicinal quantities of spices so you can find a safe amount for your needs.

Jacqueline Banks is a certified holistic health counselor and busy mother. Her focus is on helping other busy moms in all stages of motherhood keep themselves and their little ones healthy and happy. She uses natural and organic solutions to solve individual health problems and promote clean living. Check out her website at www.jbholistic.com.

Words of wisdom

Words of Lasting Interest

Why We Forgive

Anger may be justified, but "getting even" won't make you feel better BY DESMOND TUTU FROM THE BOOK OF FORGIVING

There were so many nights when I, as a young boy, had to watch helplessly as my father verbally and physically abused my mother. I can still recall the smell of alcohol, see the fear in my mother's eyes, and feel the hopeless despair that comes when we see people we love hurting each other in incomprehensible ways. I would not wish that experience on anyone, especially not a child. If I dwell in those memories, I can feel myself wanting to hurt my father back, in the same ways he hurt my mother and in ways of which I was incapable as a small boy. I see my mother's face and I see this gentle human being whom I loved so very much and who did nothing to deserve the pain inflicted upon her. When I recall this story, I realize how difficult the process of forgiving truly is. Intellectually, I know my father caused pain because he was in pain. Spiritually, I know my faith tells me my father deserves to be forgiven as God forgives us all. But it is still difficult. The traumas we have witnessed or experienced live on in our memories. Even years later they can cause us fresh pain each time we recall them. Are you hurt and suffering? Is the injury new, or is it an old, unhealed wound? Know that what was done to you was wrong, unfair, and undeserved. You are right to be outraged. And it is perfectly normal to want to hurt back when you have been hurt. But hurting back rarely satisfies. We think it will, but it doesn't. If I slap you after you slap me, it does not lessen the sting I feel on my own face, nor does it diminish my sadness as to the fact you have struck me. Retaliation gives, at best, only momentary respite from our emotional pain. The only way to experience healing and peace is to forgive. Until we can forgive, we remain locked in our pain and locked out of the possibility of experiencing healing and freedom, locked out of the possibility of being at peace. Without forgiveness, we remain tethered to the person who harmed us. We are bound with chains of bitterness, tied together, trapped. Until we can forgive the person who harmed us, that person will hold the keys to our happiness; that person will be our jailor. When we forgive, we take back control of our own fate and our feelings. We become our own liberators. Forgiveness, in other words, is the best form of self-interest. This is true both spiritually and scientifically. We don't forgive to help the other person. We don't forgive for others. We forgive for ourselves. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. He served as chair of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. THE BOOK OF FORGIVING , BY DESMOND TUTU AND MPHO TUTU, COPYRIGHT © BY DESMOND TUTU AND MPHO TUTU, IS PUBLISHED BY HARPERCOLLINS AT $25.99, HARPERCOLLINS.COM.

Thanks Roy for this gem!

A woman was flying from Seattle to San Francisco.

Unexpectedly, the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the

way. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay,

and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft the

plane would re-board in 50 minutes.. Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind. A man had noticed her as he walked by and could tell the

lady was blind because her guide dog lay quietly underneath

the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight. He could also tell she had flown this very flight before

because the pilot approached her, and Calling her by name, said, "Kathy, we are in

Sacramento for almost an

hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your

legs?" The blind lady said, "No thanks, but maybe Buddy would like to

stretch his legs." Picture this:

All the people in the

gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up

and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a guide dog for

the blind! Even worse, the pilot was wearing sunglasses

!People scattered. They not only

tried to change planes, but they were trying to change

airlines! True story..... Have a great day and remember.... THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR ..A

DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER IS A DAY

WASTED!!!"In a time of universal

deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion."

- George Orwell

Great article about prescriptions

Why you've never heard of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the US
By Lacie Glover Published June 04, 2014 NerdWallet

Pharmaceuticals are big business in the United States-in 2013 alone, spending reached $329 billion-but the driving force isn't common medications. In fact, none of the 25 most commonly prescribed medications even crack the top 25 highest-grossing drugs. That's because the highest-grossing drugs are all name brands, and the most commonly prescribed drugs are generics.

When possible, many doctors will prescribe generic drugs so that their patients can afford the medications they need. This is important because the high cost of drugs is a common reason patients decide not to take medications, even though proper adherence to many drugs can add years to a patient's life. Generic drugs are cheaper because the companies manufacturing them don't have to pay for research, patents or advertising. The reason not all drugs have generic versions is because the company that invents the drug and sells it under a brand name has exclusivity to sell it for three to seven years.

The most common prescriptions are for antihypertensives, or blood pressure medications, accounting for 698 million prescriptions in 2013. Mental health drugs were next with 519 million scripts, while pain medications accounted for 477 million.

Below are the top five dispensed individual prescription drugs: 1. Hydrocodone/acetaminophen is the most popular narcotic painkiller in the nation, and is the generic version of Vicodin. It is usually indicated for moderate to severe pain, and can be addictive. 2. Levothyroxine is a synthetic thyroid hormone that is usually prescribed to treat hypothyroidism. Sometimes it is prescribed off-label for other thyroid disorders, such as enlarged thyroid and thyroid cancer. 3. Lisinopril is used to treat high blood pressure. It is in the class of medications known as ACE inhibitors, which help blood flow through the vessels more smoothly. 4. Metoprolol is also used to treat high blood pressure, as well as angina, and to improve chances of survival after a heart attack. Metoprolol is a beta blocker, and works by relaxing blood vessels in slowing heart rate to reduce blood pressure. 5. Simvastatin is used to treat high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and to increase "good" HDL cholesterol. It is a statin, a class of drugs that works by reducing the body's production of cholesterol to decrease buildup.

Since these commonly prescribed drugs are generic, they do not cost as much as their brand-name counterparts. And since generic drugs are the same as brand-name versions in every way except appearance and inactive ingredients, there's no reason to pay more for them. In fact, prices can vary between these generics and branded versions by a factor of tenfold for one month's supply. For example, 30 tablets of the lowest dose of simvastatin will run you about $9 at a CVS pharmacy in San Francisco, but if you opt for brand-name Zocor, you'll pay roughly $93 at the same pharmacy. In the case of metoprolol and Lopressor, the price difference is even larger: $8 versus $124 for 60 tablets the same 50-mg dosage. In fact, generics are cheaper by 80%-85% on average, according to the Food and Drug Administration, so ask your doctor if generics are available for any of your prescriptions.

Even if you can't take a generic, there are other ways you can save on your prescriptions. Check websites like GoodRX or LowestMed to determine which pharmacy near you has the lowest prices, or opt for a mail-order pharmacy for even more savings. Ask your doctor if she has any free samples on hand before filling a new prescription, or if you can save money by pill splitting. Finally, low-income individuals may qualify for government assistance or a patient assistance program offered by the company that makes the drug. Lacie Glover writes for NerdWallet Health, a website that empowers consumers to find high quality, affordable health care and insurance.

Improved Apple keyboard

iOS 8 to allow third-party keyboards In addition to improvements to the stock keyboard, Apple will open the door to the Swypes and SwiftKeys of the world.

by Rick Broida @cheapskateblog

Apple's QuickType is a welcome addition to iOS 8, but even better is support for third-party keyboards. Tim Stevens/CNET Apple just made a big gesture to developers. No, not that one. A good one. As part of today's WWDC keynote, the company announced not only a new, smarter keyboard to debut in iOS 8 , but also support for third-party keyboards like SwiftKey and Swype.

What's the big deal about that? While Apple's keyboard remains a tap-to-type affair, albeit with much-needed new predictive-text capabilities, Swype is among those apps offering a gesture-powered keyboard: you trace your finger from one letter to the next, spelling out the word as you go. This kind of functionality is baked into most Android phones, and as someone who recently spent a couple months using one, I can attest that it's vastly superior. (Indeed, it's the one thing I miss about Android.) That I'll be able to enjoy the same scribbly style of typing on my iPhone is cause for celebration.

Time will tell exactly what keyboards will come to iOS 8, but SwiftKey, for its part, already has an app in the works . (The company's SwiftKey Note app brought a predictive-text keyboard to iOS earlier this year, but you could use it only within that app.) While you're waiting, hit the comments and share your thoughts on this. Best new feature in iOS 8? Not convinced it's a big deal?

Monday, June 2

Good morning everyone,
Well, it looks like another steamy week! I am ready for summer sunshine! The humidity could drop anyday and improve my mood. The humidity seems draining to me. You can breath, can't keep from sweating and most of all it just ruins the hair!

We will meet at Woodland today. I have missed that group. They are the most energetic and fun loving group.

Take care and until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Marco Polo

Yell to find your lost iPhone, and it will yell back?

Like the swimming pool game it's named after, this new app is fun. Holler to find your misplaced gadget and it will respond, cluing you in on its location. by Rusty Blazenhoff @blazenhoff

Marco! Polo! Marco Polo Thanks to the new Marco Polo app, available for the iPhone, iPad , and iPod Touch, you can now find your hidden device by shouting "Marco! loudly. It will respond "Polo! ," so you know where to look for it.

Find your misplaced stuff with a $24.99 wireless finder kit Prepare for and respond to a lost or stolen smartphone Silently running until you need it, Marco Polo can be customized with 30 different voice options. The input phrase can be customized as well, so you can yell out whatever you want (I vote for "Holy! "Moly!"). The app is a creation of Matt Wiechec , a designer and developer based in Toronto. "In those moments where we have all lost our phones to the sofa cushions, or left them on the coffee table, or in the bathroom, we now have a fun way to find them again," he says. "It's like playing tag with your phone, just walk around shouting Marco! and your phone will ring back Polo! in another room. The Marco Polo app is available worldwide at the iTunes Store for 99 cents (69 pence, AU$1.29). (Via Sam Levin ) .