Friday, August 9, 2013

Lunchables. Processed Food. “Egg-Whites ?” Egg Yolks. Runny Yolks. Fruit/Veggie Rx. Turmeric. Nagasaki. Gerald R. Ford. Ford and Firestone.

 

For “Foodie Friday”:

How Oscar Mayer and Kraft Used Salt, Fat and Sugar to Hook Kids on Lunchables

“New York Times reporter Michael Moss recounts how in the 1980s, Oscar Mayer won parents and kids back to eating their baloney products, which had declined in popularity.”

“Watch the entire interview with Michael Moss on Democracy Now! at http://bit.ly/Vi8XVi.”

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How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal

“How did the United States become a nation "where food isn't so much cooked as disassembled and reassembled"?”

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What's In Your Egg-White Breakfast Sandwich Might Scare You

“A consumer might reasonably assume that when a restaurant offers a dish with egg whites, those "whites" will be made entirely of the albumin contained in an egg's shell. That reasonable consumer would be surprised: Some of the food marketed as "egg whites" have ingredient lists 15 items long. To repeat: An egg white patty -- not the entire sandwich, just the patty -- can have upwards of 15 ingredients alone.”

More at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/18/egg-white-breakfast-sandwiches_n_3612751.html

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Are egg yolks healthy?

Egg Yolk Health“This is a confusing one. Egg yolks are known primarily for their high cholesterol content. But the medical research community has learned that dietary cholesterol is a different measure than blood level of cholesterol, which is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

One recent study echoes the growing research, showing that egg consumption had no effect on the overall blood cholesterol levels of 115 healthy adults. What's more, another recent study found some evidence that eating whole eggs increases HDL -- the heart-protective, "good" cholesterol.

"There are much bigger problems in the American diet than cholesterol," says Drew Ramsey, M.D. an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, who studies the connection between lifestyle behaviors like diet and psychological health. "There's not data to suggest that it should be at the top of people's worries about food choices. Everyone's in agreement about that: The real problem with diabetes and obesity is eating too much processed food."

And there are several nutrients specific to the egg yolk that help promote overall health. Egg yolks are one of the richest dietary sources of the B-complex vitamin choline, which is associated with better neurological function and reduced inflammation. There's also evidence that dietary choline helps with fetal brain development when pregnant women eat it. Another side benefit of a diet rich in choline is, well, happiness.”  More at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/health-benefits-of-eggs-yolks_n_2966554.html

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The Sunny, Runny Side of Eggs

“Protein-bound sulfur is found in meats and egg yolks, providing one does not cook the egg yolk very much. This is why we recommend soft cooked eggs only so the yolks are runny. Raw eggs may be consumed, but they contain avidin, a minor toxin, and sometimes the eggs contain bacteria that are harmful. Therefore, we suggest soft-boiled eggs cooked for up to about 3 minutes in most areas of the world, or poached eggs or even very lightly fried eggs or very soft scrambled eggs only. Avoid hard-boiled eggs and hard scrambled eggs, as these are much more difficult to digest and the cooking damages the fat and sulfur compounds in the delicate yolk.”  More at: http://drlwilson.com/Articles/LIVER%20DETOX.htm 

and:

The Absolute BEST Way to Eat Your Eggs Is …
”Raw, hands down.  I know that many of you, especially women, will find this particularly difficult to accept. This is primarily because of the slimy texture but if you whip them up in a shake you won’t even know they are there.
Raw eggs are better because cooking them will damage the valuable nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, bioflavanoids present in egg yolk that are incredibly important for your vision.

Heating the egg protein also changes its chemical shape, and the distortion can easily lead to allergies.
Further, when an egg is overcooked, such as when it is scrambled, the cholesterol in it becomes oxidized, or rancid, and oxidized cholesterol can increase your levels of inflammation and lead to numerous health problems.
So if you want to get the maximum health benefits that eggs have to offer, choose organic varieties and eat them raw. The next best would be soft-boiled and then sunny-side up, with the yolk still very runny.” More at:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/10/the-sunny-side-of-eggs.aspx

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NYC Allows Doctors to Prescribe Fruits and Veggies Instead of Pills


medical doctor fruit 263x164 NYC Allows Doctors to Prescribe Fruits and Veggies Instead of Pills“Just last week, Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, which actually allows doctors in the NYC area to give at-risk families better access to local produce. The program allows them to prescribe fruit and vegetables!

Food stamp money can be spent on all the processed junk foods and sodas that make people sick and diseased with conditions like diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease and more.  In this world, it’s not often we see officials taking a progressive step towards natural health and away from our overdependence on Big Pharma. However, sometimes it does happen, and in New York City, it’s happening now.”   From: http://naturalsociety.com/nyc-allows-doctors-prescribe-fruits-veggies/

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The amazing health benefits of turmeric

“Aside from the holistic health community, Western medical practitioners have only recently come on board in recognizing the benefits of turmeric.

Photo: Elzbieta Sekowska/Shutterstock

Turmeric, an orange-colored spice imported from India, is part the ginger family and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking for thousands of years.

In addition, ayurvedic and Chinese medicines utilize turmeric to clear infections and inflammations on the inside and outside of the body. But beyond the holistic health community, Western medical practitioners have only recently come on board in recognizing the benefits of turmeric.

Blocking cancer

Doctors at UCLA recently found that curcumin, the main component in turmeric, appeared to block an enzyme that promotes the growth of head and neck cancer.

In that study, 21 subjects with head and neck cancers chewed two tablets containing 1,000 milligrams of curcumin.  An independent lab in Maryland evaluated the results and found that the cancer-promoting enzymes in the patients’ mouths were inhibited by the curcumin and thus prevented from advancing the spread of the malignant cells.

Powerful antioxidant

The University of Maryland’s Medical Center also states that turmeric’s powerful antioxidant properties fight cancer-causing free radicals, reducing or preventing some of the damage they can cause.

While more research is necessary, early studies have indicated that curcumin may help prevent or treat several types of cancer including prostate, skin and colon.

Potent anti-inflammatory

Dr. Randy J. Horwitz, the medical director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, wrote a paper for the American Academy of Pain Management in which he discussed the health benefits of turmeric.

“Turmeric is one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatories available,” Horwitz states in the paper.

He went on to cite a 2006 University of Arizona study that examined the effect of turmeric on rats with injected rheumatoid arthritis. According to Horwitz, pretreatment with turmeric completely inhibited the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in the rats. In addition, the study found that using turmeric for pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis resulted in a significant reduction of symptoms.

“Raw is best”

Natalie Kling, a Los Angeles-based nutritionist, says she first learned about the benefits of turmeric while getting her degree from the Natural Healing Institute of Neuropathy. “As an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic, it’s a very powerful plant,” she says.

Kling recommends it to clients for joint pain and says that when taken as a supplement, it helps quickly. She advises adding turmeric to food whenever possible and offers these easy tips. “Raw is best,” she said. “Sprinkling it on vegetables or mixing it into dressings is quick and effective.”

If you do cook it, make sure to use a small amount of healthy fat like healthy coconut oil to maximize flavor.  Kling also recommends rubbing turmeric on meat and putting it into curries and soups.

“It’s inexpensive, mild in taste, and benefits every system in the body,” Kling says. "Adding this powerful plant to your diet is one of the best things you can do for long term health.””  From: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-turmeric

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On This Day:

Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Aug 9, 1945:

“On this day in 1945, a second atom bomb is dropped on Japan by the United States, at Nagasaki, resulting finally in Japan's unconditional surrender.”

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Ford is inaugurated, Aug 9, 1974:

“On this day in 1974, one day after the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as president, making him the first man to assume the presidency upon his predecessor's resignation. He was also the first non-elected vice president and non-elected president, which made his ascendance to the presidency all the more unique.

According to White House historians, Ford described his administration's policies as "moderate in domestic affairs, conservative in fiscal affairs, and internationalist in foreign affairs." Ford finished out Nixon's second term and ran for president as the incumbent in the election of 1976; he lost to Jimmy Carter.”

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Bridgestone/Firestone announces massive tire recall, Aug 9, 2000:

“On August 9, 2000, tire manufacturer Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announces that it is recalling 6.5 million of its model ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires; the move comes two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration linked hundreds of accidents and at least 46 deaths to problems with the tread on the tires.

In May 2000, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a letter to both Ford and Firestone requesting information about the high incidence of tire failure on the popular Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle (SUV). Subsequent investigation by Ford revealed that the tread on the 15-inch ATX and ATX II models and Wilderness AT tires tended to peel off, resulting in very high failure rates. When the tires failed, the vehicles would roll over, sometimes killing their occupants.  In addition to the recall, Bridgestone/Firestone also faced 50 lawsuits and a federal investigation relating to the problem, as questions lingered about how much both Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone knew about the problems, and for how long, before they acted.

Bridgestone/Firestone, along with some observers, believed the problem was not just the tires but the design of the Explorer itself, which made it prone to tipping over. Ford fought back, saying it would replace all Wilderness AT tires at its own expense, including those not covered by the recall (a total of 13 million tires).  Firestone responded by severing its relationship with Ford, ending an association that dated back almost 100 years.”

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From me:  This accident happened near here, after Stephen Gauvain had been playing at my mini-golf in Willis. I kept his score card in his memory.

KTRK-TV, ABC: “Stephen Gauvain: NASA reporter, deceased; in 1996, a Ford Explorer SUV Gauvain rode in flipped over while his crew was returning from coverage of the Hilton Crawford murder trial in Huntsville, Texas. The cause of the accident, a defective Firestone tire, would later lead to an investigation exposed by rival KHOU-TV that led to numerous lawsuits and a complete recall of the tires.”

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Yesterday:

The contractor and his crew arrived to build the new framework for the screen porch roof.  I was busy with my tape measure finding the right boards for them to use.  One day, maybe I will be done with building, and rebuilding, so that I can get rid of all this lumber.  But not yet, as we still have to wall-in the front of the storeroom next to the guest house.

Added-lumber-to-be-removed.1

This the way Jay had done it, so Ray and I removed all those little added-on pieces which were not stable.

 

The whole thing looked messy.

Bare-screen-porch

This is how it looks now, and planes with the extension over the front porch.  They did it in four hours.

New-screen-porch roof

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, maybe the house will have some ‘curb-appeal’.  Especially when we paint the porch and rafters white. and get it rescreened.

Then they replaced the soffit over my front door, and I had the pattern, the lumber, and the right size ladders.  But I really was shocked, and miffed when I found out what he had charged me to do that 3/4 hour job. The same as the other four hours.  I think I am going to find a cheaper contractor to install the roofing!

When the contractors left at 3.00pm, about the hottest part of the day, there were still some of my boards laying around on the front grass.  I started to move them, until Shay came out and said that she would help me. I didn’t want her to do that as she has a bad back, so I just left them for Ray to help me move them today.

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