Guide to Weight Loss. Portion Control. Thanksgiving Dinner. Avoid the Obesity Epidemic. Sand Creek Massacre. Coffee Rationed.

 

For "Foodie Friday":

Carbohydrate Density: A Better Guide to Weight Loss

"On its surface, the cause of the Western world's obesity epidemic seems simple: People are eating too many calories and getting too little calorie-burning exercise; the imbalance manifests as excess fat.

But this explanation is too simple. Even low-calorie diets and vigorous exercise fail to work in the long term for at least some people.

Here's why: Exercise, while vital to good health, is a poor exclusive means of weight control. Excess exercise tends to be counterbalanced by excess hunger, exemplified by the phrase "working up an appetite." A few people with extraordinary willpower can resist such hunger day after day, but for the vast majority, weight loss through exercise is a flawed option.

Meanwhile, simply cutting back on total calories is fraught with peril as well. An excellent study by Harvard University researchers confirms that the kinds of foods one eats -- rather than total calories per se -- is the most important indicator of whether a given eating pattern leads to weight gain or loss.

So what's the best way of eating to manage weight? Fortunately, some answers are emerging.

Increasingly, chronic, inappropriate inflammation is widely recognized as a driver of obesity. Inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs. We can see it, feel it and measure it on the surface as local heat, redness, swelling, and pain. This is the body's way of getting more nourishment and more immune activity into an area that needs to fend off infection or heal. But whole-body, elevated inflammation -- as evidenced by increased levels of certain protein markers in the blood -- has actually been shown to predict future weight gain in a study of non-diabetic healthy men. Inflammation, in short, helps make you fat.

Obesity, in turn, promotes chronically elevated inflammation. As this Harvard review article puts it, "A chronic, subacute state of inflammation often accompanies the accumulation of excess lipid in adipose tissue and liver (hepatic steatosis), evidenced by changes in both inflammatory cells and biochemical markers of inflammation."

In other words, obesity and inflammation feed each other in a destructive cycle. This may help explain why weight, once gained, can be so difficult to lose."  More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/carbohydrates-weight-loss_b_1937312.html

"The obesity solution is straightforward. I'll discuss that, and list specific high- and low-density carbohydrate foods, in "Using the Carbohydrate Density Index." More at: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03415/Using-The-Carbohydrate-Density-Index.html

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Portion Control

"Focus on eating more slowly to give yourself time to tune in to your body’s hunger and satiety. It takes 20 minutes to half an hour for your brain to receive the message that your stomach is full, so take your time.

When you are no longer feeling hungry but still want to eat, think about why. Are you bored? Find something else to keep you busy. Are you upset? Call a friend and vent. Are you stressed or anxious? Turn on some music or go for a brisk walk to relax and de-stress. Don’t try to fix your problems with food.

Keep your portions down by following these basic tips:

• Use a smaller plate. As simple as this sounds, it works. Studies have shown that people eat more when there’s more on their plate, regardless of how hungry they feel. So put less on your plate but trick your eyes into thinking you’re eating more by using a smaller plate. One cup of food on a small plate looks like more than the same cup of food on a large plate.
• Never eat directly from a container, bag, or box. It’s so hard to keep track of how much you're eating when you’re just reaching in and stuffing food in your mouth. Before you know it, the bag is gone. Instead, serve yourself one portion on a plate or in a bowl, put away the rest, and only then sit down to eat.
• Measure, measure, measure! Keep that measuring cup or spoon handy, and measure out your cereal into a bowl, your rice onto your plate, your tuna salad, your potato chips, your strawberries — everything." 

More at:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-specialist/overeating.aspx

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Thanksgiving Dinner

"Everyone knows Thanksgiving dinner is loaded with carbs, calories, and fat. But how much sugar is on your plate? Pumpkin pie and candied yams are obvious culprits, but you'd be surprised where else sugar shows up.

Thanksgiving Meal

Item
Calories
Sugar

Stuffing
160
2g

Turkey Breast, 4 oz.
142
0g

Gravy
25
1g

Sweet Potato Casserole
320
41g

Dinner Roll
110
4g

1/2 Tbsp Butter
50
0g

Cranberry Sauce (canned)
110
21g

Green Beans
30
2g

Mashed Potatoes
155
3g

Pumpkin Pie  w/ Whipped Cream
340
31g

Totals
1442
105g   (Calories from sugar:  420)"

More at: http://www.sugarstacks.com/thanksgiving.htm

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The Obesity Epidemic: Fight Back Today with God's Help!

"Obesity.  Every time I see this in the news, I think "What an ugly word!"  For anyone who is overweight or has reached the state of obesity, that state is nothing but uncomfortable. Nobody likes it. The condition often carries a social stigma. 

Why am I interested in this and writing about it? I have personally experienced the challenge of gaining weight and then struggling to lose it for much of my life. With God's help, I have dropped 50 pounds sensibly—but this time I have maintained this loss for the better part of a year. For me, it's presently a great feeling of relief and freedom!

But I know firsthand what it feels like when you're trying to lose weight and it's not working. It hurts. It's an emotional burden. It's discouraging. What can I say to readers who know someone who is overweight or are themselves facing this major challenge?

Consider this: to achieve healthy weight loss and sustain it, it's going to take a commitment. And to be truly successful, it's going to take direct help from God Himself. I know that for a fact. I've experienced it. There is hope!

If someone tells you "Just use more will power to lose weight," they don't understand the true nature of the condition."  More at: http://www.ucg.org/blog/obesity-epidemic-fight-back-today-gods-help/

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How to Avoid the Obesity Epidemic

"An increasing number of Americans are becoming overweight, which can lead to many serious health problems, even premature death. Here's how to escape the epidemic.

As we continue to modernize our lifestyles — riding instead of walking, working in a cubicle instead of in a field, playing iPods instead of sports — more people are becoming overweight and, worse, obese. In fact, there are so many overweight and obese people that some public health officials now call it an epidemic, particularly because of the many resulting health problems.

Obesity: A Worldwide Problem

Around the world, more than one billion adults are overweight and about 300 million of them are obese. In the United States, 66 percent of all adults are overweight and, of those, 32 percent are obese.

Obesity levels in Japan and some African nations are below 5 percent, but they’re rising. Obesity rates in China overall are not high, but in some of that country’s larger cities, rates are up 20 percent.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions, too. The number of overweight children in the United States has doubled since 1980, and for teens, it's tripled. And the problem with children is now a global issue as well.

Obesity: Why It’s Happening

Although your genes play a role in your body weight, there are other factors involved. In many places around the world, particularly the United States, we have plenty of nutrient-rich food to eat and easy access to fattening fast foods and sweets. Also, because of our modern lifestyles, we are not as active as we once were. The end result: We're eating more calories than we can burn.

Obesity: How It Differs From Being Overweight

Obesity and overweight are terms used to describe a level of excess weight that's considered unhealthy for your body size. One way to determine if you are overweight or obese is to figure out your body mass index (BMI), a calculation you make by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters (kg/m2). Don’t worry — you don't have to do the math; you can find BMI calculators online."  More at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/obesity-prevention.aspx

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On This Day:

Colorado militia massacre Cheyenne at Sand Creek, Nov 29, 1864:

"Colonel John Chivington and his Colorado volunteers massacre a peaceful village of Cheyenne camped near Sand Creek in Colorado Territory, setting off a long series of bloody retaliatory attacks by Indians.

Chivington, a former Methodist preacher with ambitions to become a territorial delegate to Congress, saw in the Indian wars an opportunity to gain the esteem he would need to win a government office. Disappointed that the spring of 1864 failed to produce any major battles, Chivington apparently determined to burn villages and kill Cheyenne whenever and wherever he could, making little distinction between peaceful or aggressive bands. Angered by frequent Indian attacks on settlers and the theft of their horses and cattle, many Colorado settlers supported Chivington's methods, and a number of men volunteered to join his forces on hundred-day enlistments, forming the 3rd Colorado Volunteers.

Fearing that U.S. troops might mistakenly identify his band of peaceful Cheyenne as having participated in the attacks on settlers, Chief Black Kettle traveled to Denver under escort of U.S. Army Major Edward Wynkoop to affirm his non-hostile intentions. Chivington and the territorial governor of Colorado clearly did not want peace, yet they could not openly reject the overtures of Black Kettle.

Believing that he had a promise of safety if he brought his people into Fort Lyon, Black Kettle lead the band of Cheyenne to a spot designated by Major Wynkoop near the fort along a small stream known as Sand Creek. The tribe flew an American flag and a white flag at the camp to indicate their alliance with the U.S. and alert all to their generally peaceful intentions.

Determined to have his glorious battle, Chivington refused to recognize that Black Kettle's settlement was peaceful. At daybreak, Chivington and his 700 volunteers, many of them drunk, attacked the sleeping village at Sand Creek. Most of the Cheyenne men were away hunting, so the women, children, and elders were largely defenseless. In the frenzied slaughter that followed, Chivington and his men killed more than 100 women and children and 28 men. Black Kettle escaped the attack. The soldiers scalped and mutilated the corpses, hacking off body parts that included male and female genitals, and then returned to Denver where they displayed the scalps to approving crowds during intermission at a downtown theatre.

Because of Chivington's depraved slaughter, the central plains exploded with retaliatory attacks from Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho Indians. Fortunately, not everyone applauded Chivington's behavior--many Americans, particularly in the east, strongly condemned Chivington's attack and the barbaric mutilations. Subsequent congressional and military investigations denounced Chivington, but claimed they could not punish him because he had resigned from the army and was no longer under military jurisdiction. Nonetheless, Chivington spent the rest of his life trying to escape the stigma of his deplorable behavior at Sand Creek."

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Coffee rationing begins, Nov 29, 1942:

"On this day in 1942, coffee joins the list of items rationed in the United States. Despite record coffee production in Latin American countries, the growing demand for the bean from both military and civilian sources, and the demands placed on shipping, which was needed for other purposes, required the limiting of its availability.

Scarcity or shortages were rarely the reason for rationing during the war. Rationing was generally employed for two reasons: (1) to guarantee a fair distribution of resources and foodstuffs to all citizens; and (2) to give priority to military use for certain raw materials, given the present emergency.

At first, limiting the use of certain products was voluntary. For example, President Roosevelt launched "scrap drives" to scare up throwaway rubber-old garden hoses, tires, bathing caps, etc.--in light of the Japanese capture of the Dutch East Indies, a source of rubber for the United States. Collections were then redeemed at gas stations for a penny a pound. Patriotism and the desire to aid the war effort were enough in the early days of the war.

But as U.S. shipping, including oil tankers, became increasingly vulnerable to German U-boat attacks, gas became the first resource to be rationed. Starting in May 1942, in 17 eastern states, car owners were restricted to three gallons of gas a week. By the end of the year, gas rationing extended to the rest of the country, requiring drivers to paste ration stamps onto the windshields of their cars. Butter was another item rationed, as supplies were reserved for military breakfasts.

Along with coffee, the sugar and milk that went with it were also limited. All together, about one-third of all food commonly consumed by civilians was rationed at one time or another during the war. The black market, an underground source of rationed goods at prices higher than the ceilings set by the Office of Price Administration, was a supply source for those Americans with the disposable incomes needed to pay the inflated prices.

Some items came off the rationing list early; coffee was released as early as July 1943, but sugar was rationed until June 1947."

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Yesterday:

Claudia, Jay, their neighbor, and I, were supposed to go to Claudia's daughter's house for Thanksgiving, but so many people were sick with some kind of crud that it was cancelled.  Claudia was feeling so bad that she could hardly crawl out of bed.  She said that Jay stayed in bed all day, too. 

That gave me time to catch up on some blogs, and laundry.  There, in the dryer, was a forgotten previously dried load of clothes, and it had several tank tops in it, whereas now, I am washing t-shirts, turtlenecks, and sweaters!  It didn't take long for the weather to change.

Shay and Ray invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with them.  Her sister, their son, and his friend were there, too.  A good time, and food, was had by all.  I brought a little bit of turkey home for Misty, as I usually let her have a little bit of whatever I eat.

Even though it was cold, the sun was bright.  When it was setting, I was glad we had put that mini-blind on the screen porch to cut out the glare.

It's 29° right now, but expected to be sunny, and go to 61° today.

5 Essential Vitamins. Fake Food Ingredients. Fake Blueberries. Cool Whip. Diet Food. Transcontinental Railroad. Invasion Of Granada. "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt."

 

For "Foodie Friday":

5 Essential Vitamins and the Foods Where You’ll Get Them

"Are you getting all the nutrients you need? A study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis found that about 30% of the calories that Americans consume daily come from sweets, desserts, sodas, alcohol, and salty snacks – foods that are not on the longevity checklist, and actually lead to illness down the road.

Keep reading to find out which foods can give you the nutrients required to keep your health in top shape!:  More at: http://blog.doctoroz.com/oz-experts/5-essential-vitamins-and-the-foods-youll-get-them-from 

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Group Finds More Fake Ingredients in Popular Foods

"The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), discovered rising numbers of fake ingredients in products from olive oil to spices to fruit juice."

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Counterfeit Food -- Food Fraud in America

"People wondering how safe their food really is. A BILLION DOLLAR underground industry is more deceptive then many people realize. Whether it's from a grocery store or farmers market, you might be a victim of food fraud."

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The Blueberry Deception: Fake blueberries made from chemicals and petroleum byproducts.

"The blueberries found in blueberry bagels, cereals, breads and muffins are REAL blueberries right? Wrong! Award-winning investigative journalist Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, exposes the deceptive chemical ingredients and dishonest marketing of "blueberry" products from big-name food and cereal companies. The blueberries, it turns out, are made from artificial colors, hydrogenated oils and liquid sugars."

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Cool Whip

"More stuff that 'they' want you to buy and eat:  A delicious blend of sugar, wax, and condom lube. Cool Whip!

Water.   It's the main ingredient. But like any whipped product, Cool Whip contains a high percentage of air. At 41 cents per ounce, you're buying mostly water and air for just over twice what it would cost to whip real cream yourself.

Natural and Artificial Flavorings
Cool Whip doesn't really taste like much, but Kraft's recipe for blandness is a trade secret. That means the company doesn't have to disclose the specific flavorings.

Corn Syrup and High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Sugar by other names. Corn syrup is mostly glucose. High-fructose corn syrup is corn syrup treated with amylase and other enzymes, which together help convert glucose into fructose. A diet high in fructose is known to make lab mice fatter than other diets, so keep your research animals away from Cool Whip.

Hydrogenated Coconut and Palm Kernel Oil
Cool Whip needs to feel like whipped cream in the mouth without actually being, you know, made with cream. One cheap, reliable way to replicate the texture is by using semi- solidified plant oils. The best method of solidifying plant oils: Bubble high- pressure hydrogen through them. Of course, if not done completely, the result is trans fat. These days, Kraft avoids that.

Polysorbate 60
Polysorbates are made by polymerizing ethylene oxide (a precursor to antifreeze) with a sugar alcohol derivative. The result can be a detergent, an emulsifier, or, in the case of polysorbate 60, a major ingredient in some sexual lubricants.

Sodium Caseinate
Also common in powdered non-dairy creamer, this protein derived from cow milk helps oil and water mix.

Sorbitan Monostearate
Chemists call this stuff synthetic wax, and it's sometimes used as a hemorrhoid cream. It's one of the magical substances that keep Cool Whip from turning to liquid over time in the fridge.

Xanthan and Guar Gums
These are natural thickeners, and together they provide more viscosity than either does alone. Guar also helps retard the formation of ice crystals, another key to preserving fluffiness." From: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/st_coolwhip.html

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 Diet Foods Are Full Of Chemicals

"Many diets support the use of non-nutritional, highly chemicalized foods like fake fats and fake sugars. These chemicalized foods negatively affect body chemistry, cause low-level under-nourishment, and often encourage overeating when the dieter gets the signal that s/he is not getting nourishment. 

Our bodies are not really designed to eat food made up mainly of chemicals. When we are able to connect with the wisdom of our bodies, we know what our bodies really crave—whole foods full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals (with the occasional piece of cake, of course!) Diet programs diminish our ability to make appropriate, real food choices.

This week, start looking at the lite, low-cal, low-fat, fat-free, etc. foods that you may have around and recognizing the ingredients that you may be ingesting."  From: http://www.moreofmetolove.com/blogs/entry/diet-foods-are-full-of-chemicals-excerpted-from-stop-dieting-now/

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On This Day:

Indians attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah, Oct 25, 1853:

"On this day in 1853, Paiute Indians attack U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison and his party of 37 soldiers and railroad surveyors near Sevier Lake, Utah. Gunnison and seven other men were killed, but the survey party continued with its work and eventually reported its findings to the United States Congress.

Following Gunnison's death at the hands of the Paiute, his lieutenant, E.G. Beckwith, assumed command. Beckwith eventually found a potential railroad route through Weber Canyon in the Unita Mountains and discovered two feasible passes over the northern Sierra Nevada. The survey also provided valuable information on the geology, flora, and fauna of the West and set a high standard for subsequent explorers to follow. However, the results of neither the Gunnison/Beckwith survey nor any of the others succeeded in breaking the deadlock in Congress. Since no clearly superior route emerged from the volumes of maps and data gathered, the decision remained a political rather than scientific one. The issue would only be settled after the southern states seceded from the Union, leaving the matter in the hands of northern politicians."

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United States invades Grenada, Oct 25, 1983:

"President Ronald Reagan, citing the threat posed to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation's Marxist regime, orders the Marines to invade and secure their safety. There were nearly 1,000 Americans in Grenada at the time, many of them students at the island's medical school. In little more than a week, Grenada's government was overthrown.

A number of Americans were skeptical of Reagan's defense of the invasion, noting that it took place just days after a disastrous explosion in a U.S. military installation in Lebanon killed over 240 U.S. troops, calling into question the use of military force to achieve U.S. goals. Nevertheless, the Reagan administration claimed a great victory, calling it the first "rollback" of communist influence since the beginning of the Cold War.

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Yesterday:

Misty and I took our walk around here, but she doesn't like that so much.  We don't have the trails and scents of the animals from around the lake, like there are down at Jay's.  Ducks come up on the lots, and sometimes we see armadillos, possum, nutria, and other wildlife scampering around down there.  Poodles are hunting dogs, so she likes to track them.  I am just glad that she still has an interest in those activities at her age.  She is 18½ now.

Ray followed me to Pete's, the mechanic shop in Conroe. It was time for my van to have it's new upper ball joints installed. Then Ray brought me home.

His wife, Shay is now out of the hospital, but it still sick and very weak from her stomach virus, so he has had to play nursemaid with a bedpan, and wanted to get away from her for a while. Twice, he said he wished that she would forget his name, as she was calling out for him day and night.  She is fortunate to have him there to wait on her.  She has put a lot of things in her body that she didn't oughta, and now it is catching up with her.  I know that she eats a lot of processed food by the amount of trash she has to be put out at the curb.

My last sick day in bed (not vehicle accidents, childbirth or surgeries) was at 3 years old, when I got my only childhood disease, measles, so it is difficult for me to relate to being sick all the time.   "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt."  That translates into English as 'man is what he eats'.  When you see what junk some folks put in their shopping carts, and look at their pasty faces, you know that they aren't healthy.

It is still great weather here in the great state of Texas, one of the best months of the year.  Another 'windows-and-doors-open' day.

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?

“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

“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.

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.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Do you want Round-Up with that? Pugsy & Cargo Trailer.

Join the Rally for the Right to Know!

"This Saturday, March 26th, from D.C. to Colorado Springs–and more than 20 cities in between–thousands of people will  join together for a Rally for the Right to Know, demanding labeling of GMO foods. Check out the events listing on the Rally for the Right to Know Facebook page to find a rally near you (please RSVP at the event page if you plan to attend an event).

More at: http://truefoodnow.org/

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"Did you know that genetically modified foods are so prevalent in the United States that if you randomly pick an item off your grocery store's shelves, you have a 75 percent chance of picking a food with GM ingredients?"

It's true. At least seven out of every 10 processed food items have been genetically modified, and there's more to come.

More than 75% of soybeans,  65% of cotton,  and 10% of corn grown in the United States contain the genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready gene, which allows farmers to spray Monsanto's Roundup herbicide directly onto their fields, killing weeds without harming the crops … theoretically.
However, this convenience comes at a steep price, as evidence shows that Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate, is actually devastating crops and human and animal health around the world, even when the exposure is restricted to residues leftover in the soil.
Over time, many types of weeds that would once keel over with just a tiny dose of Roundup now require heavier and heavier applications. Some are nearly invincible. In reality, these super-weeds are resistant not to the glyphosate itself, but to the soil borne pathogens that normally do the killing in Roundup sprayed fields.
Having hundreds of thousands of acres infested with weeds that resist plant disease and weed killer has been devastating to many US farmers, whose first response is to pour on more and more Roundup. Its use is now accelerating. Nearly half of the huge 13-year increase in herbicide use took place in just the last 2 years.

 This has serious implications.
While visiting a seed corn dealer’s demonstration plots in Iowa last fall, Dr. Don Huber walked past a soybean field and noticed a distinct line separating severely diseased yellowing soybeans on the right from healthy green plants on the left (see photo). The yellow section was suffering from Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), a serious plant disease that ravaged the Midwest in 2009 and ’10, driving down yields and profits. Something had caused that area of soybeans to be highly susceptible and Don had a good idea what it was.


The diseased field on the right had glyphosate applied the previous season. Photo by Don Huber
Don Huber spent 35 years as a plant pathologist at Purdue University and knows a lot about what causes green plants to turn yellow and die prematurely. He asked the seed dealer why the SDS was so severe in the one area of the field and not the other.
“Did you plant something there last year that wasn’t planted in the rest of the field?” he asked. Sure enough, precisely where the severe SDS was, the dealer had grown alfalfa, which he later killed off at the end of the season by spraying a glyphosate-based herbicide (such as Roundup). The healthy part of the field, on the other hand, had been planted to sweet corn and hadn’t received glyphosate.
Nutrient loss in humans and animals:
The same nutrients that glyphosate chelates and deprives plants are also vital for human and animal health. These include iron, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, boron, and others.
Deficiencies of these elements in our diets, alone or in combination, are known to interfere with vital enzyme systems and cause a long list of disorders and diseases.
Alzheimer’s, for example, is linked with reduced copper and magnesium. Don Huber points out that this disease has jumped 9000% since 1990.
Manganese, zinc, and copper are also vital for proper functioning of the SOD (superoxide dismustase) cycle. This is key for stemming inflammation and is an important component in detoxifying unwanted chemical compounds in humans and animals."
More at : http://www.responsibletechnology.org/blog/664
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Dangers for People and Animals Too

"It's not only plant life that's threatened by the use of Roundup -- human and animal toxins are created too.
As Smith reported, glyphosate promotes the formation of certain types of fungi that are dangerous to people and contaminate food and animal feed. One such fungi, the Fusarium fungus, has been linked to plague epidemics, cancer, infertility and animal diseases.
Residues of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide found in GM food and feed have also been linked to cell damage and even death, even at very low levels. Researchers have also found it causes membrane and DNA damage, and inhibits cell respiration.
It's also possible that glyphosate is significantly altering the nutrient content of our food, through its chelating mechanism, leading to widespread mineral deficiencies in animals and humans."
From: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/02/monsantos-roundup-linked-to-over-40-different-plant-diseases-and-endangers-human-health.aspx

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"Genetic engineering is inherently dangerous, because it greatly expands the scope for horizontal gene transfer and recombination, precisely the processes that create new viruses and bacteria that cause disease epidemics, and trigger cancer in cells." - Dr. Mae-Wan Ho
Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php#ixzz1HdV4hK00
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It's actually simpler than you might think... By buying only non-GM foods.
"The potential health ramifications of these world-wide experiments with our food supply are frightening to say the least. If you care about the health and future of your family, I strongly urge you to refuse to participate in this destructive trend.
How?
The True Food Shopping Guide is a great tool for helping you determine which brands and products contain GM ingredients. It lists 20 different food categories that include everything from baby food to chocolate.

Additionally, here are four simple steps to decrease your consumption of GM foods as much as possible:

• Reduce or eliminate processed foods in your diet. The fact that 75 percent of processed foods contain GM ingredients is only one of the many reasons to stick to a whole foods diet.
• Read produce and food labels. Conventionally raised soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically modified crops. Ingredients made from these foods include high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, margarine, and tofu.
• Buy organic produce. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs. Additionally, grass-fed beef will not have been fed GM corn feed.

You can also get involved in helping to defeat GM crops at the regulatory level. Right now the USDA is considering the approval of Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa, which would lead to the application of millions more pounds of Roundup herbicide each year.
You can urge U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to NOT approve Roundup Ready alfalfa, which would lead to the addition of more Roundup on U.S. fields, cattle and in our food, by using this action form from the Institute for Responsible Technology"

More at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/02/monsantos-roundup-linked-to-over-40-different-plant-diseases-and-endangers-human-health.aspx
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Partial List of Food Products That Contain Genetically Modified Corn Oil and Corn Products, Soy, Canola Oil, Cottonseed Oil

• Salad Dressings
• Infant Formula
• Bread, Rolls, Pastry
• Baby Cereal
• Canned rolls and breads
• Hamburgers and Hotdogs
• Margarine
• Processed Meats
• Mayonnaise
• Crackers
• Chocolate
• Cookies
• Candy
• Fried Foods
• Frozen Foods
• Chips
• Tofu
• Veggie Burgers
• Soy Burgers
• Meat Substitutes
• Aspartame
• Ice Cream
• Frozen Yogurt
• Tamari
• Soy Sauce
• Soy Cheese
• Soy Nuts and Products
• Processed Cheese
• Pasteurized Cheese
• Tomato Sauce
• Marinades
• Barbeque Sauce
• Soups
• Canned Stews
• Sauces
• Dried and Dehydrated Soups/Sauces
• Condiments
• Drinks
• Protein Powder
• Baking Powder
• Alcohol
• Vanilla
• Peanut Butter
• Pasta
• Enriched Flour
• Powdered Sugar
• Children’s snacks
• Cereals
• Cake and Baking Mixes
• Frozen pie and pastry shells

 Sources:  Institute for Responsible Technology January 14, 2011   and:  Institute for Responsible Technology November 13, 2008
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After the comments, I added some sites for you to sign the petitions:

For US: https://www.thenhf.com/page.php?id=253

For Canada: https://www.thenhf.com/page.php?id=255

For Australia: http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/take-action/online/genetic-engineering/our-right-to-know-gm-food-lab

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Today:
 
Ray and I were putting the luggage rack back on Pugsy (1968 Venture fiberglass Class A motor home). We have been trying to get this finished for a couple of years, and something always comes up that is more important. 
As it is a one piece fiberglass coach, it doesn't leak, but we had had a problem with a place where one of the luggage rack holders needed some attention.  We had fixed it and repainted the roof, but never replaced the luggage rack runner.   That runner had fallen down, and yesterday Jay had thrown the extension ladder on top of it.  It was time to get it in a safe place….where it belonged.

Then Jay changed his mind and wanted to work today, so I drove down to get him, and started him working installing the second roof vent on the rear of the cargo trailer.  He cut the 14' x 14' hole, as it had already been framed up for it.

I tried to go back to helping Ray who was up on Pugsy's roof, but Jay got out too small diameter screws for the roof vent, so I was up and down the extension ladder several times assembling what he needed, and making sure that the trim ring fit, before he screwed the vent down.
Back up on the ladder again, so Ray and I drilled the holes for Pugsy's luggage rack, laid the rubber gasket that goes under it.  The original gasket had become so atrophied that it was useless, so I had bought a garage door bottom rubber gasket, and it worked out great. But I couldn't see what was going on inside of Pugsy, so Jay came over and watched inside as Ray drilled the holes, and I, up on the ladder, held it all in place.  Ray and I inserted the bolts through the luggage rack runner and the gasket, and down through the roof.    Ray re-installed the MaxxAir over Pugsy's roof vent, we had taken it off to paint the roof, and it had been hanging around, in peril, in the workshop, since then.

The weather is lovely but by lunch time, I was all "laddered out" today.

The History of Valentine's Day. How To Burn Off Chocolate.

From The History Channel:

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If you are going to indulge in chocolate, this is how long it takes to burn off ONE Snickers bar:
"Here's how to decide whether to pass up a temptation or enjoy it with no regrets: Put a fitness price tag on your favorite indulgence that shows how much extra workout time it will take to burn off its calories.

For example:
Enjoying an occasional cheesy slice of pizza may be well worth the price -- adding an extra 36 minutes to your regular brisk walk, 20 to a bike ride, or only 15 on a stair-step machine. Boom!
Just like that, those calories are gone. But do you also have 60 more minutes to spare to walk off that chocolate cake?
Here's a sampling of treats -- the kind that even the healthiest eaters often find too good to totally give up -- and how much time it takes for a 135-pound person to burn them off. Now those extra calories won't show up on your scales. Or your waist." 
More at: http://www.realage.com/blogs/food-bites/craving-chocolate-cake-cheesy-pizza-do-this-afterward
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My thought:
"how much time it takes for a 135-pound person to burn them off"…. Why would a 135 lb person be worried about it??
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He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. ~ John Stuart Mill

 

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Today:

The critters and I just mostly stayed inside trying to keep warm.  The sun is out, but it is still cold out there.

These are my foster animals:



After a while, Paco thought twice about sitting in the sun, his favorite pastime. 






 Prime wanted to stay out on the porch in the sun,







but Patches couldn't make up her mind, and wanted in, then out, then in again.



But we are all glad that this will be the last of this cold spell today

'Human Food' Can Be Beneficial for Your Pet. Stick Blender Surgery.

How about giving your pet some of that leftover turkey and veggies as treats?

"Human, edible foods can be very healthy for your pets. Throw away the concept of “cat” food and “dog” food, and just think “food” -- food that grows in the ground or comes from animal products.

A whole generation of pet owners is afraid to feed anything but over processed rendered food to their pets. But there’s no way you can create abundant health in an animal by providing only the minimum nutrients it needs for survival. Dogs and cats have a living food requirement, just like you do.

The food you feed your pet should be biologically suited to meet your dog’s or cat’s needs. Dog and cat chow may be nutritionally “complete,” but it is akin to your drinking a meal replacement shake three times a day for the rest of your life … or giving them to your kids in lieu of fresh foods.

Your pets need living foods on a consistent basis to achieve optimal health.
So, yes, you can and should offer your pets some of the very same foods that you enjoy. And since those foods are at a much higher grade nutritionally than typical dog or cat foods, they may be the healthiest foods your pets have ever consumed.

As you know, I recommend you feed your dogs and cats an all raw, nutritionally balanced living food diet. In my opinion, the only viable excuse to not to feed your pets a species appropriate diet is cost. Feeding raw food cost more than dry food.  However, raw fed animals have fewer health problems, which mean lower vet bills over a lifetime. If you cannot afford to feed your pet an all raw diet, don’t deny your pet’s access to living foods throughout the day, in the form of treats.

If you are unable or unwilling to feed your pet a species-appropriate, nutritionally balanced, raw food diet, then I strongly recommend you compromise with the next best choice: USDA-approved canned foods (and supplement with raw)

Veterinarians state that processed pet food (kibbled and canned food) is the number one cause of illness and premature death in modern dogs and cats.

My last choice would be a dry food (kibble), made from human-grade ingredients with little to no grains, and LOTS OF WATER.

Remember, treats (even really healthy treats) should not constitute more than 15 percent of your pet’s daily food intake.

Berries are one of the best treats you can offer. Bite size and packed with antioxidants. Many cats enjoy zucchini and cantaloupe.  My favorite training treats for dogs include peas, raw nuts (remember, the only nuts you should never feed your pets are macadamia nuts).

A salad without dressing, but with plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, is also good for your cats -- your pets are chewing on your houseplants for a reason, after all.

Avoid giving your carnivorous companions biologically inappropriate foods, including grains, such as oats, soy, millet, , wheat, or rice. Dogs and cats do not have a carbohydrate requirement and feeding your pets these pro-inflammatory foods creates unnecessary metabolic roadblocks to health.

Furthermore, there are certainly some foods that are toxic to feed to dogs and cats such as grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts and onions. Never feed your pets these foods. "
Watch the video and read more at:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/10/10/Can-Human-Food-Be-Beneficial-for-Your-Pet.aspx
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If you don’t want your dog to beg at the table, don’t give her tidbits from your plate. If she sometimes scores a delicious morsel when she barks, whines and stares at you while you eat, she’ll diligently try those tactics whenever you sit down for a meal.

Remember – A dog that begs at the table may well be trying to move up in rank, since the top dog eats first and the lowest member eats last.

The best way to feed people food is at a designated feeding time in your pet's own dish. If you do this consistently and avoid feeding directly from your plate -- your dog shouldn't bother you at dinner time for anything more than a pat on the head.


Do not feed 'cold cuts', or most hot dogs. They are high in salt and nitrates. Can lead to kidney and digestive problems. ( Same applies to people, look for nitrate free hotdogs.)

"Dangerous & Unhealthy Commercial Dog food treats and foods Rawhides and dog treats- HOOVES and OTHER TREATS: are generally NOT recommended.

Most rawhides have chemical that cause cancer.  But if you do still want to use them from time to time as a treat it is important that if you do give them that they are of the highest grade and US manufactured.

Therefore make sure you buy ones made in the USA and are UNBLEACHED.  Do not buy the white ones as they are full of chemicals. Good quality rawhide should only get gooey and gum up when chewed, never chip off. If they chip -the chips can get lodged in the little dip in their esophagus and they can choke on that.
As many as 40% of all dogs are allergic to cow skin rawhide chews.

NEVER give COW HOOVES! They splinter and sharp pieces have killed many dogs. Better alternatives are pig ears, nylabones, and American made bully sticks - however ALWAYS be with your pet when they are eating these as there is always a danger of a piece breaking off and splitting. Nylarbones are not detectable on an x-ray.
Also when giving Pigs/Cows ears it's best to give basted or natural - NOT SMOKED. That puts a carcinogenic coating on it.  Unbleach/natural lambs ears are another better choice. Always supervise your pet when chewing these types of things.

Greenies - are the latest popular treat to become deadly. It is found that they can be slippery and if a piece slides down the throat the dog can die. Also some animals are having problems digesting. For now we recommend you avoid them till further changes are made.

Also supervise any chew treats! Also read labels. Many commercial dog treats contain: BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin & propylene glycol– and corn syrups/sugars that cause cancer. Do NOT use treats with ANY OF THESE THINGS! "
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Stick Blender.

The other day I had a big stalk of celery that needed to be used up.  I wasn't going to be making any stews or anything like that,  so I thought I would make some cream of celery soup.

I cooked it for a few minutes in my little WeeOne electric pressure cooker, and ran my stick blender in the pot.  I had done this before with my cheapie from Dollar General, but this time I used my more expensive immersion blender.



BUT, I hadn't noticed a big difference in the placement of the blade, and I got celery strings caught up under it. 
I thought the blade would pull off, but we all tried, and it didn't.

So I had to resort to medical tools to get the strings out.  Hemostats and a dental probe!

Next time I will use the cheapie for anything stringy, it didn't bother it at all.

I love my stick blenders, and wouldn't be without one.

I could have "strung" each piece of celery, but it is easier for me to run the cooked celery through a strainer, and discard what doesn't go through.  The birds like it.

Just telling you this, so you will know what to look for when buying one.

This morning the low was 25 deg., and I hadn't covered the aloe vera trough out back, but thankfully it seems to be alright.

At 11.00 AM it is 56 deg., so it quickly warmed up to a sunny, warm day.

Begging Pets? Early Socializing.

Will Beg for Food!

"Begging is one of the most common issues that dog owners face. An unfortunate side effect of loving our dogs so much is that we would like to give them everything that they want. So when they start begging, it's almost too much for us to bear... and we cave!

With a little willpower on your part, though, begging can be one of the easiest behaviors to correct. Follow these simple tips to turn your hairy panhandler into a productive member of society once more!

1. 1. Do not give food.
2. This tip may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how few people consider it when they're looking into the wide, wet eyes of their beloved canine companion. That high-pitched whine is an effective tool against you, and your dog knows it. Why? Because it's worked before!
4. Giving food is a form of affection, and giving affection reinforces the behavior preceding it. Your dog has learned that if he begs, he gets food! Take a stand and start a new trend. Find the willpower to withhold that food, and your dog will learn that he can't expect rewards for begging behavior.

2. Ignore.
Begging is an attention-seeking behavior. Rather than give in to your dog's demands, ignore the behavior and teach your dog that it does not get results! When you talk to your dog, give him affection, or engage in direct eye contact, you are feeding his mental state. Instead, practice no touch, no talk, no eye contact.

3. Don't feel sorry for you dog..
Your dog is well-fed. You should know; you feed him! He is not in danger of going hungry if you don't give him that scrap off the table, so don't feel sorry for him when he flashes you those doughy eyes and places a single paw forlornly on your leg. If you become concerned about how much your dog should be fed, talk to your veterinarian. This can help ease your concerns and allow you to remain calm and assertive!

4. Be consistent.
In any kind of training, consistency is the key to success. For your dog to learn that his begging behavior is ineffective, it has to be ineffective 100% of the time. Inconsistent enforcement of  the rules leads to an inconsistently obedient dog! Make sure that every pack leader in the household understands and enforces the same rules.

5. Be patient.
Few dogs change overnight. If you have followed these tips to the letter and your dog continues to beg, don't despair! See Tip #4. Stay consistent and don't give up. Your reward will be a better behaved dog!"
From: http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/problembehaviors/will-beg-for-food
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Same kind of training works for kids and husbands!
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EARLY SOCIALIZATION
"All puppies require early and rich socialization with people, kids, other animals to become confident social adults, but HOW when they haven't had all of their shots yet?
A veterinarian's view on puppy socialization
Robert K Anderson DVM article

“The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life… For this reason, the AVSAB believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated… While puppies’ immune systems are still developing during these early months… appropriate care makes the risk of infection relatively small compared to the chance of death from a behavior problem.” - The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior *

Much study has been done on the critical socialization periods and professionals debate on how to protect the puppy from illness while meeting his need for rich social experiences.
It's a reality that puppies are at risk of picking up viruses in the world but "bubble boy" puppies who stay cloistered at home until they are "all done with their shots" can also be at a greater risk of becoming anti-social dogs who can't cope with life. "

At the seminar both Ian Dunbar & Jennifer Messer DVM recommended an accelerated vaccination schedule: 3 vaccinations by 3 months and begin puppy classes in a class with other vaccinated puppies at 12 weeks.
Prior to being able to attend class, they advised that puppy owners not walk their pups in public parks or around the neighborhood where stray/unvaccinated dogs travel until after the 4th vaccine, but to meet the need for socialization by inviting lots of kind, gentle people of all ages to their home and carry the puppy everywhere: the video store to rent videos, the fringes of a summer soft ball game, the grocery store to sit outside with the puppy on your lap and watch people and carts and kids go by.

Some suggestions: Wherever there are sights and sounds and smells and humans of a wide variety of ages of while he is still small enough to be carried easily. Places that don't sell food or pets are good choices - video stores, garden centers, office supply stores, yard sales - just don't put your puppy down on the ground where the germs are and don't let him sniff noses with other animals. You want him to meet lots of gentle kids, especially if you don't have any of your own."

Don't wean too early!

Puppies need to remain with mom and littermates until at least the 49th day.

Puppies who leave the litter too early may have problems with bite inhibition and have social issues with other dogs later.

Allow mom to discipline her puppies. Long after they need her for nourishment, they need her motherly example. Being told they can't have what they want any time they want it is an important lesson which will carry over to their future human family.

When she lies down in the middle of them with a bone and won't share or walks away when they want to nurse, they are learning an important lesson. Leaders control resources."

From: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/earlysocialization.html
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Being consistent with "House Rules":

After raining quite a bit yesterday evening, so much that the dogs wouldn't walk down the walkway to the back yard to do their 'thing', we came to a compromise.

I knew they needed, and wanted to 'go' before bedtime, and so I took them out to the edge of the walkway, which is still under the roof of the house, and told them to 'go pee-pee' there.  With great gratitude in their eyes, they obliged. 
Now they know that when there are extenuating circumstances, the rules can be bent.  I didn't want soppy wet dogs coming back in the house, anyway!

They are both so good, but most of the dogs that I care for, are.  I think they know that there a certain house rules, and they oblige.  Even the cats know the routine, too.

It is a mild 60 deg., thunderstorms predicted, but they haven't shown up yet today.