Obesity in the United States

THURSDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) — The number of obese people in the United States will increase from 99 million in 2008 to 164 million by 2030.  The cost of treating obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, would increase $66 billion per year by 2030, and represent a 2.6 percent increase in overall health spending.

What Is Type 1 Diabetes?

Once known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes affects as many as 3 million Americans — most of them diagnosed as children. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body's immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells found in the pancreas. Without insulin, glucose (blood sugar) cannot get into the body cells and instead builds up in the bloodstream to dangerous levels.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can no longer process blood sugar, also known as glucose. Over time, higher-than-normal levels of sugar in the blood can lead to damage throughout the body, including problems with the eyes, gums, hands, feet, and heart. Although once known as "adult-onset diabetes," type 2 can begin at any age — and more and more children are getting it.

Uses For Your Microwave Part I

by Real Simple Magazine, on Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:30am PD

1. Disinfect and Deodorize Sponges
Don't throw out the kitchen sponge that smells like last night's salmon. Soak it in water spiked with white vinegar or lemon juice, then heat it on high for 1 minute. (Use an oven mitt to remove it.) This will also disinfect any sponges you used to wipe up the juices from a raw chicken.

2. Cook an Entire Dinner in Under 10 Minutes
Not just the TV variety. We mean braised salmon with green beans and mashed potatoes. Use the microwave for any recipe that calls for braising, poaching, or steaming. Just subtract about three-quarters of the cooking time. Remember to stir liquids often to redistribute the heat, and always take the food out a minute or two before it's completely done, since it will continue to cook.

3. Disinfect Plastic Cutting Boards
Wash the board well, rub it with the cut side of a lemon, then heat for 1 minute.

4. Soften Brown Sugar
Keep the sugar in its plastic packaging, add a few drops of water, and heat on medium for 10 to 20 seconds.

5. Decrystalize Honey
Honey that has solidified can be brought back to liquid life by uncovering the jar and heating on medium power for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

6. Proof Yeast Doughs
Yeast doughs that normally take an hour or more to rise at room temperature can be proofed in the microwave in about 15 minutes. Place the dough in a very large bowl and cover with plastic. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave with the bowl of dough in the center, and set the power as low as possible (10 percent power). Heat for 3 minutes, then let the dough rest in the microwave for 3 minutes. Heat for 3 minutes longer, then let rest for 6 minutes. The dough will double in bulk.

7. Heat up Health Aids
You use a microwave to reheat your coffee, so why not use it to heat and reheat gel packs for headaches? (Don't do this with a metal-wrapped pack.)

Uses For Your Microwave #2

by Real Simple Magazine, on Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:30am PD

 

8. Warm Beauty Products
Warming up a hot-oil conditioning pack for your hair takes about 10 to 20 seconds and feels marvelous, as does briefly heating up a moisturizing facial mask. (Stir the mask and test the temperature with your finger before applying to your face.) And if hot wax hardens when you're only halfway up your calf, reheat it in the microwave. It's much less messy than using a double boiler.

9. Roast Garlic
It takes 45 minutes to roast garlic in the oven but less than 8 in the microwave. Slice off the top of the head to reveal all the cloves. Place the head in a small, deep dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and cook at medium power for 7 to 7½ minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before unwrapping.

10. Get More Juice From Citrus Fruits
A lemon or lime taken straight from the refrigerator is harder to juice than one left at room temperature or warmed slightly. To get the most juice, microwave citrus fruits for 20 seconds before squeezing.11. Toast Bread Crumbs, and Coconut
The microwave toasts them in a quarter of the time it takes in a conventional oven. Spread them out on a plate and heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Keep in mind that they will continue to toast for about a minute after removal.

12. Warm Tortillas
Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel. Microwave on high (power level 10) for 40 seconds to 1 minute.

13. Toast Pine Nuts and Sliced Almonds
Spread nuts on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high (power level 10) in 1-minute intervals, tossing in between, until beginning to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

14. Make Applesauce
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 pound peeled and diced apples (Macintosh, Fuji, or Gala are best) with ¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and microwave on high (power level 10) until the apples are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash with a fork or potato masher.

15. Make Homemade Popcorn
Place ½ cup popcorn kernels in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high (power level 10) until the majority of the kernels have popped, 3 to 5 minutes.

Healthy Meal For A Day

Breakfast: A slice of whole-wheat bread with natural peanut butter and 1 cup of your favorite berries.

Lunch: Spinach salad with sliced avocado, grilled firm tofu, and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Dinner: Grilled salmon, a roasted sweet potato, and sautéed asparagus with olive oil and garlic.

Snack: A cup of fat-free yogurt with2 tablespoons sunflower seeds.

Granddaughter Recital

She is so Pretty!!!

                                                

                                    

Brown vs White

Brown rice/bread is healthier than white rice/bread.

Rice goes through a variety of processes before it's ready for cooking. After harvesting, the seeds are run through a rice huller/husker for milling to remove the outer grain husks. After this process, you're left with brown rice.

White rice there's added steps. The germ and the inner husk (bran) is removed, the grain is then polished, usually using glucose or talc. These added steps to turn brown rice to white remove nutrients that are sometimes then introduced back in via synthetic sources - this is called fortified white rice. The same type of thing happens in brown bread vs. white bread. The loss of nutrients is broad and substantial. Added to that, the dietary fiber contained in white rice is around a quarter of brown rice.

Processing of brown rice also benefit  the environmental.  The less processing of a food, the less energy required.There's also the issue of the synthetic vitamins added back in - produced in laboratories and factories from a variety of chemicals; and these sorts of processes are well known for their negative impact on the environment.

If you're accustomed to white rice, making the switch to brown rice will be change  to your taste bud. Try adding extra sauces to mask the "wilder" taste of brown rice for a while to allow your tastes to adjust.

Uncooked brown rice doesn't keep for as long as white rice. Store in an airtight container.

Brown rice takes a little longer to cook than white rice, but  if you pre-soak the rice for a while and cook using the absorption method. This Absorption method is where you use less water and cover the pot, leaving very little excess water left by the time the rice has cooked - the steam generated using this method also helps speed up the cooking process.