At the start of my journalism classes, my students are required to respond to prompts in a journal. The prompts require them to think, develop an opinion, defend their opinion with examples, and explain their opinions to others in the class. The point is for them to develop critical thinking skills and to improve their ability to communicate in written and verbal form.
Like most young people their age, they are sure their parents don't understand them and haven't experienced their difficulties and pressures. Despite my assurances that the pressures to engage in drugs, alcohol and sex have existed for generations, they are positive that things are much different now.
And in one significant way, things are very different. These kids are on screens (television, computer, facebook, texting, gaming) of one sort or another 24/7, and it is taking its toll. The younger ones no longer get outside to play so they are growing fatter and less able to socialize. The older ones don't read any more and neglect their school work.
One of my students told me that she had been grounded from the computer, the phone and the television, and she was "shocked" at what she was able to accomplish. She even picked up a book to read "for pleasure" an old-fashioned term, I know, and an alien concept for most kids today.
Each class of students I teach now knows less and less about everything--history, current events, the political and social arenas and the English language. They think and communicate in sound bytes and abbrievations.
How do we solve the problem? Well, the first step is really easy. Begin with turning off the knobs and switches. Parents...you are in charge. Limit the time your kids spend on screens. Require that they do their homework, get outside for fresh air, eat dinner with the family and discuss important issues, and read.
You will be giving your kids a precious gift and even they will begin to see the value and appreciate what you're doing for them.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tired of Being Tired
Are you struggling with the following symptoms?
* Insomnia (poor sleep)
* Low energy - fatigue
* Ice-cold hands or feet
* Dry skin
* Hair loss (alopecia)
* Brain fog
* Weight gain
* Tingling in hands and feet
* Muscle pain
* Edema (swelling in ankles)
* Elevated cholesterol
You may have an under active thyroid. I did for over fifteen years. To add insult to injury, the condition was initially undiagnosed then treated improperly, so I was taking the wrong medication daily that would never have solved the problem.
There are over two dozen major symptoms and signs associated with an under active thyroid, and the disease seems epidemic among women between the ages of 45 and 60.
The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that affects nearly every organ in the body. It produces hormones that tell each organ how fast to work, and it regulates the body's metabolism, but millions of Americans have disorders that cause the thyroid to produce too much or too little of the hormones and that affects everything from energy level to brain fog and weight gain.
There are actually four types of thyroid hormones: T1, T2, T3, and T4. The most important are T3 and T4. I was only being treated for T1, a common mistake, so I still couldn't lose weight; my skin was dry and my hair was falling out. When the deficiencies in all four hormones were finally addressed properly, the symptoms began to be resolved.
The other component that is recently getting a lot of attention is that those who struggle with these symptoms also do not have enough iodine in the thyroid gland and that supplementation is helpful. Check with your physician about its benefits.
* Insomnia (poor sleep)
* Low energy - fatigue
* Ice-cold hands or feet
* Dry skin
* Hair loss (alopecia)
* Brain fog
* Weight gain
* Tingling in hands and feet
* Muscle pain
* Edema (swelling in ankles)
* Elevated cholesterol
You may have an under active thyroid. I did for over fifteen years. To add insult to injury, the condition was initially undiagnosed then treated improperly, so I was taking the wrong medication daily that would never have solved the problem.
There are over two dozen major symptoms and signs associated with an under active thyroid, and the disease seems epidemic among women between the ages of 45 and 60.
The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that affects nearly every organ in the body. It produces hormones that tell each organ how fast to work, and it regulates the body's metabolism, but millions of Americans have disorders that cause the thyroid to produce too much or too little of the hormones and that affects everything from energy level to brain fog and weight gain.
There are actually four types of thyroid hormones: T1, T2, T3, and T4. The most important are T3 and T4. I was only being treated for T1, a common mistake, so I still couldn't lose weight; my skin was dry and my hair was falling out. When the deficiencies in all four hormones were finally addressed properly, the symptoms began to be resolved.
The other component that is recently getting a lot of attention is that those who struggle with these symptoms also do not have enough iodine in the thyroid gland and that supplementation is helpful. Check with your physician about its benefits.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Starve Cancer Cells We All Carry
It turns out that almost 50% of women as young as 40 carry microscopic cancer cells in their breasts and 100% of all people in their 70's do so in their thyroid. In as little as two weeks, a microscopic tumor can grow to 16,000 times its original size, according to the Angiogenesis Foundation, which has produced groundbreaking research about how to stop cancer from growing.
Angiogenesis is a new term for me, but it would seem we are going to be hearing much about it going forward. It is the process by which the body forms new blood vessels, beneficial when they fight clogged arteries and heal wounds and injuries, but harmful because these blood vessels also feed malignant tumors and cause them to grow in size.
The good news is that the medicine we need to fight angiogenesis is in our refrigerator. I don’t normally think of food as medicinal (I enjoy it too much!), but five foods can actually change the internal environment of our body and prevent the growth of cancer cells.
The five foods are:
1. Bok Choy—a type of Chinese cabbage that contains brassinin, a powerful cancer-fighter. Brassinin is also found in broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. To achieve its full benefit, Bok Choy should be eaten 3 times a week, in 1/2 cup servings.
2. Tomatoes—contain the molecule lycopene, a cancer fighting property, but what is important to know is that you must cook the tomatoes for their full benefit. The heat changes their chemical structure and makes the benefits more readily available to your body. You should eat 2-3 (1/2 cup) servings of cooked tomatoes a week, so we have a good excuse for a little pasta now, and they are even better for you when the tomatoes are cooked in olive oil.
3. Flounder—a fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury. You should eat three 6-ounce servings a week.
4. Strawberries—are rich in antioxidants. You should eat 1 cup a day.
5. Artichokes—¼ cup of hearts per day contains 3 different cancer-fighting molecules.
Recipes
Bok Choy Apple Slaw
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups very thinly sliced bok choy (1-pound head, trimmed)
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, julienned or shredded
• 1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
• 1/2 cup slivered red onion
Directions
1. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar (or honey), celery salt and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Add bok choy, apple, carrot and onion; toss to coat.
Flounder with Simple Tomato Stir-fry
Directions
1. Chop green onions, yellow peppers and fresh tomatoes.
2. Sauté garlic in olive oil and add vegetables.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir-fry vegetables until they turn bright in color (approximately 5 minutes).
5. Pan fry flounder in olive oil and smother with vegetables before serving.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
• 4 ounces of vanilla, low-fat yogurt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ripe banana
• ½ cup frozen, unsweetened whole strawberries
Directions
Peel banana and cut into chunks. Place banana chunks, frozen strawberries, yogurt and milk into blender. Blend on high speed about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth.
Artichoke and Parmesan Salad
Ingredients
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1-14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced, -Or- 1 cup fresh artichoke hearts, sliced
•1 cup celery, sliced
•1/3 cup fresh Parmesan, grated
•1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
1. In a bowl whisk together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, red pepper flakes, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir in artichoke hearts, celery, Parmesan and parsley.
3. Chill covered for one hour before serving.
Healthy Eating!
Angiogenesis is a new term for me, but it would seem we are going to be hearing much about it going forward. It is the process by which the body forms new blood vessels, beneficial when they fight clogged arteries and heal wounds and injuries, but harmful because these blood vessels also feed malignant tumors and cause them to grow in size.
The good news is that the medicine we need to fight angiogenesis is in our refrigerator. I don’t normally think of food as medicinal (I enjoy it too much!), but five foods can actually change the internal environment of our body and prevent the growth of cancer cells.
The five foods are:
1. Bok Choy—a type of Chinese cabbage that contains brassinin, a powerful cancer-fighter. Brassinin is also found in broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. To achieve its full benefit, Bok Choy should be eaten 3 times a week, in 1/2 cup servings.
2. Tomatoes—contain the molecule lycopene, a cancer fighting property, but what is important to know is that you must cook the tomatoes for their full benefit. The heat changes their chemical structure and makes the benefits more readily available to your body. You should eat 2-3 (1/2 cup) servings of cooked tomatoes a week, so we have a good excuse for a little pasta now, and they are even better for you when the tomatoes are cooked in olive oil.
3. Flounder—a fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury. You should eat three 6-ounce servings a week.
4. Strawberries—are rich in antioxidants. You should eat 1 cup a day.
5. Artichokes—¼ cup of hearts per day contains 3 different cancer-fighting molecules.
Recipes
Bok Choy Apple Slaw
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups very thinly sliced bok choy (1-pound head, trimmed)
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, julienned or shredded
• 1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
• 1/2 cup slivered red onion
Directions
1. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar (or honey), celery salt and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Add bok choy, apple, carrot and onion; toss to coat.
Flounder with Simple Tomato Stir-fry
Directions
1. Chop green onions, yellow peppers and fresh tomatoes.
2. Sauté garlic in olive oil and add vegetables.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir-fry vegetables until they turn bright in color (approximately 5 minutes).
5. Pan fry flounder in olive oil and smother with vegetables before serving.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
• 4 ounces of vanilla, low-fat yogurt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ripe banana
• ½ cup frozen, unsweetened whole strawberries
Directions
Peel banana and cut into chunks. Place banana chunks, frozen strawberries, yogurt and milk into blender. Blend on high speed about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth.
Artichoke and Parmesan Salad
Ingredients
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1-14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced, -Or- 1 cup fresh artichoke hearts, sliced
•1 cup celery, sliced
•1/3 cup fresh Parmesan, grated
•1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
1. In a bowl whisk together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, red pepper flakes, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir in artichoke hearts, celery, Parmesan and parsley.
3. Chill covered for one hour before serving.
Healthy Eating!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Negativity's A Killer
Navigating through life's treacherous waters is daunting and sometimes even dangerous. The drain of difficult relationships and the disappointment of dreams unrealized can take their toll, and negativity can be the result.
Negativity is a killer though. It can kill our spirit and ultimately contribute to killing our body. The good news is that we can control our attitude despite our circumstances.
Even though wallowing in the self-pity that often accompanies negativity can ironically feel good in the short term, a negative attitude is destructive on many levels. It impacts how others feel about us, how we feel about ourselves, and how we feel physically.
Research shows that people with heart disease, America’s number one killer, are 40 percent less likely to laugh in various situations than those of the same age without heart disease.
Though researchers don’t know how a positive attitude contributes to a healthier heart, they do know that mental stress and negativity impacts the protective barrier that lines the blood vessels. So to exercise, not smoking and a low fat diet, it’s crucial to your health to add regular doses of hearty laughter.
Living in the past or even spending too much time planning for the future can prevent you from appreciating the moment. Begin a gratitude journal. Date each entry and list all that was good in your day. Forcing yourself to find value in the small things--nature, silence, a delicious meal--will help you to cherish that which is most important—your relationships, abilities and contributions to others.
Read Living Agelessly: Creating a Lifestyle for Mid-Life and Beyond for more ideas for creating joy in your life, and read Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts by Robert W. Firestone, Lisa Firestone and Joyce Catlett (New Harbinger Pub.), an excellent book for “overcoming negative thoughts and working through self-imposed limitations that impact intimacy, career and quality of life”.
The happiest people are those who continue to discover and share their special gifts, who seek to learn new things, and who reach out to help others rather than focus on themselves. Join an outreach program and give service to those in need. Sometimes seeing that others have a more difficult life challenge helps us to be grateful about our own situation.
Being positive is a choice. Even if you don’t feel upbeat, behave as if you do. Your mind and body will respond. Others will be drawn to your warmth and friendliness. You’ll begin to feel valued and loved, and you’ll want to treat others the same way. It becomes the loveliest of cycles.
Negativity is a killer though. It can kill our spirit and ultimately contribute to killing our body. The good news is that we can control our attitude despite our circumstances.
Even though wallowing in the self-pity that often accompanies negativity can ironically feel good in the short term, a negative attitude is destructive on many levels. It impacts how others feel about us, how we feel about ourselves, and how we feel physically.
Research shows that people with heart disease, America’s number one killer, are 40 percent less likely to laugh in various situations than those of the same age without heart disease.
Though researchers don’t know how a positive attitude contributes to a healthier heart, they do know that mental stress and negativity impacts the protective barrier that lines the blood vessels. So to exercise, not smoking and a low fat diet, it’s crucial to your health to add regular doses of hearty laughter.
Living in the past or even spending too much time planning for the future can prevent you from appreciating the moment. Begin a gratitude journal. Date each entry and list all that was good in your day. Forcing yourself to find value in the small things--nature, silence, a delicious meal--will help you to cherish that which is most important—your relationships, abilities and contributions to others.
Read Living Agelessly: Creating a Lifestyle for Mid-Life and Beyond for more ideas for creating joy in your life, and read Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts by Robert W. Firestone, Lisa Firestone and Joyce Catlett (New Harbinger Pub.), an excellent book for “overcoming negative thoughts and working through self-imposed limitations that impact intimacy, career and quality of life”.
The happiest people are those who continue to discover and share their special gifts, who seek to learn new things, and who reach out to help others rather than focus on themselves. Join an outreach program and give service to those in need. Sometimes seeing that others have a more difficult life challenge helps us to be grateful about our own situation.
Being positive is a choice. Even if you don’t feel upbeat, behave as if you do. Your mind and body will respond. Others will be drawn to your warmth and friendliness. You’ll begin to feel valued and loved, and you’ll want to treat others the same way. It becomes the loveliest of cycles.
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