Archive | February 2018

QUOTE FOR MONDAY:

“Viruses can get through some of the natural skin condoms, so they don’t protect against all sexually transmitted infections. We recommend the latex or polyurethane, which tend to be more expensive but need to be used by people who have latex allergies.”

Web M.D.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEKEND:

“CARDIAC DIET=Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium
The cardiac diet will help you to make food choices that will allow you to modify and/or reduce your sodium, fat and cholesterol intake.”
New York Presbyterian Hospital (The University Hospital of Colombia and
and Cornell)

Shopping this weekend? If yes, think shop better for my Heart!

This month February is Heart month and thing cardiac diet this weekend. Most people eat much more sodium (salt) than they need. This can lead to health problems like high blood pressure. To lower the amount of sodium in your diet, follow these tips when you go food shopping:

  • Choose fresh instead of processed foods when you can.
  • Use the Nutrition Facts label to check the amount of sodium. Look for foods with 5% Daily Value (DV) or less. A sodium content of 20% DV or more is high.
  • Look for foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”

Take the list below with you the next time you go food shopping.

Vegetables and Fruits

Get plenty of vegetables and fruits.

  • Any fresh fruits, like apples, oranges, or bananas
  • Any fresh vegetables, like spinach, carrots, or broccoli
  • Frozen vegetables without added sauce
  • Canned vegetables that are low in sodium or have no salt added
  • Low sodium vegetable juice
  • Frozen or dried fruit (unsweetened)
  • Canned fruit (packed in water or 100% juice, not syrup)

Breads, Cereals, and Grains

Compare labels to find products with less sodium. When you cook rice or pasta, don’t add salt.

  • Rice or pasta
  • Unsweetened oatmeal
  • Unsalted popcorn

Tip: If your food comes with a seasoning packet, use only part of the packet. This will lower the amount of sodium in the food.

Meats, Nuts, and Beans

Choose fresh meats when possible. Some fresh meat has added sodium, so always check the label.

  • Fish or shellfish
  • Chicken or turkey breast without skin
  • Lean cuts of beef or pork
  • Unsalted nuts and seeds
  • Dried peas and beans
  • Canned beans labeled “no salt added” or “low sodium”
  • Eggs

Dairy Products

Choose fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt. Be sure to check the label on cheese, which can be high in sodium. Milk and yogurt are also good sources of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.

  • Fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
  • Low- or reduced-sodium cheese (like natural Swiss cheese)
  • Soymilk with added calcium

Dressings, Oils, and Condiments

When you cook, use ingredients that are low in sodium or have no sodium at all.

  • Unsalted margarine and spreads (soft, tub, or liquid) with no trans fats
  • Vegetable oils (canola, olive, peanut, or sesame)
  • Sodium-free, light mayonnaise and salad dressing
  • Low-sodium or “no salt added” ketchup
  • Vinegar

Seasonings

Try these seasonings instead of salt to flavor your food.

  • Herbs, spices, or salt-free seasoning blends
  • Chopped vegetables, like garlic, onions, and peppers
  • Lemons and limes
  • Ginger

QUOTE FOR FRIDAY:

“Comprehensive strategies are required to prevent school shootings. School shootings typically involve a mix of suicidal thoughts, despair and anger– plus access to guns.”

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Why so many school shootings? Gun control safety in all schools with illegal gun control, & stricter rules on permits would help decrease these shootings!!

 

  

Attack on a Florida high school is the eighth shooting to have resulted in death or injury during the first seven weeks of the year!

Wednesday’s school shooting this past Valentine’s day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., was the 18th school shooting of 2018 — a year that’s not even two months old.

While many of these incidents — including the most recent before Wednesday’s shooting, one on Feb. 8 at New York City’s Metropolitan High School — did not result in any fatalities or injuries, schools nationwide have been rocked by gun violence in recent days. There have been school shootings in 13 states so far this year.

Gun control needs metal detectors in all schools and all states having the same heavy prerequisites to getting a permit.

In NY requisites are being a NY resident or your business is in NY, (a) twenty-one years of age or older, provided, however,  that where  such  applicant  has  been  honorably  discharged from the United States army, navy, marine corps,  air  force  or  coast  guard,  or  the national  guard  of the state of New York, no such age restriction shall apply; (b) of good moral character;  (c)  who  has  not  been  convicted anywhere of a felony or a serious offense; (d) who has stated whether he or  she  has  ever  suffered  any mental illness or been confined to any hospital or institution, public or private, for mental illness; (e)  who has  not had a license revoked or who is not under a suspension or ineligibility order issued pursuant to the provisions of section  530.14  of the  criminal  procedure law or section eight hundred forty-two-a of the family court act;(f)  in  the  county  of  Westchester, … , (i), … (ii), … (g) …

NYS also requires the following:

Reference Letters Currently, I am told you are asked to supply 3 reference letters from people that have known you for at least 2 years (mine had to be from people that knew me at least 5 years, YMMV). The letter should state that you are “of good moral character.” The more detailed and personal it is, the better. This is a basic sample of a Reference Letter (PDF).  This is to prove your are of good moral character.

The Interview It’s really no big deal. Look presentable, and be prepared. One individual’s questioning went something like this (my experience was similar):

Q: Why do you want a gun? A: Home defense & target shooting.

Q: Where will you store the gun? A: Unloaded, in a locked box or safe, with a trigger lock.

Q: Where will you store the ammo? A: In a different locked box or safe.

Q: Have you ever owned a gun? A: Yes or No, if yes be ready to supply details.

Q: Is your housemate aware you are applying for this permit? A: Yes, he/she has already signed an affidavit to that end or “I live alone.”

Q: Will you be transporting the firearm? A: Yes, to and from the gun range with no stops.

Q: How will you transport the firearm to and from the range? A: Pistol in a locked box, unloaded and trigger locked. Ammunition in a separate container. Both the pistol and the ammo will be carried in a way so as to obscure their presence on my person.

Q: Have you ever been assaulted? A: Yes or No. Provide details and dates if answer is yes.

Q: Has your domicile ever been robbed? A: Yes or No. Provide details and dates if answer is yes.

Q: When is the use of deadly force permissible? A: When someone has broken into my home and has demonstrated their intention to kill myself or someone else in my home.

You are being given a evaluation on if your mentally stable or not to be even thought of given a gun in NY.

It is not so hard in getting guns in certain other states where others are just as difficult as NY.  Consistency on rules could help a lot.

If illegal guns where wiped away in America and not available in this country except legally getting a gun a lot of shooting would be decreased.  The man who did the shooting in Florida Monday was not emotionally stable.  This man was no way stable enough to carry a gun and if he was checked by NY or other states like it he would never have got a permit or license with his school history problems, no references probably with how the students talked about him on the internet, on top of getting suspended/expelled from a the school.  This would set off a red light in NY or other states like NY with the requisites in getting access of a permit for a gun.

God help these students, families, friends, people in Florida and still a big shock to America and the people of it!  Please lets make a change in making schools safer and President Trump come through with the statement you made on making the schools safer this month, on 2/15/18!

QUOTE FOR THURSDAY:

“More than 11 million Americans have Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).  Did you know 1 out of every 5 over age 65 y/o will be diagnosed with AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration).”

whyeyefight.com

Age-related macular degeneration

Macular Degenerative disease macular degenerative disease2                      macular degenerative disease6maculardegemerativedisease4

Part III Macular Degenerative Disease:

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of the eye’s macula. The macula is a small area in the retina — the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. The macula is the part of the retina that is responsible for your central vision, allowing you to see fine details clearly.

The macula makes up only a small part of the retina, yet it is much more sensitive to detail than the rest of the retina (called the peripheral retina). The macula is what allows you to thread a needle, read small print, and read street signs. The peripheral retina gives you side (or peripheral) vision. If someone is standing off to one side of your vision, your peripheral retina helps you know that person is there by allowing you to see their general shape.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. There are different kinds of macular problems, but the most common is age-related macular degeneration.

Signs and symptoms of Macular Degenerative Disease:

With macular degeneration, you may have symptoms such as blurriness, dark areas or distortion in your central vision, and perhaps permanent loss of your central vision. It usually does not affect your side, or peripheral vision. For example, with advanced macular degeneration, you could see the outline of a clock, yet may not be able to see the hands of the clock to tell what time it is.

  • Blurry distance and/or reading vision
  • Need for increasingly bright light to see up close
  • Colors appear less vivid or bright
  • Hazy vision
  • Difficulty seeing when going from bright light to low light (such as entering a dimly lit room from the bright outdoors)
  • Trouble or inability to recognize people’s faces
  • Blank or blurry spot in your central vision.

The risks of developing Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The risk factors we can control=Modifiable Rish Factors:

  1. Smoking: Current smokers have a two-to-three times higher risk for developing age-related macular degeneration than people have who never smoked.
  2. Artificial fats: Usually labeled “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils,” these artificial fats are pervasive in foods and particularly in low-fat bakery goods. Low-fat foods are good options if they’ve achieved their low-fat status through a process that physically removes the fat, as in skim milk or low-fat cottage cheese. Low-fat bakery goods are different, however. If you remove all or half the fat from a cake recipe, it won’t turn into a cake; thus, when cakes and bakery goods are labeled low-fat or no-fat, it means they contain artificial fats, or laboratory-produced chemicals. These chemicals are not food and our bodies can’t metabolize them.
  3. Sunlight: It is the blue wavelengths from the sun that damage the macula, not the ultraviolet (UV) rays.
  4. A diet high in processed, packaged foods and low in fresh vegetables: Vegetable oils are added in the packaging process. These oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation.
  5. Uncontrolled hypertension and high cholesterol: Research by the National Eye Institute indicates that persons with hypertension are 1.5 times more likely to develop wet macular degeneration than persons without hypertension.
  6. Obesity: Being overweight doubles the risk of developing advanced macular degeneration.

 

The four risk factors we can’t control=Unmodifiable Risk Factors:

  1. Advanced age: Although AMD may occur earlier, studies indicate that people over age 60 are at greater risk than those in younger age groups. For instance, a large study found that people in middle age have about a 2% risk of getting AMD, but this risk increased to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75.
  2. Race: Whites are much more likely to lose vision from age-related macular degeneration than are Blacks or African-Americans.
  3. A gene variant that regulates inflammation: While not all types of macular degeneration are hereditary, certain genes have been strongly associated with a person’s risk of age-related macular degeneration, and genetic predisposition may account for half the cases of age-related macular degeneration in this country.
  4. Family history: Studies indicate that your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration are three to four times higher if you have a parent, child, or sibling with macular degeneration.

Treatment of Macular Degeneration:

People who develop significant age-related macular degeneration (AMD) typically compensate with large-print publications and magnifying lenses for everyday activities. In addition, evidence suggests that certain vitamins and antioxidants — vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc — may help reduce or delay the risk of severe vision loss. Ask your eye doctor about using nutritional supplements.

Treatment for Dry Macular Degeneration

Dry macular degeneration, the most common form of AMD, cannot be cured at this time, but patients with the condition should continue to remain under an ophthalmologist’s care to monitor both eyes. If the one eye is healthy, screening should still continue.

Treatment for Wet Macular Degeneration

A variety of treatments are available for wet AMD. Successful treatment may not restore normal vision, but it will improve sight and prevent central vision loss from worsening. While laser procedures can destroy the abnormal blood vessels, they also damage neighboring retinal tissue.

Medications, such as Eylea, Lucentis, and Macugen, have become the preferred treatment for acute wet macular degeneration, helping to prevent the growth of leaky blood vessels in your eye. Lucentis is given once every month, although some patients may need treatment only once every three months. Macugen is given every six weeks. Eylea is given once every two months after three once-monthly injections.

Laser photocoagulation destroys leaking blood vessels that have grown under the macula and halts the leakage. Laser therapy is helpful for about 10%-20% of people with wet macular degeneration. Some vision loss may occur, because this treatment creates scar tissue that is perceived as blind spots; however, even more vision would be lost if nothing is done at all. Up to half of patients who elect laser therapy may need repeat treatments.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a different, non-heat-generating laser to treat abnormal blood vessels. Visudyne is injected into the patient’s arm and flows through the vessels in the eye. Upon exposure to the laser, a chemical reaction occurs that seals off the leaky vessels. Since the dye is light sensitive, you must stay out of the sun or bright light for several days until the dye has passed from your system. Laser photocoagulation must be done before the abnormal blood vessels cause irreversible damage to the retina. More blood vessels could grow later on, so people who undergo this treatment also need to continue with regular follow-up appointments.

Vitamins. A large study performed by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, called AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study), showed that for certain individuals, vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper can decrease the risk of vision loss in patients with intermediate to advanced dry macular degeneration. In addition, there was a correlation between the hormone DHEA and the degree of macular degeneration. DHEA can be purchased over-the-counter.

QUOTE FOR MONDAY:

“The number of whole blood and red blood cell units collected in the U.S. in a year: 13.6 million. The number of blood donors in the U.S. in a year: 6.8 million.”

American Heart Association

 

QUOTE FOR WEDNESDAY:

“First, Knowing your family’s health history can help you avoid both heart disease and stroke – the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in America.”

AHA American Heart Association

 

QUOTE FOR TUESDAY:

“About 1 in every 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical congenital heart defect (critical CHD, also known as critical congenital heart disease).1 Babies with a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life. ”

CDC Centers for Disease and Control Prevention.