Headache Awareness

By Nurse Diane

When I chat online with a friend of mine, he is always telling me that I give him headaches asking him so many questions.  Well I do like to ask him questions because he is so smart and know something about everything, but I hope really don't give him a headache.

There are many different reasons why you might have a headache such as:

Tired, lack of sleep

Hungry

Sign of other medical problems, such as elevated blood pressure

Heredity such as migraines

Physical injury

Vision problems

Change in sleep patterns

Change in hormone levels

According to the National Headache Foundation, headaches are divided into two basic categories: primary/benign (tension-type, migraine, cluster) and secondary (organically caused). All headaches fall into one of these two categories depending on their causes and symptoms.   It's not uncommon for an individual to suffer from more than one type of headache. According to Dr. Seymour Diamond, Executive Chairman of the National Headache Foundation, people with mixed headache problems -- such as migraine with tension-type headache -- are not unusual.

When seeking treatment for your headache, start with your primary care physician. Discuss his or her experience and approach to headaches, including methods of classification, diagnosis, and treatment. Your doctor may decide to recommend you to a headache specialist, depending upon your symptoms or other physical conditions (diabetes, allergies, etc.) that require a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to your headache.

This is National Headache Awareness Week.  So instead of just taking 2 aspirins and calling me in the morning, if you are having a more serious problem with headaches, call your doctor and set up a visit.  For more information visit this site: http://www.headaches.org/content/my-headache

(Images from Google) 

Happy National Popcorn Day – Yum!!

(Google Image)

By Terry Orr

Popcorn is one of good for you snack’s – that you can enjoy anytime and anywhere.  I keep a good supply of Movie Time Popcorn from Trader Joe’s on hand.  It is already popped, in a bag and can generally make it last for two and sometime three servings.  We also keep a nice supply of microwave popcorn and Bob Scout popcorn.

(Google Image)

There seems to be an endless list of different ways to prepare your favorite popcorn toppings and flavors – from butter, salted, caramel, chocolate, cheese, and just about anything you can imagine.  My favorite is little to no salt and a very little butter flavoring.  Still have a sweet-tooth for Cracker Jacks a couple times a year.

(Google Image)

According to punchbowl.com - Americans eat about 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year (about 51 quarts per person), which makes it one of the most popular snacks in the country. It is also one of the oldest.

From popcorn.org – Some Fun Facts about popcorn:

·        

·        Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped is only 55 per cup.

·        Of the 6 types of maize/corn—pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn—only popcorn pops.

·        Popcorn is a whole grain. It is made up of three components: the germ, endosperm, and pericarp (also know as the hull).

·        Most U.S. popcorn is grown in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.

·        Many people believe the acres of corn they see in the Midwest during growing season could be picked and eaten for dinner, or dried and popped. In fact, those acres are typically field corn, which is used largely for livestock feed, and differs from both sweet corn and popcorn.

·        The peak period for popcorn sales for home consumption is in the fall.

·        Most popcorn comes in two basic shapes when it's popped: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is used in movie theaters and ballparks because it looks and pops bigger. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn't crumble.

·        Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.

·        How high popcorn kernels can pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.

·        The world’s largest popcorn ball was created by volunteers in Sac City, Iowa in February, 2009.  It weighed 5,000 lbs., stood over 8 ft. tall, and measured 28.8 ft. in circumference.

·        If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels!

So good ahead – buy a bag or pop your favorite popcorn today and celebrate this enjoyable snack.

References and Links:

http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/FunPopcornFacts/tabid/118/Default.aspx

American Diabetes Month - Overview

Diabetes Overview

By Akindman,

November is American Diabetes Month along with Diabetic Eye Disease Month, Foot Health Issues Related to Diabetes Month and Diabetes Education Week each will be covered throughout November.  We will also share one additional related article on ‘Diabetes Diet’. 

This is a very dangerous disease that continues to increase in new cases each year.  These new cases will not only increase the bad health and mortality rate of the victims, but also increases the cost of medical care and expenses.  Our goal this month is to inform you about the disease, how to avoid it when possible, and how to control it if you have it.

What is diabetes?

• Diabetes, the most common disorder of the endocrine (hormone) system, occurs when blood sugar levels in the body consistently stay above normal. It affects more than 23 million people in the U.S. alone.
• Diabetes is a disease brought on by either the body's inability to make insulin (type 1 diabetes) or by the body not responding to the effects of insulin (type 2 diabetes). It can also appear during pregnancy. Insulin is one of the main hormones that regulates blood sugar levels and allows the body to use sugar (called glucose) for energy. Talk with your doctor about the different types of diabetes and your risk for this disease.

What are the main types of diabetes?

• Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
• Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes accounting for 90%-95% of people with diabetes. It’s been seen more in children with diabetes too. How can too much insulin (insulin resistant) result in this disease?
• Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and affects about 4% of all pregnancies. It increases complications for mother and baby.

Complications

• Learn the Importance of Diabetes Foot Care - Uncontrolled diabetes may damage nerves, making it harder to notice foot problems due to diabetes that can eventually require amputation.
• Infections and Diabetes - Diabetes may make the body more vulnerable to skin infections and other illnesses.
• Insulin Resistance - Find out about insulin resistance and its dangerous ties to heart disease.
• Skin Problems and Diabetes - Up to a third of diabetes patients have diabetes-related skin problems at some point in their lives.
• Eye Problems – Blindness, Diabetic Retinopathy
• Blood Sugar Disorders - Hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis
• Diabetes and Heart Disease - Learn about the link between diabetes and heart disease and helps you determine your risk.

What is the impact of diabetes?

• It affects 23.6 million people-7.8 percent of the U.S. population.
• It is a leading cause of death and disability.
• It costs $174 billion per year.

Who gets diabetes? People of any age people with a family history of diabetes; others at high risk for type 2 diabetes: elderly, overweight and sedentary individuals, African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, some Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos.

The Toll on Health

• Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults.
• The rate of amputation for people with diabetes is 10 times higher than for people without diabetes.
• About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion, sexual dysfunction and other nerve problems.

Cost of Diabetes

• The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion.
• Direct medical costs reach $116 billion, and the average medical expenditure among people with diabetes is 2.3 times higher than those without the disease.
• Indirect costs amount to $58 billion (disability, work loss, premature mortality).
• Further published studies suggest that when additional costs for gestational diabetes, pre-diabetes, and undiagnosed diabetes are included, the total diabetes-related costs in the U.S. could exceed $218 billion.
• The cost of caring for someone with diabetes is $1 out of every $5 in total healthcare costs (from American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org)

The National Health Information Center offers a very informative ‘Toolkit’ that you can download at http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/PDFs/NovemberNHOtoolkit.pdf

Despite encouraging data that type II diabetes may be a largely preventable disease, the twenty-first century is seeing it in epidemic levels in the United States and worldwide.  As reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), from 1980 through 2007, the number of Americans with type II diabetes has more than tripled (from 5.6 million to 18 million) and continues to rise to now nearly 26 million.  Projections from the new 2010 census data by the CDC are even more grim with an expected 25% of the population being diabetic by 2040). Worldwide Type II diabetes is reaching pandemic proportions, with no sign of abating.

Summary

The best documented strategy to avoid diabetes or to improve its course is to maintain a healthy body weight and to exercise.  This common knowledge continues to be backed by medical research.  Excellent evidence that even modest weight loss and exercise reduces the risk of type II diabetes is provided by many studies.

The current recommendation of the American Diabetes Association is for diabetics to engage in 150 minutes per week of moderate to brisk physical activity. The exercise should be spread out over at least three days a week, with no breaks of longer than two days.

The known modifiable risk factors for type II diabetes are excessive body weight and sedentary lifestyle. Increasing age and a history of relatives having the disease also increase the likelihood of its development.  There is no drug or dietary supplement that has been shown to prevent diabetes.

(Natural Health Research Institute - http://www.naturalhealthresearch.org/nhri/?p=5550) Published March 1, 2011 and posted on May 4, 2011)

Next Article – Diabetes Education Week

National Waffle Day

By Diane Forrest,

Today is National Waffle Day, it is a really huge celebration in Sweden, but not so big in other areas of the world. 

A waffle is a dough baked cake that is cooked between two metal plates connected by a hinge, with each plate connected to an arm with a wooden handle. The iron was placed over a fire and flipped to cook both sides of the wafer. The irons were used to produce a variety of different flat, unleavened cakes, usually from a mixture of barley and oats, instead of the white flour used today  .Waffles were first introduced to North America in 1620 by Pilgrims who brought the method from Holland. Thomas Jefferson brought a waffle iron from France, and waffle frolics or parties became popular in the late 18th century

The sponge cake recipe from yesterday is sometimes used to make waffles. The recipe I use comes in a yellow cardboard box and says Eggo's on the side. Growing up I don't remember eating waffles.  We usually had pancakes instead, and those were at suppertime.  My son however loves them, so much that one year for Christmas he got 3 waffle irons!  After that I don’t think he ever made another waffle!

When my husband and I would travel out of town, we eventually would visit a Waffle House.  That is a chain of small diners that are famous for their waffles.  He would always order a large waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream.  Looked more like dessert than breakfast.  Of course you can eat waffles at any meal or even a snack.  Several places now offer a dish of chicken and waffles.

There is no better time like today to have some waffles...so if you don’t have time to make them yourself, head out for breakfast and have a great start to your day!

Waffle Recipe:

• 1 1/3 cups flour 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups milk

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
• Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the dry ingredient mixture, and placing the whites in a small mixing bowl.
• Beat whites until moderately stiff; set aside.
• Add milk and melted butter to dry ingredient mixture and blend.
• Fold stiff egg whites into mixture.
• Ladle mixture into hot waffle iron and bake.

So how do you like your waffles?