Potty Talk

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Almost daily, new products claiming to drastically reduce weight or improve health find their way into stores and onto shelves around the country. Specifically, laxatives for detoxification have grown very popular as a means to rid your body of pollutants that may inhibit weight loss or cause cancer.   Never fear; however, manufactures of laxatives, enemas, and, other supplements designed to increase the frequency and amount of bowel movements have come to your rescue, or have they?   To date, no documented research exists proving excessively large or frequent bowel movements will make drastic changes in your weight or health status. In fact, overuse of these products can cause diarrhea leading to dehydration, which can do far more harm to your body than good. Excessive loss of fluids and electrolytes can lead to heart and/or kidney failure.  Unfortunately for quick fix seekers, the best plan is still regular exercise and a good diet including plenty of fiber to stay regular.

Resource:

http://prescribersletter.therapeuticresearch.com/pl/Rumor.aspx?rtid=233&cs=&s=PRL

A Bowl of Cheerios

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Bananas like to mingle with other bananas.  Bananas are not social butterflies; however, they are not averse to making new friends.  Every new banana has something to share, something to be learned.  Each new banana in the bunch leaves his or her mark long after they have wound up in a bowl of cheerios.  Some bananas leave a lasting impression that remains for years on end.  If bananas have soul mates, this would be the one whose shadow remains until the end.  Some bananas wait their entire short lives without meeting such a banana and those who have, know that it is a once in a lifetime experience.  The next time you see a banana, befriend that banana and learn from that banana because it just a matter of one good night’s sleep and a wake up before the call to the great honey-nut bowl of cheerios in the sky.

Red Velvet Cake

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• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• ½ cup of shortening
• 1-½ cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 ounces of red food coloring
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Dissolve baking soda in vinegar; set aside.  Cream shortening by slowly adding sugar and beating well with an electric mixer.  Add eggs to mixture one at a time and beat mixture after adding each egg.  After all of the eggs are beaten into the mixture, beat in the baking soda and vinegar mixture.

Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt.  Combine buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring.  Next, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cape pans.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until done.  Cool both pans for 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans and allow continuing to cool on wire racks.  Spread cream cheese frosting between layers, on top and sides of the cake.  Sprinkle with coconut and serve!

Substitutions for ingredients such as sugar, works well with this recipe.  Ultimately this is a fun cake to make and even more fun to share.  Not recommended for those who fall faint at the though of gaining an ounce or two of weight.

Day in the Life of a Banana!

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• ex·cit·ed   

[ik-sahy-tid]

–adjective

1. stirred emotionally; agitated: An excited crowd awaited the arrival of the famed rock group.

• an·tic·i·pa·tion   

[an-tis-uh-pey-shuhn]  

–noun

1. the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.

• ex·pec·ta·tion   

[ek-spek-tey-shuhn]  

–noun.

1. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

• dis·ap·point·ment   

[dis-uh-point-muhnt]  

–noun

1. the act or fact of disappointing: All of his efforts only led to the disappointment of his supporters.

Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

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1)  Stick to a regular sleep schedule---even on weekends. 

2)  Exercise regularly---avoid exercise in the late evening. 

3)  Go to bed only when sleepy. 

4)  Put your worries away when you go to bed. 

5)  Do something relaxing and enjoyable before bedtime. 

6)  Make your bedroom quiet and comfortable. 

7)  Avoid large meals just before bedtime. 

8)  If you cannot sleep within 15 to 20 minutes get up and go to another room.    Return to bed only when drowsy. 

9)  Remove the clock from eyesight. 

Do not nap during the day. If you must nap, limit it to 30 minutes in the early afternoon. 

10) Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine use. 

11) Have your pharmacist check your medications for potential sleep effects. 

12) Avoid bright lights (e.g. from TV, computers, video games) before   bed. 

Still Tired?

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Insomnia is a common complaint. Some symptoms of insomnia are difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and difficulty with early morning awakening. Sometimes insomnia only lasts for a short time and can be easily managed. Persistent insomnia is more troublesome and can affect work, school, social relation-ships, and health. Many conditions are associated with insomnia such as depression, anxiety, allergies, and pain. Much of the time insomnia is simply the result of poor sleep habits. 

How Is Insomnia Treated? 

Insomnia treatment in adults may include use of an over-the-counter medication or, in other cases, use of a prescription sedative. It is important to determine the cause of insomnia before treatment begins. Maintaining a sleep diary for one to two weeks is a good way to start. Keeping track of sleep times, caffeine and alcohol ingestion, etc. may provide clues as to the cause of insomnia. Behavioral changes are often all that's needed to improve sleep. By maintaining good sleep habits the need for medication may be avoided. 

What If Non-drug Treatment Fails?

If you are still having difficulty getting a good night's sleep, you should talk to your PCM or NCM. The cause of your insomnia will need to be determined and a medication may be needed. Even if medication is used for insomnia, sleep hygiene principles should still be followed and can provide added benefit.

Real Banana Pudding

Photo By tammyzrecipez

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•    3 cups sugar (Splenda works great!)
•    ½ cup all-purpose flour
•    ¼ cup cornstarch
•    6 eggs, separated, plus 2 additional egg yolks (8 egg yolks altogether)
•    7 cups of milk (soy milk not recommended)
•    ½ cup margarine
•    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•    1 16-ounce box of vanilla wafers
•    10-12 medium bananas (ripe not green, black, or brown) peeled and sliced.

Thoroughly mix 2½ cups of the sugar, the flour, and cornstarch in a large heavy saucepan.  Lightly beat the 8 egg yolks; combine milk and egg yolks and whisk into sugar mixture.  Add margarine and cook over medium heat (avoid scolding), stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1-teaspoon of the vanilla.  Cool. Preheat oven to 425⁰F.  Line bottom of a 13X9X2-inch baking dish with one-third of vanilla wafers; layer one-third of bananas and one-third of custard on top.  Repeat layers twice.  Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar, 1-tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Beat in remaining 1-tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Beat in remaining 1-teaspoon vanilla.  Spread over custard, sealing to edges.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Chill overnight before serving.

What are head lice (Uku)?

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Uku are small, wingless parasites that live on human hair. They cannot fly or jump however, they have claws that allow them to crawl and cling firmly to hair. Living among human hair is vital to Uku because they feed on small amounts of blood drawn from the human scalp. Uku do not live long once they fall off a person. Because Uku need human heads to survive, they are highly contagious and spread quickly from person to person.

Symptoms and Treatment of Uku Infestations 

The most common symptom of Uku is itching of the scalp. Uku bites cause itching and for some children, red bumps, sores, or bacterial infections can occur depending how sensitive your child’s skin is to Uku. Further, heavy scratching can lead to a bacterial infection (the skin would become read and tender and may have crusting and oozing along with swollen lymph glands). If you think your child may have an Uku infestation, take your child to his or her pediatrician for evaluation and treatment, especially if your child is two years or younger. Medicated treatments are not recommended for children two years or younger. It is important to know that catching an Uku infestation is not a sign of poor hygiene. Uku can be a problem for children of all ages and socioeconomic levels, regardless of how often they bathe or wash their hair. 

Preventing Uku Infestation

Uku are spread through close head-to-head contact or sharing of personal items. Tell children not to share personal care items such as combs, brushes, towels, helmets, hats, or scarves with anyone else. Also, tell children to avoid head-to-head contact while playing at home or in school with other children. Group activities such as slumber parties and camps are easy settings for Uku to spread. During slumber parties, children should not share bedding and pillows if someone with Uku has used them. 

***For further detailed information about head lice prevention, infestation, and treatment please contact your physician, pediatrician, pharmacist, or, nurse.  Notify your child’s school or Childcare Center director if you find that your child has an Uku infestation. 

"Keep lice from ruining summer: The chance of contact increases when a child is staying at a camp.", Tulsa World (Tulsa, OK), June 17 2008 Issue