Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Posted by forsythkid on March 3, 2010
This morning while perusing the fridge in search of something to eat, I spied some chicken and rice that was in a Tupperware container. Problem was, how long had it been in there? I couldn’t remember. But, I thought, I’ll just make sure to ‘nuke’ it really well in the old microwave. That should kill any bad bugs that might lurk somewhere within. The trouble was, I was wrong.
One study, by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was published in The American Journal of Epidemiology. It looked at a salmonella outbreak after a picnic where dozens of people ate reheated roast pork. Of 30 people studied, all 10 who used a microwave oven became sick, compared with none of the 20 who used a conventional oven or skillet.
Another study, in the journal Epidemiological Infections, looked at six people who contracted salmonella at a buffet after eating a dish consisting of chicken and vegetables. The scientists found that the food had been heated in a 500-watt microwave oven for five minutes before it was consumed — which apparently was not enough.
The problem, studies show, is that microwave users often ignore recommendations like stirring and rotating food for even cooking and checking its temperature once done. You have to hit somewhere between 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure that the bad guys have all bit the dust. (Note: Salmonella is one of the toughest to kill. The rate at which these bacteria are destroyed depends on temperature, species, acidity (pH), and humidity. Ten minutes at 65°C (150°F), or less than two minutes at 70°C (160°F), are both about as effective as an hour at 60°C (140°F). These times and temperatures are sufficient to kill 99.9999% of a particularly heat-resistant strain (S. senftenberg), in custard. At any given temperature, the proportion of surviving bacteria killed in a given time is constant: it takes one sixth of these times to destroy 90% of the bacteria; one third of the time to kill 99%; half the time to kill 99.9%, and so on. A lethal dose may be as few as 500,000 bacteria.)
So, the answer is no! If you have leftovers that you suspect may be a little old (more than a few days). Throw them out! But, if you do decide to take a chance… then at least make sure you reheat them over the stove and that you get them over the 160 to 170 mark.
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Posted in Danomanno, Diet, Editorial, Health, Meals | Tagged: Forsythkid, Research, Danomanno, Bacteria, Microwaves, Bad food poisioning | Leave a Comment »
Posted by forsythkid on February 26, 2010
I think anyone who watched the charade that was the Heath Care Summit, held yesterday in Washington DC, would have to admit that yet another period of time (seven hours in this case) was wasted. The group of men and women in attendance had the appearance of an appendix. A useless and now possibly infected bit of flesh in an increasingly sick American body.
Now today, behind closed doors (yet again), Obama and aides will also be discussing the way forward with or with out the support of Congress. Honestly, I don’t understand why we are keeping up this act! Let’s just start calling him dictator for life and be done with it. The President absolutely dominated the debate and was always in command not only of the room but also of the most intricate policy details, as he personally rebutted every point he disagreed with. As I watched this unfold on TV, I wondered what will be next…a firing squad.
As one of the ‘little people’, I have stood in the back of the room throughout the misery that has been this administration for over a year now. I have stood there, silently, with fists clinched as my wishes concerning the health care issue and those of the majority of American citizens have been callously brushed aside. At one point Barrack told the collected body of men and women that “The truth of the matter is that health care is very complicated.” That was the one of the few points he made with which I totally agree. Yes, Mr. President, Health Care is complex and I am now pretty positive that we have elected the wrong group of people to handle it. Come election time, I hope to correct that decision by seeing most of you voted out of office.
I now close with this question. Would America still be in the mess we are now if Ross Perot had been elected president?
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Posted in Danomanno, Editorial, Health, Political, Politics | Tagged: Forsythkid, Obama, Danomanno, Health Care Summit, Congress | 3 Comments »
Posted by forsythkid on February 4, 2010
All kidding aside, wine when consumed in moderation, can be very heart healthy. Some studies that investigated the benefits of red wine have suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease.
What’s in Red Wine that is good for heart?
Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine’s effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries.
Should I start drinking more red wine now?
The answer is No. Studies showed that alcohol drinking may increase triglycerides (another Bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its empty calories. Other studies also suggested that alcohol consumption is associated with cancer risk. The American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol. If you already drink alcohol, do so in moderation. AHA recommends one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. A drink would be considered 4 ounces that will contribute about 50 calories if you are on a diet.
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Posted in Health, Nutrition | Tagged: Forsythkid, Danomanno, Red wine, HDL, LDL, flavonoids, resveratrol | 2 Comments »
Posted by forsythkid on January 31, 2010

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Posted in Danomanno, Diet, Health, Herbs, Meals, Nutrition, Onions, Recipes, Spaghetti | Tagged: Danomanno, Forsythkid, low calorie meals, mushrooms, Spaghetti, Tomato sauce, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by forsythkid on January 21, 2010
Not only should you eat vegetable salads, but you should eat a lot of them! Recent research conducted by the UCLA/Louisiana State University that included more than 17,000 men and women has shown conclusively that tossed salads can contribute directly to ‘higher concentrations of folic acid, vitamins C and E, lycopene and alpha and beta carotene in the bloodstream.’
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends five to nine servings of fruits and vegetable each day in order to help the body stay healthy and fight disease. A salad eaten each day is a strong contributor to getting your required amounts of veggies. In addition, because salads are eaten raw, you are getting the maximum benefit from vitamins and dietary fiber.
I make vegetable salads a daily addition for lunch and dinner. Because of their nature you can create an almost endless number of variations by using different vegetable and fruits each time. I love to experiment and have come up with some pretty interesting combinations. One of my personal favorites includes additions such as romaine lettuce, olives, bell peppers and mandarin oranges. If you are craving meat or fish, you can also try ham cubes or shredded crab. There’s really no end to what you can do and the great thing for dieters is just how big a salad can get without all those bad calories!
In America, as I write this, we are in the midst of a true epidemic. Too many citizens visit too many fast food joints and the result is obesity not just in the adult population but also in our children. According to a 2008 report, the National Center for Health Statistics indicate 15 percent of children ages 6 to 18 were overweight in 2000, up from 6 percent in 1980. Fifteen percent of youngsters ages 6 to 19 and 10 percent of children 2 through 5 were considered seriously overweight. This problem is directly attributable to poor eating habits both in the home, at work and in school. A simple shift away from junk food towards vegetable salads would go a long way to help change this unfortunate direction in the US.
If I were in charge (not a good thought), I would make nutritional studies a mandatory course of study for all levels of education. Perhaps that and more exercise. If we could just reduce the average American’s weight by a few pounds, we would also be cutting into the number of people who add to the nation’s rising health costs each year. While most adults are likely a lost cause, perhaps we can save the children.
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Posted in Diet, Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vegetables | Tagged: Forsythkid, Danomanno, Tossed Salads, Vegetable salads, obesity, youth, recent research | Leave a Comment »
Posted by forsythkid on January 4, 2010
I recently watched the ‘Movie Trailer Fraud’ on You Tube. A spoof made from interviewees at a Tea Party rally who are understandably upset about Obama and the supposed fraud he has perpetrated on the country.
The people in the video are obviously slanted in the view of who and what President Obama is all about. While I neither defend or support their views it is interesting to witness the levels of emotion he generates among the body politic. I think the real undercurrent at work in this nation is not so much what Obama has or has not done so much as it is America’s frustration with a congressional system that appears to a little bit corrupt.
Now, I’m not saying everyone or even anyone in Washington is corrupt. Rather I am saying that the current system in which they work is. Legislation, any legislation no matter how good or bad it might be for the nation cannot survive this vetting process unless three things happen; 1) votes have to be purchased and secured by favor or cash, 2) special interests must be appeased or paid off and 3) each Senator or Representative adds their own amendments or stamp of change to the bill in question.
The resulting mish mash of a piece of legislation (I cite the Health Bill as an example) looks nothing at all like it did when it was proposed by popular mandate. The health care issue was and is a cornerstone concept that helped get Obama (and the democrats) ushered into office in the first place. Because it is an incredibly complex issue, it also tied up the engine that is Congress for the better part of a year. A year of effort to the exclusion of all other issues that has resulted in a bill, that when it finally passed, did so as a child which had been stripped of gender and then neutered so blatantly that most of us don’t even recognize it.
Health care not withstanding, I propose that the really scary part of two thousand page nonsense was never really the bill itself. It is the way in which it was handled (mishandled) on its ride through the halls of congress that is very troubling to me. Watching its agonizing passage over a period of months was, in fact, also an eye-opening disclosure of all that has become wrong with the inner workings of Washington. It also makes me wonder if perhaps it’s not time we started talking about fixing what is really broken in this nation of ours.
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Posted in Health, Political, Politics, Sound off | Tagged: Danomanno, Forsythkid, Movie trailer Fraud, President Obama, Tea Party | 1 Comment »
Posted by forsythkid on December 29, 2009
Are you feeling pretty darn good? Do you stand out at parties as being a little too healthy? Are people whispering behind your back? Then, ask your doctor if you should try NOSYM™. Yes, NOSYM™ a drug for anyone who lacks any symptoms and is way too healthy for their own good! NOSYM™ will quickly bring you right down to earth. We promise you’ll feel miserable in no time! Don’t let the embarrassment of good health put you into hiding. Get some NOSYM™ today!
NOSYM™ is not for everyone. NOSYM™ contains alpha and beta enhancers that are guaranteed to cause some discomfort in the form of glandular swelling. Don’t take NOSYM™ if you plan on maintaining your good health for any reason. NOSYM™ can cause problems for some users. Do not take NOSYM™ if you experience heart failure, stroke or kidney failure. NOSYM™ has been know to cause explosive rectal emissions in some patients just prior to seizure. Do not take NOSYM™ if you are sane.
Sure this drug makes no sense and anyway, I made it up! But think a moment, do you really feel these mega-drug companies have your best interest at heart? Are the drugs they push the best deal out there or are they just trying to make a buck? Maybe you’re doctor should be doing the recommending.
Posted in Health, Humor | Tagged: NOSYM pills | Leave a Comment »