How I wish that I could have some prepackaged real food right about now.
Although I'd like to admit otherwise, I have not been enjoying packing lunches lately. Everyday seems to be some alternating version of ham, salami or AB and J with some chopped up veggies and whole fruit, perhaps the occasional pickle. Thing 1 does not have access to a microwave to heat up dinner leftovers, but even if he did he wouldn't necessarily eat them. School lunch is included in the cost of his tuition and he would rather eat the junkier nutrition-light fare that the school serves. Since we end up wasting alot, I wish (at the very least) that lunch was easier to prepare. I wish there were more ready to eat, individually sized foods that met my high standards.
One such product that I continually buy is Larabars. Larabars are ground date, dried fruit and nut combinations that are easy to carry for snacks, always get eaten and can be thrown into a lunch box at 9:30 PM with virtually no thought. Larabars are a product I trust. They use only Non-GMO ingredients, contain no sweeteners at all and they always get eaten no matter what the school is serving.
There are many foodies and bloggers who LOVE Larabars because they are all real food and they taste great. But I continue to read those that just s%!t-talk Larabars. The main complaints ate that the bars are prohibitively expensive and too calorie dense.
Yes, Larabars are pricey when you consider what they are. At $1.69 or more per 200 calorie bar, it can really add up, especially when you have more than one child. We do not eat Larabars every day. They are a special treat. So I will buy 4 or 5 a week and we will all have one or two. The Things will even accept Larabars as dessert which is proof that they really do see them as a treat.
I have made Almond Date Truffles, as I like to call them, before. My version is heavier on nuts than Larabars but essentially they are the same thing. My almond-date balls took almost an hour to make and roll and, because I used organic everything, cost probably as much or more than an equal amount of Larabars. Normally I would assume that any homemade version of a prepackaged item would cost more, because we would use better quality ingredients. But I don't worry about the quality of the nuts and fruits in Larabars and we do not eat 100% organic. I have made the truffles a couple of times, but I didn't feel that the extra money and all the extra work involved were justified when Larabars are so easy and right there.
And of course, people downplay Larabars because they are calorie dense, i.e.- fattening. Now that really is some s#!t talk! Yet I can't really deny it. For their size, Larabars have alot of calories. However this is where we have to use our brains. Just because something is real food doesn't mean that you can pig out on it and eat 12 with no consequences! Yes, dates (the main ingredient in all Larabars) are extremely high in sugar. However dates are also a source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B6 and they contain countless other vitamins and minerals in smaller quantities. Dates are also an excellent source of dietary fiber. (Check out the nutrition data for dates.) Usually I break a bar in half and split it between the kids. They are so sweet that they never ask for more. And because they are made from real food, there are no manipulating added favors or sugars to make them feel addicted.
Because they are pricey and high in calories, Larabars are not an every day snack for me or my children. BUT, I am not so sure there is any one food that we eat every single day. We strive for varied balanced diets. And Larabars certainly fit into that balance. I am happy that they do not contain wheat, since my kids seem to be bombarded with wheat wherever we turn. If you haven't tried Larabars for either of these reasons, consider cutting them in half. Try them for that 4 PM slump. Stick them into your kids lunchbox to know that they'll be full until school let's out. And definitely try the chocolate ones, because what other chocolate-y bar on the market can boast all the antioxidant benefits of unsweetened cocoa with truly zero added sugar? And to the Larabar company, if you like what you read, would you mind sending me a free box? Please??? Haha, just kidding!
Enjoy!!
29 Januari 2012
Native Vines Grow on You
While I have a number of native vines in the natural area of my yard, it was several years before I decided to add new ones to the landscaped areas. Perhaps I was a little afraid that a vine would be too aggressive. Eventually, their beauty overcame any fear – I wanted to see the large and colorful blooms of crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), to support hummingbirds with the red tubal flowers of our native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), to delight my visitors with the delicate bells of our native leather-flower (Clematis viorna), and to be wowed by the springtime show of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens).
 |
| Pale passionflower, Passiflora lutea |
I also learned more about how they support native wildlife: from hummingbirds and insect pollinators to birds that eat their berries and insects that feed on their foliage. I was inspired by Doug Tallamy’s story about growing Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) just so that he could observe the larvae of the Pandorus sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus). I decided that planting more vines would increase the diversity of host plants to support insects that feed on foliage.
The first thing to consider about vines – as it would be for any kind of plant – is how they grow. For vines that means considering HOW they climb. Each vine has its own way of climbing:
The first thing to consider about vines – as it would be for any kind of plant – is how they grow. For vines that means considering HOW they climb. Each vine has its own way of climbing:
Twine – a vine that twines will physically wrap itself around small branches or trunks of other plants or around supports provided by the gardener. Trying to grow such a vine next to a solid wall without any twine-able support would be an exercise in futility. Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) are two that twine.
 |
| Lonicera sempervirens |
Cling – a vine that clings will physically attach itself to a wall, a fence or another plant. This same vine may cause damage to structures when you try to detach it! Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and wood vamp (Decumaria barbara) are both clingers; the creeper clings with little adhesive discs while the vamp clings with aerial roots.
 | ||
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
 |
| Decumaria barbara |
Tendril – a vine with tendrils anchors itself to another plant or thin support via curly tendrils. Vines like grape (Vitis spp.) have very thick tendrils while clematis (Clematis spp.) have thin tendrils.
 |
| A grape latches onto a nearby oak sapling |
Ramble – a vine that rambles is really a shrub with long branches and usually requires physical support (e.g., tying it to an arbor or structure) initially. Roses are ramblers.
Knowing the difference in how they grow helps me quickly identify two evergreen vines in the wild: Gelsemium sempervirens (a twiner) and Bignonia capreolata (a clinger). But as I said, the real reason to know is so that the environment that you place them in will be one where they can thrive. Unfortunately, I speak from experience!
 |
| Passiflora lutea waltzing through my plumleaf azalea |
If you select a vine that twines or has tendrils, be sure to provide some support for the vine or it will twine all over itself and make a bit of a mess. You can use a fence with slender rails, a metal trellis, or you can even supplement the area with sturdy twine or rope stretched out in a vertical fashion. I've seen the native coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) twine throughout a chain link fence beautifully - the fence was almost obscured. Of course you can let the vine scramble over other shrubs or small trees if you like. Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) is perennial but not woody so it takes a different path through my shrubs every year as it grows.
If you select a vine that clings, be sure to consider where it is going to cling. Allowing a vine to cling to a wooden house is not recommended as it could collect and hold moisture, permitting some rot over time. But a clinging vine can happily climb up a tree if you like. I recently trained Virginia creeper to climb up my store-bought landscape blocks. I'm looking forward to having it improve the looks of those boring concrete blocks.
That's all there is to understand - now you can consider what native vines you might like to grow! Most vines do love sun. They will tolerate some shade but you may not get the amount of blooms that you want. Here are some of the ones that I would recommend:
Crossvine - Bignonia capreolata: clings, evergreen, large and colorful trumpet-shaped flowers in spring.
Coral honeysuckle - Lonicera sempervirens: twines, semi-evergreen, bright red flowers for hummingbirds in summer.
Carolina jessamine - Gelsemium sempervirens: twines, evergreen, early flowering spring vine, can be aggressive.
Passionflower - Passiflora incarnata (purple) or P. lutea (yellow): tendrils, host plant for Gulf Fritillary butterfly.
Leather-flower clematis - Clematis viorna: tendrils, unusual flowers. Good reference here.
Virgin's bower clematis - Clematis virginiana: tendrils, white flowers, can be aggressive.
Virginia creeper - Parthenocissus quinquefolia: clings, decorative blue berries, outstanding fall color.
Wood vamp - Decumaria barbara: clings, semi-evergreen in protected areas; also known as climbing hydrangea.
Rose - Rosa setigera: rambles, has rose hips for wildlife.
Wisteria - Wisteria frutescens: twines, blooms at a young age, not as aggressive as the Asian species, but also not very fragrant. Generally sold as a cultivar like 'Amethyst Falls'.
Cultivars are available now for many native vines, and I've heard that even some of the trumpet creeper cultivars (Campsis radicans) are not as aggressive as the species. I'll believe that when I see it - that's a vine that really should just be grown on telephone poles!
 |
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
 |
| Passiflora incarnata |
 |
| Campsis radicans |
 |
| Lonicera sempervirens |
28 Januari 2012
Rapid Aging and EMF Exposure
Selections from Natural Health News
Jul 15, 2010
Real EMF Danger. Vatican radio waves blamed for high cancer risk ... Posted by herbalYODA at 15:49 · Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook. Labels: cancer and EMF, EMF. 1 comments: West Coast Family ...
Jun 05, 2010
(CNN) -- San Francisco, California, likely will become the first U.S. city to require cell phone companies to disclose how much radiation their gadgets emit. The city's board of supervisors voted 10-1 on Tuesday in favor of a law ...
May 01, 2010
MAY IS ELECTROSENSITIVITY MONTH, many states are promoting this as a health education event. Cell Phone Radiation Levels · FCC Consumer Resources: Wireless Devices Even though some people who submit ...
Feb 14, 2009
Quite a few years ago I presented a program to some nurses in Lewiston, Idaho focused on the health impact of EMF and a coming storm of health problems that would be - more likely than not - unable to be diagnosed by ...
23 Januari 2012
22 Januari 2012
The Promise of Spring
The grey days of January can be a discouraging time for the gardener. The once bright and crisp leaves of fall have faded to brown and lie crushed and torn on the ground, belittled by winter rains, freezing temperatures, and time itself. Deciduous tree limbs are bare, and perennial flower stalks rattle in the wind, their seeds mostly gone now. Native plants need this time to develop their roots and resources. But in Georgia, if we look hard enough, we can still spot the promise of spring.
 |
| Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa |
Last weekend I spied my first Hepatica americana bloom (now Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa) – right on schedule. I was sorry to note that this was the second bloom, the first had already faded and was forming a seed capsule. I went walking to see what else I could find.
 |
| Antennaria plantaginifolia |
As my feet moved along the path, the decomposing leaves fluttered to the side, revealing the grey-green foliage of Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia). These and other semi-evergreen plants like fairywand (Chamaelirium luteum) and green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) patiently tolerate the loose leaf cover; if you look closely, you can see the buds of new leaves already formed, waiting for the longer days and warmth of spring.
Evergreen gingers like Heartleaf (Hexastylis arifolia) and Shuttleworth (H. shuttleworthii) are getting the last bit of use out of their leaves. New leaves will replace these fading ones which are a bit tattered and droopy now. As spring gets closer, sometimes I pull away the leaf duff to see if the flowers are visible yet. It’s a demonstration of my impatience – I love the hidden flowers of our native gingers. Perhaps I should keep a journal to remember which day they will bloom.
 |
| Hexastylis arifolia |
As I make my way around the back of the house I notice that elderberry leaves (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) are emerging already along the pale stems. One of my St. John’s wort species also has tiny new leaves already. The blue-green foliage of the columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) soaks up the sun; it never really disappears either. Above it, the flower buds on the blueberries (Vaccinium sp.) are plump in expectation of flowering in the next month or so; their flowers are some of the earliest, timed to nourish the bumblebees emerging from hibernation.
 |
| Blueberry, Vaccinium sp. |
I see the berries are ripening on the wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) – turning a beautiful shade of blue-grey. Juniper berries (Juniperus virginiana) are ready for the birds that love them - birds like cedar waxwings, bluebirds, and robins. And while I was looking at the berries, I saw that the new cones are forming on the juniper, no different than the flower buds already waiting on the tips of the dogwood (Cornus florida) branches.
And on the deck, stashed in rows of 1 gallon pots, is one of my favorite promises: the tender foliage emerging from the seed of a red buckeye, Aesculus pavia. Yes, spring is on the way, but it does need every moment of winter to get ready for it -- I'll wait right here.
 |
| Berries on Morella cerifera |
 |
| New cones on Juniperus virginiana |
And on the deck, stashed in rows of 1 gallon pots, is one of my favorite promises: the tender foliage emerging from the seed of a red buckeye, Aesculus pavia. Yes, spring is on the way, but it does need every moment of winter to get ready for it -- I'll wait right here.
 |
| Seedling Aesculus pavia |
19 Januari 2012
Money: Who Gets Healthcare at What Cost
5% of Americans Made Up 50% of U.S. Healthcare Spending
And the top 1%? They made up one fifth of medical expenditures.
from The Atlantic
"When it comes to America's spiraling health care costs, the country's problems begin with the 5%. In 2008 and 2009, 5% of Americans were responsible for nearly half of the country's medical spending.
Of course, healthcare has its own 1% crisis. In 2009, the top 1% of patients accounted for 21.8% of expenditures.
The figures are from a new study by the Department of Health and Human Services, which examined how different U.S. demographics contributed to medical costs. It looked at the $1.26 trillion spent by civilian, non-institutionalized Americans each year on health care.
The top 5% of spenders paid an annual average of $35,829 in doctors' bills. By comparison, the bottom half paid an average $232 and made up about 3% of total costs.
Aside from the fact that such a tiny fraction of the country was responsible for so much of our expenses, it also found that high spenders often repeated from year to year. Those chronically ill patients skewed white and old and were twice as likely to be on public healtcare as the general population.
The graph below looks at how many people remained in each tranche of healthcare spending in both 2008 and 2009. One fifth of the top 1% of healthcare spenders in 2008 also were in the top 1% a year later. More than a third of those in the top 5% stayed there both years.
According to this follow-up chart, elderly patients, aged 65 or older, made up 13.2% of the population in 2009. But they were 42.9 of the patients among the top 10% of spenders in both 2008 and 2009. Middle-aged Americans made up another 40.1% of that category.
America's healthcare spending crisis is a concentrated phenomenon. The challenge isn't just about making everybody's insurance cheaper (although that would be nice). It's about figuring out how to cut costs, wisely and fairly, for the disastrously ill and preventing diseases before they become chronic. This is America's 5% problem."
My view is that we have moved so far from prevention that it will take years before this urgently needed philosophy returns to US health care process.
And the top 1%? They made up one fifth of medical expenditures.
from The Atlantic
"When it comes to America's spiraling health care costs, the country's problems begin with the 5%. In 2008 and 2009, 5% of Americans were responsible for nearly half of the country's medical spending.
Of course, healthcare has its own 1% crisis. In 2009, the top 1% of patients accounted for 21.8% of expenditures.
The figures are from a new study by the Department of Health and Human Services, which examined how different U.S. demographics contributed to medical costs. It looked at the $1.26 trillion spent by civilian, non-institutionalized Americans each year on health care.
The top 5% of spenders paid an annual average of $35,829 in doctors' bills. By comparison, the bottom half paid an average $232 and made up about 3% of total costs.
Aside from the fact that such a tiny fraction of the country was responsible for so much of our expenses, it also found that high spenders often repeated from year to year. Those chronically ill patients skewed white and old and were twice as likely to be on public healtcare as the general population.
The graph below looks at how many people remained in each tranche of healthcare spending in both 2008 and 2009. One fifth of the top 1% of healthcare spenders in 2008 also were in the top 1% a year later. More than a third of those in the top 5% stayed there both years.
According to this follow-up chart, elderly patients, aged 65 or older, made up 13.2% of the population in 2009. But they were 42.9 of the patients among the top 10% of spenders in both 2008 and 2009. Middle-aged Americans made up another 40.1% of that category.
America's healthcare spending crisis is a concentrated phenomenon. The challenge isn't just about making everybody's insurance cheaper (although that would be nice). It's about figuring out how to cut costs, wisely and fairly, for the disastrously ill and preventing diseases before they become chronic. This is America's 5% problem."
My view is that we have moved so far from prevention that it will take years before this urgently needed philosophy returns to US health care process.
Doctors Required to Report Payments from Drug and Device Firms
UPDATE: 26 January
Dialing for Doctors -
18 January
Dialing for Doctors -
Financial Ties Bind Medical Societies to Drug and Device Makers
To head off medical conflicts of interest, the Obama administration is poised to require drug companies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.
Many researchers have found evidence that such payments can influence doctors’ treatment decisions and contribute to higher costs by encouraging the use of more expensive drugs and medical devices.
Consumer advocates and members of Congress say patients may benefit from the new standards, being issued by the government under the new health care law. Officials said the disclosures increased the likelihood that doctors would make decisions in the best interests of patients, without regard to the doctors’ financial interests.
Read complete article
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
LinkWithin
