The Day Before

This is Monday, June 2.

Today is garbage day. There is usually a parade of trucks driving by the evening before. Looking for anything useful. You can be sure that all the metal will be picked up. Whatever is left is really garbage. I look at this as a good thing. Everything gets recycled, one way or another. I've picked up things from my neighbours that I can use. I don't think any of them would. The last thing I picked up was a footstool. The top is a padded lid. It's for magazines etc. The only thing wrong with it was that one of the hinges had become unscrewed. Three screws later, it sits in my living room.

I have a next door neghbour, who is divorced with two daughters. She has two cars in the driveway. One doesn't work and has been sitting there for years. It has become her storage shed. The other car has been sitting there for a month because it has a flat tire. My wife says that I should be a good neighbour and change the tire for her. I said no, I would be a fool if I changed it. She has two daughters, with two boyfriends, who walk past that car every day. They stay over a lot of nights. I think they should change the tire.

On Sat. she hops in her car, drives out of the driveway and parks it in front of the house. Still with a flat tire. I go to church that evening and when I come home, I see that the shedcar is gone. My wife tells me that someone came and towed the car away, And what else? They changed the tire on the other car.

The one thing I can't understand is with all those cars is that they didn't park in front of their house. They parked in front of mine. Hopefully, with one car gone, someone will park in the driveway. But, this is not a sure thing.

I have to get up at 4 AM tomorrow. Becauseeee! I am going to California tomorrow with my son. I say going with, but actually he is taking me. So I am looking forward to that.

Start The Morning With Chi

Its Sat. morning. Nice out now,but I think it is supposed to rain later.

I have one of those Magic Bullett blenders. That is some little machine. I use it almost every day. I have gone over to a liquid breakfast, so to speak. Put everything in the glass provided, screw on the base and voom,voom,voom finished. Here is my recipe. Got it from the newspaper.

Fill the glass half full of milk. Put in one banana, (use large spoon) for one spoon of wheat germ, sunflower seeds (without the shell of course), walnuts, flax seed, chi seeds (you should look up its content and history) and virgin olive oil. Then you need two tablespoons of yogurt and top it off with milk. After that,the three vooms and you are finished. Now you have everything you need in a breakfast. You can buy the flax seeds already ground but I like the crunch. I hope this will give me fortitude this morning because I have to go yard sailing with my wife.

Bought a new hat the other day. I guess it is something like a cowboy hat. Wide brim and all. My friends are poking fun at me but I like my hat. Makes a big difference walking in the sun. The wide brim keeps my face cooler than with my other ones. When I was much younger, I was expecting to be wearing a hat all the time like my father. But John F. Kennedy put the kibosh to that. He didn't wear a hat, so that became the new fashion. Wiped out the hat industry. So when the kids grew up and it was time to switch to a new hat, there wasn't any. They just kept wearing their baseball caps. So now old men still wear them. Come to think of it, it does go with the rest of the clothing. And that's not a compliment.

Back from the yard sales. I think this is the first time I've gone out and not spent any money. Of course I spent money on gas, which today is seling for $1.40 a liter. That would be $5.30 a gal. My wife and son just took off to Wal-Mart. She is running around looking for new glasses. We had tests done last month. My glasses are still good. No change in five years. The doctor said that eyesight doesn't change much after 60 yrs. of age. They just have to watch out for other things.

I was going to add a photo of the Magic Bullett. But I changed my mind and will put up one of my hat. My son just got an e-mail from one of my brothers. He bought an Apple computer at a yardsale for $75.00. Now he is asking my son how to get into it if he doesn't have a password. He is always buying computers at yardsales. I don't know if he ever checks them out first. Money with wings.

The Calm, Quiet Vitamin -- and Why You Need It

Know what's super bad for your body? Inflammation. It’s thought to be at the core of problems like heart disease and heart attacks.

Know what's a great way to quiet inflammation? Get your fill of vitamin K. Good choices: just about anything leafy and green -- from spinach and kale to collards and turnip greens.

Fanning the Flames of Inflammation

Inflammation is your body's response to injury or infection. And when it occurs in your blood vessels, inflammation can be a sign of bad things to come -- like ruptured arterial plaques, clot formation, heart attack, and stroke. Enter leafy greens. They pack a real vitamin K punch, and more and more research is linking high vitamin K intake to a lower bodywide inflammation index.

Going for the Green

Bored with salads? The trick to getting more greens -- and more vitamin K -- into your diet may be learning to use them more creatively. Start with something simple but different, like this Basic Sauteed Kale recipe from EatingWell.

Then, move on to these K-rich greens recipes that will have you feeling like a world traveler:

.Simmer kale with chickpeas and exotic spices for this vegetarian Indian dish: Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas.
.Slip collard greens into your red sauces, like with this unique Italian dish: Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce.
.Mix spinach with butternut squash and beans for this Brazilian soup: Amazon Bean Soup with .Winter Squash and Greens. Here's why your hands can't do without K.

COMMON DRUGS HASTEN DECLINE IN ELDERLY

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Elderly people who took commonly prescribed drugs for incontinence, allergy or high blood pressure walked more slowly and were less able to take care of themselves than others not taking the drugs, U.S. Researchers said on Saturday.

They said people who took drugs that block acetylcholine -- a chemical messenger in the nervous system critical for memory -- functioned less well than their peers.

"These results were true even in older adults who have normal memory and thinking abilities," said Dr. Kaycee Sink of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, who led the study of 3,000 people of whom 40 percent were taking more than one anticholinergic drug.

"The effect is essentially that of a three- to four-year increase in age. So someone who is 75 in our study and taking at least one moderately anticholinergic medication is at a similar functional level to a 78 to 79-year-old," Sink said in an e-mail.

Sink's findings, presented at American Geriatrics Society Meeting in Washington, add to a growing body of research that suggests these so-called anticholinergic medications can hasten functional and cognitive declines in elderly people.

Some of the most common such drugs in the study included the blood pressure drug nifedipine (sold as Adalat or Procardia), the stomach antacid ranitidine or Zantac, both with mild or moderate anticholinergic properties, and Pfizer Inc's incontinence drug tolterodine or Detrol, which is highly anticholinergic.

"The tricky part ... Is that many useful drugs from many different classes of medications have anticholinergic properties," Sink said.

She said in many cases newer drugs are available that do not have these effects and said doctors should look out for them for elderly patients.

MEMORY DECLINE

Dr. Jack Tsao, a neurologist with the U.S. Navy, reported last month at a American Academy of Neurology meeting that elderly people who took anticholinergic drugs had a 50 percent greater rate of memory decline than people in a long-term study who did not take the drugs.

Sink studied the effects of taking multiple anticholinergic drugs on walking speed, basic activities such as dressing, eating, taking care of personal hygiene, grooming, and harder activities like shopping, cooking and managing money on her test subjects whose average age was 78.

The researchers found that the more anticholinergic drugs people had in their systems, the worse their physical function, based on reports from people in the study and on independent measures of their performance.

In a separate study this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Sink found that older nursing home residents who took drugs for dementia and incontinence at the same time had a 50 percent faster decline in function than those treated only for dementia.

"I would encourage patients to bring in a list of everything they take (even over-the-counter medications) to their doctor and have them review it at least yearly," Sink said. "Physicians should try to decrease anticholinergic burden whenever possible."

The Top Diet . . . for Your Ticker

Which does the best job of protecting your heart: a Mediterranean-style diet or a low-fat plan?

Either approach is good for your health. But the Mediterranean type gives your ticker some extra protection. Here's how.

Cholesterol BusterThe

Mediterranean-type diet brought cardiovascular disease risk down 15% in a recent study, versus 9% for the low-fat plan. Why the difference? The olive oil, nuts, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and fish that characterize a Mediterranean diet are chock-full of fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants -- all things your heart loves. (Here's something else your heart craves.)

And More . . .

Some other reasons that might persuade you to eat like the people living in Greece, southern Italy, and other Mediterranean Sea spots:

Your heart could be healthier after only 3 months of it. Here's how.
It could be a boon to your brain as well as your heart. Here's what we mean by that.
Throw in a walk and you'll get healthy even quicker. Here's why.

So go ahead, take the first step toward the heart-healthiest diet there is.

Step 1: Trade in your beef hamburgers for this delicious Mediterranean take on burgers.

Did You Know?

Whole-grain bread with olive oil makes a smart appetizer. Here's how it may help you eat less overall.

Snow Again.

I guess you would call this a spring surprise. Looked out the window this morning and there was the ground covered with snow. I wasn't expecting that. Yesterday I was looking at the grass and thinking, that soon the lawnmower has to come out. But it won't be today.

Received my passport the other day. Only took a week. And I need that because.... a couple of weeks ago my son asked me if I would like to go to California. So California, here I come. Going to L.A., driving up the coast and back by another route. He has a friend who has an association with the Gallo family, so we may get a tour.

Doing my walking every day, so I can get in shape for chasing a streetcar. We will be gone nine days.

Filled up with gas last night. Only needed half a tankful. A bit of madhouse, cars pulling up to the tanks in both directions. In this province we have gas regulation, which means that the price of gas stays the same for a week. It changes every Thur. night. So if you pay attention to the news, you get a bit of a warning. There is no instant price increase when the price of a barrel of oil goes up. So no gouging. There is a two week lag. The price will be higher today. So that is the reason for the rush last night. I paid $1.269 for a liter. And for you americans that would be $4.80 a gal. I have a van and it cost me $50.00 for half a tank. I better keep this page open until I find out the price today.

So I did go out and the price today is $1.338 a liter which is $5.06 a gal. My head still works in gals. so that sounds worse. Anyway, that's how it is. Tomorrow it may be one cent less. For some reason, they do that on Sat. An adjustment I guess.

Also bought some groceries. They are also going up. And money as groceries in the pantry gets more interest than money in the bank. And you can't eat nthe money in the bank. You may not be able to get it.

Wonder Foods

Here's why these three foods are practically a staple among health - conscious celebs and foodies - plus how to pronounce them, so you can casually order an açaí smoothie with all the cool of George Clooney.

Açaí berries (ah-sigh-EE or ah-SIGH-ee) Brazilian surfers eat theirs with granola, and we know what their bodies look like! Packed with twice the disease-fighting antioxidants of blueberries, açaí has already made Oprah's list of Top 10 Superfoods and The Washington Post called the blackberry-flavored fruit the "new pomegranate." But you may find it easier to sip yours: Celestial Seasonings sells an açaí-green tea blend, and açaí martinis are on chic bar menus everywhere.

DIY açaí fruit soda: Just mix chilled sparkling mineral water with a few ounces of açaí juice, available at health-food stores. Sip. Look cool. Feel healthy.

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) Dry quinoa looks a bit like sesame seeds but when cooked it becomes fluffy with a hint of crunch, making it an excellent substitution for rice, cous cous, and pasta. Quinoa's major claim to food fame, however, is what RealAge researchers call its "nutritional profile." A cup of quinoa has more protein than a quarter-pound hamburger and more calcium than a quart of milk. Yowza. It's also loaded with iron, magnesium, and a bevy of other minerals and B vitamins. No wonder the Incas named it "the mother grain." Try it in this warm winter salad from our friends at Eating Well.

Quinoa and Black Beans
Stir in your favorite jarred salsa for extra zing. This is also good the next day for lunch.Makes 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each

1 teaspoon canola oil 1/2 bell pepper, chopped2 tablespoons chopped red onion 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed2 tablespoons broth (or water) 1/2 cup hot quinoa (cook according to package directions)

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until almost tender. Add beans and broth (or water) to the pan. Cook until heated through. Stir in quinoa.

Per serving: 162 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 60 mg sodium; 224 mg potassium.

Matcha (MAH-cha) When you drink a cuppa matcha (also spelled maccha), you're getting green tea's powerful antioxidants to the max, because you're actually consuming the whole green tea leaf in powdered form. In Japan, slightly bitter matcha is traditionally served syrupy thick. But in the US, you'll find matcha stirred into lattes, sprinkled on ice cream, and used to bolster energy drinks and turn smoothies into pick-me-ups (it's said to boost alertness). Just be respectful of matcha if you're caffeine sensitive: Ounce for ounce, it has almost as much caffeine as coffee.

To rev up a hot homemade latte, whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of the powder.

For a quick summer cooler, blend 1 1/2 teaspoon with a cup of milk and some ice cubes.

I Think You'll Like This!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's

!First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.��

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY,

no video/dvd films,

no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were noLawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!�

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them
!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's�
always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore

A GREAT SENIOR MOMENT

A very self-important college freshman from Ottawa University took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen standing next to him while waiting for a bus, that it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

"You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one," the student said, loud enough for the other passengers nearby to hear.

"The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars,computers with light-speed processing and ...

" When the student paused for breath ...the Senior took advantage of the moment and said: "You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young ... so we invented them.

Now, you arrogant little wimp, what are you doing for the next generation?"

The applause was resounding..

All About YOU: Why Too Much Vitamin A Is Bad

Somersaulting down the sidewalk isn't the only thing that's bad for your skeleton. So is taking too much vitamin A.

Your body definitely needs some vitamin A, but more than 2,500 international units (IU) a day could hurt new bone formation.

Know Your Limits

You can't OD on food sources of vitamin A -- carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and the like. Just make sure your vitamins and supplements don't put you over the 2,500 IU limit -- and choose supplements that contain the beta carotene form of vitamin A. Other things that are bad for your bones: cigarettes and excessive alcohol.

More Ways to Boost Your Bones

Keeping bones strong is easy! Just follow this advice:

.Beware the supermodel diet. What's that? High protein and diet cola. Here's why it's bad for bones.

Ditch the cigs. Check out this butt-kicking plan from Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD.

.Add these exercises to your workout.

.Get plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K. Here are some good food sources of K.

Know your osteoporosis risk, so you know what you're dealing with. Take this risk assessment right now!

THE HUMAN BODY

The human body is a machine that is full of wonder. This collection of human body facts will leave you wondering why in the heck we were designed the way we were.

-Scientists say the higher your I.Q., the more you dream.

-The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

-You use 200 muscles to take one step.

-The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.

-Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.

-A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.

-A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.

-The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.

-The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

-It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

-The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.

-Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.

-At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell.

-There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

-Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.

-The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body.

-Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born.

-When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

-Your thumb is the same length as your nose.

At this very moment I know full well you are putting this last fact to the test...

now remove your thumb from your nose and pass this on to the friends you

think might be interested in comparing their thumbs to their noses as well...

Subject: English....The importance of...

Why is it important to learn English when you live in an English-speaking country?


Have a great Day..

Infection: Eye Health: Diabetes

Over 2 million Canadians have diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness in North Americans under 65 years of age. Diabetes is a condition where the body either cannot produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or cannot respond properly to insulin (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is important because it moves glucose, a simple sugar, into the body's cells from the blood. Glucose, which is used by the cells as a source of energy, comes from the food people eat. If insulin isn't available or doesn't work correctly to move .....

A Quick Way to Spoil the Health Benefits of Fish

Yes, eating omega-3-rich fish is a great way to reduce your risk of stroke. But not if you order the Friday fish fry!

In fact, eating fried fish actually raises your risk of stroke. So ask the kitchen for broiled or baked -- and no butter. You'll be glad you did, for these two reasons.

Tipping the ScalesOne, fried foods are typically high in trans fats. The other reason to steer clear of the fryer? Fried fish can skew the balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your diet -- and that's not good.

Fish Favorites

For high-omega-3, low-mercury fish, choose baked or broiled salmon, trout, or pollock, or try herring or sardines.

Even if you swear no one can grill delicate, flaky fish, you can -- if you have the latest George Foreman grill in the kitchen. The nonstick surfaces and no-need-to-flip feature of this indoor beauty let you grill anything.

Cutting Back on Bread? Try This Trick

Are you at the mercy of the bread basket whenever it comes your way? Here's a tip that will get you eating less of the wheaty treat.

Instead of slapping butter on your slice, dip it in a little bit of olive oil drizzled on a plate with a smidge of balsamic vinegar. People who opt for the oil instead of the spread eat less bread, studies show.

More on Olive Oil

Another bonus with this trick: The fats in the olive oil will help boost absorption of the nutrients in your meal. Plus, unsaturated fats, like the kind found in olive oil, help sate your appetite better than saturated fats do. A little at the beginning of a meal will help you eat less overall.

More Ways to Eat Less -- and Not Miss Anything!

Eating less sounds like deprivation. But it doesn’t have to be. You'll eat less -- and feel just as satisfied -- if you follow these tips:

Load up on beans, nuts, apples, pears, and other fiber-rich foods. Here's why.

Focus on the water content in your foods. Here's what we mean by that.

Cure your portion distortion. Here's how.

Teachers Admit Strapping Pupils

It's another case of corporal punishment traditions colliding with the law.

But this time there were no courthouse protests.

Rather, there was courtroom support for a principal and a kindergarten teacher of an Aylmer-area Mennonite school.

Johan Penner, 30, principal at the Old Colony Christian School, pleaded guilty to six counts of assault with a weapon -- a brown belt without a buckle.

Anna Klassen, 42, pleaded guilty to one count.

Supporting them was a large group of people from their Mennonite community.

"They are gentle people, they are peace-loving people, which makes it more interesting that they be in a court of law on something like this," said their lawyer, Gord Cudmore.

"It is the last place they would find themselves and, quite frankly, it's the last place they should be.".....

The Best and Easiest Way to Live Longer

Been a while since you went for your walk? You might not be so quick to skip it when you hear this:

Walking every day could slash your risk of an early death by 50 percent to 70 percent. Here's what we mean by that . . .

Fitness BreakdownWalking is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get -- and stay -- fit. And few things affect your longevity as much as your fitness level does. Case in point: In a recent study involving a group of veterans, mortality rates were anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent lower in the ones who werefittest -- regardless of whether they had underlying heart disease.

It’s No Joke — Cellphone Ban For Drivers Begins April 1

It’s no April fool’s joke — one week from now talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving will be illegal and so will smoking in your car if a child under 19 is along for the ride.

The measures were passed by the province in an effort to avoid driver distraction and to promote healthy living.Nova Scotia is the second province in Canada after .....

http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?pid=1856

Can Eggs Make You Smarter?

Like your poached egg and whole-wheat toast in the morning? Your brain might enjoy it, too.

Eating selenium-rich foods -- like eggs -- could help keep your memory sharp and your brain speed on high as you age.

Your Brain on SeleniumIn rural China, researchers found that elderly people who got at least the U.S. recommended daily value of selenium (about 55 micrograms per day) had cognitive test scores that put them in a league with people 10 years younger.

Super Sources

You can get your daily dose of selenium ...

4 Shot At Doughnut Shop

Men inside doughnut shop targetted.

For the second time in a week, a gunman has let loose a barrage of gunfire on a group of young men apparently minding their own business in the city's west end.

Toronto Police said the latest multiple shooting occurred around 1:10 a.m. yesterday when a man armed with a long-barrel shotgun walked up to a Country Style doughnut shop in the Westway Centre, a plaza on the southeast corner of Kipling Ave. and Dixon Rd. in Etobicoke, and fired several blasts through a window at four men inside.

"They were sitting at a table," .....