John La Puma, M.D. is cofounder of ChefMD® and a board-certified specialist in internal medicine.

He has pioneered the idea of food-as-medicine that’s tasty, including delicious eating plans for osteoarthritis pain relief, weight loss, cholesterol-lowering , anti-aging and childhood obesity. He hosts the weekly TV segment “What’s Cooking With ChefMD®?” every Sunday morning on the cable network Lifetime Television and Lifetime Real Women in the national TV series “Health Corner.”

Dr. La Puma is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of Creative Studies and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduate of the Baylor College of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center and UCLA, and completed the first postgraduate fellowship in general internal medicine and clinical medical ethics in the U.S., at the University of Chicago. Dr. La Puma is the author or co-author of over 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 150 other contributions to the medical literature and 3 medical books, including a CME book.

Dr. La Puma still practices internal medicine, using the ChefMD concept to motivate his patients. Repeatedly named “One of America’s Top Physicians” by the Consumers’ Research Council, and called a “Secret Weapon” by The Wall Street Journal, Dr. La Puma was honored with the National Association of Medical Communicators 2007 “Award of Excellence”. He is based in Santa Barbara, California.

Example of what Dr. La Puma suggests for

Medical Condition: Alzheimer’s

Toasted Oatmeal with Double Mango and Toasted Walnuts

Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 Calories: 475 per serving Percent from Fat: 33% Ingredients 3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked One-half cup coarsely chopped walnuts 4 cups skim milk or fat-free soy milk One-half cup diced dried mango One-quarter teaspoon salt One-eighth teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 large ripe fresh mango, diced (2 cups)

Preparation Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread oats in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Place nuts on a small baking sheet. Bake oats and nuts 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set nuts and oats aside separately. Combine milk, dried mango, salt, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan; bring just to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low; add toasted oats. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring only once or twice. Transfer to four serving bowls; top with fresh mango and toasted nuts. Serve with additional milk, if desired. Substitutions Dried strawberries or golden raisins may replace dried mango; 2 cups sliced strawberries may replace fresh mango. Brazil nuts may replace walnuts. One-half teaspoon cinnamon may replace nutmeg. For a lighter, less aggressive flavor, use true cinnamon, sometimes called Ceylonese cinnamon, if you can find it. Culinary Taste Tip Toasting rolled oats is one way to boost flavor without adding calories or unhealthy fats. Over-stirring the oatmeal changes the texture from smooth to too smooth and a little pasty. Just let the simmering milk do its job. Culinary Technique Tip To quickly dice a mango, place the fruit firmly on a cutting board, point side down. Then cut away from you, and slice down until you reach the pit. Then, make quick cross hatches, and scoop out perfect cubes of mango!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE COPY OF THE RECIPE

SOURCE:  chefmd.com

Click here to read more about his book and philosophy of eating and cooking

Excellent description of baby boomer motivations and vision of aging produced by the Rose Community Foundation (Denver) as part of its Boomers Leading Change initiative

SOURCE:  tla50resource.ning.com

Dementia Beyond Drugs

There is a new book just recently released. Think Smart, by Richard Restak, M.D.

Think Smart Book

From the Book Review:
Dr. Restak talks about why it’s never too late to enhance brain function, and provides information to prove that assertion.
Chapter 5, “Fashioning the Creative Brain,” by saying it’s about “think outside the box.” Dr. Restak provides examples and exercises to illustrate what it means to think in nontraditional ways. He then goes into what some of those ways are, providing interesting examples. He concludes this chapter by providing four steps to increase your productivity.

Chapter 6, “Impediments to Optimal Brain Function and How to Compensate for Them,” is probably the most important chapter for the typical reader. Most of us are fine with how smart we are now. We just want to keep it that way. That’s what this chapter is about. Dr. Restak identifies behaviors and situations we can control, to minimize damage to what we’ve got.

SOURCE: mindconnection.com

Click here to read the book review by Reviewer: Mark Lamendola

Click here to Go to Amazon to buy the book

New Year’s Resolution #5: Move Yourself to Center Stage

Women are well-known caretakers and jugglers of several tasks at once. With responsibilities concerning home, work, and children, there just aren’t enough hours to do all that needs done. The result: many women feel frazzled, frustrated, and forlorn.

The mere thought of taking time to take care of themselves sends ripples of guilt through many women. Where does one find the time for self-care?

Make the time, says Mark. Research shows stress can wreak havoc on health. It’s not unusual for the stressed to have stomachaches, diarrhea, increased appetite, and weight gain. Constant stress can also compromise the immune system, making people more vulnerable to colds and other infections. The pressure can also aggravate illnesses, produce anxiety and depression, disrupt valuable sleep, decrease sex drive, and raise blood pressure.

The list of negative consequences goes on and on. But women do not have to be victims, or they can try to change unpleasant situations.

Peter A. Wish, PhD, a psychologist in Sarasota, Fla., suggests identifying stresses, prioritizing them according to importance, and then tackling them one at a time. He recommends starting with an easy objective, and then moving on to another minigoal. “It starts with something that you can be successful at, and nothing succeeds like success,” he says. “It reinforces you to keep going.”

f a woman is not able to accomplish everything on her list, Wish says not to fret. “The probability is that [women] won’t be able to accomplish everything, and therefore, they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves.”

With the to-do list never ending, there’s no better time than today to find time to do something for yourself, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. The ideas vary with individual tastes, but some women have found doing simple things, such as walking, exercising, talking to a friend, soaking in the tub, or meditation to be highly enjoyable and relaxing.

So this new year, think of what’s important to you, make your resolutions, and vow to make this the beginning of a happier, healthier you.

Source: webmd.com

Click here to read the Article

OOPs! I have not checked my emergency preparedness kit for a while.  Tonight I discovered that my small radio had battery corrosion.

What to do?

From wikihow.com
1. Check for the corrosion and follow the corresponding directions.
* Mild corrosion: On the traditional shiny terminals, this usually shows up as a dark dull spot.
* Build up: In extreme cases, you may see a crusty build-up. If the build-up is significant, the solution is a bit more tricky.
Mild Corrosion:
1. Gather the required materials.
2. Lightly soak your applicator in vinegar.
3. Gently swab at the terminal. Don’t be alarmed if there’s a fizzing reaction. That’s perfectly natural.
4. Rub with a bit more vigor if the corrosion doesn’t seem to be going away. If that still doesn’t remove the corrosion, you can gently rub the area with fine sand-paper to remove the corroded bits before trying the vinegar again.
5. Enjoy the return of life to your batteries. And remember to remove them before putting your camera away next time.

Build Up
1. Gather the required materials.
2. Do not touch the white crusty build-up with your bare skin! That’s battery acid which has leaked from the battery and it can burn your skin.
* If you do touch it, be sure to rinse your hands off thoroughly with warm soapy water before getting them close to your eyes or any mucous membranes. Let the water run vigorously because the acid will likely become active as it’s hydrated. Fast-running water will help rinse it off before it starts to burn you.
3. Try removing the battery case and soaking it in water or a dilute solution of baking soda (best case scenario).
4. Gently scrub the build-up off with a moistened towel while wearing rubber gloves. Remove as much as you can in this manner.
5. Use a dilute solution of baking soda on a towel to remove the rest. You will almost definitely get hissing and fizzing, as well as the creation of salt and water. If the battery casing is not waterproof (it generally isn’t), you may want to perform this step over a sink with the battery case facing down so that any generated water or salt will drip out.
6. Swab the inside with a dampened lint-free cloth. Distilled water is better in the long run to prevent build-up, but tap water won’t cause significant problems in this situation.
7. Gently dry the terminals with another lint-free cloth. Ensure that everything is dry before putting the batteries in. If necessary, leave the camera sitting out overnight to let any remaining water get out.

Click to read the Article

From Heloise

The batteries in my touch lights have become corroded. Could you please tell me how to clean the terminals safely?
– Sally Flanagan, East Pittsburgh, Penn.

Mix one or two tablespoons of baking soda with a little water to make a paste and apply to the corroded areas. This should bubble away the problem. Wipe clean and dry well.

If you live in a humid environment or store battery-powered equipment in a damp location, your batteries will have a tendency to corrode faster. So here’s my hint: For infrequently used items, remove the batteries when not in use.
Click to Read the Heloise Article