Sunday, June 21, 2009
Southern Comfort ;)
Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity
Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
The rivuh
The crick
Southern women know everybody's first name:
Honey
Darlin'
Shugah
Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Driving Miss Daisy
Steel Magnolias
Gone With The Wind
Southern women know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football
Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
Chawl'stn
S'vanah
Foat Wuth
N'awlins
Addlanna
Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:
Men in uniform
Men in tuxedos
Rhett Butler
Southern girls know their prime real estate:
The Mall
The Country Club
The Beauty Salon
Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:
Having bad hair and nails
Having bad manners
Cooking bad food
More Suthen-ism's:
Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.
Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."
Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."
Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town, be back directly."
Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.
All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!
Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.
Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.
No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.
A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when we're "in line,"... we talk to everybody!
Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.
In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.
Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.
When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!
Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.
And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" ... and go your own way.
To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!
And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, ... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!
And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."
Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fahevah !
Now...... Shugah, send this to someone who was raised in the South or wish they had been! If you're a Northern transplant,bless your little heart, fake it. We know you got here as fast as you could .
Monday, June 8, 2009
An Interview with Julie
This is an article/interview with a very wonderful friend of mine who has been a true blessing to me, holding my hand through diagnosis of COPD and a bitter divorce. She continues to be my touchstone and I doubt that I would have made it through to this day without her constant support, love and encouragement. Unbeknownst to me, while I was going through the hospital stay for my own illness and the constant divorce battle, she was going through her own trials. She never said a word to me. She just kept on supporting me, lending me her strength, lifting me in prayer. What a friend! So, I thought I would share with you the interview that she recently gave. What has been left unsaid throughout is that also during this time her daughter was diagnosed with MS. This is the strongest and most caring woman I know.
Blessings,
Kasey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview
Testimony of Cancer Recovery
Even though I’m pretty much retired now I love keeping busy. And I've always looked at myself as being a very healthy person. But in 2005, I was working out in the yard at my home here in Georgia and noticed a mole on my arm.
I didn't know what it was at the time. I thought to myself, "Hmmmm, I wonder what that is?" Everything seemed just fine until that day, when I noticed a spot that had appeared on the upper portion of my arm … seemingly out of nowhere.
I asked a friend if she could recommend a good dermatologist to me since I’d never been to one before. So I made an appointment with the dermatologist and during my office visit he took a skin sample to send off so it could be tested. He said he'd call me within a few days to let me know how the tests came out.
The doctor ended up calling me the next morning. The diagnosis happened very quickly. He said the tests showed the growth was advanced melanoma and that it had to be cut out of my upper arm right away. I was then advised to make an appointment at Emory University in Georgia to schedule the operation.
I didn't panic immediately after receiving this diagnosis … not at first anyways. But when I went on the Internet and read about melanoma my heart sank down below my ankles. If I could have gone that day to get surgery I would have. I felt like the sooner I had surgery the better.
“You Are What You Eat”
My surgery went well on the day of the operation. The surgeon cut deep into my arm to remove the cancer and he was able to cut out all of the melanoma. Even though the cancer had been in a small area the doctor made a 6 to 8 inch incision in my arm because it was a muscular area.
After surgery the doctors recommended that I take further tests to see if the cancer had spread. They did that and far as we knew it hadn’t. That was a huge relief to me. But it was still like I’d received a message that I needed to buckle down and get on the path of eating better … especially making a commitment I wasn't going to deviate from it. I felt as if I needed to address my lymphatic system.
I had worked as dietician/food manager with a local elementary school system years ago. One of the things I'd heard on that job was, "You are what you eat." Back then those words didn't mean as much to me as they do now. But that phrase had been instilled into my subconscious.
I’d grown up in the city, but my family went to the country on weekends. We had a family garden and orchard there. But we also had a garden and orchard in the city.
Those kinds of experiences gave me the idea we need to eat “correctly.” The notion we need to eat right seemed very natural to me. So those thoughts came up in my mind like a neon sign when I was diagnosed with cancer.
Making a commitment to change my diet in a big way was huge. But I really thought, "I've got to tweak my diet somehow." So I started seeking out some alternative help for suggestions about how to improve upon what I was eating.
I went to a Chiropractor who suggested that I work to boost my immune system. And it wasn't long after that I went for a visit to a place called Hallelujah Acres.
Hallelujah Acres is a health organization I sought out. I'd found out about them through my nurse practitioner. She recommended them. I wasn't sure about the type of diet they advocated, but I worked through a health course taught by John and Judi Cecil, who shared with me what this lifestyle was all about. I really learned a lot.
I felt like I had to get very serious about my diet, especially when it came to my intake of vegetables. I’d always eaten lots of fruits and vegetables, even before discovering I had cancer. But I ate some hormone and anti-biotic free meat occasionally. But now I started eating a ton of green foods as well as all types of colored vegetables.
In addition to learning about diet, I also learned about the importance of juicing. I’d never juiced vegetables until I went through their program. I didn't have a juicer at the time. I didn't even know how to juice. But I discovered certain juicers are better than others. Now I encourage people to look at juicers closely to make sure they extract as many nutrients as possible.
They also covered the importance of exercise. Getting exercise is almost as important as eating vegetables and fruits if you ask me. For example, rebounding is a great exercise that uses a little round trampoline. You can use it right at home. There are a couple different rebounders that are really good. One has a stabilizing bar that helps you keep balance. It's very good for improving circulation in the body and improving the lymphatic system.
We also talked about the importance of just walking everyday, either outside or inside on a treadmill. Doing simple exercises to get oxygen into the system is a part of a daily routine.
“A Living Foods Diet”
I tried to follow a living food diet as much as possible, especially after learning more about it. There were times when I felt like I was taking 2 steps forward and one step back. But eventually I "committed to my commitment." I read things that kept me both uplifted and directed. You're quality of life isn't much unless you've got your health.
I cut out all white flour, white sugar and white rice. I gave up dairy at that time, in addition to other harmful things.
In addition to committing to a plant-based diet, I started taking lots of vitamin C and consuming a green drink called Barely Max, which contained lots of Chlorophyll. I also started taking some "whole food" supplements. Those are supplements that contain no synthetic ingredients.
We do not eat anything that is processed with MSG or corn syrup or other ingredients frequently found in processed foods either. I was privileged to hear Dr, Russell Blaylock speak last year. He is a neurosurgeon who has written a book called, “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.” It’s about toxic taste enhancers, such as the sweetener in diet sodas, which can damage the brain.
I refer to artificial sweeteners as "Frankenfoods." If I do want to enjoy a sweet treat now and then I’ll use a bit of honey, agave nectar and maple syrup.
Another thing I did was start eating as organically as possible. Buying organic foods is highly recommended. I buy organic carrots from the Publix supermarket, which is close by my home. They always keep them for me in a cooler at the back of the store. They’ve been very good to me. I buy 25-pound bags of carrots at a time.
Both the Publix supermarket and a store called Ingles are offering more organic vegetables all the time. We live a long way off from the local organic market. It's quite a hike for me to get there, but I do visit it about once a month. We will have a local organic market in our county soon though.
My carrots are stored in a small refrigerator that one of my children used in their dorm room at college. I drink all of the organic carrot juice that I can.
One tip I feel is important when preparing foods is to never use olive oil when cooking. I use the olive oil for things that aren't going to be heated, but I use grape seed oil if I need to apply heat for a recipe. I use it for beans and legumes and things like that. I also like it for sautéing things like garlic and onions, which I love doing regularly.
We eat a lot of raw vegetables by themselves and salads with raw vegetables on top. I try to eat a salad at least 2 times a day. And I also try to get as many of my vegetables as I can within a 100-mile radius of my home because these will tend to be the freshest. This is especially true when buying organic.
My husband and I are incorporating more seeds into our diet than ever before too. And we really like products such as millet and quinoa. We also use a product called “Vegenaise” in place of mayonnaise, which can be found in a good health food store.
“Being Your Best While Here on this Earth”
I’d encourage any individual that if you do "fall off the wagon" then don't guilt yourself over it. Don't waste any time on guilt. It's a waste of energy. Don't even go there. Each day is a new day that God has made so just start over fresh each day and put it to the best use that you possibly can.
When I really got serious about diet I started feeling better. My brain even started working better. I got rid of what people call "brain fog." A part of this process involves cleansing your body of toxic chemicals and things you've accumulated throughout your life because of bad diet or unhealthy environment. A raw living diet will help the body "de-toxify" itself from impurities.
Food processors and juicers are great helpers when you eat raw. You can throw recipes together rather quickly when you've got good equipment to help prepare things easily.
That is where eating this way can be a little rough for some people at first because they can't afford to just go out and purchase the small appliances that make things easier. But if this is the case then you just have to chop, chop, chop on a cutting board. You don't need appliances but they can be convenient.
As far as I know the status of my health right now is great. I only plan to go to the doctor's once a year now for blood work. I don't take any blood pressure medicine. I don't take any cholesterol medicine. I live an active life and try to get into the sun at least 30 minutes each day.
I’d encourage anyone who is skeptical about changing their diet that if they continue doing what they've been doing then they’re going to continue getting what they’ve got. But they shouldn’t lose hope. If you lose hope then you lose an optimistic spirit.
If you’re getting concerned about your health then why not try this lifestyle? This isn't about doing a diet in order to get well so you can go back to eating junk. It's a lifestyle.
I'm very much into helping people with nutrition so they can get healthier at this time. Most of them hear about me through my ties in the local community and I also do some speaking in our area. I've spoken a lot to support groups where people have had health challenges.
I really believe in having a high quality of life. Quality of life is about being your best while you're here on earth. When it's your time to go then you can turn up your toes and so be it. But I'd rather be in good shape while I'm here on earth ... with energy and a good healthy mind.
I feel that if one has their health then it’s better than being a millionaire. I thank God daily for the information He sent to me about this lifestyle.
Blessings,
Kasey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview
Testimony of Cancer Recovery
Even though I’m pretty much retired now I love keeping busy. And I've always looked at myself as being a very healthy person. But in 2005, I was working out in the yard at my home here in Georgia and noticed a mole on my arm.
I didn't know what it was at the time. I thought to myself, "Hmmmm, I wonder what that is?" Everything seemed just fine until that day, when I noticed a spot that had appeared on the upper portion of my arm … seemingly out of nowhere.
I asked a friend if she could recommend a good dermatologist to me since I’d never been to one before. So I made an appointment with the dermatologist and during my office visit he took a skin sample to send off so it could be tested. He said he'd call me within a few days to let me know how the tests came out.
The doctor ended up calling me the next morning. The diagnosis happened very quickly. He said the tests showed the growth was advanced melanoma and that it had to be cut out of my upper arm right away. I was then advised to make an appointment at Emory University in Georgia to schedule the operation.
I didn't panic immediately after receiving this diagnosis … not at first anyways. But when I went on the Internet and read about melanoma my heart sank down below my ankles. If I could have gone that day to get surgery I would have. I felt like the sooner I had surgery the better.
“You Are What You Eat”
My surgery went well on the day of the operation. The surgeon cut deep into my arm to remove the cancer and he was able to cut out all of the melanoma. Even though the cancer had been in a small area the doctor made a 6 to 8 inch incision in my arm because it was a muscular area.
After surgery the doctors recommended that I take further tests to see if the cancer had spread. They did that and far as we knew it hadn’t. That was a huge relief to me. But it was still like I’d received a message that I needed to buckle down and get on the path of eating better … especially making a commitment I wasn't going to deviate from it. I felt as if I needed to address my lymphatic system.
I had worked as dietician/food manager with a local elementary school system years ago. One of the things I'd heard on that job was, "You are what you eat." Back then those words didn't mean as much to me as they do now. But that phrase had been instilled into my subconscious.
I’d grown up in the city, but my family went to the country on weekends. We had a family garden and orchard there. But we also had a garden and orchard in the city.
Those kinds of experiences gave me the idea we need to eat “correctly.” The notion we need to eat right seemed very natural to me. So those thoughts came up in my mind like a neon sign when I was diagnosed with cancer.
Making a commitment to change my diet in a big way was huge. But I really thought, "I've got to tweak my diet somehow." So I started seeking out some alternative help for suggestions about how to improve upon what I was eating.
I went to a Chiropractor who suggested that I work to boost my immune system. And it wasn't long after that I went for a visit to a place called Hallelujah Acres.
Hallelujah Acres is a health organization I sought out. I'd found out about them through my nurse practitioner. She recommended them. I wasn't sure about the type of diet they advocated, but I worked through a health course taught by John and Judi Cecil, who shared with me what this lifestyle was all about. I really learned a lot.
I felt like I had to get very serious about my diet, especially when it came to my intake of vegetables. I’d always eaten lots of fruits and vegetables, even before discovering I had cancer. But I ate some hormone and anti-biotic free meat occasionally. But now I started eating a ton of green foods as well as all types of colored vegetables.
In addition to learning about diet, I also learned about the importance of juicing. I’d never juiced vegetables until I went through their program. I didn't have a juicer at the time. I didn't even know how to juice. But I discovered certain juicers are better than others. Now I encourage people to look at juicers closely to make sure they extract as many nutrients as possible.
They also covered the importance of exercise. Getting exercise is almost as important as eating vegetables and fruits if you ask me. For example, rebounding is a great exercise that uses a little round trampoline. You can use it right at home. There are a couple different rebounders that are really good. One has a stabilizing bar that helps you keep balance. It's very good for improving circulation in the body and improving the lymphatic system.
We also talked about the importance of just walking everyday, either outside or inside on a treadmill. Doing simple exercises to get oxygen into the system is a part of a daily routine.
“A Living Foods Diet”
I tried to follow a living food diet as much as possible, especially after learning more about it. There were times when I felt like I was taking 2 steps forward and one step back. But eventually I "committed to my commitment." I read things that kept me both uplifted and directed. You're quality of life isn't much unless you've got your health.
I cut out all white flour, white sugar and white rice. I gave up dairy at that time, in addition to other harmful things.
In addition to committing to a plant-based diet, I started taking lots of vitamin C and consuming a green drink called Barely Max, which contained lots of Chlorophyll. I also started taking some "whole food" supplements. Those are supplements that contain no synthetic ingredients.
We do not eat anything that is processed with MSG or corn syrup or other ingredients frequently found in processed foods either. I was privileged to hear Dr, Russell Blaylock speak last year. He is a neurosurgeon who has written a book called, “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.” It’s about toxic taste enhancers, such as the sweetener in diet sodas, which can damage the brain.
I refer to artificial sweeteners as "Frankenfoods." If I do want to enjoy a sweet treat now and then I’ll use a bit of honey, agave nectar and maple syrup.
Another thing I did was start eating as organically as possible. Buying organic foods is highly recommended. I buy organic carrots from the Publix supermarket, which is close by my home. They always keep them for me in a cooler at the back of the store. They’ve been very good to me. I buy 25-pound bags of carrots at a time.
Both the Publix supermarket and a store called Ingles are offering more organic vegetables all the time. We live a long way off from the local organic market. It's quite a hike for me to get there, but I do visit it about once a month. We will have a local organic market in our county soon though.
My carrots are stored in a small refrigerator that one of my children used in their dorm room at college. I drink all of the organic carrot juice that I can.
One tip I feel is important when preparing foods is to never use olive oil when cooking. I use the olive oil for things that aren't going to be heated, but I use grape seed oil if I need to apply heat for a recipe. I use it for beans and legumes and things like that. I also like it for sautéing things like garlic and onions, which I love doing regularly.
We eat a lot of raw vegetables by themselves and salads with raw vegetables on top. I try to eat a salad at least 2 times a day. And I also try to get as many of my vegetables as I can within a 100-mile radius of my home because these will tend to be the freshest. This is especially true when buying organic.
My husband and I are incorporating more seeds into our diet than ever before too. And we really like products such as millet and quinoa. We also use a product called “Vegenaise” in place of mayonnaise, which can be found in a good health food store.
“Being Your Best While Here on this Earth”
I’d encourage any individual that if you do "fall off the wagon" then don't guilt yourself over it. Don't waste any time on guilt. It's a waste of energy. Don't even go there. Each day is a new day that God has made so just start over fresh each day and put it to the best use that you possibly can.
When I really got serious about diet I started feeling better. My brain even started working better. I got rid of what people call "brain fog." A part of this process involves cleansing your body of toxic chemicals and things you've accumulated throughout your life because of bad diet or unhealthy environment. A raw living diet will help the body "de-toxify" itself from impurities.
Food processors and juicers are great helpers when you eat raw. You can throw recipes together rather quickly when you've got good equipment to help prepare things easily.
That is where eating this way can be a little rough for some people at first because they can't afford to just go out and purchase the small appliances that make things easier. But if this is the case then you just have to chop, chop, chop on a cutting board. You don't need appliances but they can be convenient.
As far as I know the status of my health right now is great. I only plan to go to the doctor's once a year now for blood work. I don't take any blood pressure medicine. I don't take any cholesterol medicine. I live an active life and try to get into the sun at least 30 minutes each day.
I’d encourage anyone who is skeptical about changing their diet that if they continue doing what they've been doing then they’re going to continue getting what they’ve got. But they shouldn’t lose hope. If you lose hope then you lose an optimistic spirit.
If you’re getting concerned about your health then why not try this lifestyle? This isn't about doing a diet in order to get well so you can go back to eating junk. It's a lifestyle.
I'm very much into helping people with nutrition so they can get healthier at this time. Most of them hear about me through my ties in the local community and I also do some speaking in our area. I've spoken a lot to support groups where people have had health challenges.
I really believe in having a high quality of life. Quality of life is about being your best while you're here on earth. When it's your time to go then you can turn up your toes and so be it. But I'd rather be in good shape while I'm here on earth ... with energy and a good healthy mind.
I feel that if one has their health then it’s better than being a millionaire. I thank God daily for the information He sent to me about this lifestyle.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Smoking Affects Vary-Some get COPD-Others Don't
Cigarette Smoking Does Not Affect Everyone In Same Way
London, June 5 (ANI): Cigarette smoking induced COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, does not progress in the same way in all smokers, a new study has found.
COPD, a disease that results in severe breathing difficulty, is the fourth leading killer worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO).
However, the mechanisms responsible for some smokers developing COPD and others evading the disease have not been well understood.
Scientists say that an autoimmune mechanism, compounded by genetic predisposition in COPD, would explain the progression of the disease in some smokers and the evasion in others.
COPD has a family connection and next of kin of patients with COPD have a much higher chance of developing the disease, a characteristic of autoimmune diseases.
Although smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD in the western world, open fire pollutant cooking and heating fuels in the home is an important risk factor for the development of COPD in women in developing nations.
“Smoke can play an important role in autoimmune diseases such as COPD, and other diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, because it accentuates genetic predispositions to the disease,” said Dr.Manuel Cosio from the McGill University Health Centre, who conducted the study in collabration with Italian and Spanish scientists.
Yet contrary to previous scientific beliefs, COPD does not progress in the same way in all smokers.
The authors describe three steps in the potential progression to COPD in smokers: “COPD does not go from stage one, two and three in all people. Depending on their personal balance between immune response and immune control some people would stop at stage one, others at stage two, and some will progress to stage three, full autoimmunity and lung destruction.”
“Hopefully investigators will now see the disease in a totally different way. Our hope is that our research will open the door for a different investigation on COPD, where scientists learn more about the immunological processes and how these processes could be controlled and modulated to eventually provide the right treatment,” Dr Cosio added.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
http://hamaraphotos.com/health/news/cigarette-smoking-does-not-affect-everyone-in-same-way.html
London, June 5 (ANI): Cigarette smoking induced COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, does not progress in the same way in all smokers, a new study has found.
COPD, a disease that results in severe breathing difficulty, is the fourth leading killer worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO).
However, the mechanisms responsible for some smokers developing COPD and others evading the disease have not been well understood.
Scientists say that an autoimmune mechanism, compounded by genetic predisposition in COPD, would explain the progression of the disease in some smokers and the evasion in others.
COPD has a family connection and next of kin of patients with COPD have a much higher chance of developing the disease, a characteristic of autoimmune diseases.
Although smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD in the western world, open fire pollutant cooking and heating fuels in the home is an important risk factor for the development of COPD in women in developing nations.
“Smoke can play an important role in autoimmune diseases such as COPD, and other diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, because it accentuates genetic predispositions to the disease,” said Dr.Manuel Cosio from the McGill University Health Centre, who conducted the study in collabration with Italian and Spanish scientists.
Yet contrary to previous scientific beliefs, COPD does not progress in the same way in all smokers.
The authors describe three steps in the potential progression to COPD in smokers: “COPD does not go from stage one, two and three in all people. Depending on their personal balance between immune response and immune control some people would stop at stage one, others at stage two, and some will progress to stage three, full autoimmunity and lung destruction.”
“Hopefully investigators will now see the disease in a totally different way. Our hope is that our research will open the door for a different investigation on COPD, where scientists learn more about the immunological processes and how these processes could be controlled and modulated to eventually provide the right treatment,” Dr Cosio added.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
http://hamaraphotos.com/health/news/cigarette-smoking-does-not-affect-everyone-in-same-way.html
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