How To Keep Healthy Through the Winter Months

Note:  This information was obtained during a presentation given by Kathy Twardy from Harmony Foods in Sault Ste. Marie, MI on January, 23, 2013.  The presentation was given to a group entitled the Lake Superior Elders and was held at the Cisler Center at Lake Superior State University.  If you are at least 50 years of age and would like to learn about a lot of useful and interesting topics join the Lake Superior Elders.  You can do so by contacting Sandy Hope at 906-635-2802.

How to Keep Healthy Through the Winter Months

Boosting the Immune System

What is the Immune System? The immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease. To function properly, an immune system must detect a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and distinguish them from the organism’s own healthy tissue. Most of the cells involved within the immune system are white blood cells.

What is an Antioxidant?  An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. When a molecule is oxidized, it transfers the hydrogen or electron to an oxidizing agent making it more powerful. These are more powerful oxidizing agents which cause a reaction forming free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain occurs in the cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions.

Examples of Powerful Antioxidants:

·         Mushrooms

·         Onions

·         Garlic

·         Ginger

·         Kale, spinach, leafy greens, citrus fruit

Other Ways to Boost Immunity:

·         Vitamin D-3 5000 to 10,000 i.u. daily

·         Vitamin C 1000 to 2000 mg daily

·         Astragalus Root

·         Mushroom complexes like an Immune Renew

·         Exercise, fresh air, proper nutrition, sleep, and adequate fluid intake

For Colds and Illnesses:

·         Under the Weather

·         Echinacea and Goldenseal drops

·         Teas

Sugar Lowers Immunity.  In overdose of sugar. Eating or drinking 100 g or 8 tablespoons of sugar, the equivalent of up to and a half 12 cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40%. The immune suppressing effect of sugar starts less than 30 minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. In contrast, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates, or starches, has no effect on the immune system.(Dr. Sears)

I had always learned that 14 g of sugar lowered immune system for up to four hours. The reason this happens is due to sugar being a toxin. Toxins must be handled by the immune system for detoxification. When the immune system is busy detoxifying the sugar, pathogens have an opportunity to invade and multiply.

The Flu Shot Lowers Overall Immunity:

·         There is absolutely no evidence that the flu shot protects against the flu. It simply may protect against one or two different strains, and there are simply 100 different strains.

·         All multidose fascinations contain mercury and aluminum as preservatives. Multidose vaccinations are usually given in flu clinic setting, as they are most cost-effective. The aluminum associated with the flu shot can be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease.

·         Since the flu contains these and other harmful chemicals they are considered a toxin. This is one of the reasons that persons who get the flu shot can be at risk for more colds and infections.

 

The Future of American Politics

Waiver:  This blog is not for the faint hearted dyed in the wool Republicans.  Read this at your own risk.

Rich Convoy, a retired Lake Superior State University Professor, gave a presentation to the Lake Superior Elders on January 9, 2013 covering the future of American politics.  He started the presentation with distributing sheets of paper and asking the elders to put the numbers 1 to 4 on the page.  He asked the group to put the first word that comes to mind when they think of Republicans and most mentioned wealth, and riches.  The second question involved what the first word they thought about when they thought about Democrats and most stated things like middle class, working people, and for the people.  The third question was what do Republicans hate and the response was Democrats.  The forth as you guessed it was what do Democrats hate and the response was Republicans, and poverty.  Then Mr. Convoy stated that a week is a long time in politics.  I am not sure why that was mentioned.

He explained that why the election was lost by the Republicans in 2012 was for several reasons one being that Florida with a population of 53% Cubans decided to vote Democratic for this election. The Cubans gave up on the Republicans. If Nixon was still running for president they would still vote for him. They were primarily in support of Republicans in the past.

The intensity of the public feelings about Obama Care is dwindling.  An elder stated that Romney said what he was going to do; but didn’t describe how he was going to accomplish these goals.  Romney told us what we needed to hear, just provided us with lip service. This lead into the discussion about what the public wants which is authenticity.  Republicans are losing ground and are soul searching to find their platforms.

It was noted that presidential campaigns cost about $2 billion; however, Mr. Convoy stated that it is more like $6 billion.

Another point that I didn’t realize was that national security was not addressed during the last election. The issues that Congress is facing are gun control; immigration policies; and the federal budget and deficit. Joseph Biden has been in support of gun control since he filled the seat as vice president. Congress has placed gun control on their agenda for February of this year.  The national debt is being brought up in March.  In March, Congress will be sequestering the defense budget. 

The average age of the people in Congress are from 37 to 51 years of age. A national poll was conducted and Congress was compared to head lice and the people would prefer head lice at 67% to Congress; the people would prefer a root canal to Congress by 56%; and a colonoscopy to Congress by 58%.  One of the issues that the public is struggling with is that the Republicans and Democrats cannot see eye to eye on anything.  In 2009 and 2010 there were approximately 70 filibusters and in 2012 alone there were 58 filibusters. They can’t play nice together obviously. 

Mr. Convoy  usually creates a lot of interest concerning his political presentations.  He is very knowledgeable about what is up in the national political arena.  Usually the presentations are held for approximately one hour; but this presentation lasted almost one and half hours.  We learned a lot about what Congress is up to and what the public considers to be of great importance.

 

New Year Resolutions

My New Year’s resolution is saying no and doing what I need and want to do more often.   Cleaning out the closets was in order.  I needed to look at what is working in my life and what is not working.  Sayings such as examining who is dragging behind you on your coat tails and who is not and are actually adding to your life in a positive way created moments of deep thought.  I started with my family and friends or so called friends, my volunteer experiences, and my home and work experiences.  I was discovering that I was too busy and discovered that I needed to drop some things so that I could get done what needs to be accomplished such as finishing the writing of my second book.  So many things were pulling me away.  I was feeling overwhelmed.  I asked the universe to help me with being overly busy.  Just like magic things were clearing off my plate.

I decided to do the exercise and weight loss goal before the New Year.  I started my serious regimes in November and my husband and I actually lost weight over the holidays.  So fitting in the extra hour a day to exercise was causing me additional stress.  I had to let go of a few things.

My volunteer work at the animal shelter became a little easier.  We were bringing out the cats from the garage and other areas of the shelter to the front room so that they could be adopted.  The staff took over this task. This involves worming, trimming claws, checking for ear mites and cleaning their ears, and checking for fleas and treating if necessary. We were taking pictures of cats for petfinder and another couple, who purchased a more high tech camera than we had, started taking the pictures.  Their camera is able to catch the cats before they turn their heads.  It focuses and catches the cats in wonderful poses quicker than our cameras could ever do.  I like the pictures this couple has been taking.  The pictures look a lot more professional than most of ours did. 

We visited the shelter on Sunday and had fun playing with the cats and interviewing some of the cats who were moved to the front room.  The cats are interviewed so that the information about the cats can go on petfinder and to place information about the cats on the front of their cages for perspective people who are looking for cats to adopt.  These individuals are informed about things like do the cats like to be held and petted.  Do they feel comfortable around other cats?  Can you cradle them which may indicate that they may be good with children? And other neat things about the cats that tell people who may be interested about their personalities.  I also put on the cards if I remember to do so how they ended up at the shelter if they were found as a stray and where they were discovered just in case someone is missing their cat. Okay you get the point I am trying to make, my life is getting a little less complicated, not medicating the cats when they are sick, another task the staff took over and are doing such a good job at it, and moving the cats out front freed up some of our time to do other things with the cats such as socializing them and get some more ready to be adopted.  Some of the cats do not have good people skills and we work with them so they become more adoptable.

Then I recently attended a Child Welfare Committee of which I have been a part of for over 23 years.  This committee is always under constant attack by the Tribal Board of Directors because of tribal members complaining about the committee’s decisions. The people who are complaining were often proven guilty of abusing and/or neglecting their children and don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. It appears to me that the board members are more concerned with getting reelected.  I made the poor decision to give into peer pressure and decided to take on the role of chairperson for this committee.  We were just recently under another attack and that was the last straw for me.  Of course I am taking their attacks personally and let them have it. I finally decided to quit this committee.  It’s not worth the grief and the amount of work it’s been creating for me, especially since my extensive acts of volunteering have not been appreciated by the board and others.  Again, my plate is becoming less full. 

I examined my relationship with family members and made some decisions concerning specific family members.  My husband’s adult children, my stepchildren, decided without talking it over with us that they were cutting down concerning birthday presents for my husband and I.  His son decided to only make phone calls and his daughter to only give birthday cards.  So we decided that we cut down concerning their birthday presents.  I was taking time out of my busy schedule to pick out special gifts for them for their birthdays.  A reduced dollar amount in the form of a check was our decision.  Again, my plate is becoming less full.

We rethought Christmas this year and cut back on the amount of presents we usually give and decided to give checks and gift cards.  That cut down on wrapping and shopping considerably. Between the two of us we have five adult children with significant others and seven grandchildren. That can be bit of a chore when it comes to Christmas shopping. 

My husband helps me with the housework and other household chores and responsibilities.  We try to exercise daily and are usually on the go with all the things we enjoy doing.  As a couple, we spend time with family and friends.  And things that need to get done are getting accomplished.  I will continue to be on the lookout for more time saving ventures.  It's nice to see that my New Year’s resolution is being realized.

 

Christmas Past

Christmas Past

By Sharon Brunner 

Music emanating softly

on a late snowy eve.

Scented candles glowing brightly,

dear souls from Christmas past,

dig through the deep soot. 

Lush loofa sponges peak,

at the ruddy gays.

Sameness, rears its ugly head,

said elves preparing their gear,

on ratted rugs strewn randomly. 

Were we suppose to bring gifts?

Puzzled looks cross rosy faces.

A squeal sears through the air,

a sleigh and eight reindeer,

St. Nicolas brings great blessings.

 Note:  This poem was written due to a writing challenge.  Word Up was played and the words below are what we, meaning my spouse, stepdaughter and I, came up with.  I presented these words to the Creative Endeavors group. to challenge them to come up with a poem or short story.  Are you up to the challenge?  

Words:

Deep                     peak

Lush                       gays

Sear                       dig

Said                        dear

Snow                     rat

Rug                        same

Soot                       scent

Rear                       Eve

Were                     music

Loofa

 

The Joy of Pets

Many people in this country have either a cat or a dog as pets, or both.  These pets bring a lot of joy to many households.   In our household, we are guardians to six cats and two dogs.  They all want our attention and all need to be cared for.  Pets need more than making sure they are fed and their areas in which they live are maintained.  They need to be reminded often how much you care about them.  These pets need to be petted, held if small enough to be held, and nurtured.  Cats as well as dogs love it when you talk sweet to them.  Watch a cat and how that cat responds to being talked to nicely.   They will roll around and be really cute.  We say hi to our cats and say their names when they enter a room and they say hi back to us.  It is really cute.

A multitude of pet guardians find meaning in their lives by volunteering to help those who need them including animals without homes.   Pets have been known to provide a whole host of benefits for their guardians.  For example, owning and caring for pets have helped people who are struggling with high blood pressure in lots of ways from getting more exercise by walking their dogs to playing with their animals.  Spending time with animals can help people feel less depressed and it opens them up to be more involved with other people.  In our community we have a dog park.  People meet other people at this dog park because of a common interest, their dogs. 

Pets have been used to help those who have a medical condition or who have been in an accident.  Doctors refer to this as animal assisted therapy.  Dogs have been known to detect illnesses in people before they knew they had an illness.  Cats have been known to lie next to a person who was terminally ill to bring that person joy before walking to the other side. These cats act as if they are serving a purpose of providing comfort. It has been discovered that children who grow up in homes with cats and dogs have fewer allergies and skin conditions such as eczema.  Having a dog or a cat helps children stay healthier, with fewer colds and stomach problems.

Children who have pets in the home also learn responsibility.  Chores such as feeding, walking and cleaning up after a pet help children understand what taking care of someone besides themselves is like.  It is also responsible to care for ourselves as much as we care for our pets and we can do so by:

1.        Wash your hands after each time you feed or pet your animals.

2.       As cold winter weather approaches, remember to keep you and your pets warm.

3.       Make sure you pets see a veterinarian regularly.

4.       Research the type of plants you have and make sure they are safe for your pets.

5.       Approach a pet you don’t know carefully.

We love our pets and they give us love in return.  Rescue an animal from your local animal shelter and give this cat or dog a good home, you will not regret this decision.  We haven’t.  When I was volunteering at our local animal shelter, another volunteer said they know you are here when I walked into a room with a lot of cats in cages.  My response was “trust me, they do more for me than I can ever do for them.” He smiled and said he knew what I meant.  At the very least, go and walk dogs at your local animal shelter or talk and pet a cat.  They would love to get attention from you. 

Genealogy 101

On November 7, 2012 I attended a session provided by the Lake Superior Elders at Lake Superior State University.  Steve Gordon gave the presentation.

He said these were mistakes to avoid:

1.        Don’t put off talking to relatives.

2.       Don’t forget to document what you learn from relatives and others about your own history.

3.       Don’t assume that everything you find is true.

4.       Don’t accept family legends without question.  However, keep these stories.

5.       Don’t limit yourself to current spelling of surnames.

6.       Beware of generic family history

7.       Don’t misspell the word genealogy.

Where to start you genealogy search:

1.       Start with yourself and go down the line from your parents to your grandparents, etc.

2.       Go to these sites:

http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/family-history-forms

http://www.familytreemagazine.com/FREEFORMS

http://www.chippewacountymi.gov/clerk/html

3.       Check out your local libraries.

The Bayliss library in Sault Ste. Marie (the Bayliss library pays for the Heritage Quest for member to use)

4.       Search Census Information

5.       Michigan State Archives

6.       Register of Deeds

7.       University Libraries

8.       Transcription Project – www.stevemorse.org

9.       http://www.1940census.net (the 1940 census is now available to the public)

10.   The Ontario Genealogical Society at http://www.orgs.org

11.   Use forms such as the Pedigree Chart and Family Group Sheet located from the site mentioned above.

12.   When you are doing your search ask for vital records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses.

13.   The Social Security Death Index is another place to do your search.

14.   Be aware of name changes, when your relatives went through Ellis Island, names were changed.

This was a very informative presentation and I think I will explore the 1940 census data information. Have you completed a family tree yet?

 

 

Stereotypes

I attended a presentation put on by Northern Michigan University entitled Community Partnering: Collaborative Strategies for Family-Centered Services to Children.  I was interested in this topic and I need to earn continuing education units to maintain my social work license.  Patti Beekman, the presenter, came with a great background from having books published on similar topics to managing child welfare services in Ohio for many years.  I found the presenter to be very informative and I enjoyed her approach to providing the attendees with a wide array of information. 

We addressed the strengths and challenges of child protection services in the Upper Peninsula for the first part of the day, then we covered strategies to strengthen the services continuum, very interesting. Ms. Beekman provided information about why collaborations succeed which included: shared values and missions; procedures for collaboration are clearly delineated; shared trust and respect; commitment; and cross training.  I am going to seek grants from federal and state resources and I found a lot of the information presented during the workshops to be very useful for my future endeavors.

 After a wonderful lunch was provided by the university, the workshops were resumed and we were provided information about Strengths Based, Family Centered Services to Protect Families and Preserve Families.  The presenter did a good job at establishing interaction between all the attendees to keep things interesting. During this presentation we were asked to meet in small groups and discuss stereotypes.  We were given a list of characters and small groups were requested to put down the first thing that came to mind. The first one was homeless people and our group came up with lazy, scary, mental health issues, and dirty. Another one was a single mother with lots of kids and the first thing that was said was slut (we were all women at our table), indecisive, and greedy were other terms we came up with. When a single father was discussed these words came to mind: wuss, doormat, and then widower.  Gay people were on this list and we used these words because we didn’t seem to have an issue with them: good dressers and good shoppers.

And then we discussed absent fathers, and fathers who don’t pay child support: selfish was the main theme for these topics and some of the people at our table did not have anything nice to say about foster parents.  I found that discouraging and disheartening.  I feel that they are a god send; but others thought they were just in it for the money.  The last topic was white women which threw everybody for a loop.  White women have stereotypes. In fact when we came to that topic we asked the participants at another table what they were saying about that area.  They were stumped also.  Then the adjectives started flowing: controlling; shoppers; gold diggers; snobs; etc.  Why do you think the presenter put white women as the last topic? I found that very interesting and thought provoking.  This was a great exercise and proved a lot about the stereotypes that we have all been exposed to. 

One of the women at our table stated that she finds it amazing that she turned out as good as she did.  She was raised by a mother who was a drug addict.  Her and her siblings had free rein.  They had to cook for themselves and look out for each other.  She said her mother slept with all her father's friends and she learned from her mother how to steal from her grandmother and shoplift.  This woman is currently a protective services worker.  I have to hand it to her that she did  turn out quite well considering.

The presenter covered information about the impact of trauma on children of various ages.  Ms. Beekman stated that she would send me the slides to this presentation.  She had to go over this quickly because there was a lot to cover.  It was very interesting and is definitely associated with my research.

One of the last activities we were involved in consisted of us picking a side that was invoked when we read a scenario.  We either had to dislike or disagree with the topic.  One of the questions was: Abuse and Neglect are less emotionally traumatizing to a child than separation from his or her family and placement in foster care.  What side would you take?

I am very glad that I chose to take these workshops.  It was well worth my time, money, and driving in very snowy conditions.  I look forward to driving to Marquette, MI next Thursday to attend the presentations on Pain Management and Ethics given by Northern Michigan University.  I also look forward to eating at Red Lobster and doing more shopping.  I think the weather is going to be better.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.