I was in the ER when I watched a woman walk her husband, (a patient), down to the wash room several times. On one occasion, as she returned, she called to me, then nodded her head toward her husband. When I asked him how I could help, he said, "Could you tell me where our room and bed is?”

“It’s right across from me,” I answered. “I remember you because I noticed your tattoo then and I see it now.” He thanked me and went to his “room”.

I was so very touched because his wife left him with all his dignity when she nodded to him to ask me a question.  She could have said, “Here it is.” She could have gotten impatient. Instead, she sponsored him to ask and be directed.

When she was ready to leave, I called her over. I praised her for her love and for her diplomacy. She said Doug was extremely ill. Although she hoped for recovery, she did not expect it. She mentioned that 2 years before she and Doug had gone on an extended holiday, visiting many countries. She talked about her husband being almost completely well during the entire holiday (about three months long). She spoke of the different places, and whenever she spoke of her husband, her voice softened with love. “We’ve been married for 52 years,” she shared with me.

We became friendly over the next few days. When we both received beds upstairs, we were still across from each other and still visited. I watched her as love poured from her – not sadness, not pity, not personal wishfulness, just the honest warmth of nurturing love.

Doug has recently passed on, but I know that my friendship with Peggy will bloom. I wanted to honour her by sharing the few days of her story. I wanted to tell the world that although we age, and parts of us grow gnarled, the heart never ages. The heart’s love is always young, always vibrant.

Peggy and Doug, I thank you for this life lesson.

By Steven Y. Park, M.D

Most people take breathing through their nose for granted. But for many chronic mouth breathers, breathing through the nose is a struggle, if not impossible. Not only is their quality of life diminished, but they'll also have a variety of other health-related conditions such as dry mouth, snoring, fatigue, and poor sleep.

One of the most important reasons to breathe through your nose is because of a gas called nitric oxide that's made by your nose and sinus mucous membranes. This gas is produced in small amounts, but when inhaled into the lungs, significantly enhances your lung's capacity to absorb oxygen. Nitric oxide is lethal to bacteria and viruses and is also known to increase oxygen absorption in your lungs from 10-25 percent. This is why it's important to inhale through your nose, especially when you are exercising.
Your smell and taste buds are connected. If you can't breathe well through your nose, then your sense of smell will suffer, which means that your sense of taste will be altered as well. This can lead to appetite and weight issues.

Your nose has vital nervous system connections to your lungs and heart. Not breathing well through your nose can alter your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as to increasing your stress response.
Your nose makes about 2 pints of mucous every day. If your nose isn't working properly and mucous isn't cleared, the stagnant mucous can lead to infections such as sinusitis or ear infections.

Lastly, not breathing well through your nose can aggravate snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. Nasal congestion alone doesn't cause obstructive sleep apnea, but it can definitely aggravate it. If your palate and tongue structures are predisposed to falling back easily due to sleeping on your back and muscle relaxation in deep sleep, then having a stuffy nose can aggravate further collapse downstream. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke. In this article, I'll talk about 7 ways that you can breathe better through your nose naturally.

Before I discuss the various ways to breathe better, a short anatomy course in in order. The nasal septum is a thin piece of cartilage and bone that splits your nasal cavity right down the middle. No one has a perfectly straight septum; everyone's septum is slightly curved. Sometimes, nasal trauma can shift or move the septum away from its' midline position. The nasal turbinates are wing-like structures that line the sidewalls of your nose. It's covered with a mucous membrane, and normally it helps to smooth, warm and humidify air. The turbinates and sinuses also produce about 2 pints of mucous every day. The turbinates swell and shrink, alternating from side to side every few hours. This is called the nasal cycle.

The front side walls make up your nostrils, which are soft cartilages covered on the inside and outside with skin. The back of your nose is one big cavity (called the nasopharynx), and the passageway turns down 90 degrees into the back of your throat. The nasopharynx is also where your ears connect via the Eustachian tubes.

If any part of the anatomy that I described becomes obstructed partially or completely, you'll feel stuffy in your nose. Usually it's not one thing, but usually due to a combination of different reasons. For example, if you have a mildly deviated septum, suffering from mild allergies will swell up your nasal turbinates, narrowing you nasal passageways. This may not be enough to clog up your nose, but if you have flimsy nostrils or had rhinoplasty in the past that weakened the nostrils, then breathing in with a stuffy nose may trigger your nostrils to collapse.

Starting from the tip of your nose, the first thing you must do is to find out if you have flimsy nostrils. If you have a very narrow nose, or if your nostril openings are very narrow and slit-like, then you may be prone to having flimsy nostrils. Try this experiment: Take both index fingers and press them just besides your nostrils on your cheek. While firmly pressing on your cheeks, lift the cheek skin upwards and sideways, pointing towards the outer corners of your eyes. Take a deep breath in. Can you breathe much better through your nose? Let go and try it again. If this maneuver works for you, you may benefit from using nasal dilator strips at night (one brand is called Breathe-Rite). Sometimes, the adhesives on these devices are not strong enough, or end up irritating the skin. Another way of treating this condition are various internal dilators (such as Nozovent, Breathewitheez, Nasal cones) that you can find over the counter or over the internet.

Second, try using nasal saline sprays. You can use the simple spray bottles that put out a fine mist, to more sophisticated methods such as aerosol cans or even using a Water-pik machine (there's a nasal adaptor that you can buy for this). Another popular variation is something called a Nedi-pot, which uses gravity to pour salt water into your nose and sinuses. You can either use prepared saline packages, or mix your own recipe (one cup of lukewarm water and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or Kosher salt with a pinch of baking soda). Whatever method you use, you'll have to do it frequently to get maximum results. Besides cleansing out mucous, pollutants and allergens, saline also acts as a mild decongestant.

Third, try not to eat anything within three hours of going to bed. If you still have food or juices lingering in your stomach when you go to bed, it can leak up passively into your throat and not only prevent a good night's sleep, but these same juices can also leak up into your nose, causing swelling and inflammation. In addition, many people will also stop breathing once in a while, which creates a vacuum effect in the throat which actively suctions up your stomach juices into your throat and nose.

Fourth, try to avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime. Not only does alcohol irritate the stomach, it also relaxes your throat muscles as you sleep, which aggravates the process described in the previous paragraph.

Fifth, if you have any known allergies, especially if it's something in your bedroom, try to either remove it or or lessen your exposure to it. For example, many people are allergic to dust or molds, and if you have carpeting, or an area rug, it can harbor these allergens. Frequently washing your bed sheets in very hot water also helps. Investing in a quality HEPA filter should help even more. If you have any pets, consider keeping them out of your bedroom. If conservative measure to control allergies is not good enough, consider seeing an allergist for a more formal evaluation.

Sixth, get regular exercise, especially outdoors. Not only are you exercising your heart and your muscles, you're also exercising the nervous system in your nose. Vigorous physical activity activates your sympathetic nervous system, which constricts the blood vessels that supply your nasal turbinates. This allows you to breathe better through your nose, with all the added benefits described in my previous article.

Lastly, slow down and relax. Modern society has removed all the natural built-in breaks throughout the day. Along with all the information overload and constant stimulation, going nonstop all day only adds to the increased stress levels that everyone experiences. In between major activities, take a minute or so to stop what you're doing and stretch, get up and move around, and do some deep-breathing exercises. Stress can tense up the muscles, causing you to breathe shallower, which causes physiologic changes that can ultimately aggravate nasal congestion.

These simple 7 steps won't help everyone, but If you can go down the list and apply all the steps, many if not most of you should feel some improvement in your ability to breathe through your nose. If you've tried all these steps and still can't breathe through your nose, then seek medial help. An otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat doctor) is the best doctor to take care of this condition.

If you are a chronic mouth breather, in addition to what I described above, your jaw is probably more narrow than normal, with some degree of dental crowding. Chronic mouth breathers also tend not to sleep well at night due to various degrees of breathing difficulty. I discuss these issues in my other articles (sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome).

Author's Bio
Steven Y. Park, M.D. Author of the book, Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired. Endorsed by New York Times best-selling authors Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Mark Liponis, and Mary Shomon.

by Jerry Bader

Paths to Effective Marketing

1. Think Audiences Not Markets

What's your market? Hire a consultant to help you with your Web-business problems and one of the first questions he or she will ask is, what's your market? How about eighteen to thirty-four year old, single male college graduates with a dog named Spot; or maybe forty-five to fifty-nine year old married women, who hate their husbands and can't get their adult children to move out of the house. Maybe, just maybe, they're asking the wrong question.

The Web isn't about markets, it's about audiences. Audiences need to be entertained, enlightened, and engaged, and if your website doesn't, you're never going to achieve what you want.

Time to rethink how you're delivering your marketing message. Start treating Web-visitors like an audience not a market, and you might just find what it takes to be successful on the Web.

2. Think People Not Customers

You know all those visitors you attract to your website with your brilliant search engine optimization schemes, how many actually purchase anything? Stop treating visitors as if they are already customers and start treating them like what they are - people. That's right, people. You know the two-legged funny creatures with wants, needs, desires, and maybe even a few bucks to spend.

Customers are always looking for a deal and they're leery of websites that only want to take their hard earned cash. Treat your Web-visitors like people who can satisfy their wants, needs, and desires with your assistance and guess what? Maybe it will make a difference: one small step for Web-credibility, one giant leap for Web-success.

3. Think Experiences Not Features

Bought any good features lately? Didn't think so. You would think the way business pushes the whole feature-frenzy thing that features are exactly what people are looking for, but nobody buys features, they don't even buy solutions - boy doesn't that whole solution provider nonsense really get to you after a while.

What people really buy are experiences, hopefully positive ones. Whether it's soft ice cream or a new accounting program, what people are paying for is the experience your product or service provides.

Does your website offer an experience? Does it explain the experience your product or service delivers? If it doesn't, then you really haven't got anything anybody wants.

4. Think Emotion Not Logic

Think you're a logical person, always making rational decisions based on practical criteria, and bottom line results. So tell me what was the functional thinking that went into the purchase of those leather pants you bought last year, or that sixty inch plasma television you bought just to watch the big game?

Let's get real. You make purchasing decisions based on what you want, and then justify them with seemingly sensible rationalizations, just like everybody else. So stop trying to appeal only to the practical, logical, aspects of bean-counter sales, and start pushing the feel good aspects of emotional marketing.

If you're trying to appeal to an audience that gets its only satisfaction out of acquiring the most features for the least cost, then your marketing to the wrong audience.

5. Think Memories Not Promotions

Most animals live in the moment, whereas human beings live in the past. Our here and now and our plans for the future are based on our experiences, our histories, and our memories.

We take pictures of our kids, holidays, and special events; we commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and milestones of all kinds. Even the significance of our prized possessions is centered on the fact that those mere objects represent memories of the people, places, and events that shaped our lives.

Real marketing, the kind that creates long-term clients and customer relationships, is not about coupons, sale promotions, or deep discounts; it's about delivering memories.

6. Think Marketing Not S.E.O.

Okay, here's one you've heard from us before: think marketing not search engine optimization. Sure you've got to drive as many people to your website as possible, but if your marketing message is so confused, unfocused, and hard to comprehend because of all the keyword density and S.E.O. tricks, then what have you really accomplished other than wasting people's time? And people really get upset when you waste their time.

7. Think Stickiness Not Hits

It's not about how many hits you get on your website, it's about how long people stay. If visitors remain on your site long enough to get your marketing message then you must have said something worth listening to, and if visitors get the message, your site has done its job.

If your website delivers the message, then you can expect the email inquiries and phone calls to start flowing, but it's still up to you and your sales staff to close the sale: people close sales not websites.

8. Think Stories Not Pitches

Did you hear the one about the farmer's daughter and the search engine optimizer ... Stories, everyone loves stories. In fact before the invention of the Gutenberg press, oral story telling was the way knowledge got passed down from one generation to the next, and how news was sent from one region to another.

Now that we have this multimedia Web-environment, we can continue the tradition of real people delivering creative audio and video presentations that capture the imagination and drive home the marketing message so your audience won't forget who you are. Nothing informs, engages, and entertains, like a good story: sounds to me like one heck of a way to sell to an audience desperate for meaningful communication.

9. Think Focus Not Confusion

There you go again, telling everyone who will listen all the wonderful things you and your company can do. Trouble is, telling them all those things just confuses them.

What is the product or service that is most important to your company, the one you are determined to sell to your audience? That's the one you want to talk about. That's the one you want to devote your marketing effort to promoting. That's the one you want people to think about when they hear your name or see your logo. Focus your communication or your message will just be a forgettable, incomprehensible blur.

10. Think Campaigns Not Ads

Isolated one-time advertisements are like one-night-stands: exciting for a while but ultimately unfulfilling and devoid of meaning. Your audience is looking to get married, not a short-term fling. Your marketing has to woo your visitors with long-term campaigns that tell your story and deliver your focused message; audiences expect to be courted and counseled with meaningful communication. And that takes time and commitment.

If you're spending money on just ads, you might as well be throwing that money down the drain. There is a better way. So if you're looking for a long-term relationship with your audience, think campaigns not ads.

11. Think Message Not Hype

What message are you delivering to your online visitors? Are you telling them you've got the best product, at the best price, with the best staff, and world-class customer service? Is that what you saying? Guess what? Nobody cares, because nobody believes you.

There is only one way to show people you're the best and that is to prove it, but here's the catch, you can't prove it until they become customers. Whoops. Okay, so what's the solution? How about a real marketing message that speaks to what your audience really wants. It's not about you it's about them.

12. Think Personality Not Banality

Does your website just lie there like a lox; you know that cold, dead fish that often comes with a bagel? No personality, just more of the same tedious, dull, dreary, mind-numbing, tiresome, lackluster, monotonous, stuff everybody else has. Boring! This is the new Web, so if you can't get with it, you'd better get out because you're wasting your time and everybody else's.

You're so worried about downloading times that you forgot to put anything on your site worth seeing or hearing. Check your logs. If people are jumping ship faster than rats on a burning ship, it's time to try something new; like, maybe some compelling content.

13. Think Branding Not Copyrights

Hay, I love the Beatles. I grew up with them, and I have all their records - ya records, like vinyl dude, not CDs. And guess what, I've also got a Mac, in fact I've got a bunch of them, not to mention iPods and other assorted Apple gizmos and gadgets. And you know something, I've never once got John, Paul, George, or Ringo confused with Steve Jobs. Amazing!

Worry just a little less about all that small print stuff and more on building a memorable brand that people will remember, and that nobody will mistake for some johnny-come-lately imposter.

14. Think Positioning Not Slogan

It's funny how people have a position on almost everything: you name the issue and people will have a definite opinion on what they think, except when it comes to their businesses. Just because you have a cute slogan that you print under your logo, doesn't mean you own a position in your audience's minds.

It seems businesses can't stand to make a definitive statement about who they are and what they do. Why is that? Afraid they'll lose a customer I guess, but if people don't understand exactly what you do, and why they should be doing business with you, then they're never going to be customers anyway.

No company can be all things to all people and companies that try, never go anywhere. Tell people who you are and what you do and forget about all the other stuff, it just gets in the way.

15. Think Sensory Appeal Not Cents Appeal

Do you want people to sit-up and take notice of what you have to say? Do you want people to actually remember what you're telling them? While if that's the case, you better appeal to their senses, and we're talking about sights and sounds.

Deliver all your juicy, got-to-have content in an audio and video presentation that will stick in people's heads.

If all you're doing is appealing to their desire to spend less, then maybe they aren't the customers you're looking for anyway. Nobody can afford to sell for less all the time, every time.

16. Think Identity Not Logos

Is your company the equivalent of the invisible man? You're on the Web, but nobody cares because you're not saying anything worth listening to, and if they do see you, you are instantly forgettable.

You've got to have an identity, a personality, an image, and there is no better way to create that identity than with a video of a real person delivering your marketing message in an entertaining, memorable manner.

17. Think Entertainment Not Biz-speak

Speaking of entertaining, you cannot engage, enlighten, or entertain if everything you present sounds and looks like it came from some b-school text book, or from one of those self-help courses on direct marketing guaranteed to make you a millionaire in only three weeks.

Every business has a story to tell and they can all be presented in a compelling way with a little imagination and creativity. And yes, even b-to-b businesses can rise above the mundane and deadly boring, if only they take the time and make the effort.

18. Think Communication Not Copy

Last but not least, let's all remember, that websites are about communication. If you've got nothing to say, nothing to offer, or are afraid to say what you can do for your audience, then how do you expect to be successful.

Filling your Web pages with keyword density prose and instantly forgettable sale's copy is not going to win the day.

Whether you are presenting your case in text, audio, or video, it better be interesting and enlightening - even text can be entertaining if written with style and attitude.

When websites fail, they fail because they do not communicate a realistic, believable, convincing marketing message.

About the Author: Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.

 H1N1 flu is about to be upon us and we need to be on top of information regarding it. Here is a comparison to the normal cold symptoms that was sent to me.

 Know the Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness.

In this case, my interest goes to several recipes that are delightful, though not necesarily healthiest!

The last one is for 5-minute breadmaking. It is a way of making fresh bread daily without taking up your time.

SEX-IN-A-PAN

This "sinful" dessert is similar to Chocolate Delight and other layered desserts with pudding and whipped cream.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• ·                           1 cup flour
• ·                           1/2 cup butter
• ·                           3/4 cup chopped pecans
• ·                           1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• ·                           1 cup confectioners' sugar
• ·                           32 ounces whipping cream,
• ·                           1 package (4oz) vanilla instant pudding
• ·                           1 package (4oz) chocolate instant pudding
• ·                           3 cups cold milk, divided
• ·                           1 square semisweet chocolate, shaved, or mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Combine flour, butter and pecans and press into a 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Combine cream cheese and confectioners' sugar and spread over pecan mixture. Spread half of the whipped topping over the cream cheese layer.

Mix package of vanilla pudding using 1-1/2 cups of milk. Spoon evenly over the whipped topping; spread until layer is even. Mix package of chocolate pudding using remaining 1-1/2 cups milk. Spread on top of vanilla pudding. Spread remaining whipped topping on top and sprinkle with shaved semisweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips.
 

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4  tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1  egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate  chips (optional?????)
A small  splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry  ingredients to mug, and mix well.
  Add the egg and mix  thoroughly.
 Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the  chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
 Put  your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake  will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a  little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if  you want to feel slightly more virtuous). WHAT?

This is a quick bread recipe – no time at all to make!

Here is the bread recipe.

3 cups of Flour (Use any kind of flour - mix in your seeds, nuts - softened in liquid, and anything you would like to taste in your bread)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp yeast.

Mix together with hands. There is no kneading required.

Add 1 3/4 cups of water (more if the flour is dry) This is not a thick batter - more like damp biscuit dough. Mix it by hand.

Cover and let sit 12 hours. It can sit longer - even 24 hours.

When ready to bake:

Heat the oven to 500 degrees with your baking dish in it.(ceramic or Pyrex, Corning ware or old fashioned clay -  not metal - I used a Pyrex bowl - 

When the oven and dish are hot, pour in your dough. It might pop or sizzle as the moisture in it hits the pan. Cover the pan.

Bake it for 20 minutes - covered. remove the cover and bake it for 8 more minutes. Check it - you might want to brown it a bit more.

Foods to Avoid if You Are Hypothyroid

Dr. Ben Kim, an Ontario Chiropractor has a wonderful, instructive newsletter. http://www.healthiertalk.com/users/bkim

There are certain foods that may impact thyroid function. I encourage you to explore some of these findings even if they go against your present judgment. What you find may be a little surprising, or a bit counter-intuitive. I am in no way suggesting that anyone stops eating any of these foods altogether, or adopts a rigid system of eating. I am suggesting choice and moderation.

In the next sections, I will be putting forth concepts that may be beneficial to the hypothyroid. However, I do not want anyone to misconstrue information for advice. I believe that eating and food choices are personal matters and can vary from person to person.

The first set of foods to avoid includes over-processed and refined foods. This refers to white breads, white flour, and basic junk foods. These don’t offer much nutritional value and can contribute to problems with insulin resistance and hormonal difficulties. They are also calorie-rich and not generally helpful in decreasing weight. We will get into greater detail with these items in the next section when we talk about low-carb vs. low-fat diets. Thyroid concerns and Type 2 Diabetes often exist simultaneously.

People with hypothyroidism are often told to avoid goitrogenic foods. Goitrogenic refers to the fact that these foods can increase your likelihood of developing a goiter by decreasing thyroid hormone production. Remember, a goiter is a lump in your neck, caused by an inflammation of the thyroid. It’s not pretty.

The funny thing about these foods is that the majority of them are very healthy, in general. The incidence of their consumption causing a goiter is gone if you cook or steam them.

The following foods are considered goitrogenic: cabbage, broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, mustard greens, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peaches, pears, strawberries, and radishes cauliflower, millet, and African cassava.

These foods should not be eaten in large quantities and generally not raw especially if you are on thyroid replacement hormones and still have a thyroid because they can negatively interact with your medication, nullifying its effects. Cooking seems to break down the enzymes enough to make the anti-thyroid effect a non-factor. Other foods on this list are potatoes and corn. These starchy vegetables may also have a goitrogenic effect, although we, in the Western world, are less likely to consume either of these raw anyway. Therefore, they may not be of much importance for us.

I’ve read some research that cautions the hypothyroid against drinking water with fluoride in it. Though distilled water is used by many, my research has made me aware that distilled water is “empty water” and with continued use may leach minerals from your system. I have, however, found no studies on the matter and want to caution people against reducing their intake of water. Most of us don’t drink enough as it is and I’d hate to give anyone an excuse not to drink their water, especially if edema (swelling) is one of their symptoms of hypothyroidism. (Believe it or not increasing your water intake reduces swelling. It flushes out the edema in your system.)

The final food product that has been deemed questionable for the hypothyroid is soy. Yes, soy! I know that may be shocking because soy is hailed as a hormonal savior these days. However, that may not be true for the thyroid.

Some experts contend that as little as 30 mg of soy isoflavones will cause trouble by competing with hormones for the same receptor sites on cells. Because of that, they can cause endocrine disruptions. The endocrine system may mistake the isoflavones for a hormone and not send out signals that the hormone needs to be produced, which could be problematic if you already have lower than normal levels of thyroid hormone production.

Soy isoflavones can also wreak havoc on the thyroid by causing anti-thyroid antibodies to be produced. This would create a situation in which the thyroid would attack itself just as in autoimmune thyroiditis. Over time, this could cause hypothyroidism to occur or worsen, if it already exists. Dr. Ben Kim, whose articles I trust, feels that soy is best when it is fermented. He believes miso to be effective.

Dr. David Zava, Ph.D. is a biochemist who has found another potential problem with soy. It seems that there is a certain anti-nutrient contained in unprocessed or ‘raw’ soybeans that acts a goitrogen. This anti-nutrient contains a chemical which interacts with iodine. Remember that iodine is needed to make thyroid hormone (in conjunction with the amino acid tyrosine, of course). It prevents the body from absorbing iodine and can lead to problems with low thyroid hormone production.

However, the jury is still out on soy. Many experts still say the benefits outweigh the risks. Some even say that there are no risks. Soy can be a part of a healthy diet, but in moderation. Many nutritionists do recommend no more than two servings a day because it is considered a ‘dairy’ replacement.

Now that we’ve talked about some of the foods you should watch out for, we can move along. I hope that I haven’t scared anyone off of raw vegetables or soy products. I don’t really feel too terribly if you are going to limit or avoid refined and over-processed carbohydrates and sugars altogether.

Any of the foods in this section needn’t be eliminated from your diet completely. You can enjoy them in moderation and as part of a well-balanced diet. In the next section, we will discuss more about what constitutes a well-balanced, healthy hypothyroid diet. We will leap into the low-carb vs. low-fat debate. In the section after that, we will look at some popular diet plans and see if they are good for your thyroid or not.

 Foods made with fermented soy are thought to be healthier than those made with unfermented soy. Examples of foods made with fermented soy are miso, tempeh, and naturally brewed soy sauce.Tofu and soy milk are examples of foods made with unfermented soy, although sometimes, tofu, once it’s made, is fermented to produce fermented tofu dishes in East Asian cooking – mostly Chinese. 

Dr. Kim – a health practitioner I Trust, http://drbenkim.com/  in an interview with Josh, says:Josh: Is soy as good for you as many in the health food movement would have us believe?

Dr. Kim: To me, soy is just another food. I think that you can eat soy and be healthy, but you don’t need to eat it to be healthy.

Josh: In health food stores you see "soy" everything -- soy milk, soy dairy, etc. Many people, especially vegans, consume soy as if it were oxygen. They think they're doing their body good but perhaps they're not?

Dr. Kim: Right, I think the most important point here is that it’s best to eat a variety of foods. Anytime you eat too much of one specific food, especially if that food is rich in protein, you may increase your risk of eventually becoming intolerant to that food. I’ve seen this happen to people with soy milk, tahini, almonds, and a number of other protein-dense foods.

Lots of processed foods made with soy – like meat-substitutes – they’re made with soy protein isolate, which is a highly processed food that can’t be as good for us as soybeans that are minimally or naturally processed.

Fermentation is a “natural” type of processing that doesn’t have the potential to hurt the nutrient value of soybeans the way that high temperature processing techniques do.

I think I know what you’re getting at with this question. Some people become vegan and turn to soy cheese, soy burgers, soy hot dogs, soy nuggets, soy ice cream, soy yogurt, soy everything to feel like they aren’t depriving themselves of foods that they enjoyed in the past. The vast majority of these highly processed foods are made with soy protein isolate and preservatives, and in my opinion, they’re no better than French fries, donuts, and regular fast food fare.

There are many reasons to become aware of the specialness of seniors, both men and women. When you are visiting them in a residence, they are often there because of their children’s choice. Perhaps the children are fearful for their parent’s physical or emotional health and safety. The parent may have become forgetful, leaving the stove on or the bathtub running. Perhaps their parent is no longer eating adequately since it is too much effort for him or her to cook appropriate meals. Perhaps the home appears too large to be properly maintained.

Often the children, having lives of their own, find it too difficult to be available to mom or dad. There are many reasons and each is a plausible one. The end result is that the senior feels that he or she has no choice and relinquishes pride, self motivation, and independence.  They miss their old home, perhaps their mate. They have little initiative and feel they have nothing to live for.

As a health provider, you can go a long way in helping them to reclaim their hold on life. You can help them be proud of their 95 years. But, and this is a big “but”, be wary of being patronizing. Seniors, like children, sense far more than you can perceive. When you patronize them you diminish them. You are not being honest but pretending your affection.

Talk with seniors as equals. Laugh, joke, be real. Explain things so they understand them but not from a superior place. You are not “more than” – you have not lived through their experiences. Seniors, from the time they were your all-knowing parents, have given their lives to making their children’s lives easier, smoother, happier and fuller than their own. They gave up so much to give it, especially since the parent role had them stuck in their own image and their own scenario for years. They deserve respect, genuine affection, praise, appreciation and thanks. Make any interaction you have together something they can look forward to.

One of the first things you must be aware of, as a health worker is a physical one. There skin has lost elasticity and the subcutaneous fat layer is gone. The skin and tissues are so much more fragile. This can cause irritation with the slightest pressure. Even though their feet may have many callouses and areas of hardened skin, you must handle the feet and hands delicately.

There will be time when your client is saying “Ouch!” and you have barely touched them. If this is repeated, your best avenue to success will be to use a series of relaxation exercises instead of reflexology. All these special exercises are meant to affect different parts of the body in a gentle but non-invasive way. Your session may contain only “desserts” and treats. The result will still be calmness, relaxation, brighter eyes, improved sleep and delight as they now look forward to the next session. The important thing to remember: DO NOT CAUSE ANY PAIN!

When it comes to the word “Ouch!”, I always precede a session with the words” “Ouch” means “Ouch” and  “Stop” means “Stop”! Do you want me to stop?” When a person says “STOP” I do so immediately. This will illicit trust in you, and allow them to have control of their session.

Seniors in this day are no longer respected for their wisdom. They have lost their power and the importance of life’s many lessons. It is in your power to return that to them.  Talking is the key, but listening is the answer. You will learn by listening. Listening is emotional support. You cannot learn by telling and talking, only by shutting your moth and opening your ears and your heart.

Therein comes another lesson. Many of you who work with seniors will come in contact with death, loss and grief. Residents will grieve not just the family members but also their new friends passing. And so will you. That is the nature of this type of work. You will learn that platitudes are the last thing you or anyone wants to hear. You will learn to keep your mind and heart full of the pleasant memories and let go of the pain, so you can let yourself go on. You will learn that you work here for the joy that comes with having done a very needed form of work. The old adage, “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” is a truism. When you open your heart, you will be open to pain, but also to love and exchange and the richness of many new friends.

Seniors are desperate for touch. Most of us suffer from touch deprivation. We tend to touch in violence and in sexuality. Seniors receive so little of it – even from their family. This is what you give freely. The result will amaze you both.

We, “young un’s” have a past, a present and a future. Seniors have a past and a strange present. It holds few promises and little passion. They live for the day and many have lost sight of their goals and dreams. A weekly session can at first give them the event to look forward to. As their health improves so will their outlook. Then they will look forward to a tomorrow when they can take a walk, visit places that used to interest them, write their memoirs, or a book of old remedies. Enlarging their world would be an incredible gift. In conversation, lift their spirits and help them to formulate a new future. Help them to reclaim a future by sharing ideas that might promote a tomorrow for them.

When you were a child, you had many moods, not all of them nice ones. Little be little, as you grew, you learned to cover up some of the moods, beliefs and concepts in order to fit with your contemporaries. You often wore a mask of propriety. Your senior did the same thing – perhaps even moreso as rules were so different then. As they approach seniority, the mask will often drop and they will expose the whining, nasty four-year-old that is still within. They will become angry more often. They will have streaks of stubbornness. They may be rude, selfish, even nasty. This is all part of your job and your education. You will learn patience as never before. You will understand them in a new and special way. You will listen with your inner ear, touch them with your inner hand and love them with a new and caring heart. They earned their bad mood and you jut might be able to change them with your skills. Remain their equal, not their parent or advisor. Explain to them what you are hearing and seeing. They may not have been aware of causing pain. Always express their worth back to them. Remember that a person who is needed retains a good self-image.

Become aware of your reasons for wanting to work with seniors. Is it to atone for something in your past? Is it because you always had wonderful special times with seniors in the past? Is it possible a control issue where you are more comfortable with seniors than peers? The reason does not matter. It does matter that you accept your truth and even talk about it with friends. Don’t hide it. Secrets become very heavy. Once your reason is out in the open the true you can shine through and cope with your self and even choose to change.

Seniors need laughter. They are often morose as day follows day with little change. I am sure you’ve noticed that on long holidays you lose track of hours and days. It isn’t a problem with you; it is temporary and caused by one day following the other without individuality. When you work, you always remember the day. When days are identical, so is time. So here is a place to bring your joy and laughter and to share it. I write up the best e-mail jokes, staple them into a good little bunch, then print them and share them with the residents. I only use kind jokes – not male or female bashing, but I do intersperse a “naughty” few. Seniors have not lost their sexuality and their need to laugh. When my hair turned grey, I noticed that noone told me any jokes. I had become respectable in their eyes. I dyed my hair and people shared their funniest with me. To this day , I dye me hair just to receive laughs that I can now share. Although a person ages, the heart stays young. Seniors will entertain wonderful, youthful fantasies because their hearts stay younger than their body/mind.

When working with seniors, pay attention to small details. Help your client in and out of the chair, even when they don’t require it!  Little things mean a lot. I always put my client’s sock on.  “Oh I can do it!” they say blushing. “Of course you can, “ I say , “and you’ve done it for 80 years. When is the last time someone did it for you? Probably when you were a kid or when you had a broken leg or something, So enjoy the treat!” And they do!

Sometimes in the course of the day, events happen that are distressful. Address scorn, impatience and narrow-mindedness by searching for the humour in the situation, in the moment and redirect the negative feelings. As you laugh with your senior, dance them out of the room. Get them to reclaim their youthful spontaneity. Laughing and its natural assistance in breathing helps bring brightness into slowing brains and aching bodies. You needn’t go far for laughter. Every moment is full of the joy of living. Make sure to include them in your tools of the trade. Laughter is truly a breath of fresh air.