Salt – table salt  Salt, also known as table salt or rock salt (halite), is a crystalline mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of ionic salts. It is absolutely essential for animal life, but can be harmful to animals and plants in excess. Salt is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous food seasonings and salting is an important method of food preservation. The taste of salt (saltiness) is one of the basic human tastes. ( Wikipedia) “Salt is a major culprit in depriving the body of calcium. The more salt you eat, the more calcium gets carried away by urine. Sticking to a low-salt diet can help you keep more calcium to strengthen your bones.” WebMD Salt is the world’s oldest food additive. Nine out of ten adult Americans eat too much salt each day, according to a report released  by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The problem is not even the salt that we add at the dinner table. People are consuming high amounts of salt in processed foods and at restaurants.  High sodium levels increase blood pressure, and this puts people at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. “These diseases kill more than 800,000 Americans each year and contribute an estimated $273 billion in health care costs,” says CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. The CDC found that 10 types of foods are accounted for more than 40% of our sodium intake. They are: Breads and rolls Deli lunch meats Pizza Poultry Soups Cheeseburgers and other sandwiches Cheese Pasta mixed dishes Meat mixed dishes Snack foods such as pretzels, potato chips and popcorn Even though some of these foods are not high in sodium, eating multiple servings raises our salt levels. SO go easy on the salt or hold the salt. Read  Most Americans should consume less sodium.  Eating less sodium can help prevent, or control, high blood pressure. To learn more about sodium in your diet, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Sodium/index.html. References Wikipedia, CNN Health,...

“You need to exercise temperance in all things. Cultivate the higher powers of the mind, and there will be less strength of growth of the animal. It is impossible for you to increase in spiritual strength while your appetite and passions are not under perfect control. Says the inspired apostle, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” My brother, arouse yourself, I pray you, and let the work of the Spirit of God reach deeper than the external; let it reach down to the deep springs of every action. It is principle that is wanted, firm principle, and vigor of action in spiritual as well as temporal things. Your efforts lack earnestness. Oh, how many are low in the scale of spirituality, because they will not deny their appetite! The brain nerve energy is benumbed and almost paralyzed by overeating. When such go to the house of God upon the Sabbath, they cannot hold their eyes open. The most earnest appeals fail to arouse their leaden, insensible intellects. The truth may be presented with deep feeling; but it does not awaken the moral sensibilities, or enlighten the understanding. Have such studied to glorify God in all things?—Testimonies for the Church 2:413, 414, 1870 Ellen G. White [Excerpt from ‘Counsels on Diet and Foods’, Page 63 Ellen G. White.] Read More books at Ellen G. White Writings...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus that leads to mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. It can be more serious in young babies, especially to those in certain high-risk groups. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects almost all children at least once before they are 2 years old. Most of the time this virus only causes minor cold-like symptoms. However, for some babies infection can be more dangerous. For certain infants who are extremely preterm (infants born before 32 weeks of pregnancy) or who are born with severe heart disease or severe lung disease, RSV infection can be especially serious. Preterm infants often have underdeveloped lungs and may have difficulty fighting an RSV infection once they become infected. How to Protect your baby There are important steps you can take to prevent exposure to RSV and other viruses, especially in the first few months of your child’s life. These precautionary measures include Make sure everyone washes their hands before touching your baby. Keep your baby away from anyone who has a cold, fever, or runny nose. Keep your baby away from crowded areas like shopping malls.  Keep your baby away from tobacco smoke. Parents should not expose their infants and young children to secondhand tobacco smoke, which increases the risk of and complications from severe viral respiratory infections.  For high-risk infants, participation in child care should be restricted during RSV season whenever possible. All high-risk infants and their contacts should be immunized against influenza beginning at 6 months of age. Symptoms Symptoms vary and differ with age. They usually appear 4 – 6 days after coming in contact with the virus. Older children usually have only mild, cold-like symptoms, such as cough, stuffy nose, or low-grade fever. Infants under age 1 may have more severe symptoms and often have the most trouble breathing. RSV symptoms include: Bluish skin color due to a lack of oxygen (cyanosis) Breathing difficulty or labored breathing Cough Croupy cough (often described as a “seal bark” cough) Fever Nasal flaring Rapid breathing (tachypnea) Shortness of breath Stuffy nose Wheezing INFORMATION FROM HealthyChildren.org-Protecting Your Baby from RSV...

 A Rainbow of Colors: Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green spinach, orange, sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, and white onions. For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly. Fruits and vegetables are sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Some of these nutrients may also be found in other foods. Eating a well balanced diet and making other lifestyle changes are key to maintaining your body’s good health. Table below from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Good sources: These foods contain 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value per reference amount. Excellent sources: These foods contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount. CDC Fiber Diets rich in dietary fiber   have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects including decreased risk   of coronary artery disease. Excellent vegetable sources:   navy beans, kidney beans, black beans,   pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black   eyed peas, lentils, artichokes   Folate Healthful diets with adequate folate   may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord   defect. Excellent vegetable   sources:  black eyed peas, cooked spinach, great northern beans,   asparagus   Potassium Diets rich in potassium may help to  maintain a healthy blood pressure. Good fruit and   vegetable sources:    sweet potatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, beet   greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrot juice,   prune juice   Vitamin A Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy   and helps to protect against infections. Excellent fruit and   vegetable sources:  sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip   greens, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, winter squash, cantaloupe, red   peppers, Chinese cabbage   Vitamin C Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds   and keep teeth and gums healthy. Excellent fruit and   vegetable sources:     red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet   potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, oranges,   mangoes, tomato juice,...

Health Tips : Veggies contain fiber, , phytochemical and loads of vitamins and minerals that may protect you from chronic diseases. Dark, leafy greens contain vitamin K for strong bones. Sweet potatoes and carrots contain vitamin A, which helps keep eyes and skin healthy and protects against infection. In one study, men eating 10 or more servings of tomato products per week saw a 35% decrease in their risk of prostate cancer. (Lycopene) Read more about...

    Kale or borecole is a vegetable similar to cabbage, with green or purple leaves. Kale is one of the healthiest veggies you can have for dinner, lunch or breakfast. One serving, contains about 30 calories, it provides a day’s worth of vitamin C, twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, and nearly seven times the recommended amount of vitamin K. People who are on blood thinners such as warfarin should check with your Doctors before eating Kale because of the high contents of Vitamin K.. Vitamin K is abundant in kale but also found in parsley, spinach, collard greens, and animal products such as cheese. It is also great for juicing. Vitamin K is necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions, including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity, and bone health. Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.  WebMD   See Easy Ways to Prepare Kale Source of Information Medical Encyclopedia; Health magazine; The American Journal of Clinical...