Tips to Crush the Craving

 

Here are some tips to crush that craving: 

• Fool Your Brain! That’s where cravings start, so you can use that neurological fact to satisfy the craving in a more healthy way. That’s why, if you are trying to quit smoking, reach for a stick of gum instead of a cigarette. If you have a craving for sweets, try eating a plain baked potato. It will offer a similar serotonin boost along with healthy fiber.
• Take Your Time! If you are going to indulge the craving, do it slowly. It takes a while for your brain to become satisfied. If you eat slowly, you won’t need to eat as much before your brain sends the satiety signal.
• Hold On Just a Little Longer! If you put off indulging for five minutes (you can even set a timer), often the craving feeling will pass.
• Enjoy Yourself! If you do give in to a craving, don’t beat yourself up about it. Pleasure is important in our lives, so appreciate the occasional indulgences.

Exercise-Induced Pain

The saying “No pain, no gain” is absolutely wrong!

Most fitness experts will agree that exercise should be free of serious discomfort. Pain from physical activity usually means you’re doing it incorrectly somehow. If you continue to exercise that way, you might actually cause some physical damage.

We need to learn to distinguish between physical injury and routine mild discomfort from overdoing the activity a little. Sure, you’re going to be a little sore if you run an extra mile or pile on the reps at the weight machine. But how much discomfort is an indicator of a health problem?

Here are some ways to tell:

• Learn to monitor your body and read its messages. Compare what you are feeling now with what you have felt in the past. Is this pain something you’ve felt before? What was the outcome of this feeling?
• Any new pain, even if it is mild, is a warning sign. Stop exercising and figure out what is causing it.
• Take seriously a pain that is sharper than anything you’ve felt before or that appears suddenly in a part of the body where you’ve never had pain before. These types of new pain may indicate either an acute injury or a problem with chronic overuse. One example is Achilles tendinitis. That causes pain around the ankle that comes and goes. If you ignore it, it may progress to a torn tendon.
• Muscle soreness pain that you don’t feel until the next day is pretty common, and is due to overuse. If you touch or squeeze the achy muscle, it is tight and sensitive. To help the muscle heal, keep it moving. Stretch the muscle before exercising and massage it afterwards. This helps remove lactic acid which is produced when muscles are used. It’s the lactic acid that is causing overuse pain.
• You can fix overuse pain yourself, but if the pain lasts more than 48 hours or is so bad it’s incapacitating, seek medical attention.

Here’s to pain-free physical activity.

Tips to Organize Your Bill Paying

Do you worry you may have forgotten to pay an important bill? Do you sometimes get late payment reminders? Here’s a three-step process to stop both the worry and the late fees.

1. Set regular days and times to pay your bills. Start with something simple like the 5th, 15th and 25th of each month. Put that date in your calendar/reminder system for each month of the year!
2. Are you more of a morning dove or a night owl? Whichever you are, it’s best to schedule bill paying for the time of day when your energy is highest. BE sure that your scheduled date for bill paying (per tip #1) includes that time of day.
3. Create a separate e-mail account for e-statements. That way it will be simpler to find all the bills on each of your scheduled bill-paying dates.

These tips can save you time and money and, best of all, lower your anxiety about paying bills.

Sprouted Grains are the April Grain of the Month

The Whole Grains Council has declared sprouted grains to be the “grain of the month’ of April. That’s correct, sprouted grains aren’t a single kind of grain. But they are important food sources. The unsprouted grains we eat are dormant seeds.

All living things go through many changes when they grow. Grains are no exception. The biochemical changes that occur as grain sprouts affect both micro- and macro-nutrients. This makes the nutrition in the grain more available to the growing plant, and to us when we eat sprouted grain. Sprouted grain seeds are now a health food staple.

A grain seed consists of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The germ is the baby plant embryo. The endosperm contains starch that the embryo can turn into sugars to feed on as it develops, before the plant can make food on its own. The bran not only protects the unsprouted grain, but also adds nutrients.

Sprouted grains are also known as malted grains. There is no definition in food regulations for “sprouted grain,” so the Cereals and Grains Association made their own definition.

“Malted or sprouted grains containing all of the original bran, germ, and endosperm shall be considered whole grains as long as sprout growth does not exceed kernel length and nutrient values have not diminished. These grains should be labeled as malted or sprouted whole grain.”

Every type of grain contains different nutrients. When sprouted, these nutrients change in ways unique to each grain type. The results also depend on germination conditions such as light, temperature and time. In all cases, the nutrients in the grain become more bio-available.

The starch in the endosperm is broken down by plant enzymes into simple sugars that are more easily digested. Proteins are broken down by plant enzymes into peptides and amino acids. The gluten protein in barley, rye, and wheat is “pre-digested” by plant enzymes in the sprouting seeds. People with non-celiac gluten sensitivity may be less reactive to the gluten in sprouted seeds.

Sprouted seeds also contain less phytate. This is a common chemical in plant foods that binds some minerals, making them less available in the diet. Sprouting decreases the amount of phytate in the seed, making phosphorus and other minerals easier to absorb.

Sprouted grains generally cook faster than unsprouted grains, because of the changes that have occurred within the seed.

Sprouted seeds may be dried and ground into flour. This flour acts a little differently from regular grain flour, in that the gluten bonds are stronger. That means less kneading is necessary. Fermentation is more rapid, reducing rise times. Products made with sprouted grain flour have a longer shelf life.

Ready to try some sprouted grain recipes? Here are some links.

How to Make Sprouted Grains - https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sprouted-grains-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-204466

Sprouted Whole Grains - https://savoringtoday.com/category/soaked-sprouted-grain/

Homemade Ezekiel Bread - https://littlebitesofjoy.com/home-made-ezekiel-bread/

Healthinfo Island Displays and Exhibits for April 2025

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this posting. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images. If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

April 25 is World Malaria Day

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Month
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Fat Facts
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Measles in Adults
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

April is National Garlic Month
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Feeding a Healthy Brain
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32

Why is March 24 World TB Day?

The date, March 24th, marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). His research opened the way toward diagnosing and curing this disease.  Tuberculosis is the world's leading infectious disease killer, causing more deaths each year than malaria or AIDS.  It kills 3 people every minute. However, tuberculosis is preventable and curable.  Although the bacteria that causes TB is becoming more and more drug resistant, there is a vaccine against TB.

To learn more and spread awareness of this preventable killer, please see: 

• https://www.cdc.gov/world-tb-day/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday/default.htm
• https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-tb-day
• https://www.stoptb.org/advocate-to-endtb/world-tb-day

Why is March 21 World Down Syndrome Day?

Human DNA consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes… for most people. People with Down Syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome, making 3 copies not 2. Therefore, the awareness day for Down Syndrome is March (3rd month) 21, to signify the third 21st chromosome.  On March 21, join the "Lots of Socks” campaign. Wear your craziest or mismatched socks to engage people in conversations about Down Syndrome. Here are some Down Syndrome sock sources:

• https://lotsofsocks.worlddownsyndromeday.org/en-us/collections/lotsofsocks-socks
• https://johnscrazysocks.com/products/world-down-syndrome-day-crew-socks

People with Down Syndrome have a wide range of physical and mental capabilities, and must deal with a large ombre of health and life challenges. It is important to not stereotype this diverse group of individuals.

To learn more about Down Syndrome:

• Down Syndrome International https://www.ds-int.org/
• (US) National Down Syndrome Society https://ndss.org/
• (UK) Down’s Syndrome Association https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/
• Canadian Down Syndrome Society https://cdss.ca/
• Down Syndrome Australia https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/ 

Reasonable accommodation at work?

The ADA explains that your employer must give you reasonable accommodations unless that would pose an undoable hardship. Most accommodations are obvious and are cheap or free to implement. You don't have to accept the first accommodation your employer offers, if it doesn't work for you. But sometimes you and your employer can't seem to find a good accommodation. What can you do then? 

It will help to look at the accommodations you have already tried, to see why they would not work. Brainstorming potential accommodations with an outside resource, such as JAN, Vocational Rehabilitation, or a job coach may turn up additional possibilities. Maybe it’s time to do a trial accommodation with one of their suggestions. 

Another option if you can’t be accommodated in your present job, a possible solution would be reassignment to a vacant job, or the creation of an entirely new job.

 

Quinoa is the March Grain of the Month

The Whole Grains Council has declared QUINOA to be the grain of the month of March.

Quinoa is not as well-known as other grains. It is a native of the Andes in South America, and it isn’t even really a grain! It is considered a pseudo grain, a member of the same plant family as spinach and Swiss chard. Pseudo grains are similar in nutrition and culinary use to true grains.

Quinoa is a very diverse plant, making it adaptable to a wide range of cultivation environments. It grows best, though, in cooler high-altitude environments. A major crop in the time of the Incas and an important food for poor communities up to the present century, quinoa is now mainly produced by small farmers and growing associations in Peru and Bolivia. The UN declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa to celebrate recognition of its potential to improve worldwide health.

Quinoa is a tall plant; it can become up to nine feet (almost 3 meters) tall! The seeds of quinoa come in a variety of colors, including white, red, and black. Since the seeds mature at different rates, harvesting is done by hand, a labor-intensive process. Mechanized harvesting of quinoa is difficult. During processing before packaging, quinoa seeds are rinsed to remove the bitter-tasting saponincoating that protects the plant from insect pests.

Quinoa is one of few plant foods that provides complete protein. It offers all nine essential amino acids. It is rich in antioxidants and helps you feel fuller for a longer time. Quinoa also has a very high ratio of protein to carbohydrate in its germ; protein is about sixty percent of the germ in quinoa, while only about three percent in wheat. And quinoa is gluten-free, a boon for people with celiac disease.

Quinoa seeds are generally washed in a sieve before being boiled. Each cup of raw quinoa seeds will turn into about 3 cups when boiled for 12-15 minutes. Cooked quinoa is chewy, and has a slightly nutty flavor. It is often used as the base for both warm and cold salads, and is common in Latin American recipes.

Healthinfo Island Displays and Exhibits for March 2025

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits in Second Life using the SLURLs in this posting. While there, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

You may want to start here this month: How to Be More Optimistic
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30 

Misinformation About Science
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Lumpectomy
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Red No. 3
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Young Men Get Colon Cancer
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Get the Most Out of Probiotics
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Climate Change Conclusions
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32 

Job Accommodations Have Low Cost and High Impact

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to offer accommodations for employees with disabilities who request them in order to enable them to do their jobs. Some employers push back against these requests, saying that they will be too expensive or probably won’t be effective. Both arguments are false, as shown in a recent report published by the Job Accommodation Network.

The report surveyed employers from 2019 to 2023. Results include:

• Almost half (49.4%) of accommodations incurred no cost.
• The one-time median cost for 43.3% of accommodations cost $300.
• 68.4% of employers felt the accommodations were extremely or very effective; 18.3% of employers felt the accommodations were somewhat effective.
• Effectiveness was defined as leading to direct or indirect benefits such as improved employee retention, productivity and morale, reduced workers’ compensation costs, and improved workplace diversity.

Consider sharing these results with your employer when asking for ADA accommodations.

Let’s Participate in Research

Isn’t research done by … researchers?

Well, yes, research is designed and conducted by researchers, but research subjects are an important part of a research project.

Why would anyone want to be a research subject? None of the healthcare advances we rely on would have been possible without people volunteering to be part of research studies of the safety and effectiveness of new medications and therapies. While research subjects may not personally benefit from the research findings, others will.

All legitimate research studies are carried out under the review and approval of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB is responsible for ensuring that the rights and welfare of all research subjects are respected in the design and during the conduct of the study.

Before participating in a research study, you will be fully informed about the purpose of the research, what your participation will be, and any risks or benefits of the study from your participation. This is called informed consent.

Studies vary widely. Some are simply questionnaires. These you can usually do from home via your computer. Other studies involve working with medical professionals to try out newly developed medications or therapies. You may need to commit to going to a laboratory or doctor’s office a certain number of times. Because this type of study is more time intensive, you will most likely be compensated for participating.

You will want to weigh the risks and benefits as you decide whether to participate. If you do decide to participate in a study, remember, you can leave at any time during the process.

Once you have decided that you’re willing to be part of a research study, how do you find one to volunteer with?

Many research studies are disability-specific. Perhaps the simplest way to find out about these opportunities is to consult the national organization that supports your particular disability. Most of these large organizations maintain lists of current research studies that their members might wish to assist with.

For instance, the Amputee Coalition publishes this list online:

https://amputee-coalition.org/research/volunteer-research-opportunities/

The type of studies listed ranges from a survey about amputees’ experiences with showering and bathing prostheses (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AC_bathingprostheses ), to a 4-visit laboratory study of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on persons with transtibial amputation ( https://amputee-coalition.org/research/volunteer-research-opportunities/ ).

Other organizations maintain databases of research studies. A few are listed below. The World Health Organization maintains an International Clinical Trials Registry Platform:

https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform

The US government maintains a similar international listing here:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/

The European Union maintains a list of clinical trials here:

https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search

For clinical trials in Africa, please see:

https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/GIS_Viewer.aspx

For more examples of research studies you might qualify to participate in, check out the posters in the Research Pavilion on Healthinfo Island. Click the poster to find out about the study and how to apply.

Here is the SLURL:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/119/203/30

You will also find information about the design and operation of clinical trial studies in the Research Pavilion here:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/130/217/30

Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability

All federal governments need high quality data in order to understand people with disabilities and disability communities. The data will help policy makers identify barriers faced by people with disabilities, design strategic programs that will address these barriers, and evaluate the effectiveness of the policies and programs they initiate.

In January 2025, the Disability Data Interagency Working Group of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology issued a document titled “Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability.”

People with disabilities and their families are often a neglected demographic during policymaking. There are currently too many evidence gaps to ensure appropriate understanding of people with disabilities and their needs. This document offers ten guidelines to collect the data necessary to ensure that the disability community is adequately represented in the federal decision-making process.

You may want to add this document to your advocacy toolkit. To obtain a 55-page PDF of the document, please contact info at virtualability dot org and request the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability.

Barley is February’s Grain of the Month

The Whole Grains Council has declared BARLEY to be the grain of the month of February.

You know barley as that grain floating in canned vegetable beef soup. It’s been a common and healthy part of the human diet since prehistoric times.

Ashnan, the Sumerian Goddess of Barley, was worshiped lest the population starve. Barley was the main food in ancient Mesopotamia and a large part of Roman gladiators’ diet. Although it was one of the earliest domesticated grains, barley is now most often grown as animal feed or to produce malt for alcoholic beverages.

Barley is an important crop in dry, high-altitude areas, particularly in highly saline poor soils where other grains are difficult to grow. It is raised as a human food crop in north Africa, the Near East, the Andes, and the Baltic States.

To prepare barley seeds for cooking, the tough husk around the seed is removed, leaving the bran. The grains may then be malted, a process that involves soaking in water until the seeds germinate, then drying them with hot air. Malted barley is the source of the sugars that are fermented into beer and other alcoholic beverages. When the bran is removed and the interior kernel polished, it is called pearl barley.

Barley has a large amount of fiber, including the solublefiber that helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of heart disease. Barley can help reduce blood pressure as well as lower plasma lipids (cholesterol).

Barley is firm and chewy; it tastes somewhat nutty. It can be used in place of rice in dishes such as curries, pilafs, risottos, salads and stir fries. You will find it packaged near the rice in the grocery store. Why not cook some up today?

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for February 2025

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits in Second Life using the SLURLs in this post. Click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

FEBRUARY is Heart Health Month. All of this month's poster sets relate to heart health!

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Heart Attack
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Heart Arrhythmias
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Cardiac Rehabilitation Week
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Cardiovascular Professionals Week
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Congestive Heart Failure
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Atrial Fibrillation
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Angina
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Is Alcohol Good For Your Heart?
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32

Oats are January’s Grain of the Month

The Whole Grains Council has declared OATS to be the grain of the month of January.

Wild oats were eaten by prehistoric humans before they became a domestic crop. In fact, oats did not become a crop grain until after wheat and barley were already domesticated. The Romans brought oats as a crop to the British Isles. Oats being better adapted to cool wet climates than other grains, they became an important crop.

However, they were now well respected initially. Samuel Johnson defined oats in his famous 1755 dictionary as “A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people.” The Scottish rebuttal explained, “That’s why England has such good horses, and Scotland has such fine men!”

Europe has been the major producer of oats for human consumption, but climate change has severely impacted production in the past couple of years. Although oats are still mainly used as animal feed, their popularity as a breakfast food has grown.

Oat seeds are prepared in various ways for cooking. Old-fashioned (regular) oats have been steamed and flattened or rolled. Instant oats are precooked, dried, and flattened to make them quicker to cook. Most oats sold for human consumption are a whole grain, maintaining all their nutritional value.

Eating oatmeal can help with appetite control, as they keep you feeling fuller longer. They help with blood pressure control and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Oats are also good for your skin, applied externally! It’s an exfoliant, anti-inflammatory, and a popular home remedy for itchy dry skin.

Oats are tasty, with a sweet, almost nutty flavor. Why not cook some up and enjoy them today? 

Medical Mnemonics and Other Useful Advice

Mnemonics are memorization tools. They are short lists of letters or words that help you recall important related facts. You may have learned this one in grade school to help you recall the names of the planets in order:

• My - Mercury

• Very - Venus

• Educated - Earth

• Mother - Mars

• Just - Jupiter

• Sent - Saturn

• Us - Uranus

• Nine - Neptune

• Pizzas - Pluto

A group called Geeky Medics has put together a site for medical professionals called “Medical Mnemonics.” Although geared to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, it contains a great deal of information valuable to lay people as well. Here are some examples.

Under Clinical Skills, the Communications section includes the SPIKES mnemonic for how to break bad news:

• Setting up

• Perception

• Invitation

• Knowledge

• Emotions

• Strategy and summary

Sooner or later, everyone has to break some form of bad news to someone else. The Geeky Medic’s guide to breaking bad news might be something you would want to keep a copy of. Although written to advise a doctor or nurse on how to tell a patient some bad news, you can use the same steps in other situations as well.

In the Dermatology section of Medical Mnemonics is the very important reminder of what to look for on your skin in order to recognize a potential melanoma:

• Asymmetry

• Border irregularity (or poorly defined)

• Color (varying colors)

• Diameter (>6mm)

• Evolving (changing in size, color or shape

There are numerous dermatology guides you could peruse.

Under Surgery Mnemonics, Orthopaedic Surgery, you will find the RICE mnemonic for soft tissue injuries such as sprains:

• Rest

• Ice

• Compression

• Elevation

In the Psychiatry Mnemonics you will find Risk Factors for Suicide:

• Sex (male)

• Age (<19 or >45 years)

• Depression

• Previous attempt

• Excess alcohol or substance use

• Rational thinking loss

• Social support lacking

• Organised plan

• No spouse

• Sickness

There is an accompanying Suicide Risk Assessment Guide.

This website isn’t going to qualify you for an RN or MD degree. But it does contain a wealth of information you might find helpful. Check it out!