Morning Health

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

You are here: Home / Archives for Future of Health

Smart Medicine or Playing God?

By Leave a Comment

When scientists began cloning animals, there was a plethora of questions about the ethics of cloning humans. The main issue surrounding the cloning of humans was the number of embryos that were destroyed or died early in the process. To many conservative Christians, including myself, we believe that life begins at conception (fertilization), so an embryo is a human life. Destroying an embryo for any reason is murder, which is why most Christians are against abortion and contraceptives that kill a fertilized egg like the day-after pill.

I recall several discussions between individuals on both sides of the issue and it all boiled down to whether cloning humans was smart medicine or playing God.

That question is being asked again and about a new announcement, but the situation is different, no embryos should be destroyed.

The new issue involves editing defective DNA in a human embryo.

There are thousands of mutations that have accumulated in our DNA over our many years of existence. Most of these mutations make little to no difference, perhaps only changing the shape of an ear lobe, color of your eyes, hair color and texture, things like this. Some can be quite serious.

One source says there are around 6,000 known genetic disorders. Most of these are hereditary, meaning they have passed on from parents to children, and some are non-hereditary, meaning they are not passed on from one generation to the next, but occur during embryonic development.

My oldest daughter has a non-hereditary genetic disorder known as McCune Albright Syndrome. It’s a rare genetic mutation that occurs during the early stages of embryonic development, but no one knows what causes it nor is there any cure. As for being rare, it only occurs in 1 of every 500,000 to 1,000,000 people. Figuring the entire US population is around 325,500,000, that means there are only about 326 to 651 cases of McCune Albright Syndrome in the entire country.

As for hereditary gene mutation disorders, some of the more well-known include: breast cancer; autism; Chrohn’s Disease; colon cancer; cystic fibrosis; Down syndrome; Gaucher Disease, hemophilia, Marfan syndrome (many believe Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan syndrome); progeria; prostate cancer; sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs; skin cancer and more.

The ethics question being asked now in the medical world is if there is a technology available that could identify a genetic disorder in the earliest stages of embryo development and then have the technology to edit out that mutation and replace it with a normal piece of DNA, is it ethical to do so or is that playing God?

The technology is there as displayed by Shoukhrat Mitalipov and fellow researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University. According to the report, they used the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to edit and repair disease causing DNA error in a number of human embryos in the early stages of development.

The mutation they fixed is found on a gene known as MYMPC3. It causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a deadly heart condition.

Mitalipov told the media:

“With this particular mutation, we’ve already done the groundwork, so we’re probably much closer to clinical applications. Clinical trials would mean actually implanting some of these embryos with the goal of establishing pregnancy and monitoring births of children and hopefully following up with children.”

Using this technology, if approved, could totally eradicate an inherited gene mutation disease from a family’s lineage. Imagine a family that has been plagued with breast cancer – like that of actress Angelina Jolie who opted to have both now healthy breasts removed because she carried the defective gene – knowing they are no longer passing this defective gene down to their offspring. Or many black families who suffer the painful effects of sickle cell anemia. Imagine knowing that this genetic disorder could be fixed and no longer passed down to future generations.

It sounds like really smart medicine that could save billions of dollars in medical costs, but the technology does require working on the DNA of a human embryo. If anything goes wrong, it’s possible the human embryo could die. If it goes right, no more of that genetic disorder. Smart medicine or playing God? Sounds like an easy answer, but is it?

Living Drug for Common Form of Children’s Leukemia Passes 1st FDA Hurdle

By Leave a Comment

Millions of Americans get some form of cancer. The cost of treating and fighting cancer reaches into the billions of dollars. One source lists the cost of cancer care in 2010 at $157 billion. Imagine how much could be saved if researchers could find a successful way to fight cancer that didn’t require traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy? Millions of lives could be saved and total healthcare costs in the United States could be lowered enough to almost make a national healthcare system affordable – ALMOST.

Researchers working for Novartis, a large drug company may have made what some are calling the most major breakthrough in cancer treatment in decades. Dr. David Lebwohl heads up the CAR-T Franchise Global Program that developed the breakthrough technology.

The process has been named CAR-T cell immunotherapy and the idea is brilliant. Important immune T cells are removed from a patient. The scientists then genetically modified them so that they would target and attack just cancer cells. Once the T cells have been genetically modified, they are injected back into the patient where they travel through the blood stream to the cancer and attack it. Using the patient’s own T cells to fight cancer eliminates many of the harsh and debilitating side-effects of most chemotherapies and/or radiation therapies.

Many cancer patients will tell you that many of the treatments they undergo are almost worse than the cancer itself. The nausea, weakness, headaches, aches and pains that go with most treatments, often leave cancer patients unable to function. They end up spending hours, days and even weeks feeling sicker than a dog before they feel better.

Dr. Lebwohl commented about the new CAR-T cell immunotherapy, saying:

“It’s truly a paradigm shift. It represents a new hope for patients.”

The FDA Advisory Panel has endorsed the use of the new immunotherapy, which was initially developed to treat children and young adults with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, that either doesn’t respond to standard treatment of they have relapsed. This form of cancer is the most common cancer that affects children in the United States.

With standard treatment, many children become cancer free, but at some time down the road may suffer a relapse. Others don’t respond to the standard treatment or cannot tolerate it. When this form of leukemia relapses, quite often the standard treatment is not nearly as successful.

The initial study for the new treatment was conducted at 25 different locations on 88 patients in 11 different countries. The patients ran in age from 3 to 23 and all had experienced a relapse that did not respond to standard treatment or they failed to respond to standard treatment to begin with. The drug developed to help genetically modify the patient’s T cells is known as tisagenlecleucel or CTL019, or the ‘living drug’. In the studies, 83% of the patients that received CTL019 saw their leukemia go into total remission.

Dr. Stephen Hunger, a doctor at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia assisted in the study on the new immunotherapy. He commented about the need for such a treatment, saying:

“There is a major unmet medical need for treatment options.”

Other drug companies and researchers have tried to use similar forms of immunotherapy, but ran into a serious side-effect known as cytokine release syndrome. This is when the genetically modified T cells begin attacking some of the patient’s organs. In some cases, they attacked the brains, causing severe brain swelling and death.

So far in the study using CTL019, only a few patients developed the side effects, but none of those cases were fatal and all of the patients recovered. Dr. Timothy Cripe, an oncologist at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio commented about the drug, saying:

“This is the most exciting thing I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

Dr. Malcolm Smith, associate branch chief for the pediatric oncology at the Nation Cancer Institute, also commented about the study, saying:

“This is a major advance and is ushering in a new era in treating children.”

Since the researchers use a virus to help genetically modify the T cells, no one is sure if there are any long-term effects.

Getting the endorsement of the Advisory Panel, which voted 10-0 to endorse the new drug and treatment, is one of the first steps towards approval of the drug and treatment process. The FDA does not have to always take the endorsement of the Advisory Panel, but doctors and families of patients involved in the study are lobbying for approval.

While the new living drug, if approved, could save billions of dollars in cancer treatment, it’s probably not going to be cheap for patients to get. Novartis has not said how much the drug treatment will cost, but some analysts in the industry are estimating it could cost as much as $500,000 per infusion of the genetically modified T cells. Hopefully, it won’t cost nearly this much and is made readily available to the thousands of kids suffering from this form of leukemia.

Study Reveals Senate Republicans Need a Nap to Fix Healthcare

By 2 Comments

Image result for businessman napping

Republicans in both the House and Senate have had 7-years to create their replacement for Obamacare. From the moment, the Affordable Care Act was passed and forced upon the American people, Republicans have been saying they wanted to repeal and replace it with a better plan, but evidently, no one worked on that better plan until after last November’s election. House Republicans have voted at least half a dozen times to repeal Obamacare, over the past 6 years, but their actions were in vain as there was no way Barack Obama would ever sign a bill that repealed his flagship legislation and Republicans never had enough votes to override Obama’s appeal. Their gesture to repeal was nothing more than a gesture for their constituents and nothing more.

Yet through it all, they never worked on a replacement program. The actions of congressional Republicans remind me of millions of school kids who wait until the night before a paper is due to start writing it. The end result of those last-minute papers are about the same as the apparent results of the Republican plans (House and Senate) that have been seen so far.

Senate Democrats have offered to work with Senate Republicans to come up with a workable and acceptable replacement, but Republican leaders say all Democrats want to do is to delete what they don’t like and insert their plans, which are different than what Republicans want.

Because the current Senate version was so hastily and poorly constructed, there is not enough support, even among Republicans, to pass the measure, so a vote has been postponed until after the July 4th holiday recess. It just seems that Republicans aren’t able to concentrate and think properly.

Perhaps what they need to do is take a short nap every day to help them come up with a workable and acceptable healthcare plan?

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder, taking a 15-to-20-minute nap increases learning, memory, awareness and also helps a person think more clearly. All of these are desperately needed by congressional Republicans.

A report on the study reads in part:

Studies have shown that short naps can improve awareness and productivity. You don’t need much; just 15 to 20 minutes can make a world of difference.

“According to a study from the University of Colorado Boulder discovered that children who didn’t take their afternoon nap didn’t display much joy and interest, had a higher level of anxiety, and lower problem solving skills compared to other children who napped regularly. The same goes for adults as well. Researchers with Berkeley found that adults who regularly take advantage of an afternoon nap have a better learning ability and improved memory function. Why is napping so essential? Because it gives your brain a reboot, where the short-term memory is cleared out and our brain becomes refreshed with new defragged space.”

“How long should you nap?”

“According to experts, 10 to 20 minutes is quite enough to refresh your mind and increase your energy and alertness. The sleep isn’t as deep as longer naps and you’re able to get right back at your day immediately after waking up. If you nap for 30 minutes you may deal with a 30-minute grogginess period because you wake up just as your body started entering a deeper stage of sleep. The same can be said if you sleep for an hour, but on the other hand, these 60-minute naps provide an excellent memory boost. The longest naps— lasting about 90 minutes—are recommended for those people who just don’t get enough sleep at night. Since it’s a complete sleep cycle, it can improve emotional memory and creativity.”

If only American employers would realize the significance of an afternoon power nap.

Could the solution be so simple that all Senate Republicans need is to take a 15-20-minute nap at least once a day to help them develop their replacement for Obamacare?

Can Genetics Play a Role in Osteoporosis?

By Leave a Comment

Image result for osteoporosis

Earlier this month, I reported about how to help prevent hip fractures as you get older. The post dealt mostly with the effects of osteoporosis, which affects millions of older women and men, but mostly women. Many women lose bone density during pregnancy leaving their bones less dense, thinner and more fragile, making them more susceptible to bone fractures.

Quite often, osteoporosis is attributed to diet and lack of activity. You can find a plethora of posts on the internet that tell women to take their calcium and to use resistant exercises such as weight lifting to help fight of this crippling and deadly condition.

Many women react negatively to the idea of weight lifting, saying they don’t want to develop ‘manly’ looking muscles which take away from their feminine appearance. However, that’s not necessary. There are a variety of weight lifting exercises that can be done on a regular basis with medium weights that won’t build the manly muscles. However, it’s important to do something like weight lifting or resistance exercises as they can increase the bone density in the bones, and this can literally save a woman from painful and debilitating bone fractures and even death.

The question has been raised who is most susceptible to developing osteoporosis?

According to one report:

“Many persons suffer from this gradual loss of bone density, but when we look for people who are most at risk of showing symptoms of osteoporosis, the groups identified are usually postmenopausal women, the elderly, people who consume low calcium in their diet, people with diseases of lungs or kidneys, and people frequently using medicines like antacids or steroids.”

The same report also identified four categories of people with a higher risk of developing the disease. They are:

  1. Age
  2. Heredity
  3. Unhealthy lifestyle and diet
  4. Medications and diseases

Many women may be surprised to learn that the risk of developing osteoporosis can be an inherited trait. This question just came up when my wife visited her sister. My wife is 66 and her sister is 89, but they hadn’t had the opportunity to see each other for over 25 years.

My wife’s mom developed osteoporosis and lost 6 inches in height in her later years. The loss of height was due to her vertebra compressing down and numerous broken ribs that would not heal. Her loss of height caused her esophagus to fold back and forth, making it impossible for her to swallow food or liquids. She spent the last two years of her life taking her nourishment through a feeding tube that had been surgically inserted through her side and into her stomach. At 89-years of age, she fell and fractured her hip. It was surgically repaired but while recuperating in the hospital, her heart gave out and she passed away.

While visiting her sister, my wife found out that her sister too had lost 6 inches in height due to osteoporosis and recently fell and broke a hip. My wife said that when she saw her sister, she saw her mom at the same age.

Several years ago, my wife was told that her one hip showed signs of early osteoporosis. She started taking calcium supplements and has tried to get more active.

So, can the tendency to develop osteoporosis really be hereditary or is it just diet, medications and lifestyle?

A number of sources say that there is a genetic link to osteoporosis. Here is one report:

“Many studies find that osteoporosis and symptoms that include bone fractures or constant falls is linked to the genes. As the disease is genetic, the possibility that osteoporosis can be hereditary is clear, and a person with a family history of bone fracture or loss of bone density issue has a greater risk of developing the condition. People with a family history of osteoporosis, especially those with a small and frail body structure, are at the greatest risk of suffering from decreased bone density even at an early age.” 

“There is constant research of heredity-related osteoporosis or the hereditary symptoms of reduced bone density. A recent study concluded that around 56 genetic variants are found to be linked to osteoporosis, which means causes of bone weakening, loss in bone density, symptoms of falls and bone fractures may clearly be linked to heredity.”

Knowing that there may be a genetic risk of developing osteoporosis, it’s even more important to take the necessary precautions. Take the right kind of calcium supplement, check any medications you are taking for risk factors and exercise regularly. It’s also important to get regular bone scans that will let you know if you have or are developing osteoporosis.

After learning of her sister’s osteoporosis and the possible genetic risk, this morning, my wife went to have another bone scan to see if there is any further sign of osteoporosis. Neither of us want to see her go through what her mother and sister have gone through.

WARNING: Harmful Effects of Legalizing Marijuana

By 1 Comment

Image result for legalization of marijuana is bad

If you listen to the mainstream media, you would think that legalizing marijuana is a win-win situation for everyone. They claim that marijuana has many beneficial medicinal purposes by legalizing it, and those who need it for medical purposes should have greater access. It also brings in needed tax revenue to cities, counties and states. Legalizing marijuana prevents many people from facing jail time and criminal records for possession and use of marijuana. The media and marijuana advocates say that there are no negatives or harmful effects of legalizing marijuana.

Don’t forget that this is the same mainstream media that ignored the many crimes committed by Barack Obama and many within his administration, including Hillary Clinton. This is the same media that praised Bill Clinton for his adulterous affair in the Oval Office and crucified former Vice President Dan Quayle for misspelling a word.

Colorado legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational use three and half years ago, so let’s take a quick look at the impact that has had.

On January 1, 2014, Colorado legalized the medical and recreational use of Marijuana. They claimed that it would add millions of dollars to the state’s revenue via state taxes which includes a 2.9% sales tax, 10% special sales tax and 15% excise tax, meaning the state would collect $27.90 for every $100 of recreational marijuana sold in the Rocky Mountain state.

In April 2014, 19-year-old foreign exchange student Levy Thamba plunged off a hotel balcony and died after eating legally purchased marijuana laced cookies. After eating just one cookie, Thamba became agitated and ran out onto the balcony and over the edge, falling to his death. The pot-laced cookies were legally purchased by a 21-year-old present at the gathering.

In September 2015, 47-year-old Richard Kirk purchased a Pre 98 Bubba Kush Pre-Roll joint and Karma Kandy Orange Ginger, a marijuana laced candy. Shortly after eating the pot laced candy, Kristine Kirk, 44, called 9-1-1 to report that her husband was hallucinating and frightening her and their three children. During her call, she told the police dispatcher that her husband had asked her to get the gun from their safe and shoot him. When she refused, she told the dispatcher that he was retrieving the gun. Twelve minutes into the emergency call, the dispatcher heard a gunshot over the phone and then the line went dead.

When police finally arrived at the house, Kristine was dead from a gunshot to the head and Richard was ranting and rambling to himself. In his ramblings, he admitted to killing his wife. Police said it appeared to them that Richard was definitely suffering the effects of some controlled substance and/or prescription drugs.

By October 2015, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area  released their annual report which reveals the impact of legal marijuana use. Among the alarming report, marijuana related traffic deaths have increased by 32%. Not all of those that lost their lives were the users of marijuana. They were the innocent victims of someone else who was driving while under the influence of marijuana.

They also reported significant increases in emergency room and hospital visits linked to marijuana use. Additionally, they reported that school expulsions have increased by 40% with the majority of them being related to marijuana.

These are only a few of the instances of the negative health-related impacts of legalizing marijuana. There is another negative impact that not’s directly health related, but has presented a danger to the safety and health of many.

Have you ever been to Durango, Colorado? I went years ago, and remember that it was a picturesque city in a beautiful part of the state. Today, many parts of Durango have been transformed in ugliness and it’s all due to the legalization of marijuana.

Durango has become a haven for homeless, panhandlers, drug users, transients and vagrants, most between the ages of 20 and 30. They have filled the sidewalks and loiter in front of stores, blocking access of customers. One store owner, Caleb Preston says he has to constantly kick vagrants away from the door of store. He told the media:

“Just this year there has been a major influx of people between 20 to 30 who are just hanging out on the streets. The problem is while many are pretty mellow, there are many more who are violent.”

Legalizing marijuana is NOT a win-win situation. It kills people in homes and on the roads. It transforms entire communities and leads many younger people to become homeless, panhandling vagrants. Yes, it can bring millions of tax dollars to government coffers, but at what cost?

Researchers Develop New Super-Potent Antibiotic to Fight Resistant Bacteria

By Leave a Comment

Every hear of vancomycin? That the generic name for an antibiotic called vancocin HCL pulvules. Yes, it’s an antibiotic with a narrow range of usefulness, however, it’s still an important medication.

According to Drugs.com:

“Vancomycin is an antibiotic. When taken by mouth it fights bacteria in the intestines.”

“Vancomycin is used to treat an infection of the intestines caused by Clostridium difficile, which can cause watery or bloody diarrhea. It is also used to treat staph infections that can cause inflammation of the colon and small intestines.”

“Oral vancomycin works only in the intestines. This medicine is not normally absorbed into the body and will not treat other types of infection. An injection form of this medication is available to treat serious infections in other parts of the body.”

“Vancomycin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.”

While vancomycin may have been a useful antibiotic in fighting intestinal infections, it does have its harmful side effects like so many other drugs. One of the major side effects is ringing in the ears and even hearing loss. If that happens, a person needs to notify their doctor as soon as possible.

It can also be passed through breast milk, so any woman who is prescribed to take vancomycin and is breast feeding, should stop breast feeding as long as they are taking the antibiotic.

Like many antibiotics, some bacteria are found to be resistant to vancomycin. This is NOT evolution, but a matter of genetic selection. Like all superbugs, certain bacteria already contain the genetic information that makes them resistant to a specific medication. The medication will kill off all of the bacteria that are not resistant, leaving just those with the resistance to survive and multiply. Now that particular population of bacteria all has resistance since they are descendants of the few that previously contained the resistance in their genes. In reality, this is a loss of genetic variation and information which is the opposite of what evolution demands – an increase in genetic variation and information.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have announced that they found a way to make vancomycin many times more potent and durable. Their hope is that the newer super-potent form of the antibiotic is powerful enough to kill off the more resistant bacteria.

How much stronger is the new vancomycin? Depends upon the source you turn to. One source said the new form is 1,000 times stronger and another source says it’s 25,000 times stronger. Either way, the announcement may be huge in fighting some strong intestinal bacterial infections.

Regardless of the how many times more potent the new version is, the question is how is it in treating the intended antibiotic resistant bacteria infections? According to a report:

“A team from the California-based Scripps Research Institute have modified the antibiotic vancomycin, deeming the new variation ‘the first antibiotic to have three independent mechanisms of action’ in a press release made public Monday.”

‘Dr. Dale Boger, the lead scientist behind the development, said that the adapted vancomycin meant that ‘doctors would need to use less of the antibiotic to fight infection’.”

“The drug was tested on vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), a bacteria which can cause infections in the intestine, urinary tract and wounds. VRE is listed as being high priority on the World Health Organization’s ranking of bacteria which most urgently need research and development into new antibiotics.”

None of the reports said if the new super-potent form of vancomycin still has the same side effects or even if the side effects have also increased with the new increased potency. It seems that only time will tell what, if any, side effects will be with the new super-potent vancomycin, but it would be best if anyone taking it, knows what the possible side effects could be and to watch out for them.

FDA Approved Drugs May Not Be As Safe As You Think

By Leave a Comment

Image result for fda approved

Most of us have experienced sticker shock when we’ve gone to a pharmacy to pick up a prescribed drug. Most people have no clue how much some of their prescriptions really cost because they have them covered by their healthcare plans. They go to the pharmacy, pay their co-pay and go on their merry way. Those that do not have healthcare coverage for prescriptions are the ones that are shocked at how much a prescription can cost. Then you have those with conditions or illnesses that require prescriptions that are not covered by their healthcare plan.

Some years ago, I worked with a man who was battling leukemia. Most of the standard treatments did not work and his doctors convinced him to try a new drug which was not covered by our healthcare plan. When he went to pick up the prescription, it cost him over $3,000 for a two week supply. Sadly, that new drug didn’t help either and he died a couple months, but not after spending tens of thousands of dollars just on prescriptions.

We’ve heard a lot on the news over the past year or two about the high cost of some important drugs and in many cases, the pharmaceutical companies justify the high cost by saying that it took millions of dollars to develop, test and get the drug approved. Not to necessarily defend the pharmaceutical companies, but it does take a lot of time and money to develop, test and then get approval from the FDA before a company can ever market their drug and try to recoup the costs. If you want to know what it takes to get FDA approval, I suggest you go the FDA website and see for yourself. It’s quite a process.

Once a drug has been tested and finally achieves FDA approval, most of us believe the drug is now safe to take for the prescribed medical condition it’s designed to treat. But that may be a dangerous misconception.

Researchers at Yale University led a research study to determine just how safe FDA approved drugs are and their findings may shock you and make you hesitate the next time your doctor writes you a prescription.

According to a report issued by Yale:

“To assess new drugs for safety and effectiveness, the FDA relies on premarket drug testing and clinical trials. Most of the trials involve fewer than 1,000 patients studied over a period of six months or less, making it difficult to detect safety issues that might be identified once more patients use the drug over a longer time period. To identify factors that might enhance patient safety and regulatory surveillance efforts, the Yale-led team analyzed data on new drugs approved between 2001 and 2010, with follow up through 2017.”

“The research team, led by associate professor of medicine and public health Dr. Joseph Ross, found that 32% of new drugs were flagged for a safety issue after approval. ‘That is very rarely a drug withdrawal, but more commonly a black box warning, or drug safety communication issued by the FDA to let physicians and patients know that new safety information has been determined,’ said Ross.”

“The researchers also identified characteristics of drugs that were more likely to be associated with a safety concern, including biologic therapies and drugs that were approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway.”

The Yale study revealed that 1 in every 3 new drugs approved by the FDA had safety concerns. In addition, they found that more drugs also warranted safety concerns. The really concerning issue is that it’s rare for a drug, once approved to be un-approved and removed from the list.

Whenever my wife or I receive a new prescription, we do a little research on the drug first before we ever start taking it. It has paid off on occasion because my wife does have a reaction to some classes of drugs and have found that she could have a negative reaction to the drug. We notified the doctor who then prescribed something more tolerable to her. Don’t blindly rely on your doctor to know everything. Ultimately, you need to take some responsibility for your health and do a little research when necessary.

Make-Ahead Lunch Meals To Eat Healthy Without Even Trying

By Leave a Comment

 

Source: buzzfeed.com

 1. Box up these grilled chicken veggie bowls.

Here’s your line-up of ingredients.  We decided to add 5 different vegetables to mix it up a little. You could simplify it by using 3 different types.  We used these tupperware containers and they worked great for our portions.

Grill up my Taco and Lime Chicken to get started.  Here’s an idea of what I use for an indoor grill pan.

You’ll need 16 ounces of cooked quinoa and 16 ounces of cooked brown rice.  Cook them both according to package directions.  We cooked extra so we could freeze some and save for future meals.

Roast your veggies.  Note that the cauliflower takes longer to cook, so I recommend putting the cauliflower on it’s own baking sheet.

Here we have french haricot vert green beans, asparagus, and brussels sprouts.  Asparagus only takes 7 minutes to roast so those come out early.

Here is the post-cooked line up.  This is what makes up your “bowls.”  Again, you can ease up the process by choosing 3 or less different types of vegetables.  We cooked 5 different types for diversity and added 1.5 cups worth to each meal.

Brown rice.

Roasted cauliflower.  This is my favorite.  So flavorful!

My Grilled Taco Lime Chicken, cubed.

Roasted asparagus, ready to go.

A bit of charred corn.

Roasted haricot verts.

Ingredients (Makes 8 Meals)

  • 16 ounces cooked quinoa
  • 16 ounces cooked brown rice
  • 4 cups/32 ounces roasted asparagus, chopped
  • 4 cups/32 ounces roasted broccoli florets
  • 4 cups/32 ounces roasted cauliflower florets
  • 32 ounces prepared Grilled Taco Lime Chicken, cubed

Optional (would replace any of the vegetables above)

  • 4 cups haricot verts
  • 4 cups roasted brussel sprouts
  • 4 cups charred corn

Directions:

  1. To prepare your bowls, we used these tupperware containers for all 8 of our bowls. They are 3-cup To Go snack containers. Place 1/4 cup brown rice and 1/4 cup quinoa into each container. Top with a total of 1 1/2 cups of your cooked vegetables. Mix up the type of vegetables for each bowl so you have a variety each day.  Add 4 ounces or 1/2 cup of your cubed chicken. We added salsa or hot sauce to season to our liking after we reheated the bowl in the microwave.  A low fat dressing would work as well.  Store these in the refrigerator and when you are ready microwave until heated through.

Note: To roast vegetables, place them onto a large baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and season with kosher salt and pepper. Cook in oven at 375 degrees until fork tender. Time will vary depending on vegetable.

Makes 8 Meals

Recipe Source: picky-palate.com

 

2. Try these five salads that’ll stay fresh all week.

The shopping list calls for 11 items.

This is just a general guide with lots of room for creativity. Even though you’re making all five salads at one time, you can still make them all a little different with the types of toppings and dressings you use for each one. It’s a great way to save time and money and ensure you’re getting a dose of daily veggies for health and weight loss.

Types of Containers

Where you work and how you get there will determine which container is best for you. BPA-free plastic containers with lids are probably the most popular since they’re lightweight and rugged, making them great if you’re carrying a lot on your commute or if you’re biking or walking to work. They also fit well in lunch boxes with ice packs, which is essential if your office doesn’t offer a fridge or you are on the go and eat lunch wherever you are.

You can also use glass mason jars, which are a must if you’re concerned about eating out of plastic containers. These are fragile, so they’re great if you’re commuting in a car, bus, or train or if you’re walking to work. You just want to make sure these stay upright.

Both containers are fairly inexpensive — less than $1 for the plastic and around $2 for the mason jars — and they’re dishwasher-safe and reusable, so you can feel good about putting less waste in the landfill.

The Art of Packing: Plastic Containers

Choose ones that are flat and rectangular in shape. These not only stack well in your fridge, but they also create more space for the veggies to spread out, preventing sogginess.

1. Start with the greens. To save time, pick up a package of prewashed salad greens. If you’re using greens from your garden or a farmers market, just make sure they’re completely dry before packing. Fill the container about three-quarters full of greens (about two to three cups).

2. Add the veggies, beans, and fruit. Go for carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes (use cherry and keep them whole), peppers, broccoli, chickpeas, kidney beans, corn, peas, or even fruit like grapes or blueberries — whatever your little salad-loving heart desires. Drying off each ingredient with a paper towel will keep them crisper longer.

3. Add protein. For protein sources like marinated tofu, grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, certain types of cheese like cubed cheddar, and cooked (and cooled) whole grains like quinoa or brown rice, add these on top of the first three salads only (Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Wednesday’s). Then on Wednesday night, add protein to Thursday’s and Friday’s containers. Do the same with avocado, nuts and seeds, or very wet fruits like sliced strawberries.

4. Keep dressing separate until the moment you eat your salad. Purchase a couple dip-sized containers. Or if you have an office fridge, keep a bottle of dressing there.

The Art of Packing: Mason Jars

Go for the quart-size jars with wide-mouth lids since these are easier to fill and eat out of. Use this system only if you can keep the jars upright.

  • Start with salad dressing. Since you keep the jar upright, the salad dressing will stay separated from your veggies. This is great if you don’t want to pack a separate container for dressing.
  • Veggies are next. Start with harder veggies like carrots, radishes, onions, and chickpeas that will taste lovely mingling with the dressing. Then go for anything else like bell peppers, chopped cukes, and cherry tomatoes.
  • Layer up the greens. This should take up at least half the jar. As mentioned earlier, go for packaged greens to save time, or if you’re using your own, make sure they’re dry.
  • Protein last. Sprinkle sautéed tofu, marinated tempeh, grilled chicken, or cubed or shredded cheese on top. These will help push the lighter-weight greens down so you add even more to your jar. You can also add avocado, nuts or seeds, and dried fruit.
  • Shake or pour when you’re ready. At lunchtime, you can either shake up the container to distribute the dressing, or if you have the luxury, pour the entire contents into a bowl and mix it up with your fork.
    •  

    Shopping List

     Here’s an example of what to buy for five days of salads:
    • Large container of greens
    • 2 cucumbers
    • 2 to 3 bell peppers
    • 5 medium carrots
    • 1 package cherry tomatoes
    • 1 bag grapes
    • 2 packages tofu
    • 1 can chickpeas
    • Sunflower seeds
    • 2 avocados
    • Bottle of your favorite salad dressing

    Recipe Source: popsugar.com

    3. Re-create the classic Starbucks Protein Bistro Box.

     This one’s been remixed to have even more protein.

    The Skinny:
    Servings: 1 • Size: 1 ‘Box’ • Calories: 361 • Fat: 14.7 g • Carb: 37 g • Fiber: 5.3 g • Protein: 24.4 g • Sugar: 21.4 g • Sodium: 624.4 mg

    Ingredients:
    1/2 Light ‘100 Calorie’ Whole Wheat English Muffin, Toasted
    1/2 Oz. 2% Sharp Cheddar, Sliced
    1 Mini Babybel Light Original Cheese Wedge
    1 Tbsp. PB2 – Peanut Butter 2, Prepared
    1 Small Apple (I used Gala.)
    3/4 C. Grapes (Green or Red)
    1 Whole Large Egg, Hardboiled

    Directions:
    Toss everything in your lunch box and go!

    4. Make some tuna salad sandwiches, and stick ‘em in the freezer.

    Wrap each one in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer until the night before you’re gonna eat them.

    Ingredients:

    4 SERVINGS
    • 10 ounces drain Chunk Light Tuna in Water
    • ¼ cups Homemade Freezable Yogurt in the Slow Cooker
    • ½ teaspoons juice Lemon
    • ¼ cups grate Carrot
    • ¼ teaspoons Dill, Fresh
    • ½ teaspoons chop Parsley, Fresh
    • ¼ teaspoons Salt
    • ¼ teaspoons Dijon Mustard
    • ¼ cups dice Onion, Red
    • ¼ teaspoons Garlic Powder
    • ½ teaspoons Honey
    • 4 individual Provolone Cheese, Sliced
    • 4 individual Sandwich Thin, Whole Wheat

    Freezer Containers

    • 1 Gallon Freezer Bag – 

    Supplies

    • Plastic Wraps

    Directions

    In a large bowl combine tuna, yogurt, lemon juice, carrots, dill, parsley, salt, dijon mustard, red onion, garlic powder and honey. Divide tuna mixture over the bottom portion of indicated number of sandwich thins. Top each with one slice of provolone cheese, followed by top bun.

    In a large bowl combine tuna, yogurt, lemon juice, carrots, dill, parsley, salt, dijon mustard, red onion, garlic powder and honey. Divide tuna mixture over the bottom portion of indicated number of sandwich thins. Top each with one slice of provolone cheese, followed by top bun. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap, then divide between indicated number of gallon freezer bags. Label and freeze.

    Serving Day Directions

    Unwrap from plastic wrap and enjoy.

    FDA Approves 1st Direct-to-Customer Genetic Risk Tests

    By 2 Comments

    Image result for 23 and me

    Unlocking the marvelous world of genetics has made a huge difference in our lives. Over a decade ago, DNA evidence began to find its way into hundreds of court cases. Eye witness accounts have been proven to be inaccurate and has led to the wrongful conviction of innocent people.

    In today’s courts, jurors want to know about DNA evidence, as it doesn’t lie, except in the case of identical twins, triplets, quads and quintuplets. People are often amazed at where forensic experts find DNA left behind by a criminal. It can be found on the back of a licked stamp or envelope flap, the brim of a cup and even from outside of a cigarette butt.

    As scientists learned more about the human genome and began detailed sequencing, they learned to identify some mutations that either cause a health condition or leaves someone more susceptible to developing other medical and health-related conditions.

    A prime example that’s been in the news lately was the discovery of the BRCA1 & BRCA2 genes that can greatly increase a women’s chance of developing breast cancer. Actress Angelina Jolie who after testing for the mutations, decided to have both of her then healthy breasts removed to reduce her chance of getting breast cancer. Afterwards, Jolie and other women go through a series of breast reconstruction surgeries.

    Up until now, the tests have been performed by specialists and can be quite costly, but that is about to change.

    Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first direct-to-customer genetic health risk tests. The new tests are known as 23andMe Personal Genome Service Genetic Health Risk tests and the company behind them is 23andMe Inc. They will test for 10 diseases and conditions:

    • Parkinson’s disease;
    • Alzheimer’s disease (late onset);
    • Celiac disease;
    • Antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1), a disorder that raises the risk of lung and liver disease;
    • Primary dystonia (early onset), a movement disorder involving involuntary muscle contractions and other uncontrolled movements;
    • Factor XI deficiency, a blood clotting disorder;
    • Gaucher disease (type 1), an organ and tissue disorder;
    • Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency; a red blood cell condition;
    • Hemochromatosis (hereditary), an iron overload disorder;
    • Thrombophilia (hereditary); a blood clot disorder.

    The company and FDA have worked together to ensure that the tests will be as reliable and accurate as possible. However, with their approval, the FDA warned that it’s still possible to get a false positive test result.

    Dr. Jeffrey Sihuren, Director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health commented about the tests, saying:

    “Consumers can now have direct access to certain genetic risk information, but it is important that people understand that genetic risk is just one piece of the bigger puzzle, it does not mean they will or won’t ultimately develop a disease.”

    In other words, don’t do anything radical as a result of test results without getting a second opinion to either verify the test result or indicate the result may have been a false positive. It’s also important to remember that testing positive for a genetic trait does not mean you have the condition or disease. They may only mean that your chances of developing may be greater than normal, but they may not saying that you do have the condition. That’s why it’s important use them only as a stepping stone to further medical testing or evaluation.

    Solar Powered Synthetic Skin for Prosthetics

    By 3 Comments

    One of the tragic signs of today’s decadent and perverse world is an increase in the number of people who have lost a hand, arm, foot or leg. They lose them in various industrial accidents, auto accidents, diseases, during warfare and as a result of terrorism. Roadside bombs blow off legs and arms. Terrorist bombs often accomplish the same thing. A growing number of terrorists are now using vehicles as their weapons of choice, running into crowds of people and blowing up outside crowded buildings.

    Many years ago, only a fraction of these amputees would survive and those that did, went through life with their missing limb or limbs. One of my dad’s uncles was born and raised on a farm in central Illinois in the early 1900’s. In his teen years, his left arm became entangled in a piece of farm equipment, severing it just above his elbow. In those days, there really wasn’t any prosthetic arms and Uncle Rollie had to learn how to work and run a farm with only one hand and arm. It was hard but he had no choice. He even learned to hunt using only one arm to fire his shotgun. I went hunting with him several times when I was a kid and I never saw him miss a rabbit or pheasant. I always wondered what he could have accomplish had he had both arms.

    After high school, one of the guys I knew in school, Bob, was drafted into the Marine Corps, sent to Vietnam and lost his right leg in a mortar attack by the enemy. The last I knew, he was still getting around on crutches and by hopping on his one leg.

    A friend of ours at our home church, Ray, had injured a knee and had to have it replaced. After several unsuccessful knee replacements, he ended up having his leg amputated above the knee. After it healed, he was fitted with a prosthetic leg. While he was able to walk, play basketball, ride a bicycle and more, his prosthetic leg still had limitations.

    Amputees like Uncle Rollie, Bob and Ray and the thousands of others may have a new hope in better prosthetics in the near future. Imagine an amputee today getting a prosthetic that externally feels and looks like real skin, that can feel and even power itself.

    According to a new report on the work of Ravinder Dahiya, that may soon be a reality:

    “For years Ravinder Dahiya has been developing thin and flexible electronics, the kind that could be used for synthetic skin, and for years the material scientist has wrestled with various obstacles. These include making sensors that are small enough and electronics that can bend enough, not to mention how such things could be powered. His team is now reporting a breakthrough in which it has integrated solar cells into a graphene-based electronic skin, raising the possibility of prosthetic limbs that are both sensitive to touch and entirely self-powered.”

    ‘Electrically conductive, just a single atom thick and stronger than steel, graphene has all sorts of advantages. But it hasn’t always been so cheap. Back in 2015 Dahiya, who works at the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering, discovered a method of production that made graphene around 100 times cheaper than before. This was good news for any scientist working with graphene and its myriad applications, whether flexible displays for phones or medical patches for drug delivery. But for Dahiya, it made using the material as the basis for synthetic skin a whole lot more feasible…”

    “For years, scientists have been trying to recreate the complex neural systems that enable human skin to sense touch by building pressure sensors into various materials. We have seen piezoelectric transistors incorporated into synthetic skins making them sensitive enough to read fingerprints, other approaches that use multipurpose sensors to detect temperature and humidity in addition to pressure, and others that use pressure-sensitive materials made from inorganic semiconductors to only use a small amount of power. The issue with them all is that they need to be powered.”

    “For their latest project, Dahiya and his team used single-layer graphene with a transparent polymeric protective layer on top, which is also pressure sensitive and enables the skin to detect minimum pressures of 0.11 kPa. Conveniently, graphene itself happens to be highly transparent and allows 98 percent of the light that hits its surface to pass through. Dahiya’s team took advantage of this by placing a power-generating photovoltaic cell underneath, which provides it with the 20 nanowatts of power per square centimeter that the tactile skin needs to operate.”

    Dahiya’s invention holds out a lot of new hope for the many wounded military returning from the Middle East, as well as victims of traffic accidents and more. It’s possible, his innovation could offer new hope for people born without an arm or leg. Imagine giving a child born without an arm or hand, the ability to not only use a prosthetic hand, but to feel what it touches.

    About Us

    MORNING HEALTH

    1808 W 103rd Street Chicago, IL 60643 Email: [email protected] Phone: