SuperFoods-> Walnuts

People have a predictable response when they learn that nuts are a SuperFood. Most say, “I can’t eat nuts: they’re too fattening. I can’t even have nuts in the house. If they are around, I eat them.” These responses are understandable; nuts are just plain delicious.

Certainly nuts are high in calories, but they have extraordinary health benefits and are an important addition to your diet. And we’ll give you some tips on how to enjoy them judiciously so you won’t get fat. First a simple fact: Eating a handful of nuts about five times a week will reduce your chances of getting a heart attack by at least 15 percent and possibly as much as 51 percent. That’s how powerful nuts are.

As a new nutritional era emerges that moves well beyond macronutrients like fat and protein and into the exciting world of phytonutrients, nutritionists are rediscovering these little nutrition powerhouses. We can safely say that nuts will play an important role in maximizing the human health span during this century.

It’s a simple if astounding fact: people who eat nuts regularly can enjoy a significant reduction in their risk of developing coronary heart disease. They’ll also reduce their risk of diabetes, cancer, and a host of other chronic ailments.

There was great excitement in the press very recently when researchers from Harvard studied more than 83,000 women and found that those who reported eating a handful of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter at least five times a week were more than 20 percent less likely to develop adult onset (type II) diabetes than those who rarely or never ate nuts. Type II diabetes develops when the body cannot properly use insulin. The women had been followed for up to sixteen years. The speculation is that the results apply to men as well as women. It’s not only the “good” fat in the nuts that work on heart health. The fiber and magnesium in nuts help maintain balanced insulin and glucose levels.

While the evidence supporting nuts’ contribution to heart health and diabetes prevention is impressive, we must remember that nuts, like every other SuperFood, don’t just target a few isolated systems in our bodies. Indeed, they’re categorized as SuperFoods because of their amazingly powerful effect on our overall health. Fiber: Nuts are a rich source of dietary fiber. In one study, a lo-gram-a day increase in dietary fiber resulted in a 19 percent decrease in coronary heart disease risk. One ounce of peanuts or mixed nuts provides about 2l/2 grams of fiber—a good contribution to overall daily fiber consumption.

Vitamin E: Most of us don’t get nearly enough vitamin E in our daily diets, and nuts and seeds are a rich source of this nutrient. One of the components of vitamin E—gamma Tocopherol—has powerful anti-inflammatory proper¬ties.

Watercolor Art

Did you know that you can scan a picture into the computer, print* it out on a laser** printer then paint it? Yup, you sure can! We painted our pictures with watercolor paints.

Work in progress:



The finished results:



The finished projects look like they were done by professional painters! Excellent job ladies, we will definitely do this again! * print on card stock
**pictures MUST be printed on a laser printer - using an inkjet will cause the ink to bleed when it gets wet.

SuperFoods -> Turkey

At last! Turkey receives its just recognition. Passed over as the official national bird in favor of the eagle (despite Ben Franklin’s enthusiastic support), the turkey is too often relegated to a once-a-year meal. Ignored and virtually invisible eleven months of the year, it’s been a quiet few hundred years for the poor bird. Turkey is a SuperFood. Highly nutritious, low in fat, inexpensive, versatile, and always available, the turkey has finally come into its own. When you discover all of turkey’s terrific nutritious benefits, it will surely become part of your regular diet.

Skinless turkey breast is one of, if not the leanest meat protein sources on the planet. This alone could make it a SuperFood: but turkey also offers a rich array of nutrients, particularly niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc. These nutrients are heart-healthy and are also valuable in helping to lower the risk for cancer.

Lily the Bear - Cam

Let's try this again. Lily is back! The page loads slowly so please be patient, it's worth the wait! CLICK HERE TO SEE LILY & HER BABY

Fasnacht Day 2013!

Fasnacht, sometimes spelled Fastnacht or Faschnacht or Fosnot or Fosnaught is an English name for a fried doughnut served traditionally in the days of Carnival / Fastnacht or on (Shrove Tuesday), the day before Lent starts. Fasnachts were made as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter, which were traditionally fasted from during Lent.

The Pennsylvania Dutch in the area surrounding Lancaster, Pennsylvania celebrate Fastnacht as well. Most chain supermarkets in eastern Pennsylvania offer fasnachts, although WalMart offers Pączki instead. The pączki is traditionally eaten in Poland on the Thursday prior to Fasnacht Day, although in Polish communities of the US, the tradition is more commonly celebrated on Fasnacht Day. Commonly pączki are round, rather than having straight sides, and they are filled with jelly, or sometimes creme filling. (SOURCE HERE)

Sue & I made over 250 fasnacht's from scratch! Here's proof:


The reason for the great success, excellent marketing:


Thank you Mark & Chad for your advertising skills and to all the residents who purchased Fasnachts!!!

SuperFoods -> Tomatoes

Many people feel certain that there’s going to be bad news along with the good news when they learn that the tomato is a SuperFood. Of course, they like tomatoes, they think, but in many locations tomatoes are only tasty for a couple of months each year. Well, there’s good news and more good news about tomatoes. Not only do they pack a nutritional wallop, but you can enjoy their benefits all year long. That’s because their power is available in processed tomatoes. The spaghetti sauce and taco sauce that you love, along with that slice of pizza and even, yes, ketchup and barbeque sauce, all have the power of tomatoes. So, no matter where you live, it’s easy to get more tomatoes into your diet and begin to enjoy their considerable benefits.

The tomato—a critical ingredient in some of our favorite foods, including pizza and lasagna—has had a checkered past. Once scorned as a sinister and poisonous food (one Latin name, lycopersicon or “wolf peach,” refers to the belief that tomatoes were like a wolf—dangerous). It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century that tomatoes became popular. Originally grown and enjoyed by the Aztecs in Mexico, tomatoes were imported to Europe by Spanish missionaries. Viewed as a dangerous food by all but the Italians and Spanish, it took years for tomatoes to lose their unsavory reputation.

There was some basis for the original skepticism that clung to tomatoes: their leaves do contain toxic alkaloids. Embraced by Americans by the end of the nineteenth century, tomatoes have gone on to become one of our most popular vegetables and now are recognized as one of our favorite SuperFoods.

It should be noted that tomatoes are not really vegetables. Botanically classified as a fruit, they are the seed-bearing portions of a flowering plant. However, in 1893, a case came before the Supreme Court of the United States relating to shipping tariffs on tomatoes. Should farmers pay fruit or vegetable rates on them? The Court came down on the side of vegetables, and so vegetables they became.

In addition to being cancer-protective, there’s ample evidence that tomatoes also play a role in reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease. The antioxidant function of lycopene, combined with the other powerful antioxidants in tomatoes such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, work in the body to neutralize free radicals that could otherwise damage cells and cell membranes. This preservation of cells and their membranes reduces the potential for inflammation and thereby the progression and severity of atherosclerosis. In one study, German scientists compared the lycopene levels in the tissues of men who had suffered heart attacks with those of men who had not. The men who had suffered attacks had lower lycopene levels than those who hadn’t. Interestingly, the men with the lowest levels of lycopene were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as those with the highest levels.

In another large European study that compared carotenoid levels among patients from ten different countries, lycopene was found to be the most protective against heart attack.

Tomatoes are also a good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate—a great heart-healthy combination of nutrients. Potassium-rich foods play a positive role in cardiovascular health, being especially effective in helping to achieve optimal blood pressure. Niacin is commonly used to lower elevated blood cholesterol levels. The combination of vitamin B6 and folate effectively reduces levels of homocysteine in the blood. Elevated levels of homocysteine are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Beginners Class ->Mouse-ercises

1. CLICK HERE FOR MOUSE PRACTICE EXERCISE

2. CLICK FOR HERE FOR MOUSE PRACTICE EXERCISE

SuperFoods -> Tea

How about a SuperFood that’s cheap, has no calories, is associated with relaxation and pleasure, tastes good, and is available everywhere, from the finest restaurants to the local diner? And how about if that food lowered blood pressure, helped prevent cancer and osteoporosis, lowered your risk for stroke, promoted heart health, played a probable role in preventing sunlight damage to the skin (such as wrinkles and skin cancer), and contributed to your daily fluid needs? Tea is all that. If you’re not sipping orange pekoe at the office, gulping refreshing brewed iced green tea on the tennis court, or enjoying some Earl Grey after dinner, you’re missing an opportunity to improve your health and longevity with tea, the world’s most popular SuperFood.

According to legend, the discovery of tea occurred quite by accident in 2700 B.C. in the reign of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. As the emperor rested beneath a shade tree, a servant boiled some drinking water nearby. A breeze came up and blew some leaves from a nearby wild tea tree into the pot. The emperor, impatient to drink, sipped the water and was delighted with the taste. Thus was born a drink that is, after water, the most popular drink in the world. There air mine than 3,000 varieties of tea available around the world, and it’s a beverage that, because of its complexity and variety, attracts both connoisseurs and ceremony. From the British institution of tea time to formal Japanese tea ceremonies, no other beverage, save perhaps wine, inspires such ritual and debate.

While the savoring of tea’s culinary attractions is an ancient pastime, the health-promoting properties of the beverage have recently drawn wide attention. Interest in the medicinal properties of tea has ebbed and flowed over the centuries, but it hasn’t been until recently that research has confirmed ancient suspicions: tea—the simple, common beverage—is a healthy drink.

Tea seems to have a positive effect on your dental health. Drinking tea lowers your risk of developing cavities as well as gum disease. One study found that tea may reduce cavity formation by up to 75 percent. This happens for a number of reasons. The fluoride content of the tea inhibits cavities from developing. Tea also seems to inhibit bacteria from adhering to tooth surfaces, while it also inhibits the rate of acid production of oral bacteria.

Both men and women can improve bone health by drinking tea. Studies that focused on the risk of hip fracture found that habitual tea consumption. especially when maintained for more than ten years, has been shown to have a significant benefit to bone-mineral density. This seems to be due to the fact that some of the flavonoids in tea have phytoestrogen activity, which benefits bone health. Moreover, some tea extracts seem to inhibit bone resorption.

One recent study found that oolong tea is successful in treating atopic dermatitis; this is no doubt due in part to the anti-allergic properties of tea. This benefit was noticed after one or two weeks of drinking tea. In this study, a ‘/s-ounce tea bag that steeped for five minutes in just over four cups of boiling water was consumed in three parts, one with each meal.

February 2013 Schedule

Tues. February 5
CLOSED – I’ll be teaching a class to other Facilitators on how to setup a BLOG! I should be here at some point in the afternoon, stop by to see how the class went!

Weds. February 6
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 Home Users Club – Meet in the Community Room.
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. February 7
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:30 T’s, Totes & Aprons! Sign-up sheet on bulletin board.
2:30-4:45 Open Lab

Tues. February 12
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. February 13
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 English As A Second Language
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. February 14
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 Fun with Keyboarding – Learn the keyboard using thought-provoking exercises. Not only is this class helpful for your typing skills, it gets your brain going AND we have a lot of fun!
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Tues. February 19
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. February 20
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-3:00 Watercolor Art – details below
3:00-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. February 21
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
2:00 Monthly Birthday Party – Meet in the Community Room.
3:15-4:45 Literati Challenge! – Sign-up sheet on bulletin board.

Tues. February 26
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. February 27
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 Newsletter/Bulletin Board Class – sign-up sheet on bulletin board
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. February 28
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
2:00 Travel Day Party – details in newsletter

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Need a FREE greeting card? The Computer Learning Center has tons of cards to choose from: birthday, sympathy, get-well, thank you and various holidays. Stop by any time we’re open to look through the cards!
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Watercolor Art
Let’s try our hand at painting with watercolors! No artistic experience required!
On Wednesday, February 20th at 1:15 bring your favorite picture of a loved one, landscape, scenery, animal, etc. to the Computer Learning Center. We’ll scan your picture, print it out in black & white, then head to the Community Room to paint.
Your original picture will remain as-is, it will NOT be changed in anyway.
Sign-up sheet on the bulletin board outside of the Computer Learning Center along with a sample of this project.