Attention Diet Soda Drinkers!

As some of you know, I'm currently at the 2011 Nursing Symposium in Nashville, TN.  I was at a lecture on strokes in women and thought you might find this new tidbit interesting.  If you drink diet soda, you are 48% more likely to suffer from a stroke.  Now for all of you who are going to ask what half of the nurses in the audience asked immediately, here are some facts about the study:

Says who:  Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
How big was the study:  2,564 people
When was it done:  It was a 9 year research project, with findings reported in 2011
Are there any other studies that confirm this:  No, but they're working on it

Of the 2,564 people in this study, 559 vascular events occurred.  You can read the article yourself, but the researcher does say they did not expect this outcome.  I'm sure once another trial comes out to confirm this stat to give it some more uumpph that more publicity will follow.  But I'm sure Pepsi and Coke will pay a lot of money to make sure that doesn't happen! 

Can Diet Soda Boost Your Stroke Risk?

So for those of you that drink diet soda daily, every other day, multiple times a day, etc ... please stop!  Also, have you checked out the ingredient list?  Woooowweee, try and pronounce some of that stuff!  It's not natural by any means.  It contains aspartame (a neurotoxin) which is why it tastes so sweet, but one of its side effects (among 12,938,179,283 others) is increased hunger.  And to reference a previous article that was Kleblogged, "take out the sugar and add in carcinogenic artificial sweeteners, combined with the artificial flavors and colors that are in all sodas, and you have a recipe for Tumor in a Can."

If you're interested, here are more places you can go with information on aspartame:

http://www.dorway.com Experts on Aspartame, government records, UPI and CDC investigations, books by physicians, protest of National Soft Drink Assn, Class Action, support groups, etc.

http://www.sunsentpress.com Books by H. J. Roberts, M.D. including Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, medical text on global plague

http://www.ana-jana.org Russell Blaylock, M.D., neurosurgeon, book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills on aspartame and MSG and his new book on how to get well, Health & Nutrition Secrets To Save Your Life.

(taken from: http://www.life-enthusiast.com/news/s_aspartame2.htm)

Lost in Translation?

these chips are really good = buy 15 bags if you want more in two days.

did you brush your teeth today? = even if you did, go floss, brush, and mouthwash because your breath is unbearable.

we're almost out of shampoo = we're out.  go buy more if you want to shower today.

wow, that shirt is tight = you either look fat or slutty.  put on something else.

i don't know where ______ goes = put this away for me.  i don't care where it goes, i'll just ask again next time i use it.

whose turn is it to do dishes? = it's your turn.

wow, you wear that shirt a lot = i would die happy if i never saw that shirt again

Greener Grass

John and I got ice cream with another couple the other day (Jarlings - cold fudge sundae with bananas, swisshhh) and we got to talking about something interesting.  One of them brought up all the advertisements that we see on a daily basis.  And I thought to myself that I would like to count all of the ads one day.  Well no way to that, because the average person sees 3,000 ads per day! 

That made me think of what my life would be like if we lived like the Amish, or like people did in 1800s.  Without all the ads, products, technology, and hype.  I'm not saying all technology is bad.  We are able to do so many amazing things in every walk of life with all the technological advances... but how much is too much?

For example, my alarm on my Smartphone rings to wake me up from my Sleep Number bed and I turn on my light.  While laying in bed, I wake up by looking at the weather, news, and email from my phone.  I then go to the kitchen to fire up my coffee maker.  I go to the bathroom and use my Norwex toothbrush, fluoride-free toothpaste, body cloth, and lotion after my shower.  I turn on my hair straightener and blow dryer.  While I am getting ready, I turn on my flat screen TV, blu-ray player and stream Pandora on my TV.  I make breakfast with all the food I bought from the grocery store (with the exception of my eggs John's mom gets from the Amish!)  I hop in my car (that I always pray gets me safely to work!) and turn on an audiobook.  That's just the first hour of my day!

It just makes me think, what if it was 1891 and I woke up to the sun rising, splashed my face with water from a basin in my dry sink, and threw on a dress and got to work making breakfast from scratch for the next hour or two?

Living with John in our own house we have seen all the little things that are part of maintaining a home.  When my parents were younger, they were taught how to do a lot of things for themselves.  My dad knows basic carpentry stuff, proper car maintenance, and how to take care of basic home repairs.  I realize that my generation isn't being taught that stuff.  We got to college to get a good job to have enough money to pay someone else to do all that stuff for us.

It's just interesting to see how society has changed throughout the years ... I am hesitant to use the word 'evolve' because I'm not quite sure if we are.  Sure, we can buy big black cars, tanning memberships, houses behind gates, dinner at different restaurants every night, and $300 shoes and handbags.  And we didn't need sleeping pills at night because we were tired from working with our hands all day and don't stay up watching infomercials until 2am.  But, that's the American dream .. right?

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think .. what's it all for?  So we can live comfortably.  But.. what about when you get there and you are comfortable?  Do you keep working hard constantly so you can never enjoy it?  With all the pressure to keep being successful and constantly achieve more, I wonder where the next generation will lead us.  I'm scared where my generation will. 

I guess the grass is always greener.  But man, this grass looks pretty green..

15 Unhealthy Foods That You Think Are Healthy But Are Actually Killing You Slowly

This is an article I read recently that I thought was interesting and contained a lot of truth.  Just wanted to share it with you - enjoy!

15 Unhealthy Foods That You Think Are Healthy But Are Actually Killing You Slowly  

by Steven Hanson

---

There are many terms that are misleading in the food advertising industry today. Think of how many times you see the following phrases plastered all over food containers:

* Fat Free
* Reduced Fat
* Low Fat
* Sugar Free
* No Added Sugar
* Diet [Insert Product Name Here] 

Let us examine some examples of nasty food that is supposed to be healthy:

1.  Diet Soda
Why is it good? A sugar free version of the popular carbonated beverage that you can drink on the go.
Why is it bad? OK, so soda is horrible for you, but take out the sugar and add in carcinogenic artificial sweeteners, combined with the artificial flavors and colors that are in all sodas, and you have a recipe for Tumor in a Can. Then of course we have the caffeine factor, which is linked to hyperactivity, high blood pressure, and can mess with your blood sugar.
Instead choose: filtered water and the occasional glass of milk or goats milk

2. Sushi made with white rice and imitation crab meat or vegetables
Why is it good? Seaweed contains essential nutrients such as selenium, calcium, iodine, and omega-3 fats. Sushi is nearly always wrapped in seaweed.
Why is it bad? This garbage does not deserve to be called sushi. They are just small, compact, high glycemic, high calorie, carbohydrate nuggets. There is not even much protein in these things. Eat 3-4 of them and you've had your serving for the day. Aside from that, imitation crab meat is not even good for you. It is mostly just a crab flavored tofu-like substance fortified with sugar, sugar, and more sugar.
Instead choose: In order to get some healthy carbs, some high-quality protein, and the benefits of omega-3 fats, choose real sushi made with salmon or tuna. To make it even healthier, order sashimi instead of white rice.


3. Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
Why is it good? All peanut butter provides a heart-healthy substantial quantity of monounsaturated fat.
Why is it bad? Most commercial peanut butters are made with the same type of sugar that cake frosting is made with. Reducing the fat makes it even worse because even MORE nasty sugar is added and they contain less healthy fat. I would rather just eat the extra calories.
Instead choose: Choose almonds or all natural organic peanut butter instead. Just remember to pour off the top layer of oil and replace it with olive oil if the resulting peanut brick is too stiff. Olive oil is very low in omega-6 fats.


4. Fat-Free or Reduced Fat Salad Dressing
Why is it good? Less fat means less calories. Plus that salad dressing fat is lard just like mayo and Crisco. Sick.
Why is it bad? Firstly because when fat comes out, sugar goes in. Either that or artificial flavors and sweeteners. Secondly, since many vegetables are fat soluble, taking away the fat from the dressing means fewer of the salad nutrients will be absorbed into your body. This was confirmed by a study at Ohio State University wherein a higher fat salad dressing resulted in an increased uptake of the antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene.
Instead choose: A salad dressing made with olive oil, or just use olive oil and vinegar as your salad dressing. If you try it you might like it.


5. Anything made with Soy
Why is it good? It's not. But in the spirit of argument: vegetarians and vegans eat the stuff so they can get protein in their diets. Yay ::sarcasm:: Plus the stuff is apparently low in fat and an alternative to whey for the lactose intolerant.
Why is it bad? Straight up, soy is linked to lower testosterone and increased estrogen in males, and is also linked to increased breast cancer in women. Soy also promotes hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and infertility. Soy is extremely destructive to infants, as it can effect development in many adverse ways.
Instead choose: any high protein whole food such as brown rice, goats milk, coconut milk, almond milk, whole grains, nuts, seaweeds, seeds, beans, and lentils. As a side note, goats milk is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet today, so give it a try.


6. Fruit Juice, Dried Fruit, and Fruit Cocktail
Why is it good? Well because fruit is good for you. It has a ton of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; not to mention fiber.
What is it bad? Fruit juice and fruit cocktail normally have sugar added. Some fruit cocktails come in a thick sugary syrup. You get no fiber from fruit juice, and the stuff usually has preservatives added to it.
Instead choose: eat the whole fruit including the skin if possible, but limit it to one serving of fruit per meal/snack to avoid insulin spikes. If you must have fruit cocktail, choose one that comes packed in its own juices instead of syrup.


7. Smartfood (Cheesy Popcorn)
Why is it good? Because cheesy popcorn is oh so tasty.
Why is it bad? Because you are really just eating the popcorn equivalent of potato chips. Seriously, compare total calories and you will find that you are not saving much on the calorie front by eating Smartfood instead of chips.
Instead choose: get some spray butter, pop some plain popcorn, spray a light coat of spray butter on the popped corn, sprinkle various spices on the corn (but go easy on the salts), and shake it up in a bad. Now you have a low fat tasty treat.


8. Beans packed in sugary syrups such as Boston Baked Beans
Why is it good? Baked beans are good for you because these types of beans are loaded with fiber
Why is it bad? The sugary syrup, just as much as in a can of soda, is just going to spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. This is never good for preventing heart disease or type II onset diabetes.
Instead choose: Red kidney beans. These things are packed with protein and fiber, and can be mixed with any sort of salad or pasta. Sometimes I enjoy kidney beans straight out of the can; no cooking, just wash and chow.


9-15. Granola, White Pasta, Pasta Salad, English Muffins, Bagels, Croutons, and Pretzels
Why is it good? Granola has some fiber, pasta salad has some vegetables, croutons make our salad crunchy, English muffins are one step up from bagels, and pretzels are a quick low-fat snack.
Why is it bad? One word: carbohydrates. All of these foods are made with corn syrup and/or processed white flour. These foods will spike your blood sugar faster than Bruce Lee could have kicked you in the face. You also will not get much nutrition in the way of protein, fiber, vitamins, or minerals from any of these foods.
Instead choose: 100% whole grain or whole wheat pasta and English muffins for increased fiber and protein. Egg salad because, like it or not, eggs are good for you and are high in protein. Almond slices are high in omega-3 fats and are crunchy like croutons. Substitute healthy nuts for white starches whenever you can and you too can receive a 30% less chance of heart disease.

If you're a nurse, you'll appreciate this..

Patient name:  Wiley Joe                        93M                        Height:  5’4”  Weight:  150 kg

PAL ADMIT

Full Code with 4 different HCPOA’s in 4 different states

Hx:  CAD, CHF, COPD, CVA x 6, HTN, DM (insulin dependent), anxiety, insomnia, ulcerative colitis, chronic back pain, morbid obesity, fecal incontinence, multiple impactions, right BKA, neuropathy, sleep apnea (refuses CPAP), smoking “in remission,” former cocaine user

Isolation:  contact for C. diff

Allergies: morphine, hydromorphone, toradol, phenergan, pt stated “I am allergic to all pain med stuff except for Versed, nubain, and dilaudid”

This admission:  pt came into ED one week ago with left foot pain, rating 3/10.  Once in the ED, pt stated he was having mild chest pain, rating 4/10.  EKG, cardiac enzymes, cardiac cath, TEE completed.  Pt consulted for an 18 vessel CABG.   Scheduled for tomorrow.  TEE revealed significant vegetation on mitral valve, will now need MVR.   Despite 6 past CVAs, pt is not on ASA or any other blood thinning regimen. 

IV:  #22 in left hand, due today.  Extremely hard stick, took 14 SICU nurses with Doppler to place.  MD refuses PICC line placement.

O2:  10L – dyspnea with exertion (exertion defined as position changes in bed)

Diet:  Regular (for dinner had 4 Pepsi’s, 2 orders of chicken strips, 3 cookies, and family brought in 2 double cheeseburgers.  Blood sugar 616, refused insulin because he “doesn’t like shots”)

Accuchecks:  AC/HS + 0300 (pt does not eat at meal times because he “doesn’t do that at home”)

Dressings:  multiple sores on lower leg and back/buttocks, all which need to be dressed with gauze q4hrs due to copious drainage from all sites

Orders:  surgical prep (clipper prep, hibaclens), turn q1hrs per pt request, under no circumstances do NOT insert foley d/t risk of infection (pt cannot hold urinal for self), 80 mg IV lasix, merrum q 4 hrs, start heparin drip, start another IV, keep wounds dry, ambulate TID (use lift and 3 nurses while walking in hall with walker), notify if SBP is greater than 140 (no PRN BP meds available). 

10 Things Men Hate..

1.  Bobby pins, because every single day for the rest of his life, he will see at least one on the floor
2.  Make up on the bathroom counter
3.  Making the bed, because "we're just going to sleep in it again tonight, right?"
4.  "Headaches"
5.  Rinsing off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher
6.  Folding fitted sheets - that initial look of utter confusion is priceless
7.  Figuring out where to put that freakin straighter because you left it out so it would cool and now you're at work and he doesn't know what to do with it or where it goes
8. When you turn on the hair dryer when he's trying to watch TV
9.  Finding the right lid for the right tupperware container
10. When you turn on the TV when they're trying to sleep and laugh pretty loud.  But not on purpose.


It's interesting what you learn during your first year of marriage ...

Weddingness

I have recently had some friends get engaged and some that are getting married rather soon.  I've had a lot of people ask the same few questions.  What would you do differently?  Would you change anything?  What vendors do you recommend? 

Here are my answers!

What would I do differently:

The main thing that I would change would have been to get a videographer.  One of my friends, Stacia, got married the year before I did and recommended it and I should have listened.   It is rather expensive (usually about $1,500), but it is worth it.  As a bride, you don't think about the stuff you plan for but don't get to see.  You don't see your soon-to-be husband walk your mother down the aisle, or your bridal party walk back down the aisle, or hear the music for guests or parents walking in.  We also had a friend sing at the reception, and John sang as well and I wish that I could have that on video to hear again. 

I also would have made sure that my DVD of my slideshow was tested prior to the reception.  It didn't work and I spent so much time on it.  It was a little heartbreaking for John and I because we know all of those people will never be in the same room again and we tailored the pictures to who was there and worked pretty hard on it.

Another thing I would have changed was that I would have made sure that my haircut prior to the wedding (the one 2-3 months before) was done by my hair dresser.  There was a booking issue and I couldn't get in to see my hair dresser for weeks, so I let someone else cut my hair because I was just getting a trim.  Well she cut WAY too much and I hated my hair.  I was stressed about it before the wedding, but my regular hairdresser (Katie Garrett from Timothy John's in Urbana) was awesome and worked with me until we figured out something that I loved.

Recommended Vendors

1.  Photographers:  Beyond the Well Weddings, they're a young couple that does awesome, classy pictures but are artistic as well.  Definitely reasonable prices, they dress appropriately, and are just overall good people. 
2.  Reception Sites:  Alice Campbell Alumni Center, iHotel, Memorial Stadium
3.  Florists:  Blossom Basket, they were slightly more expensive but have really high quality flowers, a really affordable delivery price, and are easy to work with. 
4.  Cake:  Unfortunately, the lady that did our cake worked at the IGA at Roundbarn, but it closed down and I have no idea where she went.  I know her name was Lori, but that's about it.  She did great, the cake was great.  We went with cupcakes, which end up costing half the price of regular cake. 

Words of Advice

1.  Make sure you have someone in charge of the day.  Stacia was in charge of my day and she was absolutely amazing.  I would have been stressed to the max if she wasn't there.  If people have questions, need to know where to go, or if you need someone to fluff your dress, they are there to do that.
2.  Make sure you go the extra mile for your wedding party.  You picked those people to stand with you for a reason, and they do a lot for you on your wedding day and its important that they feel appreciated and loved.  John and I wrote letters to all of our bridal party and gave that to them with their gifts at the rehearsal dinner.  I think they really appreciated it.  It costs a lot to be in a wedding, so anything you can do as the bride and groom to show them your appreciation will let them know how much you love and care about them.
3.  Have as much done ahead of time so that your bridal party doesn't spend the whole day working and not enjoying the day with you.  If you make them responsible for setting up/taking down a lot of stuff, or transporting things, or other things, they are busy doing that rather than having fun with you and the guests.  So if that means paying extra money to have the florist set stuff up, or the cater put up the centerpieces, do it.  You'll be less stressed and your bridal party will be thankful.
4.  Skip the receiving line.  Those take forever.  Eat first at the reception and then make sure to go around and see everyone while they're eating.
5.  Do as much as you can beforehand to make it so you have the wedding day to enjoy.  It shouldn't be a stressful day with a long check list.
6.  If you do need your bridal party to do a few things, make a list and give a few people specific jobs so that a few people don't get stuck doing everything.  As much as we love groomsmen, they don't always remember to help the mother of the bride bring the gifts to her car, or help get the flowers to the reception site.  Ladies typically remember that stuff and you wouldn't want your ladies that spend $150 on a dress, $50 on hair, and $70 on shoes to get sweaty making 10 trips back and forth to the car with random wedding stuff.  Delegate specific things so everyone does a little something. 
7.  If you're looking at a long engagement, get the big things done right away and forget about it and enjoy your engagement for while.  Book the reception site, church, and get the dress and forget about it.
8.  Decide on a guest list number FIRST, then start making the list.  It's easy to add names, it's difficult to take names off.  So if you tell your groom that he can invite 100 and you can invite 100 (including family and wedding party), it's a lot easier.  If you make the list of names first, it's difficult to take people off without insulting someone or hurting feelings. 
9.  Stay organized with addresses, guest lists, and thank you notes.  I think some people did not get thank you notes from us because I was not as organized as I should have been.  I feel so bad about that.  I should have been better organized with who I sent the notes to, who gave what, etc. 

I hope you found my wedding advice helpful.  I learned a lot from planning a wedding.  I am also extremely happy that I never have to do it again.  It's a lot of work, but it truly is the best day of your life.

Kleber Updates

Hello all!  It's been a while since an update, so here is what is going on in our lives!

Parkland just finished its season.  They went to the NJCAA Nationals for the first time in years!  Congrats Cobras!  Nationals was held in Danville (...whaaatt?) and they placed 11th in the nation.  I thought it was crazy that teams came from New York, Ohio, Arizona, etc to come to Danville, IL of all places.  But the team played well.  They lost their first game, won their second, and lost the third.  Brandon Hays hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to win the second game.  I'm so happy for them, they did so great!  Probably because of the awesome coaching ...

With the season over, John is busy recruiting like crazy.  It's crunch time so they're trying really hard to get recruits to visit campus and make their final decisions.  We're trying to decide what our next step will be with his coaching career.  We've talked about him being a graduate assistant somewhere, but just not sure where we will be next.  Keep us in your prayers!

Things with me have been going well.  I love my job, but it takes its toll!  Thursday morning, I woke up and pulled muscles in my neck.  I had severe pain from my ears to the middle of my shoulder blades.  John's dad worked on it multiple times, I iced it, tried Ibprofen, and got no relief.  So i broke down and went to the doctor today.  He gave me a pain pill and muscle relaxant and I feel so much better.  It still hurts, but I am able to move so much easier.  The doctor doesn't want me to work this week, but I might try to work my shift Wednesday.  I just know I can have either pill while working, so I'll have to be pain free before I start doing anything crazy.  I've basically been lying down for 3 days.  I haven't driven since Wednesday.  John's been doing a great job taking care of me though. 

I also wanted to share with everyone my Valentine's day present from John this year!  We got gem stones on our honeymoon and he got an amethyst mounted on a white gold mount and made a necklace!

John and I are just getting pumped for summer.  We can't wait for cook outs, swimming, beach volleyball, etc.  We're also excited to see all of our overseas friends soon too.  Hope you're doing well!