Cuclis leads fundraising in Sonoma Valley supervisor’s race
By Brett Wilkison, The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Feb. 01--Candidates vying to replace retiring Sonoma County Supervisor Valerie Brown are off to a relatively slow start in the fundraising race.
Gina Cuclis topped the list of five candidates in the contest for the 1st District supervisorial seat, which takes in Sonoma Valley, the city of Sonoma and parts of eastern Santa Rosa.
The Boyes Hot Springs communications consultant took in $28,315 in the latest reporting period, from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2011 last year, campaign finance reports show.
The donations included $8,027 in non-monetary contributions, including food, a hotel stay, campaign services and other gifts.
Cuclis led the next closest candidate, Sonoma Valley energy consultant Mark Bramfitt, by nearly $13,000.
Still, her total is quarter of what Mike McGuire collected in the last half of 2009 for his successful 2010 bid for the north county supervisor's seat. It is a little less than half of what then-Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt reported in cash at this time two years ago for her race against fellow councilmember David Rabbitt, who prevailed in the south county supervisor's race.
In the other two Board of Supervisors seats up for re-election, Efren Carrillo and Shirlee Zane remain unopposed so far.
Carrillo has built up a formidable war chest, with $104,797 raised in the last half of 2011 and $101,748 in the bank. "It allows me to focus on things I need to be focusing on," Carrillo said, ticking off a list of county issues for the year.
Zane took in $16,804 for the period and ends with a cash balance of $49,767. She reported a personal loan of $33,091 to her last campaign that she said she plans to forgive.
In the 1st District, Cuclis, who serves on the county's Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board, said she was pleased with her campaign's progress.
She announced her candidacy in June, before other challengers, and credited her success so far to courting small donors throughout her district.
She reported more than 90 donors giving $100 or less in the latest period.
"I'm proud of that," she said.
Bramfitt's tally for the latest period was $15,475.
Santa Rosa Councilwoman Susan Gorin reported a higher figure -- $20,648 -- but half of that is from a loan Gorin made to her campaign.
Read More»The Leading Cause Of Chilhood Obesity
A Harsh Look At Parents
Obesity is on the rise in children. More and more youngsters are tipping the scales at obese weights. In fact, some studies suggest that as many as one in ten children are now obese. Many blame the problem on sugary drinks available at schools or at the increased varieties of unhealthy snacks. Hardly anyone points the finger at the worst culprit - the parents.
Today's parents simply are not taking an active role in the nutrition of their children. In the 50s, parents were keenly aware of just what their children were eating owing in large part to a drive to provide proper nutrition to kids. Today's parents are more likely to use snacks in an attempt to pacify their children. Chips, fries and candy are often used to keep kids quiet in public places or offered as a reward for good behavior. This alone has contributed vastly to the weight problem our children are facing.
Another issue is inactivity. Yesteryear's children were encouraged to play outside. Running, playing sports and simply exploring were apart of many children's daily lives. This activity helped to keep them fit and kept the weight off. Today's children are part of the couch potato generation. Parents who supply their children with televisions in their bedrooms, portable game systems and computers shouldn't wonder why their kids are not active. By supplying them with the tools to make a sedentary life fun, parents have removed the need for kids to get out and find fun for themselves.
Time is another factor. While it is true there are more two income families today than every before, it doesn't mean that parents can't find the time to provide healthy and balanced meals for their families. Fast food and dinning out are more popular than ever. Many kids have more chicken nuggets and fries than they do fruit and vegetables. With diets high in fried food and low in nutritionally valuable food, it is no wonder childhood obesity is on the rise.
What these parents don't realize is they are setting their kids up for a lifetime of health problems. More and more kids are beginning to experience health problems previously seen only in overweight adults. Joint strain and diabetes are just the beginning of the problems obese children will be facing. Parents who use junk food as a reward or are simply too busy to provide nutritionally balanced meals are giving their children something else, a shorter life expectancy.
The sad thing is, it isn't difficult to feed kids healthier meals. Cut out sugary drinks like soda and dilute juices. Offer vegetables and fruits at every meal. Send your child to school with a healthy lunch. When dining out, opt for the healthier alternatives many restaurants, including fast food places, are beginning to offer. Parents can be the single greatest driving force behind the health of their children and obesity is no different than any other health problem. Read More»
Guidelines For Food Expiration Dates
Does Food Really Go Bad ?
Ever wonder if those expiration dates you find on food are accurate, or even necessary? Many can be confusing, as it's mostly a very wide margin that the dates encompass. But are they actually assisting in keeping us safe, or just there to inspire turnover? There are so many differences on the variation and length of dates from milk to meat. The first confusing aspect is that each date can mean something different.
There are "sell by" dates which indicate how long a store is able to keep these foods on the shelf. "Use by" dates are closest to being actual expiration dates, and using them after this date is generally not preferable. "Best used by" sometimes also indicts more how long a food will hold its flavor.
It's important to remember that data dates such are these may not be government sanctioned. The Food and Drug Administration actually only demands that expiration dates be put onto infant formula. This is done because formula has a label that requires each nutrient be contained on it. Formula has a tendency to lose its nutrients if stored too long.
Meats are another food that has dates with different meanings. Poultry needs to carry the date it was packed, according to the Department of Agriculture. Manufactures can also add their dates. In actually, government departments are fairly slack on requiring food shelf-life dates to be put onto products. This is because most dates are not about safety but instead the quality of the goods.
It was discovered that milk can lose its nutrient when packaged in containers that allow it to be exposed to light. Milk can stay good for almost a week after the sell-by date. Even if it spoils, it is not usually dangerous.
Canned goods can last as long as 18 months on the shelf, and low acid foods in cans for up to five years. Foods that contain oils that can go bad like mayonnaise will more than likely just lose or change flavor before they are actually harmful. If refrigerated properly, eggs can have a much longer shelf life than the sell-by date on the carton, if stored properly.
Drugs and vitamins also have varying dates. While some claim that these dates are meant to encourage more sales, others state that when drugs break down they become dangerous.
Expiration dates can be stretched by using proper storage. Leaving food in the car, on loading docks or on counters reduces the length of time they can be properly stored. Because consumers do not know how long the food stood before they acquired it, it's best to store foods as quickly as possible in their proper place.
In the end, perhaps the best rule of thumb is to label foods with your own dates, when they were purchased and how long they will last. Just because a food is not fresh does not mean it can't be eaten. Use your best judgment. Read More»
People Living With Over 100 Allergies
Real People And Their Stories
Living with allergies can be overwhelming for anyone, but when the body is reacting to over 100 different kinds of allergies at one time, it can be maddening and very painful. Allergies are by nature confusing, as the body responds to substances that are not generally considered harmful. So what happens when a person cannot be around over 100 foods or substances? Here are some real life stories.
Tyler Savage, a 12-year-old boy from Essex, England, first began getting sick at the age of six. At that time even the smallest amount of food would create an agony of sickness. He began to lose drastic amounts of weight. The doctors told his parents that he was suffering from a stomach infection. When he began to lose energy and became unable to play with other children, doctors decide to remove his appendix. This helped for a time, but did not solve the problem.
More tests did not reveal anything, until he was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. There he had extensive tests on this stomach and bowels, which uncovered a rare condition in his intestines called eosinophilic enteropathy, which makes the intestines over produce white blood cells. This rare condition caused significant weight loss, as he was becoming undernourished.
Treating Tyler started with a nose tube that got food directly into his stomach. Later doctors inserted a tube directly into his stomach, which has allowed him to return to a bit more normal life, and able to attend school. He is not out of the woods but has come a long way.
Tyler suffers from over 100 allergies, so many in fact that he is only able to eat five foods: apples, potatoes, grapes, carrots and chicken. He also has vitamins and minerals pumped directly through his tube in his stomach.
Andrea McLean has learned through the years that she has little tolerance for hundreds of foods. Beginning with food poisoning when she backpacking through India, she spent 24 hours being violently ill. However on returning home, she still did not feel up to par. She was constantly tired, lethargic and had intense intestinal problems.
No matter what doctor she consulted, her tests would always come back negative. She was told instead that it was an allergy to dairy. When she discontinued eating dairy, she was back to her old self.
She experimented with food she could eat. Even today if she cheats and sneaks a bite of a creamy dessert, it only takes minutes for the symptoms to arise and send her to her bed with a blinding headache.
Other food allergies began to appear: peppers, garlic, and some nuts would cause her to swell around her face within a short time after ingesting them. Other villains her life were raw vegetables.
Allergies can be life threatening, although most result in minor irritations such as runny nose but can range to a severe swelling of the face and throat that can be fatal. Read More»
What To Look For In A Qualified Dentist
How To Find A Qualified Dentist
Finding a good, well-qualified dentist can be a daunting task, especially when friends and relatives aren’t forthcoming with recommendations. There are a lot of things to think about when searching for the perfect fit.
You want to make the right choice for your family, so being particular is called for. Don’t forget you are paying for a service, so getting what you want is important. Bring this list with you to your introductory visits to make sure you’ve found a great dentist.
• Your dentist should be a member of the ADA, or American Dental Association. This means that he or she has entered into a voluntary agreement to adhere to strict ethical standards.
• The office should have a filing system that includes permanent records of medical and dental history and your file should be updated after each visit.
• Your dentist should have a relaxed and gentle demeanor, and make you feel comfortable during the visit. You shouldn’t feel overly chastised for any mistakes you’ve made caring for your mouth and his or her attitude should be constructive.
• Your dentist should wear a mask and gloves. A lead apron should be provided for all X-ray work. Instrument sterilization procedures should be in place and followed at all times. Don’t be too shy to ask about them!
• What is the standard procedure for after hours care? Your dentist should be associated with an emergency dental service for situations where he or she cannot administer prompt care for a dental crisis, but a good dentist will be able to meet for an urgent appointment when needed.
• Ask your dentist how long he or she has been doing dental work and inquire about any continuing education they may have pursued.
• Dental health instruction should be provided as standard care, and all procedures should be explained in detail before they are started.
• The office should be tidy, clean, and run in an orderly, professional manner. Interactions between yourself and staff should be friendly, as well so should interactions between your dentist and the staff.
• Ask for references. If your new dentist has good references, he or she will most likely be happy to offer them. Be wary of any dentist who refuses to provide references.
• Make sure it is office policy that all fees and payment arrangements are clearly discussed before the treatment is scheduled. This saves both parties from unpleasant surprises after treatment has been completed.
Note: Do not be confused by the suffixes DDS and DMD. They are essentially the equivalent, with the same education and background required for both.
You should also determine whether the dentist is a great fit for your personal needs. Concern yourself with issues such as:
• Proximity
The dentist’s office should be a reasonable distance from either home or work, whichever you are most likely to travel from to reach the office.
• Appointment Schedule
When are you available for dental work? If you and your dentist have conflicting schedules, you will have to go with another office.
• Menu of Services
If cosmetic surgery or bad breath management are on your dental agenda, make sure your new dentist is able to help you with the services you require. Read More»Why is Exercise Important For Children
How Much Exercise Do Children Need?
The United States Center for Disease Control reported that in 2008, one out of every three children was considered obese. This data was troubling as it also found that 80\% of children who are obese at age 10-15 years continue on to become obese adults. It is clear that in addition to proper diet, children, especially in the United States, benefit greatly when they get proper exercise. However, it is hard to know what exactly constitutes enough exercise. There are many factors to consider when determining how much physical activity children need. So why is exercise important for children.
There are a lot of different guidelines available that discuss the appropriate amount of exercise that children need. With so many guidelines coming from seemingly credible sources, like university and medical studies, even with official data, parents and guardians can still have a difficult time understanding how much exercise their kids may need. However, there are some general rules and ideas that can make reaching decisions about exercise a bit easier.
General Rules for Excercise for Children
While there is no one recommended amount of time that researchers and experts can agree upon, most studies make it clear that children need between 30-60 minutes of vigorous exercise a day, and that most kids do not get that amount of exercise. While the exact time quantification may vary, the idea that the exercise needs to be physically challenging does not. It is hard to make any child exercise continuously even at the 30 minute marker as kids do not generally take to workout regimens like cardio training on treadmills the way adults do.
Discover What Activity Children Like to Do
However, team sports, gymnastics, and the recent advent of physical games kids can play on game consoles that involve activities kids find entertaining, like dancing, can achieve that goal without making exercise seem tedious. The console games also have the benefit of incorporating one of the societal trends that have reduced children’s activity levels – playing video games indoors – and using it to promote fitness. It is key that parents and teachers help a child discover the sort of physical activity that appeals to them most, as the more the activity appeals to the child, the more likely they are to do it. When exercise becomes a chore, it becomes something children try to avoid.