Like everyone else, you have read it in many directions for good health: Eat plenty of dark, leafy greens. But what are they, and what do you do with them first?
They include kale, Swiss chard, (the queen of all greens), dandelion greens, beet greens, mustard greens, spinach, and turnip greens. But unless you live in the South, you’ve probably done little more with greens than sprinkle spinach on a salad.
If that’s the case, you’re missing out on wonderful side dishes and main dishes.
We won’t dwell on the health benefits because they’ve been so widely documented, from their huge vitamin and mineral content to those very important phytochemicals. They are important for cancer prevention.
In parts of the world, where vegetarianism is a way of life, people meet their daily calcium needs not by drinking milk but by eating greens.
To cook any kind of greens, clean them well, cut them up, and boil for about 4 minutes. Even better, put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. For large-leafed greens like Swiss chard, run a sharp knife alongside the stem and center rib, separating the leaf from the stem.
Sauteing in olive oil and with garlic cloves and red-pepper flakes is also recommended.
Try this delicious recipe.
Creamed Swiss chard with onions
In a large no-stick skillet over medium heat, warm 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add 1 medium onion, sliced.
Cook stirring frequently for 5 to 6 minutes or until softened.
Add 1 pound of Swiss chard, cut into bite-size pieces. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chard starts to wilt.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and gradually add 1 cup of canned evaporated skim milk.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg. Stir to mix.
Makes 4 servings.

 Sometimes it’s difficult to believe that one substance can have many benefits. As with statins, however, omega-3 fatty acids are one such substance.
 Beginning with 1970 studies showing that Eskimos who ate a lot of fish had low cardiac disease risk, omega-3s in fish oil have been recommended for heart health.

 New research shows omega-3s to be beneficial in many more ways. Unfortunately, only a quarter of the U.S. population consumes any omega-3 on any given day. Benefits include:
 Heart: In addition to already-known heart benefits, a study reported by Tufts University links fish consumption and omega-3s to improved electrical function in heart cells. They protect against abnormal heart rhythms.
 Brain: The DHA in fish oil is the most prominent fatty acid in the brain, especially in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for memory, language, and thinking.
 Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease: The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center reports their study subjects with the highest DHA levels reduced their risk of dementia by 47 percent and of Alzheimer’s by 39 percent.
 Eyes: According to the Archives of Ophthalmology, dietary omega-3 intake is associated with a 39 percent reduction in age-related macular degeneration. Those who take fish oil supplements for dry eye may be able to cease other medications.
 Joints: It has been known for some time that omega-3s can reduce joint tenderness  and the need for corticosteroids in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
 A daily fish oil supplement could be helpful for the heart, brain, joints, and eyes.

The number of Facebook visitors 35 and older more than doubled in June to 11.5 million, or about 41 percent of the site’s visitors.
 It’s a new demographic that will bring changes.
 Right now, Facebook allows people some control over what information they reveal to various levels of “friends.” Level one is probably ex-dorm buddies and girlfriends, level two might include sales contacts and fantasy-league teammates, and level three is likely to be anyone who signs off on performance reviews.

 Visitors find they can build social capital with little effort, maybe just by sending a birthday greeting.
 One employer uses Facebook to reach people he can’t otherwise find.
 On the Web: facebook.com

Small changes in your life can have a big impact on your health.

Take exercise. Doing it for half an hour or 45 minutes is very effective for burning calories and improving your fitness level. But sneaking a little more exercise into your life has its benefits.

Sneaking could include parking farther away from the supermarket or your workplace. Using the stairs instead of the elevator if only for a few floors adds quite a bit of exercise to your day. You could take a walk during your lunch break. Or you could pace in place or ride your exercise bike while watching television. A little added to a little more adds up to a lot.

Burning calories through these activities counts just as much for weight loss as limiting calories. A new study by Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State shows there is no difference in calorie use between exercise and diet. Calories are calories no matter how you choose to reduce them in your life.

If you want to have more fun while burning calories, think about things you like to do. Half an hour of planting vegetables in a garden burns 150 calories. An even better burn comes from dancing.

Experts say the key to getting exercise every day lies in adding exercise to activities that you do all the time. That’s a program you are likely to stick to.

School shootings are sobering and tragic events that cause much concern about the safety of children.

School shootings are sobering and tragic events that cause much concern about the safety of children.

Despite these events, schools remain a very safe place for children to spend their days. In fact, the vast majority of children and youth homicides occur outside school hours and property. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assembled a collection of resources on violence prevention to help parents, students, and school personnel cope with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Tips for Parents

It’s natural for kids and teens—no matter where they go to school—to worry about whether this type of incident may someday affect them. Talking with kids about these tragedies, and what they watch or hear about them, can help put frightening information into a more balanced context. The CDC offers parents these suggestions to help children through their questions:

1. Reach out and talk. Create opportunities to allow your child to talk, but do not force him or her. Try asking questions like, what do you think about these events or how do you think these things happen, to get the conversation started. After an incident of school violence, it’s important for kids to feel like they can share their feelings and to know that their fears and anxieties are understandable.

2. Watch and listen. Be alert for any change in behavior. Are kids sleeping more or less, or withdrawing from friends or family? Are they behaving in any way out of the ordinary? This may show that they’re having trouble coming to terms with this event. Recognizing even small changes in behavior can give you an early warning that something is troubling your child.

3. Share information with other parents. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Make an on-going effort to check in and talk to other parents about any issues or stress. You don’t have to deal with problems alone—the most effective connections you have are parents, schools, and health professionals working together to provide on-going monitoring and support for the health and well-being of your child.

4. Keep it going. Ask your child how he feels about the event in a week, then in a month and so on. Each child has her own way of coping under stressful situations and the best thing you can as a parent is to listen and allow children to express their concerns and fears.

link: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SchoolViolence/

School shootings are sobering and tragic events that cause much concern about the safety of children.

Listen to / Watch Podcast: “Coping With Traumatic Stress” (2:16 min)