Take Control of Your Diabetes Conference in Santa Clara

I attended this conference like it May.  It was very motivational.  It included dance participation, cooking class and education on diabetes.  It really gave me hope that I can live with diabetes.

Personal Weight Wars

Weight has much to do with health.  I am noting my weight currently compared to what it was in the past, about 15 years ago.  I have improved, but have much more to accomplish.  Mine has not been some fancy diet but watching what I eat, and carbs, and walking more.  

4/11/19  

Weight Wars #2

I published a previous post about my weight and being half way to not being obese, down from 298 to 248.  I can now say I am down another 5 lbs but still only half way.  The difference is an adjustment in my height.  I guess I am shrinking, which means I have another 10 pounds to lose before escaping the obesity line.  So down 55 pounds with a goal of 55 pounds more.  I hope this sharing will motivate me, as my life is at stake.

9/29/19

Weight Wars

I came across something really scary: a record of my weight from 2001 through 2003.  I started at 292 in December of 2001.  However I was down to 285 by mid January; only to blossom back up by the end of the year.  My last recorded weight in 2002, early December, was 292.  Then I became my heaviest.  I started 2003 at 298.  That is just gross.  That is the most I have weighed my entire life.  That is 100 pounds above the obese line.  I recorded that by the end of 2003 I was back to 285.  I have continued a mostly downward spiral, with significance periods of getting stuck.  I am half of the way to the obese line--in other words I am 50 pounds lighter than my heaviest with another 50 to go.
What have been the consequences.  I have diabetes and tinnitus, and sleep apnea and high blood pressure.  Weight is a contributing factor in all these areas.  I hope when I am no longer obese--some of these health issues will be resolved.  I would be grateful if just one or two  would improve and I not have to take so many medications.

20 Retirement Ideas

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/20-free-ways-to-stay-busy-after-retirement/ss-BBQpVRs?ocid=ientp

Take a Hike
Join a Book Club
Catch up on Podcasts
Take up Cooking
Donate your Time
Become you Family's Archivist
Make a new Friend
Start Exercising
TED Talks
Soak up some Culture
Just Breath
Connect with Grandkids
Join the Peace Corps
Foster a Pet
Sing your Life
Be a Mentor
Open an Etsy Shop
Write Letters
Pen a Novel
Get Involved

Crisis Text Services in Santa Clara County

Crisis services are now available via text messaging in Santa Clara County.  

About half of adults will experience a mental health challenge over the course of their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, emotionally or mentally distressed residents in Santa Clara County have access to free, text-based, confidential assistance from trained Crisis Text Line counselors by texting “RENEW” to 741741. The support is free, accessible 24/7, and confidential. Learn more at www.sccbhsd.org/suicideprevention

To date, Crisis Text Line, a national organization, has answered more than 84 million messages. The organization has more than 4,500 active Crisis Counselors with strict safeguards and protocols to provide care, safety, and confidentiality for each user. “The ability to offer text-based support to people in need adds a new dimension to our outreach services, and is an especially important tool to offer to young people in Santa Clara County,” said Toni Tullys, Director of the County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department, adding, “It’s important to make access to counseling easy and approachable, and text-based support does both.”

The vast majority of Crisis Text Line users are under age 25; partnering with Crisis Text Line is an important part of our work to address the issue of youth suicides – including college-age youth.” The County’s Behavioral Health Services Department already offers a 24/7, free, confidential Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 1 (855) 278-4204​​, mental health services information and referrals at 1 (800) 704-0900, and substance abuse services information and referrals at 1 (800) 488-9919.

In the Kitchen After a Flood

Food Safety and Kitchen Cleaning After a Disaster

Flooding can cause power outages for hours, days and even weeks, which may make food unsafe to eat.  If a fire, flood, power outage or natural disaster impacts your home, minimize the potential loss of food and reduce the risk of foodborne illness by knowing how to determine food safety. You can learn the right decisions for keeping your family safe after a power outage with food and cleaning safety facts from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). After a Flood ·         Use bottled drinking water that has not come into contact with flood water. ·         Do not eat any food that may have come in contact with flood water. ·         Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance it may have come in contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps. ·         Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood waters.  They cannot be cleaned and sanitized effectively.  ·         Inspect canned foods; discard any food in damaged cans. Check cans for  swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener. ·         Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples, and pacifiers that may have come in contact with flood waters. There is no way to clean them safely.  ·         Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes, utensils (including can openers) with soap and water (hot water if available). Rinse and sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. ·         Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and water (hot water if available). Rinse and then sanitize them by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. Allow it to air-dry. ·         Note: If your entire refrigerator or freezer was in flood waters — even partially — it is unsafe to use and must be discarded. After a Weather Emergency The USDA also issued a news release with food safety tips to follow in advance of losing power, steps to follow if the power goes out,  and food safety after a flood. There were also steps to follow after a weather emergency. ·         Check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.        ·         Check frozen food for ice crystals. The food in your freezer that partially or completely thawed may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is 40°F or below. ·         Never taste food to decide if it is safe. ·         When in doubt, throw it out.  For more information about cleaning up after a disaster, review Prepareathon’s Flood and Hurricane guides. Also, see food safety tips at Ready.gov.

Family Emergency Communication Plan

When a disaster strikes, it is too late to develop a family emergency plan.  Here is some advice from FEMA on how to do so.  There are three steps: Collect, share and practice.
Collect:  This refers to gathering the necessary information to implement your plan.  It also includes writing this down.  Information needed includes household information, school caregiver and childcare information, out of town contact, emergency meeting places (more than one including by home, and out of town, and any other important information.
Share: means to share your written copy with all involved, your family members and those who are your contacts.
Practice: Putting your plan into action before time will make sure it will work in an emergency.  Remember texting is best because it requires less band width.  It will also be important to conserve phone energy.  Best to keep phones fully charged, and consider solar power for recharging in an emergency.

How to Lose Belly Fat

I saw the title to this article in Everyday Health and was really excited.  This is one of my goals.  However I was a bit disappointed in the suggestions.  The article is about exercises to lose belly fat.  It suggests the best involve weights--High-Intensity Strength Training.  Studies show strength training targets belly fat better than cardio.  One of the exercises is the incline push-up.  This is something I can do, and there are chances to do this many times a day.  The other exercises seem too complicated and I can't really see them in my brain.  I need a video or someone to guide me I guess.