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Monday, April 30, 2012

Man pleads guilty to starving children - journal-news.net | News, sports, jobs, community information for Martinsburg - The Journal

Man pleads guilty to starving children - journal-news.net | News, sports, jobs, community information for Martinsburg - The Journal

MARTINSBURG - A Berkeley County man accused of starving of his 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter and forcing them to sleep in an unfinished basement pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of child abuse causing serious bodily injury as part of a plea agreement.
Jesse A. Lafferty, 34, who is currently incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail, was originally named in a seven-count indictment issued in February 2011 by a Berkeley County grand jury. The agreement resulted in the dismissal of the remaining counts.
Lafferty is scheduled to be sentenced July 16 by West Virginia 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher Wilkes and is represented by local attorney Christopher Prezioso. As part of the plea agreement, the court will be unfettered in sentencing. Lafferty faces two to 10 years in prison on each of the counts.
"I willfully withheld food from my children in order to punish them, which led to neglect and malnutrition, sir," Lafferty told the court.
Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney Pamela Games-Neely told the court that the state's evidence would show that there were periods of time where food was withheld from the two victims for more than 24 hours at a time as punishment and that during certain weeks the children were sometimes not fed for periods of three to four days. When the children were rescued by authorities, Games-Neely said they were found to be severely malnourished and had distended abdomens similar to starving children from third-world countries.
"Let the record show that the defendant has executed the written guilty plea form. ... Sir, are you sure this is how you want to resolve this matter?" Wilkes asked the defendant.
"Yes," responded Lafferty, who was shackled and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Budget Super Foods

Super Foods You Should Be Eating...and These Fit Every Budget!


1. Kale

   At just over a dollar a bunch, kale is a member of the dark, leafy greens group. It’s loaded with vitamin C and vitamin B as well as calcium.
  Want to relieve depression? Eat kale.

2. Broccoli
This low cost cruciferous vegetable has it all. Cruciferous vegetables are known for a compound that neutralizes toxins in the liver and helps cleanse the system.

3. Winter Squash
Winter squash is only a few dollars a pound and when compared to the summer squash variety, it’s much better for you. They’re a good source of vitamin B6, which is important for the nervous and immune system, as well as folate for heart and pregnancy health.

4. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet, savory, and downright delicious, nothing beats this winter staple. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
5. Cabbage 
 
Roger Doiron says, “what cabbage lacks in sex appeal and trendiness it makes up for in dependability and productivity.” He’s right. Cabbage is cheap and just like broccoli, it’s a cruciferous super veggie.

6. Apples
Apples are our best foodie friends. Sweet, tangy, crunchy, and low in calories, apples have fiber and tons of phytochemicals or antioxidants that serve to fight free radicals in the body that cause disease and aging.

7. Quinoa
At $1 a pound quinoa is cheap and nutrient dense. Quinoa is a complete protein and can substitute for less sustainable proteins. Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc.

8. Brown Basmati Rice
Talk about cheap, rice is one of the least expensive foods in the world. At just a few dollars a pound, a little goes a long way. I also love brown basmati rice, It’s an excellent source of manganese and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium.

9. Barley
Barley is one of my favorite grains. The little bubbles burst in your mouth, full of flavor. Barley is rich in manganese, selenium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium.

10. Adzuki Beans
Beans are one of the least expensive protein sources. In fact, these little guys contain some of the highest levels of protein and the lowest levels of fat of any variety of beans. They also contain high levels of potassium, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and manganese. 

11. Black Beans
This is an obvious one, but no less important. Black beans are a good source of folate, dietary fiber, manganese, protein, magnesium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), phosphorus, and iron.

12. Flaxseed
Omega 3 fatty acids are an ever important building block nutrient that like B12, the body cannot produce on its own. Don’t worry because you can get the nutrient without fatty fish. Instead, get it from flaxseed.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Healing Foods feature: Broccoli

Healing Foods feature:  Broccoli

   You’ll find it difficult to locate another single food source with as much naturally occurring health-promoting properties as broccoli.
  A single cup of steamed broccoli provides more than 200 percent of the RDA for vitamin C (again, more than oranges), nearly as much of vitamin K, and about half of the daily allowance for vitamin A, along with plentiful folate, fiber, sulfur, iron, B vitamins, and a whole host of other important nutrients.

   Calorie for calorie, broccoli contains about twice the amount of protein as steak — and a lot more protective phytonutrients.
 Broccoli’s phytochemicals fight cancer by neutralizing carcinogens and accelerating their elimination from the body, in addition to inhibiting tumors caused by chemical carcinogens.

  Studies show evidence that these substances help prevent lung and esophageal cancers and may play a role in lowering the risk of other cancers, including gastrointestinal cancer.
  Phytonutrients called indoles found in broccoli help protect against prostate, gastric, skin, breast, and cervical cancers.

   Some research suggests that indoles also protect the structure of DNA and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Extensive studies have linked broccoli to a 20 percent reduction in heart disease risk.
  In Chinese medicine, broccoli is used to treat eye inflammation.

   How much:
    If you can eat a little broccoli every day, your body will thank you for it. If you can’t swing it, aim for eating it as regularly as possible. Like many other vegetables, broccoli provides fantastic nutrition both in its raw form and when it’s properly cooked.
   Cooking reduces some of broccoli’s anticancer components, but lightly steaming it will preserve most of the nutrients. Broccoli is available fresh year-round in most areas, but if you can’t find it where you live, frozen broccoli is a good substitute.

Tip:
  • Steaming or cooking broccoli lightly releases the maximum amount of the antioxidant sulforaphane.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Healing Foods feature: Cabbage

Healing Foods feature:  Cabbage

  Cabbage is a powerhouse source of vitamins K and C.
Just one cup supplies 91 percent of the recommended daily amount for vitamin K, 50 percent of vitamin C, good amounts of fiber, and decent scores of manganese, vitamin B6, folate, and more — and it’ll only cost you about 33 calories.
 Calorie for calorie, cabbage offers 11 percent more vitamin C than oranges.

  Cabbage contains high levels of antioxidant sulforaphanes that not only fight free radicals before they damage DNA, but they also stimulate enzymes that detoxify carcinogens in the body.
 Researchers believe this one-two approach may contribute to the apparent ability of cruciferous vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer more effectively than any other plant food group.
  Numerous studies point to a strong association between diets high in cruciferous vegetables and a low incidence of lung, colon, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancers.

  Cabbage builds strong bones, dampens allergic reactions, reduces inflammation, and promotes gastrointestinal health.
  Cabbage is routinely juiced as a natural remedy for healing peptic ulcers due to its high glutamine content. It also provides significant cardiovascular benefit by preventing plaque formation in the blood vessels.
  In Chinese medicine, cabbage is used to treat constipation, the common cold, whooping cough, depression and irritability, and stomach ulcers.
  When eaten and used as a poultice, as a dual treatment, cabbage is helpful for healing bedsores, varicose veins, and arthritis.

 How much:
   The more cabbage you can include in your diet, the better. A study of Polish women found that those who ate at least four servings of cabbage per week as adolescents were 72 percent less likely to develop breast cancer later in life than their peers who consumed only one weekly serving or less.

Tips:
  • Try raw sauerkraut. It has all the health properties of cabbage, plus some potent probiotics, which are excellent for digestive health.
  • Use the whole cabbage; the outer leaves contain a third more calcium than the inner leaves.
  • Both are nutritional stars, but red cabbages are far superior to the white variety, with about seven times more vitamin C and more than four times the polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative stress and cancer.

  Copyright HealThySelfCures.com
  

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Natural Cures feature: ACNE

  Natural Cures:  Acne


   You have seen it happen to your friend’s skin and you’re scared.
  Scared that you could also blemish your otherwise flawless face, if you use those readily available skincare products from the market to eliminate those pesky pimples and bothersome blackheads.
  Almost all such ready made products, like cleansers, toners, moisturizers, shampoos, scrubs and masks are suspect in aggravating acne. So, what are you to do?
  Well, there’s a way out. Opt for natural acne cures. They not only make acne disappear, but also bring that original glow back to your face, while rejuvenating your skin.

Natural cures

  The most sensible step you could’ve taken, you’ve already taken.
 You’ve said no to chemical skincare products and opted for their naturally derived counterparts.
 Your grandma’s recipes, ointments and potions are making a comeback for treating acne, bringing the smile back to women, especially the skin-conscious teenagers.
 Acne, a skin disorder resulting from the action of hormones on the skin’s oil glands, leads to plugged pores and outbreak of pimples, whiteheads and blackheads that ravages the skin.
  The natural remedies not only treat this skin condition effectively, but also don’t cause allergies. Chemical skincare products are known to create nasty allergies and compound the problem you were attempting to cure.


 The products for natural acne treatment come in various forms, like cleansers, toners, moisturizers, shampoos, scrubs and masks, to name just a few.
  The most common natural ingredients used in them include tea tree oil and Aloe vera.

  Tea tree oil, a strong natural antiseptic, is effective against skin problems and is a natural cure for acne.
  What this oil does is to penetrate the follicles of the skin and kill all infection causing bacteria. It also rejuvenates the tissue of the affected area. Aloe vera, on the other hand, when used as part of a daily skin treatment regimen, helps keep the skin healthy.
  Its oil has healing and restorative properties. Little wonder it is a part of every high-end lotion, cream and gel product.

  Another common natural ingredient for treating acne is shea butter.
   This butter has a range of amazing healing properties stemming from its physical make up of vitamins A, E, and cinnamic acid and the like.
   It has incredible anti-inflammatory qualities and has been used since antiquity for healing wounds and eradicating scars. Natural muds and salts used for scrubs and masks also draw out the impurities from the skin.

  If the acne is not in its advanced stage and contains only a few pimples and white or blackheads, you can also use some quick-fix natural solutions.
  Pound an orange peel with water and apply it to the acne affected area. You can also use cucumber leaves or its grated pieces in place of orange peel. Even rubbing the area with a fresh cut clove of garlic brings wonderful results.
 A clove based facemask or a paste of fenugreek leaves applied overnight and washed off the next morning also clears the skin of pimples.


Water treatment

  If you really don’t want to get into the hassle of natural acne remedies involving herbs and other natural ingredients, there is a simple, time-tested method for getting rid of acne. It’s the water treatment.
   When we consume less amounts of water, our skin cells shrivel giving rise to skin problems, amongst which acne is the most common.
  So, to avoid dehydration, there is a need to maintain sufficient water in the tissue by consuming at least one and a half liters of water daily.
  This not only hydrates the body, but also imparts a healthy glow to the skin. Can you ask for a simpler home remedy for acne!

 Natural acne cures are safe and effective. All you need do is seek your grandma’s advice and enjoy a healthy, unblemished skin forever!

≈≈ Reader Contributions:≈≈

* Bertha says:
  I have found that using a paste of aspirin really has helped me. I make a mixture of honey and crushed aspirins (about 4) and leave on for 15 minutes it makes my skin feel really good afterwards. You can see the pimple get smaller right away. Using baking soda too has helped me just wash your face with it and moisturize.

* Joy says:
Need something that will make your skin REALLY! soft use this
You need
1/2 cup of plain oatmeal
2 table spoons of plain yogert
1 table spoon on brown suger
I mix it rub on your face and rince off and REMEMBER pat dry .

* Fancie says:
 The water remedy really works. If my little brother doesn’t drink a lot of water throughout the day he will break out. I also find that my skin doesn’t peal at all if i scrub it with a wash cloth and plain dove soap.

* Joy says:
I know this will sound weird but, I come from along line of ance promblems. This works and you can find all this stuff in your home.
First wet your face with warm water. Next take salt [ any salt] and rub it on your face . BE CAREFUL!! Next take 3 table spoons of plain yogert and 1/4 cup of brown suger. Mix it and rub it all over your face . Rinse pat dry and your face will be baby soft.

* Natalie says:
  to get rid of acne real fast before school starts:
*rub 1/4 cup of apple juice all over your face.
*then lie down with cucumber slices covering your face for 15 min.
take off the cucumber and rinse face with warm water by hands no cloth
repeat once a day until acne goes away.

  Copyright HealThySelfCures.com



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Healing Foods feature: Carrots

Healing Foods Feature:  Carrots

   Carrots are a great source of the potent antioxidants known as carotenoids.
  Diets high in carotenoids have been tied to a decreased risk in postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus.

  Conversely, diets low in carotenoids have been associated with chronic disease, including heart disease and various cancers. Research suggests that just one carrot per day could reduce your risk of lung cancer by half.

  Carrots may also reduce your risk of kidney and ovarian cancers. In addition to fighting cancer, the nutrients in carrots inhibit cardiovascular disease, stimulate the immune system, promote colon health, and support ear and eye health.

 Carrots contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C, and an incredible amount of vitamin A. The alpha-carotene in carrots has shown promise in inhibiting tumor growth.
  Carrots also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which work together to promote eye health and prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.
  In Chinese medicine, carrots are used to treat rheumatism, kidney stones, tumors, indigestion, diarrhea, night blindness, ear infections, earaches, deafness, skin lesions, urinary tract infections, coughs, and constipation.


How much:
  Eat a serving of carrots each day if you can, and enjoy them year-round. Carrots are good for you whether they’re raw or lightly cooked; cooking helps break down the tough fiber, making some of the nutrients more easily absorbed.

  For the best nutrition, go for whole carrots that are firm and fresh-looking.
 Precut baby carrots are made from whole carrots and, although they’re convenient, they tend to lose important nutrients during processing.

Tips:
  • Remove carrot tops before storing them in the fridge, as the tops drain moisture from the roots and will cause the carrots to wilt.
  • Buy organic; conventionally grown carrots frequently show high pesticide residues.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Health Secrets: HIV Positive..? Maybe Not

 Health Secrets You're Not Supposed To Know series

 FOR LOW-RISK PEOPLE, A POSITIVE RESULT FROM AN HIV TEST IS WRONG HALF THE TIME

 

  Although a lot of progress has been made in improving the length and quality of life for people with AIDS, getting a positive result from an HIV test must still rank as one of the worst pieces of news a person can get.
  It's not uncommon for people to kill themselves right after hearing the results, and those who don't commit suicide surely go through all kinds of mental anguish.
 But the accuracy of these tests is lower than generally believed.

   In fact, if you test positive but you're not a member of a high-risk group (such as non-monogamous gay men and intravenous drug users), the odds are 50-50 that you actually have the virus.

 To be declared HIV-positive, your blood goes through three tests — two ELISA tests and one more sensitive and costly Western Blot test.
  Makers of the tests trumpet a 99.99 percent accuracy rate when all three are used.
   Many AIDS counselors even tell people that the tests never give a false positive (that is, the tests don't indicate that someone is HIV-positive when he or she really isn't).

  The test manufacturers' claim is misleading, and the counselors' claim is flat-out BS.
Cognitive scientist Gerd Gigerenzer — who specializes in risk and uncertainty — explains the reality in plain English:
  Imagine 10,000 men who are not in any known risk category.
  One is infected (base rate) and will test positive with practical certainty (sensitivity). Of the 9,999 men who are not infected, another one will also test positive (false positive rate). So we can expect that two men will test positive.


   Copyright HealThySelfCures.com


  *references:
   Gigerenzer, Gerd.
 Calculated Risks: How to Know When Numbers Deceive You. Simon & Schuster, 2002.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Health Secrets: BAYER Sold Smack before Aspirin

 Health Secrets You're Not Supposed To Know series

 THE BAYER COMPANY MADE HEROIN


   Aspirin isn't the only "wonder drug that works wonders" that Bayer made.
  The German pharmaceutical giant also introduced heroin to the world.


  The company was looking for a cough suppressant that didn't have problematic side effects, mainly addiction, like morphine and codeine. And if it could relieve pain better than morphine, that was a welcome bonus.

  When one of Bayer's chemists approached the head of the pharmacological lab with ASA — to be sold under the name "aspirin" — he was waved away.
 The boss was more interested in something else the chemists had cooked up — diacetylmorphine.
 (This narcotic had been created in 1874 by a British chemist, who had never done anything with it.)

  Using the tradename "Heroin" — because early testers said it made them feel heroisch (heroic) — Bayer sold this popular drug by the truckload starting in 1898.
 Free samples were sent to thousands of doctors, and studies appeared in medical journals.

 The Sunday Times of London noted: "By 1899, Bayer was producing about a ton of heroin a year, and exporting the drug to 23 countries," including the US.
  Medicines containing smack were available over-the-counter at drug stores, just as aspirin is today.

 The American Medical Association gave heroin its stamp of approval in 1907.
But reports of addiction, which had already started appearing in 1899, turned into a torrent after several years.
  Bayer had wisely released aspirin the year after heroin, and this new non-addictive painkiller and anti-inflammatory was well on its way to becoming the most popular drug ever.
   In 1913, Bayer pulled out of the heroin business.




  The company however, hasn't exactly kept its nose clean since then:

  A division of Bayer pharmaceuticals sold millions of dollars worth of blood-clotting medicine for hemophiliacs — medicine that carried a high risk of transmitting AIDS — to Asia and Latin America in the mid-1980s while selling a new, safer product in the West, according to documents obtained by The New York Times....
 In Hong Kong and Taiwan alone, more than 100 hemophiliacs got HIV after using Cutter's old medicine, according to records and interviews.
  Many have since died.


Copyright HealThySelfCures.com



 **references:

   Askwith, Richard.
 "How Aspirin Turned Hero." Sunday Times (London), 13 Sept 1998.

 •Bogdanich, Walt, and Eric Koli.
 "2 Paths of Bayer Drug in 80's: Riskier Type Went Overseas."