The kiwi. Yes, that little, tiny, tart green fruit that makes wonderful key lime pies. So, why talk about this little guy? Well:

If anyone lives in Florida you know key lime trees are very popular, but did you know that key limes originated in Southeast Asia and parts of India? (Moore, 2001) Key limes were introduced into the U.S. by Spanish and Portuguese explores in the 1800s (Ziegler & Wolfe, 1961).

As with other citrus fruits, key limes are packed with vitamins A and C, which are also considered antioxidants. Thus, the consumption of key limes may potentially reduce certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Aside from those delicious key lime pies and bars, what else can you make with key limes? Well, you can make a wonderful key limeade or squeeze fresh key lime juice on top of cooked fish or chicken for an extra zest. Or how about a key lime avocado dip? Does this one sound tantalizing? If so, then check out the recipe below from Nellie and Joe’s Key West Lime Juice (Suzuki, 2014):

Mash avocadoes well and add all other ingredients. Should be chunky. Chill well for several hours before serving with tortilla chips.

Moore, G.A. 2001. Oranges and lemons: clues to the taxonomy of Citrus from molecular markers. Trends in Genetics, 17: 536-540.

Suzuki, R. (2014). Key lime avocado dip. Kellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice. Retrieved from http://keylimejuice.com/key-lime-avocado-dip/

Ziegler, L.W. and H.S. Wolfe. 1961. Citrus growing in Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Fla. P. 51-53.

As a dietitian, I tend to inform my clients to consume fresh fruits and vegetables. The first question that I get is, “Does this mean I have to eat raw fruits and vegetables?” To which I respond, “No. I mean it is better to consume fresh fruits and vegetables then canned fruits and vegetables that may have added sugars and salt.” The next question I get is, “But doesn’t this mean if I cook my fruits and vegetables I’ll lose all the nutrients in there?” I respond, “Well, how high is your temperature that you are using to cook these foods? How long are you cooking these foods for? How are you cooking these foods (e.g. large amounts of water)? Depending on the temperature, length of time to cook, and method to cook these foods you may lose some nutrients. However, certain nutrients are enhanced when you cook them.” To which I get eyebrows raised or a look like I am from another planet. So, if you are already questioning if what I am saying is true or not, read on to find out the nutrients that are enhanced when cooking certain foods….

Lycopene:

What is this? An antioxidant- essentially an antioxidant quenches free radicals (or the bad stuff) found in your body

How is this supposed to help? Lycopene may help reduce the risks for certain cancers (colon, breast) and heart disease, and age-related disorders (cataracts)

Where is this found in? Tomatoes, red carrots, watermelon, papayas, and pink grapefruit

What happens when cooking? At least when you cook tomatoes, 35% more lycopene is available for your body to absorb then when consuming raw, uncooked tomatoes (Subramanian, 2009)

Beta-Carotene:

What is this? An antioxidant

How is this supposed to help? Reduce the risk for certain types of cancer (e.g. prostate and colon)

Where is this found in? Bright yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (e.g. sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots) and dark, green leafy vegetables (e.g. kale and spinach)

What happens when cooking? As similar to lycopene, more beta-carotene is bioavailable for the body to absorb when cooking vegetables (Subramanian, 2009)

Vitamin K:

What is this: A fat-soluble vitamin

How is this supposed to help? Helps clot the blood

Where is this found in? Dark-green leafy vegetables and some meat products (e.g. fish, liver, meat, and eggs)

What happens when cooking? Vitamin K is not easily destroyed at high temperatures compared to other water-soluble vitamins (e.g. vitamin C), therefore more is available when cooked than when consumed raw (Sheehan)

All in all, there are many nutrients that are not destroyed by cooking. However, it is important to follow directions to properly cook your fruits and vegetables to retain as many nutrients as possible.

Enjoy!

Sheehan, J. Does cooking vegetables decrease the level of vitamin K? SFGate. Retrieved from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/cooking-vegetables-decrease-level-vitamin-k-6320.html

Subramanian, S. (2009). Fact or fiction: Raw veggies are healthier than cooked ones. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/

Since I am visiting an acupuncturist later this afternoon – for the first time! – I thought it prudent to craft a post about this long-standing form of alternative medicine. 

What

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); it’s based on an ancient philosophy that describes the universe, the human body and two opposing forces: yin and yang.  According to TCM, energy, called qi (and pronounced “chee”) flows throughout the body along specific pathways, or meridians.  A constant flow of energy keeps yin and yang forces balanced.  If a flow of energy becomes blocked (think of water becoming backed up in a dam), this can lead to unpleasant symptoms, illness or dysfunction of a physiological system. 

How

Acupuncture therapy involves the stimulation of specific points on the body with insertion of fine, sterile needles into the skin.  (This is the part that makes me slightly nervous…)  The needles are left in place somewhere between 5 and 30 minutes.  This stimulation releases blocked qi and allows for the body’s natural healing response to occur.  Other techniques that might be used by an acupuncturist include manual massage, moxibustion or heat therapy, cupping, and the application of topical herbal medicines or linaments. 

Why

The research supporting acupuncture’s effectiveness is actually very impressive.   According to the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine, case-controlled studies have clearly demonstrated acupuncture as an effective treatment for the following:

From friends, acquaintances and my healthcare providers – I’ve only heard reports of positive attributes and effects of acupuncture.  Of note, there is a risk of needle site infection involved.  It’s very important to be selective of your acupuncturist and check for state licensure before choosing a practice.

What’s your experience with acupuncture?

Reference:  US San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine: How Acupuncture Can Relieve Pain and Improve Sleep, Digestion and Emotional Well-being

Another recent decision by the Supreme Court confirms that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states.  While at first we may not think this has much to do with healthcare, it is a giant leap toward providing same-sex couples equal protection under healthcare laws.

For example, starting in 2015, all health insurance companies that offer healthcare coverage to opposite-sex spouses must also do so for same-sex spouses.  In addition, this ruling ensures that if a same-sex couple will be filing jointly (as married), they qualify for the same tax credits as those with opposite-sex spouses.  Finally, the Supreme Court decision affirms that couples cannot be discriminated against in healthcare settings based on their marital status.

According to some sources, this new ruling means that some companies will drop “domestic partner” as an option on most healthcare insurance plans, meaning that to obtain benefits, a couple must be married.  This could be a problem for the many Americans who have a long-term partner, but have decided not to marry.  In addition, there are many states who are forced to recognize same-sex marriage, but do not have anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual preference.  This could prove problematic for those who wish to have a partner, but not make it public via a public-record marriage license.

All in all, this new ruling will certainly be tested and reviewed as states, and the public, adjust to this new paradigm.

For more information:

https://www.healthcare.gov/married-same-sex-couples-and-the-marketplace/

Written by: Valerie J Connor, MA CCC-SLP

Supreme Court decisions are often a long time coming.  The issues must be debated and researched, and then debated and researched again.  Supreme Court Justices don’t always agree on an issue, either, which complicates the matter, but our Constitution indicates that majority rules, and luckily there are an odd number of Supreme Court Justices.

King v Burwell, 2015, is the most recent court case to challenge the legal status of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).  King, along with three others, challenged Burwell (Secretary of Health and Human Services) in a court case that was heard in March of 2015.  The issue at stake was federal subsidies used to keep health care exchanges afloat in states that did not expand their Medicaid programs.  The Supreme Court already ruled in 2012 that states cannot be forced by the federal government to expand their Medicaid program.  Some states did expand Medicaid – offering it up to people who did not necessarily qualify financially, but choose to buy into the program for lack of other choices.  Other states did not expand (see resource below), so the federal government created “exchanges” and provided tax credits to those who purchase insurance through the exchanges (see resource below).  Using a price calculator, shoppers can determine if they qualify for these subsidies.

The issue in King v Burwell was that the original language of the Affordable Care Act granted states the right to create and fund exchanges, but not the federal government.  So, in essence the federal government was overstepping its bounds.  In the ruling this past June, the majority of the Supreme Court Justices decided that the wording of the Act was ambiguous and that the intent of the law was to provide “affordable” health insurance, not punish those who could not afford it.

It is certain that many more challenges to the Affordable Care Act are yet to come.  With a change in administration certain to occur in 2016, it is inevitable that more issues will arise, along with possible policy change.  For now, health insurance exchanges will continue as an option to those who do not have health insurance provided to them by employers and/or do not qualify for their state Medicaid coverage.

More information:

State policies:

http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/

Federal exchanges:

http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-health-insurance-exchange/

Valerie J Connor, MA CCC-SLP

As families and individuals around the U.S. prepare to celebrate the 4^th of July holiday and prepare for summer vacations or family outings by swimming, barbecues or just enjoying the summer months a group of individuals are committed to volunteering so that those impacted by daily disastrous events receive health related assistance from the Red Cross.  Volunteer Red Cross Nurses are the silent heroes working on the forefront as well as behind the scene to assist victims plagued by disasters and emergency situations.

While few people know of their existence other than in blood services, there is a special group of volunteer nurses around the country who are on call each day working to provide a number of services to clients. Nurses have always been a cornerstone for the provision of services by the American Red Cross. More than 20,000 nurses (2015) continue to be involved in paid and volunteer capacities at all levels and in all service areas throughout the Red Cross organization.

Red Cross nurses lead health care professionals who work to maintain the mission of disaster health services to assist with the immediate emergent needs of victims of disaster. The range of services include assistance replacing any medical item lost or destroyed during a disaster such as medications or durable medical equipment to assistance paying funeral expenses related to a disaster.  Red Cross nurses and health care professionals provide home visits and hospital visits to ensure disaster related client care is achieved. Anytime a shelter is opened a Red Cross nurse or health care professional is there to care for those housed in the shelter.

As the numbers of apartment and house fires, forest fires, flooding, windstorms and other natural disasters around the country continue to escalate, the number of Volunteer Red Cross nurses and health care professionals seems to dwindle. Given the dire need for recruitment and retention and the heartfelt thanks to volunteer nurses and healthcare professionals;  this is an opportune time to pause and thank this special group.

Thank you our unsung heroes representing the Red Cross nurses and other healthcare professionals who give of themselves daily while serving the community.

Nurses and any healthcare professional interested in volunteering as a Red Cross health service volunteer can respond to this blog for information  or visit the Red Cross website http://www.redcross.org/