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Issue Home September 9, 2009 Site Home

COLUMNS:
100 Years Ago
From the Desk of the D.A.
The Healthy Geezer
Library Chitchat
Veterans’ Corner
What’s Bugging You?
Dear Dolly
Earth Talk
Barnes-Kasson Corner


100 Years Ago

BROOKLYN: C. A. Rozell, who has been making trips to Montrose each Saturday during the summer, selling garden truck, is planning to make a trip also on Tuesday of each week, commencing the middle of the month. Mr. Rozell has built up a large trade this summer and has had some difficulty in supplying all demands. Several more acres are being prepared for cultivation next year, and if conditions are favorable, he hopes to take care of an increased trade. He is selling at present some excellent celery of an early variety.

LAWTON:Big crowds at Lawton Fair, estimated that about 2,500 were in attendance on a near ideal day. The main attraction was the balloon ascension and Fairdale defeated Wyalusing in an exciting ball game. The gross receipts amounted to between $500-$600.

SUSQUEHANNA: Jesse Chamberlain and Orin Owens, of Susquehanna, who were arrested in Hallstead for attempting to pass worthless checks at the Hand store, worked the same game on an Oakland business man the day before attempting it at Hallstead. In this instance the name of James E. Paye was used. It is probable a second charge will be laid against them at the coming ground jury. [Jas. Paye, one of Susquehanna’s well known citizens, deals in wagons and farm implements.]

HALLSTEAD: A couple of fine deer were seen feeding with a herd of cows on the Williams farm near Hallstead, one day last week. They are believed to have escaped from a large herd that was kept on a New Jersey preserve. When men approached them they ran into the woods and easily escaped capture. They are probably the same pair that were seen near Franklin a few weeks ago.

AINEY: Mrs. Frank Taylor spent last Sunday with her son, Earl Taylor, in Scranton. The latter was run over by a reckless driver on a beer wagon and had his shoulder blade broken and his hip bruised. He is getting along nicely.

EAST ARARAT: Miss Susie Hathaway has resigned her position as teacher and Miss Minnie Bell has taken her place. Miss Hathaway will attend Stroudsburg Normal school. At Ararat Summit Uncle Rolla Carpenter, an aged resident, who has been confined to his bed since May 7 by illness, arose early Thursday morning about 5 o’clock, was dressed and sat up about 2 hours.

LENOX: Mr. and Mrs. Leon Mittan took a trip to Clark’s Summit, Wyoming and other places on their wheels [bicycles] recently.

LATHROP: George Sweet shot at some chicken thieves last week. They made quick time in escaping.

PARKVALE, DIMOCK TWP.: There was a hard frost and the ground was white Monday morning, doing a lot of damage to gardens.

FOREST CITY NEWS: John Miskel, the baseball pitcher, who has been living down the valley for several years, has returned with his family to Forest City to reside.

BRIDGEWATER: Wm. Kelly and family visited J. H. Kelly and wife, of Springville, last week. Mr. Kelly is one of Bridgewater’s oldest inhabitants and last spring moved to Montrose from his farm which he purchased 50 years ago and where he raised eighteen children and grandchildren. We were much pleased with a bit of his life history and found him a very agreeable gentleman.

HARFORD: The following teachers have been hired for the district schools: Richardson Mills, Earl Chamberlain; Reed’s, Roy Allen; Sweet’s, Madge Lupton, of Gibson; Harding’s, Mrs. Anna Adams.

SPRINGVILLE: We have a new physician, Dr. Warren Diller, who is now located at the Bramhall residence. He also has a drug store. He has purchased a fine horse and later expects to use an automobile on his trips around the country.

CHOCONUT VALLEY: Grover Wartle has just purchased a wheel and is improving his spare time with it as he is a fine rider. ALSOThe Chalker school opened Monday with Miss Susie Murphy, who is a fine teacher.

MONTROSE: Plays that appeal to the heart and plays that heads of families can bring their children to see are the plays that thrive. Such a play is, “Along the Kennebec,” which will be presented in Montrose, Sept. 13, at the Colonial Theatre, with its wealth of beautiful scenery and a company of actors unexcelled by any in their respective lines. The play is said to be full of bright, sparkling comedy, and a splendid band and orchestra is carried, and good music is one of the many features.

ALFORD: J. H. Page has returned home after visiting his niece, Mrs. Ed. Galloway, at Ruthersford, N.Y., also his sisters, one living in Boston, Mass., and the other in Manchester, N. H., whom he had not seen in 54 years. Of course, quite some changes had taken place on both sides. Mr. Page is well and hearty, having passed the 75th milestone in July.

UNIONDALE: Dr. John Tobias and family, of Wilkes-Barre, came up in his new auto and attended the family reunion. His mother, Mrs. Joanna Tobias rode over and back with them, although she is 83 years of age.

CLIFFORD: Miss Edna Martin has been appointed teacher at the Burdick school and Miss Stella Resseguie will teach at the Birch school, both in Clifford township. The terms began Tuesday.

NEWS BRIEFS: The official straw hat season closes next Wednesday, September 15. It is generally permissible, however, to wear one until you can cash in for a new felt or the latest Knox style. ALSO Commander Robert E. Peary and Frederick Albert Cook are fighting each other, both claiming they were first to reach the North Pole.

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From the Desk of the D.A.
By District Attorney Jason J. Legg

In September 1999, when I started working for Susquehanna County as an assistant district attorney, the transition from the federal system to the county system was startling - and the most obvious difference was resources. As a federal law clerk, I had a complete suite of cherry furniture - desk, computer stand, large work table, leather chair - and, by the time I had left, I had my own office with a great view of the Lackawanna County Courthouse. The federal building in Scranton had just undergone a 20 plus million dollar expansion and renovation - and the results were impressive and beautiful. To put that in perspective, the federal renovation project alone actually spent more that Susquehanna County spends for budget to run the entire county for a full year.

My office in Susquehanna County was a smaller than the one I had in the federal building - and I was sharing it with another assistant district attorney. There was no cherry to be found anywhere. There was a metal desk with hints of rust and drawers that made scraping noises when they were opened. Initially, there was not even a computer at my desk, though we later managed to get one on a loan program run through the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. There was a window - with a view of the brick wall of the adjoining building.

If you like sports movies, there are a few scenes that come to mind that summarize my initial feelings. In Bull Durham, there is a scene where Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner), the grizzled veteran nearing the end of his career playing for the minor league Durham Bulls, is surrounded by his teammates in the back of the old team bus and Crash tells them what it is like to play in the “show,” i.e., the major leagues. In describing the “show,” Crash Davis says: “You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, [and] the hotels all have room service.”

In another Kevin Costner movie, Tin Cup, Roy McAvoy, a washed up golf pro who runs a run down driving range in Texas, qualifies for he U.S. Open, and, upon arriving at the tournament’s driving range, McAvoy is amazed when he finds that they are using brand new golf balls at the driving range. McAvoy whispers to his caddy to put a few of the new balls into his golf bag so that he can use them in the tournament.

I am not saying that Susquehanna County is the minor leagues or a dumpy little driving range. On the surface, the resources available to the federal system may make it appear that way. But the important thing to remember is that it is only difference is just that - the surface differences that arise from financial resources. Baseball is the same regardless of whether it is played in a sandlot, a little league field, or a stadium. The same applies to golf - the course may change, but the game does not.

There is no dispute that the federal system has seemingly unlimited resources - they can afford new baseballs and cathedral courthouses. In the end, the majesty of the law does not depend upon the trappings that surround it. Its grandeur shines with the same intensity wherever the law is applied and enforced - whether in a country courthouse or the United States Supreme Court. Things such as due process, justice and equality depend upon the integrity of those running the judicial system - not upon the cost of the office furniture, the cut of a suit, or the size of a salary.

Don’t get me wrong - I initially missed my old office, the cherry furniture and all of the niceties that came with it. But, as I said last week, it just felt right - old rusty metal desk and all.

Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at our website www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org or discuss this and all articles at http://dadesk.blogspot.com/.

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The Healthy Geezer
By Fred Cicetti

Q. I don’t handle stress very well. I was wondering if you had any recommendations to deal with my problem.

The American Psychological Association reports that one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress. Money and work are the leading causes of stress for three quarters of Americans. Nearly half of all Americans report that stress has a negative impact on both their personal and professional lives.

We respond to stress with a “fight-or-flight” reaction. It’s our natural response to a perceived threat. In the old days, that threat was something simple like a beast chasing us up a tree. Now we have all kinds of “threats” that include shrunken nest eggs, caring for a sick loved one, getting stuck in traffic, dealing with a blankety-blank computer.

Here’s what happens in your body during a stressful event:

An alarm goes off in your brain. Your adrenal glands atop your kidneys are told to release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones pump up your pulse, blood pressure and sugar levels in your blood. They get you ready to shinny up that tree.

The stress response is complex. It also suppresses nonessential functions, controls mood, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. When the threat is removed, the body returns to a normal state.

Your health can be damaged by unrelenting stress. Overexposure to stress hormones can lead to depression, heart disease, impaired memory, insomnia and obesity.

We can’t escape all stress, so we have to learn how to deal with it. Here are what I consider the best tips for handling stress:

Exercise - Exercise can decrease the production of stress hormones and elevate the level of endorphins, the brain’s neurotransmitters that make you feel good. Exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. I’m listing exercise first because I believe it is the most important technique for alleviating stress.

Meditation - Meditation can give you peace of mind. Focusing your attention is an important part of meditation because it liberates your mind from distractions that cause stress and worry. It’s easy and you can do it whenever or wherever you want. Prayer is the most widely practiced example of meditation. Other methods of meditation include:

Mantra meditation. You silently repeat a word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts. Transcendental meditation is a type of mantra meditation.

Guided imagery. You summon images that are relaxing to you such as a tropical island with palm trees and clear blue water.

Yoga. In this practice, which originated in India, you perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises .

Tai chi. This form of Chinese martial arts involves slow movement and deep breathing.

Qi gong. This practice, part of Chinese medicine, combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises.

Positive thinking - Thoughts run through our minds constantly. Some are negative and self-defeating. Others are positive and empowering. You can control what you want to dwell upon. If a negative thought pops into your consciousness, you can block it out and replace it with a positive thought. It takes vigilance and an act of will. This technique will reduce stress, alleviate depression and anxiety, and lead to better mental and physical health.

Here’s a wonderful variation on the Golden Rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else.

Sleep - Sleeping well restores the mind and body. Lack of sleep is ranked with obesity and smoking as a leading danger to your health. Try to set aside enough time to sleep. Take naps.

Music - Listening to restful music will reduce stress. MP3 players have become an inexpensive way to have music in your life whenever you want. And you can play up-tempo tunes on a player to motivate you during exercise.

If you would like to ask a question, please write fred@healthygeezer.com.

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Library Chitchat
By Flo Whittaker

Join us at the Library for a trip back in time to rural Nebraska in the late 19th Century. We do not have a time machine, but we do have Willa Cather’s 1918 classic novel “My Antonia.” This is the 2009 selection for Susquehanna County Reads, a joint program sponsored by the Library and the Susquehanna County Literacy Program.

See the world as it existed in that time period through the eyes of Jim Burden, a young man going to live with his grandparents in Black Hawk, Nebraska, and Antonia Shimerdas, an immigrant from Bohemia. Learn about the immigrant experience and pioneer values.

Registration for Susquehanna County Reads begins on Monday, September 14, at all four library locations and at the Pratt Memorial Library in New Milford. The cost for adults is $3 and includes a copy of the book. Children can register for free, but no book is included.

Susquehanna County Reads has planned a number of activities throughout the month of October, including a women’s history walk, a day honoring our rural heritage at Salt Springs Park, a book panel discussion and a “barn bash.” There will be a showing of the 1995 TV movie “My Antonia,” starring Jason Robards and Eva Marie Saint, at St. Paul’s Church. Check out all the details at the Library’s website at susqcolibrary.org.

These programs will provide a snapshot into a different time and different way of living. As always, Susquehanna County Library aims to make the Library your resource for lifetime learning.

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Veterans’ Corner

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What’s Bugging You?
By Stuart W. Slocum

Fall Webworm: The Fall Foliage Grinch

Having received some inquiries regarding the unsightly webs now appearing in many trees, I am “rerunning” last year’s article regarding the fall webworm. This will be a refresher for those who read it last time and new information for those who missed it.

School has started, the nights are cooler, and the landscape begins to show signs of autumn’s approach. While looking forward to the brilliant array of fall foliage, we are repulsed by the disgusting appearance of large silk tents enveloping dead leaves, creepy caterpillars and their droppings. This blight on the autumn landscape is caused by the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea. First appearing in late summer, the fall webworm is a native North American insect that attacks up to 90 different species of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Among its favorite targets are the native hickory trees. This undesirable insect belongs to the tiger moth family, Arctiidae, as do the wooly bear and hickory tussock moth, the subjects of previous articles. While similar to the eastern tent caterpillar in the fact that it constructs a silken tent, the webworm varies in the fact that its tent is much larger and located at the tips of tree branches rather than at a tree crotch. As the caterpillars grow, their tent expands. The caterpillars continue to consume all of the foliage within, leaving behind only the thickest leaf veins. The feeding webworm caterpillars never leave their tent until they drop to the ground to pupate.

Fall webworm tent.

The mature caterpillars are covered with long white hairs emanating from black and orange wart-like structures along their bodies. It is interesting to note that there are two distinct races of caterpillars, both occurring simultaneously within the same colony. One race contains individuals with red heads, while the other has black heads. They also differ somewhat in body color and have markings that vary from yellow-white to yellow-green. By late fall, the caterpillars will drop from the web to the soil beneath where they pupate over the winter. Early the following summer the adults emerge. These adult moths are white, with some scattered dark markings. With a wingspan of only about an inch, these moths are quite small and inconspicuous. The female moth lays a mass of light yellow eggs on the underside of a leaf. The eggs hatch in a few days and the larvae, which are pale yellow with 2 rows of black markings, immediately begin to spin a silk web over their feeding area. When disturbed, the caterpillars will often collectively sway back and forth.

Fall webworm caterpillar.

These fall webworms are often mistaken for either eastern tent caterpillars or gypsy moths. As indicated earlier, the silk tents of the tent caterpillar are much smaller and not located at the tips of the branches. Both tent caterpillars and gypsy moth caterpillars are active only in the spring of the year. While tent caterpillars leave their webs to eat, the fall webworm spends its entire feeding time within its ever-expanding nest.

Despite their size, numbers and unsightly appearance, the fall webworms rarely kill or permanently damage trees and plants. Since most trees have already stored up adequate food reserves, they can tolerate the leaf loss this late in the season and will make a comeback the following spring. Ironically, in Europe and Japan, areas where they have been accidentally introduced, the webworms are a major forest pest.

It is fortunate that Mother Nature has provided some biological controls for these voracious leaf eaters. Webworms are hosts to nearly 50 different varieties of parasitic wasps and flies. It usually requires several years for the numbers of these natural controls to catch up to and diminish the rising webworm populations. Wet, humid weather conditions make the webworms more susceptible to numerous viruses that can inhibit their growth and eventually kill them.

Either disrupting the tents or snipping them off and destroying them can control the webworm caterpillars. This technique is often impossible to accomplish due to the fact that most of the webs are located very high in the trees. In extreme cases, application of Bt (a natural microbial product) or a pesticide registered for use on caterpillars is necessary. Application should be made mid July before the large webs appear. General spraying should be discouraged since it is apt to do more harm to beneficial insects than to the webworms. Especially on low-lying ornamentals, the best control is to remove and destroy the webs at the earliest time of detection.

While everyone detests the sight of these ugly, dirty nests, it is prudent to remember that these “bugs” really are mostly harmless and just another one of nature’s creatures. In all likelihood attempting to destroy them may create greater harm to some of nature’s “good guys.”

Questions, comments and suggestions regarding this article, identifications or any other insect-related matters are welcome. Please email them to bugman95@gmail.com.

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Dear Dolly,

Dear Dolly,

I have a friend who is always late. We had a lunch date and I waited 30 minutes for her arrival. It was very uncomfortable for me. When she arrived it was a quick, "sorry I'm late" and she's just, "so busy" and "yada, yada, yada." I'm just sick of her excuses. What should I do? -Victor

Dear Victor,

People who are chronically late, suffer from lack of preparation and organizational skills, are bad time estimators, or think that your time is less valuable than their time. No matter what the underlying reason, you need to make it clear that you value your own time and putting up with her disrespectful and selfish behavior is a thing of the past. Wait 7-15 minutes and then leave. There needs to be a cost to being late and a payoff for being on time.

Dear Dolly,

I have a family reunion to attend soon. Everyone brings a dish or two to pass and it's always fun to sample of a lot of old favorites. Over the past year I developed a serious allergy to artificial sweeteners, Aspartame especially. What can I do to make sure no one has added any sweetener to their dishes? I'm really worried. -Ruth

Dear Ruth,

The only way you can be absolutely sure you are not going to be exposed to hidden sweeteners in the food at your family reunion, is to eat only what you, yourself have prepared. Even if you asked in advance for folks to cook to your specific needs, you couldn't be sure Aunt Emma didn't forget and slip a little sweetener in her pie because she's diabetic and it's better for her to use a sweetener. Asking for everyone to cater to your dietary needs would be a burden and unreasonable.

I do have one suggestion. Ask that the recipe for each dish be brought along with the food. You can furnish 3x5 cards. Place the cards on the table near by, so the recipe can be shared. This way you will have a chance to look for the type of sweetening in a less obvious way. This won't eliminate the risk but will reduce your chances of becoming ill if you decide Aunt Alma's strawberry refrigerator jam is just too good to ignore! Be sure to have emergency Benadryl in your purse for your own piece of mind.

All Transcript readers are welcome to submit their questions to Dear Dolly at deardolly570@yahoo.com.

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EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that military sonar exercises actually kill marine wildlife?

Unfortunately for many whales, dolphins and other marine life, the use of underwater sonar (short for sound navigation and ranging) can lead to injury and even death. Sonar systems - first developed by the U.S. Navy to detect enemy submarines - generate slow-rolling sound waves topping out at around 235 decibels; the world’s loudest rock bands top out at only 130. These sound waves can travel for hundreds of miles under water, and can retain an intensity of 140 decibels as far as 300 miles from their source.

These rolling walls of noise are no doubt too much for some marine wildlife. While little is known about any direct physiological effects of sonar waves on marine species, evidence shows that whales will swim hundreds of miles, rapidly change their depth (sometime leading to bleeding from the eyes and ears), and even beach themselves to get away from the sounds of sonar.

In January 2005, 34 whales of three different species became stranded and died along North Carolina’s Outer Banks during nearby offshore Navy sonar training. Other sad examples around the coast of the U.S. and elsewhere abound, notably in recent years with more sonar testing going on than ever before. According to the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has campaigned vigorously to ban use of the technology in waters rich in marine wildlife, recent cases of whale strandings likely represent a small fraction of sonar’s toll, given that severely injured animals rarely make it to shore.

In 2003, NRDC spearheaded a successful lawsuit against the Navy to restrict the use of low-frequency sonar off the coast of California. Two years later a coalition of green groups led by NRDC and including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the League for Coastal Protection, Cetacean Society International, and Ocean Futures Society upped the ante, asking the federal courts to also restrict testing of more intense, harmful and far ranging mid-frequency types of sonar off Southern California’s coastline.

In filing their brief, the groups cited Navy documents which estimated that such testing would kill some 170,000 marine mammals and cause permanent injury to more than 500 whales, not to mention temporary deafness for at least 8,000 others. Coalition lawyers argued that the Navy’s testing was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Two lower courts upheld NRDC’s claims, but the Supreme Court ruled that the Navy should be allowed to continue the use of some mid-frequency sonar testing for the sake of national security. “The decision places marine mammals at greater risk of serious and needless harm,” says NRDC’s Joel Reynolds.

Environmental groups are still fighting the battle against the sonar, lobbying the government to curtail testing, at least during peacetime, or to at least ramp up testing gradually to give marine wildlife a better chance to flee affected areas. “The U.S. Navy could use a number of proven methods to avoid harming whales when testing mid-frequency sonar,” reports IFAW’s Fred O'Regan. “Protecting whales and preserving national security are not mutually exclusive.”

CONTACTS: NRDC, www.nrdc.org; IFAW, www.ifaw.org.

Dear EarthTalk: How does the microwave compare in energy use, say, to using a gas or electric stove burner to heat water for a cup of tea?

The short answer is that it depends upon several variables, including the price of electricity versus gas, and the relative efficiency of the appliances involved. Typically, though, a microwave would be slightly more efficient at heating water than the flame on a gas stove, and should use up a little less energy. The reason: The microwave’s heat waves are focused on the liquid (or food) inside, not on heating the air or container around it, meaning that most if not all of the energy generated is used to make your water ready.

Given this logic, it is hard to believe that a burner element on an electric stovetop would be any better, but an analysis by Home Energy Magazine found otherwise. The magazine’s researchers discovered that an electric burner uses about 25 percent less electricity than a microwave in boiling a cup of water.

That said, the difference in energy saved by using one method over another is negligible: Choosing the most efficient process might save a heavy tea drinker a dollar or so a year. “You’d save more energy over the year by replacing one light bulb with a CFL [compact fluorescent lightbulb] or turning off the air conditioner for an hour - not an hour a day, one hour at some point over the whole year,” says consumer advocate Michael Bluejay.

Although a microwave may not save much energy or money over a stove burner when heating water, it can be much more energy-efficient than a traditional full-size oven when it comes to cooking food. For starters, because their heat waves are concentrated on the food, microwaves cook and heat much faster than traditional ovens. According to the federal government’s Energy Star program, which rates appliances based on their energy-efficiency, cooking or re-heating small portions of food in the microwave can save as much as 80 percent of the energy used to cook or warm them up in the oven.

The website Treehugger.com reports that there are other things you can do to optimize your energy efficiency around the kitchen when cooking. For starters, make sure to keep the inside surfaces of your microwave oven clean so as to maximize the amount of energy reflected toward your food. On a gas stovetop, make sure the flame is fully below the cookware; likewise, on an electric stovetop, make sure the pan or kettle completely covers the heating element to minimize wasted heat. Also, use the appropriate size pan for the job at hand, as smaller pans are cheaper and more energy-efficient to heat up.

Despite these tips for cooking greener, Bluejay reiterates that most of us will hardly put a dent in our overall energy use just by choosing one appliance over another. According to his analysis, for someone who bakes three hours a week the cheapest cooking method saves only an estimated $2.06/month compared to the most expensive method.

“Focusing on cooking methods is not the way to save electricity [at home],” says Bluejay. “You should look at heating, cooling, lighting and laundry instead.”

CONTACTS: Home Energy Magazine, www.homeenergy.org; Treehugger, www.treehugger.com; Michael Bluejay, www.michaelbluejay.com.

Send Your Environmental Questions To: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

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Barnes-Kasson Corner
By Cara Sepcoskiw

National Whole Grain Week September 6 - 12

Barnes-Kasson Hospital is observing National Whole Grain Week during the week of September 6 through 12.

Whole grains come in many forms. They include wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley and many others. When these grains are eaten in their “whole” form, they are considered whole grains. A grain is considered whole when all three parts – bran, germ and endosperm - are present. Most people know that fruits and vegetables contain beneficial antioxidants, but many do not realize that whole grains are often an even better source of these key nutrients.

Whole grains have been nicknamed the “staff of life.” They serve as a vital food source for humans. Despite all of the health benefits that whole grains offer, it is estimated that 40% of all American adults do not eat whole grains at all. Until the last century grains were commonly eaten as whole grains. Advances in the milling and processing of grains allowed large scale separation and removal of the bran and germ, resulting in refined flour that consists only of the endosperm. Refined flour became popular because it produced baked goods with a softer texture and extended freshness. When industries remove the bran and the germ, 25% of the protein and nutrients are lost. In the 1940’s, mineral enrichment was added to the grain. Compared to refined grains, most whole grains provide more protein, fiber and other traditional nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Whole Grains are by far healthier than normal grains. Whole grains play an important part in our diet. It is recommended that we eat at least half of our grains as whole grains. That is about 3-5 servings of whole grains for adults and approximately 2-3 servings for children. Scientists recommend whole grains because of the natural nutrients found inside them. They contain magnesium, vitamins B and E and plenty of iron and fiber. Studies suggest that eating your recommended amount of whole grains will reduce your risk of heart disease by 25-36%, stroke by 37%, type two diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormone-related cancers by 10-40%. It is also noted that people who eat whole grains on a daily basis have a lower risk of obesity, as measured by their BMI (body mass index). They also have lower cholesterol levels.

Whole grains contain many healthful components that have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Since most of the health-promoting components are found in the germ and bran, foods made with whole grains can play an important role in maintaining good health. Eating more whole grains involves making relatively easy changes in grain food selections. With awareness and education, along with increased availability of easy-to-identify whole-grain products, consumers can increase their intake of whole grains to recommended levels.

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