OCR Text |
Show The Beaver Press - March 10, 2011 -Page • - • • ; • ; ' . : . - • . : J - ; - v : i^-^ ^3S^^^\ isJ nJHB HI B R E H U M Soothe Children's Coughs Naturally And Affordahly With Honey M* . • • • • • • • • ; • • • • • : i 1 4 • (NAPS)—Each year, consumers spend billions of dollars on over-thecounter (OTC) medications to soothe their coughs. However, many parents ore left looking for alternative remedies in light of recent announcements that dextromethorphan (DM)—the most common OTC treatment—is not recommended for children by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American College of Chest Physicians. For centuries, honey has been used to help soothe coughs. Emerging research is beginning to confirm this approach. A study by Penn State College of Medicine found that buckwheat honey is an effective and safe alternative to OTC cough medicine. In the study, children aged 2 to 5 years received H teaspoon of buckwheat honey, children aged 6 to 11 years received 1 teaspoon and children aged 12 to 18 received 2 teaspoons. Compared to DM and no treatment, just a small dose of honey given before bedtime provided the greatest improvement of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children over 1 year of age. ^ii well hydrated with warm herbal tea sweetened with honey. For more information about how honey can help soothe children's coughs and for more honey recipes, visit www.honey.com. Honey Soother;:^! (Makes 4 servings) w£ 3 tea bags chomomile 1 cinnamon stick 3 cups boiling water K cap honey * Place tea bags and cinnaChildren with coughs can be soothed by a concoction of mon stick in a 1-quart teapot Add boiling water; steep 3 to 6 herbal tea and honey. ' minutes. Remove cinnamon physicians and parents," said Ian stick and tea bags; discard. Paul, M.D., M.Sc., a pediatrician, Stir in honey. researcher and associate professor • Honey Notes of pediatrics at Pcnn State College • The color and flavor of honey of Medicine and Penn State Childiffer depending on the bees' dren's Hospital. Pure honey contains just one nectar source (the blossoms). • There are more than 300 ingredient: honey. Affordable and unique kinds of honey in the safe to take as often as needed for United States, originating from children over 1 year of age, a teaspoon or two of buckwheat honey diverse floral sources such as can soothe and relieve the irrita- clover, eucalyptus and orange tion of a cough. Time and rest are blossoms. • In general, lighter-colored "Our study adds to the growing the most important healing facliterature questioning the use of tors, but adequate fluids are also honeys are mild in flavor, while DM in children, but it also offers a essential. In between the tea- darker honeys are usually more legitimate and safe alternative for spoous of honey, keep your child robust in flavor. NewiWists On A Classic Comfort Food Dish Upgrade your macaroni and cheese into a sophisticated dish, such as Truffle Mac with Baby Portabellas. (NAPS>—The hottest cuisine trend right now is adding new twists to comfort food classics like macaroni and cheese. It's not just for kids anymore—and doesn't take a lot of effort, just a little imagination. In restaurants across the U.S., chefs are featuring kickedup~maT o'naTcneese dishes made with global flavors, high-end ingredients and even spiked Hsese recipe ideas can help you follow the lead of some of today's trendiest chefs, transforming everyday mac and cheese into an even more tempting treat. • Bacon Mac and Cheeseburger: This dish builds off another American comfort food classic: the bacon cheeseburger. Try deconstructing the burger by adding ground beef, crispy chopped bacon, diced Roma tomatoes and chopped green onions to your mac and cheese. lop it off with some toasted bread crumbs and ehredded cheddaisJack cheese. Detish. • Truffle Mac with Baby Portabellas: Tickle your taate buds with a little tour through France by adding white truffle oil to your cheese sauce. It only takes a little to bring out a very bold, rich flavor. Try it with sauteed baby portabella mushrooms, toasted bread crumbs and topped off with shredded Parmesan cheese and parsley. Oui. * Southwestern Chili Mac; With tho growing popularity of Southwestern cuisine, you may want to create a little mac and cheese fiesta. Smother your mac dish with spicy red chili and crumbled taco meat and top it off with shredded cheddar-Jack cheese and diced green onions. 016. These three "grown-up** mac and cheese dishes are available at Noodles & Company's 255 restaurants and come with a side salad or soup, all for under $8, So go ahead—think outside the casserole dish and follow advice from top chefs: Take comfort in the unexpected. Meet The New Dietary Guidelines ealthy Ideas (NAPS)—America's biopharmaceutical research companies' efforts to create new medicines to fight disease contribute to both the national economy and the economies of their communities. Learn more at www.PhRMA.org and www.americanmedicalin novation.org. * •* AF Stat"; A Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation is a collaboration of health care leaders and organizations working to improve the health and wellbeing of people affected by atrial fibrillation (AFib). Learn more at www.AFStat.com. *•* A study by Penn State College of Medicine found that buckwheat honey is an effective and safe alternative to over-the-counter cough medicine for children over 1 year old. For more information, visit www.honey.com, • ** With the least saturated fat and most omega-3 fat of all cooking oils, canola oil delivers on heart health. For more information, go to www.canolainfo.org, Facebook.com/canolainfo or Twit tor.com/canolainfo. • •* Fuel Your Day With Better Breakfasts (NAPS)—Breakfast can be hit or miss—or hit and run—for many who just grab whatever is handy and go...or skip it altogether. That's no way to start your day," says Tammi Hancock, R.D. "Think of your body as a car. You need to give it some fuel to get it started ~ in the morning. Choosing healthier foods, like taking care of your car, will help your body work better in the long run." : Hancock suggests making some simple substitutions for a healthier start to your day. Instead of eating cereal with full-fat milk or .tasteless skim, try enhanced fat-free milks from Smart Balance, which are rich and creamy, without all the saturated fat Lighten up your toast without losing flavor by switching out butter for healthier buttery spreads. Smart Balance milks and spreads provide vitamins and minerals needed for a morning energy boost For a healthier and great-tosting pancake recipe, try Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes: Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes made with Smart Balance make a better breakfast. ing powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat egg separately. Add milk and oil to egg and stir to mix. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Preheat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Meanwhile, prepare apples. Melt Smart Balance Spread in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Add apples and stir to combine. Cook apples 5 to 10 minutes or until softened and juices have formed a thin Pancakes . %' syrup. X cup all-purpose flour When griddle is hot, pour %• % cup whole wheat flour cup portions of batter onto 2 teaspoons baking powder griddle surface. Cook until X teaspoon baking soda Y* teaspoon s a l t ^ ; ^ M bubbles form on top and bottom is browned. Flip pancakes 1 Smart Balanced and cook until browned on the other side. Serve topped with 1 cup Smart Balance* Fat sautced apples. Free Milk and Omega-3s Yield: 4 servings of two pan1 tablespoon Smart Balance* cakes each and about 2% cups Cooking Oil sauteed apples total. Per serving: 341 calories, 10 Saute1ed Apples g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g 2 tablespoons Smart trans fat, 3 g polyunsaturated Balance* Buttery Spread fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, Original 559 mg omega-3 fatty acids, '/. cup brown ougar 2,625 mg omega-6 fatty acids, % teaspoon cinnamon 55 Jag cholesterol, 607 mg 4 cups peeled and chopped sodium, 57 g carbohydrate, 5 g apples fiber, 8 g protein. For more recipes, visit Directions: www.smartbalance.com. Combine both flours, bak* (NAPS)—The numbers can seem scary: More than 81 million Americans have cardiovascular disease (CVD) and more than 23 million have diabetes, which is a strong risk factor for CVD. There are, however, simple steps you can take to help keep yourself and your family out of such statistics, according to the new Dietary The Doctrine of Signatures was an ancient belief that plants, by the Guidelines for Americans 2010. shape or form of their parts, Indicated to man their medicinal uses. "Heart disease can be prevented 80 percent of the time with a healthy lifestyle," noted Suzanne **• Steinbaum, D.O., cardiologist and Fvo sometimes thought of marrying, and then I've thought again. director of women's heart health, Well-beJng is about taking owner—Noel Coward Heart and Vascular Institute, ship of your health and taking Lenox Hill Hospital, New York. small steps each daytoImprove i t ••* "An ounce of prevention by choos- betes is to replace saturated fat ing the right types of fat, carbohy- with health-promoting mono- and drate and protein as well as physi- polyuneaturated fats," said Jim cal activity can lead to a pound of Painter, Ph.D., R.D., chair, School *•• cure... without extra pounds." of Family and Consumer Sciences, Men marry women with the1 hope they will never change. Women Eastern Illinois University. "Such Here are tips on how: marry men with the hope they will change. Invariably, they are • Eat a balanced diet of nutri- replacement decreases total and ent-dense foods, mainly plant based 'bad' LDL cholesterol, improves both disappointed. —Albert Einstein • Be mindful of portion sizes insulin responsiveness and reduces markers of inflammation. and total daily calories. • Eat two servings of fish a However^ replacing saturated fat with refined or sugar-dense carboweek and choose lean meats. • Aim to be physically active at hydrates may actually have the opposite effect." least 30 minutes a dayf Fortunately, there's an every• Don't smoke and try to avoid day cooking oil that perfectly fits secondhand smoke. • Get adequate sleep and mini- the dietary guidelines: canola oil. With the least saturated fat and mize stress. • Make simple dietary swaps most omega-3 fat of all cooking like water instead of soda pop, oils, canola oil delivers on heart skim or fat-free dairy products in health. In fact, the U.S. Food and place of full-fat versions and Drug Administration authorized a The monjf\ of April gats Its name from the Latin "aperire," meaning canola oil rather than other oils or qualified health claim for canola "to open" as do the flower buds that month. oil regarding its potential to solid fat. The government's new dietary reduce the risk of heart disease guidelines call for saturated fat when used in place of saturated intake to be less than 10 percent of fat. The types of fat consumed arc total daily calories, replacing those more important in influencing the calories with unsaturated fat. Low- risk of CVD than the total amount ering saturated fat intake to 7 per- of fat in the diet. For more information, go to cent of total daily calories can furwww.canolainfo.org, Faccbook. ther reduce the risk of CVD. •The key to lowering risk of com/canoliinfo or Twitter.com/ Some of the more Intriguing names that the Pilgrims gave to their both heart disease and type 2 dia- canolainfo. babffea Included Ashes, Dust, Earth, Delivery, Increase and Weep-not Jobless During 2010? Strategies For Your Tax Retufn (NAPS)—The national unemployment rate remained above 9 percent from mid-2009 through 2010, breaking the previous record set in the early 1980s. The tax legislation passed late last year extended unemployment benefits an additional 13 months, but did not extend the previous year's deduction of up to $2,400 in unemployment benefits. While 100 percent of unemployment benefits are taxable again, taxpayers who were jobless at some point during 2010 may qualify for several breaks on their federal returns due by April 18. ' "Whether or not you found work, many job search expenses are deductible if you itemize," explains Jessi Dolmage, spokesperson for TaxACT. That includes costs for transportation and travel; resume" printing, postage and supplies; employment agency fees; and even moving costs if the new job is at least 50 miles away from your home. You must have been searching for a job in the same line of work; those looking for their first jobs, who have not worked for a long period of time, or who are seeking a job in a different line of work do not qualify." If you don't itemize, the standard deduction is higher for some. It's increased by $250 to $5,700 for single filers and heads of household get $50 more, $3,400. The deduction for joint filers is the same at $11,400. Workers and self-employed may also be eligible for the Making Work Pay and Earned Income Tax Credits. The Making Work Pay Credit is a refundable credit of 6.2 percent of your earned income, up to $400 ($800 for joint filers). It phases out when modified adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers. You may have already received some or all of the credit in your 2010 paychecks through induced federaJ withholding. If you didn't receive the full amount, file a return—even if you're not required to—in order to receive the refundable balance. Also refundable, the Earned Income Tax Credit is for workers earning $48,362 or less in 2010. The credit amount is based on income amount and number of Tax breaks are available for those unemployed last year. • .'> qualifying children. While tfee average amount last year Wds about $2,100, the credit is worth up to $5,666. ••'•:}. Dolmage provided additional : tax information and tips: • Unemployment benefita, pay for accumulated vacation or SICK time, supplemental unemployment benefits from a companyfinanced fund, and withdrawals from IRAs prior to age 59J4 ai-e taxable income. Early IRA withdrawals also incur a 10 percent penalty unless used to pay for medical insurance premiums after a job lass. . >' • Unemployment compensation will be reported on Form 1099-G, while severance pay, accumulated time and supplemental unemployment benefits are on Form W-2 from your employer. \ ';• After gathering all W-2s, 1099s, receipts and other tax documents, use a free tax preparation solution. "You can do your federal taxes free with TaxACT Free Federal Edition. It walks you through all tax breaks related to unemployment as well as hundreds of other credits and deductions," says Dolmage. T h e Life Events* section provides extra tax information for unemployment and you can get free tax help via e-mai!;" Maximum refund and accuracy guarantees are included. : • If you can't pay your taxes, minimize penalties and interest by filing and paying as much as possible by April 18. If you file for an extension, you're still subject to interest. Contact the IRS to discuss installments. For more information about tax implications of job loss, see IftS Publications 4128 and 4763 at www.irs.gov. Do your federal taxes free with TaxACT Free Federal Edition at www.taxact.com. ;. Ten Tax Tips For 2011 tq . help take the guesswork out of tax season: ' 1. Put your 2 percent raise to work—Taxpayers get a 2 percent raise in 2011 from the Tax Relief Act of 2010, giving workers who earn $50,000 a year an extra $1,000 in their paychecks. 2. Unemployed required to file—All unemployment benefits will be taxed this year, unlike last year, when the first $2,400 was tax-free. 3. S a n d w i c h g e n e r a t i o n gets tax relief—"Sandwich generation" taxpayers—those supporting their parents and their own children—may be able to claim a $3,660 qualifying relative exemption. 4. Health i n s u r a n c e for adult children starts—Children under 27 who do not have access to employer-provided insurance may be added to their parents' health insurance policies. This benefit is not taxable. 5. Education benefits extended—The American Opportunity Credit allows taxpayers to claim $2,500 for a student's first four years of college. The tuition and fees deduction could reduce taxable income up to $4,000. 6. 2006 Homebuyer Credit repayment starts, but not for 2009 .and 2010=-The 2008 Firsttime Homebuyer Credit must be repaid, starting with 2010 tax returns. In general, taxpayers must repay $500 a year for 15 years. •;..'• 7. Homebuyer Credit extension for military—Military personnel on extended leave outside the U.S. for at least 90 days between Jan. 1, 2009 and May 1, 2009 may claim the credit if they close on a house before May 1,2011, 8. Energy credit reduccd^For 2011, the lifetime maximum for the Energy Property Credit is reduced from $1,500 to $500 for improvements meeting specific : energy guidelines. ~; 9. Adoption C r e d i t fully refundable in 2010 and 2011— The Adoption Credit can be claimed for qualified expenses up to $13,170 for 2010 and $13,360 for 2011. For 2010 and 2011, this credit is fully refundable. 10. 2011 federal filing deadline is April 18—Due to the April 15 observation of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia, the filing deadline for federal tax returns is April 18 this year. Some state filing dead, lines remain April 15. ; For more information about tax season 2011, visit the H&R Block website at www.hrblock.com or call 800-HRBLOCK. l'\\ Did You Know? (NAPS)—According to Greg Crawford, executive director of the Steel Recycling Institute, steel aerosol containers are every bit as recyclable as the steel food cans that millions of consumers routinely put in their, recycling bins. For more information, see http://recycle-steel.org. • * * Enhanced fat-free milks from Smart Balance are rich and creamy, without all the saturated fat. Lighten up your toast without losing flavor by switching out but-^ ter for Smart Balance buttery spreads. For recipes, visit Merck is awarding $50,000 in www.smartbalance.com. scholarships to 10 high school • * * seniors with asthma. For more; 1 You can get your tax refund information and to applufor the/ back fast with a prepaid debit Will to Win Scholarshipr^udenta card, the TurboTax Refund Card. should visit www.willtowiii No check cashing, bank account scholarehip.com. ''•'.'•: or credit check is required, and you can use it anywhere Visa A prepaid debit card can be a debit cards are accepted. For great alternative to credit carcfe more information, go to and checking accounts. You can; www.turbotax.com. use a PayPower Visa Card to get • • * cash from ATMs and anywhere There is no medical reason to Visa debit is accepted, including have a monthly period when you online or over the phone. Learn' are on the 'Wl. For more informa- more at www.paypower.com & tion, visit www.seasonique.com. (888)633-9432. * * * • : ; . • |