Trump's first major stumble!

I haven't written a word since the election, hoping against hope, that trump ultimately would fulfill some of his election promises, if given a chance. On the bright side, his nominees for the various cabinet positions have been outstanding. However, the first sign of weakness reared its ugly dead when he refused stand behind the nomination of Secretary Flynn. On hind sight, the writing was on the wall, when he refused to stand behind Flynn. However, I cannot let this Obama Care fiasco pass without comment. We did not elect President Trump to give us some socialist form of Obama Care light. No! We elected him to repeal Obama Care, every last word of it! This is what he campaigned on and this is what we expected him to do, no if ands or buts about it! Instead, he offered a failed piece of socialist legislation, The Affordable Care Act, which was, in many ways, worse than Obama Care. Now here's the disgusting part. Trump had more than enough votes to repeal Obama's atrocious health care bill. This would have been a landslide victory for the conservatives, all over America, who elected him. Rather Trump chose to climb in bed with Paul Ryan and the other liberal Republican rhinos in the house. These establishment republican turncoats represent everything we conservatives hate about Washington DC. Everything! God bless the Freedom Caucus who stood firm against the enormous pressure brought upon them to join the rhinos and render the last election totally meaningless. Now, I fear, the worst is yet to come. Trump talks a good game but little or nothing he campaigned on is likely to come to fruition. Most importantly, there will be no wall. Oh, there will be a few miles of token wall build somewhere in the middle of the desert, but nothing that will deter the thousands of low-IQ uneducated migrants from south of the border who enter our country each and every day at great expense to everything we Americans hold dear. Without borders we are not a country, it's really as simple as that! Trump campaigned on this issue, but as with Obama care, it was nothing but hot air designed to win the votes of the masses who have come to despise every aspect of the federal government. As things now stand, we conservatives are watching our last best hope to save what little is left of America, evaporate right before our very eyes. And, guess what, there's not a damned thing we can do about it!

What are Superfoods and what makes them so special?

The short answer is that all foods do not have the same nutritional value. Foods also vary greatly in their ability to delay the onset of premature aging; their anti-cancer properties, and their beneficial cardiovascular effects; to name only a few of the most important medicinal qualities of a Superfood. Superfoods, like the magical Goji berry, have been considered exceptional for their medicinal and ant-aging properties for thousands of years, while the nutritional value of the common beet, and their greens, have only been recognized and studied recently. In any case, we all would lead longer and healthier lives if we understood the pros and cons of the various foods we consume on a daily basis and varied our diets accordingly. The primary purpose of my next book (Superfoods) is to bring some of the most important benefits of these special foods to the attention of the reader so that they may profit from the recent advances in food science. Recent innovations in the way we evaluate the nutritional value of foods have greatly simplified this task. For example, the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of a food measures its ability to protect our bodies from the free radicals that harm normal cells; enhance the effects of premature aging; and increase the risk of developing cancer. The ORAC value of the foods we eat vary from the low hundreds to 314,446 (for cloves). Obviously, knowing the ORAC of the foods we consume can make it possible to live longer, and more importantly, healthier lives. There also are simpler rules we can follow to evaluate the foods we eat. In this respect, the colors of the foods we consume are indicative of their nutritional value. As a general rule of thumb, the darker a food's color the more healthy it will be. For example, the ORAC value of black currants is 7957, while that of red currants is only 3387. Vivid reds and purples in leafy greens like chard and beet greens also suggest that they will be more nutritious than their plain green counterparts. Although this book is not designed to provide instruction on the techniques for growing fruits and vegetables, it does provide some practical guide lines for growing the Superfoods discussed. For example, it is extremely easy to propagate Goji berries from cuttings. On the other hand, if you are interested in growing a tree that will produce cloves, keep in mind that it will take at least 20 years to do so.

The Nutritional Value of Beets

Having read any of my previous articles on nutrition, you will deduce that dark red beets, and their colorful greens, must be extremely nutritious, and they are! However, beet roots should be consumed sparingly because of their high carbohydrate content; in fact, beets have the highest sugar content of any vegetable. Most of us can safely eat beet roots several times a week and can consume their nutritious greens in unlimited quantities. Here are some of the health benefits of beets and their greens. Lowering blood pressure Did you know that drinking one glass of beet juice can lower your blood pressure 4 to 5 points in a matter of hours? Beets are rich in nitrates which are converted to nitric oxide by the body. Nitric oxide relaxes and dilates your blood vessels, improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. To put this health benefit in perspective, there are 110 calories in one glass of beet juice; thus, beet juice should be consumed with caution by those who are concerned about weight control. Fighting inflammation Beets are a good source of betaine a nutrient that protects cells, proteins and enzymes from environmental stress. Betaine also lowers the levels of several inflammatory factors including C reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor. The ant-inflammatory molecules in beets provide cardiovascular benefits and reduce the effects of inflammation in other body systems. Ani-cancer properties The powerful phytonutrients that give beets their deep red color have been shown to reduce the formation of tumors in several animal models. Beetroot extracts are now being used to treat pancreatic, breast and prostate cancers. Vitamins and fiber Beets are rich in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber and minerals like potassium which are essential for healthy nerve and muscle function. Beets also contain folate a B vitamin that reduces the risk of birth defects. Detoxification support The betaine pigments in beets support our bodies Phase 2 detoxification process which binds broken down toxins to other molecules so they can be excreted from the body, a process which helps purify our blood and supports normal liver function. Don’t forget the beet greens As you might expect, because of their vibrant colors, beet greens are extremely nutritious. Beet greens contain significant amounts of important nutrients like protein, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, potassium, copper, calcium, iron and manganese. In this respect, beet greens have more iron than spinach and a higher nutritional value than the beet root itself. Beet greens also are a rich source of vitamins A, C and B6. Possibly of more importance, one cup of beet greens contains only 39 calories so, unlike he beet root itself, they can be consumed without worry of unwanted weight gain. Here are some of the specific health benefits that have been associated with the consumption of beet greens. The intake of beet greens increases bone strength and decreases the chances of developing osteoporosis. The nutrients and vitamins in beet greens improves mental health and decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The vitamins and minerals in beet greens stimulates the body’s production of antibodies and white blood cells and, thus, strengthens the immune system. If you haven’t tried beet greens before, they can be added to vegetable juices; consumed raw in salads; or sautéed lightly just as you would other greens like spinach or Swiss chard.

What are Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a class of chemical compounds found in plants. They are characterized by one or more six-sided hydrocarbon rings attached to one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups. The simplest polyphenol is phenol (C6H6OH) an antiseptic. Poly means many and refers to the fact that there are more than 4,000 polyphenol compounds many of which are powerful antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals, reduce inflammation and slow the growth of tumors. With respect to flavor, polyphenols add astringency and bite to foods. The bitter taste of tea that has been brewed to long, is due to the polyphenol resveratrol as is the “greenish flavor” of extra-virgin olive oil. Anything that makes your mouth pucker usually contains polyphenols. In plants, polyphenols defend against insect attacks and give plants their color. Examples of polyphenols in food include resveratrol in red wine, capsaicin in chili, thymol in thyme, cinnamic acid in cinnamon, and rosmarinic acid in rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and peppermint. Foods rich in polyphenols include, spices, especially cloves; dried herbs including oregano, sage, thyme and marjoram; beverages such as cocoa, green tea, and red wine; dark berries, especially black elderberry and blueberries; seeds including flaxseed and celery seeds; most nuts; black and green olives; and vegetables including artichokes, red onions, spinach, broccoli and curly endive.

I could care less !

The drive-by media is telling us that 50 - 60 elected demorats will not show up for today's inauguration. I've got to tell you that I don't give a rats ass! Rather, I would jump with joy if not a single one of these liberal fools showed up. This election demonstrated a couple of things. First, it showed just how badly divided this country is, there really is no middle ground, nothing to compromise on. Trump won everything but the kitchen sink, and I hope he governs as such. He can start by building that damned wall and throwing the illegal's out, every last one of them! Second, it proved once and for all that the liberal media is "crockeder" than a dog's hind leg. You can't believe a word these liberal fools print or say, so don't! Can you believe that these morons would have us believe that the people who voted for Trump just a few weeks ago have already changed their minds? Liberal clap-trap nothing more, nothing less! Forget about poles, they are meaningless! Finally, the so called black caucus live in a world of their own making, completely divorced from reality. In this respect, we fought a costly war to free the slaves 150 years ago and have tried everything possible in the ensuing years to bring blacks up to speed (school busing, every affirmative action program imaginable, head start, earlier start etc, etc, etc.). Nothing works, we must accept the fact that we are a divided nation of producers and non-producers and make the best of a very bad situation, since there is little or nothing we can do to change it. Yes, we will have to take care of most blacks from cradle to grave, whether it be in jail or out, that's just a fact of life. But we don't have to wring our collective hands and gnash our teeth just because these black legislators and their white liberal handlers boycott the inauguration. Throw them another welfare check and be done with it!

What we need to know about vitamin C

Vitamin C Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that is not stored in the body; therefore, we must consume our daily requirement for this essential vitamin each day. If not, we develop signs of vitamin C deficiency and ultimately scurvy. Any excess vitamin C is excreted in the urine. Vitamin C is a very effective antioxidant that prevents cell damage by the free radicals that contribute to the development of medical conditions like cancer and arthritis. These toxic free radicals also are the primary cause of aging. Most of the animal kingdom can produce vitamin C, guinea pigs, bats, sparrows and the large primates cannot. Common signs of vitamin C deficiency include dry hair, inflammation of the gums, easy bruising, decreased ability to fight infection, slow wound healing, swollen joints and anemia. Severe vitamin C deficiency results in bleeding from the hair follicles and gums, scurvy and ultimately death. Severe forms of vitamin C deficiency are rare in the United States but can be found in seniors who are malnourished and suffer from other chronic illnesses. Adults require 65 to 90 mgs of vitamin C a day. This requirement may be met by consuming one of the following vitamin C rich foods each day; one medium sized orange, one cup of kale or any dark green leafy vegetable, one guava, one cup of broccoli or one cup of strawberries.

Foods rich in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in two different forms. The vitamin A obtained from animal products is called retinoids while the vitamin A found in fruits and vegetables are known as carotenoids, the most common of which is beta carotene. Vitamin A is extremely important to vision and the growth of our bones. Vitamin A helps form the pigments in the eye which adjust to changes in light and are essential to night vision. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the formation of white blood cells which destroy harmful viruses and bacteria. Finally, vitamin A is an important antioxidant that reduces the risk of cancer. Foods rich in vitamin A include, sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy green vegetables, sweet peppers, tuna and mangoes.