Thyroid Disease

Thyroid Disease

Last year, while sitting through a medical board review course for integrative medicine, an inexplicable feeling of fatigue washed over me. I had been sleeping well, yet still continuing to wake up exhausted. It was no small coincidence that the topic of discussion was the scientific evidence behind the integrative medicine approach to treating thyroid disease. You needn't have a medical background to know my symptoms were not normal. My hairdresser was watching my hair fall out by the handfuls for months, and she kept asking me about potential thyroid issues.

Have you also suffered from similar symptoms that could be related to thyroid disease? Subclinical thyroid disease and hypothyroidism are both more common in women than in men in the United States. I had gone to my primary care physician many times over the years complaining of symptoms. My thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels always came back in the upper limit of normal range (around 10 mIU/L) so therefore no other tests were done. This is the problem. Often, to screen potential thyroid issues, physicians only check this one hormone level, which is created in the brain.

The serum TSH has a wide range of normal (from 4-10 IU/L), and your own TSH level's range of normal may be less than a calculated average for the entire population. According to the 2012 American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Guidelines, there are many reasons for a varying TSH level. Checking a serum TSH level is a screening test only, and not truly designed to diagnose a thyroid problem or monitor therapy. These guidelines recommend that if a patient is symptomatic, the additional two main thyroid hormones should also be checked: thyroxine (T4) and triidoothyronine (T3) or FT4 and FT3 levels.

Health 2014

Trends for 2014

From "super" foods like quinoa and kale, meal plans like the Paleo diet, and fitness crazes such as Tabatha training, 2013 had its fair share of health trends. New ways to get and stay healthy are always in the spotlight as more than 30 percent of Americans are classified as obese, according to the CDC. So what's in store for 2014? Here are some predictions for trends you may see in your gym, supermarket, or hear around the water cooler this year. Find out if they're worth incorporating into your lifestyle.

Ancient Is "In."

Chances are at the beginning of 2013 you didn't even know how to pronounce quinoa (KEEN-wah) and now you're seeing the protein-packed grain in everything from salads to desserts. Quinoa is known as an ancient grain since it's been around for thousands of years, and it's not the only one on the market. Ancient grains are becoming more and more popular because of their high fiber content, which Americans are lacking, and unique nutrient attributes. Amaranth, like quinoa, is gluten-free, which appeals to those suffering from celiac disease, and contains the amino acid (protein-building block) lysine, which is absent in most grains. Freekeh, wheat-harvested and roasted when it's young, is another one on the rise with double the fiber of average grains to keep you fuller, longer. Incorporating more whole grains into your day not only helps with weight loss, but can stabilize your blood glucose and help lower blood cholesterol.

Home and Garden How To Improve

Feeling old school, want that 1920’s homemade drink look with all the trimmings well we got something for you.

Look now how you can create your own Home wet bar. A homemade bar that brings the old back. I personally do moonshine every blue moon….but here is how

What you can do is take genuine mason jars, basically by a honey jar, and Hun its not expensive. Then  clean it out and pop holes on top. Room for straws of course. This is nice for summer picnics and candle lit dinners out side with the family.  Here's what you buy

Sipping Mason Jar Drinking Glasses with Carrier Details:

Serve your guests their ice tea or other mixed drinks in style with our Sipping Mason Jar drinking glasses with carrier. Each mason jar glass comes with a reusable straw and lid, making them perfect for sipping your favorite drink on the front porch on summer evenings. If you’re serving your guests, the included metal carrier is perfect for making drinks in the kitchen and transporting them wherever your guests may be relaxing. Optional engraving is available for these mason jar glasses, so make sure to personalize them for ultimate hospitality. Each glass holds 16 oz. Hand wash recommended. Mason jar glasses measure 5 ½” tall and 2 ¾” in diameter.

There you go perfect and you will be the star of the Bar-B-Que.

Features of our Sippin Mason Jar Drinking Glasses with Carrier:

Glasses measure 5 ½” tall and 2 ¾” in diameter

Each glass holds 16 oz

Glasses come with reusable straws and lids

Hand wash recommended

Another item that will go good with your Mason Jars……..

Sur La Tables

.Serve cheese and appetizers in style with our round marble serving board. Perfect for your next fête. Material: Marble Care: Hand wash only Dimensions: 12" x ½" Made in India exclusively for Sur La...

A little bit of history…...

Shirley Collins founded Sur La Table in 1972, opening a single retail location in Seattle's Pike Place Market. In 1995, Collins sold the company.

Sur La Table is currently owned by Investcorp.[2] Corporate headquarters are located in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. Jack Schwefel is the company's chief executive officer, and is pursuing an expansion policy of opening new stores in lifestyle centers, malls, and on city streets, "with a mix of upscale national brands and creative local merchants, anchored by an upscale or organic-themed grocery store that encourages frequent trips".[3]

As of 2005, it is the second-largest specialty cookware retailer in the US, after Williams-Sonoma, Inc.[3]

Many of the stores offer cooking classes,[4] which serve the dual purpose of teaching kitchen techniques and promoting the sale of Sur La Table's inventory.

Good to know and eat over with some friend's .

Summer Fruit Crostata

Total Time:
1 hr 55 min
Prep:
30 min
Inactive:
1 hr 5 min
Cook:
20 min

Yield:
6 servings

Directions
For the pastry:

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
For the filling:

Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) ice water
For the filling (makes 1 crostata):
1 pound firm ripe peaches, peeled
1/2 pound firm ripe black plums, unpeeled
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
For the pastry: