The Miracle of Omega 3s

Have you ever heard the phrase, "You are what you eat"? If so, then you know that our diet of processed, fried and fatty foods are leading us to become a nation of overweight and unhealthy people. If you want to be a lean, mean, long-living machine, it starts with your diet. And a crucial component of our diets are Omega 3 fatty acids. Today, Dr. Chase Hayden returned to teach us about the importance of Omega 3s, and how they help us stay healthy.

Omega 3s serve two important functions in our bodies: they allow for mineral transportation out of our bloodstream and into our cells, and they protect the cellular lining. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but remember, our brains are roughly 60% fat, so fatty acids are critical for optimum brain functioning and mineral absorption. (Side thought: does this make being called a "fat head" a compliment?)

Dr. Chase was bombarded with questions like "so what vitamins should I take". Unfortunately there is no singular answer. Everybody is different. Some people spend enough time in the sun that they don't need Vitamin D. Other people get enough fatty acids in their food so they don't need to take supplements. But a general rule of thumb that won't hurt people (provided you have healthy functioning gallbladders, kidneys and livers) are to take about 1000 milligrams of Omega 3s each day (usually 500 mgs twice a day). Dr. Hayden recommends supplements from whole foods, that is, the label says the ingredients are from animals or vegetables like kale, cod liver, algae, etc... A good rule of thumb is the 4th grader test: if a 4th grader couldn't read and understand the ingredients, it probably isn't from a whole food. For Omega 3s, Dr. Hayden recommends cod liver oil (yes, your grandmother was right). The label should say the only ingredient is cod liver oil. In general, you should be wary of supplements. The FDA does not regulate this industry, so there are lots of fakes out there. Do your research and consult with your doctor before trying anything new.

Check out Dr. Hayden's slide show below, and stay happy and healthy my friends!

Omega 3s

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Great New Summer Reads

Greeting LIFEers! What a beautiful (and hot) summer it is shaping up to be. But fortunately, it won't be a boring one, thanks to Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Book Shop. She joined us this week to dish out some good summer reading suggestions, and our LIFE class ate up every minute.

Fiction:

• My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliviera - civil war historical fiction about a woman trying to become a medic with a Lincoln cameo


• Room by Emma Donoghue - heavy on the "ick" factor, but a great read and unanimously voted one of the best books of the year by all who've read it, a moving tale from the point of view of a 5 year old boy locked in a room with his mother


• The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer - story of a Hungarian Jewish family and how they survived WW2 with the war approaching on two fronts


• Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert - beautifully written story about an obituary writer in a small town who gets involved in the case of a missing girl


• Informationist by Taylor Stevens - action/adventure similar to the Steig Larson books, the heroine does jobs no one else will do, here she is hired to search for a missing girl in Africa


• Still Missing by Chevy Stevens - story of a missing girl, a dark and more disturbing story


• I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson - a young David Cassidy fan in Wales grows up and struggles with her mother and boyfriend


• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - fluff, a fun read about a widower in a British village trying to get his father's gun back while befriending a foreign woman in town

Non-Fiction:

• In the Garden of the Beasts by Eric Larson - story of William Dodd, the America's Ambassador to Germany in the 1930s


• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - story of a Maryland woman who died of cancer but whose cells have lived on and contributed to science in many ways


• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - story of Lewis Samborini, an American Olympic athlete who enlisted in WW2 and was a POW in Japan

Young Adult:

• Divergent by Veronica Roth - action, distopian future with a heroine


• True (Sort of...) by Katherine Hannigan - outgoing teen befriends a troubled girl

Short Stories:

• If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This by Robin Black - stories of love, loss, grief, kids, marriage, etc...

Blue Willow Book Shop is located near the intersection of Memorial Drive and Dairy Ashford. They have lots of fun events and automatic discounts for frequent customers.

Blue Willow Book Shop
14532 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079(281) 497-8675
http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/

Cypress Creek Greenway Project

Greeting LIFEers! This week we learned about something near and dear to our lives, if not our hearts: the Cypress Creek Greenway Project! John Robertson joined us to talk about the plans and preparations for this magnificent park project, all happening in our backyards. No more driving to Terry Hershey park or the arboretum, you will be able to hike, bike, or walk the dog through miles of planned trails all across north Houston. Read about the project on the excellent slide show below, or check out their website, also below. Parks are good for the environment, the mind/body/soul and even improve local home values. So start walking, and support your local park systems.


http://www.ccfcc.org/greenway_project/index.html

Cypress Creek Greenway Project

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Discover Your Inner Core

Greetings LIFEers! Today several members of our LIFE class were really on the ball; stability ball that is. We were joined by Lisa Brashier, Professor of Kinesiology here at Cy-Fair College, and she taught us all about balance balls and how to use them to strengthen our core muscles (and provide entertainment for those not on the ball).

Lets go through some FAQs.

1) What size ball should I use?
Height Ball Size
4'11 - 5'3 55 cm
5'2 - 5'11 65 cm
5'8 and up 75 cm

2) Is this the only thing I need to exercise?
No, an exercise ball does not replace regular and strenuous exercise, it is a good supplement.

3) What does the ball do?
The ball makes the body constantly change its center of gravity in order to remain balanced and still. Over time, this improves your balance and core muscles.

4) What muscles do I use to sit on the ball?
Abs, glutes, all leg muscles, and postural muscles (neck, upper & middle back, shoulder girdle).

5) Should I replace my desk chair with a ball?
Why not? Begin with 10-15 minutes a day, and gradually work your way up. (Author's note: I tried to go whole-hog and sit on a stability ball all day - it was very hard to do, so seriously, do this gradually). Remember you are sitting on a ball, and not a chair on wheels, so be careful reaching for things. Also, I don't recommend sitting on a stability ball in a skirt. Just sayin'.

6) What exercises can I do on the ball?
Sit and balance
Push-ups
Back raises
Leg raises
Side oblique pulls
Crunches
Reach & squat
Hamstring & glue bridge
Back bridge
Elbow plank


Your ball should come with an instruction sheet illustrating some of the exercises you can do on it. You can also go online or go to your local gym and ask a trainer for instruction. Check out the pictures from class below, and try using a stability ball the next time you work on the computer or watch TV (gradually).

eBooks and eAudio

Greetings LIFEers! Today we had a very popular class; popular because of the teachers and the subject. Professors Jason Moulenbelt and Mark Thorsby returned to talk to us about what you are doing right now: electronic reading. More specifically, the pros and cons of the different e-readers on the market, and how to use them. Librarians across the nation are getting lots of questions about how to use them, and what the future of such devices will be. Let's take a closer look at this new digital territory, and see if this is the final frontier or simply a trend like laser disks.

First things first, lets take the lay of the land. What are the e-reader options, and what are their pros and cons?

Nook - by Barnes & Noble - base model starts at $149
Pros
- lighter weight than Kindle
- allows you to checkout library books
- easily replaceable battery
- can get in-store service at any Barnes & Noble location
Cons
- smaller selection of e-books than Kindle

Kindle - by Amazon.com - base model starts at $139
Pros
- huge selection - almost every book on Amazon.com is available in e-book format
- PDF reader is better than Nook
- has keyboard at the bottom, as opposed to the Nook's virtual keyboard
Cons
- battery very difficult to replace - many people just buy a new Kindle
- library books not available yet, but claim they will eventually allow this

iPad - by Apple - base model starts at $499
Pros
- is also a computer, not just an e-reader
- can get free Nook or Kindle applications, thus iPad functions exactly like either the Nook or Kindle (or both)
Cons
- more expensive and heavier because its a computer
- screen is backlit (it is a computer screen) which can cause eye strain - also has a glare in bright light making it difficult to read
- is constantly being upgraded so obsolescence factor is high

The good news about these devices is that you don't need a computer to use them (because they have wi-fi or better), except for the Nook, where you need a computer to use the library check-out function. More good news: all devices remember page numbers, and a single "book" can be shared among family members using the same account. You can also read newspapers or magazines online, but you will have fewer ads, no coupons and loose the regional feel to the paper. Another great function; you can save your e-library on your computer if you buy too many books to fit into your e-reader. If your computer memory gets wiped out, or if you delete a book, you can always go back and retrieve them from the host website, which remember which books you bought. And of course, carrying around an e-reader on vacation is much easier than lugging around a big bag of heavy books, or paying top dollar for a book at the airport.

The not-so-good news. This is all new technology and the rules are being written and revised as you read this. Harper Collins, the primary e-book publisher, will only allow libraries to check out an e-book 26 times before the e-book is deleted. The logic goes: real books wear out over time and eventually have to be replaced, so the same should go for e-books. I however think 26 checkouts is too low. If you agree, write to Harper Collins before other e-publishers follow suit. Another issue; technology is changing quickly, and you may spend lots of money buying e-books for a device that won't be around in 5 years. We've seen this in the music and movie industry (I officially own 5 copies of the first Star-Wars trilogy and hate George Lucas for his very smart yet very very greedy marketing strategy.) The e-readers will likely be around longer, since they are only e-readers and not tied to a specific computer. Devices like the iPad and iPhone are rapidly changing and will be obsolete within a few years. So choose your device wisely.

All this being said, I need to put in a good word for books. I love books. I love owning books. I still have several of my childhood books, many with additional illustrations by moi - now priceless to me. I remember exact pages in books where a favorite piece of information is located. I love dog-earring pages and taking notes in the margins. While e-readers are getting closer and closer to resembling books, some fundamental aspects of books cannot be digitized. E-readers cannot hold smells, drawings, or memories from previous owners/readers.

For more information on e-readers, go online and read the countless articles that compare the different devices. The Cy-Fair library will have a tutorial for e-readers (how to download books, listen to e-audio, etc) coming soon. Check back with us and keep reading....

Summer Delights

Greetings LIFEers! This week we were thrilled to have Librarians Jill Vu and Tracy Williams, and staffer Huyen Doan teach us how to make Vietnamese summer salad and lemon sorbet. We were thrilled, first, because we got to eat delicious food, and second, because these brave ladies filled in for us at the last minute when two other presenters canceled. Thank you Jill, Tracy, and Huyen. The recipe for lemon sorbet is below, and the recipe for Vietnamese chicken salad is in the power point. Enjoy!

Lemon Sorbet

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3-4 large lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest

Method:
1) Make simple syrup by heating sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
2) Mix lemon juice, zest and simple syrup and chill in the refrigerator or in an ice bath.
3) After mixture has chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4) After frozen, store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can still make sorbet. Just place the sorbet mixture in a shallow pan in the freezer and occasionally stir with a fork until the mixture is frozen. If the mixture is still chunky, you can place it in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)

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Secrets of the Bible

What a class we had this week, LIFEers! Professor Shawn Miller joined us to talk about creationism; the belief that the universe, the earth, and all life came into being as stated in the Bible. Is the earth 4.5 billion years old, like many scientists believe; or is it younger, like some evidence states? Did life evolve as Darwin put forth in his theory of evolution, or can the variety of life on earth be explained in Genesis?

While a controversial subject to some, Professor Miller did raise the valid point that science does not have all the answers to basic questions: how did the universe unfold, how old is the earth, how did mankind arise, etc... Scientists might counter that not knowing is the point of science: a theory is put forth until evidence disputes it. Creationists might respond that the Bible is historical evidence and should be taken into account when explaining our origins. Whether or not you agree with creationism, the topic is a fascinating one, and this was without a doubt one of the most dynamic and engaging LIFE classes we've had in a while.

Check out Professor Miller's presentation, and we'll see you next week!

Secrets of the Bible

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