Vitamins and Minerals

This one is for Meredith :)

Vitamins

Can be destroyed by light and heat exposure

Vitamin A: Retinol, fat soluble

Function: Vision adaptation, night vision, normal bone and tooth formation

Food Sources: Liver, whole milk, egg yolk, yellow and green veggies, carrots

Vitamin D: Cholecalciferol, fat soluble

Function: Promotes normal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, bone mineralization, immune functions

Food Sources: Fish, direct sunlight, enriched foods (milk products, cereals)

Vitamin E: Tocopherol, fat soluble

Function: Production of normal red blood cells, antioxidant, protects immune system and lung cells against environmental pollutants

Food Sources: Milk, meat, egg yolks, whole grains, legumes, spinach, broccoli, veggie oil, nuts, apples, tomotoes

Vitamin K: Aqua-Mephyton, fat soluble

Function: Necessary for production of clotting factors

Food Sources: Pork, liver, green leafy veggies (kale, spinach, broccoli), tomatoes, egg yolks, cheese

VitaminB1: Thiamine, water soluble

Function: Necessary for healthy nervous system, coenzyme for carbohydrate metabolism

Food Sources: Pork, beef, legumes, whole grains, enriched cereals, green veggies

Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine, water soluble

Function: Stimulates heme production for red blook cells, necessary for antibody formation

Food Sources: Organ meats, wheat and corn cereal grains, soybeans, tuna, chicken, salmon

Vitamin B12: Cobolamin, water soluble

Function: Formation of normal red blood cells, nerve function

Food Sources: Meat, liver, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, cheese

Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid, water soluble

Function: Increases absorption of iron for hemoglobin formation, necessary for collagen formation, antioxidant, shortens duration of sickness

Food Sources: Citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, melons, spinach, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus

Minerals

Iron (Fe)

Function: Normal formation of hemoglobin, essential part of enzymes

Food Sources: Red meat such as liver, pork, and beef; poultry; beans; whole grains; enriched cereals and bread

Calcium (Ca)

Function: Normal formation of bone and teeth; muscle contraction, especially the heart; clotting factors; normal nerve conduction

Food Sources: Dairy products, egg yolks, dark-green leafy veggies except spinach

Potassium (K)

Function: Acid-base balance, nerve conduction, cardiac muscle contraction

Food Sources: Dried fruits, bananas, citrus fruits

Sodium (Na)

Function: Acid-base balance, fluid balance

Food Sources: Table salt, prepared foods

Boating in April

So this weekend Travis and I had big plans to meet my family in Waco and drive to Belton for a wonderful day of water skiing and tubing on the lake. It didn't really work out... at all. We got to Waco a little late and drove through rain to get there. Travis's puppy Cash came with us and I was so impressed at how well behaved he was! He is so precious and a fun road trip traveler. David's girlfriend Hannah came over and we all piled in the car and drove to Belton. Dad hooked up the trailer and pulled the boat out of the enclosed stall. Immediately a rotten smell permeated the air. We all knew there was something dead in the boat. Gross. Dad rips the cover off, Travis jumps in to investigate and announces that he has discovered a dead coyote in the ski compartment in the floor of the boat! We mapped out what must have happened because we've all seen CSI. The coyote must have gotten hit by a car and crawled in our boat looking for a place to die dragging blood with him across the floor. Travis grabbed a garbage sack and Dad got one of the paddles and together they were able to get it out. We vaccumed and bought gloves and bleached and scrubbed down the whole thing. Now the boat has been thoughly disinfected and is ready for an outing next time. We launched the boat for about 15 minutes but it was raining hard so we came back in. I can't wait to try it again next time on a sunny day. I love tubing!

Health Missions Engagement Team

I am going to be one of the leaders for the health missions engagement team at church. I'm really excited about it! This is a new team and mostly what we're doing this year will be forming a team and mission statement. Then planning and creating strategy for how we will roll that out. There are going to be people from all kinds of health backgrounds on this team like nurses, audiologists, fitness trainers, physical therapists. There are so many directions we could go in impacting ourselves, our church and our community for Christ through health!
So I've started praying and thinking about what connections Jesus and health care have. When we get sick it's not the worst thing that could happen because we have hope in Christ and death is not the end of the story for believers. Sickness also doesn't mean that we've done something wrong and we're being punished specifically for that. Sin entered the world in Genesis and God allowing sickness and evil to happen is not an overreaction to that sin. God is that holy that all the amount of devastation that can happen in this world cannot compare to His glory. I don't think we'll be able to understand that until we are with Him in heaven. Whether we are sick or well God is still good, and Jesus is still more than enough! We can pray for each other for health and healing and God will hear our prayers and maybe answer them the way we want Him to and maybe He has a different plan.
We also need to be good stewards of our bodies so we can glorify God with our strength. Good ways to do this include regular excercise, eating healthy
food and getting checkups with a doctor (and following the doctor's advice). That's definitely all easier said than done. This team could have a lot of fun with these ideas like playing games outside! Community is easily built around playing together and having a reason to gather together! Of course Meredith and I would tell anyone who wanted our opinion on how to eat to start doing Weight Watchers. Maybe Mere would start a group at church ;). Talk about accountability with eating healthy food and excercise, there it is. How much fun would that be!
Then there are always health fairs where we'd line everybody up and check all their numbers and tell them if they're fine or it's time to go see the doctor and get your diabetes or blood pressure under control. That would be a good way to get our church and community altogether at once, and a lot of work...
Anyway, those are just a few ideas. I'd like to look up verses that support these ideas and whatever else scripture has to say about health too. Feel free to post scriptures friends :)

Adrenaline

Every Tuesday the trash guy insists on driving his monster truck up the alley just as I'm waking up. Then panic strikes because once again I forgot to put the trash out like normal people the night before. I dart out of bed, make a dash for the kitchen trash and run down the driveway with the massive green dumpster. I usually make it just in time looking ridiculous in my pjs, sneak an awkward wave and a look of "I know! I'm sorry!" and retreat to the house with a feeling of great accomplishment. This is how I start my Tuesday...every Tuesday. Did you all see that movie He's Just Not That Into You? It really had some great insight. For instance, there was a part that the guy friend is shaming the girl for not paying her bills on time and being late everywhere. He goes on to explain that her reason for doing this is because she is an adrenaline junkie. She waits until the last minute for the thrill of pulling it off at the last second. I can completely understand that! It's fun! I'm sure that's why I love being a Labor and Delivery nurse. A full helping of adrenaline is all yours as the doctor calls out "STAT C-Section!" and you're running down the hall with the patient's stretcher and beyond a doubt the misbehaving baby will get to the OR, mom will be under general anesthesia, the surgeons will be gowned and gloved, the patient draped, instruments ready, baby warmer ready, team of pediatricians present, circulating nurse organizing the chaos, and delivery of the kiddo all within 3 minutes. Amazing. Fun. Adrenaline. "Felicidades! Es nino!"

So this is for free

I'm notorious for bursting forth with information that didn't have a clear connection to the people outside my brain. My good friends could tell you, there was a connection. They even start scanning their surroundings for the piece of stimulous that makes the missing link. Some of the time they get lucky. This is how my blog received it's name. This information is only what it's worth: this is for free.
Tonight I punched out with the rest of my exhausted Labor and Delivery friends. I can't get over how bright it is outside! Day Light Savings is crazy and inspires me for a picnic and frisbee, and possibly yogurtville. I envied the motorcyclists out enjoying the incredible tempurature of the evening and am now home creating a blog on my backporch amongst the christmas lights, jack johnson and my favorite frozen dinner. Note to self, stick the frsibee in the trunk so it is accessible at all times.
My birthday is coming up soon. I've been trying to think of something fun to do and avoid catastrophe like last year.... My friend Jill has my 25th birthday forever embedded in her knee. Rock on with that wicked scar! She'll never go camping again, but I am ambitious and I think it can be conquered without disaster possibly this summer. Of course, not on my birthday. So maybe a crawfish boil? Who ever had a bad time at a crawfish boil? You may not enjoy the taste but have you ever enjoyed being so grossed out? Definitely a good choice, it made the list...
So what would you do with your last check? I swear I've got more of them somewhere but all I can find is one. There's a church retreat coming up called Road Rules which was a blast last year, or I could pay rent. I might should consult my roomate on this decision, or just be more responsible about reordering checks....either way.
I'll keep you posted.